I Kings 11:9-11: “The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD’s command. So the LORD said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.’”
If we were able to end the story of the life of Solomon with I Kings 10, we could conclude that Solomon was one of the greatest examples of unwavering obedience to the Lord. Early in Solomon’s reign, we find that the LORD was pleased with the king because he had asked God for a discerning heart . . . one inclined to the will of the LORD (I Kings 3:10). Although God had offered Solomon any desire of his heart, the king in response did not ask for personal wealth or power; instead he asked that God would help him be wise and obedient to the commands of the Lord. God was so pleased with the king’s response that God promised that He would add to Solomon’s request all of the blessings of which he did not ask.
The height of blessing for Solomon came in chapter 10, when it is recorded that the king received 25 tons of gold annually, not including the revenues from merchants and tradesmen (vs. 15). Solomon used many of these precious metals to construct a beautiful temple to the Lord; he also built for himself palaces constructed of ivory, fine gold, and ornate wood. Dignitaries from distant lands came to see the grandeur of the king and to hear the wisdom of this son of David who had been so blessed of the Lord. When the Queen of Sheba had traveled a great distance to see this ruler whose fame had spread throughout the ancient world, she was overwhelmed at the man that God had blessed. She praised the Lord, saying, “God has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel” (10:9).
Yet, as we begin to read chapter 11, we find ourselves looking to see if we have not turned too many pages. There seems to be a disconnect from everything that we have read to this point. Previously, Solomon had been found kneeling before the altar of the LORD, with his “hands spread out toward heaven” (8:54). The picture is of a monarch who is not too big for his “royal britches” to surrender himself to the will of God. He is a humble figure who cries out to the Lord, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below.”
Before chapter 11, there is focus, certainty, and exclusivity in Solomon's commitment to the One True God. But now we find in chapter 11 an older king who violates the will of God . . . that the Israelites should not marry pagan wives. Solomon had many female wives and companions (1000 total), many of whom were from royal families of pagan nations. These wives turned his heart away from worshipping God alone; the king began to worship the detestable gods of the Canaanites . . . gods like Molech to whom the pagans would sacrifice children. Solomon set up altars on high places for these gods; he had become so brazen in his disobedience to the Lord that he was willing to set up these shrines on mountaintops.
The Lord became angry at Solomon, for Solomon knew God’s command not to follow other gods; still, the king rebelled against the Lord. In response, God declared that the kingdom would be torn from his descendants and given to other rulers. God raised up adversaries who rebelled against the rule of Solomon, not unlike what Solomon himself had done to the Sovereign Lord. And for the remainder of Solomon’s life, he would be found attempting to crush the factions of resistance that were growing both outside and within his own nation.
As tragic as this story of Solomon’s later life is, I believe that we can learn an invaluable lesson from it. We must remember that God is to be worshipped solely and exclusively. There are not to be any persons or things that would displace the true worship of the One True God. Solomon knew this early in his reign; however, over time, the king permitted people into his life that would sway his commitment to the Lord. Solomon knew better, for he had been given wisdom from God; still, the king grew away from his intimate relationship with God. What is noticeably absent in the latter part of Solomon’s life is any reference to the daily communion of the king with His Lord. We don’t find Solomon seeking God each day, renewing his intimate walk with God and striving to the obedient to his Lord.
Thus, we must be committed to renewing ourselves daily by communing with the Sovereign Lord. This daily fellowship is the antidote to spiritual lethargy leading to self-centeredness and rebellion against the Lord. The Apostle Paul mentions this in Romans 12:2; namely that we will prevent any conformity to the world by renewing our minds and hearts toward the Lord. If you learn this lesson, you won’t have to worry about a “chapter 11” in your own life.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
Wealth Management
Proverbs 15:16: "Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil."
We live in a society today that is consumed with the desire for material prosperity above all other pursuits. People are selling their souls, their families, their health, their happiness, and their divine purpose in life for more material possessions. Whereas wealth per se is not inherently bad, it nonetheless can become an idol passionately pursued to the detriment of all of the areas mentioned above.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy said it well: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it . . . . People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction . . . . Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (I Tim. 6:6-10).
Happiness and fulfillment in life are not necessarily a function of one's wealth. Some of the most contented people are those who do not necessarily have much materially but who are in a love relationship with the Lord and are faithfully fulfilling their Divine calling in life. At the same time, some of the most frustrated and unfulfilled people are those who have much materially but who have consumed themselves with the pursuit of those things.
When we displace the worship of God with the false god of material gain, we should expect that turmoil awaits us just beyond the horizon.
We live in a society today that is consumed with the desire for material prosperity above all other pursuits. People are selling their souls, their families, their health, their happiness, and their divine purpose in life for more material possessions. Whereas wealth per se is not inherently bad, it nonetheless can become an idol passionately pursued to the detriment of all of the areas mentioned above.
The Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy said it well: "Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it . . . . People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction . . . . Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs" (I Tim. 6:6-10).
Happiness and fulfillment in life are not necessarily a function of one's wealth. Some of the most contented people are those who do not necessarily have much materially but who are in a love relationship with the Lord and are faithfully fulfilling their Divine calling in life. At the same time, some of the most frustrated and unfulfilled people are those who have much materially but who have consumed themselves with the pursuit of those things.
When we displace the worship of God with the false god of material gain, we should expect that turmoil awaits us just beyond the horizon.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Freewill Offerings
Exodus 35: 4,21,29; 36:4-6: "Moses said . . . 'Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver, and bronze' . . . . And everyone who was willing and whose heart moved him came and brought an offering to the LORD . . . . All the Israelite men and women who were willing brought to the LORD freewill offerings for all the work the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do . . . . So all the skilled craftsmen who were doing all the work on the sanctuary left their work and said to Moses, 'The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.' Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: ' No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.' And so the people were restrained from bringing more."
The chapters just before this citation in Exodus, present the Israelites at Mount Sinai in the wilderness. Their story is one of rebellion, then Divine confrontation, repentance, Divine encounter, overwhelmed response and joy, and lastly gracious giving.
In chapter 32, Moses had gone up, per the Lord's instruction, onto Mount Sinai to receive instruction. After he had been gone for many days, the rest of the Israelites decided to incite Moses' brother, Aaron, to build them false gods to worship.
The people quickly removed their precious gold jewelry and presented it to Aaron so that it could be crafted into the idols that their hearts earnestly desired. Of course, these inanimate objects were no gods at all. The people desired them because they would not rebuke the people's licentious behavior. In effect, the people desired themselves to be gods, and they were using the golden idols to legitimize their debased behavior. Once the golden calf was presented to the people, they rose early in the morning to offer burnt and fellowship offerings to it. They gave freely and abundantly, because their heart was directed toward self-adulation and indulgement.
When Moses returned to the camp, he noticed that the people were "running wild . . . out of control" (32:25). God, in turn, brought judgment upon the rebellious Israelites. First, the Levites, who had committed themselves to the Lord, were instructed to strike down the people in the camp with a sword. About 3000 died from this slaughter. The Lord then struck the rest of the people with a plague for their sin of rebellion.
When God later threatened to destroy these descendants of Abraham, the people "mourned and no one put on ornaments" (33:4). They had had a divine encounter with the Lord, and they recognized that they had rebelled against the Holy God. They repented of their sinful, immoral acts of defiance against the One True Holy God.
Moses returned to the top of Mount Sinai a second time and communed with the Lord; and during this meeting, Moses was permitted to see a glimpse of the glory of the Lord. When Moses returned to the people, his face glowed with the radiance of his divine encounter with the glory of the Lord. The people were fearful of Moses, but he was able to entreat them to approach him, so that he could share the commands of the Lord and call them to obedience.
One can note the different disposition of the people between the first and second return of Moses from the mountain. In the first instance, the people did not look forward to Moses' return with the Word of the Lord; they celebrated that he was not around to impede their satisfying their cravings of the flesh and their self-centeredness (I John 2:15-17; John 3:20). With the second advent of Moses from the mount, the people were looking forward to his return, and they had a healthy fear of the glory of the Lord. They recognized that the universe did not revolve around them (they were not God), but that the One Holy God was Sovereign and Supreme and worthy of praise and obedience.
After Moses' second return, a petition went out to the people to bring of their own free will, offerings to the Lord . . . offerings of precious metals like gold, silver, and bronze in order that a tabernacle might be built for the Lord. So many were moved to bring their best to God that Moses had to order the people to stop giving to the craftsmen. Their overwhelming response of giving was evidential fruit of transformation that had come through repentance and submission to the Lord.
There is an incredible application that we can see from the above story, namely, that the one to whom we freely give our very best is the one to whom we recognize as our lord. To the one who indulges his own selfish desires, he is the one who has himself on the throne of his life; to the one who freely gives of his best (including himself) to Jesus Christ is the one who has the evidential fruit that the One True Lord is on the throne of his life.
The chapters just before this citation in Exodus, present the Israelites at Mount Sinai in the wilderness. Their story is one of rebellion, then Divine confrontation, repentance, Divine encounter, overwhelmed response and joy, and lastly gracious giving.
In chapter 32, Moses had gone up, per the Lord's instruction, onto Mount Sinai to receive instruction. After he had been gone for many days, the rest of the Israelites decided to incite Moses' brother, Aaron, to build them false gods to worship.
