Thoughts from Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve Service 2009

Devotional: Matthew 1:18-25

Aside from Jesus, who is it that we generally think about when remembering the Christmas story? Mary – the angels – the shepherds – even the wise men (who weren’t even there!)… Joseph is sometimes just an afterthought in the whole event. Granted, Joseph is not Jesus’ father (that role belongs to God alone), but God used Joseph in a mighty (but often overlooked) way: as the primary caretaker for the infant incarnation of God. What a privilege!

We don’t know much about Joseph: he was a carpenter by trade, and had a reputation as a just man. He didn’t have much money at all (they could only afford the smallest sacrifices in the temple), and other than the fact that he was the parental guardian of Jesus, we might have otherwise never have known he existed.

Because he was a just man, it’s easy to imagine the reaction he would have had to the news that the woman he was engaged to be married to (through the betrothal) was pregnant. Surely he was shocked – dismayed – disappointed, and probably a 100 other emotions ran through his heart. He had every right to have Mary taken into the streets & stoned to death – but he had much mercy upon her & decided to put her away quietly.

If Matthew’s account stopped right there, no one would have batted an eye. It would have been completely understandable for Joseph to put Mary away & never speak to her again…but that’s NOT what happened! Literally overnight, Joseph had a change of heart & not only took Mary to be his bride, but put himself in the position of raising someone else’s child.

What made the difference? An angelic dream that brought some marvelously good news!

Keep in mind, it wasn’t merely because Joseph had a dream (God can speak in many other ways) – it wasn’t merely that an angel appeared to Joseph (God could have used a different messenger) – the important thing was the message itself…what the angel had to say. The angel said two main things:

1. Mary’s Child had been conceived by none other than God Himself. Mary had not been unfaithful in the slightest; on the contrary – she had been blessed! God showed immense unmerited favor upon her when He chose her to be the physical mother of Jesus. But more than that – the whole point was that this unborn Child was none other than the Son of God! God Himself was wrapping Himself in flesh to dwell among us… The Child yet to be born was going to be recognized as none other that God – Emmanuel, “God with us.” This is exactly what Isaiah had written about in his prophecy (which Matthew quotes). Isaiah actually goes on to write later, Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. []
__a. Every birth can be termed a miracle…but when we celebrate the birth of Jesus at Christmastime, it’s a far greater event than just “any” birth. This is not the story of “just” a baby in a manger – this is the actual history of what happened when God the Son was literally born of flesh into the world!

2. This Child had a role destined for Him: to be the Savior. Understand, that’s what His very name means: “Yahweh (Jehovah) who saves.” We need to be saved! Many don’t realize it, but our sins leave us utterly helpless, hopeless, and condemned before God. Spiritually speaking, outside of Jesus Christ, people are absolutely dead in their sins & transgressions. They may be walking around physically (perhaps even enjoying life), but they have no idea that they are dead in spirit – they’ve denied the fact that they’ve rebelled against God. But God in His great mercy & love desires to save us – and that’s exactly what He made provision for by sending Jesus in the flesh to live a perfect life, die on the cross, and rise again from the grave. That was God’s plan for Him all along – He was born for the express intent of dying for our sins, and offering us new life in return. He is our Savior!

Ultimately, Jesus is known as Emmanuel – not because that is His given name, but because that is His glorious role! He truly is “God with us” – the eternal Son of God made flesh, who came to die for your sins & my sins & the sins of the whole world – who was to rise again from the grave in full victory over sin & death – Who today sits at the right hand of God waiting for the time of His soon return. This God – this JESUS – dwelt among us as humans, offering the free gift of salvation to all who call upon Him. He offered it then, and He offers it today…

That was the message that changed Joseph’s life – and it’s the message that still changes lives today. This is the message that we celebrate at Christmas – praising God for sending our Savior, and giving us the most wonderful gift imaginable: everlasting life & fellowship with our Creator.

Pictures from the Baptism!

What a blessing it was to baptize 5 people yesterday!

First up was my daughter, Olivia – who had been asking to be baptized for months.

I asked who was next, and David didn’t hesitate!

The triplets decided to continue to birth order, so next up was Steven. He looked really happy to be there.

Amanda came up next. What a great day for their whole family!

Chris was our last one for the day…what a praise for a transformed life!

All of us together before we celebrated with swimming & food.

Pride goeth before…

Judges 10-12, “Pride goeth before…”
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Judges 10 (NKJV)
1 After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in the mountains of Ephraim. 2 He judged Israel twenty-three years; and he died and was buried in Shamir. 3 After him arose Jair, a Gileadite; and he judged Israel twenty-two years. 4 Now he had thirty sons who rode on thirty donkeys; they also had thirty towns, which are called “Havoth Jair” to this day, which are in the land of Gilead. 5 And Jair died and was buried in Camon.

A. Two “minor” judges… We don’t know much about either of them. It does seem significant that Tola “arose to save Israel”, but the text never says which enemy Tola was saving Israel from. It seems that Abimelech’s pretended-monarchy hurt Israel so bad, God raised up a deliverer to deliver Israel from itself!

B. Jair was very prodigious – had 30 sons (obviously through polygamy). It seems that he was very wealthy & placed his sons in positions of authority… Nepotism? Yes – but effective & not uncommon for the day.

C. It was a peaceful time, relatively speaking. 45 years go by without being sold into the hands of their enemies – but it also went by without Israel worshipping the Lord & they fell into sin yet again.
__a. It’s often during the tough times we seek the Lord the most. That’s just human nature. But God is God in both our darkest days & most joyful. Don’t forget to both passionate pray AND praise Him. We often give Him one but rarely the other…
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6 Then the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baals and the Ashtoreths, the gods of Syria, the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the people of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him. 7 So the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the people of Ammon.

A. It’s no wonder that God likened Israel to a prostitute (Hosea & Gomer)… They didn’t just serve one false god; they served any god they came across. Whatever seemed good at the moment…

B. What happened when they served other gods? They “forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.” When it comes to worship, God doesn’t share…they could either worship the Lord fully, or not worship Him at all in their pursuit of idols.
__a. Keep in mind that idols aren’t necessarily made of wood & stone. Today they can be made of plastic, plasma screens, or portfolio papers – it’s anything that either (1) takes the place of God in our lives, or (2) becomes a false representation of the God of the Bible… Make no mistake, when people fall into idolatry, it’s not like they’re a little Christian & a little idolatrous…it’s ALL idolatrous. No one can serve 2 masters… (Matt 6:24)

C. The result? God gave them over to their enemies. (Only Ammon is listed in the next few chapters – the Philistines are going to be dealt with via Samson.) A bit extreme? Not really – God is going to do what it takes to get their attention.
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8 From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years—all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead. 9 Moreover the people of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah also, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.

A. What makes Israel’s idolatry worse is that they didn’t seem to notice that God had removed His hand from them for 18 years! … How much discipline does it take for people to fall to their knees in repentance? It’s understandable for unbelievers (they don’t know the difference) – but for those calling themselves Christian, it’s unfathomable! Those people ought to know what it’s like to serve the Lord & realize it immediately when His hand of fellowship is taken away.

B. That’s not to say Christians don’t suffer. We do (and God sustains us through those times of suffering). But the discipline of God isn’t defined by prosperity/suffering in a physical sense – it has to do with fellowship & walking with the God who saved us through Jesus Christ. If you feel like your prayers are hitting a brick wall – if you feel as if your worship is in vain, check out your life & your heart. Perhaps there’s something that needs to be repented of. Confess, repent, & be restored!
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10 And the children of Israel cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!” 11 So the LORD said to the children of Israel, “Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines? 12 Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. 13 Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. 14 Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress.”

