Eli’s Ineffective Reproof – Part One

Eli’s Ineffective Reproof – Part One
1 Samuel 2:22-25

A man might be on the whole a good man, and yet be marked by some defect; which mars his character and prevents his usefulness; which makes him the unintentional cause of much grief. Eli was such a man.... He was a descendant of Ithamar, the youngest son of Aaron. He held the office of high priest, and helped to raise Samuel. He became judge at age 58, and judged Israel for 40 years - 1 Sam 4:18 “As soon as he mentioned the ark of God, Eli fell over backward from his seat by the side of the gate, and his neck was broken and he died, for the man was old and heavy. He had judged Israel forty years.” When first mentioned, he must have been around 70 years old. His sons were children of his old age, for sometimes afterward they were spoken of as young men - 1 Sam 2:17 “Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt.” Yet he will always be known as the man who did not restrain his sons.... His sons Hophni and Phineas were corrupt, and did not know the Lord - 1 Sam 2:12-17 “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the LORD. The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw." And if the man said to him, "Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish," he would say, "No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force." Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the LORD, for the men treated the offering of the LORD with contempt.” He sought to reprove his sons, but it was ineffective - 1 Sam 2:22-25 “Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.” Therefore God sent a man of God to pronounce judgment on his household - 1 Sam 2:27-36 “And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, "Thus the LORD has said, 'Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?' Therefore the LORD the God of Israel declares: 'I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,' but now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father's house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, "Please put me in one of the priests' places, that I may eat a morsel of bread."'" The Lord also told Samuel of the reason for such judgment - 1 Sam 3:11-14 “Then the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."’

Eli’s reproof was clearly ineffective, and did not absolve him of responsibility for his sons’ behavior. Here are some possible reasons why... Eli’s reproof was not administered in the proper time in the case of his sons. His sons’ propensity to sin must have been seen long before the rumor of their flagrant transgressions reached him. It was evident his sons did not know the Lord, yet they had been appointed priests. Eli, being old and weak, was evidently of gentle and easy going temperament. Thus he failed to reprove them until they were too devoted to their evil ways. In this Eli was like David and his son Adonijah - 1 Kin 1:5-6 “Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, "Why have you done thus and so?" He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.” Therefore we should remember that the tendency to go wrong appears at an early age. A little plant may be easily rooted up, but when it becomes a tree it can only be removed by extraordinary efforts. Some children can be ‘discouraged’ by too much strictness - Co 3:21 “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” Yet far more are spoiled by too much indulgence (“Indulgence never produces gratitude or love in the heart of a child.”).

The ineffectiveness of Eli’s reproof may also have been because it was not given with sufficient earnestness. In the case of Eli’s sons it was not sufficiently pointed in its application. It was given to them collectively rather than individually. By way of question, rather than a direct charge - 1 Sam 2:23 “And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.” Concerning things he had heard, but had not troubled himself to find out for certain. It exhibited no sufficient sense of the evil of sin. He spoke of the consequences of sin rather than the nature of sin. He seemed more concerned about the reputation than the sin itself - 1 Sam 2:23-24 “And he said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the LORD spreading abroad.” It showed no sufficient determination to correct the sin. He did not threaten to judge them for their injustice toward men. He simply left them to the judgment of a higher tribunal - 1 Sam 2:25 “If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death.” “In the case where the rebuke should have descended like a bolt from heaven we hear nothing but low and feeble murmurings, coming, as it were, out of the dust. Cruel indeed are the tenderest mercies of parental weakness and indulgence. And the fate of Eli shows that by such tender mercies the father may become the minister of vengeance unto his whole house.” (Le Bas)

Therefore we should remember to make sure our reproofs are sufficiently pointed (“You are the man!”) - 2 Sam 12:7 “Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.” Sufficiently pointed to communicate the exceedingly sinfulness of sin. We should also make sure our reproofs are sufficiently pointed to make every effort within our power to stop the sinning being done.

In the next part of this lesson we will continue to look at the ineffectiveness of Eli’s reproof and make some personal applications as to how our reproofs can be more effective, especially within our own household.

Hannah - A Woman of Faith - Part Two

Hannah - A Woman of Faith – Part Two
1 Samuel 1:1-2:10

What can we learn from Hannah and her keeping her promise? We should keep our vows. God has no pleasure in fools who do not keep their vows - Ecc 5:4-5 “When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.” As Christians, even our ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are as solemn vows - Mt 5:33-37 ‘"Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.' But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.”; Ja 5:12 “But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” We should worship the Lord. Fulfillment of vows or promises should not be done begrudgingly. We should with gratitude of heart do the will of the Lord - Co 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Finally, we note Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving (1 Sam 2:1-10), which is reminiscent of Mary’s ‘Magnificat’ (Lk 1:46-55). Both prayers reveal that women of faith express their praise. Hannah’s praise was with great joy in her heart - 1 Sam 2:1 “And Hannah prayed and said, "My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.” With praise for the Lord for His help - 1 Sam 2:2-10 ‘"There is none holy like the LORD; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and on them he has set the world. "He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his anointed."’

What can we learn form Hannah’s prayer and praise? We should rejoice in blessings received. For we are to rejoice always - 1 Th 5:16 “Rejoice always,”. How much more so when we have received blessings from the Lord! We should offer praise for blessings received as David offered thanks, and promised to praise God - Psa 18:49 “For this I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations, and sing to your name.” Praising God is how Christians offer spiritual sacrifices to God - He 13:15 “Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.”

“Hannah - A Woman Of Faith” serves to remind us that all women of faith endure real problems, extend vibrant prayers, experience God’s provisions, excel at keeping promises and express their praise. Today, anyone can become a person of faith, even though you face many problems. If you are willing to come to God in prayerful obedience to the gospel of Christ; receive the gift of salvation provided through God’s Son; remain true to your commitment to His authority as Lord of your life and offer your life and the fruit of your lips in praise to Him. May everyone, whether male or female, be able to say together with Hannah:
“My heart rejoices in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord.” - 1 Sam 2:1

Note: The main points of this outline were adapted from a sermon by Brian Hill.

