God Determines the Boundaries of the Nations - Exodus 21-24

Exodus 23:31-33 (ESV)

And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Normally if you want to know the boundary to something you go to county, township or city government to ask them where the boundaries to your property have been drawn.   That is what happens in most established countries.  A survey is done to determine land disputes.   In the days of Israel that was not the case.   Land was often fought over and often drawn up based upon land markers that could change.   In our world today there is much debate as to the land of Israel.   In their entire history this has been true.   As we read the prophets we see that many nations came in and took possession of the land.  There may not be a more debated and argumentative land debate in all the world, for all times, argued by all people, than the land of Israel.   No matter who you ask, there is debate.  Yet, in the above passage, God speaks to this very question, in a very clear manner.  He, in essence, declares both their land and the boundaries.    The entire book of Joshua is a fight for the land.  God establishes the boundaries, however, not mankind.   No other nation can change or adjust or move the boundaries God has declared.   Note what Paul and others will say about God’s sovereign control over the boundaries of mankind:

Exodus 23:31-33 (ESV)

And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Exodus 23:31-33 (ESV)

And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

Exodus 23:31-33 (ESV)

And I will set your border from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the Euphrates, for I will give the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. You shall make no covenant with them and their gods. They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

There is no dispute as to who declares the boundaries for nations and mankind and for God’s people.  This includes the land of Israel.  There is only a dispute if man will acknowledge God’s sovereign control over those boundaries.   

God Doesn’t Need Us - 2 Corinthians 4-5

2 Corinthians 4:5-6 (ESV)

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Paul is in the midst of showing the church at Corinth that the gospel is being hidden by Satan.  The Devil is actively blinding the eyes of those in the world so that they do not see God’s glory:

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (ESV)

And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

That is why he writes that he is not proclaiming himself, but Jesus Christ as Lord.  This is so significant to the message we hear each Sunday in our churches today.   Psychology from the pulpit will not convert lives.   Philosophy from the pulpit will not convert lives.  Politics from the pulpit will not convert lives.   Merchandising and marketing from the pulpit will not convert lives.   And, especially, personalities from the pulpit will not convert lives.   God doesn’t care what you know, who you are, what power you hold and how attractive your tongue and personal charisma might demonstrate.   The only thing that reveals the glory of God is the face of Jesus Christ.   I am paid to be a speaker and I speak on a continuous basis to audiences.   I am supposed to be knowledgeable, insightful, inspiring, and entertaining, all at once.    Yet, none of that matters to God.   He doesn’t need me to sweeten up His message; His message is Christ.   He doesn’t need me to give insights only I know; His Spirit gives insights.  He doesn’t need to me to portray power; He has power.   This is what Paul is saying.   He is insignificant.  God is magnified.  We diminish God when we try to exalt self.   When we exalt self, Satan uses that to blind the eyes of those who do not know Christ.   

God Elevates Women - Mark 15-16

Mark 15:40-41 (ESV)

There were also women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. When he was in Galilee, they followed him and ministered to him, and there were also many other women who came up with him to Jerusalem.

It is interesting that in all the accounts in the Gospel that record the first day of the week and the visiting of the tomb include that is was by the above women.   The last account of his death only includes these women.   In neither of the Gospel writings does it record the male disciples hanging around.  John’s Gospel makes mention that Jesus told John to care for Mary, but that was early in his time on the cross.   The argument from the silence of the Gospels does not mean that the men were not their to the end, but it does cause one to wonder.   We are specifically told that the women were there to the very end and the first to be there after Jesus’ resurrection.   In those days, women were not to be used in a court of law as a reliable source as a witness to anything.   Yet, the God of the universe specifically mentions the women in this way.  It ought to show us how God, through Christianity, a faith based system, elevated the position of women.    These women were faith to the end.  The men went fishing, we know that.  They returned to their jobs.   But the women stayed faithful at the end and were curious at the beginning of the resurrection.  A woman is the first to hear of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels, Mary, and women are in the scene at the end.  Never underestimate the role of women in God’s plan and designs. 

God Will Discipline - Jeremiah 27-31

Jeremiah 30:11 (ESV)

For I am with you to save you,

declares the LORD;

I will make a full end of all the nations

among whom I scattered you,

but of you I will not make a full end.

I will discipline you in just measure,

and I will by no means leave you unpunished.

Jeremiah was sent to convey the message from God that God was not pleased with Israel and that their running after lovers to worship was coming to an end.  He was about to discipline them and cause them to come to their knees in repentance.   In the above verse we read the parameters of His discipline.    

1. He is going to use other nations, but they will not last.  
2. He is going to discipline them, but it will not be the end of them. 
3. His discipline will be in His control and it will be measured.
4. His discipline will be measured, but it will come.  He will not leave them unpunished. 

1. His discipline is in the form of punishment.  

God disciplines them because He loves them.  They will not like it, but it flows from God’s love for them.   Note what the New Testament says about this thought:

Hebrews 12:5-11 (ESV)

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,

nor be weary when reproved by him.

For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,

and chastises every son whom he receives.”

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

God uses His discipline to correct us, yes.  But He does so out or pure love.   We can understand it because we discipline our own children.   We should do so out of love, not anger.   We don’t.   God does.   We know we are His children because He brings loving discipline into our lives.   