The people quickly removed their precious gold jewelry and presented it to Aaron so that it could be crafted into the idols that their hearts earnestly desired. Of course, these inanimate objects were no gods at all. The people desired them because they would not rebuke the people's licentious behavior. In effect, the people desired themselves to be gods, and they were using the golden idols to legitimize their debased behavior. Once the golden calf was presented to the people, they rose early in the morning to offer burnt and fellowship offerings to it. They gave freely and abundantly, because their heart was directed toward self-adulation and indulgement.
When Moses returned to the camp, he noticed that the people were "running wild . . . out of control" (32:25). God, in turn, brought judgment upon the rebellious Israelites. First, the Levites, who had committed themselves to the Lord, were instructed to strike down the people in the camp with a sword. About 3000 died from this slaughter. The Lord then struck the rest of the people with a plague for their sin of rebellion.
When God later threatened to destroy these descendants of Abraham, the people "mourned and no one put on ornaments" (33:4). They had had a divine encounter with the Lord, and they recognized that they had rebelled against the Holy God. They repented of their sinful, immoral acts of defiance against the One True Holy God.
Moses returned to the top of Mount Sinai a second time and communed with the Lord; and during this meeting, Moses was permitted to see a glimpse of the glory of the Lord. When Moses returned to the people, his face glowed with the radiance of his divine encounter with the glory of the Lord. The people were fearful of Moses, but he was able to entreat them to approach him, so that he could share the commands of the Lord and call them to obedience.
One can note the different disposition of the people between the first and second return of Moses from the mountain. In the first instance, the people did not look forward to Moses' return with the Word of the Lord; they celebrated that he was not around to impede their satisfying their cravings of the flesh and their self-centeredness (I John 2:15-17; John 3:20). With the second advent of Moses from the mount, the people were looking forward to his return, and they had a healthy fear of the glory of the Lord. They recognized that the universe did not revolve around them (they were not God), but that the One Holy God was Sovereign and Supreme and worthy of praise and obedience.
After Moses' second return, a petition went out to the people to bring of their own free will, offerings to the Lord . . . offerings of precious metals like gold, silver, and bronze in order that a tabernacle might be built for the Lord. So many were moved to bring their best to God that Moses had to order the people to stop giving to the craftsmen. Their overwhelming response of giving was evidential fruit of transformation that had come through repentance and submission to the Lord.
There is an incredible application that we can see from the above story, namely, that the one to whom we freely give our very best is the one to whom we recognize as our lord. To the one who indulges his own selfish desires, he is the one who has himself on the throne of his life; to the one who freely gives of his best (including himself) to Jesus Christ is the one who has the evidential fruit that the One True Lord is on the throne of his life.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Redeeming the Firstborn
Exodus 13:13: "Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons."
One of the very first instructions that God gave to Moses and the Israelites when He delivered them from bondage in Egypt was to sacrifice each firstborn male of their livestock to the Lord as an offering of remembrance and thanksgiving. God wanted the Israelites to remember that His wrath passed over them because they were protected by a perfect (without blemish) lamb's blood that had been placed on the sides and tops of the door frames of their houses in Egypt (see Exodus 12). All of those who did not have a lamb's blood on the door frames saw God strike dead the firstborn of both man and livestock.
Now that God had brought deliverance to the Israelites, He wanted them to know that the firstborn of both man and animal now belonged to Him. These firstborn had been bought with a price . . . the price of the sacrificed lamb in Egypt. Now, these firstborn were to be sacrificed on an altar to the Lord.
It is very interesting that the firstborn male donkeys and the firstborn sons of man were mentioned as the exceptions to sacrifice. The donkey's exception most likely was due to the importance of the animal for transportation through the wilderness. For the firstborn man made in God's image (Genesis 9:6), God decreed that his life would be saved as well.
What is ironic are the similarities between the donkey and man. Both are selfish, obstinate, unclean beings that have to be broken to accomplish the will of their masters. Whereas the donkey is bridled into submission, we too must surrender to the yoke of Christ (Matthew 11:29-30). We must renounce our obstinacy of disobedience to God and surrender to Him as Lord and Savior.
We can see the imagery of our salvation in the exception decree above. Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) has been offered as the payment for our sins. He is the One through whom we find deliverance from the bondage of sin. Still, we must submit ourselves to Him and renounce the obstinate rebellion that we have had against His Lordship. For those who choose to surrender to His yoke, the blessing of His substitutionary sacrifice brings us deliverance from the wrath of God. But for those who do not yield to Him as Lord, no redemption from the Lamb is provided. As just as with the unredeemed donkey that was taken aside and killed by the breaking of its neck, so too the unyielding, unregenerate one will find that God's wrath will break his outstretched neck of rebellion through judgment (e.g. eternal damnation).
This is why Psalm 75 is a good word of encouragement for all of us to surrender to the Lord and a word of warning for the defiant ones against the Lord: "Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck . . . . I (God) will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up."
One of the very first instructions that God gave to Moses and the Israelites when He delivered them from bondage in Egypt was to sacrifice each firstborn male of their livestock to the Lord as an offering of remembrance and thanksgiving. God wanted the Israelites to remember that His wrath passed over them because they were protected by a perfect (without blemish) lamb's blood that had been placed on the sides and tops of the door frames of their houses in Egypt (see Exodus 12). All of those who did not have a lamb's blood on the door frames saw God strike dead the firstborn of both man and livestock.
Now that God had brought deliverance to the Israelites, He wanted them to know that the firstborn of both man and animal now belonged to Him. These firstborn had been bought with a price . . . the price of the sacrificed lamb in Egypt. Now, these firstborn were to be sacrificed on an altar to the Lord.
It is very interesting that the firstborn male donkeys and the firstborn sons of man were mentioned as the exceptions to sacrifice. The donkey's exception most likely was due to the importance of the animal for transportation through the wilderness. For the firstborn man made in God's image (Genesis 9:6), God decreed that his life would be saved as well.
What is ironic are the similarities between the donkey and man. Both are selfish, obstinate, unclean beings that have to be broken to accomplish the will of their masters. Whereas the donkey is bridled into submission, we too must surrender to the yoke of Christ (Matthew 11:29-30). We must renounce our obstinacy of disobedience to God and surrender to Him as Lord and Savior.
We can see the imagery of our salvation in the exception decree above. Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7) has been offered as the payment for our sins. He is the One through whom we find deliverance from the bondage of sin. Still, we must submit ourselves to Him and renounce the obstinate rebellion that we have had against His Lordship. For those who choose to surrender to His yoke, the blessing of His substitutionary sacrifice brings us deliverance from the wrath of God. But for those who do not yield to Him as Lord, no redemption from the Lamb is provided. As just as with the unredeemed donkey that was taken aside and killed by the breaking of its neck, so too the unyielding, unregenerate one will find that God's wrath will break his outstretched neck of rebellion through judgment (e.g. eternal damnation).
This is why Psalm 75 is a good word of encouragement for all of us to surrender to the Lord and a word of warning for the defiant ones against the Lord: "Do not lift up your horns. Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck . . . . I (God) will cut off the horns of all the wicked, but the horns of the righteous will be lifted up."
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Being an Effective Leader For God
Exodus 29:12,20-21; 30:20: "Take some of the bull's blood and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger . . . . Slaughter it (a ram), take some of its blood and put it on the lobes of the right ears of Aaron and his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet. . . . And take some of the blood on the altar and some of the anointing oil and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments and on his sons and their garments . . . . Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die."
This Exodus account presents God's expectations for the leaders of the people of Israel in the Old Testament. Specifically, God is consecrating the Israelite priests in order that they might serve as spiritual leaders, offering sacrifices for the people to the Lord.
One of the first things that these leaders were to do was sacrifice a bull at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and offer it as a sin offering for themselves on the horns of the altar of the Lord.
We can find in this account the extreme importance of leaders to deal with their own sin issues before beginning their calling to lead others spiritually. When we today think of being called to serve the Lord, we first should think introspectively at ourselves . . . do we have unconfessed sin that needs to be presented to the Lord? If so, we then need to sacrifice our wayward, disobedient lives to God through repentance and confession. We need to turn from any sin and recommit ourselves to obedience to the Lord. Our blessing is the assurance that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2); He is the horn of our salvation (Luke 1:69) that has the power and authority to forgive our confessed sin (1 John 1:9). Without the power of God's salvation through Jesus Christ, we stand as powerless leaders without hope of God's mercy. But because Christ is our Sovereign Lord, who reigns supreme over all things, we have the assurance that through His Power, we who have submitted to Him have received His Divine adoption and have obtained the power to accomplish all that He wills for our lives as leaders.
Secondly, the blood of the ram was to be placed upon the right ear, thumb, and toe of the leader. We can see the incredible imagery of this symbolic application to leaders today. We are called to incline our ears to the Savior, not to the feigned philosophies of the world that war against the Lordship of Christ. We are also directed to make the paths of our feet and the work of our hands actions worthy of our Savior. Whatever your hand finds to do and wherever your foot leads you . . . you are to do all things to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31), remembering that He is the LORD and that He has bought us with His precious blood (1 Cor. 6:20; 2 Cor. 5:15).
