John 3:9-16, Lifting Up the Son of Man

 Today’s post is from Arthur Pink in his Exposition of the Gospel of John.  It relates to the connection in John 3:14-15 of the cross and the snakes in the wilderness.

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 1.    They were not told to manufacture some ointment as the means of healing their wounds.  Doubtless, that would have seemed much more reasonable to them. But it would have destroyed the type.  The religious doctors of the day are busy inventing spiritual lotions, but they effect no cures. 

2.    They were not told to minister to others who were wounded, in order to get relief for themselves.  This, too, would have appealed to their sentiments as being more practical and more desirable than gazing at a pole, yet in fact it had been most impracticable.  Of what use would it be for one to jump in deep water to rescue a drowning man if he could not swim a stroke himself!

3.    They were not told to fight the serpents.  If some of our moderns had been present that day they would have urged Moses to organize a Society for the Extermination of Serpents!  But what use had that been to those who were already bitten and dying?

4.    They were not told to make an offering to the serpent on the pole.  God did not ask any payment from them in return for their healing.  No, indeed.  Grace ceases to be grace if any price is paid for what it brings.

5.    They were not told to pray to the serpent.  Many evangelists urge their hearers to go to the ‘mourner’s bench’ or ‘penitent form’ and there plead with God for pardoning mercy, and if they are dead in earnest they are led to believe that God has heard them for their much speaking. … Oh dear reader, do not make the fatal mistake of substituting prayer for faith in Christ.

6.    They were not told to look at Moses.  They had been looking to Moses, and urging him to cry to God on their behalf; and when God responded, He took their eyes from off Moses, and commanded them to look at the brazen serpent.  Moses was the Law-giver, and how many today are looking to him for salvation.  They are trusting in their own imperfect obedience to God’s commandments to take them to heaven.

7.    They were not told to look at their wounds.  Some think they need to be more occupied with the work of examining their own wicked hearts in order to promote that degree of repentance which they deem a necessary qualification for salvation.  But as well attempt to produce heat by looking at the snow, or light by peering into the darkness, as seek salvation by looking to self for it.  To be occupied with myself is only to be taken up with that which God has condemned, and which already has the sentence of death written upon it.

Just as the bitten Israelites were healed by a look of faith, so the sinner may be saved by look to Christ by faith.  Saving faith is not some difficult and meritorious work which man must perform so as to give him a claim upon God for the blessing of salvation.  It is not on account of our faith that God saves us, but it is through the means of our faith.  It is in believing we are saved.

2 Cor. 4:7-18, “Authentic Christianity”

For the next few posts I would like to share the writings of other people, people who have been helpful to me in recent days, not only in my preaching but most importantly in my walk with Christ.  We begin with Ray Stedman.

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Ray Stedman was a well-respected pastor, for 40 years at Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, CA.  He was born in N. Dakota and grew up in Montana (Miles City; for a brief time in his youth he was a bull-rider).  These quotes are taken from a web page that PBC has maintained since his death in 1992.

In Ray's book Authentic Christianity, he tells the story of Paul's escape from Damascus by being let down over the wall in a basket. Ray commented that Paul was useless to God until he became a basket case! He adds that we also are useless until we are 'utterly bankrupt before some demand of life, and then discover it to be a blessing,' because it forces us to 'depend wholly on the Lord at work in you.'

In a sermon he preached just a year before his death, he quoted Paul's statements about our "light affliction" working in us "an exceeding great and eternal weight of glory" and followed that with a call to break out of the limitations of this-world thinking:

"The world tells us, if you don't take it now, you're never going to get another chance. I have seen that misunderstanding drive people into forsaking their marriages after 30 or40 years and running off with another, usually younger, person, hoping they can still fulfill their dreams because they feel life is slipping away from them. Christians are not to think that way. This life is a school, a training period where we are being prepared for something that is incredibly great but is yet to come. I don't understand all that is involved in that, but I believe it, and sometimes I can hardly wait until it happens."

In the same message, Ray spoke of being readied for "something tremendous" and warned his congregation, "Don't succumb to the philosophy that you have to have it all now or you will never have another chance. You can pass by a lot of things now and be content because you know that what God is sending you now is just what you need to get you ready for what he has waiting for you when this life is over. One of my favorite quotations is the words of Robert Browning, which you sometimes see carved on sundials:

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to be,
The last of life, for which the first was made."

Acts 15:36-41, Commended by the Grace of God

Paul and Barnabas had a contentious situation over John Mark.  They split, and both went their way in the service of Christ.  We are not told about Barnabas’ ministry.  He never comes up again in the NT, although we do find that John Mark eventually became very useful to Paul in ministry (2 Tim. 4:11), suggesting that Barnabas might have had some good ministry with him.

What we know about Paul is that he was sent by the Antioch Church, with Silas, to continue his missionary work.  But not until they commended him to the grace of God.  Are you, am I, commended by the grace of God for ministry?  They had so commended him before his first journey (Ac. 14:26).  And Paul so commended others to ministry (Ac. 20:32)  This is an absolute necessity. 

·       Rom. 12:3-8: Paul spoke out of the reservoir of the grace of God.  He was exercising his “gift,” often called a “spiritual gift” but much more properly called a “grace” gift.  The word is “charisma,” and has the word grace (charis) in it.  It is literally a “thing of grace.”  In this passage he reminds us that all believers have a piece of God’s grace in the form of a gift, and our service for Christ will be empowered by God’s grace as we use the gift.

·       1 Cor. 15:1-11: Again, Paul spoke, preaching the gospel, out of the grace of God.  Paul considered himself the least of the apostles, yet what he was he said was by the grace of God.  “By the grace of God I am what I am.”  Paul said he worked harder than all the other apostles, yet this was not bragging but an acknowledgement that, “the grace of God was with me.”  If we are not commended to the grace of God then service for Christ becomes self-centered.