Hannah - A Woman of Faith - Part One

Hannah - A Woman of Faith – Part One
1 Samuel 1:1-2:10

The Old Testament contains many role models for us today.... Great men like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, David, and Daniel. Great women like Sarah, Hannah, Ruth, and Esther. A wonderful role model for women of faith today is that of Hannah.... The mother of Samuel, one of the greatest prophets of Israel whose story is told in the first two chapters of 1 Samuel

From just a simple reading of the material in these two chapters we can glean several lessons from “Hannah - A Woman Of Faith”. For example, as we read 1 Sam 1:1-8, we learn that women of faith endure real problems. Hannah’s problems were twofold. Her womb was closed by the Lord - 1 Sam 1:1-5 “There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.” Thus she suffered ridicule and provoking by her rival - 1 Sam 1:6-8 “And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?"’

What can we learn from Hannah? Women of faith are not without problems in this life. The righteous often suffer (remember Job). Sarah likewise suffered ridicule from her handmaiden Hagar - Gen 16:3-5 “So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her servant, and gave her to Abram her husband as a wife. And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. And Sarai said to Abram, "May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my servant to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me!"’ We should not let others deter our trust in the Lord. Hannah could have used her misfortune and mistreatment as an excuse. Yet year after year Hannah continued to worship the Lord - 1 Sam 1:7 “So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.” Women of faith have problems just like other women. What distinguishes them as women of faith is what they do when faced with their problems, as we glean from reading 1 Sam 1:9-18...

Women of faith extend vibrant prayers. Hannah’s prayer was with the bitterness of soul; with weeping in anguish - 1 Sam 1:10 “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.” She offers of a solemn vow - 1 Sam 1:11 “And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head."’ Her prayer was with persistence - 1 Sam 1:12 “As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.” She prayed with her heart - 1 Sam 1:13 “Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.” She prayed with all her soul - 1 Sam 1:15-16 “But Hannah answered, "No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation."’ Hannah prayed with faith in God's promise - 1 Sam 1:18 “And she said, "Let your servant find favor in your eyes." Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”

What can we learn from Hannah? Pray fervently - she put her soul into her prayers - Co 4:2a “Continue steadfastly in prayer,”. Pray persistently - she continued steadfastly in prayers - Co 4:2b “being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Pray faithfully - she believed that God would answer her prayers - 1 Jn 5:14-15 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

Women of faith believe in the efficacy of prayer. God takes notice of such faith (2 Chr 16:9 “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars."’), so we should not be surprised to see as we continue reading (1 Sam 1:19-20) that women of faith experience God’s provisions. Hannah received her provision when the Lord remembered her - 1 Sam 1:19 “They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.” The Lord gave her a son, whom she named Samuel (“heard of God”) - 1 Sam 1:20 “And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, "I have asked for him from the LORD."’

What can we learn from Hannah that will help us today? God may sometimes give us what we want. It must be according to His will - 1 Jn 5:14 “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” We must abide in His words - Jn 15:7 “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” Selfish prayers will not be answered as we wish - Ja 4:3 “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” God will always provide what we need. It may not be what we want or expect, but it will meet our needs, and be for our good - Mt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”; Ro 8:28 “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

In Hannah’s case, she received that for which she asked. But she had made a vow, and as we read on (1 Sam 1:21-28), we see that women of faith excel at keeping promises. In Hannah’s case she planned to keep her promise - 1 Sam 1:22 “But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, "As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever."’ She carried out what she promised - 1 Sam 1:24-27 “And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young. Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.” She worshipped the Lord - 1 Sam 1:28 “Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.”

We will continue the lesson in a second part looking at what we can learn from Hannah and her keeping her promise.

Shall Your Brethren Go to War While You Sit Here

Shall Your Brethren Go To War
While You Sit Here?

Numbers 32:6 “But Moses said to the people of Gad and to the people of Reuben, "Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here?”
Prior to Israel’s occupation of the Promised Land, the tribes of Reuben and Gad wanted to settle in the land east of the Jordan. Their request and Moses’ response are found in Num 32:1-23, and have practical application to our service in the church today.

Let’s begin our study with a review of the historical account in Numbers 32. Ruben and Gad express their desire as they were two tribes with much livestock - Num 32:1a “Now the people of Reuben and the people of Gad had a very great number of livestock.” They saw that the land of Jazer and Gilead (the Transjordan) was good for livestock - Num 32:1b “And they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, and behold, the place was a place for livestock.” So they requested to be given the land as their possession, and not taken over the Jordan river with the rest of Israel - Num 32:2-5 “So the people of Gad and the people of Reuben came and said to Moses and to Eleazar the priest and to the chiefs of the congregation, "Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon, the land that the LORD struck down before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock." And they said, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan."’

Moses responds, “Shall your brethren go to war while you sit here?” - Num 32:6. Shall they be at ease, while their brethren must fight? Was it not with their brethren’s help that the land they desire is now available? How Moses viewed their request.... They would discourage their brethren - Num 32:7 “Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them?” They would be no different than the ten spies who discouraged Israel by their report - Num 32:8-9 “Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the LORD had given them.” Who aroused God’s anger against them - Num 32:10-13 “And the LORD's anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.' And the LORD's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was gone.” They would be a brood of sinful men, and increase God’s anger against Israel – Num 32:14 “And behold, you have risen in your fathers' place, a brood of sinful men, to increase still more the fierce anger of the LORD against Israel!” They would in essence destroy God’s people! - Num 32:15 “For if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people."’

An agreement is reached. Reuben and Gad offer to send their soldiers to help possess the Promised Land - Num 32:16-19 “Then they came near to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance. For we will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east."’ Moses agrees, but with a stern warning - Num 32:20-23 “So Moses said to them, "If you will do this, if you will take up arms to go before the LORD for the war, and every armed man of you will pass over the Jordan before the LORD, until he has driven out his enemies from before him and the land is subdued before the LORD; then after that you shall return and be free of obligation to the LORD and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out.”’ The land they desire will be theirs if they carry through with their offer. But if they don’t keep their agreement they will have sinned against the Lord! To be sure their sin will find them out!

