Read Deuteronomy 31:30-32:14, Song of Moses Revisited (1)

My Bible reading plan calls for once through the Bible each year.  I alter the order of the individual books of the Old and New Testaments.  Almost without exception, when I come to Deuteronomy and the Song of Moses in Ch. 32, I am moved.  It is powerful and instructive on many levels.  Almost always I will see some details I hadn’t noticed (or that I don’t remember noticing).  Such was the case recently.  I saw some things and immediately felt compelled to share them in this setting. 

We did a detailed study of Deut. 32 several years ago, posted on nine Saturdays from May 28 thru July 23, 2016.  (Blog: ronandcindy.blogspot.com.)  I encourage you to go there.  Our plan now is to take the Song in three days, about fifteen verses per day.  We will add some thoughts that we hope will be helpful.

Ø Briefly, here is the essence of the Song of Moses.  Israel is about to enter the Promised Land.  1) Israel will be blessed by God.  2) But Israel will turn away from God; she will not be grateful.  3) God will punish Israel, with fury, and the land will be desolate.  4) But God, for His Name’s sake, will not completely destroy Israel.  5) In the end, Israel will be saved, but through her apostasy and God’s grace many Gentiles will also be saved.

Ø 32:1-2: In our previous study we explained that we believe Deut. 32 is “The Song of Moses” referred to in Rev. 15:3-4.  Many commentators refer this to the Song that Moses and the people sang after the crossing of the Red Sea (Ex. 15).  We explained why we feel compelled that our view is better interpretation and that it presents a scenario that Israel and the Nations will see played out in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel (Rev. 10:7). 

In 32:1-2 we see something we had not noticed.  The Song begins calling the heavens and earth to hear the words of the Song.  This Song was specifically to be heard and learned by Israel.  Moses spoke the words of the Song to Israel.  But the Song is intended for all who are in heaven and earth.  In Rev. 15:3-4 the Song is being sung by earthly martyrs who are now in heaven.  It immediately precedes the pouring out of the final judgments (bowls of wrath).  It is meant to be heard on earth, from heaven.  It is a final call to those on earth to understand that God’s plan is about to be fulfilled.  Does this not also tell us today, that this is an important scripture?

Ø 32:3-4: As we write this post we are in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, as it was called.  My historical context, as often happens, enables me to see things that might otherwise be hidden.  In these verses we see the God Israel has joined herself to, their “Rock.”  Meditate on this description of God in the context of the pandemic or other difficult situations you may be facing.

¨     The Song, from the outset, brings into our minds the name of the LORD.  We must be willing to bring God into our thoughts about our life situation.

¨     Pandemics are very great problems; but we must ascribe greatness to our God.  Otherwise we have no answer to the fear many people have.

¨     In Deut. 32 “Rock” is the primary description of God.  Throughout the Song and throughout her history Israel was pathetically fickle.  God is the Rock!

¨     God’s work is perfect.  He makes no mistakes.

¨     God is known for justice, truth, righteousness and uprightness.  Consider these attributes when you hear people speak of God in a time of national trial.  It is assumed by the world that there is something wrong with God when He lets things like this happen.  Take some time to meditate on His attributes.

We hear some of our national leaders saying that we should not let this crisis go to waste.  If we do not learn Christ, if we do not grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ, then this crisis will have been wasted.

Read Psalm 31, Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

We generally work through the Psalms on Sundays.  Nevertheless, I was recently blessed by time in this Psalm and wanted to share the refreshment of this great Psalm.

It is a Psalm of David.  And yet in v5 we have the words Jesus quoted on the cross: Into Your hand I commit My spirit.  Every time I see some verse in the Psalms that was used by Jesus I ask, “Is this a Messianic Psalm?”  Perhaps you do the same.  A Psalm does not have to be beginning-to-end a Messianic Psalm for Jesus to use one line from it and apply it to His situation.  He is “allowed” to do that, even as we are. 

But, of course, recently we have studied various quotes in Matthew’s gospel and saw how Jesus’ use of the OT was quite profound.  In His own life context He used passages that were a perfect fit in their historical context.  And that, we can say, is the case in Psalm 31.  It is a passage, like Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, that describes quite well what Jesus experienced on the cross. 

·        David, the human author of this Psalm according to the title, was in a situation where people were seeking to bring him down.  They plotted against him (v4, secretly laid a net for him).  That is the situation of our Lord on the cross.  When He cries out the words of v5 He is at the point of death; it appears the deceitful ones have succeeded. 

·        A more expanded version of this prayer is in v9-13.  I am in trouble … My life is spent with grief … I am a reproach among all my enemies … they scheme to take away my life.  It is a cry for mercy.  But be not mistaken: He did not cry out, “I give up.  It’s useless.  Your plan has failed.”  He, in fact, planned for the future, because He committed His spirit to the One in whom He trusted (v14).  There are several “faith” terms in Hebrew.  This one has the idea of putting your confidence in someone, of finding security in someone.  This cry was a bold prayer of faith.

·        What was Jesus expecting to happen?  The answer to that is in v14-18.  He says, You are My God… My times are in Your hand.  How can He say that?  He is about to breath his last!  Do not let Me be ashamed.  There is nothing more shameful than crucifixion.  All the great things Jesus said about Himself are about to be made out to be a lie, or so it seems.  His confidence in His Father is spelled out in v19-20: How great is Your goodness … which you have prepared for those who trust in You. 

Jesus believes in resurrection!  That is what is so wonderful about this Psalm.  It is a Psalm of death (v1-13) and resurrection (v14-24).  If we are to be living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1) our daily, constant prayer must be: Into Your hand I commit my spirit.  That is the life of one that has denied self, taken up his cross, and followed Christ.

