An Example to Us All!! - Job 1-2

 Job 1:1 (ESV)

Job's Character and Wealth

1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job, and that man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.

An Example to Us All!

The book of Job was written by the Holy Spirit.  We are not sure what man God used to write the book, but the Holy Spirit directed each word and each nuance.   The book is about the suffering that we all go through while living in a sinful life.  It is about Satan’s attack on mankind, simply to cause pain, suffering and to stir hatred toward God.  Job, in the beginning of his suffering makes two declarations that are somewhat themes of the book.  The first is his initial response to the tragedy of losing all his wealth and his ten children,   The second is spoken to his wife, who believes he is just doomed and should just give into these circumstances and die.  

Job 1:21 (ESV)

21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”

Job 2:10 (ESV)

10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

A very rich nugget of spiritual wealth in the book, however, is seen in the very first verse, above.   The Spirit of God makes a declaration that Job is:

1. Blameless 

2. Upright

3. Fears God

4. Turns from evil when he sees it. 

Numbers one and two are possible because Job is steadfast in numbers three and four.   When Satan comes to present himself to God, along with other angels, God repeats the opening line, as if to challenge Satan to a duel:

Job 1:8 (ESV)

8 And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”

Job gives us an example of what it means to be accepted by God and used by God.   Now how God will use Job may not appeal to most of us.  But, this is the type of person God wants us to be.  Note how centuries later the prophet Micah would say it:

Micah 6:8 (ESV)

8 He has told you, O man, what is good;

and what does the LORD require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

and to walk humbly with your God?

God is not keeping a secret of what He wants from us, or what pleases Him.   He wants our allegiance and our devotion in love.  We do this through faith in His Son.  God knew, like Job, we were but frail creatures.  Job was indeed a sinner.  Later in the book he will begin to justify himself and accuse God of unjust behavior.  He thought because he was blameless, upright and feared God that he would be free from suffering and pain.   This is not the case.   God wants us to be this way, despite our circumstances.   God honors those who walk in this way.   In the end, Job will have all restored.  He will still have lost his children.   That scar would not go away.  But, in God’s grace, Job stays true to how he started.   But, Job had a journey to complete.  As do we.  Note how Job ends his walk through this darkness of his life:

Job 42:1-6 (ESV)

Job's Confession and Repentance

1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:

2 “I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.

3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’

Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,

things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.

4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;

I will question you, and you make it known to me.’

5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,

but now my eye sees you;

6 therefore I despise myself,

and repent in dust and ashes.”

Wicked People Have NO Place to Stand - Psalms 1-2

 Psalms 1:4-5 (ESV)

4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

Wicked People Have No Place to Stand

In Psalm 1 we are reading the blessed and prosperity of the righteous opposite the doom and despair of the wicked.   The above verses speak to the wicked’s plight.   The key thought here, in comparison with the righteous, is that God is blessing the righteous.   But, the wicked are doomed.  They are like that chaff that the wind drives away.  In verse five we read that they “will not stand in the judgement.”   That does not mean they won’t be there.  It means they will not be able to stand, as one who is righteous.  Note how the Amplified Version of the Bible states this same verse:

Psalms 1:5 (AMP)

5 Therefore the wicked [those disobedient and living without God] shall not stand [justified] in the judgment, norsinners in the congregation of the righteous [those who are upright and in right standing with God].

When we have “no standing” with God, we are not able to face Him.  Jesus Christ came to give us that “standing.”   Note what the writer of this psalm states in verse three, about the righteous, those who have have a standing before God. 

Psalms 1:3 (ESV)

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

In all that he does, he prospers.

Only God can make someone righteous (2 Corinthians 5:21).   The wicked have no standing before God.  They will stand in judgement by God.  But, they will stand condemned.   

Only God Gives Success - Joshua 1-5

 Joshua 1:6-7 (ESV)

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

Only God Gives Success

The world is consumed with “success.”   The meaning of the word is to “advance forward with a happy ending.”   With that definition we might say, that success is in the eye of the beholder.  We each determine what success looks like.   We often reimagine the facts to make them sound like success.   However, in the above text we read God’s definition of success.   Joshua is now taking Moses’ place as the leader of Israel.  God has hand picked him as Moses’ successor.   He is going to lead the nation of Israel into the promise land to defeat all the Gentile, unbelievers that now possess the land.  This is a large undertaking.  The “outcome” has been defined by God. Note how God defines success for Joshua:

Joshua 1:3-4 (ESV)

3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory.

Later, Joshua will define success to the nation in this manner:

Joshua 3:10 (ESV)

10 And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites.

There were seven nations to be destroyed.  The number seven in the Bible is the number of perfection.  God was not going to accept anything less than perfect success.  This is why the above passage is so meaningful to Joshua.  God is telling hm the success in what God tasks him to do begins with Joshua fully obeying God’s Word.  If he meditates upon it, day and night, God will give him good success.  That is the definition of success to God.  Our obedience to His will, defined by His Word, gives us success.  Not like the world, but success in the eyes of God.  That is God’s definition of success. 

Made in the Perfect Image - Genesis 1-3

 Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

27 So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

Made in the Perfect Image

We make a lot of stuff in our country.  We are producers.  We like to invent things.  We like to craft things.  We like to come up with a new way to solve old problems.   Where does this come from within our souls and spirits?   Perhaps the above verse gives us some deeper insights into our psyche of being creators.  THE CREATOR created us in His image.  Since He is a creator and He created us in His image, it makes sense that we, too, would be a creator.   We are made in the image of God in every aspect that an “image” can be made.  We love, because God is love.  We have emotion, because God has emotion (He weeps, He rejoices, He hates, He grieves).   We were created to be His representative.   We were not created righteous, however.  Adam seems to be have been created in innocence.   After the fall, that image of us like God was damaged.  We still create, but no longer in innocence, now in evil.   Our sin nature makes the image of God within us, marred.  That is why we needed Christ to change that image and rebirth it, re-create it within us.   Note:

2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

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

We are being changed, on degree at a time:

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV)

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Through the cross God restored our “in the image” of Himself.   That is the point of the Bible. That is the point of the resurrection of Christ.  That is the point of us on the earth.   God wants to repair the image He created us in that was damaged by sin.   We create because God made us in His image.  We will only, once again, created for His glory once that image is repaired by the work of the cross.   We love but for our glory. Once that image is repaired by the work of the cross in our hearts we will love the way God loves and for His glory.   

