Genesis 3 - Mans Temptation and Fall

! A. The temptation from the serpent. ! 1. (1) The serpent begins his temptation. !

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
! a.!The serpent: The text here does not, by itself alone, clearly identify the!serpent!as Satan, but the rest of the Bible makes it clear this is Satan appearing as a serpent. ! i. In Ezekiel 28:13-19 tells us that Satan was in Eden. Many other passages associate a serpent or a snake-like creature with Satan (such as Job 26:13 and Isaiah 51:9). Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 speak of!the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan. ! ii. The representation of Satan as a serpent makes the idea of Moses saving Israel by lifting up a bronze serpent all the more provocative (Numbers 21:8-9), especially when Jesus identies!Himself!with that very serpent (John 3:14). This is because in this picture, the serpent (a personication of sin and rebellion) is made of!bronze!(a metal associated with judgment, since it is made with re). The lifting of a bronze serpent is the lifting up of sin judged, in the form of a cross. ! iii. Ezekiel 28 tells us Satan, before his fall, was an angel of the highest rank and prominence, even the worship leader in heaven. Isaiah 14 tells us Satans fall had to do with his desire to be equal to or greater than God, to set his will against Gods will. !

b.!The serpent!was more cunning than any beast: Satans effectiveness is often found in His cunning, crafty ways. We cant outsmart Satan, but we can overcome him with the power of Jesus. ! i. It was the craftiness of Satan that made him successful against Eve:!as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness!(2 Corinthians 11:3). ! c.!And he said to the woman: Apparently, before the curse pronounced in Genesis 3:14-15, the serpent was different than what we know today as a serpent. This creature didnt!start!as a snake as we know it, it!became!one. ! i. The creature that tempted Eve became a serpent as a result of Gods judgment on it, and it went slithering away into the bushes to the intense horror of Adam and Eve. (Boice) ! ii. Demonic spirits evidently have the ability, under certain circumstances, to indwell human or animal bodies (Luke 8:33). On this occasion, Satan chose to indwell the body of a pre-curse serpent. ! iii. Poole says the woman wasnt surprised at the serpents speaking because Adam and Eve had free conversation with angelic beings that often appeared in the form of men. If this is true, it wasnt so strange to Eve that an angelic being might appear to her in the form of a beautiful pre-curse serpent. ! iv. Perhaps Satan made the voice supernaturally seem to come forth from the serpent, or perhaps Satan said this to Eve in her thoughts.!What!Satan said is more important than!how!he said it. ! d.!To the woman: Satan brought his temptation against the woman because he perceived she was more vulnerable to attack. This is because she did not receive the command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil directly from God but through Adam (Genesis 2:15-17). !

i. Perhaps Satan knew by observation Adam didnt do an effective job in communicating to Eve what the!Lord!told him. This failure on Adams part made Eve more vulnerable to temptation. ! ii. Satan will often attack a chain at its weakest link, so he gets at Adam by tempting Eve. The stronger ones in a chain must expect attack against weaker links and support them against those attacks. ! iii. It was also in Gods plan to allow Satan to tempt Eve this way. If Adam would have sinned rst, and if he had given the fruit to Eve, she might have a partial excuse before God: I was simply obeying the head of our home. When he gave me the fruit, I ate of it. ! e.!Has God indeed said: Satans rst attack is leveled against the Word of God. If he can get Eve confused about what God said, or to doubt what God said, then his battle is partially won. ! i. From the beginning, Satan has tried to undermine Gods people by undermining Gods Word. He can undermine just as effectively by getting us to!neglect!Gods Word as by getting us to doubt it. ! f.!Has God indeed said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?!Satan took Gods positive command (Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat![Genesis 2:16-17]) and rephrased it in a negative way: God wont let you eat of every tree. ! 2. (2-3) Eves reply to the serpent. !

And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.

! a.!And the woman said to the serpent: Eves rst mistake was in even carrying on a discussion with the serpent. We are called to talk to the devil, but never to have a discussion with him. We simply and strongly tell him, The Lord rebuke you! (Jude 9) ! b.!We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: Eves knowledge of what she should not do is partially correct, but what she doesnt seem to know makes her all the more vulnerable to deception. ! i. Eve does not seem to know the!name!of this tree; she only calls it!the tree in the midst of the garden, instead of!the tree of the knowledge of good and evil!(Genesis 2:17). ! ii. Eve misquoted Gods command to Adam. Her words, you shall not eat it and lest you die are close enough, but she added to the command and put words in Gods mouth when she said, nor shall you touch it. Of course, it was a good idea to completely avoid the temptation; no good could come from massaging the fruit youre not supposed to eat. But it is a dangerous thing to teach the doctrines of man as if they are the commandments of God (Matthew 15:9). ! iii. Clarke on!nor shall you touch it: Some Jewish writers ... state that as soon as the woman had asserted this, the serpent pushed her against the tree and said, See, you have!touched!it, and are still alive; you may therefore safely!eat!of the fruit, for surely you shall not die. ! c.!God has said: Eves ignorance of exactly what God said was really Adams responsibility. He did a poor job of relating to his wife the word God gave him. ! i. We can almost picture Adam telling Eve, See that tree in the middle of the garden? Dont touch it or God says well die! While this is better than saying nothing, what Adam!didnt!explain made a vulnerable place where Satan could attack. ! d.!Lest you die: This may seem like a small thing to hinge the destiny of the human race and all creation on. But the tree was nothing more than a restraint on Adam and Eve. It reminded them!they!were not God, that God had a legitimate claim on their obedience,

and that they were responsible to Him. ! 3. (4-5) Satans direct challenge to Gods Word. !

Then the serpent said to the woman, You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.
! a.!You will not surely die: Satan effectively laid the groundwork. He drew Eve into a discussion with him and planted the seed of doubt about Gods Word, and he exposed Eves incomplete understanding of Gods Word. Now he moves in for the kill, with an outright contradiction of what God said. ! i. Satan can only effectively work when he has established a foothold. No one falls like Adam and Eve will fall, all of a sudden. A foundation has been laid. ! ii. This is why we are called to never!give place to the devil!(Ephesians 4:27). This shows how remarkable it is that Jesus could say, Satan!has nothing in Me. (John 14:30) ! b.!You will not surely die: Satan rst wanted Eve to forget all about what God said about the consequences of sin. When we know and remember the consequences of sin, we are more likely to give up the!passing pleasures of sin!(Hebrews 11:25). ! i. In Satans direct challenge, he tries to get Eve to doubt the!goodness of God. If God lies to her, how can He be good? ! ii. In Satans direct challenge, he tries to get Eve to doubt the!badness of sin. If this fruit is something good for her, why doesnt God want her to have it?

! iii. Satan wants us to see sin as something good that a bad God doesnt want us to have. His main lie to us is sin is not bad and God is not good. ! iv. Satan and the esh will present a thousand reasons to show how good it would be to disobey His command. (Barnhouse) ! c.!In the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened: Satans temptation was all the more powerful because there was!truth!in it. It was true!your eyes will be opened, and this was fullled (Genesis 3:7). But their eyes were instantly opened to their own sin and rebellion. ! i. It is as if a deaf person was promised to be able to hear again, but all they could hear was screaming. ! ii. Their eyes were opened, they did know good and evil, but not as!gods. Pure lie is rarely effective in temptation. If Satan doesnt couple it with some truth, there is little power in his temptation. ! d.!You will be like God, knowing good and evil: The nal enticement is the most powerful, because it was how Satan himself fell, wanting to be equal with God. Eve tried to become a god herself by her rebellion against God. ! i. Jewish rabbis embellish on Satans temptation to Eve: Nothing but malice has prompted Gods command, because as soon as you eat of it, you will be as God. As He creates and destroys worlds, so will you have the power to create and destroy. As He does kill and revive, so will you have the power to kill and revive. God Himself ate rst of the fruit of the tree, and then He created the world. Therefore, He forbids you to eat of it, lest you create other worlds ... Hurry now and eat the fruit of the tree in the midst of the garden, and become independent of God, lest He bring forth still other creatures that will rule over you. ! ii. The goal of becoming God is the center of so many non-Christian religions, including Mormonism. But in our desire to be gods, we become like Satan (who said,!I will ascend

into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God ... I will be like the Most High![Isaiah 14:13-14]) instead of being like Jesus, who came as a servant (Matthew 20:28). ! iii. The New Age movement and the desire to be god are just as strong as ever. According to a 1992 survey, as many as 12 million Americans can be considered active participants in the New Age movement, and another 30 million are avidly interested. If all these people were brought together in a church-like organization, it would be the third largest religious denomination in America. More than 90% of the subscribers to New Age Magazine are college graduates, compared to half the general population. ! iv. In 1995, New Age inuence made it all the way to the White House. New Age author Marianne Williamson (writer of!A Course In Miracles), guru to many of Hollywoods spiritual seekers, spent a night at the White House as the personal guest of Hillary Clinton. And Anthony Robbins, motivational guru and king of late-night infomercials, consulted with President Clinton at Camp David. Robbins is also recognized as a leader in the New Age movement. ! B. The sin of Adam and Eve and the fall of the human race. ! 1. (6) Adam and Eve both disobey God in their own way. !

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.
! a.!So when the woman saw: Eve surrendered to this temptation in exactly the way John describes in 1 John 2:16. First, she gave in to the lust of the esh (saw that it was good for food), then she gave in to the lust of the eyes (pleasant to the eyes), then she gave in to the pride of life (desirable to make one wise). !

i. Jesus was tempted in the same three-fold way: an appeal to the physical appetites, an appeal to covetous and emotional desires, and an appeal to pride (Matthew 4:1-11). ! b.!The woman saw that the tree was good for food: Eves perceptions were partially true and partially false. The tree was!notreally!good for food, though Eve was deceived into thinking it was so. The fruit probably was!pleasant to the eyes, though that shouldnt mean much. And it was only true in Eves!mind!that the tree was!desirable to make one wise. ! i. We can see the total truth of Pauls statement in 1 Timothy 2:14, that Eve was!deceived!when she sinned. In her mind, she thought she was doing something good for herself. ! c.!She took of its fruit and ate: Satan could tempt Eve, but she didnt have to take it. The taking was all her doing. Satan couldnt cram the fruit down her throat. Eve was responsible. She couldnt rightly say, the devil made me do it. ! i. As with every temptation, God had made for Eve a!way of escape!(1 Corinthians 10:13). She could have simply run from Satan and the tree, but Eve didnt take Gods way of escape. ! d.!She also gave to her husband with her: Not only did Eve sin, but she became the agent of temptation for Adam. But when Adam ate, he was not deceived as Eve was. Adam sinned with his eyes wide open, in open rebellion against God. ! i. Therefore, it is Adam, not Eve, who bears the responsibility for the fall of the human race and for the introduction of death into the created order (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:22). Eve was tricked into sinning; Adam knew exactly what he was doing (1 Timothy 2:14). ! ii. Many have speculated that Adam sinned because he didnt want Eve to be alone in the fall, and he ate of the fruit out of a romantic impulse. This may well be true, but it makes Adams sin not one bit less rebellious. Rebellion against God is not better when motivated by a romantic impulse.

! iii. Take and eat will one day become verbs of salvation, but only after Jesus had lived in the world of Adams curse and surrendered to death. ! 2. (7) The nakedness of Adam and Eve. !

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
! a.!Then the eyes of both of them were opened: Seemingly, it was only after the sin of Adam that they knew of their sinful state. They knew they were!naked, in the sense of having their shame exposed to all creation. ! b.!They new that they were naked: Psalm 104:2 and Matthew 17:2 suggest that light can be a garment for the righteous. It may be that Adam and Eve were previously clothed in Gods glorious light, and the immediate loss of this covering of light left them feeling exposed and!naked. ! i. It is more than probable that they were clothed in light before the fall, and when they sinned the light went out. (Barnhouse) ! c.!The eyes of both of them were opened: The way they saw themselves changed, but also the way they saw the entire world was now different. After the fall, everything looked worse. ! i. Was it good or bad that Adam and Eve saw their nakedness and felt terrible about it? It was good, because it is good to feel guilty when you have done something wrong. ! d.!They sewed g leaves together: Their own attempt to cover themselves took much

ingenuity, but not much wisdom. Fig leaves are said to have a prickly quality, which would make for some pretty itchy coverings. ! i. Every attempt to cover our own nakedness before God is just as foolish. We need to let Jesus cover us (Revelation 3:5, 18), and put on Jesus Himself as our covering garment (Galatians 3:27). The exhortation from Jesus is for us:!Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.(Revelation 16:15) ! ii. Obviously, they covered their genital areas. In virtually all cultures, adults cover their genital areas, even though other parts of the human body may be more or less exposed from culture to culture. ! iii. This is not because there is something intrinsically dirty in our sexuality, but because we have both received our fallenness and pass it on genetically through sexual reproduction. Because of this, God has implanted it in the minds of men that more modesty is appropriate for these areas of our body. ! 3. (8-9) Adam and Eve hide from God; God calls out to them. !

