James 1:9-11; 2:1-13, Is Lowliness a Goal in Life?

There is a universal principle in Scripture: God exalts the humble and humbles the exalted.  There is a related principle in Scripture: God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.  Nothing supersedes this truth because it involves the most fundamental relationship in the universe, that between Creator and created.  The first step away from God is failure to glorify God as God (Rom. 1:21).

Today’s words are often translated “low” or “lowly.”  In American society, as in the Greek/Roman society, this was considered a bad attitude to consider oneself “low” or “lowly.”  Think about this as you meditate on these passages.

tapeinos: low (only used in a figurative sense)

·       Mt 11:29: Christ is gentle & humble in heart (take my yoke ...).  Of course He is the Man who illustrates this for all “men.”

·       Lk 1:52: God has brought down rulers from thrones and exalted the humble.  These words come from Mary’s hymn about greatness.  In 1:48 she uses the feminine noun: He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant.

·       Rom 12:16: don't be haughty but associate with the lowly.  NT Roman and American culture don’t value this idea!

·       2 Co 7:6: God comforts the depressed (NASV; NKJV downcast) comforted us.

·       2 Co 10:1: Paul seems meek when face to face but bold when absent.

·       Jas 1:9: let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position.  I.e. a financially poor brother in Christ nevertheless has the hope of eternity and all it’s blessing.  In 1:10 James used the feminine noun when he encourages the wealthy brother to remember the lowly position of sin from which he was saved.

·       Jas 4:6: God opposes proud, gives grace to humble (1 Pt 5:5; )

tapeinoō: to lower, make low

·       Mt 18:4: whoever humbles self as this child is greatest in Kingdom of heaven.

·       Mt 23:12ab: whoever exalts self shall be humbled; he who humbles self will be exalted (Lk 14:11ab; 18:14ab).  This is the universal principle.

·       Lk 3:5: every mountain shall be brought low.  In this case the mountains are obstacles to the coming and success of Messiah.  None of those will prevail.

·       2Co 11:7: Paul preached without charge, humbled himself so they'd be exalted.  Paul in no way used God’s people for his own self-aggrandizement.

·       2 Cor 12:21: Paul fears God will humiliate him when he comes to them, in other words that he would see the Corinthians were not walking in truth.

·       Phil 2:8: Christ humbled self.  He did not come as an exalted man but as lowly.

·       Phil 4:12: Paul can get along in humble means or in prosperity.  Several times in the NT this lowliness has to do with being poor.  But to be exalted by God is not to increase in worldly wealth.  Read James 1:9-10 again.

·       1 Pet 5:6: humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, He'll exalt in due time.

Rom. 6:12-23, Hear and Obey, for There’s No Other Way

Both the NT and OT words for “obey” have the same idea: listen with the intent to respond to what we hear.  The picture to have in mind is that of a slave.  He is not inclined to do what he wants to do, but waits to hear the word of his master and then responds accordingly.  The Greek is hupakouō, having the verb “to listen” (akouō) with the prefix “under” (hupo).  One who obeys is one who listens and then does not ignore, much less reject or improve upon what he has heard, but “obeys.”

·       Mt 8:27: winds, sea obey Christ (Mk 4:41; Lk 8:25).  See what we mean?  The natural word knows who is their Creator and thus hears and does accordingly.

·       Mk 1:27: unclean spirits obey Christ.  Ah yes, even the demons and the devil.

·       Lk 17:6: someone w/faith can tell mtn to move & it would obey.

·       Ac 12:13: Rhoda "harkened" at door when Peter knocked.

·       Rm 6:12,16abc,17: don't obey sin in it's lusts; whoever you yield self to obey as servants, you are his servants to obey, whether sin to death or obedience to righteousness. Thank God you obeyed from heart the doctrine delivered to them.  This passage really hits the mark.  We were slaves to sin, but died to sin and now live for the Lord.  Thus we, like the winds and waves and unclean spirits realize we have a master and treat Him so.  It is interesting that the “obey” words in Rom. 6 are not commands.  The command is to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive in Christ (v11) and then present or yield (submit) yourself to Christ.  The obedience will be automatic if that is how you are thinking.  You make yourself the slave of righteousness.

