Shouldering the Weight of the People - Exodus 37-40

Shouldering the Weight of the People

Exodus 39:6-7 (ESV)

6 They made the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold filigree, and engraved like the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the sons of Israel. 7 And he set them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

The “ephod” was a garment that the priest would wear as they ministered before the Lord.  It was significant in that it bore (on the shoulder positions of the garment) two “onyx” stones.  Engraved on the stones were the names of the twelve tribes of Israel; six on one shoulder and six on the other.   The picture here was the when the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies to offer a sacrifice to God, the Priest carried the weight of the sins of the people on his shoulders.   He was there to represent them before God.   Remember, the High Priests breastplate was worn over the top of the ephod.   On the breastplate there were also rows of different types of stones, each representing the twelve tribes.   The priest had the responsibility of bare the weight of the people as he ministered.  This is significant because Christ became our High Priest and carried our sins on His shoulder.  All the material and design of the Tabernacle was to point to the finish work of Christ.   He shouldered the weight of our sin on His shoulder.  Our names are ascribed in heaven as He carried our sins to the cross to have them paid for by the wrath of God.   He shouldered our sin.  

God Changes Us and How Others View Us! - Galatians 1-3

God Changes Us and How Others View Us!

Galatians 1:18-24 (ESV)

18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord's brother. 20 (In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21 Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22 And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they glorified God because of me.

To fully appreciate the above passage we have to recall that Paul was at one time a persecutor of the church.  When Steven, in Acts 7, was preaching and then stoned by the Jews and religious leaders, it states that Paul was standing by, approving, and holding the coats of those who threw the stones.   Paul thought it was his mission in life to persecute those who worshipped Christ and, in turn, diminished the power of the Synagogue.    That is the backdrop for what we see above.    Yet, after his salvation on the Damascus Road, Paul spent several years learning and understanding and studying God’s word.   It was only have that time that God moved him into ministry.   There was a time of seasoning for the ministry and then there was his season of time for his ministry.   God always takes time to season us.   But, not only did God change Paul during that time, God also had to change the hearts of the church.  The church, prior to Paul’s conversion, was terrified of a Paul.   They were, naturally, suspicious of his confession.  They probably wondered if he was just playing the part to add to his persecution of them.   But, Paul was genuine.  God had to change Paul’s heart to demonstrate it and He had to change their heart to accept it.   God is in the process of changing our hears and the hearts of those who previously had thought differently about us.  In the end, it was God who was glorified!  That is the point of reconciliation and God’s work in our lives.   God wants to ultimately bring glory to Himself through the work He does in our hearts.  

Employee Benefit Program - Luke 7-8

Employee Benefit Program

Luke 7:1-10 (ESV)

1 After he had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 Now a centurion had a servant who was sick and at the point of death, who was highly valued by him. 3 When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they pleaded with him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, 5 for he loves our nation, and he is the one who built us our synagogue.” 6 And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. 8 For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” 10 And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well.

This is a classic example of establishing an employee benefit program.   The Centurion was not just saying he would take care of his employee (the servant), he put his money where is faith is.   We have to love this story from a leadership point-of-view.    The Centurion would not be Jewish.   He was a Roman solider, probably in charge of a 100 soldiers. In a Roman Legion there were 6,000 men.  Those men were divided into six cohorts and each cohort would have 100 men.  A Centurion would be placed over each 100 men.   There were only 60 Centurions in the entire Roman army.   So, this man was of quite prominence.   Yet, he had a servant “who was highly valued by him.”    It could be imagined that this man was quite busy each day.  There was no doubt that the Centurion was pulled, daily, in multiple directions while being responsible for 100 soldiers.  Yet, this one servant was, in this story, his sole focus.  He decided to give him full medical coverage ... through the healing of Christ.    To accomplish this tasks, however, he goes through an intermediary and some friends.   He realizes he is a Roman citizen and Jesus is a Jewish prophet.   It is doubtful he is looking at this from a political focus, however.   There seems to be a real sense of humility.  He recognizes the authority of Christ and he recognizes his own authority.   He does not exert his authority, however.   He is genuinely a humble man.  This is why he valued his servant.   Here you have one of the most powerful men in the region and he humbles himself to come to Christ on behalf of his servant.  This might be one of the best examples of a leader, humbling themselves in prayer, to cover his/her employee with Christ’s power and grace.   If we want to value our employees, we ought to be put our value where our faith is.   We can use our power in Christ, through prayer, to cover our employees and has for Christ’s guidance and help in securing a better life for those employees.   Imagine if an employee came to a leader and asked, “Do you value me?”   Imagine the leader’s response saying, “Yes, I take your name to Christ each day for your healing and success.”    That is real humble leadership with an employee benefit program.  

God Uses Evil Nations - Jeremiah 47-52

God Uses Evil Nations

Jeremiah 51:7-8 (ESV)

7 Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD'S hand,

making all the earth drunken;

the nations drank of her wine;

therefore the nations went mad.

8 Suddenly Babylon has fallen and been broken;

wail for her!

Take balm for her pain;

perhaps she may be healed.