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you?
! a.!They heard the sound of the!Lord!God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: Adam and Eve knew that when they heard the!Lord!coming, He would want to be with them. This was how the!Lord!had fellowship with Adam and Eve, in a very natural, close, intimate way. ! i. Leupold on!walking in the garden in the cool of the day: The almost casual way in

which this is remarked indicates that this did not occur for the rst time just then ... There is extreme likelihood that the Almighty assumed some form analogous to the human form which was made in His image. ! ii. We can assume this is God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, appearing to Adam and Eve before His incarnation and birth at Bethlehem, because of God the Father it is said, No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him (John 1:18), and no man has ever seen God in the Person of the Father. (1 Timothy 6:16) ! iii. Cool of the day is literally the breeze of the day. From Hebrew geography and culture, we might guess this means late afternoon. ! b.!Adam and his wife hid themselves: This shows that Adam and Eve knew that their attempt to cover themselves failed. They didnt proudly show off their g-leaf outts; they knew their own covering was completely inadequate, and they were embarrassed before God. ! c.!Where are you?!This is not the interrogation of an angry commanding ofcer, but the heartfelt cry of an anguished father. God obviously knew where they were but He also knew a gulf had been made between Himself and man, a gulf that He Himself would have to bridge. ! C. God confronts Adam and Eve with their sin. ! 1. (10-12) Adam tries to explain his sin. !

So he said, I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself. And He said, Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat? Then the man said, The woman whom

You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.
! a.!I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid: Sin made Adam afraid of Gods presence and afraid of Gods voice. Ever since Adam, men run from Gods presence and dont want to listen to His Word. ! i. We are still made in Gods image, so we!want!to be in the presence of God and hear His voice, while at the same time, we are afraid of Him. ! b.!Who told you that you were naked?!God knew the answer to this question. He asked it because He allowed Adam to make the best of a bad situation by repenting right then and there, but Adam didnt come clean and repent before God. ! i. We all sin, but when we sin, we can still give glory to God by openly confessing without shifting the blame onto others (Joshua 7:19-20). ! ii. There is often nothing you can do about yesterdays sin (though in some cases you may be able to make restitution). Yet you can do what is right before God right now by confessing and repenting. ! c.!Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?!God confronted Adams problem squarely. This wasnt primarily a wardrobe problem or a fear problem or a self-esteem problem. This was a!sin!problem and Adams wardrobe, fear, or self-understanding could not be addressed until the sin problem was addressed. ! d.!Then the man said: Notice that to this point, God has not addressed Eve at all. Adam, being the head, is the problem here. ! e.!The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate: Adams attempt to blame Eve is completely consistent with human nature. Few of us are

willing to simply say as David did,!I have sinned against the!Lord!(2 Samuel 12:13) ! i. Signicantly, if there is any blame, it is on Adam, not Eve. Not only does Adam unjustly accuse Eve, but also he refuses to accept proper responsibility for his part in her sin. ! ii. By saying the woman whom You gave to be with me, Adam essentially blames God for the sin saying, You!gave me the woman, and!she!is the problem. Adam wasnt content to blame Eve; he had to blame God also. ! 2. (13) Eves reply to God. !

And the Lord God said to the woman, What is this you have done? The woman said, The serpent deceived me, and I ate.
! a.!The serpent deceived me, and I ate: When confronted by God, Eve doesnt necessarily shift the blame when she admits the serpent deceived her and then she ate. This much was true, she had been deceived, and she did eat. ! b.!Deceived me: The only problem comes when we fail to see that being deceived is sin in itself. It is sin to!exchange the truth of God for the lie!(Romans 1:25). ! D. The curse and its aftermath. ! 1. (14-15) Gods curse upon the serpent. !

So the Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have

done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.
! a.!And the!Lord!God said to the serpent: When God spoke to Adam and to Eve, He asked them each questions. God didnt ask Satan (the being animating the serpent) any questions, because there was nothing to teach him. ! b.!You are cursed more than all cattle: The rst part of the curse is directed at the animal that Satan used to bring the temptation. God commanded the serpent to slither on the ground instead of walking on legs like any other animal. ! i. Adam and Eve must have been terried as this once-beautiful creature called a serpent was transformed into the creeping, slithering, hissing snake we know today. They must have thought, Its our turn next! ! ii.!I will put enmity between you and the woman: In addition, there is a natural aversion between mankind and serpents, especially on the part of women. ! c.!You shall eat dust all the days of your life: This was true of the serpent as an animal, but it is also true of Satan. To!eat dust!has the idea of!total defeat!(Isaiah 65:25, Micah 7:17). Gods judgment on Satan is for him to always know defeat. He will always reach for victory, but always fall short of it. ! i. Satan was, in his own thinking, majestic and triumphant over Jesus on the cross, but he failed. In attacking Jesus, Satan made his own doom certain. ! ii. In Jesus, we share in the victory over Satan:!And the God of peace will crush Satan

under your feet shortly.!(Romans 16:20) ! d.!Enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed: The second part of the curse is directed against Satan himself. God placed a natural animosity between Satan and mankind.!Enmity!has the idea of ill will, hatred, and a mutual antagonism. Satans hatred of Eve was nothing new; it was already present - but now man will, generally speaking, have antagonism towards Satan. ! i. The friendship Eve and the serpent seemed to enjoy earlier in the chapter is nished. There is now a natural fear of Satan in the heart of man. ! ii. If we are born naturally rebellious against God, we are also born cautious and afraid of Satan. One must be hardened to willingly and knowingly serve Satan. Instinctively, we dont serve God or Satan; we serve ourselves (which is ne with Satan). ! e.!He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel: In this, God prophesies the doom of Satan, showing that the real battle is between Satan and the!Seed!of the Woman. ! i. There is no doubt this is a prophecy of Jesus ultimate defeat of Satan. God announced that Satan would wound the Messiah (you shall bruise His heel), but the Messiah would crush Satan with a mortal wound (He shall bruise your head). ! ii. The!heel!is the part within the serpents reach. Jesus, in taking on humanity, brought Himself near to Satans domain so Satan could strike Him. ! iii. This prophecy also gives the rst hint of the virgin birth, declaring the Messiah - the Deliverer - would be the Seed of the Woman, but not of the man. ! iv. Genesis 3:15 has been called the!protoevangelium, the rst gospel. Luther said of this verse: This text embraces and comprehends within itself everything noble and glorious that is to be found anywhere in the Scriptures. (Leupold)

! f.!He shall bruise your head: For God to see the defeat of Satan at Satans rst ush of victory shows God knew what He was doing all along. Gods plan wasnt set back when Adam and Eve sinned, because Gods plan was to bring forth something greater than man in the innocence of Eden. God wanted more than!innocent!man; His plan is to bring forth!redeemed!man. ! i. Redeemed man - this being who is greater than innocent man - is only possible because man had something to be redeemed from. ! 2. (16) Gods curse upon the woman. !

To the woman He said: I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.
! a.!I will greatly multiply your sorrow: God rst cursed the woman with multiplied sorrow. Men and women have each known sorrow throughout history, yet the unique sorrow of women is well known. ! i. Under Jesus, some of the effects of the curse are relieved, and it has been the Christianizing of society that brought rights and dignity to women. ! ii. It is difcult for women in Christian lands to realize the miseries of their hundreds of millions of sisters in pagan lands, where the lot of women is little above that of cattle. Where the gospel has gone, the load has been lifted, and woman in Christ has become the reection of the redeemed Church, the bride of Christ. (Barnhouse) ! b.!Your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children: The rst curse upon women is a broad one. It has the idea that women would experience pain in

regard to their children in general, not just in the act of giving birth. God ordained that the pain with which women bring children into this world be an example of the pain they experience more generally in life. ! i. It has been observed that women bring forth children with more pain than just about any other creature. ! c.!Your desire shall be for your husband: This is true of women in a way that it is not true for men. This verse will be understood better when it is realized that the desire of man toward his wife alone is solely by Gods grace and not by nature. (Barnhouse) ! d.!Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you: The idea is to contrast the womans!desire!and the husbands!rule over!her. This speaks of an inherent challenge in embracing the husbands role as leader of the home and family. ! i. This same word for!desire!is used in Genesis 4:7 of the!desire!of sin to master over Cain. Because of the curse, Eve would have to ght a desire to master her husband, a desire that works against Gods ordained order for the home. ! ii. The principle of Adams headship as a husband was established before the fall (see Genesis 2:18 and 2:22). Now the curse on Eve makes it much harder for her to submit and ow with Gods institution of male headship in the home. ! iii. As a result of the fall, man no longer rules easily; he must ght from his headship. Sin has corrupted both the willing submission of the wife and the loving headship of the husband. The womans desire is to control her husband (to usurp his divinely appointed headship), and he must master her, if he can. So the rule of love founded in paradise is replaced by struggle, tyranny and domination. (Susan T. Foh, cited in Boice) ! 3. (17-19) Gods curse upon the man. !

Then to Adam He said, Because you have heeded the

voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return.
! a.!Because you have heeded the voice of your wife: It wasnt just as if Adam took Eves advice. He chose to be with Eve intead of obeying God. There is a sense in which!idolatry of Eve!was an aspect of Adams disobedience against God. ! b.!Cursed is the ground: Because of Adam, there is a curse upon all creation. Before the curse on man, the ground only produced good. After the curse, it will still produce good, but thorns and thistles will come faster and easier than good fruit. ! c.!In toil you shall eat of it: Adam worked before the curse, but it was all joy. Now work has a cursed element to it, with pain and weariness a part of work.!Is there not a time of hard service for man on earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hired man? Like a servant who earnestly desires the shade, and like a hired man who eagerly looks for his wages!(Job 7:1-2). ! d.!Dust you are, and to dust you shall return: The nal curse upon man promised there would be an end of his toil and labor on the earth - but it was an end of!death, not not an end of!deliverance. ! i. The curse of death shows that the result of Adams sin extended to the entire human race. Because of Adam, sin entered the world (Romans 5:12), death came to all mankind (Romans 5:15, 1 Corinthians 15:22), death reigned over man and creation (Romans 5:17), all men were condemned (Romans 5:18), and all men were made sinners (Romans 5:19). !

ii. The principle of Galatians 3:13 is established as we consider that Jesus bore each aspect of the curse upon Adam and Eve in its totality:!Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. ! ! Sin brought pain to childbirth, and no one knew more pain than Jesus did when He, through His suffering, brought many sons to glory (Hebrews 2:10) ! Sin brought conict, and Jesus endured great conict to bring our salvation (Hebrews 12:3) ! Thorns came with sin and the fall, and Jesus endured a crown of thorns to bring our salvation (John 19:2) ! Sin brought sweat, and Jesus sweat, as it were, great drops of blood to win our salvation (Luke 22:44) ! Sin brought sorrow, and Jesus became a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, to save us (Isaiah 53:3) ! Sin brought death, and Jesus tasted death for everyone that we might be saved (Hebrews 2:9) ! 4. (20) The naming of Eve. !

And Adam called his wifes name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
! a.!Adam called his wifes name Eve: Up to Genesis 3:20, the woman has never been called Eve. We are so used to saying Adam and Eve that we assume she already had her name. But to this point, she was called a!female!(Genesis 1:27), a!helper comparable!(Genesis 2:18), a!woman!(Genesis 2:22, 23), and a!wife!(Genesis 2:24, 25; 3:8). This does not mean God did not have a name for Eve, but we are told what the name is in Genesis 5:2:!He called them Mankind. ! i. The idea that the woman takes her name from the husband, and the idea that both genders are encompassed in terms like!mankind, humanity,!and!chairman. Our use of

these terms is not merely cultural, it is Biblical. ! ii. A woman gains more of her identity from her husband than the man does from the wife. For this reason, women should take special care in which man they marry. ! b.!Because she was the mother of all living: Adam named her!Eve, even though she was not a mother at all at the time. She was not even pregnant yet. Adam named her in faith, trusting God would bring forth a deliverer from the woman, because God said He would defeat Satan through the!Seed of the woman!(Genesis 3:15). ! 5. (21) God clothes Adam and Eve in the skins of animals. !

Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.
! a.!The!Lord!God made tunics of skin, and clothed them: God wanted Adam and Eve clothed, not naked. God gave His approval of the sense of shame which had led our rst parents to cover their nakedness. (Leupold) ! i. The worlds oldest profession is not prostitution, but the clothing business (Genesis 3:7). ! b.!Tunics of skin: In order for Adam and Eve to be clothed, a sacrice had to be made. An animal had to die.!Without shedding of blood there is no remission.!(Hebrews 9:22) ! i. There are only two religions; there is the religion of g leaves and there is the religion of Gods perfect provision through Jesus. ! ii. Covering ourselves with our good works is like Adam and Eve trying to cover themselves with g leaves. Our good works are like monopoly money - great for

monopoly, but not legal tender. Your good works are essential to what it takes to live out your life, but they are not legal tender before God. ! iii. Adam and Eve were clothed in a garment that was purchased with the life of another. We are clothed with a garment of righteousness that was purchased with the life of another, Jesus Christ. ! c.!And clothed them: This indicates that Adam and Eve were saved. Adam had faith in Gods promise of a Savior, and God provided a covering for them through a sacrice. We will see Adam and Eve in heaven. ! 6. (22-24) God sets cherubim to guard the Tree of Life. !

