Being In Christ Carries a Significant Obligation - Colossians 1-2

Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV)

Alive in Christ

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

The organizers of the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible title this section of Colossians, Alive in Christ.   Without even reading the rest of the text the implication of alive is that we, at one time, were dead.   That is the point that Paul has been writing about up to this point.  Now he wants us to know what that looks like in real life.  What does it look like to go from death in sin and be made alive in Christ?   He gives the above instruction in an interesting tense in the Greek.  He uses the indicative-imperative to tell us about this being alive in Christ.   The indicative-imperative is simply stated that God does something and I do something as a result of what God has done.   As a result of God raising Jesus from the dead and giving us new life (totally by faith) we are to live in a different manner of life.  There is to be no gap between what we believe about Christ and how we behave in Christ.    The way we behave is still by faith.  It is never-the-less a change in behavior as a result of believing in Christ’s death for us and being raised up in newness of life with Him.   Paul give us four imperatives in the above text:

1. Walk in Him (Christ) - This is self-explanatory but a key to our life in Christ.  If we receive Christ, our walk is to follow Christ’s walk.   

2. Rooted in Him (Christ) - Again, easy to grasp.   We are to derive our source of living from our being connected to Him as a tree is to its roots.   He is the vine we are the branches (John 15). 

3. Built up in Him (Christ) - Paul takes us from walking with Christ, to living from the nutrition provided by Christ, to being a building for Christ.   He is both building us up as a building for Him to dwell in and making us part of a greater building, living stones, for God’s house (1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 3:6). 

4. Established in Him (Christ) - This might be the culmination of the previous three, or, even better, the result of the previous three.  We are secure (established) as a result of walking with Christ, being sourced by Christ and being used by Christ as a building for Him to dwell.  We have a stability in Christ.  

We are to do all this in a spirit of thanksgiving.   He has taken our dead life and made it alive for Him.   And since were are walking, rooted, built and established secure in Him we out to burst forth with praise.  

God Often Has a Different Premise to Hard Questions - Luke 19-20

Luke 20:34-40 (ESV)

And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

The above words of Jesus are spoken to some Sadducees.   Unlike the Pharisees, their religious counterparts, they did not believe in either the resurrection or of angels.   The Pharisees believed in both.   The Sadducees have  just presented to Jesus a riddle that, no doubt, they often asked to torment their Pharisaical friends.  They asked Jesus if a woman had married a man with seven brothers and he died and she subsequently married one of his brothers and this was repeated for all seven brothers, when she died, who’s wife would she be in this so called resurrection?   This was probably asked with a sincere face toward Jesus but a smirk cast toward the Pharisees standing near by.   In His response, Jesus tells them the premise of their question is wrong (this must have, for the moment, brought to Pharisees to Jesus’ defense).  Their premise was that life after death is just a continuation of life before death.  It is not according to Jesus’ above teaching.  Jesus answers their question by telling them that the afterlife is like the angels (who they denied) and that marriage is not viewed as it is on earth.   But the point of Jesus’ teaching is that there is life after death and God is the God of the living and not the dead.   They refused to even believe in a resurrection so Jesus tells them God does.   Again, this must have been a delight to the Pharisees.   A key takeaway to this teaching is that when we come to Jesus to ask questions we often start with the wrong or mis-placed premise.  We attempt to prove our point as we come to ask God for wisdom.  We often want to put Him into our box of thinking rather than ask Him to change the way we are thinking.   If we are coming to God to learn we should start with His premise and not our own.  

Pride Goes Before the Fall - Ezekiel 25-30

 Ezekiel 26:1-6 (ESV)

Prophecy Against Tyre

In the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, the gate of the peoples is broken; it has swung open to me. I shall be replenished, now that she is laid waste,’ therefore thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against you, O Tyre, and will bring up many nations against you, as the sea brings up its waves. They shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers, and I will scrape her soil from her and make her a bare rock. She shall be in the midst of the sea a place for the spreading of nets, for I have spoken, declares the Lord GOD. And she shall become plunder for the nations, and her daughters on the mainland shall be killed by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD.