One of the hardest things for us to think about in the context of government is the power and prevalence of evil leaders.  It just does not sit with us.  When we think of the Hitlers of this world, we have to wonder what God is thinking by allowing their devastation to continue.   Yet, in the above verse we find something quite enlightening.   Although God abhors evil and is perfect in His Holiness, He does use evil nations (and their evilness) to accomplish His purposes.   For that to happen all God has to do is remove the power and prominence of His grace.  God’s mercy and grace holds back sin.  If it were not for God’s common grace and mercy the entire world would consume itself.    Remember in Job 1 when Satan wanted to destroy Job, God allowed Satan to do somethings to Job, but he could not take His life.   That is when both the weather and the evilness of mankind came crashing down on Job.  God simply removed His grace from Job’s life, which is what gave Job protection.  God used Babylon as a “golden cup” to cause the nations to become drunk with madness.  The allowed their evilness to come fourth and demonstrate their need for judgment and destruction.   God uses the evilness in man’s heart to bring glory to Himself.   He will, however, “suddenly” bring those same nations to judgment.  God does not permit evil men to lead for long.  Just long enough to accomplish His purpose.   

Life is Simple - Proverbs 1

Life is Simple

Proverbs 1:32-33 (ESV)
32 For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

Chapter one of Proverbs lays out all we need to know about Solomon’s reason for writing the proverbs.  He gives us purpose, strategy, struggle and motivation to make us want to follow the words he is writing.   At the end of this first chapter we find his major premise statement for the entire 900+ proverbs provided in this book.  He boils down the proverbs by helping us understand that their are two types of people who will read them.  The first is the Simpleton.   The second is the Wise.   This is the contrast throughout the book.  He lays out for us his simple take on life:  Obey God’s Word (these proverbs) and life will be great.  Turn away from God’s Word (these proverbs) and life will destroy you.  It is that simple.  We don’t have to think deeper than this.  If we obey God’s Word we can expect blessing.  Note Moses words written centuries before Solomon’s proverbs:

Deuteronomy 28:2 (ESV)
2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.

Notice Moses states that all the blessings of the will “overtake” you.  Notice how David said the same thing in one of his songs.  If we make God our shepherd and follow His words, note the results:

Psalms 23:6 - 24:1 (ESV)
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Solomon had plenty of source material to write these words.   He understood that obedience in faith to God’s Word would bring blessing.  Disobedience to God’s Word would bring destruction.  Life is that simple.  

The Earth Praises God for His Sovereign Care - Psalm 63-65

The Earth Praises God for His Sovereign Care

Psalms 65:9-13 (ESV)
9 You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.

This psalm was written by King David and it starts out by saying the “Praise is due you, O God ...”.   He goes on to write about God’s awesome deeds.  He tells us about how God put the earth together by His “might.”   He states that when the sun comes out in the morning and the moon shines bright in the evening, they “shout of joy.”   In the above passage we read that the pasture lands and the meadows and the valley that is decked with grain, also, “should and sing together for joy.”    We can safely say that David believed that God had so clothed the earth and the universe with His greatness and beauty, that this beauty we see is actually creation shouting for joy.  All creation expresses itself in joy for the creator.  The dove who speaks in the morning is shouting for joy about the Creator.  The wind that blows is shouting praise for the Creator.    The land, the sea, the air, the earth, the rain showers are all shouting praise to God.    It is only humans that remain silent about God’s power and creation.  We are the ones that attempt to steal God’s glory.   This song is telling us and imploring us to sing about God’s praises.  The land, air and sea do so naturally.   So, too, should those who have be created in the likeness of His Son.   

Envy and Desire - 1 Kings 1-4

Envy and Desire 

1 Kings 1:5-10 (ESV)
Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. 7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.

A succession plan is so important in leadership.   King David had one.  He mentioned to Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet that Solomon would be the next king.  But, David did not do anything official.  You would think after the uprising of his son Absolom that David would have learned his lesson.  But, in the above text we see that Absolom’s brother, Adonijah was ready to take over the kingdom.  His envy got the best of him.  He wanted something and although he was not privileged to have it, he still took it upon himself to set the stage for his leadership.   Confusing during transition is one of the most damaging tools Satan uses to disrupt God’s kingdom and God’s people.   Remember, God had a transition plan from Moses to Joshua.   God had a transition plan from the prophet Samuel to the King Saul.  God had a transition plan from King Saul to King David.  And, God had a transition plan from King David to King Solomon.   But, Adonijah did not get the memo.  His envy took over and divided the follower-ship of the kingdom.  In the above text we see some were invited to the party and others were not.   Often you can tell the legitimacy of a meeting by seeing who is NOT invited.   This is the problem with envy.  It divides.   Notice what James tell us:

James 4:1-2 (ESV)
Warning Against Worldliness
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

The lack of an announced succession plan opened the door for envy.  Envy then divided the team.  That is the recipe Satan likes to use for destruction of God’s plans.   

Show Me Your Glory - Exodus 33-36

Show Me Your Glory

Exodus 33:17-23 (ESV)
17 And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18 Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” 19 And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” 21 And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, 22 and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

Moses had a desire to see the glory of God.   Of course, God’s glory is beyond human understanding.   But, it is interesting what God says as a result of Moses’ request.   God does not take him to a mountain to show him the vast beauty of God’s creation.  God does not take him out side the universe to see the galaxies beyond our human sight.   God does not even take him to heaven to see the glories that await Moses.  No, when Moses asked to see God’s glory, God responds by talking about His sovereignty and the doctrine of election.   He states that He will show mercy to who He will show mercy and He will show grace to those He chooses to show grace.   God’s glory is His sovereign choice.   That was His answer to Moses.   Now, later we read that Moses spent 40 days with God and when he came down from the mountain his face glowed so much the nation of Israel were fearful of him.   That, apparently is God’s glory, as well.  But, God does show Moses His glory.  He hides Moses in the cleft of the rock and allows him to see what he can handle.  God will show us His glory.  But, it starts with His sovereign will to choose and to demonstrate His power and love the way He wants.   Election is the prime example of God’s glory.  