Evil Forces are Currently Chained in Darkness - Jude

 Jude 1:6 (ESV)

6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—

Evil Forces are Currently Chained in Darkness

Jude is a fiery preacher.  You only have to read this short little epistle one time to see his passion and his purpose.  He is speaking out about false teachers in the church.  They have crept in and are attempting to lead those of weak faith, away.   In his firm zeal, Jude begins by talking about the history of God holding those who speak against him, accountable.   He speaks about:

1. Israel’s rebellious past (v. 5)

2. Angels kicked out of heaven and being held in chairs (v. 6 ... our current passage)

3. The evil people of Sodom and Gomorrah (v. 7)

4. These current false teachers in his day (vs. 8-10)

5. The evil brother Cain (who slew his righteous brother, Abel) (v. 11)

6. The false teacher Balaam (v. 11)

7. The rebellious priest, Koran (v. 11)

Jude lets us know that false teachers WILL BE dealt with by Jesus (v. 5).   It is noted, however, what he writes about these “angels who did not stay within their own position of authority.”   It appears that, along with Satan, other angels rebelled against God.  God, in turn, cast them out of heaven.   Some God allowed to roam free on the earth. These are those who current torment the Saints.   But, some, perhaps of their great power and evilness, are “kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness.”    Mere man seldom things of the spiritual forces that are in and about their lives.   They call blessings from God, luck.  They describe bad fortune with measured superlatives.   They seldom attribute tragedy, disaster and/or calamity to the evil hosts of darkness.   When a tornado whines out a town, a hurricane a city or a world-wide-pandemic, millions of people, all we hear is, “Where is God? Why did He not save us?”  We never here, “Satan and his evil hosts did this.”   Yet, that is what is happening.   And, here is where God’s grace comes in: Evil would be even more rampant if God did not confine some of the evil angels in a gloomy abyss.   God is holding back evil.  God is showing us that His grace, even when evilness appears to rule the world, is still holding back what could be.  God’s grace holds back even false teachers.   Above we point out the illustrations that Jude uses to talk about false teachers.  Yet, note:

1. There was a remnant save from Israel.

2. Lot was rescued from Sodom and Gomorrah.

3. Abel’s blood cried out to God after Cain slew him.

4. Some did not follow Balaam’s errors.

5. Many did not follow Korah’s rebellion. 

This is the point Jude is trying to make.  He wants his readers to realize, that by God’s grace, they can escape the punishment that will come onto evil, false teachers.   Note how he ends his little letter:

Jude 1:24 (ESV)

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy,

Leadership and Decision Making - Acts 27-28

 Acts 27:11-12 (NASBStr)

But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. Because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to put out to sea from there, if somehow they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete, facing southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

Leadership and Decision Making

We finish off the book of Acts today with a very important challenge as to whether we should listen to someone tell us what God says or those who are in the "know", or even the majority opinion. In Acts 27 we see that Paul is being taken to Rome by a centurion named Julius. Julius (in 27:2-12) has a choice to make in regard to sail or not to sail: Does he listen to the captian of the ship (a man who most surely was trusted and would know the sea); or to the majority who thought they should sail; or, to Paul who didn't know much about sailiing but was, by his own testimony, in touch with the God who made the sea. Before we look too deeply into this, it is important to remember the seas and the storms when you are boating. When we live on a boat, we lived by a creed that goes like this: "It is better to be on shore wishing you were at sea than to be a sea and wishing you were on shore" (because of a storm). 

This decision for the centurion, Julius, is not an easy one. The professional opinion was to sail. The captain of the boat said, “set sail.”  The majority opinion was to sail. But, this prisoner, who was "whacked out on God" says, "if you sail there will be a shipwreck." Here is the dilemma most of us face everyday. Do we listen to the knowledgeable; the total, the majority opinion; or, the radical? Julius had a decision to make. Like most leaders today he went with the knowledgemable and the total. He was unwilling to trust God's Word through God's messenger. Obviously the rest of the story shows the result: Shipwreck. This story is the prefect example of the world around us and their day-to-day choices. God's Word is different. Moses listened to God's Word and walked the nation across the dry floor of the Red Sea. Joshua and Caleb listened to God's Word, opposed the majority opinion and were allowed to enter the promise land. David ignored the "group think" of his brothers and slew the giant with a single stone. Nehemiah didn't bend to peer pressure and stood alone to finish the walls. God is constantly showing that "His ways are not our ways". Why do we constantly end up in shipwrecks? Because we follow the majority opinon and group think! (By the way ... keep reading. Juilus does listen to Paul later and it saves his life and others - see Acts 27:27-32). 

Leaders always have a choice to make.  Often time the majority opinion is correct and leaders ought to lean into that majority thought.  But, when it comes to God’s Word, God’s plan and God’s approach, no mob, no science, no vote, can triumph over obedience to God’s thoughts.   Think of Moses being asked to strike the rock in the desert so that water flows from the rock.  The majority of the opinion would have been, “No way!”    Think of Joshua telling today’s armies to walk around a city seven times so the walls and barriers protecting those inside the city will fall down.  The majority would have laughed him to scorn.   Imagine the thought of the eleven disciples when Jesus told Peter to step out of the boat and walk on water.  If the average church goer was in the boat with Peter today they would have grabbed his garments and told him he was a fool.   

Leadership has to make hard decisions.   It is easier to go with the flow.  Paul did not go with the flow ... of mankind.  Paul listened to the voice of the Spirit and spoke truth.  That was unpopular.  But, it was right!  

God’s Glory is Light - Revelation 18-22

 Revelation 21:22-23 (ESV)

22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Revelation 22:5 (ESV)

5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.

God’s Glory is Light

When Jesus walked on the earth, He stated this:

John 8:12 (ESV)

12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

That statement is one of the seven “I Am” statements of Christ.   He wanted us to grasp that He not only brought life to the earth, He was a reflection of God’s glory, the light that brightens heaven.   Note what the author of Hebrews wrote to start his epistle:

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.

John MacArthur, in his commentary on this verse site another author.  Note:

(MacArthur NT) Commenting on the brilliant light emanating from the New Jerusalem, J. A. Seiss writes:

That shining is not from any material combustion,—not from any consumption of fuel that needs to be replaced as one supply burns out; for it is the uncreated light of Him who is light, dispensed by and through the Lamb as the everlasting Lamp, to the home, and hearts, and understandings of his glorified saints. When Paul and Silas lay wounded and bound in the inner dungeon of the prison of Philippi, they still had sacred light which enabled them to beguile the night-watches with happy songs. When Paul was on his way to Damascus, a light brighter than the sun at noon shone round about him, irradiating his whole being with new sights and understanding, and making his soul and body ever afterwards light in the Lord. When Moses came down from the mount of his communion with God, his face was so luminous that his brethren could not endure to look upon it. He was in such close fellowship with light that he became informed with light, and came to the camp as a very lamp of God, glowing with the glory of God. On the Mount of Transfiguration that same light streamed forth from all the body and raiment of the blessed Jesus. And with reference to the very time when this city comes into being and place, Isaiah says, “the moon shall be ashamed and the sun confounded,”—ashamed because of the out-beaming glory which then shall appear in the new Jerusalem, leaving no more need for them to shine in it, since the glory of God lights it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. (The Apocalypse [reprint, Grand Rapids: Kregel, 1987], 499)

We do not fully comprehend the glory of God.  But, it is His glory that gives all of heaven light.   That is our inheritance in Christ.  

Love Should Go Public - Song of Songs 7-8

 Song of Songs 7:11-13 (ESV)

The Bride Gives Her Love

11 Come, my beloved,

let us go out into the fields

and lodge in the villages;

12 let us go out early to the vineyards

and see whether the vines have budded,

whether the grape blossoms have opened

and the pomegranates are in bloom.

There I will give you my love.

13 The mandrakes give forth fragrance,

and beside our doors are all choice fruits,

new as well as old,

which I have laid up for you, O my beloved.