As the priest was to wash himself before entering the presence of the LORD to do the Lord's work, so to the leader today is to prepare himself daily before embarking on the tasks to which God has assigned him. This is the washing of sin from one's heart through repentance. Once sin is confessed, the leader should petition the Lord for wisdom and guidance to perform his duties in a way consistent with the will of God, bringing glory to God in all things.
This Exodus account presents God's expectations for the leaders of the people of Israel in the Old Testament. Specifically, God is consecrating the Israelite priests in order that they might serve as spiritual leaders, offering sacrifices for the people to the Lord.
One of the first things that these leaders were to do was sacrifice a bull at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and offer it as a sin offering for themselves on the horns of the altar of the Lord.
We can find in this account the extreme importance of leaders to deal with their own sin issues before beginning their calling to lead others spiritually. When we today think of being called to serve the Lord, we first should think introspectively at ourselves . . . do we have unconfessed sin that needs to be presented to the Lord? If so, we then need to sacrifice our wayward, disobedient lives to God through repentance and confession. We need to turn from any sin and recommit ourselves to obedience to the Lord. Our blessing is the assurance that Jesus Christ is the atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 2:2); He is the horn of our salvation (Luke 1:69) that has the power and authority to forgive our confessed sin (1 John 1:9). Without the power of God's salvation through Jesus Christ, we stand as powerless leaders without hope of God's mercy. But because Christ is our Sovereign Lord, who reigns supreme over all things, we have the assurance that through His Power, we who have submitted to Him have received His Divine adoption and have obtained the power to accomplish all that He wills for our lives as leaders.
Secondly, the blood of the ram was to be placed upon the right ear, thumb, and toe of the leader. We can see the incredible imagery of this symbolic application to leaders today. We are called to incline our ears to the Savior, not to the feigned philosophies of the world that war against the Lordship of Christ. We are also directed to make the paths of our feet and the work of our hands actions worthy of our Savior. Whatever your hand finds to do and wherever your foot leads you . . . you are to do all things to the glory of God (I Cor. 10:31), remembering that He is the LORD and that He has bought us with His precious blood (1 Cor. 6:20; 2 Cor. 5:15).
As the priest was to wash himself before entering the presence of the LORD to do the Lord's work, so to the leader today is to prepare himself daily before embarking on the tasks to which God has assigned him. This is the washing of sin from one's heart through repentance. Once sin is confessed, the leader should petition the Lord for wisdom and guidance to perform his duties in a way consistent with the will of God, bringing glory to God in all things.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Wicked Self-Centeredness
I Kings 3:26: "The woman whose son was alive was filled with compassion for her son and said to the king, 'Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don't kill him!' But the other said, 'Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!'"
Inserted within the pages of the history of the early years of King Solomon's reign, we find an interesting story of two women who had both birthed a child around the same time. While sleeping, the first woman tragically lay on her child and suffocated him to death; yet instead of grieving the loss of her precious child, the woman was consumed with envy of the other woman who still had a live child. One can see between the lines of the story that this woman was consumed with herself. Life to her was all about her desires, even if it meant harming others in the process. She was unable to celebrate that this other woman was blessed with a child; she coveted the live baby to the point of stealing it in the middle of the night. Specifically, the woman took her own dead baby and placed it beside the sleeping mother and in turn took the woman's live baby back to her home.
As one might expect, when the woman awakened to find a dead baby beside her, she was distraught. But as she looked closer at the child, she realized that the baby was in fact not her own. She knew that someone had come in the middle of the night and switched babies. She went to the woman who had taken her child; but of course the woman denied any wrongdoing. She swore that the live child was her own.
The disagreement intensified to the point that the king was made aware and granted permission for the two women to present their case to him. Of course, both women swore that the live child was their own, prompting the king to make an apparent drastic decision to resolve the conflict. Solomon, who had been blessed with Divine Wisdom (3:12), decided to divide the child in two and give each woman a half.
The rightful mother would not permit the king's edict to be executed; she had compassion for her son (the words literally translated here mean, 'her compassion grew warm') and she asked that the baby be given to the other woman. The mother would not have her baby killed; it was better for her baby to be given to the other woman.
But so show how utterly debased the first woman was who had switched the children, she urged the king to cut the child in two. She was not interested in having the baby; she wanted the other woman to feel the pain that she herself had endured with the loss of her own child. She was consumed with herself; and truly she would have been an unfit mother for any child.
In the end, the wisdom of the king and the selfless act of the rightful mother prevailed as the king gave the living child to the true mother. No other information is given as to the fate of the wicked woman; one would almost hope that the king enacted his sovereign judgment against such a detestible act. Nonetheless, the people were in awe at the wisdom that God had bestowed to the king in being able to administer justice.
Sadly, we find people today who have the same wicked disposition as the woman mentioned above. There are those who are always looking for ways to exploit others for their own selfish desires. They are not able to be content with what has been given to them; they are predators who prey on others for their self-aggrandizement . . . even to the point of wishing evil to others so that others cannot have an "advantage" over them. This level of "personal consumption" is evil in its most hideous form. In the end, the Righteous Judge will enact justice for such wickedness.
Inserted within the pages of the history of the early years of King Solomon's reign, we find an interesting story of two women who had both birthed a child around the same time. While sleeping, the first woman tragically lay on her child and suffocated him to death; yet instead of grieving the loss of her precious child, the woman was consumed with envy of the other woman who still had a live child. One can see between the lines of the story that this woman was consumed with herself. Life to her was all about her desires, even if it meant harming others in the process. She was unable to celebrate that this other woman was blessed with a child; she coveted the live baby to the point of stealing it in the middle of the night. Specifically, the woman took her own dead baby and placed it beside the sleeping mother and in turn took the woman's live baby back to her home.
As one might expect, when the woman awakened to find a dead baby beside her, she was distraught. But as she looked closer at the child, she realized that the baby was in fact not her own. She knew that someone had come in the middle of the night and switched babies. She went to the woman who had taken her child; but of course the woman denied any wrongdoing. She swore that the live child was her own.
The disagreement intensified to the point that the king was made aware and granted permission for the two women to present their case to him. Of course, both women swore that the live child was their own, prompting the king to make an apparent drastic decision to resolve the conflict. Solomon, who had been blessed with Divine Wisdom (3:12), decided to divide the child in two and give each woman a half.
The rightful mother would not permit the king's edict to be executed; she had compassion for her son (the words literally translated here mean, 'her compassion grew warm') and she asked that the baby be given to the other woman. The mother would not have her baby killed; it was better for her baby to be given to the other woman.
But so show how utterly debased the first woman was who had switched the children, she urged the king to cut the child in two. She was not interested in having the baby; she wanted the other woman to feel the pain that she herself had endured with the loss of her own child. She was consumed with herself; and truly she would have been an unfit mother for any child.
In the end, the wisdom of the king and the selfless act of the rightful mother prevailed as the king gave the living child to the true mother. No other information is given as to the fate of the wicked woman; one would almost hope that the king enacted his sovereign judgment against such a detestible act. Nonetheless, the people were in awe at the wisdom that God had bestowed to the king in being able to administer justice.
Sadly, we find people today who have the same wicked disposition as the woman mentioned above. There are those who are always looking for ways to exploit others for their own selfish desires. They are not able to be content with what has been given to them; they are predators who prey on others for their self-aggrandizement . . . even to the point of wishing evil to others so that others cannot have an "advantage" over them. This level of "personal consumption" is evil in its most hideous form. In the end, the Righteous Judge will enact justice for such wickedness.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Defiling the Sanctuary
Ezekiel 5:11: "Because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor."
When one studies the history of Jerusalem just prior to the Babylonian Captivity in 586BC, one finds that it was filled with people who had chosen to refuse to submit to God as their Sovereign Lord. Although they continued to perform their religious practices at the temple, their hearts were filled with debauchery, violence, and immorality. When God sent the prophet, Ezekiel, to warn the people of their sin, He referred to the people as "obstinate and stubborn" (2:4) who were committing "detestable" acts against the Lord (8:17).
Although the people of Jerusalem had started years before their practice of idolatry and immorality in private settings for fear that their deeds would be exposed (see John 3:20); now they were flagrantly worshipping their idols and enacting their filthy, licentious practices on mountaintops. They wanted to displace the true God with any substitute they could find, whether it was a sun god or the Sumerian god of vegetation, Tammuz, or gods depicting insects and animals . . . any other deity that could validate their wicked behavior. The people chose these inanimate "deities" because they would not challenge the people's evil behavior. Thus, these Judeans could commit any evil that they desired and could ascribe the behavior to the will of the gods. In effect, these rebellious Israelites were worshipping themselves . . . they now thought that they had free reign of their own lives. Neither God nor man would tell them what they could do. In time, God would enact His righteous wrath against these people; He specifically used the pagan Babylonians as the instrument of his vengeance against these obstinate Israelites. Many of the people of Jerusalem were either killed or sent into captivity for their corporate rebellion against the Lord.
For true followers of Jesus Christ today, we would do well to remember this historical account, namely, that debased, defiant sin against the Lord will bring His Holy response of wrath(Galatians 6:7-8). And since our bodies are considered the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19), we should examine how we are glorifying the Lord by our behavior. Are we submitting daily to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and are we demonstrating a life of purity consistent with that submissive spirit? For the person who would say that he has a relationship with Jesus Christ, yet does not follow His commands as found in Scripture is "a liar and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). True proof of a transformed, yielded follower of Jesus Christ is the evidential fruit that one displays in his day-to-day life experiences.