Read 2 Cor. 4:1-6, The Gospel is Veiled

When we have had the opportunity to escort friends around Israel, and show them the sites where amazing Bible stories occurred, it is not uncommon for folks to respond with amazement that the people of Israel remain blind to the truth of Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashea.  I don’t mention this to pick on our Jewish friends; I am also amazed that people in the USA, who have heard the gospel, still reject it.  How can they not see the wondrous love of our Lord and Savior? 

The “blindness” issue is special, however, for the Jews.  Paul pointed this out in Rom. 11:25: blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And, of course, he states it in today’s passage as well.  I would like to consider this subject as Paul speaks to it here, so that we can properly assess the “blame”, if you will.  The subject is important for us because we do know that God is involved in this blindness.  Jesus put a veil over the gospel by His use of parables (Mt. 13:10-17).  This fulfilled a prophecy (we posted on this previously, most recently Jan. 8, 2020) of Isaiah.  At the same time, today’s passage says Satan, the god of this age, has blinded their minds.  It sounds like there are plenty to take the blame and that perhaps the people of Israel, and all unbelievers for that matter, are victims of some cosmic tennis match between two heavy hitters.  That is not the case.  Consider:

·        Definitely, the gospel is veiled (v3).  Those who believe the gospel would say it makes perfect sense: God is the Creator, His created beings have sinned against Him, He has taken the punishment Himself in offering us forgiveness through the sacrifice of His Son.  It all fits together.  Yet, those who do not believe the gospel disagree.  There is a curtain across their minds so that they do not get it.

·        For whom is the gospel veiled?  It is veiled to those who are perishing (v3).  All people, from birth, are in a “perishing” mode.  All have sinned.  The wages of sin is death.  Thus, all are born dead, spiritually.  Further, if we ask, “Whose minds has Satan blinded,” the answer is those who do not believe (v4).  If we understand this correctly, the problem is not the “veiled gospel” nor the “god of this age.”  The problem is unbelief, the very sin that leaves people in their “perishing” mode.  Of course, this is what Jesus said.  He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (John 3:18).

     I want to interject two quotes from Albert Barnes on these thoughts.

"There is a class of men who may be called, even now, the lost.  They are lost to virtue, to piety, to happiness, to hope.  They deserve to perish; and they are hastening to merited ruin.  This class in the time of Paul was large; and it is large now.  It is composed of those to whom the gospel is hidden, or to whom it appears to be veiled, and who see no beauty in it.  It is made up indeed of all the profane, polluted and vile; but their characteristic feature is, that the gospel is hidden from them, and they see no beauty and glory in it."  

"This purpose of preventing the light of the gospel shining on men, Satan will endeavor to accomplish by all the means in his power.  It is his grand object in this world, because it is by the gospel only that men can be saved."

·        While the gospel is veiled, we also see that the gospel emits light (v4).  Satan blinds the minds of those who do not believe lest the light of the gospel should shine on them.  Specifically, because the gospel is about Christ, Who He is and what He has done, the gospel’s light is bound up in the message that glorifies Christ.

·        The last truth we should see is that it is God who enables those who believe to see the face of Jesus Christ in the gospel.  When we pull these things together here is what we see: human beings are lost in sin because of unbelief in the One God sent to be their Savior; Satan is doing all he can to keep the light from shining on them; the longer they live in unbelief the more desperate their situation; the only hope is that God will shine in their hearts that they might see the face of Jesus Christ.

There are two points of application.  If you are a believer in Christ, those around you need to hear a true gospel from you.  Do not preach yourself; tell them about Christ (v5).  If you are not a believer in Christ, in your unbelief cry out to God and ask Him to turn the light on for you.  That is your only hope.

Read Ephesians 3:14-21, The Love of Christians (2)

We are continuing with the excerpt on the love of the early Church from the Apology of Aristides.  It was written to Hadrian, the Roman emperor at the time, And again, without comment.  It speaks loudly on its own.

1)   XVI. Such, O King, is the commandment of the law of the Christians, and such is their manner of life. As men who know God, they ask from Him petitions which are fitting for Him to grant and for them to receive. And thus they employ their whole lifetime. And since they know the loving-kindnesses of God toward them, behold! for their sake the glorious things which are in the world flow forth to view. And verily, they are those who found the truth when they went about and made search for it; and from what we considered, we learned that they alone come near to a knowledge of the truth. And they do not proclaim in the ears of the multitude the kind deeds they do, but are careful that no one should notice them; and they conceal their giving just as he who finds a treasure and conceals it. And they strive to be righteous as those who expect to behold their Messiah, and to receive from Him with great glory the promises made concerning them. And as for their words and their precepts, O King, and their glorying in their worship, and the hope of earning according to the work of each one of them their recompense which they look for in another world-you may learn about these from their writings. It is enough for us to have shortly informed your Majesty concerning the conduct and the truth of the Christians. For great indeed, and wonderful is their doctrine to him who will search into it and reflect upon it. And verily, this is a new people, and there is something divine (lit: “a divine admixture”) in the midst of them.

If you wish to read the entire Apology it can be found here: http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/aristides_05_trans.htm.  

That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Psalm 119:65-72

Affliction reveals what we are like and how we view God.  It is most common to complain about our trials, or to exalt our pain by constant reference to it.  But these reactions reveal self-centeredness and call into question God’s goodness to us. 

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the garden (Gen. 3) they did so because they doubted God’s goodness.  God had given them all they needed, and had at the same time denied them access to one tree in the garden.  By eating the forbidden fruit they showed they could not trust God’s goodness.

In your response to affliction are you trusting God’s goodness?  That is what this stanza is about.  There is no question the Psalmist is in a difficult situation.  And yet his opening words are, “You have dealt well with Your servant (v65).”  He proclaims without holding back that God is good and does good (v68).  (This stanza is a great illustration of the oft quoted promise of Rom. 8:28.)

These are not just pious words without content.  He means it!

