People Matter to God - Numbers 25-28

Numbers 26:59 (ESV)

The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. And she bore to Amram Aaron and Moses and Miriam their sister.

To God, connecting generations to generations matters.  When the nation of Israel came out of Egypt, God wanted to bring them into the promised land. However, the disobedience of the people caused God to tell them that only those 21 years of age and younger would come into the promised land. The reason of their rebellion, was that they were fearful that the peoples living in the promised land would attack them and their children. So God, in His sovereignty, made sure that they did not enter the promised land, but their children would.  In this section of Numbers, God commanded Moses and Joshua to do a census of the people, because it was those children under 21 who are now the nation of Israel.

In the above verse, we have the connection of Moses and Aaron to the tribe of Levi. God provides it so that we can see it matters to Him who leads His people.  People matter to God. These are not just names thrown into the Bible. These are people who have significant connection from one generation to the next. We may not like to read passages of just names and numbers. But those names matter to God. He knows exactly who our parents are, and who our children are. We can rest assured, He will accomplish His plans, based upon people whom He chooses.

Give The Grace Given To You, To Others - Philemon

Philemon 1:25 (ESV)

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

The entire book of Philemon is about practical forgiveness.   To give forgiveness to others you must have grace in your life.  This is the reason why Paul closed out this book with the above statement. 

The story behind this book is that Paul was in prison in Rome.   A run-a-way slave is placed in prison with him.  Paul, of course, uses the opportunity to share his faith with this prisoner (Onesimus) and the man comes to Christ for forgiveness of his sins.  The ironic and sovereign hand of God in this story is that Onesimus was a run-a-way slave from Paul’s friend and brother in Christ, Philemon.  Onesimus had stolen from Philemon and then ran for the hills.   But he was apprehended, placed in the jail RIGHT NEXT TO PAUL, Philemon’s friend.   Is that not a beautiful story of God’s moving in the lives of others.  Once Onesimus comes to Christ he is no longer defined by his past, he is now a brother in Christ to Paul AND TO PHILEMON.   So this letter was written by Paul and sent to Philemon in the very hands of Onesimus.   Paul asks Philemon to receive him and forgive him.   This is why Paul writes:

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Philemon needs to give grace to Onesimus in the same way grace is given to Philemon by Christ.  Paul knows how hard it will be to forgive.   But he also knows that it is the very grace given to us by our Lord for our wrongs, that enables us to forgive those who wrong us. 

Expect To Suffer For Him - John 19-21

John 21:24 (ESV)

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

It is only at the end of this long gospel account that John reveals his name, as the author of the book.  He has not announced himself for the first 21 chapters.   There would be nothing wrong with that, as we can see from Paul’s many letters, or Luke’s account of both his gospel and the book of Acts.  

John, at the end, does want us to know he wrote it and that he can be trusted with the facts of the book.   The world disregards the Bible accounts, as though there are make-believe stories, conjured up in the minds of religious fanatics.   However, John boast that his testimony is true.   The Greek word of testimony is martyria.  This is where we get our English word martyr.   As prophesied by Jesus, John was one of the few apostles who were not put to death for their testimony of Jesus.   But that does not mean he was not a martyr.   Note what he said at the beginning of his book, Revelation:

Revelation 1:9 (ESV)

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

He was banished to a small island and held captive until his death, by natural causes.  But he was there because he spoke of Jesus.   As we bear witness of Jesus, we should expect some mis-treatment by the world.   

Peter said it this way:

1 Peter 4:12 (ESV)

Suffering as a Christian

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

Paul said it this way:

2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV)

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

Don’t be surprised if you suffer for beating witness of the Light.   The Dark (world) hates the Light (Christ).  

Opposition From The Same Side - Amos 5-9

Amos 7:10-13 (ESV)

Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said,

“‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword,

and Israel must go into exile

away from his land.’”

And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and eat bread there, and prophesy there, but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.”