Love Should Go Public 

Throughout Song of Solomon we read about the growing love between Solomon and his bride.  We have seen them dream of deep, intimate relationships (chapters 3 and 5).  We have seen them separate, lonely and searching for each other (also chapters 3 and 5).   In the above text we read about the “public” nature of their love.  They have now come together and they want to declare it to the world around them.   Love should be public.  Secret love should be suspect.  If one cannot declare their love for another, in a public manner, we should question the fidelity of that love.  The same is true for our love for Christ.   Song of Solomon is a literal, real love story.  But, like the rest of the Old and New Testament, the center also theme is God’s love for us in the giving of the Son, who died for us in love, and by the power of the Spirit we live, in love, in return to God.  Our love out to be public.   In the above text we read that these two lovers are going from their dreams to fruition and moving from their thoughts to the village.  They are talking about public love.  Real love cannot be hidden.  Real love for another and/or Christ ought to be outward and public.   

Praise His Name with Dancing - Psalms 149-150

 Psalms 149:3 (ESV)

3 Let them praise his name with dancing,

making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

Praise His Name with Dancing 

Most believers in Christ, don’t dance.  What a shame!!  Like other things created by God, the world has taken the “dancing” concept to a level that those who are believers, to be “separate” from the world, avoid the worship of dance.  It is not part of our worship service.  Even in churches were a dance is part of the worship, we don’t often find Biblical teaching at the center.   We, mankind, have turned dancing into a work of the flesh and not the work of the spirit.   We are not the first to do this.  Notice when Moses went up to the mountain to get the Ten Commandments, Aaron created a golden calf to worship and the celebrated with dance.   That is what Moses saw when came down from the mountain:

Exodus 32:19 (ESV)

19 And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain.

Interestingly enough, when the nation conquer Egypt and they Egyptians were drowned in the Red Sea, Moses sang and song and ... 

Exodus 15:20 (ESV)

20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing.

Dancing to worship God is something we have been commanded to do in this psalm.   We don’t know who wrote this song, but David wrote many and David has quite a connection with dancing.

He danced in victory over his enemies:

1 Samuel 18:6 (ESV)

6 As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments.

He danced to glorify God:

2 Samuel 6:16 (ESV)

David and Michal

16 As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, and she despised him in her heart.

David even wrote that God turned his sadness into a dance: 

Psalms 30:11 (ESV)

11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

Jeremiah, in the book of Lamentations, notes that one of the downfalls of Israel when they were taken captive was the inability to dance:

Lamentations 5:15 (ESV)

15 The joy of our hearts has ceased;

our dancing has been turned to mourning.

We probably can’t get up in church and start dancing down the isle.    Too many would create a conflict over such worship.  But, that should not limit us in the idea of dancing for worship.   This psalm commands us to do so.  

Falling Into Their Own Pit - Esther 6-10

 Esther 6:5-11 (ESV)

5 And the king's young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, and the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head a royal crown is set. 9 And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, proclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

Falling Into Their Own Pit

To fully appreciate the above account of the fall of Haman and the rise of Mordecai, we have to reflect on this proverb, written by Solomon centuries prior to this incident:

Proverbs 26:27 (ESV)

27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,

and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.

Haman did not like Mordecai.   Haman so hated Mordecai that he arranged, by deceiving the king, to have Mordecai’s entire nation wiped out, just so he could see Mordecai hang (on gallows he built in his own back yard).  This story of Haman and Mordecai is one of the most severe examples of what happens in a conflict when bitterness arises in the heart.   Haman was bitter.   While Haman was plotting to destroy Mordecai, God was working behind the scenes (as He always does).   Mordecai, some time earlier, had actually spotted a plot to kill the king.   He informed the kings guards and the king was saved.   One night, as the king lay restless, this account of being saved by Mordecai was rehearsed in his hears.  This is where the above story takes place.   The king wished to honor Mordecai.  Haman JUST HAPPENED to be in the court yard and was selected to be the advisor of the king (what a privilege Haman thought he had), as well as the executioner of the king’s will (what humiliation Haman must have had).   God has a way of lifting up the humble and bringing down the proud.   God is sovereign over the affairs of mankind, right down to their sleep (the king could not sleep), to where they will be at a certain time (Haman in the courtyard), to promoting whom He will promote (Mordecai finally getting recognition for a job well done).   When the wicked plot against the righteous God is very much in the know and is making and fulfilling His own plot!!

NO ONE Escapes God’s Eyes When We Doubt - Deuteronomy 32-34

 Deuteronomy 32:48-52 (ESV)

48 That very day the LORD spoke to Moses, 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, opposite Jericho, and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel for a possession. 50 And die on the mountain which you go up, and be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother died in Mount Hor and was gathered to his people, 51 because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. 52 For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel.”

NO ONE Escapes God’s Eyes When We Doubt

In the above passage we have come to the end of Moses’ life.   He is passing the leadership of Israel over to Joshua.  It will be Joshua who leads the nation into the promise land.   Moses cannot!  The reason for this is stated in the above passage.   Back when the nation was crying out for water, Moses was told to speak to the rock and water would come out to satisfy the thirst of a million tongues.   Previously, Moses was to strike the rock with the anointed staff God gave him at the beginning of his journey.  To the average person that might have been a simply mistake.  Moses was just doing what God told him to to the first time, this second time.   But, God is not like you and me.  God has a reason He wants us to act the way we are told.   God, in the second instance, wanted Moses to simply speak to the rock.  Moses was God’s messages.  Moses was God’s example on this earth ... his representative.   In the second instance (Numbers 20:11-14), when Moses hit the rock, water did come out.  He could have argued, “the end justifies the means.”  But, this is not what God wanted this time.  God was angry with the people because they did not, by faith, act on His divine word.   God wanted to show the people the power of His spoken word.   But, Moses, in anger, gave in to his impulses and, in anger, struck the rock.  This disqualified him to be the man of faith to represent God to Israel.  Remember, his companions, those he originally lead out of Egypt, did not enter the land either because of their lack of faith and acting on God’s word.   God, to be just, could NOT allow Moses to enter when he, also, failed to act in faith on God’s word.   God does not let anyone escape who fails to believe, in faith and obedience, in His word.  

For THE Name!! 3 John

 3 John 1:7 (ESV)

7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

For THE Name!

Third John is a small letter written to man named, Gaius and the group of believers that meets in his house.   He was probably of some wealth, since he had a house big enough to hold a gather group of believers.  He is being commended by John for how he cares for those in this gathering, as well as how he cares for the “traveling” ministers as they go from house to house with the teaching of the Word.   We have to remember that the early church did not have large buildings to meet together.  They had small, little bodies that meet in homes.   To meet the logistics of the teaching ministry, those who taught the word would travel from location to location to teach and serve.   Gaius is being commended that he enabled their ministry.   Notice that John is also commending these traveling ministers for going about their service for the “sake of the name.”   We serve because of Jesus Christ.  Our services, although to others believers, it is for Christ and our love for him.  Note how the earlier church understood this point:

Acts 5:41 (ESV)

41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

Notice how the writer of Hebrews, at the end of one of the strongest warning passages about persevering in the faith, states a similar thought to the early church:

Hebrews 6:10 (ESV)

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

We serve for the love we have for his name.   Gaius did not serve and open his house for service because he wanted to be popular and accepted by the world around him.  He served out love for the name of Christ.  These traveling ministers served out of the love they have Christ.   They accepted nothing from the Gentiles.  They simply served out of love.  The early church was responsible to care for them.   They did this out love.   This is the reason Gaius is being commended by John.  He served out of love for the name of Christ.  