·        67: his affliction has increased his obedience.

·        71: he has learned God’s word in a whole new and deeper way.

·        72: even though his trial has been expensive he doesn’t feel the loss because God’s word has become more precious to him.

Most people don’t share the priorities of the Psalmist, that insight into God’s word and obedience to it should be more valuable than “gold and silver”.  Rather they are among the proud whose hearts are “as fat as grease” (v69-70).  The picture is of those who are hell-bent on a life of ease or luxury.  At best their relationship with God is bound up in constant requests to be free of sickness or poverty or persecution.  They would never pray, in their trials, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge” (v66). 

Let us not miss a key to this belief in God’s goodness during the days of darkness.  The Psalmist has a view of himself which is perfect: he is God’s servant (v65).  He acknowledges 2 things by that title.  First, God is the Sovereign Lord who has absolute power over His creation.  Second, God is a gracious and loving Lord.  Thus he trusts God’s lordship over him. 

How has God’s goodness been evident in your trial?  Are you growing deeper in His word?

Read 1 John 3:10-18, The Love of Christians

Several days ago we gave a link to an excerpt from The Apology of Aristides, an early church description of what the Christians were like.  We have decided to post that excerpt today for your edification and blessing.  Without comment.

1)   XV: But the Christians, O King, while they went about and made search, have found the truth; and as we learned from their writings, they have come nearer to truth and genuine knowledge than the rest of the nations. For they know and trust in God, the Creator of heaven and of earth, in whom and from whom are all things, to whom there is no other god as companion, from whom they received commandments which they engraved upon their minds and observe in hope and expectation of the world which is to come. Wherefore they do not commit adultery nor fornication, nor bear false witness, nor embezzle what is held in pledge, nor covet what is not theirs. They honour father and mother, and show kindness to those near to them; and whenever they are judges, they judge uprightly. They do not worship idols (made) in the image of man; and whatsoever they would not that others should do unto them, they do not to others; and of the food which is consecrated to idols they do not eat, for they are pure. And their oppressors they appease (lit: comfort) and make them their friends; they do good to their enemies; and their women, O King, are pure as virgins, and their daughters are modest; and their men keep themselves from every unlawful union and from all uncleanness, in the hope of a recompense to come in the other world. Further, if one or other of them have bondmen and bondwomen or children, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They do not worship strange gods, and they go their way in all modesty and cheerfulness. Falsehood is not found among them; and they love one another, and from widows they do not turn away their esteem; and they deliver the orphan from him who treats him harshly. And he, who has, gives to him who has not, without boasting. And when they see a stranger, they take him in to their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother; for they do not call them brethren after the flesh, but brethren after the spirit and in God. And whenever one of their poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability gives heed to him and carefully sees to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. And if there is among them any that is poor and needy, and if they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to supply to the needy their lack of food. They observe the precepts of their Messiah with much care, living justly and soberly as the Lord their God commanded them. Every morning and every hour they give thanks and praise to God for His loving-kindnesses toward them; and for their food and their drink they offer thanksgiving to Him. And if any righteous man among them passes from the world, they rejoice and offer thanks to God; and they escort his body as if he were setting out from one place to another near. And when a child has been born to one of them, they give thanks to God; and if moreover it happen to die in childhood, they give thanks to God the more, as for one who has passed through the world without sins. And further if they see that any one of them dies in his ungodliness or in his sins, for him they grieve bitterly, and sorrow as for one who goes to meet his doom.

Prov. 8:22-31, The Earth and God’s Mercy (2)

Hopefully you read the previous post.  We are thinking of how God’s mercy is evident in the creation of the earth.  It has to do with the wisdom upon which the earth was created by the Creator, the Master Builder.

Let us meditate on this wisdom.  "The earth is full of the LORD’s mercy!"  

·       Here’s a quote: The earth's atmosphere is less sensitive to pollutants than some researchers previously thought. An international team of researchers, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, has found that the concentration of hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere has changed little in recent years. Hydroxyl radicals clean the air by breaking down organic substances such as climate-damaging methane. Because this self-cleaning capacity has scarcely varied over the past few years, the researchers believe that it is only marginally affected by environmental changes. These findings refute the view held by other scientists who believed that the atmosphere is very sensitive to air pollutants (Science, January 7, 2011).

·       You are probably aware that the very place of the planet earth in the universe contributes to it’s ability to rejuvenate, to exist in it’s environment.  Here’s an interesting article about the “Gaia Hypothesis,” named after the Greek goddess of mother earth (oh, aren’t we amused at the extent people will go to suppress the truth about our Creator; it’s why I will give you the link to this article; it fits Jesus Christ, the Sustainer of Creation; https://www.irishtimes.com/news/can-the-earth-heal-itself-1.135245.)

·       Here’s another quote: “Stanford University physicist Robert Laughlin says governments - and people generally - should proceed with more humility in dealing with climate change. The Earth, he says, is very old and has suffered grievously: volcanic explosions, floods, meteor impacts, mountain formation "and all manner of other abuses greater than anything people could inflict." Yet, the Earth is still here. "It's a survivor." (Globe and Mail, July 19, 2010)

That’s enough from me.  Just “google” the phrase “how does the earth clean itself.”  You will find a plethora of information.  It is, in fact, quite amazing.  But why not?  After all, the earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness (Ps. 24:1).  Thus, we are not surprised that the earth is full of His mercy. 

Psalm 119:56-64, The Earth and God’s Mercy (1)

Concerning Psalm 119:64: “The earth, O LORD, is full of Your mercy.”  Ps. 33:5 reads similarly: “The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.”  Both these quotes are from the NKJV.  We should know by now that mercy and goodness are the same Hebrew word, chesed. 