The title in this section in the ESV is “Amos Accused.”  The priest, Amaziah, accuses Amos of king of Israel.  Remember, at this time the kingdom was divided.  Israel and Judah were separate.  Amos is prophesying to the wicked kingdom of Israel to the north.  The priest (Amaziah) was from Bethel, the capital city of Israel, in the north.  The northern kings were all wicked.  None of them worshipped God.  So, when Amos is attacked and accused it is because he is standing up for righteousness in a wicked environment.  He was not afraid to stand tall in this slouching world around him.  

A key thought in this passage is that when one stands tall in a slouching world, one will be accused and attacked.  And the attack might come from those who call themselves believers.   The sad part of this is that Amaziah was supposed to point others to God, just as Amos was.  They were supposed to have the same mission.  But Amaziah slipped into the political and expedient world of the flesh and pleasing God.   Don’t be surprised if those type of people will falsely accuse you if you stand up for righteousness.  Even the most good intentions could camouflaged to look like it is helping leadership (in this send the king ... Jereoboam). 

Wickedness might look like a priest protecting a king, but it is still wickedness.  

Don’t Be A Battering Ram With God’s Word - Proverbs 25

Proverbs 25:12 (ESV)

Like a gold ring or an ornament of gold

is a wise reprover to a listening ear.

People have a hard time listening to correction.   In Proverbs a constant theme of Solomon's admonition is this arena of listening to God's Wisdom when it is presented by a "wise reprover" and coupled with a "listening ear."   This combination is such a great thing Solomon compares it to seeing a fine earring or fine gold jewelry.   Gold sells.   Put gold on something and you get someone's attention.  We see it from Madison Avenue all the time.   Look at a bill board or a TV commercial or a magazine ad and you will see many with sparkling jewelry and shinny ornaments.  It attracts our attention.   It shows something refined and it shows us something of value.   In this proverb Solomon uses the same thought to demonstrate not some material and temporal possession but an eternal and remarkable event ... someone listening and applying God's truth from someone who has skill to deliver it.   It is a matter of importance that Solomon draws attention to the fact that someone is not simply listening to God's Word but also that God's Word is being delivered in a wise way by the "reprover."   Sometimes it is in the delivery that we see fruit.   God's Word needs to be delivered to the ear in a manner worthy of God's Word.   We can't simply fling the Word around and use it as a battering ram on those who need to hear it.   A wise reprover invites a listening ear.   Yes, there are some who won't hear us because they reject the truth of God's Word no matter how it is delivered.  But there are far too many who are beat over the head with God's Word and they find the method offensive more than the truth.   Make sure you take as much care in the delivery of God's truth as you do the importance of the delivery.   Maybe there would be more listeners and others would see the beauty of them hearing and responding.

God Keeps His Covenant - Psalms 111-113

Psalms 111:9 (ESV)

He sent redemption to his people;

he has commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name!

Five times in this psalm the writer uses the word, work, in relationship to what God has done for us.  Note:

Psalms 111:2-7 (ESV)

2 Great are the works of the LORD,

studied by all who delight in them.

3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work,

and his righteousness endures forever.

4 He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and merciful.

6 He has shown his people the power of his works,

in giving them the inheritance of the nations.

7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy;

In verse 9, above, we read the mot spectacular of all His works:  He redeems men from their captivity.  God made a covenant with Abraham and is still fulfilling that covenant today.   God told Abraham that through His seed all the nations of the world would be blessed and that this was an everlasting covenant.  So, in verse 9 above, we read that this keeping of His covenant to redeem mankind is one of those great works.  We can rejoice in the great works of God and remember they are fulfilled because of His great covenant.  

Using the World in Christian Endeavors- 2 Chronicles 1-5

2 Chronicles 2:17-18 (ESV)

Then Solomon counted all the resident aliens who were in the land of Israel, after the census of them that David his father had taken, and there were found 153,600. Seventy thousand of them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country, and 3,600 as overseers to make the people work.