A. Israel cried out to God; God basically said, “Keep crying – but cry out to the false gods you’ve been serving for 18 years…” … Is it possible to exhaust the mercies of God? Keep in mind that just by virtue of the fact that God responded to Israel (even in rebuke) is a display of His mercy. God had every right to wipe out Israel time & time again each time they sinned (esp. during the Exodus!)…

B. I suggest that the point of God’s rebuke isn’t due to a lack of His mercy (which are new every morning for the believer!), but rather a display of His righteousness. Israel literally belonged to the Lord God; He was their King. Their continued idolatry was an act of ongoing rebellion & treason… God IS a God of love; but He’s also a God of holiness…one demands the other.
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15 And the children of Israel said to the LORD, “We have sinned! Do to us whatever seems best to You; only deliver us this day, we pray.” 16 So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD. And His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel.

A. Why did God respond differently this time than the 1st? The 1st time, Israel spoke the truth (“We have sinned”) – they confessed their sin before God. But even though they acknowledged it, they didn’t seem to do anything about it. This time, they went beyond merely speaking words with their mouth to actually responding to God by putting away (destroying) the false gods & returning to the Lord. IOW, they actually repented. … 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. []
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17 Then the people of Ammon gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled together and encamped in Mizpah. 18 And the people, the leaders of Gilead, said to one another, “Who is the man who will begin the fight against the people of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.”

A. There’s no mention that God led the elders of Gilead to go search out a new leader (usually God was the one Who raised up judges); but considering their repentance & God’s show of grace, there’s no reason to doubt that God indeed put it on their heart.
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Judges 11 (NKJV)
1 Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. 2 Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” 3 Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him.

A. Son of a prostitute – warrior – family reject – raider…
B. Like Gideon, Jephthah wasn’t exactly the 1st pedigree a nation would look to for a leader…but he was the person God blessed for the job…
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4 It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. 5 And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. 6 Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.”

A. Why did the elders go to Jepthah? He was a mighty man of valor (vs 1) & his experience in raiding gave him the military background necessary to lead the army. They needed someone tough to go up against the Ammonites & the toughest guy around was Jephthah. They just needed to eat a bit of crow in the process.
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7 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” 8 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” 9 So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the LORD delivers them to me, shall I be your head?” 10 And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The LORD will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.” 11 Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.

A. Negotiation back & forth… Jephthah would lead the army, but he wasn’t going to be satisfied being a temporary commander to be cast out again; he wanted to be leader of the people. Some scholars see this as self-serving, but his motivation is pure speculation. Jephthah obviously knew their character well & didn’t have a reason to trust them – this served as basically a contract.

B. From outcast to judge. Quite a rise! … God does amazing things!
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12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, saying, “What do you have against me, that you have come to fight against me in my land?” 13 And the king of the people of Ammon answered the messengers of Jephthah, “Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon as far as the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.”

A. Ammon’s complaint. Sounds a lot like MidEast negotiations today! …
B. Jephthah is going to systematically eliminate Ammon’s argument by recounting the history of how God brought Israel into the Promised Land…
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14 So Jephthah again sent messengers to the king of the people of Ammon, 15 and said to him, “Thus says Jephthah: ‘Israel did not take away the land of Moab, nor the land of the people of Ammon; 16 for when Israel came up from Egypt, they walked through the wilderness as far as the Red Sea and came to Kadesh. 17 Then Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, “Please let me pass through your land.” But the king of Edom would not heed. And in like manner they sent to the king of Moab, but he would not consent. So Israel remained in Kadesh. 18 And they went along through the wilderness and bypassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, came to the east side of the land of Moab, and encamped on the other side of the Arnon. But they did not enter the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab. 19 Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon king of the Amorites, king of Heshbon; and Israel said to him, “Please let us pass through your land into our place.” 20 But Sihon did not trust Israel to pass through his territory. So Sihon gathered all his people together, encamped in Jahaz, and fought against Israel. 21 And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they defeated them. Thus Israel gained possession of all the land of the Amorites, who inhabited that country. 22 They took possession of all the territory of the Amorites, from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the wilderness to the Jordan.

A. Ammon didn’t have a legitimate claim on the land. The land in question had already been conquered by the Amorites. When Israel conquered the Amorites, they got the land already given up by Ammon.

B. Keep in mind this history was recorded in Numbers & Deuteronomy. Jephthah had a written record to rely upon…the word of God!
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23 ‘And now the LORD God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? 24 Will you not possess whatever Chemosh your god gives you to possess? So whatever the LORD our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.

A. I.e., God had given them the land. If the Amorites wanted more, they should go to their god (which would have been a lesson in futility)… Question: is the Bible acknowledging the existence of other gods? No. It’s merely acknowledging the fact that other cultures worshiped pagan false gods.

B. The point is that the land belonged to the Lord God – and HE’s the One who gave it to Israel. If they had a problem with it, they needed to take it up with Him.
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25 And now, are you any better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel? Did he ever fight against them? 26 While Israel dwelt in Heshbon and its villages, in Aroer and its villages, and in all the cities along the banks of the Arnon, for three hundred years, why did you not recover them within that time? 27 Therefore I have not sinned against you, but you wronged me by fighting against me. May the LORD, the Judge, render judgment this day between the children of Israel and the people of Ammon.’ ”

A. Ammon had a chance to voice its objections early on – but they didn’t say anything for approx 300 years. … Ends with an appeal to God for judgment…
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28 However, the king of the people of Ammon did not heed the words which Jephthah sent him. 29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and passed through Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he advanced toward the people of Ammon.

A. What does it mean in the OT when the Spirit of the Lord came upon someone? This was a temporary empowerment to strengthen them for whatever service was at hand. The Holy Spirit came upon the 70 elders (Num 11), other judges (Othniel, Gideon, Samson), Saul & David as kings & many other prophets & more. Part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to still empower the people of God – but today, His empowerment is available for the asking. (Luke 11:13, Acts 1:8)
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30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD, and said, “If You will indeed deliver the people of Ammon into my hands, 31 then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.”

A. He’s going to regret these words…

B. Was the vow even necessary? No! This is what makes it so tragic. God had already been a witness for Jephthah with the Gileadite elders & the king of Ammon. The Spirit of God had already come upon Jephthah as he raised an army. To make a vow at this point was to move from faith to manipulation… Beware of making foolish & rash vows. … Matthew 5:37 But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. []
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32 So Jephthah advanced toward the people of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands. 33 And he defeated them from Aroer as far as Minnith—twenty cities—and to Abel Keramim, with a very great slaughter. Thus the people of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

A. Victory! This victory’s going to be followed by tragedy… Why? Jepthah’s flesh got in the way…
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34 When Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, there was his daughter, coming out to meet him with timbrels and dancing; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he tore his clothes, and said, “Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low! You are among those who trouble me! For I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot go back on it.”

A. Jephthah even goes so far as to blame his daughter for his grief…customary…

B. Question: did Jephthah really have no choice in the matter? Vows made to the Lord were definitely meant to be fulfilled (Num 30)… But it’s clear in Scripture that human sacrifice is an abomination to the Lord (re: Molech) – and there’s virtually no way he’d find a priest willing to carry it out at the Tabernacle.
__a. Could he have recanted from his vow? Yes. Would he have been guilty? Sure. But there could have been a sin offering & trespass offering to deal with it. He could have redeemed her vow according to the regulations in the law. Leviticus 27:11-13 (11) If it is an unclean animal which they do not offer as a sacrifice to the Lord, then he shall present the animal before the priest; (12) and the priest shall set a value for it, whether it is good or bad; as you, the priest, value it, so it shall be. (13) But if he wants at all to redeem it, then he must add one-fifth to your valuation. [] Surely his daughter is worth more than an unclean animal! The only reason to carry out this vow would be due to his pride…

C. There’s actually quite a bit of debate as to whether or not the human sacrifice really took place – with some very good Scriptural arguments on either side. One side shows that Jephthah’s original vow in Hebrew could be translated “then it will be that whatever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the people of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, OR I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” Thus Jephthah could have offered up his daughter’s virginity as a dedication to the Lord OR given an animal as a burnt sacrifice. … On the other side, Jephthah’s grief does not seem congruent with merely a vow of dedication – and considering he was ½ Canaanite who spent many years living among pagans, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he took his daughter outside of Israel for the sacrifice.
__a. Either way, it was a rash promise made out of fleshly motivations with severe consequences. Be careful what you promise! And don’t let pride get in the way of righteousness… Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. []
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36 So she said to him, “My father, if you have given your word to the LORD, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, because the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the people of Ammon.”