The term is used in a variety of ways in the OT.  But generally, it is always in the category of “goodness,” of things favorable to others.  The typical English translations are goodness, mercy, lovingkindness, kindness and favour.  It is one of the greatest words in the Bible, especially in light of what it tells us about God.  Let us remember, it is also a quality enjoined upon men (Prov. 3:3-4).

When we read Scripture, the immediate context of life in which we find ourselves will cause us to see familiar verses in a different light.  It does not change the interpretation; it enlarges our understanding of the significance of God’s word in a given situation.

These days (written in April of 2020), the world is engulfed in the “coronavirus pandemic.”  If that is not enough, let us add that as soon as the pandemic clears away from the news we will get back to “climate change.”  In the case of the virus we are told that the world will never be free of this disease; it is here to stay (not necessarily in “pandemic” proportions but it will just be a new strain of the flu with which we will have to deal).  In the case of the climate we are told that the world will be destroyed if we continue the path we are on.

We have commented on these kinds of views that are prevalent around us.  My understanding of who Jesus Christ is, as the Son of God (I say “my understanding;” I mean the Bible’s understanding) is that He not only is the Creator (John 1:1-3) but He is the Sustainer of creation (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3).  Because He created all things I should, out of thankfulness and reverence, treat the creation with respect, using it in the ways He intended.  Because He sustains all things, I should not live in fear of destroying His creation. 

Now we see something else that should encourage us.  The earth (literally “the land,” Heb. eretz) is full of God’s chesed.  These words were written for us after the fall into sin (Gen. 3).  Thus, even in a fallen word it is true.  We see God’s goodness all over this world.  He continues to provide abundantly for the needs of mankind.

But here is another thought about this.  We have often noted that the first use of a word in the Hebrew Scripture is significant in defining the word.  The first use of chesed is in Gen. 19:19. It was used by Abraham’s nephew Lot, who recognized the favour of the angels in allowing him to escape the judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah. In other words, it spoke of God’s mercy.  More exciting news on this in the next post.

Psalm 27, Coronavirus (3) Watch and Pray

I’m sure you have noticed how everyone likes to play on people’s fears.  The medical people want us to know how dangerous the plague is, and so do others.  The initial model that predicted something like 2 million Americans would die was instrumental in getting all this lock-down stuff started.  The model has, of course, been readjusted down to where the plague is on a par with the annual flu figures.  Meanwhile, the “conspiracy” people are also playing to our fears.  Bill Gates wants you to have a chip implanted, at the same time everyone gets vaccinated.  The government is using this plague to gain control over us all and to take away our rights. 

The question I am raising is not, “are any of these things true?”  The question is: why are we hearing all this?  Someone is gaining something out of putting us in a panic.  And no question, BOTH SIDES (or all sides).  What should we do?

I am not suggesting you should ignore these things.  Be reasonable (the Bible word is sober, 1 Thess. 5:6).  Be on the alert (again, the Bible word is watch, 1 Thess. 5:6).  But the Bible never tells us to fear men.  The Bible only tells us to fear God. 

So what do we do if we are among those who desire to fear God in this situation?  Thank you for asking.  Connected with the word “watch” in Scripture is quite often the word “pray.”  WATCH AND PRAY (e.g. Mt. 26:41).  Therefore, I present to you today a great “coronavirus prayer.”  It is a Psalm (Prayer) of David.  David had a lot of foes, a lot of reasons to be in a panic.

·        27:1: Twice David asks rhetorically, Whom shall I fear?  Rhetorical, because the answer is no one since The LORD is my light and my salvation … the LORD is the strength of my life.

·        David’s incentives to fear were greater than yours.  The wicked eating his flesh (v2).  An army encamped against him (v3). 

·        What did he know about God?  That the LORD would hide him in the time of trouble (v5).

·        Why was he confident of this?  Besides what he said about the LORD in v1 there is the fact that David sought after God as a Friend, a Father.  He spent time in the house of the LORD (v4) which means he pursued a relationship with the God of grace and faithfulness.

·        Therefore, he did what we are told to do: he cried out to the LORD (v7; Heb. 4:16). 

·        But he did something else.  He prayed, Teach me Your way, O LORD (v11).  He knew if God was going to hide him, protect him, go to war against his enemies, he knew he would have to walk in the path of righteousness.  If he was in the path of wickedness, he would forfeit God’s help.

·        And, this is so important, David knew God would answer at the right time.  And the right time might not be in the next five minutes.  Thus he said to himself and to us: Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!

What a great prayer for these days. 

Read 1 Thess. 5:1-11, Coronavirus (3), Watching

The longer we go on in this pandemic situation the more, it seems, that people are raising issues that they believe indicate the matter was a hoax or that someone has conspired to use this situation for evil purposes.  Let me make it clear: you have no idea what I think about these charges.  I am not interested in whether any or which one of these theories might be true. 

What I am interested in is how our Lord wants me to live in this time in which we live.  Our passage answers that question.  But first, if I may (and its my post so I guess I can), hear the word of the Lord from Psalm 28:3: Do not take me away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts.  Did you see that?  “Workers of iniquity.”  This is Bible language for people who conspire to deceive people who trust them to do good.  They speak peace but evil is in their hearts.  They are not just hypocrites.  They actually have a purpose in life to plan, develop and produce a lie.  They are leaders in wickedness.

This terminology, workers of iniquity, occurs some 20 times in the OT and once in the NT.  In the OT it’s all in the “poetic books” (Job 3x, Psalms 15x, and Proverbs 2x).  In the NT it is found in Luke 13:27 where Jesus tells them, I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.  They were very real to David as Ps. 28:3 indicates.  And in the NT Epistles several are named, such as Alexander the coppersmith (2 Tim. 4:14) and Diotrephes (3 John 9).  My point is this: there have been these kinds of evil conspirators since Cain (Gen. 4:16-24).  The wicked are evil; the workers of iniquity develop evil systems.  They have always been around and God knows this and has not been caught by surprise as we are sometimes.

