Psalm 128

Note several thoughts from this Psalm.

Godliness is beneficial in this life as well as in the one to come (1 Tim. 4:8).

Pilgrims who are on their way to heaven have earthly responsibilities (such as work and family).  The early Church Fathers struggled with this.  To many of them conjugal life was an essentially earthly notion and was incompatible with a high view of godliness.  Even men such as Augustine and Chrysostom saw these Psalms as allegories where the wife was viewed as the Church.  This encouraged devotion to the Church and made celibacy a mark of godliness.  Martin Luther, in the reformation, vindicated the truth of God, first by his teaching, and then by his marriage to Catherine von Bora.  Christian marriage was holy.

The same applies to work.  As Charles Spurgeon put it...

God is the God of laborers.  We are not to leave our worldly callings because the Lord has called us by grace; we are not promised a blessing upon romantic idleness or unreasonable dreaming, but upon hard work and honest industry. Though we are in God's hands we are to be supported by our own hands.  He will give us daily bread, but it must be made our own by labor.... Without God it would be vain to labor; but when we are laborers together with God a promise is set before us.  The promise is that labor shall be fruitful, and that he who performs it shall himself enjoy the recompense of it.

The corporate benefit of one man's blessings.

One person who fears God can effect an entire family (v3), even an entire nation (v5-6).  God's blessing for individuals (v1-4) should positively effect others (v5-6).

The sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.

This was noted above in the quote from Spurgeon.  Ps. 127 says that blessing rests on the house God builds.  Ps. 128 says that blessing rests on the house where the father fears God.

The relationship of promise and prayer.

We see here a classic example of praying the word of God.  The prayer of v5-6 is based in the promise of v1-4.  We know God grants that which is according to His will (1 John 5:14-15).  We can do no better than to fill our prayers with the promises of God from His word.

And finally, in the words of Matthew Henry,

Those who are truly holy are truly happy.

In this Psalm we see what we often call the good life.

A.            The promise of the good life, v1-4.

1.             The recipients of the good life, v1,4.

Note that it is God who defines a good life, though His description is not that different from what we might offer.

This promise is to "saints" (v1) and yet to each "saint" (v4).  A "saint" is someone who fears the Lord and who walks in His ways.  A man's heart will be seen in his walk.  Deep reverence for God will be evidenced by regular and constant conformity to His will.

What does the Bible mean by the fear of the Lord?  The Hebrew term used here can refer to being afraid of someone or something.  But it also is used of being in awe, having reverence, honor and respect for someone.  It is a fear joined with love and hope, and is therefore not a slavish dread, but rather, a family reverence seen in the relationship of a child to his father.  The fear of God is not only an Old Testament concept (Matt. 10:28; 2 Cor. 5:11; 7:1; Phil. 2:12; Eph. 5:21; Heb. 12:28,29).

Practically, the one who fears God has an underlying and ongoing realization of God's presence and involvement in every event of life.  He acknowledges God at all times (Prov. 3:5-6).

2.             The description of the good life, v2-3.

At work the one who walks in God's ways has an honest livelihood and a comfortable living.  The Bible makes it clear that the man is not necessarily free of pain, even the pain of losing his job.  But he is not jobless because of laziness, insubordination, dishonesty or unwillingness to work at menial tasks.  Nor is his comfortable living the result of having lots of money.  Part of his godly life is his contentment and generosity with God's provision (Matt. 6:19-34; Phil. 4).

At home this man is blessed with an enjoyable marriage and family.  Again, it's not that his home is perfect and without trouble.  But it is that the one who walks in God's ways is finding satisfaction in those God has placed closest to him.

B.            The prayer for the good life, v5-6.

The prayer is for the very thing God has promised.  If we join Ps. 127 and 128, this brings us back to the beginning: unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.  Those who fear God and walk in His ways are faithful to seek their happiness (blessedness) from God by prayer.

Amos 5:16-27, Thoughts on Israel from Amos 4-6

Concerning Amos 4, I know that this is a prophecy that was already fulfilled, in the time of the Assyrians dispersion of the Northern Ten Tribes.  So stay with me while I mention what you can call a “coincidence” if you want. 

Amos 4 sounds like modern Israel.  God’s idea was that He would give them a land and He would prosper them in it.  If they did not obey Him He would limit or deprive them of the prosperity.  So in recent years Israel has not had enough water “naturally” (4:7-8), yet they have overcome this by perfecting desalinization.  Israel experiences crop disease (4:9) but develop scientific cures or answers.  Covid was heavy in Israel (4:10), but Israel overcame it by good medical care.  And (4:6) Israel depends on trade with other nations for the food they need.  Now, most recently on Oct. 7, 2023, some Israeli’s have been overthrown (4:11) and as usual Israel is able to answer with a powerful and smart army. 

The question that Amos is presenting is this: when these things happened did Israel see God at work?  Did Israel turn to God in repentance?

So now, in 5:1-3 there is the lamentation for the nation that does not return to the LORD, that does not follow the prescription given in 5:4-9.  “Seek the LORD and live!”  Judgment will come (5:10-13).  Though Israel seems to be prosperous (houses of hewn stone are all over Israel, required for new building in Jerusalem).  But God knows their mighty sins! “Seek good and not evil!” (5:14-15).