When one studies the history of Jerusalem just prior to the Babylonian Captivity in 586BC, one finds that it was filled with people who had chosen to refuse to submit to God as their Sovereign Lord. Although they continued to perform their religious practices at the temple, their hearts were filled with debauchery, violence, and immorality. When God sent the prophet, Ezekiel, to warn the people of their sin, He referred to the people as "obstinate and stubborn" (2:4) who were committing "detestable" acts against the Lord (8:17).
Although the people of Jerusalem had started years before their practice of idolatry and immorality in private settings for fear that their deeds would be exposed (see John 3:20); now they were flagrantly worshipping their idols and enacting their filthy, licentious practices on mountaintops. They wanted to displace the true God with any substitute they could find, whether it was a sun god or the Sumerian god of vegetation, Tammuz, or gods depicting insects and animals . . . any other deity that could validate their wicked behavior. The people chose these inanimate "deities" because they would not challenge the people's evil behavior. Thus, these Judeans could commit any evil that they desired and could ascribe the behavior to the will of the gods. In effect, these rebellious Israelites were worshipping themselves . . . they now thought that they had free reign of their own lives. Neither God nor man would tell them what they could do. In time, God would enact His righteous wrath against these people; He specifically used the pagan Babylonians as the instrument of his vengeance against these obstinate Israelites. Many of the people of Jerusalem were either killed or sent into captivity for their corporate rebellion against the Lord.
For true followers of Jesus Christ today, we would do well to remember this historical account, namely, that debased, defiant sin against the Lord will bring His Holy response of wrath(Galatians 6:7-8). And since our bodies are considered the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19), we should examine how we are glorifying the Lord by our behavior. Are we submitting daily to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and are we demonstrating a life of purity consistent with that submissive spirit? For the person who would say that he has a relationship with Jesus Christ, yet does not follow His commands as found in Scripture is "a liar and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4). True proof of a transformed, yielded follower of Jesus Christ is the evidential fruit that one displays in his day-to-day life experiences.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Strength in the Midst of Tribulation
Psalm 27:1,4: "The LORD is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life-of whom shall I be afraid? . . . . One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."
David's words in this Psalm should be seen as words of encouragement for us when we face times of pain and tragedy in our lives. The trials that we encounter are packaged differently for each of us. For some of us, it may be a unexpected diagnosis . . . for others it will be the loss of a relationship or a dream or financial security. Nevertheless, we must all face these undesired events as we live our lives.
David faced a number of painful experiences in life . . . in his early years he had to run from King Saul, who saw David as a threat to his throne and sought to kill him. Later in life, David would see the tragic deaths of several of his sons, one who wanted to destroy his father and take the throne for himself. David also knew the betrayal of his father-in-law, Ahithophel, who carried hatred in his heart for the king, and wanted to see the king lose his throne.
Yet with all of these tragedies, David was wise enough to know that the Lord was his Stronghold, who would provide protection throughout the painful trials of life. David also knew that true deliverance would not come during his lifetime, but when David would be ushered into God's eternal presence in heaven.
What we can learn through David's response is the need to keep our eyes fixed upon our Lord no matter what situation we encounter. We must resolve ourselves to keep strong with the faith that Our Lord is Sovereign . . . that He is our Stronghold in times of trouble. And we must trust that He will bring deliverance to us in the end, if we have surrendered to Him as our Lord and Savior. We need to press on, no matter what we are experiencing in this life, for we know that God will be with us each step of the way. And we need to be encouraged with the assurance that our deliverance from pain lay just beyond the horizon in eternity.
David's words in this Psalm should be seen as words of encouragement for us when we face times of pain and tragedy in our lives. The trials that we encounter are packaged differently for each of us. For some of us, it may be a unexpected diagnosis . . . for others it will be the loss of a relationship or a dream or financial security. Nevertheless, we must all face these undesired events as we live our lives.
David faced a number of painful experiences in life . . . in his early years he had to run from King Saul, who saw David as a threat to his throne and sought to kill him. Later in life, David would see the tragic deaths of several of his sons, one who wanted to destroy his father and take the throne for himself. David also knew the betrayal of his father-in-law, Ahithophel, who carried hatred in his heart for the king, and wanted to see the king lose his throne.
Yet with all of these tragedies, David was wise enough to know that the Lord was his Stronghold, who would provide protection throughout the painful trials of life. David also knew that true deliverance would not come during his lifetime, but when David would be ushered into God's eternal presence in heaven.
What we can learn through David's response is the need to keep our eyes fixed upon our Lord no matter what situation we encounter. We must resolve ourselves to keep strong with the faith that Our Lord is Sovereign . . . that He is our Stronghold in times of trouble. And we must trust that He will bring deliverance to us in the end, if we have surrendered to Him as our Lord and Savior. We need to press on, no matter what we are experiencing in this life, for we know that God will be with us each step of the way. And we need to be encouraged with the assurance that our deliverance from pain lay just beyond the horizon in eternity.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Too Many Burdens
Acts 15:19: (James said) "It is my judgment that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God."
The history of this statement by James takes us back to Antioch, where the Apostles Paul and Barnabas had been in a deep dispute with Jewish Christians about the requirements for God's salvation. These Jewish Christians had arrived in Antioch from Judea and started sharing with the Gentile believers that they must fulfill the customs taught by Moses to be saved. Salvation by God's grace alone through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not enough for these Jewish believers. They expected that the new Gentile converts perform the requirements of the Mosaic law to receive divine favor.
The debate between Paul and these Judeans was so intense that the decision was made to send Paul, Barnabas, and other believers to the elders in Jerusalem for clarification on the matter.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were confronted by Pharisees who reinforced the conviction that the "Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses" (15:5). Paul however noted that the Gentiles who had responded to God's grace by faith alone had received the Holy Spirit, who had purified their hearts. Paul acknowledged that the Lord had not made any distinction between the Jewish and Gentile Christians; both were forgiven through their faith in Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice for their sins. Paul intensified the discussion by saying that these Jewish legalists were in fact "testing God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that (no one past nor present) had been able to bear."
Then James, the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, spoke to the issue. He quoted from the book of Amos which affirmed that the Gentiles who sought the Lord would enjoy the blessing of salvation. He then concluded that the Jewish believers did not need to place unnecessary burdens upon the Gentiles in matters of the faith; rather, the Christian leaders should encourage these new converts to keep themselves pure and not participate in any activities that inculcated idolatry.
When we think of the Christian Church today, we find similar tendencies. That is, we find that some within the church would attempt to add extra requirements upon converts as essential ingredients for salvation and church participation. These elements can take many different forms and can include things like style of dress, expression in worship, ritual expectations, attendance, et al. When the Church establishes such mandates, it in effect is attempting to establish a spiritual hierarchy within its walls. Those who would propagate such tendencies are attempting to elevate themselves above others within Christendom. Of course, these acts are demonstrative proof that the sins of pride and self-aggrandizement are evident; and where self-centeredness is present, so too is corporate spiritual sterility. Richard Foster in his Study Guide for Celebration of Discipline has recognized that churches tend to manifest such dysfunction in either ritual or law: "High-church types usually tend toward ritual, low-church types toward law-they are in reality two sides to the same coin. Neither law nor ritual succeeds in transforming the human personality, although, as Jesus mentioned, both often make quite nice-looking whitened sepulchres."
We would do well to remember that salvation is by God's grace alone through our responsive faith in Him as our Lord and Savior. When the Church begins to add requirements to God's grace, we treat with contempt the sole sufficiency of God in providing salvation to those who would surrender to Him as Lord. As Paul said in Acts 15:10, we "test God" by placing unnecessary burdens upon new converts . . . burdens never intended by Our Lord.
Having said this, we in the Church (like James and the early Church) should expect that new converts demonstrate a transformed life in Christ by living a life of purity and obedience to the Lord. This obedience includes renouncing any association with any "idols" that may have been part of one's life before salvation. Nevertheless, we should enjoy the blessing that our Lord has given to us to serve Him freely . . . unencumbered by anti-Biblical burdens that were never intended by our Lord as essential for salvation.
The history of this statement by James takes us back to Antioch, where the Apostles Paul and Barnabas had been in a deep dispute with Jewish Christians about the requirements for God's salvation. These Jewish Christians had arrived in Antioch from Judea and started sharing with the Gentile believers that they must fulfill the customs taught by Moses to be saved. Salvation by God's grace alone through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was not enough for these Jewish believers. They expected that the new Gentile converts perform the requirements of the Mosaic law to receive divine favor.
The debate between Paul and these Judeans was so intense that the decision was made to send Paul, Barnabas, and other believers to the elders in Jerusalem for clarification on the matter.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were confronted by Pharisees who reinforced the conviction that the "Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses" (15:5). Paul however noted that the Gentiles who had responded to God's grace by faith alone had received the Holy Spirit, who had purified their hearts. Paul acknowledged that the Lord had not made any distinction between the Jewish and Gentile Christians; both were forgiven through their faith in Jesus Christ's atoning sacrifice for their sins. Paul intensified the discussion by saying that these Jewish legalists were in fact "testing God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that (no one past nor present) had been able to bear."