Since God has not been caught by surprise, let us note how He would have us live in the light of evil people.  It’s all in 1 Thess. 5:6.

·        First, we should not be asleep.  In this he is not saying we need to figure out all the evil conspiracies.  He is saying we should not be joined in the evil deeds of darkness.  If we are asleep spiritually we will find ourselves patterning our lives after those around us rather than following and pursing the Lord Jesus Christ.

·        Second, we must watch or be on the alert.  This word is often joined with prayer (e.g. Matt. 26:41); tomorrow’s post will deal with this.  What we need to note now is what the Bible tells us to be watching for in these days (and all days as Christians).

o   Watch for false doctrine (Acts 20:31).  There will be those who attack from outside the church, and even worse, those from within who seek to turn us away from the truth of Scripture.

o   Watch for Satan (1 Peter 5:8).  He seeks to devour us, to catch us in his many traps.  We will not go into detail now (we have studied this in previous posts), but Paul says we are not ignorant of his devices (2 Cor. 2:11).  We have to have our eyes open.

o   Watch for “slippage” (Rev. 3:2-3).  “Slippage” is my own word but the command is, Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die … hold fast and repent.  We need to be alert to what is happening in our own spiritual lives.  Are we losing our first love for Christ?  Have we given Satan a foothold in our lives in some way? 

·        Third, we must be sober.  In other words, we must be under the control of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18).  Our minds are being renewed so that we think clearly about our Lord’s desires for us each day.  And by the Spirit and God’s grace we are disciplined, self-controlled. 

We have a life to live.  In a nutshell, as 1 Th. 5:8 indicates, it is a life of faith in following Christ, love for God and those around us, and hope in the promise of Christ to return for us that we might always live with Him.  Just because we are in a certain situation in life that we might think is harder than other times does not mean we have to have a different pattern than what is the normal Christian life.  By God’s Word, God’s Spirit and God’s grace we will do this!

Deut. 7:6; 9:4-12, “Holy” Not the Same as “Righteous”

What a strange title for today’s post.  I know, if I don’t like it I should change it; but I do like it.  It gives an opportunity to emphasize and illustrate something I have thought about quite a bit lately.  In our fellowship we have been working our way through 1 Thessalonians and recently came to Ch. 4:1-3: For this is the will of God, your sanctification.  The context, of course, is Paul’s instruction concerning sexual immorality (4:3-8). 

We mentioned the thought that Paul did not say, “this is the will of God, your righteousness.”  He could have, because certainly it is.  And sexual purity is very much an issue of righteousness.  But we went on to give the explanation that “sanctification” is foundational to “righteousness.”  Sanctification is a “holiness” word and the idea is that we are “set apart,” set apart and devoted to God.  It is much like the King and the Priest in Israel: by the anointing oil they were set apart to God.  It did not make them to be always righteous, of course.  And when they were “unrighteous” they did not cease to be King or Priest.  We could refer to King David or the Priest Caiaphas as illustrations.  It is amazing that Caiaphas, as evil and power-hungry as he was, still prophesied concerning Jesus’ death, speaking for God to the Nation (John 11:49-52).  He was holy, “set apart,” but certainly not righteous.

Today’s reading makes for another powerful illustration of this.  Moses says to the Nation, you are a holy people to the LORD your God (Dt. 7:6).  What makes them holy?  The immediate answer is what we need to know: the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people to Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.  Two chapters later Moses gives the negative answer.  They were not holy because they were righteous.  Do not think in your heart … saying, ‘Because of my righteousness the LORD has brought me in to possess this land (9:4).  God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people (9:6).  As proof, Moses goes on to review the wickedness surrounding the golden calf situation at Mt. Sinai. 

There is, OF COURSE, a strong connection between holiness and righteousness.  But the order must be understood, and I believe that is what Paul is getting at in 1 Thess. 4.  You are holy; therefore, be righteous or blameless before the LORD.  The whole point of Deuteronomy is that you are people set apart to God; therefore pay attention to the statutes, judgments and commands He has given you. 

That is how we understand 1 Thess. 4:3.  Sanctification is the will of God in the sense that God has already sanctified you in Christ and through the blood of Christ.  Since this is obviously God’s will, and you ARE set apart, then abstain from sexual immorality.  When we speak of “sanctification” as an on-going work in the lives of believers, we mean that we are growing in righteousness so that we look, more and more, like people who are set apart. 

May I add one more passage that speaks of this in 2 Cor. 7:1: Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.  The strong encouragement is to cleans ourselves; this means we need to pursue righteousness in our daily lives.  What will be the result of righteousness?  It will perfect holiness, bring holiness to its intended outcome.  God has set us apart, dedicated us to Himself in Christ.  With that calling in mind, let us pursue righteousness (2 Tim. 2:22).

The application for us today is to have the mind of Christ about these things; that we see ourselves as God sees us.  We are His, bought with the blood of Christ.

Psalm 119:57-64

There are few better thoughts in all of Scripture than to know God as one’s “portion” (v57).  Our portion is, of course, our “lot in life” so to speak.  It is what will be ours in this lifetime. 

Most people measure their “portion” according to money, pleasure or fame.  But most people also are not satisfied.  You can hear it in their complaints and see it in their endless seeking after another dollar, a bigger kick, or another promotion. 

A “portion” was what God said He would be for the Levites (Num. 18:20).  All the other tribes received land and cities of their own.  The Levites got God for their inheritance. 

Now some might think the Levites had a hard life, always dependent on God for their needs.  But anyone who thinks that way doesn’t understand the last verse of this stanza: “The earth, O Lord, is full of Your mercy” (v64).  In fact, a person can have nothing better than to have God as their portion. 