To build the Temple for God, Solomon not only called on the King of Tyre (a non-believer) to provide experts in the art of craftsmanship (a man named Huramabi).   But he also used 153,600 resident aliens.   These were non-Hebrews who lived within the boarders of Israel.   They lived there but did not have the Jewish ancestry.    This was the Temple.  It was the most Holy of Holies.   Yet, Solomon used their skills and labor to construct this place God would dwell.    This might be a great example of the relationship between believers and the world today; between the Church and the world today.   Using non-believers to build churches is not an unholy thing.   Mixing non-believing truth with church truth is an unholy thing.  Since my main job is to speak about leadership principles to the unsaved world, this becomes an important balance.   I know what I write about and teach is great for the unsaved world, but I am not sure the Christian world would be so accepting.   This is certainly not because I speak false doctrine to either.  But because my writings are not providing a chapter and verse, the Christian world is, understandably, leery of me.   Solomon was allowing them to be the labor, but not those who would work in the Temple.   They could work on it to build it but not in it to use it.   We need to understand that God can supply our help through the unsaved world (think of Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro).  But that does not mean we are to cross over into their doctrine.  This is the line we have to walk each day as we employ others to help us from automobile repairs to heart surgery.   The truth is, God can use anyone.   But we must always be aware of false teaching that might be woven into that combination.   

God Keeps His Promises - Even for Worldly Things -

2 Chronicles 9:18-20 (ESV)

The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were armrests and two lions standing beside the armrests, while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom. All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. Silver was not considered as anything in the days of Solomon.

This section starts with Solomon finishing the glory of the Temple where God would be worshiped and ends with the glory of his own palace where he would be worshipped.  In fact that is what began to happen.  With God’s blessing, notice how Solomon was treated among men.  This statement is from the Queen of Sheba who came to meet Solomon:

2 Chronicles 9:7-9 (ESV)

Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on his throne as king for the LORD your God! Because your God loved Israel and would establish them forever, he has made you king over them, that you may execute justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices, and precious stones. There were no spices such as those that the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

When we go back and now read about the palace steps and the lions on each side of the steps, we can see the splendor God bestowed upon Solomon.   People sang his praises. God has so blessed him with wisdom and material blessings, he has something created that no kingdom had ever seen.  Since then every kingdom would create this scene.   But God established it with Solomon first.  God is not wanting us to live in squalor, but we might if He so deems.  In this case, the promise from God to Solomon was that since he chose wisdom over riches, he would have both.  The twelve lions on six steps is just God keeping His word.  

Beware of False Teachers - Numbers 21-24

Numbers 22:4-7 (ESV)

And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “This horde will now lick up all that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field.” So Balak the son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is near the River in the land of the people of Amaw, to call him, saying, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. They cover the face of the earth, and they are dwelling opposite me. Come now, curse this people for me, since they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall be able to defeat them and drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed.”

So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the fees for divination in their hand. And they came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message.

Balaam was a non-Israelite sooth-sayer who was called upon the king of Moab, Balak, to curse Israel.    Apparently he was a pagan prophet that actually did have some powers to curse and bless people.  The pagan world was very much filled with this type of prophet for pay individual.  Balak thought to use this pagan ritual to destroy Israel.  

Balaam is the example of the word’s approach to their struggle to live along God’s people.   Balaam is forbidden from actaully cursing Israel.  Instead, he will bless the three times.  Put like most prophets for pay, he would not be undone.   He eventually earns his money and creates a compromise trap for Israel.   His thought was, “If God won’t let me curse them, I can at least use their debased nature to compromise them.”   That is what he does.   Peter calls Balaam the perfect example of a false teacher (as does Jude and John in The Revelation).  Note:

2 Peter 2:14-16 (ESV)

They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.

False teachers have many tools.  They don’t have to curse you and make your life miserable.   They can simply entice you and make your life a compromise.   Beware of the Balaams in life.  

Teach God’s Word With Authority - Titus

Titus 2:15 (ESV)

Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Titus is being charged with a responsibility as the elder of the church on the island of Crete.  He is to make sure that all that Paul wrote to him is taught to the church.  In this exercise he is to declare, exhort and rebuke.   