Amos then speaks of the Day of the LORD.  This does have modern day application.  The times of the Assyrians and Babylonians and Romans were “the Day of the LORD” but also pointed to the ultimate “Day of the LORD” which, as 2 Thessalonians 2 indicates, is still in Israel’s future.  Those religious Jews who long for this Day don’t understand that the darkness comes before the dawning (5:18-20).  Feast days in Israel today are a sham (5:21-24).  Why are they a sham?  Because they mix idolatry/secularism with religious customs.

This brings us to Amos 6.  Woe to those living at ease (6:1-2).  It’s interesting that Hamas massacre many Jews at a “peace festival” in the desert.  There was feasting, dancing, etc. (6:3-7). It was supposed to be related to “Succoth” or the “Feast of Tabernacles.” 

It is interesting that in Israel there were people entrusted with the responsibility to find and identify the dead bodies and get them burial in a timely manner (6:9-10).  The concern today is that this was done without gathering needed evidence of rape that would satisfy the world’s demand for proof.  But the issue is not the world but the LORD.  He knows!

As we have noted before, the question that must be asked is, what is the LORD doing in all this.  In 6:11 Amos notes that the pain inflicted is the LORD’s doing, ultimately.  Israel is proud of her military might (6:12-14).  But destroying Gaza is a “nothing” (LoDebar) and Hamas is an insignificant “horn” (Karnaim).  The day is coming when Ezekiel 38-39 will happen … from the entrance of Hamath (Lebanon, Metula, Dan) to the Arabah (Eilat). 

I am not saying Oct. 7 is some direct fulfillment of Amos.  What I am saying is that the questions raised by the LORD through the prophet need to be raised by Israel.  Is this God’s call to get Israel’s attention?  Does it cause them to return to the LORD?  What we do know is that there is a coming Day of the LORD and in that day Israel will be saved.  The process will involve a time of great trouble and anguish and horror for Israel, brought by the nations.  Israel will have no friends at this time.  Why will this happen?  Because the LORD vows to honor His name through His treasured nation, and the treasured nation has not been willing to turn to the LORD in times like this.  Instead, they turn to themselves, their military, their scientists, their expertise and so forth.

The day of the LORD is coming.  It will be terrible, far greater than Oct. 7.  But Israel will be saved.  A remnant will enter the Kingdom of Messiah!

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst.  For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished.  Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Zechariah 14:1-2

Amos 2:6-16, Thoughts on Israel from Amos 1-3

I am definitely reflecting on the current events of the Israel/Hamas war.  I have been mov by things I have read in Amos as well as Obadiah.  As is typical of the Old Testament prophets, they are written against a particular historical backdrop, and in that context they also speak of days yet unseen.  In my view, the historical backdrop serves us today.  As Paul said, these are written as examples for our admonition on whom the ends of the ages have come (1 Cor. 10:11) that we might have hope (Rom. 15:4). 

Since the historical objective of the prophets had to do with calling the people of Israel to repentance, I also want to remind you of three principles that are true of Israel today:

1.    Rom. 11:25-29: Israel is currently in a period of partial blindness to the gospel. Israel as a nation still has a future in God’s plan; Israel will be saved.  But for now, the Jewish people are enemies of the gospel but beloved by Christians because of election.  God will eventually complete the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham; His gifts and calling are irrevocable.

2.    Lev. 26:36-39; Deut. 28:64-68: During this time the Jewish people experience significant persecution, events that can be called “terror.”  It is a time when the nations have an unusual influence on and control over the Jewish people.  That time will not end until Messiah returns and the Spirit is poured out on Israel.

3.    Jer. 30:11; Ezek. 34:11-31: God’s last days work will come in three stages.  He will regather Israel to the land.  He will cleanse Israel.  In much of that cleansing God will use the nations of the world even as He used the Assyrians and Babylonians in the past.  Israel will experience severe trouble.  Then God will deliver Israel from those nations and will judge those nations.  He will not make a complete end of Israel.  We will see that Amos says the same thing in Amos 9.

In the case of Amos, he was a prophet from Judah (the Southern Kingdom) sent to Israel (the Northern Kingdom).  In the first three chapters I see two connections with today’s situation.  First, the enemies are very similar.  Amos calls out Syria, Philistia (modern Gaza), Tyre (modern Lebanon), Edom, Ammon and Moab (modern Jordan).  These nations were not the primary tool of God’s judgment on Israel; that was left to Assyria.  But as you read God’s message to each of these nations, their sin is essentially that they piled on when Israel was down.  They took advantage of Israel’s weakness, giving those who sought refuge over to the Assyrians to take as captives. 

The second similarity has to do with the sins of Israel for which reason God brings judgment.  After pronouncing judgment on the surrounding nations, and then on Judah to the south, the prophet comes to Israel in 2:6-3:15.  Israel certainly was idolatrous; they still worshipped the golden calves at Bethel (2:14).  But the sins God calls out are injustice, sexual perversion, and rejection of God’s word (2:6-12).  All the while, they lived their lives in luxury and ease (2:15).  These are the sins of a “secular nation,” which is generally what Israel is today. 

My point is that Amos is a book of prophecy that speaks well to today’s situation in Israel.  They suffered a terrible event on Oct. 7.  Hamas did it.  Hamas should be destroyed, and Israel is working on that.  But Israel needs to step back and seriously consider that God is doing His work.  They should use this time for repentance.

And may I say, as well, that every person in whatever nation should be doing the same.  Every event in our lives, good or bad, demands that we stop and reflect.  What is God doing?  What must I learn from this situation?  I am not singling out the people of Israel whom I truly and dearly love! 