Christianity Sounds Like Madness to the Unbeliever - Acts 25-26

 Acts 26:24-29 (ESV)

24 And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” 25 But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking true and rational words. 26 For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak boldly. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this has not been done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” 28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

Christianity Sounds Like Madness to the Unbeliever

Paul is in prison.  He is there because the Jews are falsely accusing him of breaking “their” law.   What they are really frustrated with is that Paul is presenting Jesus and Jews are leaving the synagogue and joining the church.   In his journey through the Roman court system, Paul gets another opportunity to make his defense. But, more importantly, Paul gets another opportunity to present the message of the gospel.   The good news was the Christ rose from the dead and brings life to the Jews and Gentiles.   Paul took every opportunity to present the gospel.  While in prison he wrote several letters (in fact, prison gave him the opportunity and necessity to write ... he was not allowed to travel to preach).   He would agree with Peter’s word written while he was in prison:

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Notice, however, the response of the King he was standing before to make his defense!   Festus was the sitting authority.  He had invited a visiting leader, King Agrippa, to listen to Paul’s case.  Paul gives them both a lesson in the gospel.   Festus believes Paul has gone made.   Logic, man’s logic, has no room for the resurrection of the dead.   The world thinks we are “mad” for believing what we believe.  Notice what Paul, earlier, told the Corinthian believers:

1 Corinthians 2:13-14 (ESV)

13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man does not understand the wisdom of God.  God has to reveal it to him.  

The Power of Collective Purpose - Even if it is Evil!! Revelation 12-17

 Revelation 17:17 (ESV)

17 for God has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and handing over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

The Power of a Common Purpose - Even if it is Evil!

In chapter 17 of Revelation, the writer, John, is telling us about the marriage of the government, via the Antichrist, and the religious leaders of that day.  The one-world-power is coming to fruition in this chapter.   All the political and religious leaders are uniting to form on government, of which the Antichrist will reign supreme.   This one-world-power is the dream of many people today.   God will grant that request.  In fact, at the above passage states, God will enable that desire.   Even more clearly, God put it in their hearts how to carry that purpose out.   He does so through the wickedness of the Antichrist.   God uses the evilness in man’s heart and desire for power, and couples it with the desire of Satan to form this super-government system.   God does this all to complete and to fulfill His Word!!   This does show us the power of collective purpose.  This governance system will give the power to the Beast (Antichrist).   God will then use that to complete the promises in His Word and to accomplish the rest of His plan.   We ought never doubt God’s using mankind and Satan’s deepest desire to accomplish His tasks.   There is power in collective purpose, even if, in this case, it is evil.  

Intimate Dream Turned to Nightmare - Song of Solomon 5-6

 Song of Songs 5:2-7 (ESV)

2 I slept, but my heart was awake.

A sound! My beloved is knocking.

“Open to me, my sister, my love,

my dove, my perfect one,

for my head is wet with dew,

my locks with the drops of the night.”

3 I had put off my garment;

how could I put it on?

I had bathed my feet;

how could I soil them?

4 My beloved put his hand to the latch,

and my heart was thrilled within me.

5 I arose to open to my beloved,

and my hands dripped with myrrh,

my fingers with liquid myrrh,

on the handles of the bolt.

6 I opened to my beloved,

but my beloved had turned and gone.

My soul failed me when he spoke.

I sought him, but found him not;

I called him, but he gave no answer.

7 The watchmen found me

as they went about in the city;

they beat me, they bruised me,

they took away my veil,

those watchmen of the walls.

Intimate Dream Turned to Nightmare

There is much debate about the meaning of the above text.   Many interpret the material as a dream that the woman is having in regard to a sexual experience with her, soon to be, husband, Solomon.  It is hard to tell if this is a dream about a sexual experience, or an actual sexual encounter.  In verses 2-5 we certainly see many double entendre.   We can visualize many references to the love making between two lovers in each line.   The difficulty begins in the middle of verse six.   If this is a reference to the woman opening up in a sexual manner, something abruptly happens to her.  As she turns to respond in the love, her lover is instantly gone.   This makes the entire prose look more like a dream than an actual event.   She suddenly turns to find no lover at all with her and, like in chapter three, she goes to seek him.  And, again, like in 3:3, the watchmen find her.  But, this time they beat her (verse 7).  Perhaps they thought she was being promiscuous?   We have no indication later in the entire book that Solomon, her soon to be husband, notices the beating.   In fact, in chapter six we see her praised, once again, for her beauty.    Perhaps the entire section is a dream of her upcoming nuptials, while at the same time a nightmare and/or fear she has.   This bride to be is both excited about the upcoming wedding and fearful to be rejected.   Perhaps the entire purpose the chapter is for us to see both the excitement of love and the danger of what happens when we notice that “my beloved had turned and gone.”  The tension in the passage is between the embracing we see in 2-6a and the lost and beating if 6b-7.   Love is exciting.  Abandonment is cruel.   We have to remember that ll things in Scripture points to Christ.   If this is a story of Christ’s love for us we can rejoice in the intimacy of our love with Him.  We can rejoice that we will NEVER turn and find Him gone!!  He has stated He will never leave us for forsake us. 

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV)

5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Praise God for His Power, Not Ours! - Psalms 146-148

 Psalms 147:7-11 (ESV)

7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;

make melody to our God on the lyre!

8 He covers the heavens with clouds;

he prepares rain for the earth;

he makes grass grow on the hills.

9 He gives to the beasts their food,

and to the young ravens that cry.

10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,

11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,

in those who hope in his steadfast love.

Praise God for His Power, Not Ours!!

One of the most familiar scenes for a sport fan is the athlete who does something spectacular and then stands off on their own, beating their chest (or dancing in the end-zone).  As if the action they did was not highlight enough, their exuberance to bring attention to themselves is over the top.   This happens in many places besides professional sports, however.  From joe-citizen bowling leagues to the halls of Congress, self-celebration is a national pastime.   We love to praise ourselves and each other.   When a small child does anything of consequence, we celebrate their achievement with excitement and enjoyment.  The child learns they did something good and attempts to repeat that moment.  The child has learned from our response that behavior solicits praise to self.   They tend to repeat the behavior ... forever.  

The above passage does not condemn praising children for doing good.  It doesn’t even speak to the million dollar athlete that accomplished something they practice day after day.   What the above text teaches us is that the ultimate exhilaration, exuberance and excitement is reserved for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.   Psalm 147 is about praising God.   At the outset of the song we are told specifically to praise Him:

Psalms 147:1 (ESV)

1 Praise the LORD!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.

In the above section we see why we are to praise Him.  He is the provision for the earth.   The earth is upheld by the Word of Christ’s power:

Hebrews 1:3 (ESV)

3 ... and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

God does not delight in the things that we think are powerful.   The author mentions horses because in their day that was the most powerful beast they could control and utilize for war.   His point is that God does not delight in our strength.   He does not look for the strong.  Note:

1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)

7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 (ESV)

26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;

Rejoice in the weakness we bring to the table of God.  He and He alone turns our weakness into His praise through His power.  