Unlike some of the other prophetic utterances in Ezekiel, Tyre was not a country.   Ezekiel said much against the countries that tried to take advantage of Judah during her discipline by God.   Many were punished for just celebrating the fall of Israel.  That was enough to incur God’s wrath.  This is an important lesson in and of itself:  God does not tolerate those who mock and take advantage of His people, whether they are being blessed by Him or disciplined by Him. In the above passage we read exactly that about this city-state, Tyre.    They rejoiced over Judah’s downfall and would experience a devastating destruction of their own as a result.   God would see their pride and bring rebuke for it.   The city of Tyre had two locations. One was on the mainland of the coast of the Mediterranean and just north of Galilee.   About one-half mile into the Mediterranean was the other part of the city. It was an island with fortified walls standing 150 feet into the air on the main-land side.  Tyre controlled most of the sea.   Their ships were famous for what they supplied to the rest of the nations (the main subject for chapter 27).   During the days of King David and King Solomon, it was the King of Tyre who supplied them with material to build the Temple and, eventually, Solomon’s house.   But the pride of Tyre paved the way for their destruction.   It was because they controlled the sea and felt impregnable, that God would bring them down.  Their location of being protected by the sea and the fortress they built around them gave them a sense of invincibility.   Yet God would bring them low.   Tyre is seen as a type of Satan in God’s Word.  Like Tyre, Satan elevated himself and thought invincible enough to try a coupe against God.    Tyre, like many nations today who reject God, think they are unable to be touched by God.  However, God brings about His power and discipline on all who reject Him.  Tyre gives us an example of what can happen when our pride overtakes us and we believe we are an island onto ourselves.   We are not.   God controls every aspect of the lives of those who reject Him.  They just don’t realize it until it is too late.  Ezekiel wrote this prophecy about Tyre around 590-570 B.C.    Historians record that Alexander the Great attacked Tyre in 332 B.C. He destroyed their strongholds and caused their humiliation to become public.  God brings down the pride of mankind.   

God Is Concerned About Our Speech - Proverbs 10

 Proverbs 10:19 (ESV)

When words are many, transgression is not lacking,

but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

I talk too much. If I could ever learn to just shut-up I could save myself all kinds of trouble. The above proverb was written for me. If you talk too much you might over commit and never really get the job done you said you would get done (hence making a vow you don’t complete, which is sin to God). If you talk too much you tend to eventually say something in frustration and therefore sin. If you talk too much you might just go on and on about nonsensical things and since God’s word tells you to avoid babbling and vain disputes, that type of talk is sinful. You see, talking too much leads to many sins. But, a wise man knows when to talk and when to listen. He knows when to not over commit or say something out of frustration or say nonsensical things. I'm going to be quite now. It is time for me to just shut-up. Enough said! 

Or, maybe I ...

See also:

Matthew 12:36-37

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

God wants to use our talk.  Notice these admonitions that tell us to talk:

1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)

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,

Colossians 4:6 (ESV)

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Proverbs 10:19 (ESV)

When words are many, transgression is not lacking,

but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.

The Enemies of God Attack Israel - Psalms 81-83

 Psalms 83:1-2, 9-12 (ESV)

O God, do not keep silence;

do not hold your peace or be still, O God!

For behold, your enemies make an uproar;

those who hate you have raised their heads.

Do to them as you did to Midian,

as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,

who were destroyed at En-dor,

who became dung for the ground.

Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,

all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,

who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves

of the pastures of God.”

Psalm 83 is a prayer asking for God’s intervention into the oppression Israel feels from her enemies.   Although specific nations are mentioned we have no real indication of any specific date or attack.  The above nations are all nations who have been part of the oppression of Israel, throughout its existence.   Asaph, the writer, is simply calling on God to continue in His sovereign protection of the nation.   The first couple of verses of the text indicate that God is engaged in these moments in Israel’s history when they are oppressed and/or attacked.   Interestingly, at times, God was the one who brought these enemies to attack Israel because of Israel’s disobedience to His word.   The point of the text, however, is that God is knowledgeable and engaged in Israel’s struggles as a nation.  Although the names of the nations that fight against Israel change from generation to generation, they never stop coming at her.   As God’s chosen people, the enemies of God continue to use Israel as their whipping post.   Yes, Israel disobeys her God and that calls from discipline from God.  But there are also those who simply are enemies of God and attacking Israel is their way to express their anger with the living God. 

God Does Not Tolerate False Worship - 2 Kings 5-10

 2 Kings 10:18-19 (ESV)

Jehu Strikes Down the Prophets of Baal

Then Jehu assembled all the people and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Now therefore call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his worshipers and all his priests. Let none be missing, for I have a great sacrifice to offer to Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live.” But Jehu did it with cunning in order to destroy the worshipers of Baal.