Luke 9:36-45, “Don’t Tell People Who I am” (2)

·       9:36: Here, after the Transfiguration, we see that the three disciples who were with Jesus didn’t tell anyone about what they had seen.  Likely the main reason for this was that those three men were themselves uncertain what they had witnesses.  The Twelve struggled to understand events until after the resurrection.  Afterward Peter was eager to talk about it (2 Peter 1:16-18).

·       9:38-45: Here is an interesting situation that might challenge some people’s understanding of Jesus earthly ministry.  When a man asks Jesus to heal his son of an evil spirit Jesus acts as if He is reluctant (v41).  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that Jesus indicated He was tired of the constant request for miracles.  That just doesn’t seem right.  As I said, some view Jesus’ miracle working as the central focus of His ministry.  Why, at this point, would He speak this way at this point?

o   Jesus is aware more and more that it is about time to bring things to their conclusion at Jerusalem, Golgotha and the empty tomb.  In Luke 9 we have the first (9:22) and second (9:44) warnings Jesus gives to the Twelve about what will soon take place in Jerusalem. 

o   What that means, with respect to His ministry, is that the emphasis is no longer on the Synagogue ministry and the display of the miraculous signs.  People have had the opportunity to hear His offer of the Kingdom.  They have seen the proofs.  They don’t need any more.  The people would be happy if Jesus lived a long life and healed every person that needed it.  But that was not the reason He came, nor the reason for the miracles.

o   In v43 you see the response of the people to the healing of the boy.  “They were all amazed at the majesty of God.”  The “majesty of God” is the healing, not the Healer.  Therefore Jesus reassures His disciples, “Don’t be fooled by this great response! Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

·       9:49-50: This exchange with the disciples about people who were casting out demons in Jesus’ name but were not part of their group adds to the point here.  Jesus’ response indicates the working of miracles is not the bottom line.  The question is: are they on My side?

·       9:57-62: The chapter closes with another situation that tells us that Jesus is concerned about the “faith” of the crowd.  You have three people who declare their desire to follow Him.  He challenges each one with something that is designed to get them to think about what they are signing up for.  Do they understand the total exclusivity of following Christ?

Thus, my conclusion is that Jesus’ prohibiting people from telling others that He was the Christ, and from broadcasting news of the latest miracle, was the result of His concern for true faith in Him.  He was not looking for a popular uprising or a landslide election.  He was looking for a nation that would surrender their hearts to Him.  He came unto His own and His own received Him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become sons of God, even to them that believed on His name (John 1:11-12).

Luke 9:18-22; Mt. 16:13-20, “Don’t Tell People Who I am” (1)

Luke 9 gives us a lot of opportunity to consider the question, “Why did Jesus tell people not to tell others who He was, and not to tell others about miracles He had performed?”  I have heard this question often.  I would like to work our way through Luke 9:18-62 and see what we learn about God’s work in the Incarnation.

Let me mention two answers to these questions.  One builds on the fact that God was going to blind Israel (Mt. 13:10-17).  Jesus spoke to the disciples in parables so that they could understand and so that the “already blind and deaf” people would not understand.  Another solution is that Jesus wanted to avoid the problem of a popular uprising of support because people liked the miracles, and not because they had properly received Him by faith (John 1:10-13; 6:26-27).

One other thing to note before we begin our study is that Luke 9 is where Jesus begins His final journey to Jerusalem (9:51).  It will take some time before He arrives in Jerusalem, but it is at this point in His ministry that “He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.”

·       9:18-22: For many, the question we are considering really comes up strong in this passage.  Why would Jesus tell the Twelve not to tell others that He is the Christ?  The only clue we get as to the cause of this command is in v22.  Jesus tells them that He will suffer at the hands of men, be killed and raised the third day.  It is possible that the “prophet’s conundrum” is what He is talking about here.  Remember that the prophets, including John the Baptist, struggled to understand the suffering and the glory of the Messiah (1 Pt. 1:10-12).  In other words, “don’t tell people who I am because they are already confused; let them just wait and figure it out after I am raised.”  That is what happened with the Twelve.  These things didn’t make sense until Jesus explained the Scripture to them after His resurrection.

o   But what I believe makes more sense is that Jesus is saying, “don’t tell them because this has to happen; if you tell them I am the Christ it might encourage the ‘popularity’ factor and they may try to make me king like they did earlier” (John 6:15).

o   I don’t always like to draw from the other Synoptic Gospels but let me mention something from Matthew’s account (6:13-20).  Matthew also records Jesus telling them not to tell people He was the Christ.  But Matthew also quotes Jesus as telling Peter, “flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”  One danger is that if the Twelve were to go out and broadcast that Jesus was the Christ, there could be many who would accept Him as the Christ, but not because God revealed it to them.  It might be because they were Zealots or partisans in some other sense and would see Jesus as a “cause” around which they could advance their own agenda.

This is something to think about in our own day.  In the American Church, while I don’t know hearts, it seems quite likely there are people who side with Jesus, and will say or confess what needs to be said or confessed, only because they see Him as supporting their politics or sociology or economics, etc.  It looks to the human eye like there are a lot of Evangelical Christians when many have not heard or known “the grace of God in truth” (Col. 1:6).

Luke 11:14-23, “The kingdom of God has come upon you”

The message of John the Baptist and of Jesus was the same: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven/God is at hand” (Mt. 3:2; 4:17).  I used to have a simple explanation of this.  They were just saying that the kingdom of heaven was at hand because the Messiah was physically near.  That’s not a bad answer, but it could be improved upon in my current opinion.