The trials of our lives are designed to reveal whether or not God is our portion.  In the book of Lamentations, where Jeremiah recorded his utter discouragement at the loss of all that was dear to him, God brought him to see that he still had all he needed because God was his portion (Lam. 3:22-24). 

So it is in this stanza of Psalm 119: it is revealed that the Psalmist’s portion was God.  The middle verses (58-63) describe the lifestyle of one who is finding his satisfaction in God.

·        58: he brings his petitions to God with his whole heart (i.e. he has no other heart-desire to find answers in any other portion).

·        59: he orders his daily path to follow after God.

·        60: he wastes no time in obeying God’s word.

·        61: when beset by circumstances, he stays the course laid out in God’s word.

·        62: in the odd hours his thoughts are of the Lord.

·        63: he encourages himself by fellowship with those who also seek God as their portion.

Who or what is your portion?  Are you putting your trust in your own value? or your possessions? or the next thrill?  Or can you say that your Portion fills the earth with His mercy?

2 Cor. 7:2-16, The 2020 Coronavirus Plague (2)

Recently the Governor of our state declared the Easter Bunny, and some other magical characters, to be “essential.”  In these days of the coronavirus pandemic that means they are free to work, to go where they need to for the performance of their necessary service and so forth.  Of course, this was a “good will” expression by the gov; we are sure he was trying to be mindful of our children.  But the fact that he did this in the days leading up to Easter when he, along with most other governors, was denying Christians the freedom to meet for worship and fellowship made it a little hard to take, speaking personally.

Is the shutting down of churches an issue of rights?  The first amendment to the US Constitution reads thus:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

On Easter a few pastors and churches have sought to make the shutting of churches an issue, placing themselves in opposition and conflict with local authorities.  Perhaps in some of these situations this will lead to the courts and will have some lawful solutions to prevent such a thing in the future.  Or, maybe not.  There is a “pandemic” issue, to some degree or another, and many will say that churches, along with Major League Baseball and schools and the Kiwanis Club all need to respect the danger and agree to be separate for a time.  Most churches have tried to be subject to governing authorities (Rom. 13:1) and to pray for their wisdom (1 Tim. 2:1f). 

I want to see our little church begin to meet together again, soon.  But my reasons are not based in our “rights.”  Christians know that we do not live our lives on the basis of our rights.  The concept of “meekness” (a term shunned by most modern English versions; often they use the term “gentleness”) actually means to yield your personal rights and expectations to God.  Jesus did this, especially when He was on trial.  There was one injustice after another.  Paul did this.  In Philippi he did not claim his rights as a Roman citizen until after he had been beaten and imprisoned.  If you think it is different for us today you have forgotten what it means to follow Christ: it is taking up your cross daily and following Him to the place of crucifixion (Matt. 16:21-24).

Rather, my reason for wanting to be back together is based in something I saw in today’s passage from 2 Corinthians.  Did you notice how Paul was locked out of Corinth.  Well, sort of.  He just couldn’t get back there.  But he wanted to badly because he was concerned about how faithfully they were following Christ.  He had written them a difficult letter, one that reproved them in several areas.  But instead, he was engulfed in troubles in Macedonia: no rest, conflicts galore and fears within. 

So he couldn’t go to Corinth.  But he wasn’t discouraged; rather he said, I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.  Did you see why he was so joyful?  First, he says, NEVERTHELESS GOD (v6).  God did something to encourage him.  What did God do?  Paul, having sent Titus to Corinth, was comforted by God when Titus returned with a good report.  They had accepted the reproof in a godly manner and had repented of things that were wrong.  This is the church in action.

In these days it seems that church consists of preachers preaching and singers singing.  That’s why some could be happy having church on Zoom or FB Live.  You could even tune in at your own convenience.  We didn’t have to meet at the same time.

But that is not “church.”  Church is a fellowship of believers, the fellowship of Christ (1 Cor. 1:9).  Christians MUST gather for fellowship as well as worship and instruction.  By fellowship we do not simply mean the surface relationships that seem to occupy our church gatherings.  We mean relationships like what you see with Paul and the Corinthian church.  Paul’s joy depended on the faithfulness of the Corinthians.  As John put it, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth (3 John 4).  It was a fellowship where reproof and rebuke were practiced.  It was a fellowship where people knew they were loved and could share their needs. 

Jesus said it: By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (Jn. 13:35).  The reason the writer of Hebrews tells us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together is so we can consider one another in order to stir up love and good works (Heb. 10:24-25).  To consider one another; that means to think about each other, be mindful of each other.  You can’t do that without gathering.

For a while I hope you are making good use of the phone (at least people hear a voice; that’s a whole lot better than a text or an email).  And if you find someone has a need you can be creative in doing your social distancing while lending a hand.  But let us pray that we can be free to gather together soon.  And let us pray that the time apart will have brought about a sharpening of what it means to be the fellowship of Christ!

(Here is a link to a well known letter written by Aristides, a second century Christian and philosopher, written to the Roman emperor Hadrian.  You might be encouraged by his descriptions of what Christians were like in a time when they had no rights. http://toliveischrist.com/love-one-another/.)

Deut. 8:11-20, The 2020 Coronavirus Plague (1)

In my reading recently I have been drawn to two passages, one OT and one NT, that have encouraged me with respect to our current life situation.  The first eleven chapters of Deuteronomy are powerfully applicable for Christians.  It records Moses’ words to Israel before they crossed the Jordan.  What Moses did was to give the law to Israel a second time, only in the context of being in the land rather than wandering in the wilderness.  But in the process, he clarified the founding principles on which the nation was to live day by day.  He does this in Deut. 1-11 before going into some specifics that are especially directed to Israel.  You may remember that Jesus, when tempted by the devil in Matt. 4, quoted three passages in resisting Satan.  All three of those came from these early chapters of Deuteronomy. 