·       1 Tim. 4:12-16: Paul encouraged Timothy with several bits of advice.  But at the center was this: “Do not neglect the gift that is in you.”  Again, “charisma.”  It was the gift that Timothy had received.  Being commended to God’s grace would make it possible for Timothy not to let people despise him in his youth. 

·       2 Tim. 1:3-7: Timothy’s family background was helpful for him.  But the key to continuing ministry was to, “stir up the gift of God which is in you.”  Charisma.  Through prayer, personal study, personal growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ, Timothy could continue to serve out of God’s grace.

·       1 Pt. 4:10-11: If you are a believer in Christ, you have a gift (Rom. 12 above).  If you have a gift (charisma) then you are to minister “as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”  It is manifold.  It comes with many encouragements, many varieties in ministry.  Some involve speaking, some involve service.  But all involve the grace of God.

Your brothers and sisters in Christ (the local church) are used by our Lord, through their acknowledgement of how he has gifted us, and by their prayers, to commend us to the grace of God!  Don’t serve the Lord without it.

Psalm 2; Prov. 30:4-6, Addendum, Who is God's Son?

 Solomon, perhaps under a “pen name” Agur (Pr. 30:1), asks these questions:

Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, If you know?

Why would he ask the name of “His Son” along with all these other questions that are designed to demonstrate the greatness of God?  Because Solomon is very familiar with Psalm 2:7-8, where the great plan of God is revealed:

“ ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. 8 Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

One application for Psalm 2 is, Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in the way!  If you don’t know who the “Son of God” is then you are in trouble.  How can you submit yourself to Him?  The Son of God is Jesus Christ.  He is currently sitting at the right hand of the Father, waiting for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet (Ps. 110:1; Mark 12:36; Heb. 1:3,13).  Do you know the Son of God?

2 Tim. 1:1-2,8-12; 2:1-10, Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus

There is a thought that many have that in the NT the references to “Jesus Christ” and to “Christ Jesus” are intentional.  I have a hard time denying that thought, even though none of the NT writers explained this.  My view of “verbal-plenary-inspiration” (every word inspired) says it makes sense.  On the one hand, putting “Christ” first refers to His heavenly calling.  Putting the earthly name “Jesus” first indicates an emphasis on His Incarnation. 

You can think about this.  All I want to share is what I noticed in my recent reading of 2 Timothy.  As I list each use I will also the Greek “case” (type of speech).  It will be either “genitive” or “dative.”  The Greek genitive case means the subject of the phrase has it’s origin in Him (1:1: apostle of Jesus Christ).  The Greek dative case means the subject is being attributed to Him (1:1: promise of life which is in Christ Jesus).  Here is a list with a few brief comments.

Jesus Christ

·       1:1: Paul an apostle of … (genitive; his ministry calling originated in the Incarnate One)

·       1:10: now the appearing of our Savior … (genitive; no Savior without the Incarnate/“appearing” Word)

·       2:3: endure as a good soldier of … (genitive; ministry in the Body of Christ rests in Jesus’ ministry; He gave the gifts after His ascension, Eph. 4:7-12)

·       2:8: remember Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, raised from the dead (accusative, it identifies the subject; Davidic line and resurrection are Incarnation realities)

·       4:1: the Judge of the living and the dead, our Judge, the one before whom we live our daily lives is the Lord … (genitive; I don’t remember any references to the “Lord Christ Jesus,” not that there might not be; His Lordship, and thus His Judgeship, is rooted in the finished work; cf. Phil. 2:5-11)

·       4:22: the Lord Jesus Christ be with you (nominative case, identifies a noun or pronoun; His presence with us was promised as we serve Him, Mt. 28:19-20, as we love Him and keep His word, Jn. 14:23; these and the promise of the indwelling Spirit came at the end of His earthly life and ministry)

Christ Jesus

·       1:1: according to the promise of life in … (dative; prior to Jesus’ appointment of Paul was a promise of life from God, a promise made by God that would be require the sending and giving of His Son).

·       1:2: grace, mercy and peace from … (genitive)

·       1:9: before time began God’s grace given to us in … (dative)

·       1:13: faith and love are in … (dative)

·       2:1: be strong in the grace that is in … (dative)

·       2:10: the elect obtain salvation which is in … (dative)

·       3:12: all will suffer persecution who desire to live godly in … (dative; our life is in Christ Jesus; check Col. 3:1-4 to see the significance of this)

·       3:15: faith for salvation is in … (dative; in Ch. 3 Paul speaks of very “earthly” things about Timothy and his salvation, but in the process he reminds Tim that who he is, is rooted in the One in heaven)

What is the purpose of all this?  It is to offer some meditation time on who we are and what we have IN CHRIST JESUS, as well as how we live our lives by the One who lives in us, who is the source of our life.  I hope you take the opportunity.

Psalm 79

We find the Psalmist in the most difficult of positions.  What is described is most certainly the time of the Babylonian captivity.  The people of Israel are in shame.  Not only have the Babylonians treated them terribly; other nations, particularly Edom, took advantage of the situation to try to take Israel’s land for themselves.  The once proud nation is now a nation in exile.

But this is not actually what you hear the Psalmist saying.  What he says is …

§     The nations have come into YOUR inheritance … YOUR holy temple.

§     The dead bodies of YOUR servants …the flesh of YOUR saints.

§     For the glory of YOUR name … for YOUR name’s sake.

§     YOUR people, the sheep of YOUR pasture will give YOU thanks and show forth YOUR praise!

Furthermore, we also see that the Psalmist is not blind to the fact that the terrible situation in which they find themselves is of their own making.  He acknowledges former iniquities (v8) and sins (v9), pleading for God to make atonement so that He can forget them and turn from His anger.