God Uses Man’s Desire for Glory to Accomplish His Glory - Esther 1-5

 Esther 1:1-7 (ESV Strong's)

The King's Banquets

1 Now in the days of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces, 2 in those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne in Susa, the citadel, 3 in the third year of his reign he gave a feast for all his officials and servants. The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of the provinces were before him, 4 while he showed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor and pomp of his greatness for many days, 180 days. 5 And when these days were completed, the king gave for all the people present in Susa the citadel, both great and small, a feast lasting for seven days in the court of the garden of the king's palace. 6 There were white cotton curtains and violet hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rods and marble pillars, and also couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels, vessels of different kinds, and the royal wine was lavished according to the bounty of the king.

God Uses Man’s Desire for Glory to Accomplish His Glory

Everyone likes a party.   Imagine a party for six months.  Imagine a party for six months you and only special friends of high power and influence are invited to attend.   Imagine that same party followed about another week of party for everyone in the nation?   This was the above scene.   The King loved to show off his power and his influence.   He had military leaders, political figures and servants attend this six months ordeal.   Because the common citizen was left out of the six month party, Ahasuerus gave a week long party, just for the rest of the citizens of his kingdom.   We have no way to relate to such a celebration.   

Notice the beauty and show the King put on for his guests.  He wanted them to see the pomp and circumstance of his glory.   He was not afraid to selfishly promote his success and his fortune.  

What is missing in this portion of the story is what the book of Esther is all about.   The book of Esther is about God’s sovereign control over the affairs of man to accomplish His divine purpose.   While in captivity the nation of Israel must be kept alive and a remnant must be returned to Israel.  The Messiah is to come from this remnant.   When one of the chief officers of Ahasuerus (Haman ...  who would have attended this party) was offended by one of the Jewish captives (Mordecai), he arranged a plot to destroy the Jews.  Esther is the story about God intervening into this wicked plot to save the Jewish people.   

King Ahasuerus was a people pleaser.   He threw the party to show his significance and please people.  He threw the week-long party to show his significance and please people.   He agreed to Haman’s plot against the Jews to show his significance and please the Haman.   God knows this about mankind and uses those tendencies to accomplish His plans.   God used the party to have Ahasuerus to dump his queen.  He Ahasuerus’ lust and desire for fleshly things to put Easter in the position of queen and have power in the kingdom.  He used the greed and lust for power of Haman to allow the plot against the Jews to formulate so God could show His great glory.  He used a sleepless night of the King to reveal to him the good work of Mordecai.   God uses the celebration of mankind and the lust of mankind to accomplish His plan and to bring Him glory.  

Commissioned to Lead Rebellious Followers - Deuteronomy 29-31

 Deuteronomy 31:14-18 (ESV Strong's)

Joshua Commissioned to Lead Israel

14 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. 15 And the LORD appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

16 And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, you are about to lie down with your fathers. Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods among them in the land that they are entering, and they will forsake me and break my covenant that I have made with them. 17 Then my anger will be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them and hide my face from them, and they will be devoured. And many evils and troubles will come upon them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide my face in that day because of all the evil that they have done, because they have turned to other gods.

Commissioned to Lead Rebellious Followers

Leadership is a unique, two-headed beast.  It is filled with so many blessings and privileges. But, at the same time, it is filled with stress, strife and struggles.  In one breath leaders enjoy the fruit of their labor as they bring their followers into a promise land experience.   It is a mountain top moment.  Yet, in the very next breath they are brought down to the valley of the shadow of death and surrounded by torn flesh and dead bones.  They enjoy the privileges of position and dine at the table of power.   Only later do they realize they have to swallow a decision that makes their stomach ache with bitterness.   

This is the passage we have before us, above.   Moses has lead the nation of Israel through the wilderness for 40 years.  In this passage he is told by God he is about to die.   Joshua will now be the leader.  Imagine Joshua’s mindset.  He has been Moses’ protege for these 40 years.  He and Caleb are the only two left from that first generation. Joshua is chosen over Caleb.   He will replace Moses.  What a thrill!!   Then, God tells him about the followers he is about lead.  He goes from mountain top to valley floor in a single sentence:  “Then this people will rise and whore after the foreign gods ...”.    

Joshua was given a strategic plan.   He was to take them into the promise land, conquer the land, secure the land, divide the land and settle the people in the land.   That was the path before him.  He is equipped by God to complete the tasks (and he does).  Yet, he is to do this with a group of rebellious, selfish and unfocused followers.  This message might have taken the edge off Joshua’s promotion.   He might have even wished Caleb was hearing this and not him.   But, the truth is, leadership for God comes with great power and delight, as well as great problems and despair.   This is why he was told this by God before his leadership started:

Joshua 1:5-7 (ESV Strong's)

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.

God empowers those He chooses for the overwhelming tasks He asks them to complete!!

The Power of a “Collective Call” - 2 John

 2 John 1:13 (ESV Strong's)

13 The children of your elect sister greet you.

The Power of a “Collective Call.” 

In 2 John, John is writing to a church.  We don’t know what church.  We don’t know how big the church is.  We don’t know where the church was.  We only know it is a group of believers.  The reason we know this is that they are called, in the beginning of this little letter, “the elect.”   God has called this group and “elected” them for salvation.  There is much to say about God and election.   This journal entry is not the place for that.   The point to make hear is not about the first verses, to identify the recipients of the letter, but the last verse, those who were sending the letter ... along with John.   John, as we know, is soon to be exiled to a small island because of his faith in Christ (Revelation 1).   He is, here, writing as the “elder.”   John’s importance in the church cannot be understated.   He was told by Christ that he would live to proclaim Christ for awhile (John 21:20-25).   In the above text we see that John is connecting those he is with (the elect) with those he is writing to (the elect).  The Body of Christ is for the elect.   We have a connection and a “collective call” that unites us.   John, in this little letter, is making sure that one group of the elect does not get lead astray and abandon the truths that the other group of elect believers were teaching.   Satan is trying to separate the elect.   This letter is a beautiful picture of the Body of Christ fighting that fight against false teaching to keep the elect as one body.   

Respect Authority - Acts 23-24

 Acts 23:1-5 (ESV Strong's)

1 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” 4 Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God's high priest?” 5 And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

Respect Authority 

Paul respected authority ... at least the authority he knew that was the authority.   We find Paul constantly respectful of the authorities he spoke to (Acts 15, 17,  19, 21, 22, 24, 25).   He had every right to claim his rights (and did ... Acts 22:28).   He could have claimed his apostleship, but didn’t (1 Corinthians 15:9).  There were times he claimed his apostleship and authority (2 Corinthians 10-13).  But, he was ready to recognize that God puts people in authority.  In the above text we see him actually respectful to those who are accusing him.   Paul understood God divine order.   God knew the reference the “council” was referring to and submitted himself to it.  

Exodus 22:28

(ESV Strong's) “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.