In 1 Co 10:11 we are told that what happened to Israel serves as examples to us, and were written for our admonition. With this in mind, let’s consider the following application for us today. Like Israel, we are at war. A spiritual war, to be sure - 2 Co 10:3-5 “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” A war against Satan, and the spiritual forces of wickedness - Ep 6:10-18 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” The Lord’s army (the church) fights this battle as her members serve in such areas as evangelism, edification, and benevolence.

Much has been done up to the present. Many have stood for the truth in the past. Coming out of denominationalism. Standing firm against innovations which would lead to apostasy. Making it possible for us today to know the truth of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ and to worship God in spirit and truth. To enjoy the blessings of God’s family. But the war wages on! Every thought must be brought captive to Christ - 2 Co 10:5 “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,” We must continue to stand strong against the wiles of the devil - Ep 6:11 “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

Shall our brethren go to war while we sit here? By lettings others do the work of the Lord’s army? Shall we just sit, enjoying the efforts of others? The efforts of those who labored in the past? The efforts of those who labor now, making it possible for us to enjoy the blessings of fellowship and worship? -- If not actively involved in some phase of the Lord’s work, that is exactly what we are doing!

If we are sitting, what is the effect? We discourage our brethren! - Num 32:7 “Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the LORD has given them?” We discourage our brethren who often must carry the burden alone; who easily get “burned out” trying to do it all. Lack of involvement is just as detrimental as active opposition! The slothful is a brother to him who destroys - Pro 18:9 “Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.” If we do not gather, then we scatter; there is no neutral ground! - Mt 12:30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” -- Like just sitting in a wagon, instead of pulling or pushing, we hinder its progress!

What will be the end result? We will have sinned against the Lord! - Num 32:23a “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD,” For what one does or doesn’t do for the church, it affects Christ! As Paul learned when he persecuted the church - Ac 9:1-5 “But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Yes, when we sin against the brethren, we sin against Christ! - 1 Co 8:12 “Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ.” Be sure that our sin will find us out! It will come out in the growth of the congregation. Proper growth is possible only if ALL are doing their part - Ep 4:15-16 “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Growth may occur with inactive members, but the growth will be stunted, retarded, handicapped! It will come out on the Day of Judgment! When we have to answer for our laziness! Remember the parable of The Talents? - cf. Mt 26:24-30.

When Reuben and Gad realized the effect of sitting while their brethren went to war, they immediately made arrangements to do their part.... Moses was even patient with them, allowing them time to care for their families - Num 32:24. They in turn promised to do their part in going to war - Num 32:25-27 -- Certainly we can be patient in helping our brethren prepare for “war”, if need be. But may we all determine not to rest until the work is done, by resolving to be more diligent in the spiritual battle we face! Resolving to be more active in whatever area of service for which we are best suited! Let your brethren know that you desire to serve, and not just sit while others work! Are you in the army of Christ, actively engaged in the service of His kingdom?

Caleb Followed the Lord Fully - Part Two

Caleb Followed the Lord Fully – Part Two

In the first part of this lesson we noted Caleb’s attitude in following the Lord. We asked and looked at a couple questions as to our following Jesus all the days of our lives and with all our hearts. In this part we continue by asking ourselves “Shall we follow Jesus like Caleb followed the Lord, despite the hazards?”

What is it to follow Christ despite the hazards? Caleb followed the Lord despite the dangers. He was willing to face the giants in the land - cf. Num 13:33 “And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them."’ He was willing to face the wrath of his brethren - Num 14:10 “Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the LORD appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel.” He was willing to take a mountain from the giants in his old age - Josh 14:10-12 “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming. So now give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall drive them out just as the LORD said."’ Many will serve the Lord only when it is convenient. When it is popular, like the crowds who followed Jesus. When it is safe, like Peter before confronted by the maiden - Mt 26:69-70 “Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, "You also were with Jesus the Galilean." But he denied it before them all, saying, "I do not know what you mean."’ What of us who follow Jesus today? Shall we follow Him only when convenient? Shall we follow Him despite ridicule, persecution, dangers? - Mt 5:10-12 ‘"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” -- Shall we follow Jesus like Caleb followed the Lord, despite the hazards?

Certainly the commitment of Caleb to his Lord is commendable. How was he able to be so committed? How might we be so enabled...? How are we enabled to follow the Lord fully? One way is by keeping our eye on Him. Caleb’s faith was in the Lord, not himself. He was confident they could take the land - Num 13:30. But that was because he knew the Lord would be with them - Num 14:6-9. Thus his eye was on the Lord! So we need to keep our eye on Jesus - He 12:1-4 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” Looking unto Him as the author and finisher of our faith. Considering the hostility He endured, knowing the Father will help us as He helped Him to endure. -- Shall we look to the Lord for our inspiration and confidence, like Caleb did?

We can follow the Lord fully by having a different spirit. Caleb was noted for a having a different spirit - Num 14:24 “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.” Different than the spirit in the other ten spies, who were defeatists - Num 13:31 “Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are."’ Different than the spirit in the rest of Israel, who complained - Num 14:1-2 “Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness!” We can be strengthened by a different spirit. Certainly the spirit of a positive attitude will help - Ph 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” How much more so, with the Spirit of God helping us! - Ro 8:12-13 “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”; Ep 3:16 “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,” -- Shall we have a “can do” attitude, knowing we are clothed in the strength of God’s might? - Ep 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

Finally, let us seek to discern to glean from the example of Caleb a motivation to follow the Lord fully. It leads to a fuller life. Consider how God was able to use Caleb:
As a leader in Israel - cf. Num 13:2,6; 34:18,19.
As a servant of God, first to spy out the land, then to divide it - Num 14:24a.
As an example of faith and courage - Num 13:30; 14:8,9.
As a reminder of God’s justice - Num 14:29-30.
As an inspiration of service, even in old age - Josh 14:6-12.
How useful will we be, if we follow Jesus fully? We can be an example in youth - 1 Ti 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” We can be useful to the Master - 2 Ti 2:20-22 “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” -- Don’t we want to be useful to Jesus?