The point is that we are seeing what we always see in the prayers of this great Hymnbook: the cry and concern of the saint is focused on His God!  Understand what we are saying: his life is consumed with difficulty and it drives him to His God.  But the one thing he desires is that His God be exalted.  He recognizes that he and his people would be nothing apart from God.  They are, in fact, His sheep living in His pasture.  The real problem is not that Israel is shamed; it is that Israel’s Shepherd is shamed (v10).

Let us, the people of God living in the AD era of history, see that nothing has changed in this regard.  God invites us to come into His very throne room with our sorrows (Heb. 4:16).  He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).  He longs to hear your supplications (Phil. 4:6-7).

But when you enter His presence do you not come to a place of great glory, where He is high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple (Isa. 6:1)?  You are in the place where all cry out glory, where the musical theme is HOLY, HOLY, HOLY (Isa. 6:3; Rev. 4:8).  The One on the throne is alone worthy to receive glory and honor and power for He created all things and by (His) will they exist and were created (Rev. 4:11).

So when we come, as He bids us do, with our pain and shame, let us humble ourselves (1 Peter 5:6).  Let us come in Jesus’ name.  Let us speak of ourselves in truth, as HIS purchased possession (Eph. 1:14), HIS own special people (Titus 2:14).  May our prayer be to the praise of HIS glory (Eph. 1:6,12,14).

1 Sam. 1:8-18, The Faith of Hannah

If someone asked, “what was the legacy of Hannah,” we would certainly say Samuel!  That is obvious.  But let’s not fail to see some other portions in the story.

In 1 Sam. 1:18 we see that Hannah left a legacy of faith.  Hannah reminds me a lot of Mary (or vise versa).  Both wrote a song of praise that emphasized the way God exalts the humble.  Remember that Elizabeth said of Mary that she had believed that what the Lord said to her would be accomplished (Lk. 1:45).  Paul defined faith as being persuaded that God was able to do what He promised (Rom. 4:20-21).  In Psalm 56 David acknowledge this idea when, at the point when he declared his trust in the LORD, he also praised God for His word (56:3-4,10-11).

Hannah had this kind of faith.  How do I know?  For one thing, upon hearing the words of Eli, the High Priest, she believed God had spoken, and she immediately turned from mourning over lack of a child and rejoined her feasting family.  When she named “Samuel” she acknowledged that he was a gift from the LORD.  She took care of the LORD’s possession, not even going for the yearly sacrifice.  When she did go up, with Samuel, she took three bulls but only sacrificed one.  Surely the other two went to Eli, perhaps in recognition that from then on Eli would be responsible for Samuel’s needs.  For that same reason, each year Hannah made a robe for Samuel to wear. 

All these things demonstrate Hannah’s commitment to the will of the LORD.  In comparing Hannah and Mary you might think that Jesus was God’s idea while Samuel was Hannah’s idea.  But of course, that is wrong: she had asked him from the LORD (v20) and the LORD had remembered her (v19).  Both Samuel and Jesus were God’s idea!

We need to note one other aspect of Hannah’s legacy of faith: her prayer.  The theme of her prayer, as we have said, is about God who exalts the humble and humbles the exalted.  In that theme we see that Hannah had a “Messianic expectation.”  Zacharias and Elizabeth had this (Lk. 1:6); as did Simeon (Lk. 2:25) and Anna and many others of her acquaintances (Lk. 2:38).  There are two indications of this in Hannah’s prayer.  In 1 Sam. 2:2 she says, nor is there any rock like our God.  That tells me that she had memorized Psalm 32, “the Song of Moses.”  Israel was supposed to memorize that song, so they would always remember that even in evil times God would not disown them.  He would keep His promise to send a Redeemer, the Seed of the woman in Gen. 3.  It is that Song that introduces Israel to the idea that the LORD is Israel’s “Rock.” 

The other indication is at the very end: He will give strength to His king, and exalt the horn of His anointed.  At the time, Israel had no king; not even a King David.  It was the time of the Judges when there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Jud. 21:25).  Hannah knew what every other believing Israelite knew as they saw the sons of Eli declaring their own rules at the tabernacle, contrary to God’s rules.  Yet, Hannah believed that, at some time, there would be a king, God’s anointed (Heb. masiah, from which we get Messiah, Christ, the Anointed One).  That is the essence of OT Messianic expectation.  The Redeemer will come!

1 Sam. 2:22-36, The Faith of Eli

Before we consider Eli (in Israel pronounced “el-ee:) I want to note that Elkanah also was a person of faith.  He went up yearly to Shiloh, which, from the “mountains of Ephraim” (1:1) was not a long journey.  It was a family trip.  This was his way of expressing his faith.  I know that the men of Israel were supposed to go up during three feasts (Ex. 23:14-17).  But his words to Hannah were, onlu let the LORD establish His word (1:23).  If his faith is “remarkable” it would only be because of the lack of faith in the time of the Judges.

The fact that all this is happening during that time makes the conflicted faith of Eli seem almost “normal.”  I can imagine (i.e. I have no reason to believe or deny this) that Eli also had a Messianic expectation.  But he clearly had a deficiency in his faith as seen in his unwillingness (not “inability,” but “unwillingness”) to deal with his sons. 

In the very beginning of the OT priesthood God had killed the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu.  Now we see that God “desired to kill” the sons of Eli.  “Desired” in Hebrew means to delight in.  What strong words.  And again, in reflecting on Aaron, God forbade him to even shed a tear for his dead sons (Lev. 10:3,6).  And Aaron was obedient to that difficult command.  The reason for it all was that Aaron was the priest, the High Priest of Israel, the one who came near to God on behalf of the people.  By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified (Lev. 10:3).  That was the way it had to be.  Thus, Eli was reproved and judged by God.  He knew the requirements of being the priest.  The words are similar: those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed (2:30).  Because of Eli’s reluctance to remove his sons, around 150 years later the line of the High Priest would change to another branch of the house of Aaron (1 Ki. 2:27). He honored his sons more than God (2:29).