Then the Lord God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever; therefore the Lord God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
! a.!Behold, the man has become like one of us, to know good and evil: The idea behind this phrase is difcult to understand. Perhaps there is a note of sarcasm by God here (as Elijah used in 1 Kings 18:27), regarding Satans empty promise to become like gods. Or, perhaps the idea focuses on mans greater knowledge (though in a bad sense) now that he has the experiential knowledge of evil. ! b.!And take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: In mercy, God protected Adam and Eve from the horrible fate of having to live forever as sinners by preventing

them from eating from the tree of life. ! c.!The!Lord!God sent him out of the garden of Eden: We dont know if Adam and Eve!wanted!to stay in the garden of Eden. Perhaps they felt if they left the garden, they might never see God again because it was the only place where they met Him. ! d.!He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden: Cherubim are always associated with the presence and glory of God (Ezekiel 10, Isaiah 6, Revelation 4). When cherubim are represented on earth (such as in the tabernacle, Exodus 25:10-22), they mark a!meeting place!with God. Though Adam and Eve and their descendants were prevented from eating the fruit of the tree of life (by Gods mercy), they could still come there to meet God. This was their holy of holies. Therefore it was important to send a cherubim with!a aming sword!to!guard the way to the tree of life. ! i. Any angel of the lowest rank could have dealt with Adam. The aming sword was pointed against Satan to keep him from destroying the way of access to the altar, which God had set up. (Barnhouse) ! ii. This is the last historical mention of the garden of Eden in the Bible. We can speculate that God did not destroy it, but left it to the effects of the curse and suppose that it generally deteriorated from its original condition, blending into the surrounding geography. !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Exodus 3 - Moses and the Burning Bush

! A. God's call to Moses from the burning bush. ! 1. (1-3) Moses and the burning bush on Mount Horeb. !

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his fatherin-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn."
! a.!Moses was tending the ock of Jethro his father-in-law:!For 40 years Moses lived as an obscure shepherd in the desert of Midian. At this point his life was so humble that he didn't even have a ock of sheep to call his own - the sheep belonged to hisfather-in-law. ! i.!Tending the ock: "The Hebrew suggests that this was his habitual occupation." (Cole) ! b.!The back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God: Moses brought the sheep to this mountain, also later called Mount Sinai.!Horeb!probably means "desert" or "desolation," and the name gives an idea of the terrain. ! c.!The bush was burning with re, but the bush was not consumed: It wasn't just that Moses saw a bush burning; apparently, it is not uncommon for a plant like this to spontaneously ignite out in that desert. Nevertheless, two things were distinctive about that bush: ! ! ! ! i. "Though the bush burned with re, it did not crackle or diminish, no leaf curled and no The Angel of the!LORD!appearedfrom the midst!of the bush Though the bush burned,!the bush was not consumed.

branch charred. It burned, but was not consumed." (Meyer) ! ii. The bush burning but not being consumed was a magnetic sight to Moses - it drew him in for a closer examination. Some think the burning bush to be a symbol of Israel, or the people of God more generally - aficted but not destroyed, because God is in the midst of them. ! iii. Yet we can also say that the burning bush was a picture of the cross. The Hebrew word used to describe this bush is comes from the word "to stick or to prick," this meaning a thorn-bush or bramble. We can think of the cross - where Jesus, crowned with thorns, endured the res of judgment and yet was not consumed by them - and be reminded of the cross when we consider the burning bush. ! iv.!I will now turn aside to see this great sight: Whatever exactly Moses saw, it was nothing!normal. "To explain what happened here as a temporary mirage of reected sunlight on some red leaves or a campre of some Bedouin or even the phenomenon of Saint Elmo's re is to substitute!our!experience for Moses' forty years in that area and his estimate that it was indeed unusual." (Kaiser) ! v. Clarke on the!Angel of the!LORD: "Not a created angel certainly, for he is called!Jehovah, Exodus 3:4 and has the most expressive attributes of the Godhead applied to himYet he is an!angel,!malach, a!messenger, in whom was the name of God.And who is this but!JESUS, the Leader, Redeemer, and Saviour of all mankind?" ! 2. (4-6) From the burning bush, God calls to Moses. !

So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am." Then He said, "Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground." Moreover He said, "I am the God of your father; the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of

Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.
! a.!When the!LORD!saw that he turned aside to look: God didn't speak to Moses until He had Moses' attention. Often God's Word doesn't touch our heart the way that it might because we don't give it our attention. ! i. The burning bush was a spectacular phenomenon that captured Moses' attention; but it changed nothing until Moses received the!Word of God!that came to him there. ! b.!God called to him from the midst of the bush: Moses didn't see anyone in the burning bush; yet God, in the presence of theAngel of the!LORD!(Exodus 3:2) was there, calling out to Moses from the midst of the burning bush. ! i. Undoubtedly, this is another occasion where Jesus appeared before His incarnation in the Old Testament as!the Angel of the!LORD, as He did many times (Genesis 16:7-13, Judges 2:1-5, Judges 6:11-24, Judges 13:3-22). ! ii. We say this is God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, because of God the Father, it is said!No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him!(John 1:18), and that no man has ever seen God in the Person of the Father (1 Timothy 6:16). ! c.!Moses, Moses!!God's rst words to Moses called him by name. This shows that even though Moses was now an obscure, forgotten shepherd on the backside of the desert, God knew who he was, and Moses was important to God. ! i. The!double!call (Moses, Moses!) implied importance and urgency, as when God called!Abraham, Abraham!!(Genesis 22:11),!Samuel, Samuel!!(1 Samuel 3:10),!Simon, Simon!(Luke 22:31),!Martha, Martha!(Luke 10:41), and!Saul, Saul!(Acts 9:4). ! d.!Then He said: God told Moses to do two things to show special honor to this place

because of the immediate presence of God. ! ! He told Moses to keep a distance (Do not draw near this place).

! He commanded Moses to show reverence for God's presence (Take your sandals off your feet). ! i.!Do not draw near!literally has the sense of "stop coming closer." Moses was on his way for an up-close examination of the burning bush when God stopped him short. ! ii. This was a holy place; and because God is holy, there will always be a distance between God and man. Even in perfection man will never be equal to God, though we will be able to have closer fellowship with Him than ever. ! iii.!Take your sandals off your feet: Removing the sandals showed an appropriate!humility, because the poorest and most needy have no shoes, and servants usually went barefoot. It also recognized the!immediate presence!of God. In many cultures, you take off your shoes when you come into someone's house, and now Moses was in God's "house," a place of His immediate presence. ! iv. "As this sole must like in dust, gravel, and sand about the foot when travelling, and render it very uneasy, hence the custom of frequently!washing!the feet in those countries where these sandals were worn.!Pulling off the shoes was, therefore, an emblem of laying aside the!pollutions!contracted by!walking!in the!way of sin." (Clarke) ! e.!The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob: God revealed Himself to Moses by declaring His relationship to the patriarchs. This reminded Moses that God is the God of the covenant, and His covenant with Israel was still valid and important. This wasn't a "new God" meeting Moses, but the same God that dealt with!Abraham,!Isaac, and!Jacob. ! i. God would reveal Himself to Moses more intimately than He had to any of the patriarchs; yet it all began with God reminding Moses of the bridge of covenant they met on.

! ii. Some in the days of Moses might have thought that God neglected or forgot His covenant in the 400 years of Israel's slavery in Egypt, since the time of the patriarchs. Nevertheless, God was at work during that time, preserving and multiplying the nation. ! f.!Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God: God told Moses to do what was appropriate for a creature before their Creator - to revere and recognize His holiness. Moses responded as a man who knew he was not only a creature, but also a sinful creature - he!hid his face. ! i. In his years in the wilderness of Midan, Moses must have often remembered how he murdered an Egyptian and how proud he was to think he could deliver Israel himself. Moses might have remembered a thousands sins, both real and imagined - now, when God appeared, he responded in a way completely different than he might have 40 years before. ! B. God's commission to Moses. ! 1. (7-10) God explains His general plan to Moses, and Moses' place in the plan. !

And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
! a.!I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land: God did not just!then!decide to give Israel the land of Canaan. It was the same land that He promised to the patriarchs some 400 years previous to this. ! b.!I have surely seen the oppression of My people who!are!in Egypt, and have heard their cry: God wanted Moses and Israel to know His compassionate care for them. ! i. To this point, Moses' experience emphasized the!separation!between himself and God. Moses could never burn without being consumed. Moses could not speak from the midst of a re. Moses couldn't keep his sandals on in the divine presence. Moses was not the eternal God of the patriarchs. The separation between God and Moses was real; yet God would soon show His care and compassion to Moses and the people of Israel. God is!separate, but not necessarilydistant. God is separate; yet God cares and connects Himself to our needs. ! c.!I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people: In Exodus 3:8 God said,!I have come down to deliver them. Then at Exodus 3:10 God said,!Come now, therefore, and I will send you. If God said He would deliver them, whey did He use or need Moses at all? This shows that God often uses and chooses to rely on human instruments. ! i. God could do it all by Himself, but it is most often God's plan to work with and through people, as we are!workers together with Him!(2 Corinthians 6:1). ! 2. (11-12) Moses' answer, and God's reply to that answer. !

But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to

Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?" So He said, "I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
! a.!Who am I?!40 years before, Moses thought he knew who he was: he was a prince of Egypt and a Hebrew, God's chosen instrument to deliver Israel. After forty years of chasing sheep around the desert, Moses didn't have the same self-sure condence that he once had. ! b.!I will certainly be with you: God's reply is intended to take Moses' focus off of himself and on where it!should be!- on God. Therefore, God never answered the question "Who am I?" Instead, He reminded Moses "I will certainly be with you." ! i. This was a great opportunity to deal with Moses' "self-esteem" problem, but God ignored the solutions we usually use regarding this "problem." Moses only had a selfesteem problem when he was too condent in his own ability to deliver Israel. ! ii.!Who am I?!This really wasn't the right question; "Who is God?" was the proper question. God's identity was more important than who Moses was. When we know the God who is with us, we can step forth condently to do His will. ! iii.!I will certainly be with you: After this, Moses had no right to protest further. From here his objections move from a godly lack of self-reliance to an ungodly lack of faith. ! c.!When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain: As Moses tended his ock in the wilderness, it probably seemed totally unlikely that he would lead all three million of his people to this same!mountain!- but God promised that this would be so. ! i. The!sign!that God had truly sent Moses may not have been the coming to Mount Sinai

(which did not happen for many, many months). The sign probably refers backwards, to the sign of the burning bush and the encounter with God there. ! 3. (13-14) The revelation of God's name to Moses. !

Then Moses said to God, "Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say to them?" And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And He said, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
! a.!And they say to me, "What!is!His name?" what shall I say to them?!Rightfully, Moses sensed he needed credentials before the people of Israel. Before, he thought he had the credentials because he was a prince of Egypt. 40 years of tending sheep took away his sense of self-reliance. ! i. When God revealed Himself to man in the days of the patriarchs it was often associated with a newly revealed name or title for God. ! ! Abraham, in the encounter with Melchizedek called on!God Most High!(Genesis 14:22) ! Abraham later encountered!Almighty God!(Genesis 17:1)

! Abraham came to know the!LORD!as!Everlasting God!(Genesis 21:33), and!TheLORD-Will-Provide!(Genesis 22:14) ! ! Hagar encountered!You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees!(Genesis 16:13) Jacob met!El Elohe Israel!(Genesis 33:20) and!El Bethel!(Genesis 35:7).

! ii. So if Moses were to come to the elders of Israel as a representative of God, it would be logical for them to wonder, "By what name did He reveal Himself to you?" ! b.!And God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM."!It might seem nonsensical to refer to one's self with the phrase,!"I AM WHO I AM."!Yet it reveals something important about God - that He has no equal. ! i. "There is no equivalent for God but God. If you place God on the one side of your symbol of equation (=), there is nothing to put on the other but Himself." (Meyer) ! ii. The!closest!we come to an equivalent is to say, "God is love" (1 John 4:8, 4:16). Yet that is not exactly an equivalent, because you can't turn it around and say, "Love is God." God is love, but He is also greater than love. ! iii. This name!I AM WHO I AM!is connected with the name!Yahweh. "This pithy clause is clearly a reference to the name YHWH. Probably 'Yahweh' is regarded as a shortening of the whole phrase, and a running together of the clause into one word." (Cole) ! iv.!Yahweh!was not a new name, nor an unknown name - it appears more than 160 times in the book of Genesis. Moses' mother's name was!Jochabed!meaning!Yahweh is my glory. Moses and Israel knew the name!Yahweh. God did not give Moses a previously unknown name of God, but the name they had known before. God called them back to the faith of the patriarchs, not to something "new." ! v. In the English-speaking world, for a time people pronounced!Yahweh!as!Jehovah. The pious Jews of later years did not want to pronounce the name of God out of reverence, so they left the vowels out of His name and simply said the wordLord!(adonai) instead. If the vowels of the word!adonai!are put over the consonants for!YHWH, you can get the name "Jehovah." All this came about much later; in the days of the Bible, the name was pronounced!Yah-weh!or!Yah-veh. ! c.!I AM!has sent me to you: God told Moses His name was!I AM!because God simply!is; there was never a time when He did not exist, or a time when He will cease to

exist. ! i. The name!I AM!has within it the idea that God is completely independent; that He relies on nothing for life or existence (Isaiah 40:28-29; John 5:26). Theologians sometimes call this quality!aseity. It means that God doesn't need anybody or anything life is in Himself. ! ii. It is also connected with the idea that God is eternal and unchanging. "Strictly speaking, there is no past or future tense in the Divine Vocabulary. When God appears to employ them, it is by way of accommodation to our limited horizons." (Meyer) ! iii. Also inherent in the idea behind the name!I AM!is the sense that God is "the becoming one"; God becomes whatever is lacking in our time of need. The name!I AM!invites us to ll in the blank to meet our need - when we are in darkness, Jesus says!I am the light; when we are hungry, He says!I am the bread of life, when we are defenseless, He says!I am the Good Shepherd. God is the becoming one, becoming what we need. ! iv. In this, God's name is both an announcement and an introduction. It announces God's presence, and invites any interested to know Him by experience, to taste and see that the!LORD!is good. ! d.!I AM: This is a divine title that Jesus took upon Himself often, clearly identifying Himself with the voice from the burning bush. ! i.!Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that!I AM![He], you will die in your sins.(John 8:24) ! ii.!Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that!I AM![He], and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things."!(John 8:28) ! iii.!Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was,!I AM."!(John

8:58) ! iv.!Now I tell you before it comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that!I AM!(John 13:19) ! v.!Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, "Whom are you seeking?" They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said to them, "I AM![He]." And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, "I am [He]," they drew back and fell to the ground.!(John 18:4-6) ! 4. (15-18) God tells Moses what to say to the elders of Israel. !