A. His daughter was more righteous than he…
B. She paid the price for her father’s indulgence of pride. Never let someone tell you that there’s any such thing as a “victimless sin”…
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37 Then she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me: let me alone for two months, that I may go and wander on the mountains and bewail my virginity, my friends and I.” 38 So he said, “Go.” And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her friends, and bewailed her virginity on the mountains. 39 And it was so at the end of two months that she returned to her father, and he carried out his vow with her which he had vowed. She knew no man. And it became a custom in Israel 40 that the daughters of Israel went four days each year to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.

A. The custom of bewailing Jephtah’s daughter…
B. It is worth noting that her death is never mentioned.
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Judges 12 (NKJV)
1 Then the men of Ephraim gathered together, crossed over toward Zaphon, and said to Jephthah, “Why did you cross over to fight against the people of Ammon, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down on you with fire!”

A. Sound familiar? They had the same complaint with Gideon (Ch 8)…the difference here is that this time, Ephraim got violent. Is this pride or greed? Probably both. They were greedy to participate in the spoils of war, but they also saw themselves as better than the tribes on the other side of the Jordan river (1/2 Manasseh, Reuben, Gad). Instead of maintaining unity (like they said they would do with the big altar in Joshua 22), Ephraim was looking down their noses at people they thought didn’t belong to the promises given to Israel.
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2 And Jephthah said to them, “My people and I were in a great struggle with the people of Ammon; and when I called you, you did not deliver me out of their hands. 3 So when I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hands and crossed over against the people of Ammon; and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day to fight against me?”

A. When did this happen? We don’t know. Scripture doesn’t have a record of Ephraim refusing to come & fight…

B. This isn’t going to go over quite as well as Gideon’s answer. They end up going to war against each other (see vs. 4…) Did Jephthah give a godly response? It’s certainly a true response, even if it doesn’t placate Ephraim’s unjustified anger. Perhaps Jephthah thought it was time to teach Ephraim a lesson.
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4 Now Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. And the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, “You Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites.” 5 The Gileadites seized the fords of the Jordan before the Ephraimites arrived. And when any Ephraimite who escaped said, “Let me cross over,” the men of Gilead would say to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No,” 6 then they would say to him, “Then say, ‘Shibboleth’!” And he would say, “Sibboleth,” for he could not pronounce it right. Then they would take him and kill him at the fords of the Jordan. There fell at that time forty-two thousand Ephraimites.

A. Basically, they set up checkpoints along the river & anyone who couldn’t say “flowing stream” with the right accent got killed. It’d be like listening to a native Texan say “y’all” vs. a person who moved recently. (Or Bois D’arc) There’s no way of faking it…

B. 42,000 people died as a result. Casualties of the 1st civil war in Israel…it won’t be the last (see Ch 20).
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7 And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died and was buried among the cities of Gilead.

A. 6 years isn’t very long at all for a judge! Some think that between the grief over his daughter & the stress of the civil war, Jephthah died an early death – which would be understandable…
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8 After him, Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel. 9 He had thirty sons. And he gave away thirty daughters in marriage, and brought in thirty daughters from elsewhere for his sons. He judged Israel seven years. 10 Then Ibzan died and was buried at Bethlehem.

A. There’s quite a contrast between the judges that preceded Jephthah & the judges that followed. Jephthah only had 1 daughter – to lose her meant losing the world (which goes to underscore his sin). Ibzan had 60 children! (Jair had 30.)
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11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

A. Nothing more said…
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13 After him, Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite judged Israel. 14 He had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on seventy young donkeys. He judged Israel eight years. 15 Then Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mountains of the Amalekites.

A. Abdon also had many children who had positions of leadership throughout Israel. But nothing more is known about him.

Conclusion:
Beware of pride! Between Jephthah’s rashly made vow & Ephraim’s hurt feelings, pride got a lot of people killed in these chapters.

Aside from Israel’s one show of godly sorrow & repentance & Jephthah’s quoting of the Scripture & being filled with the Spirit, there seems to be a remarkable lack of dependence on God in these chapters (which isn’t going to improve much with Samson & the rest of Judges). Is there anything we learn about God through all this? Yes! God is merciful! Not only did He receive Israel back into fellowship upon their repentance – not only did He bless their choice of a judge – not only did He defeat the Ammonites… He even goes as far as to put Jephthah in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11!

Here’s a guy full of pride, who rashly made promises in his carnal flesh & perhaps even sacrificed his own daughter as a result. And yet he’s included in the hall of faith along with people like Moses & Abraham. This goes to show the goodness & grace of God through Jesus Christ. Jephthah wasn’t a saint; he was a scoundrel…yet God used him for the glory of God & as an example of the coming deliverance through Jesus Christ.

As a born-again Christian, you have a FAR better covenant with God & relationship with Him than Jephthah had; you’ve been clothed in the righteousness of Christ Jesus. Will we mess things up from time to time? Sure. Will our pride & our flesh get in our way? No doubt. But unlike Jephthah, we don’t need to stay bound by our pride. … We can experience freedom in the grace that Jesus has already shown us through His forgiveness.

Where is your pride & your flesh getting in the way of things in your life? Take it to the foot of the cross & be done with it.

Big changes for Calvary Chapel Tyler!

It’s an exciting time at Calvary Chapel Tyler! I’m already working from the new church building – the carpet is starting to be laid out – the vinyl will be completed tonight – the padding is down in the children’s area & more. If everything goes well, we’ll be able to begin moving next week into our new church home. Praise God!

We’ll also be going on the radio. Tune in Sunday mornings at 8AM on 92.1 KTBB-FM to listen to “Trusting by Grace” as we continue to teach through the Bible verse-by-verse…now with the opportunity to reach much of East Texas over the airwaves. To God be the glory!

There will be streaming audio available from the website (once the radio website is up) – but I’ll also try to get a sneak preview online here at the blog.

UPDATE:
An audio preview is online. MP3 Streaming or Download.

Does every comment get posted?

Yes – every comment (outside of spam) gets posted. I have noticed however, that some folks come by, blast away at whatever particular doctrine they disagree with (or Christianity in general), and then never return. I generally respond to those comments quickly in hopes of either generating an opportunity to talk about the gospel, start a theological dialogue, or at least an agree to disagree in Christian love.

I’ve got to assume that those who never return for a comment after my response never wanted a discussion in the 1st place, but rather use this forum to advance their own pet cause(s). I’ve decided to adopt a policy by which I delete these comments after a bit of time has elapsed with no response. I want to provide an opportunity for dialogue, but I don’t want people to be stumbled by false accusations either.

So feel free to comment…that’s the entire reason the “comment” function is enabled. But if you just want to blast & run, you might want to save your time at the outset & take it elsewhere.

Good Friday – Psalm 22

Superscription reads: “To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Deer of the Dawn.” a Psalm of David.” Although it was written by David; could not possibly be about David…nothing he endured in suffering ever came close to this. Psalm 22 describes in excruciating detail a typical Roman crucifixion, 400 years prior to the invention of it. (Mistakenly said 1000 years the other day…) Much prophecy is fulfilled in this Psalm – from the opening statement, to the crucifixion itself, to the soldiers casting lots (throwing dice) for the clothes of Jesus (vs. 18). There couldn’t be more indications that this is a Messianic Psalm unless David had written in big bold letters: THIS IS ABOUT JESUS!