Are their positive things that can be said about Eli?  He did speak for God (1:17; 2:20).  But then, so did Caiaphas in the time of Jesus (Jh. 11:49-52).  He did reprove his sons verbally (2:22-25).  But his responsibility and authority required that he go much further. 

So God reproved Eli (2:27-36).  Eli did not argue with the prophet sent by God.  And he did not plead with God to change His mind.  And as we see in 1 Sam. 3:18, when Samuel told Eli what the LORD had said, Eli’s response was an expression of his faith: It is the LORD.  Let Him do what seems good to Him.

This is a hard story.  But it is a pertinent story for us, on this side of the cross.  Jesus said, For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will those of his own household.  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. 

Resist the temptation to feel sorry for Eli.  Embrace the glory of God, who is always glorified when we exalt His Son!

1 Chron. 16:8-36, God, the Salvation of Israel

(We hope you will use this Thanksgiving Day well, by giving thanks to our God!  Perhaps this will help.) 

Here is a Psalm not recorded in the Book of Psalms, yet which, in its entirety, is found in the Book of Psalms.  Confused?  No need.  It is never recorded in Psalms in this form.  But 1 Chron. 16:8-22 is taken from Ps. 105:1-15; 16:23-34 is from 96:1-13; and 16:35-36 from 106:47-48.

Psalms 104-106 are a historical “trilogy,” a survey of creation and the sustaining of that creation (104, Gen. 1-9), a survey of Israel’s history from Abraham to the Exodus (105, Gen. 10-Ex. 17), and Israel’s history from the Exodus to the Judges and Kings (Ex. 18-2 Samuel).  If David was the author of 1 Chron. 16:8-36 (that is very clear; he gave this song to the musicians), then he likely wrote Ps. 104-6.  It makes sense.  A king was supposed to be steeped in the Word of God (Deut. 17:18-20).  David’s first attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem was a disaster, all because he did not know the word of God (1 Chron. 15:11-15).  Now he had become familiar with God’s word, so might have written the three historical Psalms, and then placed parts of them with the passage from Ps. 96, to make for a great call to worship as the Ark entered Jerusalem. 

·       16:8-13: This is an exceptionally strong call to worship.  But of course: it is for those who are bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem.  Finally there is a place for the Ark to be set for all the people.  How can we worship God? Give thanks to the LORD (v8).  Call upon His name (v8).  Make known His deeds among the peoples (v8).  Sing psalms to Him (v9).  Talk about His wondrous works (v9).  Glory in His holy name (v10).  Rejoice (v10)!  Seek the LORD (v11).  Remember His marvelous works, wonders and judgments (v12). 

·       v14-19: His judgments are in all the earth.  One way we see this is in the fact of “Israel.”  The presence of that nation in their land is a constant “in your face” reminder that God is at work in this world.  His covenant with Abraham is a foundational judgment this world must recognize and subject themselves to.  Even today, as I write, Israel’s Prime Minister has given a speech to the United Nations, only to have a large crowd of those national representatives get up and walk out.  They do this to their own peril.

·       v20-22: God protected the Patriarchs (Abraham, etc.).  He will do that today.

·       v23-24: Again, a call to praise.  But this is specifically to “all the earth.” 

·       v25-27: The nations must understand that the LORD, the God of Israel, is great, the greatest, the Most High God.  Why?  Because He alone is the Creator of all things, of all people.

·       v28-34: Therefore, He is the coming Judge of all the earth.  THEREFORE!  Because He is the Creator of all, He is the Judge of all.

·       v35-36: “Save us, O God of our salvation … from the Gentiles.”  How powerful that these word are spoken at the Ark is brought to Jerusalem.  In this city it will be a national symbol, a recognition that God’s intent was to dwell with Israel, to be their God and they His people.  This is one of those “judgments” that must be recognized by the nations, by all the earth.  Think of this prayer, in this context, at the outset of the rule of David and his family: “Save us.”  Then let me give you Jeremiah 30:11, from the time of the approaching Babylonian army and Israel captivity and the beginning of the “times of the Gentiles/Nations.”

For I am with you,’ says the Lord, ‘to save you;
Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you,
Yet I will not make a complete end of you.
But I will correct you in justice,
And will not let you go altogether unpunished.’

This is still God’s plan, God’s promise, God’s purpose.  If you are going to  declare the praises of God and honor Him as your God, then declare His marvelous works.  David prayed this Psalm.  And God then, in 1 Chron. 17, gave to David the first installment of His answer to David by establishing a covenant with David that His sons, and eventually His “Son,” would be on the throne.  Do you share David’s response to God?

O LORD, there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with out ears.  And who is like Your people Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people – to make for Yourself a name by great and awesome deeds … For You have made Your people Israel Your very own people forever, and You, LORD, have become their God. (1 Chron. 17:20-22)

1 Sam. 3:1-9,19-4:1, The Faith of Samuel

The beginnings and foundation of the “faith of Samuel” was the faith of his mother.  She was the one who dealt with the LORD in giving Samuel to the service of the tabernacle (called the temple at this point in Israel’s history, e.g. 3:3).  That in itself tells us something about Samuel’s faith: he accepted this, understanding that just because someone else made the decision did not mean that it was not God’s decision as well.  Anyone who would serve God must come to grips with their upbringing.  We don’t choose our parents, and our main duty is to submit to them.  In our day we are sadly and foolishly obsessed with determining the failings of our parents that have made our lives to difficult.  Not so with Samuel, And it is the beginning of his legacy of faith. 

