David Strengthened Himself in the Lord His God - Part Two

In Part One of this lesson we looked at how David “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”. How about us today? In times of trouble, do we follow David’s example? Consider a few thoughts along this line in dealing with our problems today. We face many problems, even as Christians. Some are related to family, or other matters of personal concern. Some are related to jobs, and the issue of financial security. In many cases, people try to tackle their problems alone. They leave God completely out of the picture. Sometimes they even forsake Him entirely.... By no longer praising Him and praying to Him daily. By neglecting the assembly in which we gather to edify one another and worship God. The reasoning is often expressed this way: “Let me get my life straight, then I will be able to serve God and live for Him.”

But God is angry if we seek to solve our problems without Him…! God considers such a person as cursed! - Jer 17:5-8 “Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit."’ A good example of God’s displeasure when His people fail to look to Him for strength is found in Isaiah.... When attacked by Assyria, Israel placed her trust in Egypt - Isa 30:1-2 ‘"Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my direction, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt!” Because of this, God promised to frustrate the efforts of Israel to solve her problems by herself! - Isa 30:3 “Therefore shall the protection of Pharaoh turn to your shame, and the shelter in the shadow of Egypt to your humiliation.”; 31:1-3 “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the LORD! And yet he is wise and brings disaster; he does not call back his words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. The Egyptians are man, and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD stretches out his hand, the helper will stumble, and he who is helped will fall, and they will all perish together.” Yes, God wanted Israel to trust in Him, not themselves - Isa 30:15-16 “For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling, and you said, "No! We will flee upon horses"; therefore you shall flee away; and, "We will ride upon swift steeds"; therefore your pursuers shall be swift.”

Even so today, God wants us to put our trust in Him - Ja 4:8 “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”; 1 Pe 5:6-7 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” The truth of the matter is this, it is not “God helps those who help themselves”, but rather “God helps those who trust in the Lord with all their heart, and lean not on their own understanding”! - Pro 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” When we leave God out of the picture in solving problems one thing is certain: God leaves us to deal with those problems on our own, and without His help! Another thing is possible: In an act of loving discipline, God might frustrate our efforts to solve our problems independent of His help (He certainly disciplined Israel that way!)

So let us learn from one experienced in dealing with problems (David).... In times of trouble, look to the Lord for your strength! Trust in the Lord, and be steadfast in praising Him and praying to Him. Don’t forsake Him, nor forsake the assembly of the saints in which we draw near to Him. Let what David said of himself be true of us as well: “My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.” - Psa 63:8. Remember that those who trust in God will find strength, deliverance, and true happiness! Do you trust in the Lord, or in your own strength? Let the Lord be your deliverance! Especially when it pertains to the problem of the guilt of sin...

David Strengthened Himself in the Lord His God

David Strengthened Himself in the Lord His God – Part One

1 Samuel 30:6 “And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”
What’s the first thing you do in times of trouble...? Everybody has problems from time to time, but not everyone tries to solve their problems in the same way. What is the best way? One person in the Bible who had more than his share of trouble was King David...
For example:
1) He was pursued by King Saul
2) He barely escaped several assassination attempts
3) He had to spend much time hiding in the wilderness
4) His entire family was kidnapped on one occasion
5) His friends turned against him and were ready to kill him
6) He suffered the shame of having committed adultery and murder
7) His son Amnon raped his daughter Tamar
8) His other son Absalom murdered Amnon
9) Absalom led a revolt against his father
10) Absalom himself was killed, much to David’s grief

Need I go on? David was certainly a man with many problems! Yet somehow, he survived them all and has come to be remembered as “a man after God’s own heart.” How was he able to do this...? I believe we can find the answer as we consider what David did when faced with one of his most serious problems, as recorded in 1 Sam 30:1-6...

Lets look at what David did in times of trouble as revealed in the context of - 1 Sam 30:1-6 “Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.”. At this time in his life, David was living in Ziklag. Having fled from King Saul and was now aligned with the Philistines. The Philistines were preparing to battle King Saul, and David and his men had gone to join with the Philistines. But the Philistines did not fully trust David, so they sent him and his men back to Ziklag.

Reading 1 Samuel 30:1-6, we find that the town of Ziklag had been attacked and burned by the Amalekites - 1 Sam 30:1. The women and children had been kidnapped, including those of his family - 1 Sam 30:2-5. Naturally David is distressed; but on top of this, the people are ready to kill him for not having been there when he was needed - 1 Sam 30:6. But notice carefully the last part of verse six. What does David do when he has lost his family, and his own life is threatened? The Scriptures say, “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” This is what David did first in times of trouble.... He strengthened himself in the Lord his God! With the strength he received, he was then able to deal with whatever the problem was before him! But what does it mean to “strengthen himself in the Lord his God”? In an effort to answer this question, I found it helpful to consider some of the Psalms written by David during troublesome times...