The psalm can be divided into 2 distinct parts: Jesus’ suffering & Jesus’ praise. It speaks of His 1st coming as the Suffering Servant & then turns to the Resurrection & 2nd Coming as King of Kings. We’re not going to go into detail of every verse – just looking at 4 key areas:
(1) The spiritual sufferings of Christ
(2) The physical sufferings of Christ
(3) Jesus’ response to His sufferings
(4) The result of His sufferings

(1) Jesus suffered spiritually.
A. This was the whole point of the 1st 2 verses, partially quoted in Matthew & Mark. “1 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? Why are You so far from helping Me, And from the words of My groaning? 2 O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear; And in the night season, and am not silent.” Translated into Aramaic, it’s “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabacthani!” Surely this is the most depressing cry in all of history: God the Son in His deepest need crying out to God the Father, Who is silent as His only begotten Son suffers immensely.
__a. Why would God the Father turn His face away from God the Son – with whom He enjoyed perfect fellowship from eternity past? Because Jesus (the only Son of God) became sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (21) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. [] Note, it’s not just that Jesus bore our sins (which He did – 1 Pet 2:24), but Jesus actually “became” sin…God willed that His perfect Son be made sin. When Jesus hung on the cross, He became all the sin that rebels and is in opposition to our Holy God. Thus for the only time in all history, God the Father forsook God the Son. There can be no greater spiritual suffering.

B. Not only did Jesus suffer from the rejection of His Father, but He also suffered in the rejection from His people… (vs 6-8, 12-13)… Jesus knows what it’s like to be abandoned. Jesus knows what it’s like to be betrayed. Jesus knows what it’s liked to be mocked. Jesus knows what it’s like to have His closest friends deny they even know Him. If there’s any area in which we think Jesus simply cannot relate to what we’re going through emotionally or spiritually, we’re wrong. Jesus has been through it all.
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(2) Jesus suffered physically.
A. Roman crucifixion was one of the most painful methods of execution ever devised. As traumatic as the spikes nailed through the hands (median nerves of the wrist) & feet would be, that wasn’t the mode of death. The victim died of suffocation. The position the victim was in distended their body & in order to breath, the victim had to push up their torso to gasp a breath (obviously pushing down on the foot-spike). Their shoulders & hips were usually already dislocated due to the cross dropping into the ground, which made it extra-difficult. Eventually, the victim ended up exhausted & died from lack of breathing. Compare that with what the Psalmist writes – Psalm 22:14-16 (14) I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me. (15) My strength is dried up like a potsherd, And My tongue clings to My jaws; You have brought Me to the dust of death. (16) For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; []
__a. Prophetically speaking, this is absolutely mind-boggling. Again, remember this was written 300 years prior to the Persian form of crucifixion & 400 years prior to the Roman ‘perfection’ of the practice. Vs. 18 goes on to describe how the soldiers gambled for Jesus’ clothes. There’s no doubt that Ps 22 is specifically written about Jesus Christ.

B. Add to this what Jesus had already endured: (1) so much stress that He actually sweat blood – a medical condition called “hematohidrosis”, (2) beatings with fists & reeds (Matt 26:67, 27:30), (3) a crown of thorns shoved into His forehead, (4) scourging – featuring a cat-of-nine-tails that had bits of bone & rocks intertwined with the whips … Did this really hurt Jesus as the Son of God? Yes! Never forget that Jesus is 100% God AND 100% man. To deny His humanity is just as much heresy as denying His deity (which was the focus of many heresies dealt with by the Council of Chalcedon in 451). Jesus truly suffered physically on that day – to the point where many would have died prior to ever being placed on the cross. It’s no wonder that His death came relatively soon for people suffering through crucifixion.

C. Why?? It was the wrath of God being poured out upon Him for our sin! WE deserved every strike of the whip & every nail in His hands – but Jesus took it for us as our sin sacrifice. Isaiah 53:4-6 (4) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. (5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. (6) All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. [] Too many take these verses for physical healing – but that’s not the primary context. Jesus was paying the price for our sin! We are healed spiritually because Jesus was bruised physically. Jesus wasn’t bruised for our sickness; He was bruised for our iniquities, etc… …
__a. When we consider the Cross, we ought to consider that it should have been us hanging up there for our own sins. There’s nothing wrong with using the Cross in jewelry & decoration – the problem comes when that’s all we think it is. The Cross is the symbol of the wrath of God, which our sin required. If there had been another way, God would have given it (that’s what Jesus prayed for…). But because God is absolutely holy, the price of sin had to be paid – and it could only be paid through Christ. As the Son of God, only His death is sufficient to cover an infinite offense against an infinite God. So God willingly sent Jesus there on our behalf.
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(3) How did Jesus respond to His sufferings?
A. By proclaiming God’s faithfulness in Israel… (vs. 3-5) For as often as people conceive of the “God of the OT” as a harsh judge of Israel, the primary picture of God in the OT is One who is truly holy (to be sure), but truly gracious & merciful. In spite of Israel’s continued sin, God continued to deliver them from the hand of Egypt – provide for them in the wilderness – take them into the Promised Land – provide judges & deliverers – preserve their lives in captivity & much more… God had always delivered His people – and had proven His faithfulness. Even in His moment of abandonment, Jesus could sing of God’s holiness & proclaim He was “enthroned in the praises of Israel.”
__a. God is God, no matter what. (God is good, all the time…even when we don’t understand what’s going on.)

B. By proclaiming God’s faithfulness in His life… (vs 9-11) Beyond the national relationship God had with Israel, there was a personal relationship God has with His Son. God the Holy Spirit was the One Who came upon Mary – Jesus knew from a young age that He needed to be about His Father’s business – God proclaimed from the heavens that Jesus was His beloved Son, in Whom He was well pleased… Even in the midst of His suffering when Jesus became the sin, this never changed.
__a. God always loves you – even in His discipline…

C. By praying to God even when it seemed hopeless & God had forsaken Christ… (vs. 19-21). Jesus never stopped crying out to His Father. He had spent the evening before in prayer, pleading with God for another way. He continued to give God glory through His interrogation & beating. He refused to curse God when the people were taunting Him to do so. Jesus understood in His darkest hour that God was still on the throne & God was His only help – even if it was God’s will that Jesus endure.
__a. Never, never, never, never stop turning to God. Even if it seems as if our prayers go unanswered, we are to persist in prayer – oftentimes it the prayer itself that God uses to change us…
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(4) Jesus didn’t suffer for naught. God answered Him (vs. 21) through the Resurrection. There was a purpose to His sufferings & a definite result:
A. The answer of God gives reason for Israel to praise the Lord (vs. 22-24). How so? Although the cry of vs 1 is how God had forsaken Christ, the joy of vs 24 is that God had not despised the afflicted or hidden His face from Him. How can that be reconciled? Through the resurrection! God did indeed turn His face from Christ on the cross, but God did not allow His holy one to see corruption (Ps 16:10) & raised Jesus from the dead on the 3rd day…
__a. How does this relate to Israel? This was proof that Jesus is their awaited Messiah! The Jews could rejoice that their Messiah was here (and 3000 understood that on the day of Pentecost)… They were waiting for their King to defeat their foes, but didn’t understand that the main foe to be defeated was sin & death – and Jesus in His 1st Coming totally wipes them because of His suffering. It’s through His 2nd Coming that He’ll rule & reign in righteousness.

B. The answer of God lifts up the downtrodden (vs 25-26). Who are the “poor” & “those who seek” the Lord? Us! Because of the Resurrection, we can come to God & taste & see that the Lord is good (Ps 34:8). The gospel is the gospel because of the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ…

C. The answer of God gives reason for the Gentiles to praise the Lord (vs. 27-29). Both now & in the millennium the Gentiles will bow before Jesus & worship the Lord. Only now we have the opportunity to do it willingly out of gratefulness & repentance; in the millennium the time for choice will be over…then every knee will bow.