Thus, we see that Samuel “ministered” to the LORD before Eli (2:11,18; 3:1).  He was serving the LORD by serving Eli.  This is not the normal term for a slave (ebed, over 800x in OT, used by Samuel when he answered God in 3:9,10).  Rather, “ministered” was used of Joseph (Gen. 39:4 serving Potipher; 40:4 serving the captain of the guard), Joshua (Ex. 24:13 serving Moses), Aaron and his sons as priests (Ez. 28:35), the Levites serving the priests (Num. 1:50), and Moses, ‘the servant of the LORD’ (Josh. 1:1).  Samuel’s faith was expressed in ministering as the slave of the LORD.  He was not known for “original” thoughts.  First, he did as Eli commanded.  Then, he served God as a “prophet” (3:20), and the message of a prophet was given to him specifically by God.  We see this servant’s faith in Samuel when to Eli he says, “Here I am” (3:5,6,8) and when to the LORD he says “Speak LORD, for Your servant hears” (v9-10).

There are two other expressions of the “faith of Samuel” in 3:7. These things were not true of Samuel at the time, but they became true of him:

·       He knew the LORD. This is not just the blessing of the New Covenant.  It was always God’s intention to have a relationship with His servants.  Notice that God instigated this: Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times (3:10).  As to others in the times of the Judges, God came to men as the “Angel of the LORD,” that special pre-incarnate appearance of God the Son (e.g. Jud. 6:12; 13:3).  Notice that He called Samuel by name, twice (3:10).  Paul had it right in Gal. 4:9: …you have known God, or rather are known by God.  God must reach out to the sinful man for this relationship to become reality.  But once He has done this, then it becomes our heart’s desire to  “know Christ” (Phil. 3:10) and to grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ (2 Pt. 3:18). 

·       The word of the LORD was revealed to him.  This began at that same time, when God revealed to Samuel what He was going to bring upon Eli and his house (3:11-14).  Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he reveals His secret unto His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7).  Because Samuel was faithful to preach the word of the LORD, the LORD let none of his words fall to the ground (3:19).  In 3:1 the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.  In 3:21-4:1 the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.  And the word of Samuel came to all Israel.  Again, I am reminded of Paul, in Gal. 1:16, that in His grace God revealed His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles. 

This is the legacy of faith left by Samuel, the significant prophet who is God’s man in the transition from the Judges to the Kings!

1 Sam. 2:27-36, Religion of Israel in Days of Samuel (2)

What did the worship of YAHWEH look like in Samuel’s days, remembering that Samuel lived well into the 40-year reign of Saul?  For one thing, Samuel was not a priest.  He had come to serve the LORD and Eli at the Tabernacle in Shiloh.  But he was not from a priestly family.  On the day Samuel met Saul we see Samuel in action.  He traveled a circuit from Bethel (N of Jerusalem near Shiloh) to Gilgal (near Jericho and the Dead Sea) to Mizpah (NW of Jerusalem; 1 Sam. 7:16).  There was no set place of worship.  Thus, altars were built in various places from the time Israel entered the land until David’s reign when God chose Jerusalem.  These altars might have regularly been at “high places.”  There was nothing in the Law of Moses to forbid this until the time that God would select a place (Deut. 12). 

Samuel had organized the sacrificial offering that day.  We do not need to assume that he killed the animal or did other priestly duties.  But he called for the offering and gave directions as to the meal that accompanied it.  Worship looked something similar to the time of Noah and Abraham, when they built altars wherever they lived.  With the demise of Shiloh, Samuel likely oversaw the altars in the three cities he frequented, and might have given advice to others.  While there was not a single place of worship, the priesthood still belonged to the descendants of Aaron and to no one else.

But who were these priests?  With Eli and his sons dead, the next reference to priests is in 1 Sam. 21 and the priests at Nob who gave David bread and the sword of Goliath when, unknown to the priests, David was fleeing from Saul.  These priests had “holy bread” (21:4) so they were doing something related to the worship commanded in the Law of Moses.  They also had an “ephod” (priestly garment, 21:9) because Goliath’s sword was hidden behind it.  But Nob, which literally means “high place,” was not a priestly city mentioned in Joshua.  It was apparently near Anathoth (Neh. 11:32), which was a priestly city near Jerusalem.  The priests of Nob were good men (22:11).  They were eventually all put to death by Saul, but Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech the chief (high) priest, escaped to David, taking the ephod with him, which David used to inquire of the LORD (23:9; 30:7). 

Now it get’s interesting.  David, as king, appointed two priests: Abiathar’s son Zadok and Ahitub’s son Ahimelech (2 Sam. 8:17).  Upon David’s death, when Adonijah challenged Solomon, Ahimelech’s son Abiathar sided with Adonijah.  Solomon would not put him to death but removed him from the priesthood, leaving Zadok to be the priest.  As 1 Ki. 2:26-27 says, this fulfilled the prophecy that Eli’s family would no longer be priest but would beg for bread.  How, you ask?  Aaron had two sons: Eleazar and Ithamar.  When Aaron died, Eleazar become High Priest (Num. 20:22-29).  Among others, Eli and the priests of Nob were in that line.  Zadok descended from Ithamar, and under Solomon became HP.  Thus, the priesthood still belonged to Aaron, but not to Eli and his descendants.

Going back to Samuel’s time, religion in Israel continued in ways like in the time of the Judges.  But God was working, and under David the Ark was brought to the City of David and placed in a tabernacle David had erected (2 Sam. 6:16-17).  God designated Mt. Moriah as the one place for worship.  Thus Solomon, upon completion of the temple, brought the Ark from the City of David (1 Ki. 8:1).  At that point the religion of Israel should have become more specific: one altar, one temple, and one Priest.  It didn’t happen for long, but that’s another story.