It leads to a fulfilled life. Consider how Caleb was fulfilled in life: Only he and Joshua were blessed to enter Canaan - Deu 1:35-36. He received the land around Hebron as an inheritance - Josh 14:6-14; 21:12. His land had rest from war - Josh 14:15. What kind of fulfilled life does Jesus offer those who follow Him fully today? One that experiences love which passes knowledge - Ep 3:19 “and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” One that experiences peace which surpasses understanding - Ph 4:7 “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” One that experiences joy inexpressible - 1 Pe 1:8 “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,” One in which our daily needs are provided - Mt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” -- Don’t we want to have a fulfilled life?

Let the example of Caleb inspire you to follow the Lord fully in your life... To follow Jesus all the days of your life. To follow Jesus with all your heart. To follow Jesus despite the hazards. Shall we, like Caleb, follow the Lord fully so we too may have a useful life in service to the Lord? Have a fulfilled life that is blessed by the Lord? Don’t forget - Caleb and Joshua were the only two (out of 603,550 men) who survived the forty years of wilderness wanderings and entered the promised land (Num 32:10-13). Their brethren did not enter Canaan, for as the Lord said of them “they have not wholly followed Me”. How are we following the Lord? Like Caleb? Or like those who died in the wilderness...?

Caleb Followed the Lord Fully - Part One

Caleb Followed the Lord Fully – Part One

Numbers 14:24 – “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.”

A familiar story of the Bible is that of the twelve spies of Israel sent to spy out the land of Canaan - Num 13:1-2 “The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them."’ Spending 40 days traversing the land - Num 13:21-25 “So they went up and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, near Lebo-hamath. They went up into the Negeb and came to Hebron. Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the descendants of Anak, were there. (Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs. That place was called the Valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster that the people of Israel cut down from there. At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land.” Bringing back both good news and bad news. A land of milk and honey, as evidenced by the fruit - Num 13:27 “And they told him, "We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.” A land occupied by strong people and giants - Num 13:28 “However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.” One of the spies, Caleb, sought to reassure the people - Num 13:30 “But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it."’ Yet ten of the spies overwhelmed the people with their bad report - Num 13:31-14:4 “Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are." So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?" And they said to one another, "Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt."’ Only Joshua and Caleb had confidence in the Lord - Num 14:6-9 “And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them."’

But the people heeded the bad report, resulting in God’s condemnation. Israel was to spend 40 years of wandering in the wilderness - Num 14:28-34 “Say to them, 'As I live, declares the LORD, what you have said in my hearing I will do to you: your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and of all your number, listed in the census from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. But as for you, your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness. And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years and shall suffer for your faithlessness, until the last of your dead bodies lies in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you spied out the land, forty days, a year for each day, you shall bear your iniquity forty years, and you shall know my displeasure.'” The ten spies died by a plague before the Lord - Num 14:36-37 “And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing up a bad report about the land-- the men who brought up a bad report of the land--died by plague before the LORD.” Only Joshua and Caleb were spared - Num 14:38 “Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive.” The Lord spared Caleb because “he...has followed Me fully” - Num 14:24 “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.” A similar statement about Caleb is made time and again - Num 32:11-12 “'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the LORD.'”; Deu 1:36 “except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He shall see it, and to him and to his children I will give the land on which he has trodden, because he has wholly followed the LORD!'”; Josh 14:8-9 “But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.'”, 14 “Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD, the God of Israel.” What a wonderful epitaph: “He wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.”

What does it mean to follow the Lord fully as Caleb did? How might we follow Christ fully today...? What is it to follow the Lord fully; to follow Christ all our days? Such was the case with Caleb. He followed the Lord in the wilderness. He followed the Lord in land of Canaan, 45 years later - Josh 14:8-10 “But my brothers who went up with me made the heart of the people melt; yet I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land on which your foot has trodden shall be an inheritance for you and your children forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old.”

Yet many do not. Like Lot’s wife, they turn back - Gen 19:26 “But Lot's wife, behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” Like the Galatians, they are easily bewitched - Ga 3:1 “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.”
What of us who follow Jesus today? Shall we follow Him in our youth? - 1 Ti 4:12 “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” Shall we follow Him in our old age? - Ti 2:1-5 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.”; Psa 92:12-15 “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.” -- Shall we follow Jesus like Caleb followed the Lord, all the days of our life?

What is it to follow Christ with all our heart? Caleb followed the Lord “fully”, “wholly”. That is, with his whole heart. The perfect role model for keeping “the greatest commandment” - Mt 22:36-38 ‘"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment.” Sadly, many try to serve the Lord with divided hearts. Like Solomon, who was influenced by his foreign wives - 1 Kin 11:4 “For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.” Like those in James’ epistle, seeking to be friends with the world - Ja 4:4 “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” What of us who follow Jesus today? Shall we follow Him with all our heart? - Jn 14:15 ‘"If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Shall we follow Him with undivided affection? - 1 Jn 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” -- Shall we follow Jesus like Caleb followed the Lord, with all our hearts?

We will continue this lesson in part two, by looking at two additional questions of following Jesus as Caleb followed the Lord. We will also look at how the Lord used the character of Caleb as an example to Israel. Can he be an example to us?

The Priestly Blessing - Part Two

The Priestly Blessing – Part Two

Having looked at what we called “The Priestly Blessing” as found in our text (Numbers 6:22-27) we continue this lesson by asking, how about today? Does God desire to bless us, and if so, how? “The LORD bless you and keep you;” Indeed the Lord does desire to bless us! Today, those blessings come through Jesus Christ - Ep 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” They come especially to those described in Mt 5:3-12 ‘"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” And the Lord desires to provide and care for us! As described by Jesus in Mt 6:25-32 ‘"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.” But this care is conditional, the condition described in Mt 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” -- Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and the priestly blessing will be upon you too!