1. Declare - the word is used almost 300 times in the N.T.   It is translated in 244 times simply as talk.   Titus is to talk to others about this scripture that Paul sent him in these first two chapters. 

2. Exhort - this word is used over 100 times in the N.T.   It is translated exhort only 21 times.  Mostly it is translated to beseech (43x).   The world means to invoke or call near or invite.  Titus is not to just to talk of these scriptures, he is to encourage others to draw near in obedience to them. We would call this preaching. 

3. Rebuke - this world is used 17 times in the N.T.  It is translated six times as rebuke.   This word carries the thought of convincing, or admonishing.   This might mean that after declaring and exhorting, if there is not obedience, Titus is to turn to rebuking.   We don’t see much of this in churches today.   

Titus is to do all this with two things on his mind:

1. He is to do this will all authority. This word is only used 7 times in the N.T. This is the only verse in the N.T. where the word is translated authority.  All the other times it is translated as commandment.   Timothy is to declare, exhort and rebuke as though he were under a commandment to do so.   That is his authority.  Paul is commanding him to do so.   

2. He is to do this while not allowing anyone to disregard him.   Timothy was told something similar in 1 Timothy 4:12.  Timothy was told not to allow anyone to despise his youth.  Paul says the same thing to Titus, but doesn’t mention his age.   He might have been older than Timothy.   The point for Titus and Timothy is that some will disregard and despise the teaching ministry they are commanded to do.   We are not to live as though that won’t happen.  

Paul wanted Titus to fulfill the ministry he was given by Christ.  That included some very specific instructions and would be meet with some very specific resistance.   He was to persevere.  

Substitutionary Atonement - John 16-18

John 18:37-40 (ESV)

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

We know very little of this Barabbas.  All we know is that he was a criminal, condemned to death.   Pilate, to keep peace with the Jews, had a tradition during Passover to grant clemency to anyone they chose.   In this case he simply gives them a choice.   He was NOT really giving Barabbas clemency, however.   In the past the criminal went free.   That is clemency.  In this case the criminal was going free, but Jesus was taking his place, to pay his debt.   This was lost on all those people that day, but this is the picture of sacrifical atonement.   God designed this from the beginning.  The Temple sacrifices in the Old Testament were to show us about substitutionary atonement.  The lambs and goats and bulls were a picture of something being offered to God for our sins.   They could not permanently remove  sin, however. 

Hebrews 10:4 (ESV)

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Jesus, however, would be that permanent sacrifice.   Jesus would take Barabbas place and pay for his crime, since Jesus was quilt free.   It was declared innocent in Pilate’s court proceedings.  It was also declared by the plan of God.  Barabbas would be free.  His sins were atoned for by a sacrificial lamb, named Jesus.  That is the story of redemption.   We were Barabbas!   We are Barabbas!  Our sins are atoned for by the blood of Jesus.  

Romans 3:25 (ESV)

whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

Don’t Miss God’s Discipline - Amos 1-4

Amos 4:7-8 (ESV)

“I also withheld the rain from you

when there were yet three months to the harvest;

I would send rain on one city,

and send no rain on another city;

one field would have rain,

and the field on which it did not rain would wither;

so two or three cities would wander to another city

to drink water, and would not be satisfied;

yet you did not return to me,”

declares the LORD.

God’s discipline is pretty accurate.  God does not miss with lighting and knows where to drop mana in the desert.     The nation of Israel were living in rebellion and God used His sovereign discipline to correct them.  But note what it says at the end:

“Yet you did not return to me,” declares the LORD. 

It is amazing that they would miss God’s hand working in their lives.   He actively removed rain from them precisely where He wanted to and they missed it.   Or, at least, rejected it.  This entire section of the book of Amos is a focus on God intervening in the lives and still the same conclusion over and over: “Yet you did not return to me.”    This is the plight of those live in disobedience.  Those who live in disobedience to God do not want to repent.  Note what is written about those in the book of Revelation, who also will be disciplined:

Revelation 9:20-21 (ESV)

The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

God sends discipline to correct our walk and the path we are walking.    Some will always just reject God’s correction.