God Keeps Us Humble - 2 Corinthians 11-13

God Keeps Us Humble

2 Corinthians 12:7-8 (ESV)
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me.

In the above passage, Paul is in the middle of his argument about his authority and position in the church.  The members of the church at Corinth have been lead astray by “super-apostles.”   Apparently they were eloquent in speech, powerful in delivery and, it seems, charged for their services.   If we read into the passage the Corinthian believers may be disappointed in Paul’s lack of eloquence and, yet, expense to them.   Paul is setting them straight on several fronts.   He lets them know he is not and has not charge them any money and has, in fact, lived off the support of other churches.  He confesses his lacks the eloquent speech, but he overflows with knowledge.  His argument leads him to start to outline for them all the ways he has been persecuted and proved to be an Apostle of the Lord.   He also outlines a short list about his supernatural visions and prophecies.   Here is where we find the above passage.   A man of Paul’s stature in our culture would be flying around in private jets and have multiple homes on different coasts.   But, Paul was not that kind of servant.   He did not want to burden anyone and he did not want to boast.   This is the context of the above.   So that he would NOT boast, God sent some time of “thorn” into Paul’s body.   Paul didn’t complain about it.  He did seek God out multiple times to remove it.  But, at the last, Paul accepted the thorn as a gift from God and something to keep him humble. Most speculate that the thorn was his lost of eyesight.   At his conversion on the Damascus road he as blinded.  Some maintain that God left some of the blindness as the thorn in his side.   Whatever it was, Paul recognized that God used it for his humility.   God needs to humble the most gifted teaching in the Christian faith.   Paul wrote most of the New Testament. He had ever right to boast and be held in high esteem.  But, for support he made tents.  In rank he was the least of the Apostles.   In status he lacked the eloquence of his colleagues.  In preference he was not the most preferred teacher.   Yet, God still needed to make him humble by a thorn in his side.    God sends us pain and difficulty, at times, to keep us humble.   When we want to self promote we have to realize that God wants us to Him promote, ONLY!

God Takes Our Vows Seriously - Jeremiahs 42-46

God Takes Our Vows Seriously

Jeremiah 42:5-6 (ESV)
5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act according to all the word with which the LORD your God sends you to us. 6 Whether it is good or bad, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.”

Those that were left in the land of Judah came to the prophet Jeremiah and wanted to know what God was going to do with them.   They had seen the devastation of their countrymen and did not want the last of the people who were left in the land, to suffer.  They wanted to obey God at all costs.  Hence the above verses.   On the surface this all sounds so good.  However, what we find out, as we read, they had no intention of obeying God.  God was not at the center of their lives.  In ten days, Jeremiah comes to them to tell them to submit to Babylon’s rule.   They are told by the prophet that “God said” they are to not fear the king of Babylon and they are allow him to rule over them.   This is all rubbish to them.   This was not what they wanted to hear.  So, they rebelled against God by going to Egypt, the very place God told them, through Jeremiah, not to go.   They will die there!  They said that God would be a witness between them about what He says and what they do.  They disobeyed, so God would honor their vow.    We ought to be very carful to tell God we will do something and then not do it.   Probably the equivalent of this story in the New Testament is the story in Acts 5 about Ananias and Sapphira.   

Acts 5:1-2 (ESV)
Ananias and Sapphira
1 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

The point of that story is not that they kept back part of the proceeds of the land deal for themselves.  The point of the story is that they lied about it.   They vowed in front of the church that they had sold the land for so much.   God did not need the land.  He did want them to honor their vow.  God takes our word seriously.  We ought not to vow something to God and take it back or not fulfill it.  God honors our vows to Him.   

Trust At All Times - Psalms 60-62

Trust At All Times

Psalms 62:8 (ESV)
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. Selah

We know we should trust in God.   And, we do, for the most part.   We tend to come to God and put our trust in Him when we are facing a great medical challenge.   We trust Him when we are in great conflict and pour out our heart in request for His intervention.   We trust Him when we face great financial burdens.    We, like David in this psalms, trust God when we are under attack from an uncertain enemy.    But, the first does not tell us to trust God in those times.   It tells us to trust Him in all times.   We can’t treat God like a spare tire in our car ... something we need only on rare occasions.   We are to “pour out” our hearts before Him.    God already knows what is in our hearts.  But, we are still instructed to “pour” whatever is in our hearts before Him.   Why?  Because God is our refuge.   God is the place we go for shelter from attacks, from hurt, from challenges, from despair, and/or from situations that have us overwhelmed.   But, He is also our refuge at other times.  He is always there.  Our walking in life ought to be done with Him, verses our running to Him in life when something happens.   His presence throughout the day produces a calmness in our soul that allows us to handle whatever the day may be.  Note what David said in another place:

Psalms 16:7-11 (ESV)
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This is what happens when we set the Lord before us at “all times.”   This is why God is a refuge to us at “all times.”   This is the benefit of trusting God at “all times.”  

Righteous People Grieve Over Their Sin - 2 Samuel 20-24

Righteous People Grieve Over Their Sin

2 Samuel 24:10 (ESV)
The LORD'S Judgment of David's Sin
10 But David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O LORD, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

In chapter 24 we read the story of David’s pride.  He sends out his second in command to number to warriors and fighters and population in his follower-ship.   Anyone knows that you are not a leader unless others are following.  David wanted to know how many were following him.   We read in the first verse in this chapter that this came from his heart, as incited by God:

2 Samuel 24:1 (ESV)
David's Census
1 Again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

The word “incite” means to “prick,” or “seduce.”  It is sometimes translated, “deceive.”    The point is that God tested David with this thought.  David failed the test.   David succumbed to his pride and it brought disaster onto the nation of Israel.   However, just as David’s heart was struck with pride to indulge himself in counting his followers, so, too, was David’s heart sensitive that this was his sin ruling in his life for that moment.  This is the key to understanding out walk with God.  We WILL sin against God.  But, note what happens to the heart of the righteous person:  They are pricked in their heart to repent, as well.   David feels the nudge of God here, as well, and he responds in repentance.   Righteous people will repent from sin.   Righteous people will sin.    But, they will also sense in the heart the offense against God and will repent.  Saul, when tempted to sin by offering as a sacrifice because Samuel delayed did not repent.  He rather made excuses and blamed the people he was leading.    David repented.   