Moreover God said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.' Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey."' Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may

sacrifice to theLORD our God.'"

! a.!Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: After four hundred years in Egypt, Moses had the job of announcing that!nowwas the time for the children of Israel to go back to Canaan, and to take the land God promised to their fathers. ! i. This was probably totally contrary to what the elders and people of Israel desired. In four hundred years, you set down roots. They probably had no desire to return to the Promised Land; all they wanted was to be made more comfortable in Egypt. ! ii. The rst word had to come to the people of God (Exodus 3:16) and then to world (Exodus 3:18). Often God will not speak to the wider world until He speaks to His people and He has their attention. ! b.!This is My name forever: God here referred to the name just previously mentioned in the same verse, the!LORD!God(Yahweh Elohim). "Forever" emphasizes the eternal faithfulness of God to His covenant. ! c.!Then they will heed your voice: This was a precious promise to Moses. Forty years before, when it seemed that he had everything going for him, the people of Israel rejected him as a deliverer for the nation. Surely, he must be wondering why they would listen to him now, when it seemed he had nothing going for him. ! i. But Moses had!God!going for him now; they would indeed listen to Moses' message. ! d.!To the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him.let us go three days journey into the wilderness: God presented the smaller request to Pharaoh rst so that the request would be as appealing and as easy to accept as possible. He did this so Pharaoh would have no excuse at all for refusing God and hardening his heart. ! 5. (19-22) God tells Moses how it will go with the Egyptians.

"But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."
! a.!I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go: God knew this from the beginning. He knew what it would take to move the heart of Pharaoh, and the plagues and calamities to come where engineered for a specic purpose and they were not haphazardly planned. ! i. Moses asked God about how his fellow Israelites would receive the news of the deliverance from Egypt, but getting the people of Israel behind Moses was only a small part of the struggle ahead - what about the Egyptians? How would they ever agree to let this free labor force leave the country? Without Moses asking, God answered this question. ! ii. Clarke insists that the sense of!I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty handis better understood as!I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, except with a mighty hand. The idea is plain enough - Pharaoh would not let go of them easily, so God would bring great judgment against Egypt to persuade him. ! b.!I will give this people favoryou shall not go empty-handed: God promised to arrange things not only to move Pharaoh's heart, but also to move the heart of the

Egyptian people so that when Israel did depart, they would be showered with!silver!andgold!and!clothing. This was not stealing or extortion, it was the appropriate wages for the years of forced labor. ! i. In Deuteronomy 15:12-14, God says that if you have a slave, and his time of service is up,!you shall not let him go away empty-handed. God was not going to let Israel leave their slavery in Egypt empty-handed; instead, they would!plunder the Egyptians. ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Leviticus 3 - The Peace Offering

! A. The procedure for the Peace Offering. ! 1. (1-5) Offering a bull or a cow as a peace offering. !

When his offering is a sacrifice of a peace offering, if he offers it of the herd, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD. And he shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; and Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is on

the wood that is on the fire, as an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the LORD.
! a.!When his offering is a sacrice of a peace offering: In contrast to the burnt offering, a peace offering sacrice could be either a!male or female!animal. However, the animal still had to be!without blemish. ! b.!Sprinkle the blood all around on the altar . . . The fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails: In the peace offering, the blood of the animal was offered to God along with the fat (which was considered to be the prime portion). ! i. There was no mention made of what to do with meat portions of the animal. This was because the meat portion was to be shared, with a part given to the priests and part given to the one who brought the offering who ate it as part of a fellowship meal with God. ! ii. This was not an offering to!make!peace with God (this was the purpose of the sin offering of chapter four), but an offering to!enjoy!peace with God. The whole reason Jesus made peace between the Father and the believer is so that the peace could be enjoyed. ! iii. The greatest peace offering ever made happened when Solomon dedicated the temple, offering 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep (1 Kings 8:63). That must have been historys greatest barbecue. Hezekiah gave a festival where 2,000 bulls and 17,000 sheep were given for peace offerings (2 Chronicles 30:24). ! 2. (6-11) Offering a sheep as a peace offering. !

If his offering as a sacrifice of a peace offering to the LORD is of the flock, whether male or female, he shall offer it without blemish. If he offers a lamb as his offering, then he shall offer it before the LORD. And he

shall lay his hand on the head of his offering, and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. Then he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as an offering made by fire to the LORD, its fat and the whole fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone. And the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
! a.!If he offers a lamb as his offering: The procedure was generally the same as the offering of a bull or cow. The blood and the fat were given to the!LORD, while the meat portions were for the one who brought the offering and for the priest. ! b.!Its fat and the whole fat tail which he shall remove close to the backbone: This offering of the!whole fat tail!was signicant. That portion of the animal was considered a delicacy and could weigh as much as 60 pounds (27 kilograms). ! 3. (12-16) Offering a goat as a peace offering. !

And if his offering is a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD. He shall lay his hand on its head and kill it before the tabernacle of meeting; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle its blood all around on the altar. Then he shall offer from it his offering, as an offering made by fire to the LORD. The fat that covers the entrails and all

the fat that is on the entrails, the two kidneys and the fat that is on them by the flanks, and the fatty lobe attached to the liver above the kidneys, he shall remove; and the priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma; all the fat is the Lord's.
! 4. (17) Conclusion: The fat and the blood belong to God. !

This shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwellings: you shall eat neither fat nor blood.
! a.!You shall eat neither fat nor blood: There was a!spiritual!signicance to this command relevant to the peace offering. We enjoy peace with God by giving Him the best (represented by the fat) and by giving Him our lives (represented by the blood). ! i. Even as it was impossible to remove!all!the blood from an animal, so was it impossible to remove!all!the fat from meat - this speaks of removing as much as one can practically. ! b.!You shall eat neither fat nor blood: There was a!practical!signicance to this command. The prohibition of eating fat was good for Israel from the standpoint of bloodcholesterol and heart disease. It was especially good because tapeworms were often found in the fatty tissues and by obeying this command, the ancient Israelites avoided these dangerous parasites. !

2004 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Numbers 3 - The Census of the Levites

! A. Priests and Levites. ! 1. (1-5) The priests: The family of Aaron. !

Now these are the records of Aaron and Moses when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab, the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests. Nadab and Abihu had died before the LORD when they offered profane fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. So Eleazar and Ithamar ministered as priests in the presence of Aaron their father. And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
! a.!Nadab, the rstborn, and Abihu: Nadab and Abihu were the two oldest children of Aaron, and the two ranking priests behind him - yet they were struck down by the!LORD!for offering!profane re!before the!LORD!(Leviticus 10:1-7). ! b.!Eleazar, and Ithamar: Therefore, Eleazar and Ithamar inherited the priesthood, and passed it down to their sons after them. ! c.!The sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he consecrated to minister as priests: It is important to realize that the priests were only one small family among the Levites; to be a priest and a Levite were not the same thing at all. Only those who were descendants of Aaron could be priests.

! 2. (6-10) The Levites: Their role in relation to Aaron. !

"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him. And they shall attend to his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting, to do the work of the tabernacle. Also they shall attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle of meeting, and to the needs of the children of Israel, to do the work of the tabernacle. And you shall give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are given entirely to him from among the children of Israel. So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death."
! a.!Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve him: The entire tribe of Levi was given to serve the needs of Aaron and the priests (they shall attend to his needs), the needs of the congregation at large (and the needs of the whole congregation), and the needs of the tabernacle itself (attend to all the furnishings of the tabernacle . . . to do the work of the tabernacle). ! b.!And they shall attend to his needs: Again, God has an order and organization. The Levites were under the direction of Aaron (that they may serve him . . . they are given entirely to him). They werent to do their own thing, but Aarons thing. ! i. Nothing in the holy things of God was left to chance or improvisation. None of the sacred persons who ministered in his presence was to be unprepared or untaught. (Allen) ! c.!To do the work of the tabernacle: In some ways, being a priest was far more visible

and perhaps glamorous than being a Levite. But the service of the Levites made the work of the priests possible, and was seen by God as having equal value. ! i.!The outsider who comes near shall be put to death: If a Levite grew jealous, and decided they wanted to do the work of a priest, it was strictly forbidden - it was an affront to Gods order and organization. ! 3. (11-13) The Levites are a special possession to God. !

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Now behold, I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every firstborn who opens the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine, because all the firstborn are Mine. On the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to Myself all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. They shall be Mine: I am the LORD."
! a.!I Myself have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every rstborn: The rstborn belonged to God; a rstborn lamb from a ewe would be given to the!LORD. God didnt want human sacrice, so He took the tribe of Levi as Israels!rstborn. ! B. The census of the tribe of Levi. ! 1. (14-20) The command to number the tribe of Levi. !

Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of

Sinai, saying: "Number the children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; you shall number every male from a month old and above." So Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. These were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And these arethe names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their fathers' houses.
! a.!Number the children of Levi: Though they were not counted among the available soldiers, the Levites were still to be counted, and counted by the males!from a month old and above. ! b.!By their fathers' houses: They were to be categorized by the families, with the main grouping according to Levis three sons:Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. ! 2. (21-26) The census and duties of the family of Gershon. !

From Gershon came the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these were the families of the Gershonites. Those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above; of those who were numbered there were seven thousand five hundred. The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward. And the

leader of the fathers' house of the Gershonites was Eliasaph the son of Lael. The duties of the children of Gershon in the tabernacle of meeting included the tabernacle, the tent with its covering, the screen for the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the screen for the door of the court, the hangings of the court which are around the tabernacle and the altar, and their cords, according to all the work relating to them.
! a.!The families of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle westward: The Gershonites (7,500 males) were to camp westward to the tabernacle (in between Judah and the tabernacle itself). ! b.!The duties of the children of Gershon: The Gershonites were to take care of the skins that covered the tabernacle itself. ! 3. (27-32) The census and duties of the family of Kohath. !

From Kohath came the family of the Amramites, the family of the Izharites, the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these were the families of the Kohathites. According to the number of all the males, from a month old and above, there were eight thousand six hundred keeping charge of the sanctuary. The families of the children of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle. And the leader of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites was Elizaphan the son of Uzziel. Their

duty included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, the utensils of the sanctuary with which they ministered, the screen, and all the work relating to them. And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the leaders of the Levites, with oversight of those who kept charge of the sanctuary.
! a.!These were the families of the Kohathites: The Kohathites (8,600 males) were to camp southward to the tabernacle (in between Reuben and the tabernacle itself). ! b.!Their duty included the ark: The Kohathites were to take care of the furniture of the tabernacle: The ark of the covenant, the table of showbread, and so forth, under the direction of Eleazar the priest, son of Aaron. ! 4. (33-37) The census and duties of the family of Merari. !

From Merari came the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these were the families of Merari. And those who were numbered, according to the number of all the males from a month old and above, were six thousand two hundred. The leader of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. These were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle. And the appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, its utensils, all the work relating to them, and the pillars of the court all around, with their sockets, their pegs, and their cords.

! a.!These were the families of Merari: The family of Merari (6,200 males) were to camp northward to the tabernacle (in between Dan and the tabernacle itself). ! b.!The appointed duty of the children of Merari included the boards of the tabernacle: The family of Merari was to take care of the structural aspects of the tabernacle: The pillars, the boards, and so forth. ! 5. (38-39) The camp of the priests. !

Moreover those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tabernacle of meeting, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary, to meet the needs of the children of Israel; but the outsider who came near was to be put to death. All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of theLORD, by their families, all the males from a month old and above, were twenty-two thousand.
! a.!Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east: The family of Aaron, and Moses, were to camp on the east side of the tabernacle - closest to the entrance, which was on the east. ! b.!Moses, Aaron, and his sons, keeping charge of the sanctuary: Gods order and organization extends to certain jobs for certain people to do. The families of the Levites had certain callings they were to fulll. There was no one man or family to do everything; God made them dependent on one another to accomplish the work. ! c.!Were twenty-two thousand: The total of 22,000 Levites given in verse 39 does not

tally with the totals of the individual clans given in verses 22, 28, 34 which come to 22,300. The discrepancy is most easily explained as textual corruption in verse 28. The number of Kohathites may originally have been 8,300. 3 (Hebrew!sls) could quite easily have been corrupted into 6 (ss). (Wenham) ! 6. (40-51) The exchange of the rstborn. !