In Deut. 8:1-10 Moses tells the people not to forget God when they enter the land.  They were humbled by God in the wilderness so they would know that man shall not live by bread alone, but … by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD (8:3).  Then in 8:11-14 he warns them, beware that you do not forget the LORD your God … lest – when you have eaten and are full and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, when your heart is lifted up and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 

How would they forget God?  By saying in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth’ (8:17).  In this they failed to remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth (8:18). 

Let us be careful to understand.  God said these words because He wanted to establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers (8:18).  That is true for Israel, the Jewish people.  It is not true of the United States.  We are not His chosen people. 

Thus, does this apply to us?  Clearly, it does.  It applies on the basis that God is the Creator of all things.  He made this world and put us here so that we could love and worship Him.  As Paul said to the people of Lystra, God did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness (Ac. 18:17).  He told the Athenians that God is not to be worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath and all things (Ac. 17:25).  Jesus made the same point in the Sermon on the Mount: He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Mt. 5:45).  One responsibility cuts across all of humanity.  We must glorify the Creator as God and give Him thanks for His bountiful provision (Rom. 1:21).

How has this been working out in the USA?  For three and a half years our President has been boasting that we have the greatest economy ever and it is the result of his policies.  For the exact same amount of time, his adversaries have been denying that the economy is good and that if it is good it is because of the previous president.  It seems like those are the only two opinions available.  Even Bible-believing Christians are seeing our full plates and beautiful houses and multiplied flocks and herds and masses of silver and gold as the result of the government and not as from the hand of God.

You may want to tell me that your side is right because it is closer to some principles or judgments in Scripture.  But where is the person who is simply saying, “God is to be glorified as God and thanked for all the goodness we are experiencing.”  What dominates your conversations: government or God?

God told Israel that His care for them in the trials of the wilderness wanderings were a test that would humble them and be good for them in the end (Deut. 8:16).  This is true of every trial we ever face.  Trials bring us to our knees, and the issue will always be: will we turn to God to help us?  Every trial!  Thus, that includes the coronavirus pandemic.  It is an opportunity for my own good.  That good will be achieved if, and only if, I come out of this acknowledging the Creator as God and giving Him thanks.
How do we do that?  He has told us in the Bible.  There is only one way to give Him thanks.  That one way is to receive His Son as your Savior from sin (John 1:12), and to confess Him as your Lord (Rom. 10:9-10).  It is only through Jesus that you can come to God (John 14:6), and if you don’t come to Him you cannot give Him thanks and you are denying that He is your God. 

Matthew 18:5-9, Not Provoking Children to Wrath

We have recently worked our way through the center of Matthew’s Gospel, including Ch. 18.  The subject of that passage revolves around the treatment of “little ones.”  We understand that Jesus was speaking of young believers in Him, those who became like little ones (children) in their faith.  The use of young children as an illustration of young believers tells us the principles are true of children in a family as well as children in the family of God.  That is the basis for today’s post.  The strong connection between human families and the family of God is seen often, both in terms of marriage (Eph. 5:22-33) as well as in managing the home and training up the children (1 Tim. 3:4-5).

A common warning for parents in the NT is, do not provoke your children to wrath (Eph. 6:4).  It is much like the warning in Mt. 18:6, don't cause the little ones to stumble.  Thinking about how we do this with our children will help us not to do the same with young believers. The following list came from Fred Barshaw in a booklet titled "Emergency Handbook for Parents."  (Barshaw was the Family Pastor in John MacArthur’s early years at Grace Community Church.)  We can exasperate (NIV) or provoke our children to wrath (KJV) through...

·        Physical abuse.  My reminder: not physical discipline which the Scriptures command but physical abuse.  Failure to discipline our children will provoke them to wrath.

·        Psychological abuse (persistent debasement and embarrassment of them).

·        Hypocrisy (failure to keep promises, acknowledge our own mistakes, or abide by our own standards).  My reminder: it should be obvious that hypocrisy in the church is deadly for new believers.  It should be obvious in the home too.

·        Forced acceptance of parental goals & values.  My reminder: Thinking we can force children to behave denies the strong emphasis in Scripture of the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s ministry and of our need to intercede in prayer for our children.

·        Neglecting them for lower priorities.  My reminder: Note that it says “lower” priorities.  I think we can also set a poor example (this relates to the “hypocrisy” point above) when we sacrifice higher priorities for them.  Sometimes an emergency requires us to drop even family to attend to the need.  Those are times, when possible, that we might want to include our children in meeting the need.  The story of the feeding of the five thousand is in this context, where Jesus wanted time alone with His disciples and yet had compassion on the crowds that followed them.  Therefore Jesus involved His disciples in the feeding.

·        Failure to really listen to them. 

·        Setting unrealistic performance standards and too high an attitude and behavior expectancy for their maturity level. My reminder: Jesus referred to this when He reproved the shepherds of Israel for laying heavy burdens on people and not lifting a finger to help, Matt. 23:4.

Let us meditate and pray over these things in dealing with our children at home.  Let us also consider how we treat new or young believers. 

Read Numbers 10, What’s in a Name?

A chapter like Numbers 10 (as well as Numbers 1-9) might seem a little empty in terms of devotional value.  Such is not the case.  Although you do have to accurately define “devotional value.”  Usually we mean, “does it have some practical advice for me today that I can really use?”  If it doesn’t say something specific, we consider it impractical.  That’s our world where we must always have poignant sound bites and our food must be ready by the time we place the order to the time we hit window #2.

·        10:1-10: I always am amazed reading the early chapters of Numbers with the orderly arrangement of the wandering nation (1 Cor. 14:33,40; we are supposed to do things in an orderly manner).  In Num. 10 start with the two silver trumpets.  The priests could blow them to indicate different messages.  Nothing unusual.  Think smoke signals, emergency sirens, etc.  Israel was a community and it was not just everyone doing what was right in their own eyes.  For us, our daily leadership comes from the Holy Spirit, especially as we meet God in His word day by day.  We need to respond to the Spirit as if He was giving a blast on a silver trumpet.