In times of trouble David often composed Psalms. While pursued by Saul, he wrote Psalm 59 - Psa 59:1-4 “To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Miktam of David, when Saul sent men to watch his house in order to kill him. Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me; deliver me from those who work evil, and save me from bloodthirsty men. For behold, they lie in wait for my life; fierce men stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD, for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Awake, come to meet me, and see!” When imprisoned in Gath, he wrote Psalm 56 - Ps 56:1-2 “To the choirmaster: according to The Dove on Far-off Terebinths. A Miktam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me; all day long an attacker oppresses me; my enemies trample on me all day long, for many attack me proudly.” Fleeing from Absalom, he wrote Psalm 3 - Psa 3:1-2 “A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son. O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. Selah.” Hiding in the wilderness of Judah, he wrote Psalm 63 – verse 1 “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

From these Psalms, we can glean how “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”. From Psalm 56, we learn that David would place his trust in God to help him - Psa 56:3-4 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?”, 9-11 “Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?” From Psalm 59, we learn that David was determined to continue praising God for His help - Psa 59:16-17 “But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress. O my Strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress, the God who shows me steadfast love.” From Psalm 63, we see that David overcame his problem of loneliness by:
1) Seeking the Lord - Psa 63:1-2 “A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory.”
2) Praising and praying - Psa 63:3-5 “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,”
3) Meditating upon the Lord - Psa 63:6-7 “when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.”

In each of these psalms, David is basically saying the same thing.... In time of trouble, put your trust in the Lord. Stay close to Him, through praising Him and praying to Him. Do this, and you will be made strong as the Lord supports you! - Psa 63:8 “My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” This was how “David strengthened himself in the Lord his God”, and was able to face and overcome his problems with the help the Lord gave him.

How about us today? In times of trouble, do we follow David’s example? We will consider a few thoughts along this line in dealing with our problems today in Part Two of this lesson.

A Man after God's Own Heart - Part Two

We continue our lesson of looking at how we can have the same love for praise to God, unity of brethren, and a hatred for false ways as David and Jesus had, asking how we compare to being a person after God’s own heart.

In addition to the Word of God and prayer David loved to praise God. “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.” - Psa 119:164. He praised God because of His righteous judgments. He praised God because of His greatness and loving kindness - Psa 95:1-7 “Oh come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts,” And he was determined to sing praises as long as he lived - Psa 104:33 “I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.”

Jesus also loved to praise God. As He did on one occasion publicly in prayer - Mt 11:25-26 “At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.” As He did with his disciples in song - Mt 26:30 “And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”

Do we Love to praise God …? Do we delight in singing praises to God in song? Do we take time to praise God in our prayers? Once again, David has words to encourage us in this activity - Psa 147:1 “Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant, and a song of praise is fitting.” -- Thus it is becoming for those who profess to be children of God to praise their Heavenly Father!

We note also that David loved unity among brethren. “Of David. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!” - Psa 133:1. David knew the value of good friendship and unity, as exemplified in the relationship he had with Jonathan - 1 Sam 18:1 “As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” He also knew the terrible pain of division within a family (for example his sons, Amnon and Absalom - see 2 Sam 13)

Jesus loved unity also. He prayed diligently that His disciples might be one - Jn 17:20-23 ‘"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” He died on the cross that there might be unity - Ep 2:13-16 “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.”

Do we love unity enough to pay the price …? By diligently displaying the proper attitudes necessary to preserve the unity Christ has accomplished through His death? - Ep 4:1-3 “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” By marking those who needlessly cause division? - Ro 16:17 “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.”

Finally, we note that David hated every false way. “Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.” - Psa 119:104. His hatred was based upon his understanding of God’s precepts. His hatred affected his selection of activities and friends - Psa 101:3-4 “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.”, 6-7 “I will look with favor on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way that is blameless shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.”

Jesus also hated error and false ways as manifested in His driving the moneychangers out of the temple - Mt 21:12-13 “And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer,' but you make it a den of robbers."’ Manifested in His denunciation of the hypocritical Pharisees, scribes, and lawyers - Mt 23:13-36.

What is our attitude toward false ways ,,,? Are we soft or compromising? Or do we realize that we are involved in a “battle” over the souls of men, and do not think lightly of that which is false - 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,”. While we are to love the sinner, we must ever hate the sin!

In closing, we note that it was said concerning David that he was one “...who will do all My will.” - Ac 13:22. Because he was “a man after God’s own heart” and had all these attributes we have considered in this lesson God was confident that David would do all that God asked of him. Thus it requires all of the attributes to motivate one to be faithful to all that God may ask.... We have seen where Jesus possessed them, and He was certainly motivated to do the Father’s will - Jn 4:34 “Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”; Mt 26:42 “Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done."’ How about us? Are we motivated to do *all* of God’s will? - Mt 7:21 ‘"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

A Man after God's Own Heart - Part One

1 Samuel 13:13-14

In Paul’s sermon at Antioch, in which he briefly recounts the history of Israel, he refers to the statement made by God concerning David:
“I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” - Ac 13:22; 1 Sam 13:13-14 “And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."’ This beautiful compliment, “a man after My own heart”, is one that should characterize every person who wears the name of Christ.... For David was not only the ancestor of Christ according to the flesh but he possessed many of the attitudes that:
1) Were later perfected by Christ
2) Should characterize all those who are disciples of Christ
In this study we shall consider some of these attitudes that David had. We will see the similarities between his attitudes and those of Christ and encourage all who are Christians to have the same so that we too might be people “after God’s own heart”.