What have we seen?  God always has a thought about how His people are to approach Him in worship.  That includes for us, under the New Covenant.  Only through one High Priest.  And yet, we too have priestly duties.  The temple is your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and the local church body (1 Cor. 3:16-17) that are the home of the Spirit of God.  We have sacrifices to offer (Rom. 12:1; Heb. 13:15-16; Jas. 1:27, etc.).  Above all, in nothing will the Lord say to us that we honor anything more than we honor God!

1 Sam. 2:27-36, Religion of Israel in Days of Samuel (1)

(This week we will have a special post on Thanksgiving Day.  The rest come from the opening chapters of 1 Samuel.) 

On the day that Samuel first met (King) Saul, 1 Sam. 9:12-14 says he came to a city and went up to the high place to offer a sacrifice.  You might wonder why he was going to a high place.  You might wonder if Samuel was operating as a priest, though he was not from Aaron’s line.  You might wonder what city he had come to, since it does not seem to be Jerusalem or Shiloh or some other important city.  In this part of Scripture, you might have lots of questions about the religion of Israel.  We want to pursue these questions so as to properly understand the Bible.

First, let’s get the broader historical context.  The Ark of the Covenant, brought into battle with the Philistines from Shiloh by the evil sons of Eli (1 Sam. 4:3-4), has been captured by the Philistines (4:10-11), at which time Eli the priest died (4:18).  Then the Ark was sent back to Israel (6:1-19), and is now residing in the home of Abinadab, who lived on the hill of Kirjath Jearim, a city on the border of Benjamin just north of Jerusalem (7:1).  Technically, it is still the “times of the Judges” when everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Jud. 21:25; Eli was a judge, 4:18; as was Samuel, 7:15; who also attempted to install his sons as judges, 8:2-3).  The word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation (3:1).  But with the arrival of Samuel this was beginning to change, so that the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.  And the word of Samuel came to all Israel (3:21-4:1). 

Another factor to consider at this time was the curse on Eli and his descendants.  In today’s passage a man of God told Eli that, because of his honoring his sons more than the LORD, that several things would happen.  An enemy would enter the Sanctuary (the Philistines when they captured the Ark).  Eli’s male descendants would die in the flower of their age.  His two sons would die in one day (1 Sam. 4:11).  Eli’s descendants would lose the priesthood to other, more faithful priests.  This is pretty profound when you think about it: some things immediately fulfilled and other things at a later time.

Lastly, let us also note that under Samuel the people had put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only (1 Sam. 7:4).  This had resulted in the LORD providing deliverance from the Philistines, but that was followed by the demand of the people that Samuel give them a king (1 Sam. 8).  The people made this demand.  God heard, and we should not think that God was not at some point going to give them a king, because He had prepared the way for this (Deut. 17:14-20).  What God did was give them the king they asked for (King Saul) so they could see that the ways of the world were not for His people.  Then God gave them the king that He wanted (King David).

Psalm 78

I hope you have not decided to skip this Psalm because it is so long.  Unlike the longest Psalm (119) which is already divided into stanzas, this second longest of the Psalms cannot be divided.  It is a complete story, one that needs to be heard by the saints.  Please take the time to find a quiet place and read it thoughtfully. 

Let’s begin with some background.  When the Children of Israel were ready to cross the Jordan River and enter the Promised Land God had told them He would choose a place of worship, a place where He would put His name, a place where He would dwell with them (Deut. 12:5).  Did you ever wonder how Jerusalem became that place?  When Israel first entered Canaan the capitol city, and site of the tabernacle was Shiloh, a city of Ephraim (Josh. 18:1; 1 Sam. 1:3).  Now that you know or are reminded of that, do you wonder why the tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant did not remain in Shiloh?  That is the subject of Psa. 78.  We need to hear the reasons God rejected Shiloh and chose Jerusalem.

1 Samuel 4-6 tell the story of Israel’s attempt to gain a victory over the Philistines by taking the Ark into the battle, thinking it’s presence would give them a decisive edge.  Instead the Ark was captured by the Philistines.  But they could not keep it; having it resulted in being under constant plagues.  So they returned the Ark to Israel who did not return it to Shiloh but to the house of Aminadab in Kirjath Jearim (1 Sam. 7:1).  The answer to the question as to why it was not returned to Shiloh but eventually ended up in Jerusalem in the time of King David is in Psalm 78.  The reason involves a history lesson and it’s in Psalm 78.

We are called to listen to a parable (v1-4).  God established His law in Israel (v5-8).  But Ephraim did not keep the covenant (v9-11).  God had done great and marvelous things in Egypt (v12-16) but the people sinned even more, grumbling again and again against God (v17-29) so that His wrath was stirred up against them (v30-31).  Yet they continued to sin (v32) so that they were forced to wander in the wilderness for 40 years (v33).  When they entered the land this continued, rebellion against God followed by God’s punishment followed by a show of repentance followed by God’s mercy (v34-39).  They tempted God and limited God (v41), doubting Him just as the Egyptians had done previously (v40-53).  God eventually brought Israel into the land (v54-55) where they continued to test and provoke the Most High God (v56-58).  Finally God’s anger was stirred up so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh (v59-64) when He allowed the Philistines to make Israel miserable in defeat and to capture the Ark, the symbol of their special relationship with God.  But then God’s grace and mercy came to the front.  He beat back Israel’s enemies (v65-66) and chose the city he loved, Mount Zion in the tribe of Judah.  And He chose David His servant to become Israel’s shepherd-King (v67-72).

The turning point for Shiloh was when the priesthood had become corrupt, in the time of Eli.  Israel came to put their trust in the Ark rather than in the God of the Ark.  They believed that having the Ark in battle would guarantee a victory.  Instead the result was that the Ark was removed from Shiloh and never returned.