For example, I think that Jesus made appearances at times in the OT as the “Angel of the LORD.”  But though He was physically present that was not a situation where you would say, “the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

Furthermore, I would want to clarify that the “kingdom” spoken of here was the physical rule of Christ on the earth.  There are many who want to see some sort of “spiritual” kingdom in the Incarnation.  Since Jesus was rejected as King by Israel they believe His offer was only of a spiritual relationship with Him. 

To be sure, Christ’s offer of a kingdom where He actually reigns from Zion cannot be received apart from a spiritual transaction.  He must be received as by faith whereby those who receive Him becomes sons of God (John 1:10-13).  This was, of course, Israel’s problem.  The leaders didn’t want Him at all.  The majority of the nation wanted the blessings of the kingdom of the Messiah without bowing the knee to the Messiah (e.g. Jn. 6:26). 

But I would maintain that the idea that “the kingdom of God has come upon you” is a reference to the nearness of the physical blessings of the Messianic Kingdom.  What are those blessings, according to the OT?  Without detail, check out Isa. 35 (and Isa. 65:17-25) speaks of people living much longer lives, great prosperity from the land, and peace in creation.  In general, there will be a lifting of the effects of the curse from Gen. 3.  Note especially Isa. 35:5-6: the blind, deaf, lame and dumb will be healed.

Now let us come to Gospels and “the kingdom of God is at hand.”  When Jesus sent out the Twelve (Mt. 10:6-8) He sent them only to the people of Israel, He told them to preach “the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and He told them to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and cast out demons.  When Jesus sent out the Seventy (Lk. 10:1-12), saying in v9, “And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”  At the point when the rejection of the shepherds of Israel became clearly evident (Luke 11:14-23), Jesus said to them, But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you (v19).  As Jesus went around Israel, he was “preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God,” and He was accompanied not only by the Twelve but by various women “who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities” (Lk. 8:1-3).  The women were illustrations of the “glad tidings of the kingdom.”

Thus, the nearness of the kingdom is the nearness of the Messiah who, in that kingdom, will bring in all manner of blessings.  This message was preached in connection with the manifestation of those blessings in the miraculous signs. 

Matt. 2:1-12, Why Did News of Messiah Trouble All Jerusalem?

Mt. 2:3: When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  We can understand why Herod was troubled; he was the current king and this would be a challenge to his rule.  But why what “all Jerusalem” troubled?

First, we can see the truth of John 1:10-12 in this.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him (1:10).  Herod, though he proclaimed himself to be a Jew, was, of course, an Idumean (Edomite).  They had been forced to be Jews.  But Herod was as much a “man of the world,” in the 1 John 2:15-17 sense (lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life), as anyone. 

He came unto His own, and His own did not receive Him (1:11).  The people of Jerusalem were not alone in Judea in rejecting Messiah.  Perhaps they feared this King of the Jews would lead them into war.  Or He would restrain their lusts.  Certainly, He would be a challenge to their own powerful positions.  In the end, they would have “no king but Caesar” (John 19:15).

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name (1:12).  There were exceptions to the rule in Jerusalem, namely those who were waiting for the consolation of Israel (Lk. 2:25).  Among those were Simeon and Anna.  And just outside of Jerusalem, on the hills around Bethlehem, there were Jewish shepherds who had glorified and praised God for all the things that they had heard and seen the night Jesus was born (Lk. 2:20).

But those had all occurred around the time of the birth; it was now perhaps pushing 2 years later.  What troubled Herod and all Jerusalem were the words of “wise men from the east” following “His star.”  The Jewish shepherds got an angel; the Persian wise men got a star.  God spoke to each in their own language.

It’s interesting that they knew the star was a sign of the Messiah.  They already knew about “the King of the Jews” being the Messiah.  It makes you wonder.  Was this evidence of the influence of Daniel some 500 years earlier?  Daniel gave very straightforward prophecies of this.  …One like the Son of Man … came to the Ancient of Days … to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion … (Dan. 7:13-14). 

Given the fact that the Jews knew Micah 5:2, that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem, it is quite likely they also knew of the “70 Weeks of Daniel” in Daniel 9:24-27 and the fact that the time was coming for the culmination of that prophecy.  It was no different than the birth of Moses, whose parents saw something special in him (Ex. 2:2) at a time when observant descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob should have begun to expect a deliverer (Gen. 15:13, nearing 400 years of servitude in Egypt).  Or Daniel, who knew Jeremiah’s prophecy of 70 years, praying for deliverance from the Babylonian captivity (Dan. 9:2). 

The answer is, therefore, that there were many reasons for all Jerusalem to be troubled, given that they were not interested in the arrival of Messiah and all that that would do to their proud and selfish lives.  Oh that in these days we might not be those people, but will stand with the wise men who searched out, and found, and worshiped the King.  Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near (Isa. 55:6).

Psalm 127

One might be surprised to find included in the Pilgrim Songs a family emphasis.  After all, isn't this journey personal?  Yes, it is.  But if you think about it, our personal journey is always in the context of family.  That is where we start our lives; family shapes our lives to a great extent; and we are never free from the memory and impact of family.  Remember that the typical journey to Jerusalem in Bible times involved the entire family (Luke 2:41).