God has placed others in authority.  He does this according to His divine plan.  We are to recognize authority in our lives and live in a way that honors the authority and God.  Yes, there are times we have to make a choice (Acts 5:29).   But, when we study Scripture there are an exceeding amount of times that believers followed the authority God put in place as compared to those when they did not (Abraham, Moses, David, Daniel, Nehemiah, Joseph).    Solomon recognized authority and speaks much to the relationship we have with the “king.”  This passage is not directly in line with those references, but is a good proverb to remember when we are working under abusive authority (like Paul was, above):

Proverbs 16:7 (ESV Strong's)

7 When a man's ways please the LORD,

he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Paul said it this way:

Romans 12:18 (ESV Strong's)

18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all, 

We have to remember that that verse in Romans was writing in the context of those who are wronging you and in the context of civil government.   God wants us to honor authority.   That is how we honor His authority.   

God is Specific with His Plan - Revelation 6-11

 Revelation 9:13-19 (ESV Strong's)

13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. 17 And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions' heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.

God is Specific with His Plan

In Revelation 8-11 the seven angels are opening the seven seals and announcing the events mentioned in the seals with seven trumpets.  The trumpets sound with the events that are sealed are released.   In the above passage the sixth seal is opened and the trumpet sounds.    In the above, sixth trumpet, the thousands of “troops” (angels) are released upon the earth.  They will release three plaques that will kill one-third of the earth’s population.    God is serious about sin in the world and judgment will come.  Those seal and trumpet is part of that judgment.  Note the specificities of the seal being broken and the disaster being released upon the earth.   God, from eternity past, planned for this seal to be broken and announced by the sixth trumpet at an EXACT hour, day, week, month and year.   God “determined” when this would happen.  Nothing in this world is happening that has not been designated by an hour, a day, a month and a year.   Through John’s writings, God is telling us something about the end times, and, more importantly, about Himself.  The events of the world do not unfold by chance.  The events that are happening at this very moment are being orchestrated by God, through His Holy angels, to prepare the end of the world for the entrance of His Son.  The Son will take ownership of God’s creation.  This will happen on a specific hour, day, month and year.   These are events in history.  Just like we memorialize our birth day by day, month and year, God is setting up His Kingdom with even more specificity.   As believers we should rejoice in this exactness of God’s plan.  

Love Between Lovers is Fragile - Song of Solomon 3-4

 Song of Songs 3:5 (ESV Strong's)

5 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

by the gazelles or the does of the field,

that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

Love Between Lovers is Fragile 

Note that this verse is a repeat of the same prior statement:

Song of Songs 2:7 (ESV Strong's)

7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

by the gazelles or the does of the field,

that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

It is also repeated here, in some modification:

Song of Songs 5:8 (ESV Strong's)

8 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

if you find my beloved,

that you tell him

I am sick with love.

Song of Songs 8:4 (ESV Strong's)

4 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

There are difference of interpretation of this verse.  Some say the verse is telling the “daughters of Jerusalem (the bridesmaids?) to not to disturb the two lovers while they are making love.   Others would state they are saying not to “stir up” love until it is time for the couple to make love ... don’t rush the process.   Whatever interpretation you take it is quite evident that there is a fragility about love.  It is not to be handled lightly.  It is not to be rushed about or into or out of.  The love that we are reading about is probably more mentioning the physical aspect of a married couple, more than the spiritual or emotional love between the two.   The urgency of the plea makes it clear that those around the two lovers are to not be involved and to stay their distance and to not interfere.   This love is intimate. It is between the two.  It is not to be trifled with by outsiders. It is precious to the two.   It is fragile.   It has a specific moment in time.   We are to treat this physical love between the married couple with respect, honor and privacy.   That is honoring God.   

What is Man that God Regards Him? - Psalms 143-145

 Psalms 144:3-4 (ESV Strong's)

3 O LORD, what is man that you regard him,

or the son of man that you think of him?

4 Man is like a breath;

his days are like a passing shadow.

What is Man that God Regards Him?

If you talk to man you would think that man is the center of the universe.  That is certainly true for my kids in junior high and high school.  They believe the world centers around them.   When have you seen a high school graduate NOT obsessed with themselves?  That, of course, flows onto adulthood and we find people of every sorts who believe they are the THING.   In the above verses the writer of this song confesses a completely different frame of mind.  He regards man as very low and simply wonders out loud, why does God even consider man?  The writer (King David) certainly knows the story of man’s creation.  He knows that God created man and gave him dominion over all the other aspects of creation.   David knows that my is significant to God since it would be through David that God would send a Messiah, His only Son, to redeem man.  He knows that God so loved the world that He planned man’s salvation from the beginning of the world.  But, this is exactly why he writes what he writes.  He is saying to God, “Why on earth would you do all that for man? We are so lowly!  We are but a breath and a passing shadow!!”   What we see is David looking through his own lens and realizes he has no worth, except that God “regards” him.  Remember, this is the same David who committed adultery and conspired a murder.   This is why David thinks the way he thinks.   David knows that man is not worthy of God’s gracious acts of kindness (which is what this psalm is about).  David knows he is the prime example of his own thoughts about man’s unworthy nature.  Yet, God does love us. Yet, God does think of us.  Yet, despite our flaws, God is gracious to us.   We can rejoice that God takes more than a brief moment to “regard” us.  In fact, God watches over each of His children moment by moment.   God actually regards us and thinks of us each moment.  

Standing Up to Sin - Nehemiah 10-13

 Nehemiah 13:19-22 (ESV Strong's)

19 As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

Standing Up to Sin

Nehemiah, in the beginning of the book, returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls.  That was his goal.  Ezra returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple.   Together, these men we ultimately charged with rebuilding spiritual worship to God in the hearts of the people.  Nehemiah took a trip by to Assyria at the request of King Artaxerxes.  It was Artaxerxes that allowed him to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.  Upon his return, however, and despite the public commitment to obey all of God’s word (see chapter 10), the people had once again started to fall into the trap of sin.   It was something easy.  They simply decided to do their shopping on the Sabbath.    Notice what Nehemiah said to them prior to the above account:

Nehemiah 13:17-18 (ESV Strong's)

17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and saw his loved ones committing the very same sins that put them in captivity to men like Artaxerxes.   Rather than be quite, Nehemiah said something.  Rather than stay focused on his missions (building the city walls ... which, by most accounts had been accomplished), Nehemiah took on a new task: Rebuilding the spiritual lives of his brothers.   Paul tells believers to have the same concern in the book of Galatians:

Galatians 6:1-2 (ESV Strong's)

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

We ought not stand by and let those who claim to love God, disobey His Word.   That is not love for your brother.   That is protection of self.   Real love stands up to sin and is willing to stand in the gap to prevent sin from continuing.  