Then James, the leader of the Church in Jerusalem, spoke to the issue. He quoted from the book of Amos which affirmed that the Gentiles who sought the Lord would enjoy the blessing of salvation. He then concluded that the Jewish believers did not need to place unnecessary burdens upon the Gentiles in matters of the faith; rather, the Christian leaders should encourage these new converts to keep themselves pure and not participate in any activities that inculcated idolatry.
When we think of the Christian Church today, we find similar tendencies. That is, we find that some within the church would attempt to add extra requirements upon converts as essential ingredients for salvation and church participation. These elements can take many different forms and can include things like style of dress, expression in worship, ritual expectations, attendance, et al. When the Church establishes such mandates, it in effect is attempting to establish a spiritual hierarchy within its walls. Those who would propagate such tendencies are attempting to elevate themselves above others within Christendom. Of course, these acts are demonstrative proof that the sins of pride and self-aggrandizement are evident; and where self-centeredness is present, so too is corporate spiritual sterility. Richard Foster in his Study Guide for Celebration of Discipline has recognized that churches tend to manifest such dysfunction in either ritual or law: "High-church types usually tend toward ritual, low-church types toward law-they are in reality two sides to the same coin. Neither law nor ritual succeeds in transforming the human personality, although, as Jesus mentioned, both often make quite nice-looking whitened sepulchres."
We would do well to remember that salvation is by God's grace alone through our responsive faith in Him as our Lord and Savior. When the Church begins to add requirements to God's grace, we treat with contempt the sole sufficiency of God in providing salvation to those who would surrender to Him as Lord. As Paul said in Acts 15:10, we "test God" by placing unnecessary burdens upon new converts . . . burdens never intended by Our Lord.
Having said this, we in the Church (like James and the early Church) should expect that new converts demonstrate a transformed life in Christ by living a life of purity and obedience to the Lord. This obedience includes renouncing any association with any "idols" that may have been part of one's life before salvation. Nevertheless, we should enjoy the blessing that our Lord has given to us to serve Him freely . . . unencumbered by anti-Biblical burdens that were never intended by our Lord as essential for salvation.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Hardening of the Heart
Exodus 9:27,29-30,34: [After God inflicted the land of Egypt with hailstones, resulting in utter destruction of the vegetation] "Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. 'This time I have sinned,' he said to them. 'The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. Pray to the LORD . . . .Pray to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't have to stay any longer.' Moses replied, 'When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's. But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God.' . . . . When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts . . . He would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses."
Here again is a good example of a supposedly penitent heart that (1) acknowledges that he has sinned, (2) confirms that the LORD is right, and (3) asks that Moses pray for him to bring deliverance. Still what is lacking in Pharaoh is a heart that is willing to submit to the LORD.
When God's judgment of hailstones ended, Pharaoh revealed his true heart. Even though God had stopped the plague of hail and rain at Moses' request, Pharaoh again desired to challenge the Lordship of the true God and keep God's covenant people in captivity. Pharaoh and his officials "hardened their hearts" in order that they might assert their own quest for lordship over the One Sovereign Lord (9:34).
Today, we must all evaluate ourselves to see who is on the throne of our lives. Are we passionately pursuing our own "rights" to divinity, or are we submitting to the One and Only True Lord?
Job 15 says that the wicked man, "shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield." In the end, the one who attempts to challenge God's Sovereignty will see God's righteous wrath. Still, those who surrender to the rightful Lordship of God through repentance, faith, and obedience will live in the blessing of the LORD's goodness (Lam. 3:25).
Here again is a good example of a supposedly penitent heart that (1) acknowledges that he has sinned, (2) confirms that the LORD is right, and (3) asks that Moses pray for him to bring deliverance. Still what is lacking in Pharaoh is a heart that is willing to submit to the LORD.
When God's judgment of hailstones ended, Pharaoh revealed his true heart. Even though God had stopped the plague of hail and rain at Moses' request, Pharaoh again desired to challenge the Lordship of the true God and keep God's covenant people in captivity. Pharaoh and his officials "hardened their hearts" in order that they might assert their own quest for lordship over the One Sovereign Lord (9:34).
Today, we must all evaluate ourselves to see who is on the throne of our lives. Are we passionately pursuing our own "rights" to divinity, or are we submitting to the One and Only True Lord?
Job 15 says that the wicked man, "shakes his fist at God and vaunts himself against the Almighty, defiantly charging against him with a thick, strong shield." In the end, the one who attempts to challenge God's Sovereignty will see God's righteous wrath. Still, those who surrender to the rightful Lordship of God through repentance, faith, and obedience will live in the blessing of the LORD's goodness (Lam. 3:25).
Friday, January 11, 2008
Greatness in the Eyes of God
John 3:26-30: "They came to John and said to him, 'Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan-the one you testified about-well, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.' To this John replied, 'A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.'"
John 10:41: "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true."
Matthew 11:11: (Jesus said) "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist."
John the Baptist is a great example of a man who had the right perspective concerning his purpose in life. He had a significant following of disciples around the Jordan River, where he taught the people repentance. So impacting was his ministry, that "the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him" in the desert to hear his preaching of repentance (Mark 1:4-5). John had amassed quite a following of people who wanted to hear more about God's forgiveness of sins; however, when Jesus began his ministry, many people deserted John in favor of Jesus. John's disciples warned their leader that they were losing their following.
John rightfully identified Jesus as the Christ, and he knew that his own purpose in ministry was to exalt the Messiah over himself. John could exclaim that he was full of joy, for he knew that the true Bridegroom had come into the world to bring the very repentance of which he had been preaching. One of the most profound statements found in all of scripture is John's response to his disciples' concern about Jesus' ministry: "He (Jesus) must become greater; I must become less."
In effect, John was saying, "It's not about me . . . It's about my Lord . . . He should have the praise . . . I yield myself to Him."
What is fascinating is a very small statement made several chapters later in John 10; in the text, John is described as having never performed a miraculous sign. John was not the flashy prophet who parted waters or called down fire from heaven or raised people from the dead. He was an ordinary man who was obedient to God's calling to teach repentance and who submitted himself to His Lord. He was not the type of prophet who attempted to draw attention to himself . . . he wanted Jesus to receive the praise.
So, what was Jesus' opinion of John the Baptist? If one reads the Matthew 11 passage above, one can see that Jesus proclaimed that John was greater than anyone else ever born. Jesus saw the greatness in John, for John proclaimed the truth of God boldly and yet he didn't let his success take his eyes off of his Savior. Although God did not perform extraordinary miracles through John, God still considered him greater than any other prophet, priest, or teacher. What an incredible tribute by our LORD!
John 10:41: "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true."
Matthew 11:11: (Jesus said) "Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist."
John the Baptist is a great example of a man who had the right perspective concerning his purpose in life. He had a significant following of disciples around the Jordan River, where he taught the people repentance. So impacting was his ministry, that "the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him" in the desert to hear his preaching of repentance (Mark 1:4-5). John had amassed quite a following of people who wanted to hear more about God's forgiveness of sins; however, when Jesus began his ministry, many people deserted John in favor of Jesus. John's disciples warned their leader that they were losing their following.
John rightfully identified Jesus as the Christ, and he knew that his own purpose in ministry was to exalt the Messiah over himself. John could exclaim that he was full of joy, for he knew that the true Bridegroom had come into the world to bring the very repentance of which he had been preaching. One of the most profound statements found in all of scripture is John's response to his disciples' concern about Jesus' ministry: "He (Jesus) must become greater; I must become less."
In effect, John was saying, "It's not about me . . . It's about my Lord . . . He should have the praise . . . I yield myself to Him."
What is fascinating is a very small statement made several chapters later in John 10; in the text, John is described as having never performed a miraculous sign. John was not the flashy prophet who parted waters or called down fire from heaven or raised people from the dead. He was an ordinary man who was obedient to God's calling to teach repentance and who submitted himself to His Lord. He was not the type of prophet who attempted to draw attention to himself . . . he wanted Jesus to receive the praise.
So, what was Jesus' opinion of John the Baptist? If one reads the Matthew 11 passage above, one can see that Jesus proclaimed that John was greater than anyone else ever born. Jesus saw the greatness in John, for John proclaimed the truth of God boldly and yet he didn't let his success take his eyes off of his Savior. Although God did not perform extraordinary miracles through John, God still considered him greater than any other prophet, priest, or teacher. What an incredible tribute by our LORD!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Parable of the Wedding Banquet
Matthew 22:3,7,11,13-14: "He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come . . . The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned the city . . . . The king came in to see the guests; he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes . . . . Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are invited but few are chosen."
As one reads this parable of Jesus, one is reminded of the preceding parable in Matthew 21 concerning the tenants. In the chapter 21 parable, the story is told of a landowner who had entrusted his land to tenant farmers, who were to submit to the will of the landowner and cultivate the land to produce fruit for harvest. Instead of following the decree of the owner, the tenants strove to take the inheritance from the landowner by first killing the servants sent to collect the harvest; then these farmers killed the son of the landowner thinking that they would then be able to take the land for themselves. In effect, Jesus is sharing a story about those who would challenge the rightful Lordship of God (the Landowner).