·        10:11-28: Furthermore, God provided human leadership.  This is a blessing (He has also blessed the Church in this way, e.g. 1 Tim. 3, etc.).  Each tribe had a leader.  I took the time today to record the meanings of the names of these men.  It was just interesting.  Since you might not take the time to do that (I am retired, and am spending a lot of time at home because of the coronavirus issue) I thought I would share them with you.  I know almost nothing of the stories of these men.  But their names, and the names of their fathers, gave me pause to reflect.

1.     Nahshon: Enchanter.  Aminadab: my kinsman is noble.

2.     Nethanel: given of God. Zuar: littleness.  Interesting, a father whose name suggests insignificance gives his son a name of significance.

3.     Eliab: my God is father. Chelon: strength. Amen!

4.     Elizur: my God is a rock.  Shedeur: spreader of light.

5.     Shelumiel: friend of God.  Zurishaddai: my Rock is Almighty. Amen!

6.     Eliasaph: God has added.  Deuel: they know God.

7.     Elishama: my God hyas heard.  Amihud: my kinsman is majesty.  This in interesting.  This is the tribe of Ephraim; a similar name on line #1 is for Judah.  These were the two tribes who had leadership in Israel.  Judah was designated by Jacob as the home of a future king (Gen. 49:8-12). Ephraim was the leading son of Joseph to whom Jacob gave the double portion (Gen. 48:12-22).  Throughout Israel’s history there was a bit of competition, especially from the tribe of Ephraim.  The Samaritan religion (wrongly) believes to this day that Ephraim is supposed to be the royal tribe and Mt. Gerazim the place of worship (rather than Mt. Moriah) and Shechem the capital (instead of Jerusalem).

8.     Gamaliel: reward of God.  Pedahzur: the Rock has ransomed.  Amen!

9.     Abidan: my father is judge.  Gideoni: my hewer (warlike term).

10.                        Ahiezer: my brother is help. Ammishaddai: my Kinsman is Almighty. Amen!  Jesus is our Kinsman, the Almighty.

11.                        Pagiel: event of God.  Ocran: troubled.  They were troubled in Egypt.  But by an event of God were delivered.  (Both those names were given before the event occurred.)

12.                        Ahira: my brother is evil. Enan: having eyes.

·        10:29-32: Here is another interesting note.  The Druze in modern Israel honor Reuel/Jethro (Moses’ father-in-law) as their leading prophet.  It is a false religion.  But they are like the family of Reuel, being people who have sided with Israel over the years (since 1948 esp.).  Israel blesses them today where they live in safety and prosperity.

·        10:33-36: And so the journey begins after more than a year at Mt. Sinai.  May we intentionally trust God today along the journey of His leading.  Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered.  And let those who hate You flee before You.  In the forty years of wandering the surrounding nations were not a problem; every time there was a flare-up God made Israel sufficient to win the battles.  Israel’s primary problem was herself, her constant complaining against God.  Return, O LORD, to the many thousands of Israel.

Read Colossians 2:8-23, Traditions

(Having completed our posts on "fulfilled prophecy in Matthew's Gospel" we will post on a variety of topics the next few days.)

This was part of a sermon preached on Matthew 15:1-20.  It is an illustration of the traditions that we have seen among Christians over the years.  The point is to encourage examination of our own traditions for the sake of the word of God. 

We are to beware men's traditions (2:8).  There are 3 areas of tradition.

·       Legalism, what I do/don't do. As in washing of hands, a certain hairdo among the women, or the kind of family identification sign we have in our yard (in Missouri several years ago we saw this driving around the countryside, different distinguishing signs on the front yards in an Amish area.)

·       Mysticism, what I know that you don't know.  I have seen “church” groups boast about: knowledge of what Jesus did in His childhood, how Moses got his speech impediment (put a burning coal in his mouth as a child), what happens when people die (children become angels, people become stars), what the gov't or Dr Phil or Rush Limbaugh says that helps us live in areas the Bible (supposedly) knows nothing about (politics, emotional or mental health, wife/child abuse, etc.). [Those who think the Bible is irrelevant on issues today fail to understand it's living character, Hb. 4:12.]

·       Asceticism, where I go/don't go.  When we first got married, we would not go to movie theaters, at all. But later, not unless it was a Billy Graham movie.  Okay, theaters aren’t so bad; but only G movies. Or maybe PG if they are cartoons or comedy. But no "R" movies (unless about Jesus and recommended by famous Christians).  I am a teetotaler; I would never, ever go into a bar.  Unless it's an emergency and they have the only phone in the area.  Unless your wife is ill and needs 7Up.  Unless the only other cafe in town is closed and you and your preacher friend need a burger.  For some people it’s a good idea never to go near a bar.  For me, it became something that was a little ridiculous.

Why should we beware in the matter of traditions?  Paul said that none of these traditions contributes to a righteous life.  They deal with externals, not the heart.  In another passage (Gal. 1:11-17) Paul illustrated his approach to tradition. Paul, who excelled in Jewish traditions in the past, desired to live his life not according to man (v11) but through the revealing of Christ (v12).  He did not bring along the best of his former life but was converted; the best of the former life was still defective.  Even as a Christian, and a servant of God, he did not base his theology on the experts of the day, not even going to Jerusalem where James and Peter were serving.  Rather, he went to the desert to get with God (v16-17).  God’s word shaped his daily life!

Traditions can be useful but must be subject to the Word of God.  We should expect that as we are being renewed, our traditions, the rules by which we apply God’s word in our daily lives, will also be renewed.  And in ministry we will be careful not to teach as doctrine those things that are the traditions of men (Matt. 15:9).