Position is a Blessing from God - Deuteronomy 26-28

 Deuteronomy 28:43-44 (ESV Strong's)

43 The sojourner who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.

Position is a Blessing from God

The above passage is taken from chapter 28 of Deuteronomy.   Chapter 28 is a very important text to the nation of Israel and to us, as partakes of the New Covenant.   When God makes a covenant with someone it is a contract.  It is based upon what God says He will do and on what we are supposed to do to make complete the agreement of the covenant.  We should think of covenants as contracts, where each party has an obligation to the contract. God has always had a overarching covenant of “works” for man.  When Adam was put in the garden he was told to care for it and NOT eat of the fruit from a certain tree.  The covenant was that if he did this, God would continue to care for him and bless him.  He broke that covenant.  God has made many covenants with man. They are almost all based upon a “do this and this will happen” relationship.  The above text is that type covenant.  But, the above text is saying what will happen if the nation of Israel DOES NOT keep its end of the covenant.  Chapter 28 is the “blessings” if you keep the covenant and the “cursing” if you don’t.  Israel will NOT keep the covenant (they never kept one) and therefore they suffered the curses.  The above curse is that God will set others over them.  The key thought is that God sets positions.  If we have a “position” in life, it is because God gave it to us.   God controls all positions and postures of life.  Scripture states He makes the rich and the poor (Proverbs 22:2).  God sets up rulers and followers (Daniel 2:21).   In the New Covenant, God does all the work.  He writes his laws on our hearts and minds and then, through His Spirit, completes them in our lives (this is the Gospel).  Read Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 36 or Hebrews 8:10-12 to see these truths.  The key here is to know that God is sovereign over all our deeds and actions.  We don’t promote ourselves.  It is God who establishes positions.  

Love to Obey His Commands - 1 John 4-5

 1 John 5:1-3 (ESV Strong's)

1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Love to Obey His Commands

When you love someone you don’t mind doing what they ask of you.   This is true in every earthly relationship and, as we see above, in the spiritual realm, as well.   When we profess our love for God we can do that verbally.  But, verbally means nothing  if it does not follow through with obedience to God’s commands.  There is no such thing as saving faith that is not connected to an obedient walk.   The issue is NOT if faith and works are part of salvation.  The issue is what order they play.  Note what John Owen, the great Puritan preacher said:

“So let us learn not to satisfy ourselves, nor rest in any acts or duties of obedience, nor in ally good works, how­ever good and useful they may be, which do not arise from this vital principle of holiness in our hearts (Isa. 1: 11-15).”

We are first to be holy, through faith, and then obedient, via His power.   Note what Paul stated:

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (ESV Strong's)

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

In the above passage we see that being “born of God” results in a “love for God” that results in a “obedience to God’s commands.”  There is NO other way for the Gospel to be conducted in one’s life.   When we are “born of God,” this is what happens according to the writer of Hebrews:

Hebrews 8:10 (ESV Strong's)

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws into their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

God is spiritually writing His laws and will on our hearts and minds.  When He does that, it enables us to walk with Him and be His children.  We accept this by faith in Him.   Faith and works of obedience are not separate.   But, one does not work to prove one’s faith.  One works to demonstrate one’s faith.  Faith begins the writing of God’s law on our hearts and minds by the Spirt of God.   That, in turn, allows the Spirit of God to produce works in our lives to obey those laws and that will.   That is the Gospel.  

Unconscious Bias Impacts Justice - Acts 21-22

 Acts 21:27-33 (ESV Strong's)

Paul Arrested in the Temple

27 When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” 29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. 30 Then all the city was stirred up, and the people ran together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. 31 And as they were seeking to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. 32 He at once took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. And when they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33 Then the tribune came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He inquired who he was and what he had done.

Unconscious Bias Impacts Justice

Note the order here:

1. Assumption

2. Arrested

3. Bond

4. Inquire

This is not justice.   

Inquiry by flogging? Acts 22:24 (ESV Strong's)

the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this.

What if the leader would have started here? 

Acts 22:29 (ESV Strong's)

So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Starting with an assumption (a bias) will always lead to wrong process.  The “tribune” (the leader of the Roman military cohort) stated with the crowds assumption.   He saw a crowed stirred up against Paul and his bias kicked in.   He started with an assumption, which led to an arrest, which led to binding Paul in ropes and then he “inquired.”  The inquire was via beating.   That was the Roman way.   Yes, God would use this way to get Paul to Rome.  Yes, God would use this injustice to accomplish His greater plan for Paul.  But, the lesson here is that bias can lead to injustice.    The crowd (mob) had a bias.  The Tribune had a bias.  We ought to be careful of our unconscious bias and how it impacts are justice.  

The Power of the Gospel is in the Persons of the Trinity - Revelation 1-5

 Revelation 1:4-6 (ESV Strong's)

4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Power of the Gospel is in the Persons of the Trinity

We often, when reading a New Testament book, move quickly through the introduction to get to the meat of the writings.   If we do so, we might miss some of the best portions of the letter.  Such is the case in the above text.  It, in truth, tells us who wrote the letter (John) and who it was addressed to (seven churches in Asia ... modern day Turkey).   But, it also tell mentions the three Persons of the Trinity and a powerful description of those who are in the faith (in those seven churches, as well as those who would follow in faith).  Note:

1. John states that we have “grace” from “him who is and who was and who is to come.”  This is God the Father.  God provides grace to us and that grace provides the salvation and power in our lives.   

2. John also states that grace is from the “seven spirits who are before his throne.”  This is the Holy Spirit.  The number seven is the number of perfection.   There is only one Spirit, but in this case John brings out the Spirt in His perfection as a provided of this grace in our lives.   

3.  John saves the Son of God for the last, in this introduction.  The central theme of the book is Christ.   He states, “...  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”   We serve and are empowered by the faithfulness of Christ, who is preeminent in the resurrection and is the sovereign ruler of the universe.   We have nothing to fear when we understand the power, position and provision of Christ.   

John ends this introduction with the essence of the Gospel:

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Through the love of God, the power of the Spirt and the blood of Christ we have been set free from sin, becomes priests to God and can worship and give glory and dominion to God, via the Son’s blood, forever and ever.   

This is why we ought not skip through the introduction.  The rest of the book of The Revelation is hung on these truths.  We serve an  awesome God through the power of the perfect Spirit, via the blood of the sacrificial Son.   

The Gift of Loving and Being in Love - Song of Solomon 1-2

 Song of Songs 2:3-7 (ESV Strong's)

3 As an apple tree among the trees of the forest,

so is my beloved among the young men.

With great delight I sat in his shadow,

and his fruit was sweet to my taste.

4 He brought me to the banqueting house,

and his banner over me was love.

5 Sustain me with raisins;

refresh me with apples,

for I am sick with love.

6 His left hand is under my head,

and his right hand embraces me!

7 I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,

by the gazelles or the does of the field,

that you not stir up or awaken love

until it pleases.

The Gift of Loving and Being in Love

Song of Solomon is a love song between a man (Solomon) and his wife-to-be (the Shulammite woman mentioned in 6:13).  It is a collection of poems and love songs celebrating their love and intimacy.   The above section is one of the most intimate descriptions of the love between them. It should be read metaphorically and symbolically about the interaction of their love.  It could be understood in a relational manner, or, to some, even in a sexual manner.   The word pictures are amazing when used to describe the unending, unconditional love between these two lovers.   The main and clear message is that love between a husband and a wife ought be to enjoyed and expressed. Although this section is spoke by the woman to the man, it ought to be understood as the common thread of their love for each other.   Note what is tells us:

1. The Uniqueness of your lover (v. 3a):  He is described by the woman as an “apple tree among the trees of the forest.”  There was a common apple tree in the Middle East during Solomon’s days.  However, she is speaking to him as an “apple tree” among all other trees.  She sees him as unique (we will see more, why in a moment).  The point of this verse is that are many “trees” but she takes the time to observe his uniqueness.   She does not see him as “like all the rest.”  She is in love with his idiosyncrasies ... she does not want to conform him to look like the others.  She embraces that he is not like the others. 