So this Psalm has some great family truths.  1) Overwork is a waste. 2) Children are special. 3) Large families are not a sin. These are important.  Yet, as in each Psalm thus far, what is important here is what the Psalm says about our pilgrimage, our journey to God.  And the point in this Psalm is simple: a building, be it our home or our business, not built by God, is empty. 

The principle is in vs.1-2 and might be stated thus: Your efforts are futile if God is not in it.  It's not that builders and watchmen are not needed.  After all, by God's design, Solomon built the temple, and Ezekiel was a watchman (Ezek. 3:17).  But the point is that you cannot do the job if God is not in it, even if you stay up late and rise up early (v2), even if you are the workaholic husband or the soccer mom rushing here and there to get every kid to every practice and game and event. 

Scripture illustrates this.  The tower of Babel (Gen. 11:4) was a monument to man's greatness, but it became useless (empty) because God was not in it.  David did not build the temple, though he wanted to, because he knew God was not in it (1 Chron. 22:8).  The rich farmer planned to build bigger barns but it was a plan of pride, God was not in it, and so it never happened (Luke 12:18).

The Bible also contains positive illustrations.  Solomon did build the temple that his father had wanted to build.  The reason?  God was on his side (1 Chron. 22:18).  And while David was not permitted to build the temple, the Lord did build David's house (i.e. his lineage, 2 Sam. 7:27).  The people of Israel successfully established themselves in Babylon when they were held captive.  The reason: God was in it (Jer. 29:28). Thus they experienced the kinds of benefits of which our Psalm speaks (vs. 3-5).

Look at your life.  Does it seem that you are busy, too busy to make time for your Creator?  You deceive yourself in thinking that success depends on your feverish activity.  The pilgrim understands that his journey is to a temple whose builder and architect is God (Heb. 11:10,16).

We have seen that if God is not in the building then the building is in vain.  The watchman will do his duty, but if God is not with him the enemy will come from a different direction or he will miss some little detail and the city will suffer attack.  How can I be sure that God is involved?  From different Biblical building sites we can find our answer.

A.            Set your heart and soul to seek the Lord.

This is what David told Solomon: Set your heart and soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore and build the sanctuary (1 Chron 22:19). First seek God.  Don't be in a big hurry to build. 

B.            Strengthen your hands for the work.

Nehemiah first told the people how the hand of God had been on him (i.e. God was in it).  Then it says they strengthened their hands for this good work (Neh. 2:18).  Even in training our children we must be willing to be prepared or trained.  A parent will seek to strengthen his hand from his own upbringing, but also from the Scriptures which have much to say on the subject, and then from the advice and example of others.

C.            Seek the Lord in prayer.

In Scripture prayers were regularly offered in the context of building.  Nehemiah prayed at the beginning and during the building of the walls.  In Psalm 51:18 David, as part of his prayer of confession, asked God to rebuild what David, by his immoral example, had torn down.  If you want God in it, ask Him to be in it.

D.            Stand the building on the foundation of Christ.

An essential issue in building anything that lasts is that it have a good foundation (Matt. 7:24-27).  In our spiritual buildings the foundation is always Christ (1 Cor. 3:12).  In fact the Bible says that what Christ is doing today is building His Church (Matt. 16:18).  When Christ is the foundation of our homes then our homes are part of what He is doing.  This happens when Christ is Lord of the marriage and then of the life of the family.

E.            Establish the building with the word of grace.

According to Acts 20:28 the word of grace is able to build you up.  God is brought into the building of our homes when His Word is brought into the home. Like Timothy (2 Tim 1:5; 3:14-15) whose mother and grandmother taught him the Scriptures from his childhood, and as commanded in the law (Deut. 6:4-9) so the word of grace brings God into all He has given us to do.

Judges 13:8-24; Isa. 9:6, Jesus is Wonderful!

The book of Judges, being the time when people did what was right in their own eyes, has some unusual stories.  But I would suggest that the exchange between the Angel of the LORD and Manoah, the father of Samson, is a major high point. 

We don’t know a lot about Manoah.  Thus, we don’t know why he wanted to talk to the Angel of the LORD.  He says it was because he wanted to know how to raise Samson, but the Angel had already told Manoah’s wife about that.  Maybe Manoah was jealous that a “Man of God” had appeared to his wife and not to him.  I don’t know.  It apparently doesn’t matter.  However, I can say this: whether he understood or not, Manoah did a great thing when he prayed, “O my Lord, please let the Man of God whom You sent come to us again…”  There was a yearning in his heart to know God’s will, and as you see later in the passage, to know God!  It reminds me of Moses who longed to see the glory of God (Ex. 33-34), and of Paul who desired to know Christ (Phil. 3). 

God certainly accommodated Manoah.  The Angel of the LORD returned and repeated the instructions.  This led Manoah to want to show hospitality to “the Man” who spoke for God.  Remember Heb. 13:2: Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.  I always think of Abraham (Gen. 18-19) but we can include Manoah as well. 

Eventually Manoah realizes he has been talking with the LORD Himself.  How does he get from “the Man” to “the LORD?”  It begins with the response of the Angel of the LORD to the meal: I will not eat your food.  But if you offer a burnt offering, you must offer it to the LORD.  Manoah’s response to this leads to a well known quote from Princess Bride, what Inigo said to the man in black: Who are you?  Unlike the man in black (“no one of consequence”), the Angel responds, Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?” 