Then the LORD said to Moses: "Number all the firstborn males of the children of Israel from a month old and above, and take the number of their names. And you shall take the Levites for Me; I am the LORD; instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the livestock of the children of Israel." So Moses numbered all the firstborn among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded him. And all the firstborn males, according to the number of names from a month old and above, of those who were numbered of them, were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the livestock of the Levites instead of their livestock. The Levites shall be Mine: Iam the LORD. And for the redemption of the two hundred and seventy-three of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the number of the Levites, you shall take five shekels for each one individually; you shall take them in the currency of the shekel of the sanctuary, the shekel of twenty gerahs. And you shall give the money, with which the excess number

of them is redeemed, to Aaron and his sons." So Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites. From the firstborn of the children of Israel he took the money, one thousand three hundred and sixtyfive shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. And Moses gave their redemption money to Aaron and his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
! a.!Number all the rstborn males of the children of Israel: The rstborn - which was always thought to be the best and the favored - always belongs to God; so instead of giving the rstborn of Israel to God in sacrice, the tribe of Levi was given to God as in place of each of the rstborn sons of Israel. ! b.!All the rstborn males, according to the number of names: However, there were 22,273 rstborn sons in Israel; and there were only 22,000 Levite males (Leviticus 3:39). The extra 273 were given a monetary value (ve shekels for each one individually), and the money was given to the tabernacle as redemption money. ! i. The number of rstborn sons is low if accounted for all the nation; it would mean that only one in 27 sons were rstborns - an unlikely percentage. It is more probable that the 22,273 rstborn sons were those born in the thirteen months of the Exodus. !

2004 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Deuteronomy 3 - Moses Remembers the March On to Canaan, and the Appointment of Joshua
! A. Moses remembers the defeat of Bashan.

! 1. (1-2) God commands Israel to attack Bashan. !

Then we turned and went up the road to Bashan; and Og king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei. And the LORD said to me, Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.
! a.!Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand: As Israel continued closer to the Promised Land, moving westward towards the Jordan River, they passed through the land of!Og, king of Bashan. ! 2. (3-11) Israel defeats Bashan. !

So the LORD our God also delivered into our hands Og king of Bashan, with all his people, and we attacked him until he had no survivors remaining. And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many rural towns. And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city. But all the livestock and the spoil of the cities

we took as booty for ourselves. And at that time we took the land from the hand of the two kings of the Amorites who were on this side of the Jordan, from the River Arnon to Mount Hermon (the Sidonians call Hermon Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir), all the cities of the plain, all Gilead, and all Bashan, as far as Salcah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan. For only Ogking of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. (Is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit.
! a.!And we took all his cities at that time . . . sixty cities: This brought Israel even more territory to occupy on the east side of the Jordan River, and it showed them that they could, through the power of God, overcome the mighty enemies the would confront on the west side of the Jordan River. ! b.!Only!Og!king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants: Apparently, Og was the last of the!rephaim!in his area, on the east side of the Jordan River. ! i. The repeated references to the!rephaim!in these rst three!chapters!shows that Israel, when trusting in God, was well able to defeat this race of fearsome warriors. It also shows that their fear of these men back in Numbers 13, where they rst refused to go into the Promised Land, was unfounded. Their excuses are shown to be weaker in light of the next generations victories. ! c.!Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead:!Ogs!bedstead!was 14 feet by 6 feet in modern measurement. Some commentators believe this actually describes his burial sarcophagus. !

B. Moses remembers the tribes that settled on the east side of the Jordan River. ! 1. (12-17)!The!division of the land conquered on the east side of the Jordan River among the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. !

And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half the mountains of Gilead and its cities, I gave to the Reubenites and the Gadites. The rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, I gave to half the tribe of Manasseh. (All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the giants. Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, as far as the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and called Bashan after his own name, Havoth Jair, to this day.) Also I gave Gilead to Machir. And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave from Gilead as far as the River Arnon, the middle of the river as the border, as far as the River Jabbok, the border of the people of Ammon; the plain also, with the Jordan as the border, from Chinnereth as far as the east side of the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea), below the slopes of Pisgah.
! a.!And this land, which we possessed at that time: These two-and-one-half tribes decided that this land on the east side of the Jordan River was good enough for them, and the!LORD!allowed it - if they would fulll the obligations mentioned in the following verses. ! 2. (18-20)!The!command for the trans-jordan tribes to assist the rest of Israel in the

conquest of Canaan. !

Then I commanded you at that time, saying: The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All you men of valor shall cross over armed before your brethren, the children of Israel. But your wives, your little ones, and your livestock (I know that you have much livestock) shall stay in your cities which I have given you, until the LORD has given rest to your brethren as to you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God is giving them beyond the Jordan. Then each of you may return to his possession which I have given you.
! C. Moses remembers the appointment of Joshua. ! 1. (21-22) Moses encourages Joshua. !

And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, Your eyes have seen all that the LORD your God has done to these two kings; so will the LORD do to all the kingdoms through which you pass. You must not fear them, for the LORD your God Himself fights for you.
! a.!And I commanded Joshua at that time: Joshua had a huge job to do - to bring a whole nation into a land where they would not be welcome, and where they would have to ght to possess what God had rightfully given to them.

! b.!You must not fear them, for the!LORD!your God Himself ghts for you: With this huge challenge in front of him, Joshua is encouraged to remember!all that the!LORD!your God has done to these two kings!(Sihon and!Og). Remembering Gods past faithfulness is key to present and future victory. ! 2. (23-29) Moses remembers his plea to enter the Promised Land. !

Then I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying: O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your mighty hand, for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do anything like Your works and Your mighty deeds? I pray, let me cross over and see the good land beyond the Jordan, those pleasant mountains, and Lebanon. But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me. So the LORD said to me: Enough of that! Speak no more to Meof this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see. So we stayed in the valley opposite Beth Peor.
! a.!Then I pleaded with the!LORD!. . . Let me cross over and see: Moses knew God was rich in mercy and forgiveness. He knew there was no harm in asking God to relent from His previous judgment that Moses would not see the Promised Land.

! i. We can appreciate what a painful thing this was for Moses. He lived the rst 40 years of his life condent in his own ability to deliver Israel. He spent the next 40 years of his life having that condence demolished as he tended his father-in-laws sheep. He spent the last 40 years of his life being used of God to do what he was called to do. Now, he was not allowed to see the end result. No wonder Moses!pleaded with the!LORD. ! b.!Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter: God did not want to hear Moses appeal on this matter. Because of his sin at Meribah (Numbers 20), where he misrepresented God as being angry with Israel when He was not, Moses could not enter the Promised Land. ! i. This may seem an excessively harsh punishment for Moses. It seemed that after only one slip-up, he then had to die short of the Promised Land. But Moses was being judged by a stricter standard because of his leadership position with the nation, and because he had a uniquely close relationship with God. ! ii. It is right for teachers and leaders to be judged by a stricter standard (James 3:1); though it is unrighteous to hold teachers and leaders to a perfect standard. It is true the peoples conduct was worse than Moses but it is irrelevant. ! iii. Worst of all, Moses defaced a beautiful picture of Jesus redemptive work through the rock which provided water in the wilderness. The New Testament makes it clear this water-providing, life-giving rock was a picture of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:4). Jesus, being struck once, provided life for all who would drink of Him (John 7:37). But was unnecessary - and unrighteous - that Jesus would be struck again, much less again twice, because the Son of God needed only to suffer once (Hebrews 10:10-12). Jesus can now be come to with words of faith (Romans 10:8-10), as Moses should have only used words of faith to bring life-giving water to the nation of Israel. Moses ruined this picture of the work of Jesus God intended. ! c.!Speak no more to!Me!of this matter: Moses was a great man of intercession - perhaps one of the greatest in the Bible. Yet, God would say no even to Moses in prayer. God will sometimes say no even to His mightiest intercessors (Jeremiah 15:1). ! d.!Go up to Pisgah: This was the place where Moses would be able to see the Promised

from a distance, and then die - and where the book of Deuteronomy will end. ! e.!But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him: It was probably easy for Moses to have a bad attitude here - well, if Im not going into the Promised Land, Im sure not going to knock myself out training my replacement. But that was not the heart of Moses - he would do everything he could to love the people, prepare them to go in, and to make Joshua a success. A man of God would not do it any other way. ! i. Moses had the heart of a true shepherd. He knew that his ministry was not centered on himself and his own satisfaction, but on God and His people. ! ii. In fact, Moses death is not recorded until chapter 34, so that the whole book of Deuteronomy is framed between the announcement of Moses impending death and the announcement of his actual death. The book is thus, in a sense, the spiritual testament of Moses, Israels great Lawgiver. (Thompson) !

2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Joshua 3 - Crossing the Jordan

! A. Instructions for crossing the Jordan River. ! 1. (1-2) Camping by the Jordan: Israel faces up to their own utter helplessness to accomplish what it set before them. !

Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over. So it was, after three days, that the officers

went through the camp;

! a.!Came to the Jordan . . . and lodged there before they crossed over: God told the people of Israel to wait three days at shores of the Jordan River (Joshua 1:11).!!All that time, the people of Israel saw a rushing river, swollen with spring rains laying in front of them.!!They must have asked, How can we!ever!cross this river? ! i. It was one thing for a few spies to make their way across (as happened in Joshua 2), but here we are talking about a nation of!millions, with all their possessions - how will they make it? ! b. At a moment like this, all the wonderful talk about living in the Promised Land can sound pretty hollow.!!There is a seemingly impossible obstacle blocking the way - how will God do this one? ! 2. (3-5) The ark of God will lead the way. !

And they commanded the people, saying, When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before. And Joshua said to the people, Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.
! a.!When you see the ark of the covenant of the!LORD!your God, and the priests, the

Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it:!Joshua didnt send his Army Corps of Engineers rst.!!Instead, he sent the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, which was the visible representation of Gods presence with the people.!!Joshua knew this was aspiritual!problem, not a feat of human engineering. ! b.!Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure:!God required that they keep some 1,000 yards behind the ark.!!This was for two reasons.!!First, to respect the holy nature of the ark of the covenant.!!But also, it was to make sure that everyone a clear view of the ark.!!That you may know the way by which you must go!shows that the ark of the covenant led the way.!!Israel would accomplish this impossible task as they set their eyes upon Gods presence, and followed only after His presence. ! c.!Sanctify yourselves: Because this would be a spiritual battle, Joshua requires that the people have a spiritual preparation.!Sanctify yourselves!means they were to separate themselves from common things to focus in on the!LORD, and to see thatthe!LORD!will do wonders among you. ! 3. (6) Joshuas step of faith: he sends the priests to walk across a swollen river Jordan. !

Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people. So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.
! a.!Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people: We should assume that God!told!Joshua to do this, and that he wasnt working out of foolish presumption.!!We can also assume that God spoke to Joshua about this as Joshua was in Gods word, reading and remembering the crossing of the Red Sea. ! i. We see Joshuas success depending on and growing out of the promise of Joshua 1:8:!This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.!!For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.!!Joshua

obviously had the word of God on his lips, on his mind, and in his actions. ! b.!So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people:!Even with Gods specic guidance, and with specic guidance from His word, this is still and impressive step of faith for Joshua.!!Living and walking in the Promised Land comes from this kind of faith, not a slavish reliance on a law relationship with God. ! i. Faith leads us into greater victories than law ever could. ! 4. (7-8) Gods encouragement to Joshua. !

And the LORD said to Joshua, This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.
! a.!This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel: As Joshua takes a step of faith, God encourages him all the way.!!God always wants to encourage and help along our faith, but we may have our ears closed to His encouragement. ! b.!That they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with you: God will make Joshua a leader like Moses in the eyes of the people, and He will do it by using Joshua to miraculously lead the people across an impossible body of water. ! c. After Joshua had obeyed the previous guidance, based on faith and his understanding of Gods word, now God gives him more specic instructions:!when you have come to the edge of the water . . . you shall stand in the Jordan.

! 5. (9-13) Joshua encourages and instructs Israel. !

So Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God. And Joshua said, By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.
! a.!By this you shall know that the living God is among you: Joshua understands the way God connects events in our lives.!The fact that He will move on behalf of Israel here is taken as a promise of His future blessing and movement for them. ! b.!Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan:!Joshua knows that the ark will lead the way - again, this is a spiritual battle to be won. ! c.!The waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap: Joshuas general outlook, as communicated

to the people, is refreshing.!!The impossible problems in their way are not seen as an oppressive trial, but as a glorious opportunity to see God work. ! B. Crossing the Jordan River. ! 1. (14-15) The faith of the priests and of Joshua. !

So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest),
! a.!The feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water:!The priests begin the procession, with the ark of the covenant some 1,000 yards in front of the people, and the priests came and walked right into a river that looked like it wasnt going anywhere. ! i. Who knows how long the priests stood there in the river?!!It might have been a moment; but it may have been a long time - but in a situation like that, a moment!seems!like a long time! ! b. We usually want the river to be dry before we even make a step; but God was truly calling Israel to step out in faith. ! c.!For the Jordan overows all its banks during the whole time of harvest:!Joshua reminds us that this was not a time when the Jordan was reduced to a trickle.!!Because of the spring rains, at this time of early harvest, the river was swollen and overowing its

banks. ! 2. (16-17) The Jordan is stopped and the people cross over on dry ground. !