2.  The Protection of your lover (v. 3b): She states she sat “under the shadow” of the apple tree. She is not content to simply pass by it.  She takes time to linger under the breath of its branches and, in the extreme heat of the day, finds a place to find shelter.  The spouse ought to be that place for the other.   A place in the shadow, away from the heat of life.   

3.  The Satisfaction for your lover (v. 3c):  Although we should never make our lover the person who fills the hole in our lives (that is for Christ alone), the statement that “his fruit is sweet to my taste,” tells us that the spouse satisfies.   Point number three is only possible when you embrace numbers one and two, however.   When you see your lover as the unique person they are and that they provide that shadow from the heat, you can relax and be satisfied with them and enjoy the sweet tastes of their love. 

4.  There is an Identity with your lover (v. 4).  The word picture of bringing the lover into a banquet house and displaying a banner over her, is understood best through the Mideast lens.  The “banner” would be the man’s insignia or family crest.  The “banner” was what the army displayed in the say of a flag as they went forth to conquer.  The confession of the lover here is that she is welcoming to be included and identified with him.   The modern day equivalent would be taking on the last name of the lover.   The deeper meaning is that you are welcoming the thought of indemnifying yourself with this person for the rest of your life.   

5.  The Sustenance from your lover (v. 5).  The Hebrew word for “sustain” in verse five is, sâmaḵ. It means to “lean upon” or “lay upon.”   The thought here is that the lover ought to be able to lean into their lover for sustenance.  The “apple” is returned from verse three as a source of that sustenance.  The raisin (a delicacy in the Middle East) is included.  The lover doesn’t need to wander because they find great sustenance in their spouse.  

6.  The Comfort of touch from your love (v. 6).  Great research has been done on the power of touch.   The warmth of touch to a baby surpasses all other comforts for the child.  The warm touch to the elder as they sleep off to glory is said to be one of the most powerful of all touches, even sparking life through death.  Touch is amazing.   The “embrace” spoken of here gives us our greatest sense of intimacy between the two. It does not have to be sexual and, in fact, does not say that.  It simply talks about the power of touch and the comfort of knowing you can reach across the empty space and feel warmth.  

7.  The Timing of love for your lover (v. 7).  The Shulammite implores all others to recognize the beauty and timing of love.  Before all creation (gazelles and the doe) she “adjures” (asking them to commit an oath) to “not stir up or awaken love until it pleases.”  There are many interpretations for that phrase, but the one common thread is that love has timing.   One cannot rush into love nor miss the opportunity for love.  Love is always ready but never to be common.  It is not to be taken for granted. It has a special timing and a special moment.   

We have to remember that this poem is often a metaphor for our relationship with Christ. All of this could be compared to the “I am” statements of Christ.  He is our Way, our Bread, our Shepherd, our Life, our Door, our Living Water.  He is our love.  We should never allow another to take His place.  But, the love that God ushers into our lives is for the soul purpose of giving us a way to understand that love and express that love.   

Thankfulness in His Presence During Evil Times - Psalms 140-142

 Psalms 140:13 (ESV Strong's)

13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;

the upright shall dwell in your presence.

Thankfulness in His Presence 

To fully grasp this single line out of the song of psalm 140, we have to remember the them of the song and David’s situation.  This verse is the last stanza of the song.  Note the first strophe:

Psalms 140:1 (ESV Strong's)

1 Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men;

preserve me from violent men,

In verse one David finds himself surrounded by “perverse and violent men.”  In the last verse he finds himself in the presence of God.  What happens in between?    That is the key to appreciating and saying with David, “surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name.”   As we read through the lines of the song here is what we read:

1.  David conveys to God that he is surrounded by people who are planning evil in their hearts against him (vs 1-3).   He knows their evil hearts because they convey it with their venomous lips.  

2. David pleads for God’s protection agains the plans that evil men have for him.   God has given him wisdom to see the traps that have been laid out in front of him by these violent men (vs 4-5).

3.  David reminds God of his commitment to their relationship and of God’s strength and power to defeat these evil plots (vs 6-8).   David does not attempt to defeat these people by his strength and power, but by God’s protection and intervention. 

4. David prays that those who are violent and evil will not infiltrate the land (vs 9-11).   David does not want evil to win the day.   David asks for God intervention on anyone that might attempt to pollute the land.  David calls down the evil that violent men desire to fall upon their own heads.  

5. David turns to his theology and puts his trust in the perseverance of the saints based upon the sovereignty of God (vs 12).  Note the verse:

Psalms 140:12 (ESV Strong's)

12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

and will execute justice for the needy.

This is why David can end such a difficult situation in his life, expressed in prayer, with a thanksgiving to God.   David is not blind to the evils around him.  He is not putting his head in the sand and simply hoping it will all go away.  David is rejoicing in the power of God, the compassion of God for His saints and the presence of God in his life to intervene.  That is a reason to thank God.   

Does God Forget Our Good Works - Nehemiah 5-10

 Nehemiah 5:19 (ESV Strong's)

19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

Will God Remember Our Good Deeds? 

In the above verse, Nehemiah, the governor of the returning remnant asks God to remember the good deed that he was doing in the midst of the people.   Nehemiah was sent to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.  The work was gigantic and the obstacles even bigger.  The resistance was constant and personal.   Yet, Nehemiah continued to persevere.   The above verse is not the only time he asks God to remember his good deeds.  Note:

Nehemiah 13:14 (ESV Strong's) 

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

Nehemiah 13:22 (ESV Strong's) 

22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

Nehemiah 13:31 (ESV Strong's) 

31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.

Remember me, O my God, for good.

He even asks God to remember how the bad deeds of his enemies had tried to slow the work:

Nehemiah 6:14 (ESV Strong's)

14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

It should be noted that God DOES NOT FORGET.   In fact, the writer of Hebrews states this explicitly:

Hebrews 6:10 (ESV Strong's)

10 For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.

Those works that we do for the “love of the name of Christ” will never be forgotten or overlooked by God.   God is NOT unjust to overlook our work.   God remembers our situations and our work and His covenants with us:

Genesis 8:1 (ESV Strong's)

1 But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided.

Genesis 9:15 (ESV Strong's)

15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. And the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh.

So, when then did Nehemiah pray earnestly for God TO remember?   This was not a reminder to God as though He would forget, but more of a reminder to God in regard to the background of those accusing Nehemiah of no good and of little integrity.  Nehemiah’s enemies tried to disparage him.   That is the context in each of these “reminders.”  As we read the book the author (Nehemiah) is drawing a contrast between His motives and the motives of his attackers.   Nehemiah knows that God will not forget His good works.  Nehemiah does not know if the words of his enemies will be believed over and against those good works.  So, Nehemiah simply commits his works to God and allows God to be his defense.  Here is how Peter said it in his epistle to the church:

1 Peter 2:21-23 (ESV Strong's)

21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.

Nehemiah committed himself to “Him who judges justly.”  That was the purpose of the reminder to God.