·       Rom 10:16: not all Jews have obeyed gospel.

·       Eph 6:1: children obey parents (Col 3:20).

·       Eph 6:5: servants to obey masters (Col 3:22).

·       Phil 2:12: Philippians had always obeyed Paul.

·       2 Th 1:8: those that obey not the gospel are those who do not know God and are thus under his judgment and vengeance.

·       2 Th 3:14: if any man obey not this letter don't have company w/him.  Paul had this king of authority from Christ.

·       Hb 5:9: Christ is author of salvation to all who obey Him (i.e. obey the gospel).

·       Hb 11:8: by faith Abraham obeyed God.

·       1 Pt 3:6: Sarah obeyed Abraham.  It means the same: hearkens, hears and heeds.

It’s simple.  According to these passages, who needs to develop the art of “listening?”  EVERYONE!  Abraham AND Sarah.  Jews AND Gentiles.  Apostles AND evil spirits.  First, a yielded heart, listening to the Master.  Only then can their be obedience.

1 Chron. 5:1-2; Col. 1:15-18, The First-Born

The translation of “prōtotokos” is not complicated.  “Proto” is first; “tokos” is born.  Thus every use of this in English should be “firstborn.”  But behind the word is a concept and culture, that of the OT.  Israel was God’s “firstborn” (Ex. 4:22).  What does that mean?  Before that Genesis explains that while Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn he did not receive the authority and blessing of Jacob’s firstborn (49:3-4).  1 Chron. 5:1-2 explains it further: Reuben’s grievous sin resulted in his losing the rights and authority of the firstborn.  The blessing when to the sons of Joseph, and the authority went to Judah.  The point is that the one called “first-born” is not always the one born first but is always the one who is blessed by the father.  Keep that in mind as you note these passages.

·       Lk 2:7: Mary brought forth 1-b son, laid him in manger.  Jesus was born first to Mary and He was blessed by His Father.

·       Rom. 8:29: be conformed to image of Christ so he can be 1-b among many brothers.  This speaks of the honor of Christ, the firstborn; many become like Him so that He has many brothers or followers.  When Joseph was given honor by his father Jacob, the brothers were envious and rebelled against the idea.  We must not follow them in this, but must honor Jesus as firstborn of all creation and firstborn from the dead.

·       Col 1:15,18: Christ 1-b of all creation; 1-b from the dead (Rev. 1:5 uses this title of Christ: firstborn from the dead.) He has authority over creation and over the new creation.  As the passage notes: the result is that He has the preeminence over all!  Lord over Jew and Gentile (Rom. 10:12).  Lord of the dead and living (Rom. 14:9).  And more.

·       Hb 1:6: God in bringing 1-b into world told angels to worship him.  This is part of the issue that Jesus was not physically born to God the Father.  Or, like the angels He was not created.  Yet, He has the authority and blessing of firstborn.

·       Hb 11:28: thru faith Moses kept Passover so God who destroyed 1-b wouldn't touch them.  Here is the culture that must be understood.  The idea of firstborn in the NT comes from the OT.  In the grand picture of salvation (the Exodus) God dealt a blow against the firstborn of the land of Egypt but saved all who were under the blood.  Thus, the firstborn of Israel belongs to God and had to be redeemed (Ex. 12-13). 

·       Hb 12:23: we've come to Mt Zion.....church of 1-b.  What a glorious title for the Body of Christ!  We are the people who very existence is to the honor of Christ, our Head.

1 Cor. 6:15-17; 7:32-35, Joining the Union

Let’s talk about things that should stick together, and also things that ought not stick together.  We have two NT terms: kallaō (to join closely) and proskallaō (to cleave, perhaps a slightly stronger connection given the “pros” prefix; Vine says it is a strengthened form; Vincent called it “most intimate union”).