“The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;” Just as all spiritual blessings come through Jesus, so God’s grace is now manifested through His Son - Jn 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” Yes, God desires to show His smile of favor upon us, but it is imperative that we not receive it in vain! - 2 Co 6:1-3 “Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, "In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry,”. -- How sad that God’s grace is so freely extended, yet so few accept His grace!

“The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” Through Christ, peace with God is now possible - Ro 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And as we continue to pray, God bestows peace through His Son - Ph 4:6-7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -- The Father is willing to give us peace, but do we accept it?

We have been learning about “The Priestly Blessing”.... How God wanted to bless Israel under the Old Covenant through His priests in the Aaronic priesthood. We have noted that the same sort of blessings are available today, but the blessings of God are bestowed through His Son, Jesus Christ. Who today is our “High Priest” - He 4:14-16 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” The point of this lesson is simple, yet profound.... If you desire “The Priestly Blessing” today, you must be in Christ. He must be your High Priest; for that is how God is blessing His people today! - Ep 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,” Are you in Jesus Christ? How does one get “into” Christ, where they can receive the blessings He offers as our High Priest? Consider what is said in Ga 3:26-27 “for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

The Priestly Blessing - Part One

The Priestly Blessing – Part One

Numbers 6:22-27
“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."’

In a book filled with “numbers”, we find a beautiful gem of scripture, which has been called “the Lord’s Prayer of the Old Testament”:
“The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
As noted in Num 6:22-27, it is the blessing of the Lord with which Aaron and his sons were to bless the children of Israel.... Aaron and his sons made up the priesthood for the nation of Israel. Therefore this passage has often been called “The Priestly Blessing” (also the Aaronic Benediction). In this passage, I believe we learn things about the Lord which are just as true today.... Even though we do not live under the Old Covenant, with its Aaronic priesthood we do have a “High Priest”, who desires to bless us just as richly (if not more so)!

To understand what I mean, let’s first look more closely at the priestly blessing defined. “The LORD bless you and keep you;” The word “bless” means to confer well-being or prosperity. The promise of such blessings was conditional - Deu 28:1-6 ‘"And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God. Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.” Failure to meet God’s conditions brought curses, not blessings - Deu 28:15-19 “"But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.” The word “keep” means to provide and care, to guard and protect. A beautiful psalm which speaks of God’s care is Psa 121:1-8 “I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” Like a shepherd guarding and providing his sheep, the benediction calls upon God to keep watch over Israel.

“The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;” To “make His face shine” may be an idiom indicating God’s smile of favor on His people, evidenced by His being “gracious” (Wenham). Note how it is used elsewhere - Psa 31:16 “Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!”; 80:3 “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!”; Dan 9:17 “Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.” To “be gracious” means to bestow favor, especially that which is unmerited. The parallelism of this benediction suggests this favor refers to the blessing and keeping by the Lord mentioned previously. Perhaps emphasizing that such blessings are unmerited, even though conditional.

“The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” To “lift up His countenance” may be similar to smile (Believers’ Study Bible). As such it suggests pleasure and affection (Allen), also, approval and recognition (Ryrie). The word “peace” is not just the absence of war, but a positive state of rightness and fullness of well-being (Allen). For the nation of Israel, God had promised peace if they were faithful - Lev 26:6 “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.” There was also peace for the individual who trusted in God - Isa 26:3 “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” That God would have Aaron and his sons bless the children of Israel with this benediction indicates that God really wanted to bless and provide for them.

How about today? Does God desire to bless us, and if so, how? We’ll look at some answers to these two questions in Part Two of our lesson next week.

The Sin of Nadab & Abihu - Part Two

The Sin Of Nadab & Abihu – Part Two

As we continue this lesson we want to look at some additional lessons we can learn from out text (Leviticus 9:22-10:7)

Another lesson we learn is one of regarding the priority of God. Service to the Lord comes before service to the family. This we learn when Aaron was not allowed to grieve for his sons. It was necessary for others to take the bodies out of the camp - Lev 10:4-5 “And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp." So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.” Aaron had been consecrated, and service to the Lord came first - Lev 10:6-7 “And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, "Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled. And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.”

Jesus made a similar point on several occasions as He was calling people to follow Him - Lk 9:59-62 “To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."’ Again as He addressed the multitudes following Him - Lk 14:25-33 “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."’ Again as He prepared His disciples for their work - Mt 10:34-37 ‘"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” When conflict arises between the Lord and the family, Christ comes first! For example, by obeying the gospel, despite the objection of family members. Another example is, putting the assemblies of the Lord’s church first when company comes. This does not require that we be rude to our guests. Let them make themselves at home until you return. -- This is what it means to “seek first the kingdom of God...” - Mt 6:33.

It is very easy for us to become complacent in our service to the Lord.... When this happens, it shows in our worship and service to the Lord. Rather than regard Him as Holy and glorify Him as He deserves by doing exactly as He commands, we begin to offer in worship how we want and when we want. Thus our worship is one of convenience rather than of conviction! We need to be reminded of incidents like that which happened to Nadab and Abihu to humble us in the presence of God and to remind us of the seriousness of serving God. Do we regard God as holy, and properly glorify Him in our service to Him? Do we serve Him first? Even above those closest to us? May the example of Nadab and Abihu encourage us to do that which honors God!

The Sin of Nadab & Abihu - Part One

The Sin Of Nadab & Abihu – Part One
Leviticus 9:22-10:7

The O.T. is of much value to the Christian, written for our learning, a great source of hope - Ro 15:4 “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Written for our admonition, that we might not make similar mistakes - 1 Co 10:11 “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” This includes even the book of Leviticus. It is a dry book too many, but of value to all. Its name is derived from Levi, from which tribe came the priests. It is primarily a handbook for priests under the Law of Moses. Reading it helps the Christian to better understand The Book Of Hebrews. Though, primarily a book outlining priestly rituals, it does record an incident involving the two sons of Aaron: Nadab and Abihu. What happened to them can provide valuable lessons for us. What did happen and what we can learn from it will serve as the basis for this study.