God had predicted this clear back in Genesis 49:8-12 in the prophecy of Jacob concerning Judah.  While Joseph received the double portion of the inheritance given to the oldest son (Gen. 48) the leadership role of the first-born was given to Judah.  The scepter would not depart from Judah, a promise fulfilled in the Davidic Covenant wherein God promised a Son on David’s throne forever.

The story teaches an important lesson of consequences.  Israel’s unbelief when the tabernacle was in Shiloh resulted in its removal from Shiloh.  God kept His promise to make His dwelling with Israel but it would be in Jerusalem, the place established by David, the man after God’s heart.  It would be in the city of Melchizedek, the first godly King and Priest in (Jeru)Salem (Gen. 14:18-24).

God kept His promises to choose a place to dwell; but at the same time, sin brought consequences.  This is the story of Shiloh and Jerusalem.  God’s work is the same today.  Our wickedness will bring harmful consequences and lost opportunities. 

Ezek. 10:4-15, Cherubim: God’s “Secret Service Agents” (2)

But cherubim do show up at other times, and I want to mention these.  The three are in Ezekiel 1 and 10 and Rev. 4.  They are associated with fire (10:6-7) and with the glory of the Lord (10:18-19). 

In Ezek. 1 they are part of a vision seen by the prophet when God called him to his ministry.  In other words, it is similar to the seraphim in Isa. 6 when God called Isaiah into ministry.  The vision seen by Ezekiel is the famous “wheel within a wheel vision.”  Read all Ezek. 1 for that.  There is a continuation of this vision into Ezek. 3:22-27 where Ezekiel calls what he was as “the glory of the LORD.”  As Ezekiel is moved by these beings and wheels, from the banks of the River Chebar to Tel Abib in Babylon where the people of Israel have settled, there is a thunderous message, Blessed is the glory of the LORD from His place.  Again, the cherubim are doing what they do.  “Ezekiel, you are being called by the LORD to be his prophet.  Just remember, it is all about and founded on the glory of God.  Don’t ever think otherwise.”  Something like that!

The next appearance is in Ezek 10.  For 2 chapters God had taken Ezekiel by vision to Jerusalem and showed him the “abominations” of the people, their gross and extreme idolatry.  As this was being shown to Ezekiel we read that “the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub where it had been, to the threshold of the temple” (9:3).  In other words, because of the abominations, the glory of the God who dwelt between the cherubim was being diminished (some of this idolatry took place within the temple area).  Thus, the glory was departing.  For that reason, the cherubim must be involved.  They are part and parcel of the “wheel” vision.  In Ezek. 1 they were not mentioned; here they are.  The “wheels” come, the glory of God is taken up onto this vision of God, accompanied by cherubim, and then it moves east away from Jerusalem towards the Mt. of Olives.

Ezekiel is clear.  This is the same as what he saw in Ch. 1-3 (10:15,20), even though in Ch. 1 the 4 faces on the cherubim (called living creatures) were man, lion, ox and eagle (1:10).  In Ch. 3 they are cherub, man, lion and eagle (10:14).  I accept what Ezekiel said.  This is the same thing.  If there is a difference (what does a cherub look like; perhaps an ox) it is because the event requires something different for the cherubim to carry out their task.

This brings us to the third vision, in Rev. 4-5.  We are in God’s throne room, and surrounding the throne of God are four living creatures, beings with four faces: lion, calf, man and eagle.  They constantly cry out, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!” (4:8).  There is no vision of “wheels” but there is a rainbow (4:3) that adorns God’s throne, an emerald rainbow, as there was in Ezekiel’s description (Ezek. 1:28).  And, of greatest importance, there is a Man, in Ezekiel (1:26-27) and in Revelation (5:5).  What is interesting is that in Ezekiel He has the “appearance of a Man.”  In Revelation, the Man (“the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,” things you say about a man that He is of the tribe of Judah and connected with David) has the appearance of a Lamb, a Lamb who has been slain.  Because He has been slain, making atonement for mankind, this Man is allowed by the cherubim into the very presence of the “Holy, holy, holy” God.  This Man is worthy, not just to open the book, but worthy “to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

Perhaps this is not new to you.  Fine.  I just wanted to remind you of our Lord Jesus Christ.  This Man can be and is to be worshipped!  He is worthy of that.  This Man sits on the throne of heaven.  This man has opened the way for you and for me, into the heavenly Holy of Holies.  Let us draw near in the full assurance of faith.  Heb. 10:19-25!

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Ezek. 1:4-14, Cherubim: God’s “Secret Service Agents” (1)

(Today and tomorrow, posts on the "cherubim.") 

It’s just a “cute” title.  No, the cherubim are not pistol carrying guys in black suits who drive black Suburbans.  No, God does not fear for His life.  No, God has not put His personal safety in angels.  BUT God has designed a particular class of angelic beings called “cherubim” (singular: cherub) who are guardians of His glory and majesty.  It’s not whether God needs guardians.  It’s whether we, sinful men, need to be kept in our place in a world that is destined to be full of His glory.

First, you perhaps of heard of “seraphim” (singular: seraph).  They are so-called in Isa. 6:2-3 where Isaiah saw God high and lifted up.  The other 5 uses of the term call them “fiery serpents,” included Num. 21:6,8 and Dt. 8:15 in the story of the fiery serpents.  The term is used elsewhere in Isaiah (14:29; 30:6), again translated “fiery serpent.”  Why they get called “seraphim” (a transliteration rather than a translation) is a bit odd since one of the seraphs takes a hot coal and cleanses Isaiah’s lips so he can be a prophetic conduit for God’s word.  Maybe it’s because someone didn’t want to bring pictures of Satan into the story about God’s throne room.  But why not?  Satan was there in the beginning, and we all know he is primarily known by a serpent/dragon image.  So anyway, that is what we have to say about seraphim.  Now let’s think about cherubim.