Always Praying - Exodus 30-32

Always Praying

Exodus 30:1 (ESV)
The Altar of Incense
1 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.

The articles of the Tabernacle all served as a purpose for God in His message to the nation of Israel in regard to how they worshiped.   The above text is no exception.  God instructed Moses to build an Alter of Incense that would sit right outside the vail of the Holy of Holies.  Remember, the vail separated the people from God.  It was torn in half when Jesus was crucified, symbolizing that Jesus took away that want separates us from God.  But, while the vail was enacted, there was an Alter of Incense right outside the vail.  Everyone would be able to see it burning.  The priest were to put incense on it in the morning and at night.  It would burn continuously.   This is a picture of the prayers of the saints that go continually before God.   Note these passages of Scripture:

Psalms 141:2 (ESV)
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!

Revelation 5:8 (ESV)
8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

Revelation 8:3-4 (ESV)
3 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, 4 and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)
17 pray without ceasing,

God takes our prayers seriously.  It is great to have a morning prayer time.  It is greater to have a morning, noon and night prayer time.  It is even greater to never stop praying.  It has been well said we should not only have stated prayers, we should constantly be in a state of prayer.   We are the priest of God now, through Christ.   And, as such, we are to burn incense (our prayers) continually before the presence of God.   

Giving is Graceful - 2 Corinthians 8-10

Giving is Graceful 

2 Corinthians 8:1-5 (ESV)
1 We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, 2 for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. 3 For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, 4 begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints— 5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.

A could of the backdrops of the New Testament is the fact that there was a large famine in the land during the building of the church and the church was under extreme persecution for following Christ.  The history is clear on these pressures on the believers.   When we come to chapter eight of this letter we are reading Paul’s instruction about the desire of the Corinthian believers to give to the famine and to aide those who are in persecution (primarily in Jerusalem and, perhaps, Rome).   Paul wants them to be willing to give what they voiced as a desire to do, at least a year earlier:

2 Corinthians 8:10 (ESV)
10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it.

This group of believers had a desire to give to the relief efforts.  In the above passage we read that it was not out of their own abundance, but it was out of their own “severe test of affiliation.”   But, the key to their desire to give was that it came out of an earnest desire “for favor of taking part in the relief of the saints.”    The world “favor” in this verse is the same Greek word used throughout Scripture for “grace.”   To the Corinthian believers it was an act of God’s grace to be able to share what little they had to care for their brothers and sisters in Christ.    It was God’s grace working in their hearts that caused them to have grace to give to others.   Giving is a matter of sharing grace with others.   Grace is giving something to someone when they don’t necessarily deserve it.  It is not something that is earned.  It is something that is freely given.  This shows the power of giving.  It is the perfect example of God’s grace to us as He gave His Son.   Giving is graceful!!   

Good Biblical Exhortation is Meet with Bad Human Response - Luke 3-4

Good Biblical Exhortation is Meet with Bad Human Response

Luke 3:18-20 (ESV)
18 So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. 19 But Herod the tetrarch, who had been reproved by him for Herodias, his brother's wife, and for all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added this to them all, that he locked up John in prison.

The above verse gives us a pattern that was repeated in the Old Testament, continued into the New Testament and has continued throughout church history.   Note John MacArthur’s opening thoughts on this verse:

(MacArthur New Testament Commentary Set (33 Vols.)) Throughout redemptive history fearless preachers have paid the price for boldly confronting sin. It should come as no surprise then that the Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest preacher who ever lived (John 7:46; cf. Matt. 7:28-29), was executed by His enemies. According to traditions (of varying reliability) handed down from the early church, the same fate befell all of the apostles except for John, who was exiled to Patmos. Peter was crucified (upside down, at his request, because he felt unworthy to be crucified as his Lord had been [Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, III, 1]). His brother Andrew reportedly was also crucified; tied instead of nailed to the cross to prolong his suffering. James the brother of John is the only apostle whose death is recorded in Scripture; he was executed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2). Philip was said to have been stoned to death in Asia Minor, but not before multitudes came to faith in Christ through his preaching. The traditions vary concerning how Philip’s close companion Nathanael (Bartholomew) died. Some say he was bound and thrown into the sea, others that he was crucified. Matthew may have been burned at the stake. Thomas likely reached India, where some traditions say he was killed with a spear. According to the apocryphal Martyrdom of James, James the son of Alphaeus was stoned to death by the Jews for preaching Christ. Simon the Zealot, according to some traditions, preached the gospel in Egypt, North Africa, and Persia, where he was martyred by being sawn in two. Other traditions place his ministry in Britain, where he was eventually crucified by the Romans. Thaddeus (also known as Judas the son of James [Luke 6:16]) reportedly took the gospel message to what is now modern Turkey, where he was clubbed to death. Paul was likely beheaded at Rome during Nero’s persecution of the church. The New Testament also records the martyrdoms of the fearless evangelist Stephen (Acts 7:58-60) and Antipas, a faithful pastor of the church at Smyrna (Rev. 2:13).