·       Matt. 19:5; Mk. 10:7; Eph. 5:31: three of the four uses of “proskallaō” quote Gen. 2:24: Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  Certainly the stronger term fits this relationship.  A man and woman, being married, are meant to be close together.  This is not merely a statement about divorce; it describes the relationship and what must take a central place in the two lives.  As Paul said in 1 Cor. 7:33-34, a married person cares about their spouse, how they may please them. I Cor. 6:16 is based on this principle when it speaks of being united with a harlot.  And the next verse (v17) speaks of our union with Christ.

·       Ac. 5:36: This is the other use of “pros” verb is of many men who joined themselves to Theudas, a revolutionary of sorts.

·       Luke 10:11: Jesus told The Twelve to shake off the dust “that sticks to your feet” of the town that rejected their message.  This indicates the significance of the choice to receive or reject Christ.

·       Luke 15:15: The prodigal son “joined himself” to a citizen of the country where he was.  A work relationship requires a certain level of “adherence.”  The epistles bear this out (e.g. 1 Tim. 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10).

·       Acts 5:13: The fellowship of Christ in His Body is one that involved adherence.  Even unbelievers understood this: after what happened with Ananias and Sapphira there was a fear/respect that kept “pretend” believers from joining.  In Ac. 9:26 Paul tried to join the disciples in Jerusalem but couldn’t in without the help of Barnabas.  Join is what needs to happen; in this case they had reason to take caution.  A church needs encouragers like Barnabas to help people join.

·       Ac. 8:29: If you want to be used of the Lord in others coming to know Him you will need to be willing to “go near and overtake” them.  According to Judaism it was unlawful for Jews to associate with Gentiles (Ac. 10:28).  Followers of Christ are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14-18), but that is not the same as associating with them at all (1 Cor. 5:9-11).  In Acts 17:34 some who heard Paul joined him and believed, meaning that the discipling relationship requires both the one with the gospel and the one needing the gospel to make a commitment to join together.

·       Rom. 12:9: Cling to what is good!  Enough said!

Psalm 111

 

Here is a great Hymn with an important message that might not come through clearly until the final verse.  The writer is full of praise and a desire to share it with all the saints (v1).  The causes of his praise are the works of the LORD (v2). He refers to God’s work or works five times (v2, 3, 4, 6, 7). 

Notice v2: God’s works are studied by all who have pleasure in them.  God’s works are carefully sought out or enquired about, so studied is a great word.  They are important, worth studying in school or as a continuing interest in life.

What works is he talking about?  Several areas are specified.  In v5 God has given food to those who fear Him.  In v9 He has sent redemption to His people.  In both cases the hymnist adds a comment about God’s faithfulness to His covenant.  In addition the Psalmist also references the inheritance God has given to His people, that of the nations (v6) as well as His true and just precepts (7).  All these are major themes and involve the work of God.

You can see why the writer is full of praise.  Truly God’s works are honorable and glorious (v3) and wonderful (v4).  God is properly praised as righteous (v3), gracious and full of compassion (v4), powerful (v6), holy and awesome (v9). 

What the writer has done is recognize God in all areas of life: creation, history and the salvation of His people.  To see the works of God all around is to have the fear of the LORD (v10) and the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.  That final verse says that those who have a good understanding, that is who have studied the works of God, and who order their lives according to what God is doing (they do His commandments), these are the ones who are truly wise.

These words in v10 might sound familiar, and they should for they are fundamental to the book of Proverbs, which is the classic book of Wisdom in the Bible (Prov. 1:7; 9:10).  The Proverbs express truths, the works of God, which are observed in life.  But at the same time, they are His precepts on how we are to live our lives.  These treasures of wisdom and knowledge are bound up in Christ (Col. 2:3; Prov. 8:22-31).  When, in our study, we have discovered this we are truly wise. 