King Jehu was commissioned by God to destroy Queen Jezebel and all those who worshipped false gods with her.   In the above passage he does this by deception.   He orders a great feast and worship service for all those who worship the god Baal.   Those who worshiped this false god would all be assembled and King Jehu would have them all killed.   Only those who truly worshipped Baal would be in the worship center:

2 Kings 10:20-24 (ESV)

And Jehu ordered, “Sanctify a solemn assembly for Baal.” So they proclaimed it. And Jehu sent throughout all Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who did not come. And they entered the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. He said to him who was in charge of the wardrobe, “Bring out the vestments for all the worshipers of Baal.” So he brought out the vestments for them. Then Jehu went into the house of Baal with Jehonadab the son of Rechab, and he said to the worshipers of Baal, “Search, and see that there is no servant of the LORD here among you, but only the worshipers of Baal.” Then they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings.

Now Jehu had stationed eighty men outside and said, “The man who allows any of those whom I give into your hands to escape shall forfeit his life.”

God does not tolerate false worship.   In our human spirit we can’t wrap our minds around this destruction of these worshippers of Baal.  But it teaches us just how serious God is about false worshipping.  No matter the name of the god (Baal in this case), God will not tolerate His people worshipping false idols.  In this case, God would use Jehu to completely destroy the Baal cult:

2 Kings 10:25-27 (ESV)

So as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, Jehu said to the guard and to the officers, “Go in and strike them down; let not a man escape.” So when they put them to the sword, the guard and the officers cast them out and went into the inner room of the house of Baal, and they brought out the pillar that was in the house of Baal and burned it. And they demolished the pillar of Baal, and demolished the house of Baal, and made it a latrine to this day.

God does not tolerate false worship.  The first commandment is real:

Exodus 20:3

You shall have no other gods before me. 

Physical and Spiritual Sickness - Leviticus 13-15

Leviticus 15:1-6 (ESV)

Laws About Bodily Discharges

The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean. And this is the law of his uncleanness for a discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body is blocked up by his discharge, it is his uncleanness. Every bed on which the one with the discharge lies shall be unclean, and everything on which he sits shall be unclean. And anyone who touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. And whoever sits on anything on which the one with the discharge has sat shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.

This section of Leviticus (chapters 13-15) are a difficult read for most people.   Chapters 13-14 are about leprosy and chapter 15, as stated above, is about bodily discharges from men.  The overarching theme of these chapters is purity in the camp of Israel.   God wanted to protect them from any and all diseases that might cause a contamination throughout the camp.  We are not sure what the discharges in the above passage (and all of chapter 15) are actually referring to in these instructions.   It would be assumed it is discharges from sexual organs, but when we start to assume something while studying Scripture we are walking on dangerous ground.  There could be a wide range of interpretations for the terms and the instructions.   The nation of Israel, obviously, knew what Moses was referring to since there is no recorded interaction between Moses and the people inquiring more details and explanations.   The key to appreciate in these type of Old Testament texts is the following:

1. God was just as much concerned about the people’s physical heath as their spiritual health.    God wanted them to protect themselves and each other from contamination that could wipe them all out due to diseases.   (This might have been a great passage to study during the world-wide pandemic of 2020.)

2.  God knows that sin impacts not only mankind’s relationship with Him but also man’s physical body.    We may not have a particular physically ailment due to our specific sin(s), but general sin in the world causes our physical ailments.  God did not create man to be physically ill. It was the introduction of sin in the world through the disobedience of Adam that also introduced illnesses. 

3. God has a method and solution for mankind’s illnesses.   God wants as much proactive steps as reactive steps.  God outlines how to manage the illness.  This means He is not simply going to help the illness.   Remember, God is a powerful God.  He could have told Moses to tell the priest that when they discover someone with leprosy or these discharges to simply come to the priest and God will enable them to be healed.    God didn’t do that.   God gave steps to either prevent the diseases, or prevent the spread of the disease, or instructions on how to live with the diseases.    God does not always simply heal.   

4.  God did connect the physical with the spiritual.  By having the priest play the role of the doctor does not mean God did not want the development of the role of medicine or doctors.  These passage do teach us, however, that God does intend the physical and the spiritual to be united in the solution we use to head off diseases and to care for it.   Our world wants to separate those things.  God did not. 

These are tough passages to read but hey are also great passages to see and learn about the character of God relating to diseases and sickness.   God cares and knows how to make us both spiritually and physically healthy.