Let’s begin by reading about the incident involving Nadab and Abihu and the circumstances leading up to their actions. The consecration of Aaron and his sons as priests had just been completed - Lev 8-9. In Lev 9:22-24, the glory of the Lord appeared when Aaron blessed the people, “Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and when they came out they blessed the people, and the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar, and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces.” Fire came out from before the Lord. The fire consumed the fat on the altar. The people shouted and fell on their face.

Having thus provided the setting of our lesson we start with the profane fire offered by Nadab and Abihu. They offered a fire not commanded by the Lord - Lev 10:1 “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, which he had not commanded them.” It is called a “strange” fire (cf. KJV, NASB). The NIV and ESV translates it as “unauthorized” fire. -- It is important to note that it was something the Lord had not commanded! Fire went out from the Lord and devoured them - Lev 10:2 “And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.” Compare the fire of Lev 9:24a “And fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the pieces of fat on the altar,” with that of Lev 10:2. One indicated God’s acceptance, the other, God’s rejection. One indicated God’s blessing, the other, God’s curse. Why was God displeased? Several explanations have been offered:
They put hot coals in their censers which were not from the altar of burnt offering - Lev 16:12 “And he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil”; Exo 30:9 “You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.” The prohibition against intoxicating drinks which followed lead some to believe they may have been drunk - Lev 10:8-10 “And the LORD spoke to Aaron, saying, "Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean,” Their attempt to enter the Holy Place at an inappropriate time - Lev 16:1-2 “The LORD spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the LORD and died, and the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat.” -- Their sin may have been a combination of these things, but verse one notes that it was doing that which God had not commanded

Note Moses’ explanation for what happened. Those who approach God must regard Him as “holy” - Lev 10:3a “Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what the LORD has said, 'Among those who are near me I will be sanctified,” “Holy” means “to set apart, consecrated”; i.e., to treat as special. Evidently the actions of Nadab and Abihu did not so respect God. God must be “glorified” before all - Lev 10:3b “and before all the people I will be glorified.'" This word means “to honor”. The actions of Nadab and Abihu therefore did not honor God. How does one honor God? One honors God by being in full submission to His commands and instructions.

Now note Moses’ further instructions to Aaron. Nadab & Abihu’s bodies were to be removed outside the camp - Lev 10:4-5 “And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, "Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp." So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.” Aaron and his surviving sons were not to grieve while still consecrated for service - Lev 10:6-7 “And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar his sons, "Do not let the hair of your heads hang loose, and do not tear your clothes, lest you die, and wrath come upon all the congregation; but let your brothers, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning that the LORD has kindled. And do not go outside the entrance of the tent of meeting, lest you die, for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.”

It must have been very difficult for Aaron to lose his two sons in this way, on an occasion that should have been a time of great rejoicing for him. Since these things were written for our admonition (1 Co 10:11), what lessons might there be for us regarding the worship of God...? Let’s look at a few of these. When we approach God in worship, we must do only what He has commanded. This was the main mistake made by Nadab and Abihu - Lev 10:1. When we offer something God has not commanded we do not regard Him as holy - Lev 10:3 nor do we truly glorify Him - Lev 10:3. If God is holy and truly worthy of glory how can sinful man know what God desires as acceptable worship? Can sinful man read the mind of God? If so, then God is not all that holy (i.e., set apart)! If so, then God is not all that different from man and therefore not worthy of glory! Indeed, man cannot know without Divine revelation how God ought to be worshipped and glorified - Isa 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” This is one reason why I choose not to use mechanical instruments in worship. In the New Testament, only singing is specified - Ep 5:19 “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart,”; Co 3:16 “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” To offer praise with mechanical instruments would be something God has not commanded and would be presumptuous on our part. To do so would be trying to second-guess God. If God wanted such, He would have told us. Since He didn’t, we respect Him by offering only what He commands. What about God’s approval of mechanical instruments in the Old Testament? Here we can learn from the example of Moses. At one time, God told him to strike the rock to obtain water - Exo 17:6 “Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink." And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.” Later, God told him to speak to the rock - Num 20:8 ‘"Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle."’ When Moses did the second time what God said to do the first time he failed to “hallow” (show reverence) to God - Num 20:11-12 “And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them."’ He lost the right to enter the Promised Land - Num 20:12; Deu 32:51-52 “because you broke faith with me in the midst of the people of Israel at the waters of Meribah-kadesh, in the wilderness of Zin, and because you did not treat me as holy in the midst of the people of Israel. For you shall see the land before you, but you shall not go there, into the land that I am giving to the people of Israel."’ What can we learn from the example of Moses? We must do what God has revealed for the time appropriate for us. God may have approved of instrumental music in the past, but He commands singing in the New Testament. We cannot simply say, “God allowed it in the past”, therefore it must be ok today.

We will continue this lesson by looking at some other applications from our text regarding the priority of God.

The Hardening of Pharaoh

The Hardening of Pharaoh
Exodus 4:21-23

When God sent Moses to free the Israelites from Egyptian bondage He said that He would harden the heart of Pharaoh - Exo 4:21 “And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.” Even though it would result in the death of Pharaoh’s son - Exo 4:22-23 “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'" Because this sounds unjust, some explain it as hardening indirectly, for example; “God does not harden men by infusing malice into them, but by not imparting mercy to them.” “God does not work this hardness of heart in man; but he may be said to harden him whom he refuses to soften, to blind him whom he refuses to enlighten, and to repel him whom he refuses to call.” -- As quoted by Adam Clarke. If God hardened the heart of Pharaoh directly, the evidence shows it was still done without violating his free will or without impugning the justice of God. The hardening of Pharaoh also provides insights as to how and why God hardens people today.