No one can understand truth, about the world around him, about the course of history, about spiritual realities and the life to come, who does not fear the Lord.  No one!  Are you a student of the works of the LORD?

**********

Additional thoughts on Psalm 111

January 5, 2020.

A fresh reading this morning brought such renewed joy, perhaps related to the new year.  Here are some reflections.

“It is true, Father.  Your works are …

1.       v2: great, worthy to be studied, meaning to seek out, enquire about.

2.       v3: perfect in character.  They are honorable (majestic), glorious, righteous.

3.       v4: wonderful, worthy to be remembered, memorized, retold.  They are reflections of Your name (gracious, full of compassion comes from the name of God in Exodus 34:6-7). 

4.       v5: the fulfillment of your word.  You made a covenant; You keep that covenant through your great works.

5.       v6: powerful.  Again, it’s not just words or promises of power; Your works demonstrate or show or reveal and fulfill Your power.

6.       v7: true (verity, Heb. “emeth”, the term used many times with “checed”, Your faithfulness and lovingkindness).  In other words, in all ways they are according to Your own laws.  They are true to the need.  They are NEVER mythological. 

7.       v8a: enduring.  What your works say and do has lasting/eternal value.  To this day even!  And into eternity.

8.       v8b: all done with a proper motivation.  You were never conflicted about sending Your Son.  You never needed to ask Him for forgiveness (as one man once said in a Bible study where the man told us things God told him; he clearly did not get them from the Bible).  You were never mean and cruel to Your Son, the terrible father beating his son (as we actually heard someone preach).  Your motivations were true (again, “emeth”) and upright all across the infinite breadth of who You are. 

9.       v9ab: the source of redemption (ransom; used in Ex. 8:23, You treated Israel in Egypt differently; Ps. 130:7: with You is abundant redemption; Isa. 50:2, Your hand is never too short to redeem, even me).  Amen and amen!!!

10.    v9c: what separate You from all other so-called “god.”  There is none like You!  You are holy and awesome!

My response is first a sense of shame.  Oh, my Father, why have I not and why do I not fear You?  May it be different from this moment.  May I produce works, through Your Spirit and Your grace, that contribute to You great works. 

Then I also see the blessing of confidence in You, Lord.  My confidence in You means I have understanding, in so far as I study and remember Your works and DO Your will.  Jesus said this, more than once, that His disciples are those who do the Father's will (Matt. 12:50; Jn. 15:14).  By Your Spirit and by Your grace!

In my additional reading today, I also came to Psalm 143 where David, in his distress (v4), remembered Your works (v5-6).  I trust in You (v7-8).  Lead me today (v9-10).  Revive me (v11); be my life, make me alive with the life of Christ.

Eph. 1:3-14, God’s “Bread of Presentation”

Here is a good word for us to consider, the Greek prothesis.  Now think about that.  You know what a “thesis” is: it’s an idea or perhaps a scholarly presentation of that idea.  And “pro” is a prefix meaning “forward.”  Prothesis refers to a setting forth or presentation of a something, especially a plan or purpose.

·       Mt. 12:4 (Mk. 2:26; Lk. 6:4): For starters, the “showbread” in the tabernacle is this word.  Makes sense.  It was set out, not to eat but to make a statement.

·       Ac. 11:23: Barnabas encouraged the new believers at Antioch with purpose of heart to cling to the Lord.  Was this Barnabas’ heart or the Antiochans?  Either way it tells us that clinging to the Lord is an important issue and it is central to the born-again persons’ new nature and life.

·       Ac. 27:13: The ship captain thought they had achieved their purpose when the south wind blew and so left port.  His purpose was to get to Rome of course.

·       Rom. 8:28: All things work for good to those called according to God’s purpose.  Yes, God has set forth a purpose for those He has called, and it is set forth in the following verses: to be conformed to the image of His Son!

·       Rom. 9:11: God’s purpose in election, the choosing of Israel, at the time of Isaac and Rebekah, was that “the elder (Esau) would serve the younger (Jacob).” The purpose has to do with salvation, the coming of the redeemer. 