D. We have a reason to keep praising the Lord & telling others what He has done! It’s the Great Commission – Psalm 22:30-31 (30) A posterity shall serve Him. It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation, (31) They will come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born, That He has done this. [] When we share the gospel with our neighbors, we’re telling of the righteousness of the Lord. We’re declaring how Jesus was perfect & did not deserve to die, but He did so for us…and because of His sufficient sacrifice and resurrection, we have the hope of salvation. May we continue telling it to every generation…
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The crucifixion of Jesus is indeed an awful thing – the worst event imaginable: Deicide… And if the crucifixion was the end of the story, we’d have no hope…we’d be left in darkness & despair… But it doesn’t end there! The reason we can call it “Good Friday” is because Sunday’s coming…God did answer the prayer of Christ, raised Him from the dead, and we have reason to rejoice!

Just because it was worth repeating

From CH Spurgeon’s, “Lectures to my Students” & the lecture entitled “The Preacher’s Private Prayer”:

“The minister who does not earnestly pray over his work must surely be a vain and conceited man. He acts as if he thought himself sufficient of himself, and therefore needed not to appeal to God. Yet what a baseless pride to conceive that our preaching can ever be in itself so powerful that it can turn men from their sins, and bring them to God without the working of the Holy Ghost. If we are truly humble-minded we shall not venture down to the fight until the Lord of Hosts has clothed us with all power, and said to us, “Go in this thy might.” The preacher who neglects to pray much must be very careless about his ministry. He cannot have comprehended his calling. He cannot have computed the value of a soul, or estimated the meaning of eternity. He must be a mere official, tempted into a pulpit because the piece of bread which belongs to the priest’s office is very necessary to him, or a detestable hypocrite who loves the praise of men, and cares not for the praise of God. He will surely become a mere superficial talker, best approved where grace is least valued and a vain show most admired. He cannot be one of those who plough deep and reap abundant harvests. He is a mere loiterer, not a laborer. As a preacher he has a name to live and is dead. He limps in his life like the lame man in the Proverbs, whose legs were not equal, for his praying is shorter than his preaching.”
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What a glorious invitation we’ve been given to go before the throne of grace in prayer. Whether it’s in the public proclamation of the gospel, the exposition of the Scriptures, or simply interceding for the salvation of our loved ones, let us bathe in prayer whatever ministry the Lord Jesus has entrusted to us.

Lord, help us to pray.

Sunday’s message

We were so blessed to have Pastor Ron Arbaugh from Calvary Chapel of San Antonio visiting with us last week. If you haven’t yet heard the message he shared, you should. Go to www.calvarytyler.com/3 to listen & be blessed.

Getting Ready for the Good Stuff – Numbers 34-36

Introduction:

Out of the 5 books of Moses (the Penteteuch), Numbers is by far the most tragic as it is the continual story of a nation’s lack of trust in God. They complained about hunger & thirst in the midst of God’s provision – they rebelled against their leadership – they turned away from God’s promise – they died in the wilderness.

Yet it’s precisely because of all these failures and faithlessness that the sheer faithfulness of God shines so radiantly! God met their physical needs through manna and water – God personally led them through the wilderness with the glory of the Lord – God visibly demonstrated who it was He desired to lead Israel – and though God punished the nation in their rebellion, a generation died out (not the entire nation) and God STILL prepared them to enter the land of Promise! Truly God had shown Himself to be faithful & merciful & gracious beyond compare to a people who utterly deserved the outpouring of His wrath!

Likewise we deserved the same thing. There is nothing unfair about an everlasting punishment in Hell because our sin is exactly that sinful & abhorrent. Yet in His great love and grace, He sent Jesus to take our punishment upon Himself so that we might be forgiven and brought into the promise. 1 Peter 1:3-5 (3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (4) to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, (5) who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [] Amen!!

As we close Numbers, this is exactly what God is doing with Israel. He has showered His mercy upon them & preparing them to receive their inheritance in the land. There a few things God needs to settle with them before moving them into the conquest: (1) a retelling & review of the Law (coming in Deut), (2) establishing borders, (3) provide for the Levites, and (4) to ensure their inheritance stays within the tribes it was given.

Numbers 34 (NKJV)
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance—the land of Canaan to its boundaries.

A. No question about this. No ifs/ands/buts…they WILL come into the land of Canaan. God unconditionally promised it to Abraham back in Gen 12 & they WILL receive it…it’s just a matter of whether or not God will have to discipline them along the way (which He does).

a. God is going to be faithful, no matter what! Let God be true & every man a liar (Rom 3:4) – if God’s made a promise, He WILL keep it.

B. Vs. 3-12 outlines the borders. [MAP] Very specific – for good reason. They’re about to enter a land for conquest. They need to know how far they’re going to be going under the Lord’s protection & where that protection will end. God didn’t call Israel to form a world empire; simply to receive what He was giving them…

a. Sometimes we get this mixed up in Christianity – we think we’re supposed to conquer the world for Christ. Not so. We’re supposed to spread the gospel of Christ & make disciples of all the nations – any ‘conquering’ is going to occur through the Lord Jesus & Him alone… []

C. Why is this important? This is the land that God gave Israel. [] Interesting considering the Mideast conflict & peace process. Whatever land negotiations take place, God has the final say. They (Israeli & Palestinian alike) just don’t know it yet.

13 Then Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying: “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe. 14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and the half-tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance. 15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, across from Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”

A. Outlines the borders for Reuben & Gad & ½ Manasseh on the other side of the Jordan. They may have stopped short of what God originally had in store for them, but God is still faithful to provide for His people.

16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.

A. Talk about the wisdom of God! God didn’t leave it up to the various tribes to fight it out once they got there…knowing human nature they would have ended up destroying themselves before they ever got around to the general conquest! Instead, God put it into the hands of Israel’s spiritual & national leaders to guide them through the process…

a. Keeping in mind that both Eleazar and Joshua were both types of Christ (the high priest & the chief prophet/deliverer) – it makes a great picture of how reliant we are on Christ for every aspect of our walk with Him. …

B. Also another reminder that Moses won’t be going into the land. [] God is faithful in both the promises we like & the promises we don’t. We don’t like being disciplined by Him, but it’s a sign of His love for us (Heb 12:6) – He truly loved Moses, but had to discipline him for misrepresenting God’s grace to the people.

a. Keep in mind Moses didn’t merely lose his temper (which was rare) – he misrepresented the gospel. The rock was Christ (1 Cor 10:4) & Christ only needed to be smitten once & that once was the only sacrifice needed for all time (Heb 10:12). [] It is vitally important that we present the gospel correctly – anything other than salvation through the grace of Christ alone becomes a works-based gospel & thus NO gospel at all! …

18 And you shall take one leader of every tribe to divide the land for the inheritance.

A. Vs 19-28 lists them all out…

B. Tedious? To us perhaps, but not to them. God called each of them by name! Can you imagine what it would have been like to see your name written in the Holy Scripture? J

a. It’s better than that for you. As a Christian, your name is written in the Book of Life!

29 These are the ones the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance among the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

A. Summary. The land was the LORD’s to give…thus He was the One who decided which people were called to help divide the land.

a. Interesting to me that when we think about “ministry” today, we almost always envision something to do with teaching or music…yet these men were called by God to this task no less than Joshua or Eleazar were called by God. God calls politicians, accountants, carpenters, farmers, etc., FAR more often than He does pastors & missionaries. We are all a kingdom of priests & whatever it is God has gifted us to do, THAT’s what we’re to use for His glory.

Numbers 35 (NKJV)
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying: 2 “Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities. 3 They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals. 4 The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5 And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities. [incorporated pasture land just outside the city walls]

A. Remember the Levites didn’t get an inheritance of the land, because the Lord Himself was their inheritance (Num 18:20).

a. Likewise, although there are many blessings God gives to us as believers in Christ – by far the best is our very salvation & adoption into His family! All sorts of Christians go seeking after “the glory” or “the stuff” – but all that pales in comparison with Christ Himself!