So let’s take a closer look at the evidence involved in the hardening of Pharaoh. The word for “harden” is chazaq (Heb.) - Exo 4:21; 7:13,22; 8:19; 9:12,35; 10:20,27; 11:10; 14:4,8,17. “to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore” - BDB. “literally signifies to strengthen, confirm, make bold or courageous;” - Clarke. qashah (Heb.) - Exo 7:3. “to make hard, make stiff, make stubborn” - BDB. “harden, stiffen” - Strong. kabed (Heb.) - Exo 7:14; 8:15; 8:32; 9:7,34; 10:1 “hard, difficult, burdensome” - BDB. “heavy; figuratively...in a bad sense, severe, difficult...grievous, hardened” – Strong. -- So Pharaoh’s heart was made strong, stiff, stubborn; even if God did so ‘directly’, consider what else we learn as we examine the scriptural evidence below.

Pharaoh hardened his own heart. And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard (chazaq), and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. - Exo 7:13 “Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.” “So the Lord said to Moses: “Pharaoh's heart is hard (kabed); he refuses to let the people go.” - Exo 7:14. “Then the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard (chazaq), and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” - Exo 7:22. “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened (kabed) his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” - Exo 8:15. “Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard (chazaq), and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.” - Exo 8:19. “But Pharaoh hardened (kabed) his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.” - Exo 8:32. “Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard (kabed), and he did not let the people go.” - Exo 9:7. “And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened (kabed) his heart, he and his servants.” - Exo 9:34. “So the heart of Pharaoh was hard (chazaq); neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.” - Exo 9:35. -- In the first five plagues, and in the seventh, Pharaoh hardened his own heart.

Then God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. “And I will harden (qashah) Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.” - Exo 7:3. “But the Lord hardened (chazaq) the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.” - Exo 9:12. “Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened (kabed) his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him,” - Exo 10:1. “But the Lord hardened (chazaq) Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.” - Exo 10:20. “But the Lord hardened (chazaq) Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.” - Exo 10:27. “So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened (chazaq) Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.” – Exo 11:10. “Then I will harden (chazaq) Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” - Exo 14:4. “And the Lord hardened (chazaq) the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.” - Exo 14:8. “And I indeed will harden (chazaq) the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen.” - Exo 14:17. -- Not until the sixth plague did God begin to harden Pharaoh’s heart.

The purpose of hardening Pharaoh’s heart was to convince the Egyptians that the LORD is truly God - Exo 7:3-5; 14:4 By multiplying the signs and wonders in the land; by delivering Israel through great judgments. The purpose was to convince the Israelites that the LORD is truly God - Exo 10:1-2 By His signs done in the land of Egypt. That generations to come might be told of this. To convince the world that the LORD is truly God - Exo 9:13-17. God could have easily overwhelmed Pharaoh with His signs. But God “raised” Pharaoh up, even as Pharaoh was “exalting” himself “God kept Pharaoh ‘standing’, i. e. permitted him to live and hold out until His own purpose was accomplished.” – Barnes. “God had preserved him for this very purpose, that he might have a farther opportunity of manifesting that he, Jehovah, was the only true God for the full conviction both of the Hebrews and Egyptians.” - Clarke. Thus God hardened, or strengthened, one who was determined to resist. That God might show His power and proclaim His name in all the earth! -- God never forced Pharaoh to resist against his will; having demonstrated his own obstinacy and desire to resist, God simply strengthened him that he might continue his resistance until God’s own purposes were fulfilled. Such ‘hardening’ was not unique to Pharaoh. It happened in Jesus’ day (e.g. Jn 12:37-41), and it is not limited to the past...

Let’s now look at what the New Testament writers wrote concerning the hardening of people. For example, the nation of Israel has a ‘partial hardening’ (NASB) or blindness of Israel has occurred - Ro 11:25 “Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Was this hardening or blindness against their will? No! It was only after they had ample opportunity to hear God’s Word - Ro 10:16-19 “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry."’ It was only after they had repeatedly rebelled against God - Ro 10:21 “But of Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people."’ Was this a hardening of ‘all’ Israel? No! It is a ‘partial’ hardening. God has always preserved the faithful remnant - cf. Ro 11:1-7 “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life." But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,”. Many Jews have accepted Jesus, both then and now. What was the extent of this ‘hardening’? As with Pharaoh, it gave them strength of heart to continue in their resistance. With Israel, it enabled them to resist against the Word of God - Ro 11:7-10 “What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."’ What was the purpose of this ‘hardening’? It was an act of mercy! Their unbelief justified God terminating His covenant with Israel and making a new covenant that involved both Jews and Gentiles - Jer 31:31-32 ‘"Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD.”; Ep 2:11-19 “Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,”. By allowing Gentiles in this new covenant, God hopes to make unbelieving Jews jealous enough to come back - Ro 11:11-15 “So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?” Thus the ultimate purpose was to save both Jew and Gentile! - Ro 11:30-32 “Just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” -- Until the “fulness of the Gentiles has come in”, the nation of Israel (as a whole) has been hardened.

To those who do not believe Paul writes of another ‘hardening’ (though the word is not used). In connection with the apostasy preceding the return of Christ - 2 Th 2:1-10 “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” In which God will send a strong delusion upon some, to believe a lie - 2 Th 2:11-12 “Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Is this being done against their will? No! It involves people who did not receive the love of the truth - 2 Th 2:10 “and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” It involves people who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in sin - 2 Th 2:12 “in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Why is God doing this? That they might be condemned (judged) - cf. 2 Th 2:12. Just as hardening Pharaoh made his obstinacy more evident, so the delusion to believe a lie will reveal one’s pleasure in sin. How can we be sure that we will not experience this strong delusion? Have a love for the truth! - cf. 2 Th 2:10. Do not take pleasure in unrighteousness! - cf. 2 Th 2:12 -- The choice is ours as to whether we will experience this ‘delusion’!

We have seen that God hardened the hearts of the wicked, and is willing to send a strong delusion for them to believe a lie.... Not in violation of their free will, but in conjunction with it. “The ‘hardening’ of men’s hearts by God is in the way of punishment, but it is always a consequence of their own self-hardening.” - ISBE. Strengthening the resolve of the wicked if it somehow serves God’s purpose. How much better for us to have God strengthen our hearts in doing good, not evil.... As Paul prayed for the Thessalonians - 2 Th 2:16-17 “Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” As Peter prayed for those in Asia - 1 Pe 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” This God will gladly do...if we love the truth, believe the truth, receive the truth by obeying the gospel, and remain firm in holding to it. In what way will God ‘strengthen’ your heart today...?