That the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.
! a.!The waters which came down from upstream stood still: In some miraculous manner, God stopped the ow of the Jordan River.!!He may have used a natural occurrence (an earthquake has often been suggested), but the!timing!of it was at the hand of God. ! b. As well, even with the ow of the river stopped, it was miraculous that the people could cross over on!dry ground in the midst of the Jordan.!!God miraculously dried the riverbed so that they didnt slog through marshy mud. ! i. This miracle obviously connects with the miracle the nation knew some 40 years earlier: the passing through the Red Sea.!!God brought them!out!of Egypts bondage with a miracle, and He brought them!in!to the Promised Land with a miracle. ! c. How did it happen? What was the key to this amazing miracle?!!Notice the centrality of the!ark of the covenant of theLORD.!!The ark is referred to 14 times in these 17

verses.!!This was all about the trust of Joshua, the priests, and Israel had in the God they knew was present with them. ! i. The ark of the covenant cleared the way for Israel.!!This was spiritual work, not work for Israels Army Corps of Engineers. ! 3. To face such impossible challenges in our lives, we must look unto Jesus, our Joshua.!!He always leads us. ! a. Jesus is the fulllment of the ark; He is!Immanuel, which is translated, God with us!(Matthew 1:23). ! b. Jesus has cleared the way to victory over all things:!Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross!(Colossians 2:15). ! c. As we keep our eyes on, and follow behind our victorious Jesus, the river of impossibility will dry up. ! d. To the cynic, who wonders if they havent tried that and been disappointed, we must ask them: Have you really tried this?!Have you truly walked according to Gods word, trusted in Jesus and been disappointed?!!Perhaps your disappointment is actually in your esh. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Judges 3 - The First Three Judges

! A. The pagan nations remaining in the territory of Israel. !

1. (1-2) Why God allowed these nations to continue in Israels territory. !

Now these are the nations which the Lord left, that He might test Israel by them, that is, all who had not known any of the wars in Canaan (this was only so that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war, at least those who had not formerly known it),
! a.!These are the nations which the!Lord!left: God left these Canaanite nations behind because Israel was not faithful in driving them out. One might rightly say that it was a combination of both their choice and Gods will. ! b.!That He might test Israel by them: It was within the power of God to eliminate those pagan nations without any help from Israel. God allowed the troublesome peoples to remain for a reason. The word!test!here is used in the sense of proving. These nations would remain because God wanted to!prove!the faithfulness of Israel to Himself, and to!improve!their reliance on Him. ! i. God doesnt just instantly change!every!area of our lives so that our relationship with Him can be proved and improved; so that we will live a life of true partnership with God. ! c.!So that the generations of the children of Israel might be taught to know war: This was another reason why God allowed the Canaanites to remain where Israel did not drive them out. God wanted His people to be!warriors, and the presence of these dangerous neighbors would make it necessary for future!generations!to!know war. ! i. Israel was to be in a hostile environment for the major part of her history, due either to the pressures of the petty kingdoms which surrounded her or, at a later stage, due to her strategic position between the successive world-powers of Assyria, Babylonia, Persia and Greece on the one hand and Egypt on the other hand. Military prowess was a necessary accomplishment, humanly speaking, if she was to survive. (Cundall)

! ii. No one!likes!the struggle against sin, but the battle is good for us. The symbol of Christianity is a cross, not a feather bed. ! 2. (3-4) The pagan nations are specically listed. !

Namely, five lords of the Philistines, all the Canaanites, the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baal Hermon to the entrance of Hamath. And they were left, that He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey the commandments of the Lord, which He had commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.
! a.!Namely: God named each of the pagan peoples that stubbornly stayed in the land. After the same pattern, some could today make a specic list of pagan territory in the life of the believer. Such a list may indeed be helpful in the way that it causes one to identify their enemy. ! b.!That He might test Israel by them, to know whether they would obey: The reason that God didnt just eliminate these nations is again stated. It was to!prove!Israels commitment to God and His word. If they were obedient to the word of God the other nations would not hinder them and they would grow strong enough to drive them out completely. ! B. The rst judge: Othniel. ! 1. (5-7) The apostasy of Israel in the days of Othniel. !

Thus the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons; and they served their gods. So the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. They forgot the Lord their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs.
! a.!They took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons: Part of the accommodation of Israel to the pagan peoples surrounding them was their sin of intermarriage with the pagan nations in their midst. ! b.!They forgot the!Lord!their God, and served the Baals and Asherahs: Their ungodly romances led them to the worship of the pagan deities Baal and Ashtoreth. ! i. Jesus told us that following Him would require that we give up the things we love most (Mark 10:29-30). Often an ungodly romance falls into this exact category. ! 2. (8) Israels servitude to the king of Mesopotamia. !

Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan-Rishathaim eight years.
! a.!He sold them into the hand of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia: God gave Israel just what they wanted. They didnt want to serve God, so He allowed them to be in bondage to a pagan king. Israel reaped exactly what they sowed.

! i.!The name of!Cushan-Rishathaim!is also suspect, for it reads literally Cushan of double wickedness, not likely a personal name, and it would appear that the historian has made a deliberate distortion to cast ridicule upon this oppressor. (Cundall) ! ii.!A rather strange designation but perhaps intended to be an intimidating one. It could also be a caricature of the actual name. (Wolf) ! iii. Tyrants delight in terrible names and titles, as Attilas, the Hunne, who would needs be styled!Ira Dei et orbis vastitas, the wrath of God, and waster of the world. (Trapp) ! iv.!In those ancient times, the word!Mesopotamia!described the fertile, well-watered area that would be today Eastern Syria and Northern Iraq. ! b.!Eight years: It was many years of bondage before Israel cried out unto the!Lord. ! 3. (9-11) Gods deliverance through Othniel. !

When the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the children of Israel, who delivered them: Othniel the son of Kenaz, Calebs younger brother. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord delivered Cushan-Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed over Cushan-Rishathaim. So the land had rest for forty years. Then Othniel the son of Kenaz died.
!

a.!When the children of Israel cried out to the!Lord: After the eight years of bondage Israel nally cried out in dependence on God. It often takes many years of bondage and calamity before man looks away from self and looks unto God. ! b.!The!Lord!raised up a delivererOthniel: Othniel was the son-in-law of the great hero Caleb (Judges 1:12-3) and his wife was also a woman of faith (Judges 1:13-15). ! i. In his collection of rabbinical fables and traditions titled!Legends of the Jews, Louis Ginzberg includes two fanciful additions to the story of Othniel: ! ! Among the judges, Othniel represents the class of scholars. His acumen was so great that he was able, by dint of dialectic reasoning, to restore the seventeen hundred traditions which Moses had taught the people, and which had been forgotten in the time of mourning for Moses. ! ! Othniel, however, was held so little answerable for the causes that had brought on the punishment of the people, that God granted him eternal life; he is one of the few who reached Paradise alive. ! c.!The Spirit of the!Lord!came upon him: We dont know very much about Othniel, but this was enough to know. The Holy Spirit empowered him for the job God called him to do. ! i. Othniel lived the principle of Zechariah 4:6:!Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the!Lord!of hosts. Empowered by the!Spirit of the!Lord, he delivered Israel. ! ii. Since Pentecost (Acts 2) a more general and permanent endowment of the Holy Spirit has been the privilege of every disciple. (Cundall) ! C. The second judge: Ehud. !

1. (12-14) The cycle continues: Israel sins and is sold into servitude. !

And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. Then he gathered to himself the people of Ammon and Amalek, went and defeated Israel, and took possession of the City of Palms. So the children of Israel served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years.
! a.!The children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the!Lord: After God brought deliverance through the work of Othniel, Israel eventually drifted away from their dependence and obedience towards God. Their victory did not automatically last forever; it had to be maintained. ! i. Cundall does a good job of describing the three peoples mentioned here as oppressors of Israel: ! ! Moab, situated to the east of the Dead Sea between the Arnon and the Zered, was settled as a kingdom some fty years before the Israelite invasion. ! ! Ammon, to the north-east of Moab, was established about the same time as Israel in the late thirteenth century!b.c. ! ! The Amalekites, who were akin to the Edomites, were a nomadic race occupying the considerable area south of Judah, and were possibly Israels bitterest enemy (Exodus 17:8-16;!cf. 1 Samuel 15:2-3). ! b.!The children of Israel served Eglon: Israels sin brought them into bondage. They suffered 8 years of bondage before they cried out to the!Lord!in the days of Othniel. Then

they endured another 18 stubborn years of bondage before they cried out to the!Lord. ! i. Sin always brings bondage, though it comes to us deceptively. The sh never contemplates the bondage of the hook when it goes after the bait; Satan snares us by making the bait attractive and hiding the hook. ! ii.!Some great men have borne names which, when reduced to their grammatical meaning, appear very ridiculous: the word!Eglon!signies!a little calf! (Clarke) In Eglons case, it was a fatted calf and was ready for slaughter. ! 2. (15) God raises up a deliverer for Israel: Ehud. !

But when the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for them: Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. By him the children of Israel sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
! a.!When the children of Israel cried out to the!Lord, the!Lord!raised up a deliverer: This shows the mercy of God. When Israel repeatedly drifted from God, He had every right to cast them off completely. Yet He still responded when they nally did call on Him for deliverance. ! b.!Ehuda left-handed man: In the ancient world left-handed people were often forced to become right-handed. This made Ehuds standing as!a left-handed man!more unusual. ! i. He is described as a!left-handed!man, literally restricted as to his right hand. In the eyes of an Israelite, this was regarded as a physical defect and it appears often in connection with the Benjaminites, without affecting their prowess in battle (cf. 20:16). (Cundall) !

3. (16-26) Ehuds daring assassination of Eglon. !

Now Ehud made himself a dagger (it was double-edged and a cubit in length) and fastened it under his clothes on his right thigh. So he brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab. (Now Eglon was a very fat man.) And when he had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried the tribute. But he himself turned back from the stone images that were at Gilgal, and said, I have a secret message for you, O king. He said, Keep silence! And all who attended him went out from him. And Ehud came to him (now he was sitting upstairs in his cool private chamber). Then Ehud said, I have a message from God for you. So he arose from his seat. Then Ehud reached with his left hand, took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly. Even the hilt went in after the blade, and the fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out. Then Ehud went out through the porch and shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. When he had gone out, Eglons servants came to look, and to their surprise, the doors of the upper room were locked. So they said, He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber. So they waited till they were embarrassed, and still he had not opened the doors of the upper room. Therefore they took the key and openedthem. And there was their master, fallen dead on the floor. But Ehud had escaped while they delayed, and

passed beyond the stone images and escaped to Seirah.

! a.!He brought the tribute to Eglon king of Moab: Israel had to pay this!tribute!money because they were under the domination of the king of Moab. Ehud came to Eglon as a messenger or courier. ! i. Since the payment was carried by a number of men, it may have been food or wool. (Wolf) ! ii.!Presents, tribute, etc., in the eastern countries were offered with very great ceremony; and to make the more parade several persons, ordinarily slaves, sumptuously dressed, and in considerable!number, were employed to carry what would not be a burden even to!one. This appears to have been the case in the present instance. (Clarke) ! b.!I have a message from God for you: Ehud certainly told the truth when he said this. The message was, Those who oppress the people of God touch the apple of His eye and will be judged for it. ! i. F.B. Meyer set forth some thoughts from Judges 3:20, and Ehuds statement to Eglon,!I have a message from God for you. ! ! ! ! ! ! ii. Gods Word pierces as a two-edged sword to the dividing of soul and spirit in the recesses of the being, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. When the Eglon of self has received its death-wound, the glad trumpet of freedom is blown on the hills. (Meyer) Gods messages are often secret. Gods messages must be received with reverence. Gods messages leap out from unexpected quarters. Gods messages are sharp as a two-edged sword, and cause death.

! iii. God uses many messengers to speak to us, including death. Ehud said, I have a message from God for thee. It was a dagger which found its way to Eglons heart, and he fell dead. So shall death deliver his message to you. I have a message from God unto thee, he will say, and ere you shall have time to answer, you shall nd that this was the message, Because I the Lord will do this, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel; thus saith the Lord, cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground! Set thy house in order, for thou shalt die and not live. Oh! may you hear the other messengers of God before he sends this last most potent one, from which ye cannot turn away. (Spurgeon) ! iv. The preacher should also present the word of God with the sense that he has a message from God. I am afraid, there are some ministers who hardly think that the gospel is intended to come personally home to the people. They talk, as I read of one the other day, who said that when he preached to sinners he did not like to look the congregation in the face, for fear they should think he meant to be personal; so he looked up at the ventilator, because there was no fear then of any individual catching his eye. Oh! That fear of man has been the ruin of many ministers. They never dared to preach right at the people. (Spurgeon) ! c.!Ehud reached with his left hand: Because most men fought with their right hand, it wasnt expected for a man to use his left hand with a dagger or a sword. This shows how cunning Ehud was and how unexpected the strike was to Eglon. ! i.!The fat closed over the blade, for he did not draw the dagger out of his belly; and his entrails came out:!This is variously understood: either the contents of the bowels issued through the wound, or he had an evacuation in the natural way through the!fright!and!anguish. (Clarke) ! ii.!The phrase!and his entrails came out!has caused some problems for translators. One of the words used occurs nowhere else in the Old Testament. The most plausible, if gruesome, suggestion is that it refers to the opening of the kings body, the downward motion of the dagger being with such force that it passed completely through the abdomen and projected from the vent (cf.!rv,!it came out behind). Such sensational details have a habit of impressing themselves indelibly upon the human memory. (Cundall) ! iii. The KJV and RSV translate and the dirt came out, implying an intestinal discharge caused by the sword thrust. Koehler-Baumgartner relates the word to the

Akkadian!parasdinum!(hole), meaning that Ehud went out through an escape hole. The construction is very similar to Ehud went out to the porch in Judges 3:23. (Wolf) ! iv. Some are troubled by this act of assassination; we cannot say that this event is a general approval or commission of those who would assassinate rulers who oppress the people of God. It is signicant that this was never suggested or even an issue in the early Christian persecutions. God did not necessarily approve of the method used by Ehud. It may be signicant that the Spirit of the Lord did not come on Ehud and that he was never described as judging Israel. (Wolf) ! v. Nevertheless, the Bible reliably records this incident without giving specic approval of this act of assassination.!Such incidental details as the length of the murder weapon and the fact of Eglons corpulence (mentioned only because the dagger was completely buried in his body) attest to the historicity of the event. (Cundall) ! d.!He is probably attending to his needs in the cool chamber: Without being coarse, we can see how real and true-to-life the Bible is. It describes normal, everyday functions but in a dignied way. ! i.!Attending to his needs!is literally covering his feet, a euphemism for elimination also used in 1 Samuel 24:3. Some commentators see this only reluctantly:!He has lain down on his sofa in order to sleep; when this was done they dropped their slippers, lifted up their feet, and covered them with their long loose garments. But the!versions, in general seem to understand it as implying a certain natural act. (Clarke) ! ii.!The!stone images!mentioned in Judges 3:19 and 3:26 were probably the actual stones set up by Joshua to commemorate the miraculous crossing of the Jordan (Joshua 4:19-24) and thus were a well-known landmark. (Cundall) ! 4. (27-30) Ehud leads the Israelites in battle against the Moabites. !