We begin, then, by noticing that David loved the Word of God. “Oh, how I love your law …” - Psa 119:97. In this psalm, if not written by David it certainly expresses his sentiment found elsewhere, where we find one who has a great love for God’s Word - Psa 119:47-48 “for I find my delight in your commandments, which I love. I will lift up my hands toward your commandments, which I love, and I will meditate on your statutes.” This love for God’s Word is due to the fact that it protects him from sin - Psa 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” It revives him in affliction - Psa 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” It gives him great peace of mind - Psa 119:165 “Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.”

Jesus loved the Word of God, as is evident from His frequent quotation of it. Especially at the time of His temptation - Mt 4:4,7,10 “But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" – “Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'" – “Then Jesus said to him, "Be gone, Satan! For it is written, "'You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.'"

How is our love for the Word of God? Do we “hide” it in our heart? Do we find it to be a source of comfort in times of affliction? Does it give us peace of mind? If not, we should give heed to the instructions of David in Psa 1:1-3 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Learn to delight in the Word. Learn to meditate upon it daily -- Then will we be truly “blessed”!

We next see that David loved to pray. “I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.” - Psa 116:1-2. His love for prayer was based upon the fact that God had answered him before - Psa 116:1-2. It was based upon the fact that God had greatly blessed him - Psa 116:12-13 “What shall I render to the LORD for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,” It was based upon the fact that prayer brought God close to him - Psa 145:18 “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.”

Jesus was also a man of prayer. He made it a point to often slip away to pray privately - Lk 5:16 “But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” In times of greatest trial, Jesus resorted to prayer.... At Gethsemane - Mt 26:36-44 “Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me." And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, "So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done." And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.”
On the cross:
1) “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” - Lk 23:34
2) “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” - Mt 27:46
3) “Father, into your hands I commend My Spirit.” - Lk 23:46

How is our love for prayer? Have we found it to be a source of peace “which surpasses all understanding”? - 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.” Do we “pray without ceasing”? - 1 Th 5:17 “pray without ceasing,” If not, let David instruct us to depend upon prayer for our very preservation - Psa 32:6-7 “Therefore let everyone who is godly offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found; surely in the rush of great waters, they shall not reach him. You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah.”

We will continue this lesson in Part Two, noting some more comparisons of David and Jesus, and asking the question, “How is our love for …..”?

Eli's Ineffective Reproof - Part Two

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

Having looked at the reproof of Eli to his sons and noted a couple of the ways it was ineffective, we will continue to look at a few more reasons for it’s ineffectiveness. Then we’ll make some personal applications as to how our reproofs can be more effective, especially within our own household.

We also see the ineffectiveness of Eli’s reproof in that it was not followed by adequate chastisement. In the case of Eli and his sons the law of Moses in the case of disobedient children was very severe - Deu 21:18-21 ‘"If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and, though they discipline him, will not listen to them, then his father and his mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his city at the gate of the place where he lives, and they shall say to the elders of his city, 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.' Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.” But Eli did not observe this law “when they hearkened not to his voice” - 1 Sam 2:25. Nor did he take any further steps to prevent the continuance of the evil which he reproved. He did not have the zeal for which Phinehas the son of Eleazar was approved – see Num 25:1-13. But as a father, a high priest, and a judge he was guilty of culpable infirmity and willful disobedience - 1 Sam 3:12-13 “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.” “Osiers” (flexible twig of a willow tree), says an old writer, “can never be pillars in the State or in the Church.”

Therefore, we should remember that fathers who love their children chastise them appropriately - He 12:6-8 “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Fathers in a position to restrain their children’s sinful behavior, have the duty to do so whether it be in the home, in the church, or in the community.

Finally, we note the ineffectiveness of Eli’s reproof by the fact that it did not result in any improvement. In the case of Eli and his sons their contempt of reproof revealed that they were already infatuated and hardened. God had already given them up to destruction - 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 them the proverb was to be fulfilled: “He that hateth reproof shall die” - Pro 15:10

Therefore, we should remember that if we wait too long to reprove, it may be too late. It is possible for one to become hardened by sin - Ro 2:4-5 “Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.”; He 3:12-13 “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” One can reach a point where it becomes impossible for us to restore them again to repentance - He 6:4-6 “For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then fall away, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

Reproof is a solemn obligation.... It should be given in an effective manner. When not so given it can do more harm than good. When justly given, reproof should be humbly and obediently received.... As Eli did, when he accepted the Lord’s judgment - 1 Sam 3:15-18 “Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am." And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him."’ How much better, to receive it before its too late! - Pro 1:23 “If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.” How sad, that Eli could accept reproof, but not give it as one should...!
He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly. - Pro 13:24
Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction. - Pro 19:18
The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother. - Pro 29:15
Correct your son, and he will give you rest; Yes, he will give delight to your soul. - Pro 29:17

Note: This lesson was heavily adapted from a homily by B. Dale in The Pulpit Commentary.

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!