Good exhortation will always be meet with wicked responses.   Mankind resists God’s message and takes it out on God’s messenger.   Those who speak truth will confront error.   Those who want to continue in error will do whatever they have to to stop truth from being spoken.  Those who speak God’s word must be prepared to meet the vile of the world.   Good preaching is always met with bad response.   In fact, it is an indicator of that the good preaching is actually good ... by God’s goodness.  

Secret Faith is No Faith - Jeremiah 37-41

Secret Faith is No Faith

Jeremiah 37:1-3 (ESV)
1 Zedekiah the son of Josiah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah, reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim. 2 But neither he nor his servants nor the people of the land listened to the words of the LORD that he spoke through Jeremiah the prophet.
3 King Zedekiah sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the priest, the son of Maaseiah, to Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “Please pray for us to the LORD our God.”

In the above passage we are reading the final account of Judah, as Babylon begins its final attack on Jerusalem.   Zedekiah is now the King, but he is a weak leader.   The account tells us that Zedekiah did not “listen” to the prophet Jeremiah.   Yet, note verse three above.  Zedekiah did send someone secretly find out from Jeremiah the Word of the Lord.    This would not be the only time he does that:

Jeremiah 37:16-17 (ESV)
16 When Jeremiah had come to the dungeon cells and remained there many days, 17 King Zedekiah sent for him and received him. The king questioned him secretly in his house and said, “Is there any word from the LORD?” Jeremiah said, “There is.” Then he said, “You shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon.”

Jeremiah 38:14-16 (ESV)
Jeremiah Warns Zedekiah Again
14 King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah the prophet and received him at the third entrance of the temple of the LORD. The king said to Jeremiah, “I will ask you a question; hide nothing from me.” 15 Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.” 16 Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”

Jeremiah 38:24-26 (ESV)
24 Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “Let no one know of these words, and you shall not die. 25 If the officials hear that I have spoken with you and come to you and say to you, ‘Tell us what you said to the king and what the king said to you; hide nothing from us and we will not put you to death,’ 26 then you shall say to them, ‘I made a humble plea to the king that he would not send me back to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”

Zedekiah was “interested” in what God had to say, but not “committed” to being a follower of God.  Rather than be public with his faith and live his faith out loud, he preferred to do all this in secret.  He had a “fear of man” syndrome.  Note:

Jeremiah 38:19 (ESV)
19 King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, “I am afraid of the Judeans who have deserted to the Chaldeans, lest I be handed over to them and they deal cruelly with me.”

Remember what Solomon told us years earlier in the book of Proverbs:

Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)
25 The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.

When we fear man more than God we will be secret in our faith.   Being secret in our faith does not show complete loyalty to God.  Remember, God wants our complete loyalty.   He stated in the first commandment that we are NOT to have any other gods before us.   Zedekiah had the god of “mankind” as his god.   He had secret faith ... or, no faith at all.  

What do we really know? - Job 38-39

What do we really know?

Job 39:26-30 (ESV)
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars
and spreads his wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up
and makes his nest on high?
28 On the rock he dwells and makes his home,
on the rocky crag and stronghold.
29 From there he spies out the prey;
his eyes behold it from far away.
30 His young ones suck up blood,
and where the slain are, there is he.”

In this section of the book of Job, God has finally broken his silence and is speaking directly to Job.  Up to this point, Job and his three friends, as well as the fourth friend, Elihu, have you given wisdom to each other in a debate forum.  Each has tried to explain jobs suffering. Each have failed. Elihu has come the closest of all of them, as he has focus their attention on the character of God.  In the remaining chapters, Job will hear from God himself. Although God responds, he never does give an answer to Job in regard to his suffering. What he does do, is draw Jobes attention to his own majesty. Elihu attempted to do the same thing. But this time it is in a very words of God.  In chapter 39, God simply shows Job his inadequacies. Although Job and his friends thought they were wise men, God simply ask them some very simple questions, that they had no answer for. The above, his example of one of those series of probing questions to reveal Job’s lack of deep knowledge.  The questions that God ask Job in this series, are not that profound. God simply wants to know what makes the eagle and the hawk fly the way they do.  The implication is that God is the one who does these things. Yet, Job is focused on his own suffering. He is not unlike us. The God’s answer to suffering, God’s answer to depression, God’s answer to mental struggles, is to focus on the majesty, the character, and the awesomeness of God.   Whereas a Job and his friends focused on the things of the earth, they focus on the problem, God focused their eyes on Him.  When Elijah was depressed, God focused his eyes on the character of God, as well.  When the prophet Isaiah and Jeremiah where depressed, God focus their eyes on Him.  The answer for our mental struggle, is the theology of God.

Rulers Are Judged - Psalms 57-59

Rulers Are Judged

Psalms 58:1-3 (ESV)
God Who Judges the Earth
TO THE CHOIRMASTER: ACCORDING TO DO NOT DESTROY. A MIKTAM OF DAVID.
1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods?
Do you judge the children of man uprightly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs;
your hands deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb;
they go astray from birth, speaking lies.