And it happened, when he arrived, that he blew the trumpet in the mountains of Ephraim, and the children

of Israel went down with him from the mountains; and he led them. Then he said to them, Follow me, for the Lord has delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. So they went down after him, seized the fords of the Jordan leading to Moab, and did not allow anyone to cross over. And at that time they killed about ten thousand men of Moab, all stout men of valor; not a man escaped. So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
! a.!And he led them: As much cunning and courage as Ehud had, he could not do the work by himself. It was essential for brave and faithful men to rally around him. Ehud led, but he had to have followers. ! i. In the same way, God lifts up leaders in the church, but they cant do the work by themselves. The whole body needs to work together. ! b.!Follow me, for the!Lord!has delivered: Ehud asked the Israelites to!follow!him, because he was their leader. Yet he also encouraged them to look with faith to the!Lord!(for the!Lord!has delivered your enemies into your hand). ! i. Like any true leader, Ehud said follow me. A leader cant expect his followers to go where he or she will not or has not gone. This was captain-like spoken. Caesar never said to his soldiers,!Ite, Go ye, but!Venite, Come along: I will lead you, neither shall ye go farther than ye have me before you. Hannibal was wont to be rst in the battle, and last out. (Trapp) ! c.!And the land had rest for eighty years: Ehuds cunning and courage, coupled with Israels faithful following of a leader, brought Israels longest period of freedom under the 400-year period of the Judges. Ehud is a dramatic example of how in theLord, one man can make a difference, and how God will call others to work with that one man.

! D. The third judge: Shamgar. ! 1. (31a) The brief story of Shamgar. !

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath,

! a.!Shamgar the son of Anath: Shamgar is one of six individuals we call minor judges, because not much is written about them. Yet the work they did for God was just as important in their day as anyone elses work. ! 2. (31b) Shamgars great accomplishment. !

Who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.
! a.!Killed six hundred men of the Philistines: Shamgar was a man of great accomplishment, yet only one verse describes his work. It is possible that so little is said about Shamgar because his story was so well known. ! i. The signicant omissions may indicate that there!was!something unusual about Shamgar; he may not have been a judge after the usual pattern but just a warrior who effected this one local stroke of valour against a nation who afterwards became Israels principle oppressor. (Cundall) ! b.!With an ox goad: Shamgar is an excellent example of serving for God. He simply used what God put in his hand - in his case, an!ox goad. !

i. An ox goad was a stick about 8 feet long (about 2.5 meters), and about 6 inches around at the big end. One end of the ox goad was pointy (for poking the ox), and the other end was like a chisel (for scraping the plow clean of dirt). ! ii. In the hands of a strong, skilful man, such an instrument must be more dangerous and more fatal than any sword. (Clarke) ! c.!He also delivered Israel: There was nothing spectacular about an ox goad. But God can use, and wants to use, whatever is in our hands. Shamgar was merely a laborer doing his job; but he took what was in his hand when prompted by God and he rescued the people of God from their enemies. ! i. Shamgar was like Moses and his shepherds staff or David and his shepherds sling. God uses simple things to accomplish great things. !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Ruth 3 - Ruth Makes an Appeal

! A. Naomis instructions to Ruth. ! 1. (1-2a) Security for Ruth through a kinsman. !

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative?
! a.!Then Naomi her mother-in-law said: The time of the harvest was over, and certainly

Ruth and Boaz had been around each other much in the weeks covering the barley and the wheat harvest (Ruth 2:23). They had much opportunity to get to know each other. ! i. However, according to the customs of the day, we cant say that Ruth and Boaz were dating in the way we think of dating in our modern culture. They were not paired off as a couple with one-on-one time with each other; rather, they spent their time together in the context of a group - the men and women who worked for Boaz in the harvest. ! ii. From Gods perspective, there is much in the dating game that works against forming healthy, lasting relationships. For many people, dating means the continual making and breaking of casual romantic relationships - patterns that teach us more how to end relationships than how to make them last. ! iii. Additionally, dating is usually a relatively supercial way to get to know someone. Each person in a dating relationship tends to put on a mask for the other. For example, many women have been deceived into thinking a man is a good, nice man because he is nice to them in a dating relationship. Of course he is! Often, hes nice because he wants something in that dating relationship. A better gauge to measure the man or the woman is to see how they act towards others in a group setting - because sooner or later, that is how they are going to treat you. ! iv. So over the period of the harvests, Ruth and Boaz got to know each other pretty well by seeing what kind of people the other was around a larger group, not by dating in the way it is traditionally thought of today. ! b.!Shall I not seek security for you: Naomi knew that Ruth could best be taken care of if she was married, so she suggested that she appeal to Boaz for!marriage. ! i. The Hebrew word for!security!in verse one is the same word for!rest!in Ruth 1:9, where Naomi hoped that her daughters-in-law would nd rest and security in the home of a new husband. This Hebrew word (manowach) speaks of what a home should be a place of rest and security. ! c.!Now Boaz . . . Is he not our relative?!One might easily think that this was inappropriately forward of Naomi to suggest this to Ruth. It is possible to think that

Naomi plotted with Ruth to make her a man-trap, to go out and hunt down a reluctant Boaz for marriage. Not at all; Naomis suggestion to Ruth was rooted in a peculiar custom in ancient Israel - the meaning behind the Hebrew word!goel. ! i. This was the point in Naomis question about Boaz:!Is he not our relative?!She reminded Ruth that Boaz was their family!goel. ! ii. The!goel!- sometimes translated!kinsman-redeemer!- had a specically dened role in Israels family life. ! ! The kinsman-redeemer was responsible to buy a fellow Israelite out of slavery (Leviticus 25:48). ! He was responsible to be the avenger of blood to make sure the murderer of a family member answered to the crime (Numbers 35:19). ! He was responsible to buy back family land that had been forfeited (Leviticus 25:25).

! He was responsible to carry on the family name by marrying a childless widow (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). ! iii. In this, we see that the!goel, the kinsman-redeemer, was responsible to safeguard the!persons, the!property, and theposterity!of the family. Words from the root!gl!are used with a variety of meanings in the Old Testament, but the fundamental idea is that of fullling ones obligations as a kinsman. (Morris) ! d.!Is he not our relative?!Since Boaz was a recognized!goel!for the family of Elimelech the deceased husband of Naomi and father-in-law of Ruth - Ruth could appeal to him to safeguard the posterity of Elimelechs family, and take her in marriage. It may seem forward to us, but it was regarded as proper in that day. ! i. If Boaz did not fulll this duty towards Elimelech (though he was now deceased), then the direct family and name of Elimelech would perish. Perpetuating the family name of Elimelech (and every man in Israel) was thought to be an important duty. These protections showed how important it was to God to preserve the institution of the family in Israel - and that it is also important to Him today.

! 2. (2b-5) Naomi instructs Ruth as to how to petition Boaz to exercise his responsibilities as her!goel. !

In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your bestgarment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do. And she said to her, All that you say to me I will do.
! a.!Therefore wash yourself: Naomi, in her advice to Ruth, showed a keen knowledge of male behavior. She instructed Ruth to make herself pretty and smelling good (anoint yourself, put on your best garment), and to leave Boaz alone while he ate (do not make yourself known to the man until he has nished eating and drinking). ! b.!Uncover his feet, and lie down: At the appropriate time, Naomi instructs Ruth to!go in, uncover his feet, and lie down. Some might think this was a provocative gesture, as if Ruth was told to provocatively offer herself sexually to Boaz. This was not how this gesture was understood in that day. In the culture of that day, this was understood as an act of!total submission. ! i. In that day, this was understood to be the role of a servant - to lay at their masters feet and be ready for any command of the master. So, when Naomi told Ruth to!lie down!at Boazs feet, she told her to come to him in a totally humble, submissive way. ! ii. Dont lose sight of the larger picture: Ruth came to claim a right. Boaz was her!goel, her kinsman-redeemer, and she had the!right!to expect him to marry her and!raise!up a family to perpetuate the name of Elimelech. But Naomi wisely counseled Ruth to not

come as a victim demanding her rights, but as a humble servant, trusting in the goodness of her kinsman-redeemer. She said to Boaz, I respect you, I trust you, and I put my fate in your hands. ! c.!He will tell you what you should do: Of course, this was a situation that had the potential for disaster, if Boaz should mistreat Ruth in some way. But Naomi and Ruth had the chance to get to know Boaz, and they knew what kind of man he was - a good man, a godly man, one to whom Ruth could condently submit. ! i. In the marriage relationship, many husbands wish they had a wife who submitted to them the way Ruth is being told to here. But do they provide the kind of godly leadership, care, and concern that Boaz showed towards Ruth and others? ! ii. In the marriage relationship, many wives wish they had a husband who loved, cared, and treated them they way Boaz did towards Ruth. But do they show the same kind of humble submission and respect Ruth showed to Boaz? ! d.!All that you say to me I will do: Ruth humbly and wisely received the counsel of her mother-in-law Naomi. ! i. On the whole, we must say, had not Boaz been a person of extraordinary piety, prudence, and continence, this experiment might have been fatal to Ruth. We cannot easily account for this transaction; probably Naomi knew more than she revealed to her daughter-in-law. The experiment however was dangerous, and should in no sense be imitated. (Clarke) ! ii. Let none be encouraged hereby to enter into Gods ordinance through the devils portal, lest they smart and smoke for it. (Trapp) ! B. Ruth and Boaz at the threshing oor. ! 1. (6-7) Ruth!lays!down at Boazs feet.

So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
! a.!He went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: There was a good reason why Boaz slept at the!threshing oor. These were the days of the Judges, when there was much political and social instability in Israel. It wasnt unusual for gangs of thieves to come and steal all the hard-earned grain a farmer had grown. Boaz slept at the threshing oor to guard his crop against the kind of attacks described in 1 Samuel 23:1. ! b.!She came softly: Ruth did just as her mother-in-law Naomi had recommended. She heard the advice, she said she would do it, and she did it. ! 2. (8-9) Ruths request. !

Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, Who are you? So she answered, I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.
! a.!It happened at midnight that the man was startled: This was an amazing scene. We can well imagine that Boaz was indeed!startled, waking up in the night as he turned in his sleep, knowing that someone was out there but not being able to see clearly because of the darkness and the sleep in his eyes.

! i. Since Boaz had been there to protect against thieves, it must have given him quite a shock to wake up and know someone was there. But his shock quickly turned to wondering when he found out the visitor was a woman. ! b.!Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative: Ruth identied herself and made a simple request. In beginning with the words take your maidservant, Ruth again showed great humility and submission. She presented herself as Boazs servant. ! c.!Under your wing: Here, she boldly asked Boaz to take her in marriage. The phrase can also be translated as spread the corner of your garment over me. This was a culturally relevant way to say, I am a widow, take me as your wife. ! i. The spreading of a skirt over a widow as a way of claiming her as a wife is attested among Arabs of early days, and Jouon says it still exists among some modern Arabs. (Morris) ! ii. Even to the present day, when a Jew marries a woman,!he throws the skirt or end of his talith over her, to signify that he has taken her under his protection. (Clarke) ! iii. In Ezekiel 16:8, God uses the same terminology in relation to Israel:!I spread my wing over you and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you and you became Mine, says the!LORD!God. ! d.!For you are a close relative: This shows that this was not an inappropriate thing for Ruth to do towards Boaz. It was bold, but not inappropriate. Ruth understood this as she identied Boaz as her!close relative!(literally,!you are a goel, a kinsman-redeemer). ! i. Though deceased, Elimelech had the right to have his family name carried on and as!goel,!Boaz had the responsibility to do this for Elimelech. This could only happen through Boaz marrying Ruth, and providing children to carry on the name of Elimelech. Ruth boldly, yet humbly and properly, sought her rights.

! 3. (10-11) Boazs response. !