Then Jesus further addresses the foundational issue of Lordship by interjecting the parable of the wedding banquet. The imagery of this story portrays God's plan of salvation for humanity. Salvation IS the blessedness of being invited to His Divine, eternal Wedding Banquet. It is the opportunity of entering the joy of His eternal presence in Heaven . . . a place that is beyond our finite physical senses and understanding today (I Corinthians 2:9). He has paid the price for our redemption solely through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Still, God's calling to those invited necessitates a response of submission to Him. Although the parable suggests that the king (i.e. God) invited many to the banquet, many refused to come. The people were willing to shun the invitation, because they did not want the king telling them what they must do. They desired their own wills over the blessing of the king's wedding banquet . . . they would rather stay in the dark, dingy streets where they could maintain control of their lives than enter the glorious splendor of the king's court and enjoy his spectacular feast. Here we see that Jesus is addressing a lordship issue; for each man must come to a point of reckoning, whether he will surrender himself to Jesus Christ as Lord or continue to seek his own selfish desires above God (e.g. desiring to be God himself).
After those who had refused to enter the king's banquet had been destroyed (figurative of eternal judgment); the story shifts to the royal court where the king enters to enjoy the banquet this those who had entered. Upon his entrance, the king notices one man who was not wearing wedding clothes. This latter story is symbolic of one who wants the benefits of salvation, but still has a problem with lordship. This man thinks that he can get by and experience the blessing of the wedding feast by doing things his own way, instead of being obedient to the king's command. We find this parallel in our society today. Whereas God has decreed that salvation is provided solely through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is actualized for the individual through his repentance and submission to Christ as Lord, we still find people who think that they can gain entrance into God's eternal "banquet" of heaven through their own efforts. As the man in the parable thought he could do things his own way and then could expect God to let him into the banquet, so too people today think that if they are a "good person," then God must permit them to enter heaven.
The story is quite sobering when the king commands his attendants to "tie (the man) hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Jesus is telling the hearers of the parable that God will not tolerate those who would attempt to circumvent his proscribed provision of salvation by attempting to merit favor with God through their own vain efforts. Only by surrender can one be welcomed into God's eternal banquet.
In summary, we find two groups that are excluded from the kingdom of Heaven:
(1). Those who obstinately refuse the Gospel of Christ (a Lordship issue).
(2). Those who attempt to enter heaven through their own attempts at self-righteousness (a Lordship issue).
In either case, the power of the cross and resurrection is not merited, for these two groups have forsaken Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Again, submission is the key!
As one reads this parable of Jesus, one is reminded of the preceding parable in Matthew 21 concerning the tenants. In the chapter 21 parable, the story is told of a landowner who had entrusted his land to tenant farmers, who were to submit to the will of the landowner and cultivate the land to produce fruit for harvest. Instead of following the decree of the owner, the tenants strove to take the inheritance from the landowner by first killing the servants sent to collect the harvest; then these farmers killed the son of the landowner thinking that they would then be able to take the land for themselves. In effect, Jesus is sharing a story about those who would challenge the rightful Lordship of God (the Landowner).
Then Jesus further addresses the foundational issue of Lordship by interjecting the parable of the wedding banquet. The imagery of this story portrays God's plan of salvation for humanity. Salvation IS the blessedness of being invited to His Divine, eternal Wedding Banquet. It is the opportunity of entering the joy of His eternal presence in Heaven . . . a place that is beyond our finite physical senses and understanding today (I Corinthians 2:9). He has paid the price for our redemption solely through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. Still, God's calling to those invited necessitates a response of submission to Him. Although the parable suggests that the king (i.e. God) invited many to the banquet, many refused to come. The people were willing to shun the invitation, because they did not want the king telling them what they must do. They desired their own wills over the blessing of the king's wedding banquet . . . they would rather stay in the dark, dingy streets where they could maintain control of their lives than enter the glorious splendor of the king's court and enjoy his spectacular feast. Here we see that Jesus is addressing a lordship issue; for each man must come to a point of reckoning, whether he will surrender himself to Jesus Christ as Lord or continue to seek his own selfish desires above God (e.g. desiring to be God himself).
After those who had refused to enter the king's banquet had been destroyed (figurative of eternal judgment); the story shifts to the royal court where the king enters to enjoy the banquet this those who had entered. Upon his entrance, the king notices one man who was not wearing wedding clothes. This latter story is symbolic of one who wants the benefits of salvation, but still has a problem with lordship. This man thinks that he can get by and experience the blessing of the wedding feast by doing things his own way, instead of being obedient to the king's command. We find this parallel in our society today. Whereas God has decreed that salvation is provided solely through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and is actualized for the individual through his repentance and submission to Christ as Lord, we still find people who think that they can gain entrance into God's eternal "banquet" of heaven through their own efforts. As the man in the parable thought he could do things his own way and then could expect God to let him into the banquet, so too people today think that if they are a "good person," then God must permit them to enter heaven.
The story is quite sobering when the king commands his attendants to "tie (the man) hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Jesus is telling the hearers of the parable that God will not tolerate those who would attempt to circumvent his proscribed provision of salvation by attempting to merit favor with God through their own vain efforts. Only by surrender can one be welcomed into God's eternal banquet.
In summary, we find two groups that are excluded from the kingdom of Heaven:
(1). Those who obstinately refuse the Gospel of Christ (a Lordship issue).
(2). Those who attempt to enter heaven through their own attempts at self-righteousness (a Lordship issue).
In either case, the power of the cross and resurrection is not merited, for these two groups have forsaken Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Again, submission is the key!
Monday, January 7, 2008
Did God Really Strike the Child Dead?
2 Samuel 12:13-14: "Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.' Nathan replied, 'The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.'"
2 Samuel 11 marks the transition in David's life from triumph to tragedy. David had been the recipient of God's Divine blessing, which brought the king continued success in all that he did (see 1 Samuel 18:5,15,28; 2 Samuel 5:10). By the time of the above mentioned verse, David had expanded his kingdom by defeating the Philistines, the Moabites, the Arameans, and the Ammonites. Many of these neighboring nations subjected themselves to David's authority in the region, for God had blessed the Israelite king and made him a powerful and prosperous ruler.
Tragically, David's prosperity and popularity would lead to his egregious sin with another man's wife. While his army was away fighting the Ammonites, David stayed at home in Jerusalem. One evening, he awakened from his bed to walk around the roof of the palace, and as he strolled around the top, he noticed a married woman bathing. Thinking himself to be above any law or any one, including God, David violated the marital covenant that this woman, Bathsheba, had made with her husband, Uriah. Then to cover up the sin of adultery, David had Bathsheba's husband Uriah killed so that he could take her to be his own wife.
God intervened by sending the prophet, Nathan, to address the king for his sins of murder and adultery. The prophet approached the king with an illustrative story of a rich man, who, despite his great number of livestock, took from a poor man his choicest possession, one ewe lamb, to be slaughtered for his dinner. This taking was not out of necessity, but out of arrogant disdain for the man less fortunate than he.
David was aroused with indignation at this story, and he decreed that this rich man would be subject to payment four times over for such a sin of arrogance and lack of pity. David was so angered at Nathan's account that he suggested that such a sin was deserving of death.
When Nathan pointed at David and declared him the arrogant man, David in turn acknowledged his sin. And although the sin was forgiven, the punishment for his royal edict was still to be carried out. Four times over, David would see the loss of a son, first with the death of the child conceived through adultery, second with the death of Amnon, then Absalom, then Adonijah. The sentence of death for David's child with Bathsheba was the consequence of the royal curse that David decreed against himself. God was carrying out the punishment that David decreed for this sin. When one begins to see the horrific deaths that the older sons experienced, one can see Divine benevolence in taking the child early before such a similar fate.
God's judgment was the result of the king's contempt for the covenant of marriage, which caused the enemies of the Lord "show utter contempt" (2 Sam. 12:14); still, the death of the child was the result of the king's decree of a four-fold retribution for the sin. From this event forward, David would see the pain of "the sword never departing from his house (2 Sam. 12:10).
2 Samuel 11 marks the transition in David's life from triumph to tragedy. David had been the recipient of God's Divine blessing, which brought the king continued success in all that he did (see 1 Samuel 18:5,15,28; 2 Samuel 5:10). By the time of the above mentioned verse, David had expanded his kingdom by defeating the Philistines, the Moabites, the Arameans, and the Ammonites. Many of these neighboring nations subjected themselves to David's authority in the region, for God had blessed the Israelite king and made him a powerful and prosperous ruler.
Tragically, David's prosperity and popularity would lead to his egregious sin with another man's wife. While his army was away fighting the Ammonites, David stayed at home in Jerusalem. One evening, he awakened from his bed to walk around the roof of the palace, and as he strolled around the top, he noticed a married woman bathing. Thinking himself to be above any law or any one, including God, David violated the marital covenant that this woman, Bathsheba, had made with her husband, Uriah. Then to cover up the sin of adultery, David had Bathsheba's husband Uriah killed so that he could take her to be his own wife.
God intervened by sending the prophet, Nathan, to address the king for his sins of murder and adultery. The prophet approached the king with an illustrative story of a rich man, who, despite his great number of livestock, took from a poor man his choicest possession, one ewe lamb, to be slaughtered for his dinner. This taking was not out of necessity, but out of arrogant disdain for the man less fortunate than he.
David was aroused with indignation at this story, and he decreed that this rich man would be subject to payment four times over for such a sin of arrogance and lack of pity. David was so angered at Nathan's account that he suggested that such a sin was deserving of death.