B. However, the Levites still need a place to live! God provided it for them among the various tribes throughout the land…

a. Why weren’t they all placed around Jerusalem or Shiloh (or where ever the Tabernacle was)? Isn’t that where they were needed the most? Let me suggest to you that God spread out the Levites so that His ‘representatives’ would be scattered throughout Israel. True, they could help people throughout the land prepare their sacrifices – but just their presence brought a reminder of God to the people.

b. God desires to use you in the same way! 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. [] When Christ is in you, the world around you knows it! They can help but be affected by the fragrance of Christ emanating from your life. (And if they don’t, there’s a problem…)

6 “Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. [more about this in a moment] And to these you shall add forty-two cities. 7 So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land. 8 And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.”

A. 48 total cities for the Levites – proportionally given from among the various tribes of Israel.

9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

A. They don’t know how they’ll be crossing the Jordan yet, but they definitely will be crossing it. It’s going to be an event to remember as the waters dry up in a fashion reminiscent of the Red Sea (Josh 3). In the meantime, they’ll have to trust the Lord that they’ll actually get there. For 2-5M people without an Army Corps of Engineers to build bridges everywhere they go, you can imagine that this task was looming on the horizon for them.

i. God calls us to walk by faith & not by sight (2 Cor 5:7)…and this can be really tough at times. We don’t always understand what’s going on around us (not unlike the Israelites) – but we have to trust that God is always in control.

11 then you shall appoint cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer who kills any person accidentally may flee there. 12 They shall be cities of refuge for you from the avenger, that the manslayer may not die until he stands before the congregation in judgment.

A. Cities of refuge… God’s provision in the midst of a vigilante culture…

13 And of the cities which you give, you shall have six cities of refuge. 14 You shall appoint three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities you shall appoint in the land of Canaan, which will be cities of refuge. 15 These six cities shall be for refuge for the children of Israel, for the stranger, and for the sojourner among them, that anyone who kills a person accidentally may flee there.

A. Spread out around the land. [Map]

B. This law is available to everyone: Hebrew, stranger, sojourner…none is exempt from the protection God offers. [] Makes a great parallel to our salvation in Christ – we are all under a death sentence, under which there is no escape outside of fleeing to Christ who is our Rock of Refuge (Ps 62:7). Hebrews 6:17-18 (17) Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, (18) that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. []

16 ‘But if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 17 And if he strikes him with a stone in the hand, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. 18 Or if he strikes him with a wooden hand weapon, by which one could die, and he does die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

A. Just because someone fled to a city of refuge doesn’t mean that he’s innocent. This isn’t like when people would run into a church claiming “sanctuary” from crimes… God is absolutely just & His justice will be carried out…

B. Does the Bible make a distinction between an iron axhead accidentally flying off the handle & intentional murder? Apparently. “strikes” could also be translated “destroy/vicious blow” – it implies intent. IOW, if you purposefully threw a stone at your neighbor’s head & he died – you can’t claim ‘temporary insanity’ or call it a ‘crime of passion.’ In God’s eyes, it’s simple murder.

19 The avenger of blood himself shall put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death. 20 If he pushes him out of hatred or, while lying in wait, hurls something at him so that he dies, 21 or in enmity he strikes him with his hand so that he dies, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death. He is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

A. The avenger is actually the one to carry out the execution. Sounds so foreign to us today b/c our culture places capital punishment into the hands of the state specifically to remove avengers/family members from the process. Is our culture wrong? Not necessarily – power of execution affirmed by Romans 13…

a. Is God contradicting Himself in principle here? No! Two different standards for two different systems of government. For government run by men (be it elected officials or not), God places the power of the sword into the hands of the government to provide maximum opportunity for fairness. But Israel wasn’t originally run that way – it was a true theocracy run by God Almighty & administered through prophets, priests, and judges. Thus God placed the power of the sword into local hands for maximum opportunity for responsibility – and that only after God’s will was properly determined.

B. “avenger” = Hb “go ‘el / ga ‘al” = same word used to describe the kinsmen redeemer (re: Ruth).

22 ‘However, if he pushes him suddenly without enmity, or throws anything at him without lying in wait, 23 or uses a stone, by which a man could die, throwing it at him without seeing him, so that he dies, while he was not his enemy or seeking his harm, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the manslayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

A. If not the 1^st recorded use of jury system, it’s definitely close!

25 So the congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall return him to the city of refuge where he had fled, and he shall remain there until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 But if the manslayer at any time goes outside the limits of the city of refuge where he fled, 27 and the avenger of blood finds him outside the limits of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood kills the manslayer, he shall not be guilty of blood, 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return to the land of his possession.

A. Interesting stipulation here. Just because the manslayer may be found innocent, it doesn’t mean he can leave the city of refuge at any time. He’s (in essence) a willful prisoner within the gates of the city & endangers himself at any point that he decides to leave…

B. Does this have application to the NT believer? Yes! Our salvation is only found in Christ. We dare not look outside His protection for it. Interestingly enough, the sentence for the manslayer lasts as long as the high priest is still alive – yet when the high priest dies, the manslayer is fully freed. Jesus Christ as our High Priest died – and now we are free from sin & death!

29 ‘And these things shall be a statute of judgment to you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoever kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death on the testimony of witnesses; but one witness is not sufficient testimony against a person for the death penalty. 31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death. 32 And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to his city of refuge, that he may return to dwell in the land before the death of the priest.

A. Multiple witnesses…

B. No bribery. Everyone regardless of social status pays the same debt for the same crime. The wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) & all are guilty; there’s no way of paying those wages outside of blood.

33 So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 Therefore do not defile the land which you inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the children of Israel.’ ”

A. Their behavior & disobedience of the Lord could “pollute” and “defile” the land…

B. God dwells among His people!

Numbers 36 (NKJV)
1 Now the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the leaders, the chief fathers of the children of Israel. 2 And they said: “The Lord commanded my lord Moses to give the land as an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the Lord to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad to his daughters.

A. Review from Ch 27…

3 Now if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and it will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so it will be taken from the lot of our inheritance. 4 And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry; so their inheritance will be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

A. Legitimate problem…and we also see why this chapter was likely added on by Moses after he thought he had probably ended the book in Ch 35. God had told Moses the borders of the land & how to divide it among the children of Israel & now there’s a potential problem of the land changing tribal hands…

5 Then Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the Lord, saying: “What the tribe of the sons of Joseph speaks is right. 6 This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, ‘Let them marry whom they think best, but they may marry only within the family of their father’s tribe.’

A. When did Moses speak to God about this? Dunno…but obviously he DID bring it to God in prayer… []

a. May we always be quick to our knees & the Scriptures. Too often we spout out advice based on what makes sense at the time – the problem is that the same advice might not make sense at another time. If we need wisdom about any given situation, all we need do is ask – God promises He will give it (James 1:5).

B. The solution? Have inheriting daughters marry within their own tribes. (Not quite as icky as it may sound to us…these tribes were quite big; there was a large enough gene pool to choose from).

7 So the inheritance of the children of Israel shall not change hands from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife of one of the family of her father’s tribe, so that the children of Israel each may possess the inheritance of his fathers. 9 Thus no inheritance shall change hands from one tribe to another, but every tribe of the children of Israel shall keep its own inheritance.”

A. Why can’t the inheritance change tribes? Because it didn’t ultimately belong to the tribes! God gave the land; thus God decides who lives on the land…

10 Just as the Lord commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad; 11 for Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married to the sons of their father’s brothers. 12 They were married into the families of the children of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of their father’s family.

A. Particular instance would have been ok – they had married some of their cousins. (Not unusual for the day – just look at Abraham & Sarah)

13 These are the commandments and the judgments which the Lord commanded the children of Israel by the hand of Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan, across from Jericho.

A. Summary for the entire book… If there were any doubts, this is the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses. Thus – this is every bit as much Scripture as the Gospels or Romans or any of our other favorite books we love to quote.  And every bit of it is necessary for our edification.