Psalm 58 is a psalm about the judgement that is going to be meet on those who rule over mankind, but do so wickedly.   In the first three verses it is mentioned who these wicked are and what they have done in their positions of authority.   Often in the Psalms and in the Old. Testament, the “gods” written about can be spiritual, as in demonic hosts.   But, in the case of Psalms 58, we read in verse three that they are “from the womb” and have gone astray “from birth.”  This song is clearly being written to address human leaders who judge the people in a wicked way from their “hearts.”   The rest of the psalm outlines their destruction.   Or, at least the destruction that David is praying down upon them.   We don’t know the time frame of this.   It could be when Saul was hunting him down like a dead dog.   It could be the time his own son, Absalom, formed a coup and pursued him with armies.   We simply don’t know.  What we do know is that the rulers of the world, who devise wickedness in their heart, will be judged by God.  Rulers think they rule and are untouchable by anyone.  Yet, God holds their plight in His hands.   David simply prayers that God will, according to His power, judge those who judge wickedly and devise mischief in their hearts for those they lead.   In our country elections can be a tool to unset a leader.   But, in God’s world, God simply removes them and judges them.  

Grieving Over a Rebellious Son - 2 Samuel 15-19

Grieving Over a Rebellious Son

2 Samuel 18:31-33 (ESV)
David's Grief
31 And behold, the Cushite came, and the Cushite said, “Good news for my lord the king! For the LORD has delivered you this day from the hand of all who rose up against you.” 32 The king said to the Cushite, “Is it well with the young man Absalom?” And the Cushite answered, “May the enemies of my lord the king and all who rise up against you for evil be like that young man.” 33 And the king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!”

The above passage comes at the end of several chapters that tell the story of David’s son, Absalom, and his rebellion against his father David.  Absalom tried to take over the kingdom.  During the process he did some evil things to show his despite for his father King David.  David was run out of the city of Jerusalem and Absalom tried to steal the hearts of the people.  When the coup was over, Absalom was struck dead by David’s commander, Joan.  The above verses are David’s response to hearing the news about the death of Absalom.  Note David’s extreme grief.   He will be chiding for this grief by Joab, later, however:

2 Samuel 19:5-6 (ESV)
5 Then Joab came into the house to the king and said, “You have today covered with shame the faces of all your servants, who have this day saved your life and the lives of your sons and your daughters and the lives of your wives and your concubines, 6 because you love those who hate you and hate those who love you. For you have made it clear today that commanders and servants are nothing to you, for today I know that if Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be pleased.

There is, however, real grief for a father and mother who have found their children rebelling.  Note what David’s other son, Solomon, will say about this later. Perhaps he was thinking of his half-brother Absalom when he wrote these proverbs:

Proverbs 10:1 (ESV)
1 The proverbs of Solomon.
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

Proverbs 19:26 (ESV)
26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.

Proverbs 19:26 (ESV)
26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.

David had real grief over his rebellious son.  This was a son that wanted to kill him.   Yet, David grieved his loss.  Parents who have rebellious children know the pain that this can cause in the heart.   David had free expression of it.  But, he stepped over the line, forgetting those who did love him and honored him.  Note what Jesus tells us about our walk with him in this regard:

Matthew 12:46-50 (ESV)
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his mother and his brothers stood outside, asking to speak to him. 48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

Jesus knows that if we follow Him we will be rejected by mankind.  This is what happened to David.  Absalom did not reject David, his father, he rejected God, his Heavenly Father.   If our children rejects us and rebel against us, let it be for our walk with the Lord and not simply fighting over worldly things.   

Worship is to Please God - Exodus 25-29

Worship is to Please God

Exodus 29:41 (ESV)
41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD.

In our modern day church worship we are very much concerned that those who attend the worship service “get a lot out of it.”  Our consumer minded approach has caused us to design a worship service that is worshipper-centric vs God-centric.   We very much want to know that the worshipper is pleased.   The struggle with that mindset, however, is that the entire point of worship is to make sure we please God, not ourselves.   In this section of Exodus God has gone to great lengths to describe how to come to Him in worship.   In fact, it might be well noted that God spent only two chapters of the entire Bible to describe the creation of the earth, but entire books on how to worship Him.   You could say that the entire Bible is a story of how we are to worship God.   Yet, we are more concerned that those visiting the church that day have a “valuable experience.”   God is not interested in “our” experience.   God has designed the entire setting of the Tabernacle to bring pleasure to Him.   In fact, when you consider all the animals that were slaughtered on the Day of Atonement, we can put into perspective the “experience” of the worshipper with today’s worship service.   The flow of blood alone, as well as the smell of dead flesh would have turned many away.   But, as the above verse points out, the entire experience was to bring pleasure to God.  The next time we hear a song on the radio or from our favorite artist and we “feel good” and our “foot starts tapping,” we need to remember, that that is okay.  But, that is NOT the point.  We might be pleased with the tune and sound, but we need to ask, “Is God?”   

Co-operate With Him! - 1 Corinthians 6-7

Co-operate With Him!

2 Corinthians 5:21 - 6:1 (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.
1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

It is too bad that those who compiled the Bible put chapter breaks in the letters written to us.  Yes, it bodes well with us finding our place, dividing up our reading practices and/or giving us some basic paragraph breakdowns. But, the damage it that we sometimes don’t connect one chapter with the proceeding set of verses.  In the above case we have a prime example of this problem.   If we simply started reading chapter six, as the Bible reading program show us, we might not realize that 6:1 is a continuation of 5:21.   What Paul JUST said makes what he is ABOUT to say, key.   In 6:1, above, we read that we are to be “working together with him ...”.    But, there is a small Greek preposition translated, “then,” that we might miss in a casual reading.   In essence, Paul is saying, “since” Christ has been made to be our sin and we have been made to be His righteousness, we should “work together” with Him in our faith.   It might be easy to read the word “work” and think this is a system of “good works” we are to do to fulfill and finish our salvation.  But, to read it that way is to miss the key point Paul is making.  He is stating that we have no “righteousness” of our own.   It was given to us by God’s grace.   We, therefore, are to walk along side God in cooperation, through faith, to allow that grace to control us.   Remember, he just wrote that we are to “work with him” but “not to receive the grace of God in vain.”    It is by God’s grace that we cooperate with Him, through faith.   We are to rejoice in God’s grace and allow that grace to produced good works for Him that show us as great ambsssadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).  That is the context we must read 6:1 and not simply start the chapter as though it had no connection.