The Excuses of Moses

The Excuses of Moses
Exodus 3:1-4:17

When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush he called him to the task of leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. In response, Moses gave excuses as to why he did not think he was the man for the job. The excuses of Moses, and God’s response to them, will serve as the basis for our study. For in a similar way, as God’s people today, we have received from God a special calling. Not to go to a country to deliver those in physical bondage, but to a world to deliver those in the bondage of sin - Mk 16:15 “And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”; 1 Pe 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” -- Too often, though, we behave just like Moses, making the very same excuses!

Let’s begin by reading Exo 3:1-10, refreshing our memories of how God called Moses. Reminded of this call, we are now ready to consider the first of five excuses given by Moses, “Who am I?” found in Exo 3:11 “But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"’ Though Moses was once a member of the ruling house of Egypt he was now but a lowly shepherd. 40 years had passed since he had been in Egypt. He was an 80 year old man, already past the average life span for his generation. -- This prompted Moses to wonder whether he was the right man for the job. But God’s response was quick, and should have been adequate.... “I will certainly be with you...” - Exo 3:12 “He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."’ God promised to be with Moses, and this alone should have been sufficient. As Paul later wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” - Ro 8:31

Some use this same excuse today, trying to excuse ourselves by believing that we are insufficient for the task. It is true that by ourselves that we are insufficient, but God can make us sufficient - 2 Co 3:5-6 “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” Look what He did with the apostles! They were uneducated and untrained men - Ac 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” Through Jesus, God has provided us the same assurance given Moses - Mt 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."’ With His help, we can accomplish anything He wants us to do! - Ph 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

As will be apparent later, any excuse for not doing what the Lord has called us to do is simply a smokescreen. So it was with Moses, and we find him quickly coming up with another excuse, “What shall I say?” This excuse is found in Exo 3:13 “Then Moses said to God, "If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say to them?"’ Moses knew that should he go to the children of Israel, there were bound to be questions such as, “Who is this God who sent you to us?” And perhaps, “Why are we to leave this country we have come to consider our home for over 400 years?” -- Moses expresses inadequacy in knowing what to say. Again, God’s response was quick, “Thus you shall say...” - Exo 3:14-15 “God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” God tells Moses what he needs to say in response to their questions.

Again, a similar excuse is sometimes given today. We try to excuse ourselves by saying that our knowledge is inadequate. But God has told us what to say.... It is really quite simple - Mk 16:15-16 “And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” How simple? - 1 Co 15:1-4 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,”; 2:2 “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” And so, as with Moses, we have no reason for saying “what shall I say?”

As we return to Moses, we see that despite God instructing him what to say, he soon raises a third objection, “Suppose they will not believe me?” This excuse is found in Exo 4:1 “Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'" Now that he knows what to say, he balks at the idea that the people may not listen. Is he afraid of failing? Has he already forgotten that God will be with him? God responds by equipping him with several convincing proofs.... The rod, which turns into a serpent - Exo 4:2-5 “The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"--so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand-- "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."’ His own hand, which turns into leprosy - Exo 4:6-8 “Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.” The water, which will turn to blood when dropped on the dry ground - Exo 4:9 “If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."’

Some today hesitate to share the gospel for fear that they will not be listened to. The fear of failure keeps them from trying. But just as God gave Moses convincing proofs, so He has given us the evidences necessary to convince the honest and sincere person.... The Word of God, is able to produce faith - Ro 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”; Jn 20:30-31 “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Especially its evidences concerning the resurrection of Christ, fulfilled prophecy, etc. -- With such aids, we cannot justify our inactivity in sharing the gospel with others!

You would think by now Moses would accept the call; but a fourth excuse is quickly given... “I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” We find this excuse in EXO 4:10 “But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."’ Moses claims that he is not an eloquent speaker. But God is not moved by this objection.... He already knows the inability of those He calls - Exo 4:11 “Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” But He is able to make up for anyone’s shortcomings. Again, promising to be with Moses - Exo 4:12 “Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."’ He had even arranged for Aaron to be Moses’ mouthpiece - Exo 4:14-16 “Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.” (who was sent earlier so as to arrive about this time - Exo 4:27 “The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.”)

Some Christians try to use this excuse as well. But it did not stop the apostle Paul - 1 Co 2:1,3-4 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.” – “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,.” It has not stopped others. I know of some who overcame speech impediments to become preachers. I know of one who despite stammering would preach any opportunity he could. At the very least, we can make use of those who can speak by arranging studies for them with others (as did Cornelius - Ac 10:24,33 “And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.” – “So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.")

We have considered four excuses that Moses gave; but as mentioned earlier, they were really smokescreens. The true reason for all these excuses is found and revealed in Exo 4:13 “But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else."’ Moses simply did not want to go! The previous excuses were simply a smokescreen attempt to hide this fact! Now that the smokescreen is removed, God’s impatience with Moses becomes evident. His anger was kindled against Moses - Exo 4:14a “Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses”. Read vs. 15-17 with an emphasis on the word “shall” to appreciate the Lord’s anger.

The same is true with us today…! Any and every excuse we could offer is only a smokescreen. We really would rather that God use someone else! We really don’t want to do what God has called us to do’. But, the Lord’s anger is kindled against those who do not live up to their calling! -- If we have been making excuses, we need to repent!

With Moses, we know the rest of the story.... Moses answered the call, and went to Egypt. With the help of God, he delivered the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. But, what about us? What will be the rest of our story...? Shall we heed the call to preach the gospel to the lost? Or shall we make excuses and one day suffer the wrath of God? -- Only time will tell, but I pray that I encouraged all not to make excuses...

What about the call to obey the gospel of Christ? Are you making excuses for not responding as you know you should? A future lesson will address some of the excuses people give for putting off their obedience, but if you know what you should do, you need to act today!