·       Eph. 1:11: Again, in a context of predestination, what God did in eternity past was according to His purpose, the One who works all things after the council of His will.  Are you seeing this?  There are some mundane purposes (getting to Rome) and then there is the purpose, the reason, why God does all that He does.

·       Eph. 3:11: The Church, Body of Christ, the Bride of His Son, was intended by God’s purpose to display His glory for ages to come.  It was God’s purpose involving His Son, that He (the Father) would give Him (the Son) a people of His own.  That is why we exist!

·       2 Tim. 1:9: Here it is again, profoundly! God saved us, called us according to His purpose and grace, not according to our works.

·       2 Tim. 3:10: Paul had a life-purpose from God, and Timothy knew all about Paul’s calling.  Thus they worked well together, like father and son.

·       Heb. 9:2: And here we are again, back to the “loaves of presentation.  What if we translated that “loaves of purpose?”  What would that purpose be?  Those loaves are tied into God’s eternal purpose in Christ, the “Bread come down from Heaven.”  The menorah stood opposite the bread, facing the bread, so the light shown brightly on God’s presentation (Num. 8:1-4)!  Makes sense to me.

Psalm 124, The Snares of the Fowler

Today’s reading is from the Pilgrim Psalms.  But the study is definitely New Testament.  In Psalm 124 the “snare” refers to a trap for birds.  The hunters are therefore “fowlers,” those who hunt fowl.  Figuratively it came to represent Satan, and the NT shows us why.  As usual, there is a verb pagideuō (“to set a snare, entrap,” only use is the first in the list below) and a noun pagis (“a trap, snare”).

·       Matt. 22:15: The Pharisees laid plans to trap Jesus in His words.  We mentioned this in a previous post but it bears repeating: leadership in the Body of Christ must, along with all the character requirements, be skilled with the word of God (Titus 1:9; 1 Tim. 3:2; 4:16).  Christian maturity is characterized by doctrinal stability that comes from having a good grip on Scripture (Eph. 4:14).

·       Lk. 21:35: The future day of the Lord will close in like a trap on those who are not watching but are living a life with earthly and selfish focus. 

·       Rom. 11:9: Israel’s problem in her current situation of “partial blindness” (11:25) was predicted in Ps. 69:22-23, quoted here.  Let their table become a snare and a trap.  The “table” refers to the Covenant of Law between God and Israel; covenants were finalized with a meal.  Israel stumbled over God’s plan of salvation and the Savior, thinking they could be righteous by keeping the law and not realizing righteousness could only be their by faith in the Christ of the gospel (9:30-33).  The law was good, and that was the bait for the snare.  The word “trap” is Greek thèron, used in hunting wild animals.  This is the only use of the noun, and the verb form is in Lk. 11:54 where it refers to the Jewish leadership seeks to entrap Jesus.

·       1 Tim. 3:7: The overseer (elder, church leader) needs to have a good reputation with outsiders so he won’t fall into the devil’s trap. Peter spoke of this, that it is good to suffer for righteousness but not for doing wrong.  A leader might think he is really godly because the people around hate him.  He might consider this persecution.  But actually that kind of suffering becomes a hindrance for the gospel as it is preached in the world/community.

·       1 Tim. 6:9: Here’s a very American one: those who desire to be rich, meaning this is their aim in life, fall into temptation and a trap.  Apply this to the “health and wealth” crowd who consider wealth a sign of God’s blessing.  Apply it to almost anyone in the world, because greed is not just a Western issue.  Our early days in Ukraine (’96) showed that the recently liberated Ukrainians had a strong desire to be like Americans, i.e. rich.

·       2 Tim. 2:26: This snare of the devil has to do with foolish arguments between Christians.  Paul told Timothy to gently, patiently and firmly teach the truth so that his “opponents” will come to their senses, having been taken captive by him (the devil) to do his will.