The first place we see them is in Gen. 3:24, after Adam and Eve sinned.  God positions them at the entrance to the Garden of Eden so no one can enter into the tree of life.  This defines their whole purpose of existence: keep people, specifically sinful people which is all people, from that holy place where men and God dwelt together.  Their next appearance is over the Ark of the Covenant (Ex. 25:18), at each end of the “mercy seat” or place of atonement.  Same idea: watch over the place where God would dwell with men, making sure men to not desecrate the Holy One or minimize His glory.  Because of this God became known as the One who “dwells between the cherubim.”  Thus, you could not enter that “Holy of Holies” on pain of death, unless you were the High Priest, and then only once a year, and not without a blood sacrifice.  That’s Lev. 16 and Hebrews all wrapped up!

Before we move on, cherubim are not mentioned on Mt. Sinai where Moses and God were together for lengthy periods of time.  Moses asked God to show him His glory and God did what He could without blinding Moses altogether (Ex. 33-34).  The fellowship was amazing, and with no need for the guardians.  Also, there were none at the transfiguration of Christ, although admittedly as God’s glory was displayed there in Christ the sinful men were helplessly asleep.  And, the big news, in Rev. 22, when the Tree of Life makes a big comeback, it is available for all to enjoy, for all who are in the heavenly Jerusalem (22:1-5).

Meditate on this.  The cherubim remind us of the fact that we worship a God who is like no other!  I am the Lord, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images (Isa. 42:8)

Psalm 103:1-5, The Fountain of Youth

Yes, I mean it.  We have discovered the fountain of youth.  This brief post is for meditation on the five “benefits” of God that renew your youth like the eagle’s.

1.    He forgives all your iniquities.  There is little in life that is more of a burden than the guilt of sin.  What God provides, through the blood of Jesus Christ, is a full “pardon” for sin.  Moses first used this term in Ex. 34:9, after the “golden calf” incident.  He pled with the LORD: “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.”  We are offered forgiveness and continual cleansing for sin: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us out sins, and to (continually) cleans us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn. 1:9).  If you keep hauling it around you will get old a whole lot faster.

2.    He heals all your diseases.  Physical diseases?  Yes.  There will be complete healing when we are in His presence: no more pain, no more sorrow.  But what about now?  David suffered physically because of his guilt.  Sin will eat away at our soul, producing what we call mental or emotional illness but what are ultimately spiritual illnesses.  As the Lord told Paul concerning his thorn in the flesh, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

3.    He redeems your life from destruction.  We are born in sin, meaning that from birth we are on the broad road that leads to destruction.  When we come by faith to trust in our Savior, He begins the work of redemption to salvage our life from the damage already done.  His work is sometimes painful because the old house built on sand must be torn down and replaced with the one built on the Rock.  But He promises to continue that work until we have entered into His glorious presence (Rom. 8:18-25; Phil. 1:6). 

4.    He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies.  As a good Father, He provides all the good things we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4) and every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph. 1:4-5).  And like a good mother, when we are in a pitiable situation, He comes with His tender mercies and compassion.  The pilgrimage is difficult, but the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Ps. 84:11).

5.    He satisfies your mouth with good things.  What a joy to know.  Christ, who has come to dwell within us is the Bread of life, the Bread that came down from heaven, the bread that gives life to the world, that satisfies so that you will never hunger (Jn. 6:30-51).  He is the living water by which you will never thirst.  Even more, you will have within a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life (Jn. 4:13-14).

Yes, there is a fountain of youth.  It is the Lord God, the fountain of living waters.  Be warned and encouraged to drink daily from this fountain and from no other.  Remember the words of the LORD through Jeremiah: For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water. (Jer. 2:17).

Rom. 14:1-13, Do Not Disregard God

(This post stands on its own.) 

One of our favorite memory verses is Prov. 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lead not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.  I emphasized one phrase.  Every time we come to a “fork in the road of life” we need to know (Heb. yara) what God’s thought is on the choice of which fork to take. 

In Isaiah we see that this was one of Israel’s failures.  They did not “regard (Heb. nabat, to listen to) the work of the LORD (i.e. understand what He was doing so that we might make a choice that fits the work He is doing) nor consider (Heb. ra’a, to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider) the operation of His hands” (Isa. 5:12).  The result was that they had no “knowledge” and thus ended up in bondage (Isa. 5:13).  It is a fact.  Every person becomes captive to the choices they make.  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness (Rom. 6:16)?  If we do not regard the Lord in our choices we become subject to yourselves.  We are on our own, which is never good. 

This brings me to today’s passage.  It concerns how we treat one another in the Body of Christ, but we get reminder of the bigger picture of how we see life. 

·       14:3: We cannot treat another brother in a way that is different than God.  If we “regard the work of the LORD” we will understand that God has received him.

·       14:4a: We cannot make ourself the judge over this brother because we are not his master.  This is the Lord’s work because He is judge of all the earth.

·       14:4b: We cannot put down our brother because God has already promised to make him stand.  If you do put him down you are working against God.

·       14:5-8: We are all the Lord’s.  In other words, we give account to the Lord as well as the brother we are criticizing. 

·       14:9-12: Jesus is the Lord of all believers, dead or alive, because He died and rose again for all men!  Have you done that?  No, of course not.  Regard the work of the LORD!!!

This is just one of the many aspects of our daily lives where we are reminded that we must not lean on our own understanding but we must regard and consider what God is doing in the situation.  The Bible will tell us what He is doing.  We then will need to submit ourselves to His work, lest we become hopelessly stupid by being opposed to the work of the God who is Creator of all things.  In all your ways acknowledge Him!