WONDERFUL!  The Hebrew term here is only used twice, as an adjective here and a noun in Ps. 139:6 (such knowledge is too wonderful for me).  It means to be incomprehensible.  The root word means to be marvelous, surpassing, to make singular or distinguishable; and it is used in the very next verse: the Angel of the LORD did a wondrous thing while Manoah and his wife looked on, ascending to heaven in the flame of the offering.  This wondrous sign made it clear to Manoah that, yes, he had just been in the presence of God!

All this leads us now to Isa. 9:6. Here is the last half of the verse from the Jewish Publication Society translation: And his name is called Pele-joez-el-gibbor-Abi-ad-sar-shalom (Wonderful-Counselor-God-Mighty-Father-Forever-Prince-Peace).  Pele is “wonderful.”  Again, it’s a noun.  It speaks of the Messiah, the One on whose shoulders the government will rest. 

Who was Manoah speaking with?  It was the Son of God, second member of the Trinity who is “God in visible form” when it serves the purpose of God.  The Angel of the LORD is the Son of God.  The Messiah is the Son of God.  Jesus is wonderful, all-surpassing, the One who is distinguished from all others.  Do I have the yearning to be in the presence of God the Son?  Do I long to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering?  What a wonderful Savior!

1 John 2:24-28; John 15:5-11, Abiding in Christ

In today’s passage, in vs.24-28, the Greek word “menō” appears six times.  In the NKJV it is translated “abide” each time.  It is an important word for John.  Over half of the 120 uses of this word in the NT are used by John (41 in the Gospel, 23 in 1 John and 3 in 2 John).  The meaning of the word is not difficult, but it is important.  In John 1:33 John said that God told him that the Messiah would be the One Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him.  Our word is the word “remaining.”  The Spirit descended on Jesus and then remained there.  So, with the Christian.  The believer has received Christ; now the command is to “abide” or “remain” in Him. 

Remember the context.  We are concerned with “joyous fellowship” with the Father and the Son as well as with fellow-believers.  So first, as we noted in the previous post, when a person believes in Christ they come to know Christ in the truth.  Now the command is to “remain” in that personal and deep realization of Christ.  As John says here, the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you.  If the gospel “abides” in you they you also will “abide” in the Son and in the Father, and that is the essence of joyous fellowship!

John says he is writing these things because there are people trying to deceive his audience.  So, what happens if you give in to that deception?  Certainly, you would lose joyful fellowship.  But do you also lose your salvation?  Do you revert to no longer belonging to Christ because you have ceased to believe in Him?  No.  We have already seen in 1 Jn. 2:19 that those who buy into the deception and deny Christ are made manifest “that none of them were of us.”  In other words, if you have the anointing of God and know Christ, that will not change. 

If it is “automatic” then why is there a command to “let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning?”  The answer to that question is bound up in this word “abide.”  We referred to John 1:33 earlier.  The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus and then remained on Him.  Jesus was filled with the Spirit, and then continued to be filled with the Spirit throughout His life and ministry.  So it is with us.  By faith we have come into a relationship with Christ.  By faith we continue in that relationship day by day, living out of what Christ is in us.  Not only do we have joyful fellowship with the Father and the Son; we also bear fruit in our lives as we abide in Christ.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  … If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. … If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.  These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full (John 15:5,7,10,11).

(Note: We are going to set aside our studies in 1 John until after the first of next year.  Beginning tomorrow we will consider some themes related to the Incarnation.  Over New Years we will consider some thoughts from the Minor Prophets related to the current Israel-Hamas war.)

1 Jn. 2:18-23; Jer. 31:31-34, The Anointing from the Holy One

In 1 John 2:8-9 we discovered two commandments: an old one and a new one.  The new one is to love the brethren and John speaks to that in v9-11 as well as in the description of the “family of God” in v12-14.  Now he speaks to the old command.  By old, John means the one that has been around “from the beginning” (2:7).  The word that they had heard from the beginning is the gospel, and the command of the gospel is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Keep in mind we are still in the context of joyous fellowship.  Sin breaks that fellowship.  Having commanded “do not love the world” John now recognizes that the time in which we live is difficult.  He calls it “the last hour,” and it is characterized by deception.  John speaks of “the Antichrist” and of “many antichrists.”  The Antichrist is the master of deception.  Paul warned against deception related to the Antichrist (2 Th. 2:3-4,9-12).  John is saying the Antichrist is coming, but that in the meantime there are many antichrists, all of them so-called because they too are tied to deception.  We need to understand this so that sin does not overtake us and destroy the joy of our fellowship with the Father and His Son.

The ultimate deception of Satan has to do with our Lord.  The gospel, “the word that you heard from the beginning,” is about what Jesus did (1 Cor. 15:1-5, His death and resurrection) and who Jesus was and is (Rom. 1:1-4, Son of Man and Son of God).  When a person believes on the Christ, Christ is revealed in them (Gal. 1:16).  That person knows who Jesus is in truth.  This is God’s work in the life of that believer.  John refers to this as the “anointing from the Holy One.”  The person who believes in Christ knows the truth about Christ, not because that person is so smart but because God has enabled that person to know Christ in truth.

Todays reading included the prophecy of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31.  This “anointing” is a fulfillment of this New Covenant.  Jeremiah prophesied, No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me (31:34a).  Jeremiah goes on to say that the reason God can do this is because He will have forgiven Israel of their sins.  That is what John is saying to us.  The forgiveness of sin earlier in this section (1 Jn. 1:5-2:2) makes it possible for us to be in this deep fellowship with the Father and Son.  The sin issue that separates us from God has been resolved in Christ.  We know Christ in truth as God who became flesh.