Conclusion:

So what’s the lesson from Numbers? Trust God! We have every reason in the world to trust God with every aspect of our lives, but we so often get distracted and think we can do it better ourselves…may it never be so! When we turn away from trusting God, we miss out on blessing after blessing that comes with following Christ.

Has there been something you’ve been ignoring God on? Is there an area of your life you haven’t trusted Him with? Take tonight to confess it & be done with it – there’s no reason to wait. His grace & mercy & love is just as available to you tonight through Christ as it was to Moses – and even more abundantly! We’ve seen the Cross – we’ve been raised with Christ from the grave – we’ve been empowered by the Holy Spirit. Why put yourself in the place of God’s discipline when we could simply enjoy His blessing? Be blessed – trust God.

Way to Go!

Introduction/Background:

Name the most popular Christian book series in recent history? Left Behind. The whole premise of the story is what would happen to a group of people who got left behind in the rapture & then came to Christ? Not an uncommon question…it’s one that people have been asking for centuries. And even the church has asked, what would happen if we got left behind? Have we already missed the rapture?

That’s exactly the issue Paul was tackling with the church at Thessalonica. In both letters to the Thessalonians, Paul went into much detail about what the end-days were going to look like for Christians, and the moment that Christ Jesus would call every believer to Himself in the twinkling of an eye. And from that…why we should at all times be ready!

1^st read about Thessalonica in Acts 17. Paul & Silas had just gone through the experience in Philippi where they were unfairly imprisoned & God decided to get the guard’s attention through a miraculous earthquake. Paul had earlier received the vision from a man in Macedonia calling him to come & help them, and now Paul & Silas had officially gotten there. Once in Thessalonica, Paul followed his normal strategy by going to the synagogue. There he preached for 3 weeks until he was kicked out by the Jewish leaders.

At this point, scholars disagree on the timeframe. In Luke’s narrative, the Jewish leaders seize Jason (since they couldn’t find Paul) & drag him before the authorities…and Paul moves on to Berea. Whether this happened at the end of 3 weeks or over a period of a few months is unclear since Paul apparently had time to set up his tentmaking business in town & received some gifts from the church at Philippi. Whatever the case, the church at Thessalonica was basically comprised of nothing but new believers in Christ…which makes Paul’s choice of teaching pretty interesting. What we see in 1 Thess is a flyover of everything from the deity of Christ to purity in sanctification to the rapture & 2^nd coming. Likely this is a miniature version of what Paul taught in every city he started a mission in – and wasn’t able to finish in Thessalonica due to his short time there.

Underscores the importance of teaching doctrine within the church! Often church’s advertise themselves as the place to get the best coffee & hear the best jokes each & every Sunday morning…but that has very little to do why God calls us to gather together (doctrine, fellowship, breaking bread, prayers – Acts 2:42).

[MAP] Seaport & center of a trading route crossroads. Thus a lot of different people were passing through. There were some fairly influential Jews there, but a majority of Greeks & other gentiles. (City actually still exists today!) Fairly large city at the time with 2-300,000 ppl there. Date of writing? Probably one of the 1^st letters written by Paul around 51AD (~ 20 years after the Res).

Starts by greeting the church – and it’s a joyful greeting! Paul is rejoicing in their faith & the evangelism that has resulted from it. There’s much to praise God for…and Paul was never one to refrain from doing so. J

1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 (NKJV)
1 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Typical Pauline opening. We sign at the end; they signed at the beginning… Silas & Timothy were with Paul & surely sent the same sentiments, but Paul writes the letter in the 1^st person throughout.

B. What’s the bond between Paul, Silas, Timothy & Thessalonica? They are “in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!” They are all part of the same family of faith. Paul may not have been there long, but he was utterly assured of the fact, as he’ll make plain throughout Ch 1.

a. God is our Father because we are in Christ. Always important to keep in mind b/c although God is the Father over all creation, until the point when we are born again, we are outside His family. We are at enmity with Him (Rom 8:7) & are of our ‘father’ the Devil (John 8:44). … BUT through Christ we have been born-again & received the spirit of adoption (Rom 8:15) – and now we have been brought into the very family of God! Not only can we call God our Father, but we can call Him “Abba!” Praise God!!

b. Jesus = His name; Christ = His purpose (anointed to save); Lord = His position (divinity). Paul stresses the divinity of Christ here – note how he links God the Father & Jesus together by them both being the source of grace & peace…

i. Never let anyone tell you that Jesus is less than God! If He’s not fully God, than the whole of the testimony of the New Testament is in doubt, He could not have risen from the dead, and our faith is in vain. Jesus IS God & He IS Lord!

C. Grace & Peace: Always the same sentiments, always the same order. Combination of the common Greek (Charis) and Hebrew (Shalom) greetings. Always in that order b/c the grace of God through Christ Jesus always precedes the peace of God…

2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,

A. Was Paul obsessed with the Thessalonians & never able to think of anything else but them? Of course not – but he did thank God for them every time he thought of them…and he hadn’t been out of Thessalonica for too long by the time he wrote the letter. But Paul always demonstrated a pastoral heart for the churches he planted – he wasn’t there to build up his own resume; he wanted to see them flourish. And prayer is essential for that!

B. What specifically did Paul remember? Their “work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope.” Sound familiar? 1 Cor 13:13 same grouping, listing their importance among the gifts. In 1 Thess, Paul writes what they produce.

a. “Work of faith”: Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? [] But there IS a work…believing on Jesus Christ: John 6:28-29 (28) Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” (29) Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” [] Are we saved BY our work? Absolutely not! We’re saved by grace (Eph 2:8-9)…we’re saved by HIS work on the cross! But when asked what to do to be saved, the answer is always the same: repent & believe…

b. “Labor of love”: Whereas work can be enjoyable, labor is generally something that leaves you exhausted. And living out true agape love can be exhausting, because it’s exemplified in service… [] We often say “A faith that saves is a faith that works” & that’s the labor Paul’s referring to here. Our love for Christ & each other isn’t a lovey-dovey-sit-around-a-milkshake sort of love. It’s active & serving the Lord Jesus however He calls us to serve Him.

i. Underscores our motive for service. Our love for Christ is our primary motivation for everything else that we do. If we go into something for the Lord begrudgingly, complaining the whole way, we need to ask ourselves if we’re doing it for the Lord…

c. “Patience of hope”: While we’re here, we’ve got to be patient until we get there. Personally, I’m really looking forward to heaven – but I’m not expecting it here on earth anytime soon. In this world, we will have trials (anyone saying otherwise is selling something); so we need the patience from the Lord in order to endure…and that comes knowing that there’s more to come. No trial is going to last forever; one day we will be face to face with Jesus!

i. BTW, we’re not just waiting for anything in general. We’re not looking for the 12^th imam of Islam…we’re not awaiting reincarnation. We’ve got patient hope in “our Lord Jesus Christ”

d. Notice this is all past/present/future. We believed in faith – we currently live out the love of Christ – we wait for the future hope of heaven by death or rapture.

4 knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God.

A. Why do we have that faith, hope, & love? Because we’ve been elected by God. We don’t have time to get into all the doctrine of election (go back and read Eph 1 for details)… Suffice to say that if you’re a Christian, God HAS chosen (elected) you to be saved & praise God for it. ‘But I don’t understand how God can choose me & yet I’m commanded to choose Him?’ If you’re married, you didn’t have a problem with it then – why now?

a. The problem we have with election is that we try to use our finite minds to look at things through God’s infinite perspective. From before the foundations of the world, God loved you & appointed you for salvation. From my perspective, it happened in 1987 when I put my faith in Christ Jesus. He chooses us; we must respond to Him in faith – amen! That’s all we need understand.