When Nathan pointed at David and declared him the arrogant man, David in turn acknowledged his sin. And although the sin was forgiven, the punishment for his royal edict was still to be carried out. Four times over, David would see the loss of a son, first with the death of the child conceived through adultery, second with the death of Amnon, then Absalom, then Adonijah. The sentence of death for David's child with Bathsheba was the consequence of the royal curse that David decreed against himself. God was carrying out the punishment that David decreed for this sin. When one begins to see the horrific deaths that the older sons experienced, one can see Divine benevolence in taking the child early before such a similar fate.
God's judgment was the result of the king's contempt for the covenant of marriage, which caused the enemies of the Lord "show utter contempt" (2 Sam. 12:14); still, the death of the child was the result of the king's decree of a four-fold retribution for the sin. From this event forward, David would see the pain of "the sword never departing from his house (2 Sam. 12:10).
Friday, January 4, 2008
Submission is the Key to Salvation
Exodus 40:26: Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting in front of the curtain and burned fragrant incense on it, as the LORD commanded him.
I can imagine the priest walking into the tabernacle and seeing the visible reminders of the way of atonement for himself and his people. As he walked into the most holy place, he would look to the right and see the table of bread prepared and to the left the lampstand with golden almond buds. He would then approach the golden altar of incense to present an offering of incense to the LORD. All of this would occur before he could go through the curtain into the Holy of Holies.
In reflecting upon Christ, we can see ourselves walking through the tabernacle in the OT. As we look toward the right, we are reminded that Jesus Christ is the bread of life . . . the offering that is the sacrifice for the sins of the world. As Jesus Himself so aptly said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty . . . . And I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:33-40).
As we look to the left, we see the golden lampstand with seven lamps in the shape of almond blossoms. We remember that Jesus said that He is the Light of the World. In John 8:12, Our Savior said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
As we walk forward in the Most Holy Place, we are then separated from the curtain leading into the presence of the LORD by the altar of incense. Incense was offered to deities to acknowledge their deity and to demonstrate submission to their lordship over one's life. Before we can enter into the presence of the LORD, we must first come to a point in which we submit to the LORDship of Jesus Christ. We capitulate our wills and our lives to the one who is Sovereign, and who has initiated our reconciliation with Him through His sacrifice on the cross and His triumph in His resurrection.
Once we offer the sacrifice of submission to the LORD (Romans 10:9-10), we are then able to enter the Holy of Holies. Again, this admittance is offered through Jesus Christ and our submissive response to Him. We then walk into the presence of the Lord, where the atonement altar is located. Here we find three objects at the altar . . . The ten commandments (representing God's law that tells us that we have sinned (Romans 3:20), Aaron's rod that budded (the instrument that was used to affirm that he was the one who would be the intermediary between God and man, and manna (divine bread that brought physical life to a people wandering in the wilderness of sin). Blood of a perfect sacrifice was offered upon the atonement altar, for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). And as the blood was poured out on the altar, the shadows of crimson would befall the standard of law, the intermediary, and the deliverance . . . all presenting testimony of the coming Messiah who would take away the sins of the penitent.
With the death of Christ, the curtain has been torn at the entrance into the Holy of Holies. So we all have opportunity to approach the presence of the LORD and receive forgiveness of sins. But we still find blocking our way the Altar of Incense. To our left and our right are the evidences that Christ is our bread of eternal life that provides us the light of truth for salvation. Will we respond at the altar of incense? Will we submit to His Lordship? Then let us boldly approach the throne of God and celebrate the sacrifice of blood for our salvation and the immeasurable blessings afforded to us as sons and daughters of the Almighty!
I can imagine the priest walking into the tabernacle and seeing the visible reminders of the way of atonement for himself and his people. As he walked into the most holy place, he would look to the right and see the table of bread prepared and to the left the lampstand with golden almond buds. He would then approach the golden altar of incense to present an offering of incense to the LORD. All of this would occur before he could go through the curtain into the Holy of Holies.
In reflecting upon Christ, we can see ourselves walking through the tabernacle in the OT. As we look toward the right, we are reminded that Jesus Christ is the bread of life . . . the offering that is the sacrifice for the sins of the world. As Jesus Himself so aptly said, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty . . . . And I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:33-40).
As we look to the left, we see the golden lampstand with seven lamps in the shape of almond blossoms. We remember that Jesus said that He is the Light of the World. In John 8:12, Our Savior said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
As we walk forward in the Most Holy Place, we are then separated from the curtain leading into the presence of the LORD by the altar of incense. Incense was offered to deities to acknowledge their deity and to demonstrate submission to their lordship over one's life. Before we can enter into the presence of the LORD, we must first come to a point in which we submit to the LORDship of Jesus Christ. We capitulate our wills and our lives to the one who is Sovereign, and who has initiated our reconciliation with Him through His sacrifice on the cross and His triumph in His resurrection.
Once we offer the sacrifice of submission to the LORD (Romans 10:9-10), we are then able to enter the Holy of Holies. Again, this admittance is offered through Jesus Christ and our submissive response to Him. We then walk into the presence of the Lord, where the atonement altar is located. Here we find three objects at the altar . . . The ten commandments (representing God's law that tells us that we have sinned (Romans 3:20), Aaron's rod that budded (the instrument that was used to affirm that he was the one who would be the intermediary between God and man, and manna (divine bread that brought physical life to a people wandering in the wilderness of sin). Blood of a perfect sacrifice was offered upon the atonement altar, for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin (Hebrews 9:22). And as the blood was poured out on the altar, the shadows of crimson would befall the standard of law, the intermediary, and the deliverance . . . all presenting testimony of the coming Messiah who would take away the sins of the penitent.
With the death of Christ, the curtain has been torn at the entrance into the Holy of Holies. So we all have opportunity to approach the presence of the LORD and receive forgiveness of sins. But we still find blocking our way the Altar of Incense. To our left and our right are the evidences that Christ is our bread of eternal life that provides us the light of truth for salvation. Will we respond at the altar of incense? Will we submit to His Lordship? Then let us boldly approach the throne of God and celebrate the sacrifice of blood for our salvation and the immeasurable blessings afforded to us as sons and daughters of the Almighty!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Complete Annilhation of the Amalekites?
Deuteronomy 25:17-19: "Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and cut off all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!"
In this passage of Deuteronomy, God seems very emphatic that He desires the complete destruction of the Amalekites, and this command is reiterated to King Saul 500 years later in 1 Samuel 15:3: "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." When Saul refused to destroy neither the choicest of livestock nor the king, God decreed that Saul was now the enemy of the Lord and would die for his failure to carry out "God's fierce wrath against the Amalekites" (1 Samuel 28:18). So the question arises, "Why such vehement wrath upon one people?"
To find the answer, one must travel back to the accounts of the wandering Israelites in the first few books of the Old Testament. The Amalekites represented the group of people who attempted to thwart the entrance of God's chosen people from entering the Promised Land. First, one finds the Amalekites waging war against the Israelites at Rephidim in Exodus 17. Again in Numbers 14:45, the Amalekites were the ones who drove the Israelites away from the entrance into the Promised Land back into the desert at Hormah. The Amalekites were the pagans who desired to thwart any attempt by God's chosen people from reaching the intended destination from the LORD. God desired for His people to experience the blessing of His abundant provision, and the Amalekites wanted to prevent this from happening.
If we see the Promised Land in the Old Testament as a prefigurement of heaven, our eternal "Promised Land," then in a sense, the Amalekites represent everything that is anti-Christ. They embody the forces of evil that would desire to prevent God from redeeming his bride into His glorious presence. The Amalekites are not unlike Satan himself, who wants nothing less than to see all of humanity fall short of salvation. So it seems as if God's fierce wrath that brings utter destruction to the Amalekites (see David's account in I Samuel 28) is a symbolic parallel to the utter destruction that He will bring upon all the forces of evil that would attempt to keep His redeemed from heaven. Revelation 20 speaks of the eternal judgment upon Satan and his followers of evil. They will meet God's Divine wrath in the lake of fire, where they will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).
So, God's fierce wrath against this one nation had to do with their desire to challenge God's will for his chosen people. As God utterly destroyed this people from the face of the earth, so He will judge all evil in the last days. God will not be challenged. As the Almighty, Sovereign One, the Lord will prevail.
In this passage of Deuteronomy, God seems very emphatic that He desires the complete destruction of the Amalekites, and this command is reiterated to King Saul 500 years later in 1 Samuel 15:3: "Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys." When Saul refused to destroy neither the choicest of livestock nor the king, God decreed that Saul was now the enemy of the Lord and would die for his failure to carry out "God's fierce wrath against the Amalekites" (1 Samuel 28:18). So the question arises, "Why such vehement wrath upon one people?"
To find the answer, one must travel back to the accounts of the wandering Israelites in the first few books of the Old Testament. The Amalekites represented the group of people who attempted to thwart the entrance of God's chosen people from entering the Promised Land. First, one finds the Amalekites waging war against the Israelites at Rephidim in Exodus 17. Again in Numbers 14:45, the Amalekites were the ones who drove the Israelites away from the entrance into the Promised Land back into the desert at Hormah. The Amalekites were the pagans who desired to thwart any attempt by God's chosen people from reaching the intended destination from the LORD. God desired for His people to experience the blessing of His abundant provision, and the Amalekites wanted to prevent this from happening.