This explains 1 Jn. 2:22-23.  If someone comes, a teacher or preacher, and denies the truth about Jesus, that person is an antichrist, a deceiver.  Furthermore, if I accept this deception, I am not a believer in Christ.  John says in v19 that there were some among the visible body of believers who denied Christ, so that they left the group, manifesting that they had not really been one of them.

1 John 2:15-17, Love and Eternal Life

Before we put this passage in its context, let’s briefly note one thing: the nature of love.  The Greek is, of course, the familiar agape (noun, the love of the Father) and agapao (verb, love not the world).  There are three things to note. 

First, love is exclusive.  You cannot love the world with the love of the Father.  Friendship with the world is hatred towards God (James 4:4).  You cannot serve two masters … you cannot serve God and money (Luke 16:13).  So here: If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him. 

Second, love is obedience.  Jesus said this repeatedly in the Upper Room Discourse (John 14:15,21,23,24,31).  In the last reference, Jesus used Himself as the example: I love the Father and I do exactly what my Father has commanded.  This is something to note in 1 John.  The motivation to love the brethren is not obedience.  It is the love of God.  W love because He first loved us.  The love of Calvary is what motivates us.  But when you love God, you obey Him.  So, we cannot say we love Christ and live in disobedience to Him at the same time.

Last, love is sacrifice.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend (Jn. 15:13).  There is a longer section on this in 1 John 4.  The centerpiece is 4:10: This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

The Bible is full of those who loved the world.  The Pharisees loved money (Lk. 16:14).  Jesus spoke of those who love themselves (Jn. 12:25), and those who love the praise of men (Jn. 12:43).  Diotrephes was a church leader who loved to be first (3 Jn. 9).  Demas loved the world so that he left Paul when he was in prison (2 Tim. 4:10).  Jesus made the point about who is and must be the chief object of our love: Anyone who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me (and also son or daughter; Mt. 10:37).  Our love for God must be with all our heart, soul and mind (Mt. 22:37).

Now, in the context of 1 John 1-2, the issue if fellowship with God.  There is no joyous fellowship unless we come into His presence with one love.  The imperative is, love not the world.  There are two causative statements behind this in our passage.  First, if we love the world the love of the Father is not in us.  If we say that we know Christ then we can never be right or confident in His presence unless our exclusive, obedient and sacrificial love is set on the Father.   Second, the world is passing away.  To live a life of love for the world is to opt for what is temporal.  That is not the life of Christ.  The life He manifested and lived and gives to us by faith is eternal life.  We are not living that life if our love is on what is passing away.  He who does the will of God will abide forever.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.

1 John 2:15-17, All That Is In the World

Let’s allow the Bible to define the three motivations in v16.

·       “Lust of the flesh”: evil desire residing in the flesh, sensual desire.

o   Rom. 1:24: God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another.

o   I Thess. 4:5 "avoid sexual immorality...control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen who know not God."

o   2 Tim. 2:22: Flee the evil desires of youth & pursue righteousness...

o   2 Tim. 3:4: "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God"

o   Illus: "If it feels good, do it"

·       "Lust of the eyes" evil desires belonging to the eyes, materialism.

o   Mark 4:19: "But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, the de-sires for other things come in & choke the word, making it unfruitful"

o   I Tim. 6:9: People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap & in-to many foolish & harmful desires that plunge men into ruin & destruction

o   Illus: "Keeping up with the Jonses" "I've gotta have it"              

·       "pride of life" vainglory

o   Wuest: an insolent and empty assurance which trusts in it's own power and re-sources and shamefully despises and violates divine laws"

o   James 3:13-16: wisdom of world=selfish ambition, etc.

o   James 4:13-17: boasting about tomorrow

o   Dan. 4: Nebuchadnezzar

o   3 John 1:9: Demetrius who loved to be first

o   Illus: "Climbing the corporate ladder"  "Fight for your rights"

Is this really “everything” in the world?      Yes.  To demonstrate this look at the two crucial “temptations” to sin, the one in Eden and the temptation of Christ.

·                   Genesis 3:1-7: temptation in Garden of Eden.  It involved the lust of flesh: the fruit was good for food; the lust of eyes: the fruit was pleasing to the eye; and the pride of life: the fruit was desirable for gaining wisdom.

·                   Matthew 4:1-11: temptation of Jesus.  It involved the lust of flesh: Satan appealed to Jesus’ hunger, "turn stones to bread;" it involved the lust of eyes: Satan took Jesus to a mountain, showed Him the kingdoms of  the world, and promised to give them to Him; it involved the pride of life: Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, told Him to jump down become famous when God saved Him.

This is the basis for the blessed truth found in Hebrews 4:15-16, that Christ was tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin.  These three motivations describe all that is in the world.

1 John 2:15-17, Love Not the World

From experience I would say that this is one of the most important passages in all the Bible.  I refer to this passage often when studying elsewhere.  It defines the world, and at the same time gives us the limits of temptation.  We have a command: do not love the world.  Then it tells us all that is in the world.

Remember the context.  1 John 1:5-2:27 is dealing with “sin” which can ruin our fellowship with God.  It is important for us to understand where our “love” lies.  There are only two choices: either we love the world and the things of the world or we have the love of God in us whereby we love the things of God.