B. Our election means that we’re beloved! It’s one of the defining characteristics… 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us. [] That’s incredible! Because no matter how unlovable you may think yourself to be, God still loved you for the work that He wanted to see done in you through Christ Jesus. In fact, God loved you precisely when you were completely unlovable…and yet still chose you for His own.

a. ‘How do I know if God loves me like that?’ Find out: repent from your sin & trust Jesus Christ for your salvation…

5 For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

A. How do Paul, Silas, & Timothy know that the church at Thessalonica is part of the elect? Because they saw them receive the gospel! Paul describes their conversion in verse 6, but here he describes how the gospel went forth.

a. In word: Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17). If someone is going to be converted, they need to be told the gospel 1^st! Paul never hesitated to preach the word of life to people.

b. In power: The word is δύναμις, usually referring to the miraculous power of God [“dynamite”]. In Acts 17, there’s no record of miracles being performed…was something done that’s not in the Scripture? Perhaps. But don’t forget the greatest miracle that’s occurred to every person in Christ: you’ve been born again! Paul will expand on this in verse 6…

c. In the Holy Spirit: It’s impossible for the word of God to go out with power without the working of the Holy Spirit. I don’t understand why some would teach we don’t need to pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit – praise God He indwells us at salvation & seals us for eternal life, but He makes His ongoing power available to every Christian for the asking.

d. In much assurance: The grammar implies that the Holy Spirit was the one Who gave the church their assurance of salvation – as He does us. We’re told to examine ourselves to see if we’re in the faith (2 Cor 13:5); if we’ve truly repented & placed our life/faith/trust in the hands of Christ Jesus alone, the Holy Spirit will assure us of that.

i. If you don’t have that assurance, get on your knees before God & ask Him to search your heart. Ask Him to reveal whatever it is that has gotten in the way of repentance & faith…and then deal with it!

e. In integrity: Paul’s reputation had come under attack in Thessalonica by the Jews who wanted him kicked out – so he’s going to appeal many times to the church’s knowledge of how he acted (esp. in Ch 2). But the point is clear…if we expect to see people converted by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have to live lives that are demonstrably converted by Jesus Christ.

6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit,

A. The result of the gospel going powerfully forth through the Holy Spirit? People were converted! They became followers of the Lord…how so? They became followers of Paul & Silas who followed Christ Jesus. Paul didn’t come to set up a sect devoted to himself; he taught people to follow (Gk: μιμητής ~ mimic) him so they would know what to do & how to live in order to imitate Christ. And the imitating Christ is basic discipleship 101: Matthew 16:24-25 (24) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. (25) For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. []

B. Not only did they receive the word, but they received it “in much affliction” – demonstrated when a mob took Jason out & hauled him before the leaders of the city accusing him of treason (Acts 17:7).

a. So often we think that we need the right environment to worship. For most of the world, that’s not the case! They are afflicted – and yet their faith not only survives; it flourishes…

b. In the middle of that affliction, we can have the “joy of the Holy Spirit”… Our joy isn’t based on our circumstances; it’s based on what God has done & is doing in us. He’s saved us – He’s adopted us – He’s preparing a place for us to that we can be with Jesus for all eternity…that’s a reason to have joy!

7 so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 8 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. Your faith toward God has gone out, so that we do not need to say anything.

A. Because their faith flourished, they became examples to the whole church in Greece. Whether it was Corinth, Berea, Athens, or wherever – Paul could point to the church at Thessalonica & say “Look at them – they’re truly following Christ!” That’s true maturity…they learned from Paul how to imitate Christ & now other churches are learning to imitate Thessalonica in imitating Christ.

B. They weren’t just examples; they were evangelists…because of the work going on in the church, people all over the countryside were getting saved! Remember, Thessalonica was a major trade-route city – with people constantly passing through, they were able to witness to many people & all of Greece seemed to have heard of their witness. [] Even if they weren’t able to go to every corner of the world, they were able to help in that effort by aiding Paul in his journeys. 2 Cor 8:1 implies Thessalonica was one of the churches that helped supply Paul during his ministry in Corinth (somewhat to the shame of the Corinthian church).

i. Mentioned it before, but it’s worth remembering that because of your faithful giving, there are churches & missions in Mexico, Cuba, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Thailand, and more that are supported by CCT. From this little church in East Texas, the word of the Lord is sounding forth…praise God!

9 For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

A. Who are “they themselves”? The people coming in contact with the Thessalonian witness when passing through. Apparently Paul & Silas came across these people often & whenever they’d start talking to them, the people would say “Oh I’ve heard of you – you’re the ones who shared Christ with Thessalonica.”

B. Don’t you love hearing someone’s testimony? They know what they were, what they turned from, and what God did for them in Christ Jesus! For the Thessalonians, they were idol worshippers… After hearing the gospel, they turned from their idols to God… Now they actively serve the “living and true God”…

a. Notice the work of faith & labor of love here: (1) They turned in a work of faith to believe on Jesus Christ as Lord, apart from their idols. (2) They served the Living God in a labor of love…Paul ties in hope in vs. 10.

b. This is the definition of repentance! To “repent” is simply to “turn” away from sin & “turn” to God…

10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

A. I love this – it’s the gospel in reverse! From the perspective of the church, this is exactly what & why we’re waiting patiently with hope.

a. Jesus delivered us from the wrath of God at the Cross…we absolutely deserved it because of sin & He absolutely fulfilled it in His death. Praise God that for the believer, there is no wrath that awaits us…

b. Jesus is raised from the dead…essential fact! The gospel isn’t merely that Jesus died for our sins (everyone dies), but that He paid the price for our sins, proven & declared through the Resurrection! We don’t follow a dead prophet…or a dead teacher…or a dead anything. Worshipping something that’s not alive is the definition of idolatry. We serve a LIVING Savior!

i. Raised by God the Father. Scripture also affirms Jesus was raised by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11) & raised by Himself (John 10:17-18). The whole Godhead takes part in the Resurrection – demonstrating not only the power of God, but the fact that Jesus IS God Himself. God alone has power over death; thus Jesus is fully God.

c. Jesus is alive in heaven & will be returning…

B. Notice the future tense here. The wrath of God was poured out at Calvary, but there is wrath yet to come (7 year Great Tribulation – written about in depth in Rev 6-18). And we will be delivered from it…this is not something Christians will go through.

a. Worth acknowledging that there is much debate on the subject of the rapture (and pretty much everything else concerning end-times). There are many Bible-believing, Jesus-loving Christians that view things vastly differently…but at Calvary Chapel, we believe in the pre-tribulation rapture (statement of faith). Want you to know this up-front, so you know the perspective from where we’ll be teaching it.

b. Don’t miss Paul’s point. Over & over throughout the NT, we are told that the Lord Jesus is coming back at any moment. In fact, it was the 1^st thing the apostles were told after Jesus’ ascension! (Acts 1:11) Are you ready?

Conclusion:

So the Thessalonians were doing everything the church should be doing! They believed in a work of faith – they were serving the Lord in a labor of love – they were awaiting the Lord’s coming in patience of hope. They weren’t couch-potato Christians just hanging around looking up for the Rapture; their hope in Christ’s return was so vivid that they could not help but go out and share the gospel with everyone around them. Amen! May every church in Tyler do the same thing…

Where we can get into trouble is in our distractions. We go to both extremes…either:

(1) The Lord hasn’t come yet, so we think we’ve got plenty of time to goof off & dabble in the things of the world. If so, we’re going to be surprised when He comes as a thief in the night.

(2) We get so caught up in the signs of the coming rapture that we neglect to tell people about the glorious gospel so that they might be included in it.

Let us have a patient hope…one that can be assured of things to come, but patiently serving our Lord & King until He does.

I’ll ask again: are you ready? Jesus Christ could literally call every Christian home at any time…are you going to be included in that call? I speak to so many people who think they are Christian because they’re decent people who provide for their family & go to church a few times a year…let me be clear: that in NO way makes anyone a Christian. What makes someone a Christian is by being born-again of the Spirit of God – and that’s only possible through the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus went to the Cross because we had a debt of sin we could not pay; so He paid it in His blood & life. He died the death you deserved…but He’s not dead today; He’s alive! He makes this offer of new life & forgiveness available to the entire world…but you must ask Him for it.