Ponder the Things of Jesus - Luke 1-2

Ponder the Things of Jesus

Luke 2:19 (ESV)
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

Luke 2:51 (ESV)
51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart.

Mary was a thinker.   When she saw something that intrigued her, she would ponder.  The Greek word in this verses for ponder, according to Vine is:

(Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary) sumballo (συμβάλλω, 4820), lit., “to throw together” (sun, “with,” ballo, “to throw”), is used of “conversation, to discourse or consult together, confer, ...”. 

When we “ponder” we take the events we are seeing and toss them about in our mind.    The Hebrew word for “ponder” in the OT, according to Vine is:

h6424. פָּלַס p̱âlas; a primitive root; properly, to roll flat, i.e. prepare (a road); also to revolve, i.e. weigh (mentally): — make, ponder, weigh.

The Hebrews thought of “pondering” as laying the thoughts in your head flat.  Perhaps the phrase, “level headed” comes from this concept.   The point we see in Mary’s life is that she took time to consider and weigh out the things of Jesus.  She didn’t just past by them.  She didn’t just post the things of her son on social media and let others ponder them.  She pondered them.  She considered what was happening to Jesus and with Jesus and what it must have meant as compared to what God told her earlier:

Luke 1:31-33 (ESV)
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

We have to remember that this is her frame work for these events that unfolding in front of her.   We ought to take time to ponder the events in our lives as they compare to the engagement of God’s kingdom.  We tend to focus on this world through the eyes of this world.  We need to be more focused on the things of this world through the eyes of Christ and His kingdom.    This kingdom, that we live in, will soon be gone.  But, as we ponder this life we can put the events and situations we see in the eyes of God’s Kingdom of which Jesus reigns forever.   Ponder this world through the eyes of Jesus.   

Keep God’s Word and Follow Through in Obedience - Jeremiah 32-36

Keep God’s Word and Follow Through in Obedience

Jeremiah 35:16 (ESV)
16 The sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have kept the command that their father gave them, but this people has not obeyed me.

In chapter 35 of Jeremiah we have the story of the Recabites.   Jonadab’s father, was Rechab.   Rechab made a vow to God to never drink wine and to never live in permanent dwellings.  Throughout their generations of Rechab’s family, they continued to honor and obey Rechab.   This is the point of the story.  For generations the Rechabites obeyed father Rechab.  When tested by Jeremiah with bottles of wine, the family refused to drink it.   This is what God wanted the nation of Israel to learn.   Whereas this one, single family in Israel would obey their ancestor father, why wouldn’t Israel obey their Heavenly Father, the God of the Universe.  Why is it we will obey our spouse, but not God?  Why is it we will obey our boss and not God?  Why is it we obey our government and file tax returns but we will not obey God?  That is the point of this story.   God wants us to obey Him via faith.  Note how Jeremiah ends this chapter:

Jeremiah 35:18-19 (ESV)
18 But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the command of Jonadab your father and kept all his precepts and done all that he commanded you, 19 therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall never lack a man to stand before me.”

This is God’s promise to a family.   Believers have greater promises as we obey Him in faith.  Why don’t we?  

Refuse God - Rise Against Men - Psalms 54-56

Refuse God - Rise Against Men

Psalms 54:1-3 (ESV)
1 O God, save me by your name,
and vindicate me by your might.
2 O God, hear my prayer;
give ear to the words of my mouth.
3 For strangers have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life;
they do not set God before themselves. Selah

The above lines are the beginning of a song composed by fugitive, David. Saul is looking for him to kill him because he sees David as a threat to his throne.  In fact, he is a threat.  God promised David, through the prophet Samuel, to make David king over Saul.  Saul is out to get him.   But why?  Yes, Saul will lose power.  Yes, Saul wants the praise of men.  Yes, Saul simply has evilness in his heart. But the real reason that Saul is hunting down David is stated by David in verse three above.  As a result of the bounty Saul put on David’s head, absolute strangers have now started to pursue David.  The exact moment David is referring to is probably found in 1 Samuel 23 where the Ziphites alert Saul that David is “hiding among us.”   David sees their treacherous and evil behavior.    Why do they act this way?  Why do they wish to harm an innocent man?  It is because they have “not set God before themselves.”  When man rejects God they rise against mankind.   That is the formula for all the wars, arguments, fights and displeasure and distrust in the world.   When mankind rejects God they seek their own fleshly ways.   Note how James says it:

James 4:1-4 (ESV)
1 What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

That is the ingredients for evilness.  When the Ziphites rejected God they turned on David.   When men reject God they turn on fellow man.  

Give Honor to the Leader - 2 Samuel 10-14

Give Honor to the Leader

2 Samuel 12:26-31 (ESV)
Rabbah Is Captured
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters. 28 Now then gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name.” 29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it. 30 And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 31 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

When we read the above story, we might find Joab’s idea strange.   To put it in context we have to recall what has been going on.   Israel was in a fight with the Ammonites.   This is the fight that David sent Uriah into and that took Uriah’s life.  Remember, David had slept with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba.   To cover it up, David sent Uriah, through the hands of Joab, into the battle against this city.  This is important to know since Joab is now giving David all the credit for the fight.   What a remarkable act of follower-ship on the part of Joab.   His comment to David is probably made with full knowledge, by this time, of what David did to Uriah.  Joab had to be steaming with frustration and maybe anger.   David had used Joab’s command to kill one of Joab’s honorable soldiers.   Imagine the character and fortitude this must have taken for Joab to put David into a position of victory, when, in reality, he was such a little man.  Joab knew, however, he was not the king.  He did not seek self promotion.  He sought to honor those who have rule over him (Romans 13).  He did not look to find his own honor, he sought the honor of another.   We don’t live this way in our world today.   In our world today, this would have been the perfect time for Joab to usurp David’s authority and, more importantly, his popularity.   God put Joab in the perfect spot to test his obedience and faithfulness and he passed the test.  Would we? 