Let’s take a moment and use 1 John to tell us about “the world.”

·       5:19: Satan controls the world.  (Jn. 12:31: He is the “prince of this world”.)

·       2:16: The world consists of evil desires or motivations.

·       4:1,3: There are false prophets and antichrists in the world.

·       3:1: The world doesn’t know God.

·       3:1: The world doesn’t know God’s people.

·       3:13: The world hates God’s people.

·       2:2; 4:9,14: Christ is the world’s One and Only Savior.

·       The effect of all this on believers in Christ is:

o   4:17: They will manifest Christ-likeness, not world-likeness.

o   2:15: They overcome the world by not loving the world.

o   5:4-5: They overcome the world by their faith in Christ.

o   4:4: They overcome the world by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Clearly, we are not talking about the planet called earth or “the world.”  We are talking about a “system that rules the world,” and it is at enmity with God.  Our passage describes all that is in the world.  Here is a description that helps me, from Richard Trench in his classic Synonyms of the New Testament: the world is …

All that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations, as any time current in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define, but which constitutes a most real and effective power, being the moral or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably to exhale.

What John does is to say that all these thoughts and so forth are ultimately a manifestation of three motivations or drives or lusts:

·       The lust of the flesh (hedonism, motivated by feelings or experience.)

·       The lust of the eyes (materialism, motivated by what I can see or touch, things.)

·       The pride of life (self-actualization, motivated by what elevates by importance.)

We need to be able to see this because, as the passage says, it’s everywhere!

Psalm 126

This song is sung by the pilgrim in captivity.  It looks back on a captivity experience (v1) but also pleads for deliverance from a current captivity experience (v4).  Captivity is a situation where we find ourselves bound or limited, against our will, by someone or something else.  Israel was captive in Egypt and then in the Assyrian and Babylonian kingdoms.

We seldom speak of being in captivity.  In America we fought a war of independence so as not to be subject to any foreign power. Yet our souls are often captive to any number of powers.

1.             Multiplied troubles may hold us captive.  We have one trial, then another and another until we think nothing else can happen, but it does!  We feel trapped or overcome. 

2.             Spiritual depression may hold us captive. Our days are not merely blue, they are black.  We have no motivation, no friends (it seems).  We go to bed at night to get away from it, but awake to find its frightful yoke still around our necks.

3.             Miserable backsliding may hold us captive.  There may be a wrong we cannot escape.  It may be the disease of alcoholism, an addiction to pornography, or an obsession with our credit card.  But the disease, the addiction, and the obsession are slavery.  I am held and I have no power to break free.

4.             Grievous doubt may hold us captive.  Guilt for any of the above or for some past misdeed may overcome us.  We lack an optimism (hope) about tomorrow and have no confidence to live today.  There is no assurance about our relationship with our Creator.  This too is captivity.

Listen carefully: slavery is not something reserved for a few people that society labels sick or addicted.  When Jesus uttered those well known words, "you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32), the crowd argued that they had never been held captive by anyone and didn't need freedom.  Jesus' answer was simple: Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin (v34).  That definition of captivity makes us all captive.

Finally, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, Who watches over the pilgrim can deliver the pilgrim from captivity so sorrow is replaced by singing and laughter (v1-3). Jesus says this deliverance involves being true disciples by abiding in His word (John 8:31).  This deliverance is for the one who seeks God (Ps. 126:4).

Songs of deliverance are common in the Bible. 

In Exodus 15 The Song of Moses and Miriam rejoiced in the deliverance from Egypt and it's multiplied troubles. 

In Judges 5 The Song of Deborah remembered deliverance from the Canaanites, the result of Israel's backsliding. 

In 2 Sam. 22 The Song of David recounted deliverance from David's enemies. 

In Rev. 15:3-4 The Song of Moses and the Lamb praises God for deliverance of the martyrs from the future antichrist.

In our Psalm the pilgrim begins by recalling a song (vs.1-3), the theme of which is: the Lord has done great things.  It is a joyful tune sung before the nations.  Forty years after Israel's deliverance from Egypt the people of Jericho knew about it and feared (Josh. 2:8-11).  Many years later the Philistines knew of God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt and feared (1 Sam. 4:5-8).

What path must the pilgrim take for deliverance from captivity?

A.            It is a path of faith, v4.

In his captivity, his oppressive situation, the pilgrim cries out to the Lord.  He has not forgotten Who promised to be his help along the way (Ps. 121).  He realizes that the freedom he longs for will not be the result of his own effort; he has by now grown weary of this solution.  His deliverance will necessitate a work by God Who is greater than the captors. 

B.            It is a path of perseverance, v5-6.

Captivities are not quickly turned around; that's the nature of things.  We may live with a particular difficulty or temptation for years.  During that time our willingness to stay on the path of faith is tested.  So with the pilgrim!  But he trusts his Helper, and is getting to know Him better.  He is learning that his God is a God of grace Who will perfect, establish, strengthen and settle the pilgrim after he suffers (1 Pt. 5:10); a God Whose grace will be sufficient in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9); a God Who gives more grace to the humble as the difficulties increase (Jas. 4:6).  Perseverance means the pilgrim goes about his life, even with tears, with the conviction that those who sow in tears shall reap in joy (v5). 

Do you see why the pilgrim begins by recalling the past deliverance from captivity?  It encourages his faith to know that God has done this in the past.  He can believe that the Lord Who has done great things for them (v2) will do great things for us (v3).