Don’t Doubt In The Dark What You Believed On In The Light - Job 35-36

Job 36:17-21 (ESV)

17 “But you are full of the judgment on the wicked;

judgment and justice seize you.

18 Beware lest wrath entice you into scoffing,

and let not the greatness of the ransom turn you aside.

19 Will your cry for help avail to keep you from distress,

or all the force of your strength?

20 Do not long for the night,

when peoples vanish in their place.

21 Take care; do not turn to iniquity,

for this you have chosen rather than affliction.

According to most commentaries, the above verses are notoriously hard to interpret.  Elihu has been trying to correct some of Job’s thinking.  Job, due to his tremendous suffering, has lost his perspective and fallen into some false philosophy and doctrine (with no help from his first three friends).  He was starting to think, because he felt as though he was just and righteous and suffering and others were wicked and not suffering, that it would be better to be wicked and not righteous.   That would be, at least, what Elihu was hearing from Job.    Elihu, in the above verse wants to correct his perception of Job and strengthen him once again into believing that God is awesome and has him covered.  Here are some of the points Elihu is making:

• Vs 17 - Although it doesn’t appear that Elihu contributes Job’s suffering is due to his sin, he is clear that Job’s complaint against God, might be  (this is where Job’s suffering has lead him).   Job is sitting in the seat of judgment as anyone would be who believes God has done wrong (that has been Job’s complaint ... it couldn’t possibly be any other reason Job is suffering!)

• Vs 18 - Elihu does not want suffering to cause Job to scoff (something he has been doing) and he does not want Job to believe some ransom is going to be paid to relieve Job’s suffering.   We often think that somehow we can buy ourselves out of a situation.   We can’t.  Job’s wealth and power did not prevent this from happening and it won’t redeem it from him.  

• Vs. 19 - This is the more difficult to determine what Elihu is saying.   He is not telling Job to stop crying for help.  But in the Hebrew poetry, where each line compliments the other, Elihu seems to be telling Job that his strength (by crying out) is not going to relieve him.  God can and will, as we read at the end of the book.  But Job’s power to cry and call is not the thing that will change this. 

• Vs. 20 & 21 - Stop wishing you were dead!  This seems to be Elihu’s wisdom here.  He tells him to stop with the dark thoughts of wanting the night (death) and don’t turn to iniquity as the solution for all this.   He wants Job to stay true under the affliction and not compound the issue but speaking about God in a false manner. 

When we are in suffering we can develop a lot of bad thoughts and philosophy and doctrine,   Elihu is trying to get Job to turn back to what he knows is true.  Elihu is saying, don’t doubt in the dark what you believe on in the light.   

Our Sin For His Righteousness - Psalm 51-53

Psalms 51:14 (ESV)

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,

O God of my salvation,

and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.

Before we understand the above verse, we have to recall both the writer of it and the purpose of the psalm it comes from.   King David wrote this song.  It is a confession of a very known moment of his life.   He had committed adultery with Bathsheba.   That is the reason in Psalm 51 he is confessing his sins.  The adultery was about to be known because she became pregnant by it and her husband (Uriah) was out to war (where David should have been).   In the cover up of the adultery he attempted and succeeded in killing Uriah.   He brought Uriah, a soldier, back from the battle front, hoping Uriah would be intimate with his wife, thus making her pregnancy seem as though it was from Uriah, not David.  But, Uriah knowing his men were fighting could not think of sleeping with his wife (note the extra burden this puts on David because instead of being with the warriors he was sleeping with Bathsheba.)   This is where the above passage comes in.   David sent Uriah back to the front of the war, having him carry the sealed orders to have himself put in the front to be killed.   David didn’t kill him, but David made sure the enemy could.   This must have haunted David. The guilt of Uriah’s blood was crying out to God for vengeance.    David’s guilt was consuming him.   This is where God steps in.  David not only prays to have the guilt removed, he asks God to replace it with a song of righteousness.  What better song of righteousness than to know that God covered his sin, the sin of plotting another’s death.  God covered that!!   God covers our sins and gives us righteousness:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

He (Jesus) who knew NO sin, and became OUR sin.  We, who were full of sin, received HIS righteousness.    That is what David prays.  God grants him and us that gift:  Righteousness in place of a guilt of sin.  

Be Prepared For The Fight - 2 Samuel 5-9

2 Samuel 5:17-21 (ESV)

When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. But David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” And David came to Baal-perazim, and David defeated them there. And he said, “The LORD has broken through my enemies before me like a breaking flood.” Therefore the name of that place is called Baal-perazim. And the Philistines left their idols there, and David and his men carried them away.

In the above passage, David shows us how to fight for the Lord:

1. He is aware of those who wish him harm.  We have way too many Christians in this life who oblivious to the fact that we are under attack.   We would be wise to learn from David (above) and listen to Peter (below)
• 1 Peter 5:8 (ESV) Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
2. He took care to find a stronghold.    This is so important in our walk with Christ. We need to know where our strongholds are to be protected from the enemy.   Try these to passages to strengthen and find the strongholds you need:
• Ephesians 6:10-14 (ESV) - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
• 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (ESV)-For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
3. He sought council from God as to what to do.  He used discernment that the Spirit gives to know the entire council of what God would have him do:
• Romans 12:2 (ESV)-Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
• Philippians 1:9-11 (ESV) - And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

If we want to have victory over the world we have to prepare ourselves for the fight and ask God to give us guidance and power in that fight.