When leaders go through bad experiences they still have to lead and still have to do their job.

I Like Where I Work - Exodus 21-24

I Like Where I Work

Exodus 21:1-5 (ESV)
1 “Now these are the rules that you shall set before them. 2 When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing. 3 If he comes in single, he shall go out single; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. 4 If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out alone. 5 But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’

Before we take a lesson from this passage, we need to understand the concept of slavery in the Old Testament.   Here is one commentary on the subject:

Understanding Biblical Commentary - “These slaves were debt slaves ... people who had incurred a debt and could not pay it.   God started with the concept that slavery was a way people paid debts.  God is not necessarily approving of the cultural norm but regulating it.”

With this understand we can now see the value of the above verses.   These “slaves” were not people who were conquered and made to serve out of punishment and oppression.  What God is instituting is a way for someone to pay off a debt they incurred.  The meaning of the text shows the complete opposite of oppression.  The above text shows that the person in “slavery” was there to pay off the debt they incurred and was to be let go (whether the debt is paid or not paid) after seven years.    But, if the “slave” liked where he worked, he could ask to stay longer and become an “employee” of the person he owed the debt to.   The concept of the awl through the ear and an earring in the ear was to testify that I like where I work and I want to be a faithful employee.   Jesus, in the New Testament, summed up the law by saying it was loving God with all your heart, soul and mind and loving your neighbor as yourself.   The above passage shows that to be the concept being taught.  The love the man had for his “slave” (debtor) would be so great it would entice the “slave” (debtor) to want to stay with him for his life.   This is the best relationship to have with those who owe you and those your are in debt to.   God’s love flows and our desire to make life great for the other person is a priority.   That is the lesson taught in this passage.  

Motivation to Serve with Fidelity - 2 Corinthians 4-5

Motivation to Serve with Fidelity

 2 Corinthians 4:1-2 (ESV)
1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

When Paul had finished the heavy doctrinal material to the church in Rome, he wrote:

Romans 12:1 (ESV)
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Notice the similarity of that verse with how he wrote the church at Corinth.    In both cases he tells his readers that it is the “mercy” of God that is the reason we pivot from deep doctrine to a powerful daily walk with Christ.   God’s mercy is our source of power and strength.   A common way to talk about mercy is in the relationship with another great word in the Bible, grace.   What is typically stated about these two words is probably a good way for us to understand the above verse.  Theologians like to say:

“Grace is God giving us something we don’t deserve, while Mercy is God withholding from us something we do deserve.”

Another statement that is often stated is:  Mercy is compassion that forbears punishment even when God’s justice demands it.   Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and mercy is when we don’t get what we deserve.   Paul, in writing to the Roman believers and the Corinthians believers states that it is by God’s mercy that “don’t lose heart.”   He is stating that one of our great encouragements to be motivated to serve God is the knowledge of the mercy of God; that God has removed what we deserve.   Paul states that the point of his ministry and what keeps him on track to avoid using God’s Word for profit, was to focus and mediate upon God’s mercy.    God has granted to us clemency.   When someone get’s clemency they are being granted mercy.   The Grantor is saying, you deserve justice, but I will give you freedom.   That is the motivation for serving with fidelity.  We are to serve in the way Paul describes in verse two.  But, it is the motivation of knowing he was granted clemency.   We are empowered by God’s mercy.   That motivates us to handle God’s Word with truth and power.   

Being Humble They Humiliated Him - Mark 15-16

Being Humble They Humiliated Him

Mark 15:16-20 (ESV)
Jesus Is Mocked
16 And the soldiers led him away inside the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters), and they called together the whole battalion. 17 And they clothed him in a purple cloak, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 And they began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 And they were striking his head with a reed and spitting on him and kneeling down in homage to him. 20 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes on him. And they led him out to crucify him.

As we reach the end of Jesus’ life, above, we ought to visit one of the first things Jesus taught at the beginning of His earthly ministry:

Matthew 5:5 (ESV)
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Those that are meek in this life are those that don’t need to flex their muscles.  Those that are meek in this world know that “there’s is the kingdom of heaven,” so they have no need of anything else.   In the above passage we read about Jesus being ridiculed, mocked and humiliated by the Roman soldiers.  He has just been condemned to die and was released to this battalion of men to be prepared for the crucifixion.  The officers of these men stood by and watch military trained man dismantle another human being physically, psychologically and mentally.   This is not an inmate on death row being treated to a wonderful last meal, last rites and last respect.   This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, being treated like a dog.   The Roman soldiers mistook His meekness for weakness.   That will prove to be a terrible mistake.   Note what one of the officers of these very soldiers will say upon watching Him die on the cross:

Mark 15:39 (ESV)
39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

The world mistakes Jesus humility and meekness for being weak and pitiful.   God showed them in the end His power when Jesus rose from the dead.   Yet, at this moment in time they took Jesus’ humility and attempted to humiliate Him even further.  But, the meek will inherit the earth:

Revelation 11:15 (ESV)
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”