If we see the Promised Land in the Old Testament as a prefigurement of heaven, our eternal "Promised Land," then in a sense, the Amalekites represent everything that is anti-Christ. They embody the forces of evil that would desire to prevent God from redeeming his bride into His glorious presence. The Amalekites are not unlike Satan himself, who wants nothing less than to see all of humanity fall short of salvation. So it seems as if God's fierce wrath that brings utter destruction to the Amalekites (see David's account in I Samuel 28) is a symbolic parallel to the utter destruction that He will bring upon all the forces of evil that would attempt to keep His redeemed from heaven. Revelation 20 speaks of the eternal judgment upon Satan and his followers of evil. They will meet God's Divine wrath in the lake of fire, where they will be "tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).
So, God's fierce wrath against this one nation had to do with their desire to challenge God's will for his chosen people. As God utterly destroyed this people from the face of the earth, so He will judge all evil in the last days. God will not be challenged. As the Almighty, Sovereign One, the Lord will prevail.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Timing Is Everything
Numbers 13:2ff "(The Lord said to the Israelites) 'Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites' . . . . But the men who had gone up with him (Caleb)said, 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.' And so they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored . . . All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, 'If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?' . . . . And the whole assembly talked about stoning Joshua and Caleb (for their word of admonishment to be obedient to God) . . . . The Lord said to Moses, 'How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them . . . . Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times - not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers . . . . In this desert your bodies will fall . . . . Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home . . . . You will suffer for your sins, and know what it is like to have me against you.'"
This story is a tragic account of a people who were given the opportunity of dwelling in the blessedness of God's Chosen Land that He had promised to Abraham hundreds of years before (see Genesis 15) through a covenant agreement. This land was a bountiful harvest of livestock and vegetation (milk and honey) just waiting to be received by these descendants of Abraham; still, the Israelites had to take the step of faith of entering into the land itself. Moses had sent out 12 spies to survey the land and report back to him what they had found. After 40 days, ten of the spies returned to confirm the richness of the land in providing choice food for the people; however, they also reported that the land was inhabited by huge and powerful pagans who would likely destroy them. Only the remaining two spies, Joshua and Caleb, advised Moses that the Israelites SHOULD take the land, for these two knew that the LORD would be with them.
Once the ten spies were able to convince the people that it was not a good idea to enter God's Promised Land, the people's fears overtook their faith in the Lord. They began to grumble against the leaders, Moses and Aaron, and they decided that it would be better to appoint a new leader who would take them back to bondage in Egypt. These Israelites in effect called God a liar by saying that He would not give them what He had promised, but was "bringing them into the land only to fall by the sword" (14:3). They would rather have the pain of enslavement to a hostile people over God's chosen best for them. These Israelites put their faith in what they physically observed; they were not willing to trust God through the apparent obstacles.
Joshua and Caleb knew that the people were rebelling against the Lord, so they tore their clothes as a demonstrative act of mourning for the sacrilege of the people. So depraved had the thinking of the people become that they sought ways to stone Joshua and Caleb for calling their sin of rebellion to account. They wanted to silence the two who were identifying their behavior as rebellious against the Lord. God quickly responded with His own words of reprimand. He told Moses that the people were treating His Holiness with contempt for not trusting in His Word. In the end, God judged these recalcitrant Israelites by barring any entrance for the adults to enter His Promised Land. These faithless Israelites would have to wander in the barren wilderness for 40 years until each of them died, never having tasted the blessing of God's promised, abundant provision. For these people who were so worried about the giants warring against them, God now wanted them to know what it was like to have the Sovereign Almighty Lord as their enemy(14:34).
The people mourned for not having trusted in the Lord. After God's declaration of judgment that they would never enter the land, they decided that now they wanted to proceed ahead. They now wanted to take what God had once promised them, but it was now too late. Their late timing in response to God's provision would prove to be their utter downfall.
Moses warned the people that this act of entering the land was an act of further disobedience against the Lord and would result in their utter defeat. Still, the people decided to move forward and were defeated soundly by the Amalekites and Canaanites, who sent the Israelites running back into the desert.
As promised by the Lord, they would wander for 40 years (a year for each day that the scouts were surveying the land) until everyone over the age of 20 who had grumbled against the Lord had died.
There is great imagery for each of us as we contemplate the parallel for our lives. To each of us, God has afforded the opportunity of dwelling in His eternal Promised Land, heaven; however, to step onto its hallowed ground, we must all come to a point that we understand that God is providing this grace to us . . . it is not attainable by our own efforts. In fact, if we were to look at the requirements of entrance (i.e. complete holiness) we would turn away in utter defeat. This is why the timing of this opportunity is so important. Today is the day of our choosing; today is the day of our salvation. Today is the opportunity for each of us to enter into salvation SOLELY through the power of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was His death and resurrection that will defeat the "giant sins" that stand in the way of His Divine blessedness for us.
For some, the time of opportunity to respond to God's provision of grace will pass. With their physical deaths, these people will be declined entrance into heaven, and will experience eternal spiritual death in the barrenness of God's judgment in hell.
We must all take time to reflect upon this story as a word of direction and conviction. Do we have faith in God? Do we desire His eternal provision of blessing in heaven? Are we willing to step forward, knowing that it is He alone who provides deliverance? We must decide now, for tomorrow may be too late. Remember, timing is everything.
This story is a tragic account of a people who were given the opportunity of dwelling in the blessedness of God's Chosen Land that He had promised to Abraham hundreds of years before (see Genesis 15) through a covenant agreement. This land was a bountiful harvest of livestock and vegetation (milk and honey) just waiting to be received by these descendants of Abraham; still, the Israelites had to take the step of faith of entering into the land itself. Moses had sent out 12 spies to survey the land and report back to him what they had found. After 40 days, ten of the spies returned to confirm the richness of the land in providing choice food for the people; however, they also reported that the land was inhabited by huge and powerful pagans who would likely destroy them. Only the remaining two spies, Joshua and Caleb, advised Moses that the Israelites SHOULD take the land, for these two knew that the LORD would be with them.
Once the ten spies were able to convince the people that it was not a good idea to enter God's Promised Land, the people's fears overtook their faith in the Lord. They began to grumble against the leaders, Moses and Aaron, and they decided that it would be better to appoint a new leader who would take them back to bondage in Egypt. These Israelites in effect called God a liar by saying that He would not give them what He had promised, but was "bringing them into the land only to fall by the sword" (14:3). They would rather have the pain of enslavement to a hostile people over God's chosen best for them. These Israelites put their faith in what they physically observed; they were not willing to trust God through the apparent obstacles.
Joshua and Caleb knew that the people were rebelling against the Lord, so they tore their clothes as a demonstrative act of mourning for the sacrilege of the people. So depraved had the thinking of the people become that they sought ways to stone Joshua and Caleb for calling their sin of rebellion to account. They wanted to silence the two who were identifying their behavior as rebellious against the Lord. God quickly responded with His own words of reprimand. He told Moses that the people were treating His Holiness with contempt for not trusting in His Word. In the end, God judged these recalcitrant Israelites by barring any entrance for the adults to enter His Promised Land. These faithless Israelites would have to wander in the barren wilderness for 40 years until each of them died, never having tasted the blessing of God's promised, abundant provision. For these people who were so worried about the giants warring against them, God now wanted them to know what it was like to have the Sovereign Almighty Lord as their enemy(14:34).
The people mourned for not having trusted in the Lord. After God's declaration of judgment that they would never enter the land, they decided that now they wanted to proceed ahead. They now wanted to take what God had once promised them, but it was now too late. Their late timing in response to God's provision would prove to be their utter downfall.
Moses warned the people that this act of entering the land was an act of further disobedience against the Lord and would result in their utter defeat. Still, the people decided to move forward and were defeated soundly by the Amalekites and Canaanites, who sent the Israelites running back into the desert.
As promised by the Lord, they would wander for 40 years (a year for each day that the scouts were surveying the land) until everyone over the age of 20 who had grumbled against the Lord had died.
There is great imagery for each of us as we contemplate the parallel for our lives. To each of us, God has afforded the opportunity of dwelling in His eternal Promised Land, heaven; however, to step onto its hallowed ground, we must all come to a point that we understand that God is providing this grace to us . . . it is not attainable by our own efforts. In fact, if we were to look at the requirements of entrance (i.e. complete holiness) we would turn away in utter defeat. This is why the timing of this opportunity is so important. Today is the day of our choosing; today is the day of our salvation. Today is the opportunity for each of us to enter into salvation SOLELY through the power of God through His Son, Jesus Christ. It was His death and resurrection that will defeat the "giant sins" that stand in the way of His Divine blessedness for us.
For some, the time of opportunity to respond to God's provision of grace will pass. With their physical deaths, these people will be declined entrance into heaven, and will experience eternal spiritual death in the barrenness of God's judgment in hell.
We must all take time to reflect upon this story as a word of direction and conviction. Do we have faith in God? Do we desire His eternal provision of blessing in heaven? Are we willing to step forward, knowing that it is He alone who provides deliverance? We must decide now, for tomorrow may be too late. Remember, timing is everything.
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