Then he said, Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.
! a.!Blessed are you of the!LORD, my daughter! . . .!you!did not go after young men: Apparently, there was a considerable age difference between Ruth and Boaz. It also seems that because of this, Boaz considered!himself!unattractive to Ruth and had therefore ruled out any idea of a romance between them. ! i. This shows something else wonderful about Boaz. He had the right to force himself upon Ruth as her!goel, but he did not. He wasnt going to just say, Theres a woman I want, and I have her by right. He was kind enough to not act as!goeltowards Ruth unless!she!desired it. ! ii. It also shows something else wonderful about Ruth: She based her attraction to Boaz more on!respect!than on image or appearance. Tragically, many people fall in love with an image or an appearance, rather than with a person we can really respect. ! b.!I will do for you all that you request: Boaz made Naomi look brilliant in her advice to Ruth. The plan worked perfectly. ! c.!All the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman: Boaz was also attracted to Ruth because of her character. We dont really know how Ruth looked, but

we do know that she was a woman of godly character. ! i. Literally, Boaz called Ruth a!hah-yil!woman. The basic meaning behind this Hebrew word is strength; moral strength, good quality, integrity, virtue. This same word is used in a term for heroes in the Bible:!A mighty man of valor. Just a courage and strength make a man a hero, so Ruths courage and strength, shown in her virtue - make her a hero, on the Proverbs 31 kind of denition of a woman of virtue. ! 4. (12-13)!A!potential problem: A nearer kinsman. !

Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you; good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning.
! a.!There is a relative closer than I: Apparently, though Boaz was a recognized!goel!towards Ruth, there was another!goelcloser in relation to her deceased father-in-law Elimelech. So, Boaz could not exercise his right as kinsman-redeemer unless this closer kinsman-redeemer relinquished his rights towards Ruth. ! b.!If he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you: Wonderfully, Boaz wasnt willing to cut corners. He would do Gods will Gods way. He knew that if it was really of the!LORD, then it could be done orderly and in a proper way. ! C. Ruth goes home. !

1. (14-15) Boaz sends Ruth home. !

So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. Also he said, Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.
! a.!Do not let it be known: Boaz and Ruth were not trying to hide anything scandalous; it was just that Boaz didnt want this nearer kinsman to learn that Ruth was now demanding her right to marriage to a!goel!before Boaz could tell him personally. ! b.!He measured six ephahs of barley: As a proper gentleman, Boaz did not sent Ruth home empty-handed. Not having any chocolates, he gave her six handfuls of grain. The added word!ephahs!is!almost certainly incorrect; that would be more than thirty-three gallons (120 liters) of grain, more than Ruth could carry home in her shawl. ! i. Jewish traditions say that the six measures of barley given as a gift to Ruth were a sign of six pious men who would descend from her, endowed with six spiritual gifts: David, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, Azariah, and the Messiah. ! 2. (16-18) Ruth tells her mother-in-law Naomi all that happened. !

So when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, Is that you, my daughter? Then she told her all that the man had done for her. And she said, These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law. Then she

said, Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.
! a.!Sit still, my daughter . . . the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day: This was a time of considerable anxiety for Ruth. She had claimed her right to marriage, and would be married. The only question was to!whomwould she be married? Would it be to Boaz, or to the nearer!goel? The issue would be decided that very day. !

2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

1 Samuel 3 - God Speaks to Samuel

! A. Samuel is unable to recognize God's voice. ! 1. (1) The scarcity of revelation in Israel. !

Then the boy Samuel ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.

a.!The boy Samuel ministered to the!LORD: For the third time it is emphasized that Samuel!ministered to the!LORD!(also in 1 Samuel 2:11 and 2:18), just as Aaron and his sons did at their consecration as priests (Exodus 29:1) and just like Paul and Barnabas did before they were sent out as missionaries (Acts 13:1-2). ! b.!The word of the!LORD!was rare in those days: The only!word of the!LORD!we read of in the rst two chapters of 1 Samuel is the word of judgment brought by the man

of God against Eli. God didn't speak often, and when He did, it was a word of judgment. ! i.!The word of the!LORD!rare in those days!because of the hardness of heart among the people of Israel and the corruption of the priesthood. God will speak, and guide, when His people seek Him, and when His ministers seek to serve Him diligently. ! 2. (2-4) God's rst words to Samuel. !

And it came to pass at that time, while Eli was lying down in his place, and when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, and before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the LORD where the ark of God was, and while Samuel was lying down, that the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, "Here I am!"

a.!His eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see: This was true both spiritually and physically of Eli. His age made him an ineffective leader for Israel. ! b.!Before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the!LORD: As a gure of speech, this simply means "before dawn." But it is also suggestive of the dark spiritual times of Israel - it is dark, and will probably get darker. ! i. Exodus 27:21 refers to the responsibility of the priests to tend the lamps until sunrise, or just before dawn. ! c.!While Samuel was laying down to sleep, that the!LORD!called Samuel: We don't know for certain how old Samuel was. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus said

Samuel was 12 years old. However old he was, God spoke to Samuel. ! d.!And he answered, "Here I am!"!This leads us to believe God spoke to Samuel in an audible voice, instead of in an "inner voice," though this is not certain. But Samuel was so impressed by what he heard, he responded by saying,!"Here I am!" ! i. This is a beautiful way to respond to God's Word. It isn't that God does not know where we are, but it tells God and it reminds us we are simply before Him as servants, asking what He wants us to do. Samuel is among several others who also said, "Here I am" when the!LORD!spoke to them: Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (Genesis 46:2), Moses (Exodus 3:4), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8), and Ananias (Acts 9:10). ! 3. (5-9) Samuel doesn't recognize God's voice. !

So he ran to Eli and said, "Here I am, for you called me." And he said, "I did not call; lie down again." And he went and lay down. Then the LORD called yet again, "Samuel!" So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." (Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of theLORD yet revealed to him.) And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. Then he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you did call me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, 'Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

a.!He ran to Eli: Samuel was an obedient boy. He was wrong in thinking Eli spoke to him, but he was right in what he did. Samuel came to Eli quickly because he knew Eli was blind and might need help. ! b.!And the!LORD!called yet again: When speaking to us, God almost always conrms His word again and again. It is generally wrong to do something dramatic in response to a single "inner voice" from the!LORD. If God speaks He will conrm, and often in a variety of ways. ! c.!Samuel did not yet know the!LORD: Samuel was a godly and obedient boy, serving God wonderfully. Yet, he had not yet given his heart to the!LORD. Even children raised in a godly home must be converted by the Spirit of God. ! d.!Speak,!LORD, for Your servant hears: Eli gave Samuel wise counsel. Eli told Samuel to: ! ! ! ! ! ! e.!Speak,!LORD: We must hear from God. The preacher may speak, our parents may speak, our friends may speak, our teachers may speak, those on the radio or television may speak. That is all ne, but their voices mean nothing for eternity unless God speaks through them. ! B. God's message to Samuel. ! 1. (10) Samuel responds just as Eli told him. ! Make himself available for God to speak (Go, lie down) Not be presumptuous about God speaking (if He calls you) Respond to the word of God (Speak,!LORD) Humble himself before God and His word (Your servant hears)

Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears."

a.!Then the!LORD!came and stood and called: This seems to have been audible and because it says the!LORD!stood, it may be that this was a unique!appearing!of the!LORD, perhaps in the person of Jesus before Bethlehem. This was not a dream or a state of altered consciousness. ! 2. (11-14) God's message to Samuel: the coming judgment on Eli and his house. !

Then the LORD said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle. "In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever."

a.!Both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle: God will give young Samuel spectacular news. In other places in the Old Testament,!tingling ears!are signs of an especially severe judgment (2 Kings 21:12, Jeremiah 19:3). ! b.!For I have told him that I will judge his house: Through the word of the!man of God!in 1 Samuel 2:27-36, Eli already heard of the judgment to come. This word to young

Samuel was a word to!conrm!the previous message from God. ! i. "The Lord sends him a word of threatening by a child; for God has many messengers." (Spurgeon) ! c.!For the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile: Eli knew of this iniquity from his own observation and from the reports of the people, but especially because God made it known by the message of the!man of God. ! d.!And he did not restrain them: Eli's responsibility to restrain his sons was not only or even mainly because he was their father. These were adult sons, no longer under Eli's authority as they were when they were younger. Eli's main responsibility to restrain his sons was as their "boss" because he was the high priest and his sons were priests under his supervision. However, Eli's indulgence towards his sons as a!boss!was no doubt connected to his prior indulgence of them as a!parent. ! e.!The iniquity of Eli's house shall not be atoned for by sacrice or offering forever: What a terrible judgment! This means, "It's too late. Now the opportunity for repentance is past. The judgment is sealed." ! i. Probably, the judgment declared by the!man of God!in 1 Samuel 2:27-36 was a warning, inviting repentance. Because there was no repentance God conrmed the word of judgment through Samuel. Or, perhaps Eli pleaded that God might withhold His judgment, and this is God's answer to that pleading. ! ii. Do we ever come to a place where our sin cannot be!atoned for by sacrice or offering forever? Only if we reject the sacrice of Jesus for our sin. As Hebrews 10:26 says, if we reject the work of Jesus for us,!there no longer remains a sacrice for sins. ! 3. (15-18) Samuel tells Eli the message from God. !

So Samuel lay down until morning, and opened the

doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell Eli the vision. Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son!" And he answered, "Here I am." And he said, "What is the word thatthe Lord spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you." Then Samuel told him everything, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him."

a.!Samuel lay down until morning: Of course, he didn't!sleep!at all. We see young Samuel laying on his bed, ears tingling at the message from God, wondering how he could ever tell Eli such a powerful word of judgment (Samuel was afraid to tell Eli). ! b.!Opened the doors of the house of the!LORD: Presumably, this was one of Samuel's duties as a servant at the tabernacle. ! c.!Samuel, my son!!Eli was not a good boss or a good parent to Hophni and Phinehas. But Samuel came to him as a "second chance," and Eli did a better job of raising Samuel than he did with his sons by birth. ! d.!What is the thing that the!LORD!has said to you?!Eli had an idea of what the message of God to Samuel was. Kindly, he took the initiative and asked Samuel, knowing it was difcult for the young man to tell him. ! i. Eli made it clear to Samuel he had the responsibility to bring the message even if it was bad news. With a threat like!God do so to you, and more also, Samuel was suitably motivated to tell Eli everything. ! ii. Eli was admirable, because he was willing to be taught from an unexpected source, he

wanted to hear the bad news of his condition, and he wanted to hear!all!God's message. ! e.!Then Samuel told him everything: How hard it is to bring a message of judgment! There may be a few with hard hearts (like Jonah) who are happy to announce God's judgment, but most people nd it difcult. Yet it is always the responsibility of God's messenger to bring!everything!God says, not just the "easy" words. ! f.!It is the!LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him: It is hard to know if Eli's response was godly or fatalistic. We should always submit to God's rod of correction. Yet this submission is not totally passive. It is also active in repentance, and in doing what one can to cultivate a godly sorrow. ! C. Samuel matures and is established as a prophet. ! 1. (19-20) Samuel grows, maturing physically and spiritually. !

So Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the LORD.

a.!The!LORD!was with him: Nothing compares to this, to have and to know you have the!LORD!with you. The Christian can know God is with them:!If God is for us, who can be against us?!(Romans 8:31) ! b.!Let none of his words fall to the ground: This means all of Samuel's prophecies came to pass, and were known to be true words from God. Therefore,!all Israel . . . knew that Samuel had been established as a prophet of the!LORD. !

i. Since the days of Moses (some 400 years before the time of Samuel) there were not many prophets in Israel, and certainly no great prophets. At this important time in Israel's history, God raised up Samuel as a prophet. ! ii. Coming in this place in Israel's history, Samuel is rightly seen as Israel's last!judge!and rst!prophet. Samuel bridges the gap between the time of the judges, and the time of the monarchy when prophets (such as Nathan, Elijah, and Isaiah) inuenced the nation. ! c.!From Dan to Beersheba: This is a way of saying "from northernmost Israel to southernmost Israel." It is a similar idea as saying in the United States, "from New York to California." ! 2. (21) The word of the!LORD!comes to Samuel. !

Then the LORD appeared again in Shiloh. For the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

a.!The!LORD!appeared again in Shiloh: When did the!LORD!rst appear in Shiloh? We know He appeared to Samuel in 1 Samuel 3:10. Now, in some undescribed way, the!LORD!appeared again. ! b.!The!LORD!revealed Himself . . . by the word of the!LORD. God reveals Himself by His word. Whenever God is moving, He will reveal Himself!by the word of the!LORD. ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

2 Samuel 3 - Abner's Defection and Murder

! A. Abner defects from Ishbosheth. ! 1. (2-5) David's sons born in Hebron. !

Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital; and the sixth, Ithream, by David's wife Eglah. These were born to David in Hebron.

a.!Sons were born to David: During David's seven-year reign in Hebron, his six different wives gave birth to six sons. This shows that David went against God's commandment that Israel's king should not multiply wives to himself. ! i. David was!wrong!to have more than one wife. His many wives went against God's command to kings (Deuteronomy 17:17) and against God's heart for marriage (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6). ! ii. David's many wives were!common. Adding many wives was one way great men and especially kings expressed their power and status. ! iii. David was!troubled!because of his many wives. Some wonder why the Bible doesn't expressly condemn David's polygamy here, but as is often the case, the Scripture simply states the fact and later records how David reaped the penalty for this sort of sin in regard to his family.

! b.!These were born to David in Hebron: We must say that God used and blessed David!despite!his many wives. Yet his family life and these sons were obviously not blessed. "By six wives he had but six sons. God was not pleased with his polygamy." (Trapp) ! i.!Amnon!raped his half-sister and was murdered by his half-brother. ! ii.!Chileab!is also known as!Daniel!in 1 Chronicles 3:1. The few mentions of this son indicate that perhaps he died young or that he was an ungodly, unworthy man. ! iii.!Absalom!murdered his half-brother and led a civil war against his father David, attempting to murder David. ! iv.!Adonijah!tried to seize the throne from David and David's appointed successor - then he tried to take one of David's concubines and was executed for his arrogance. ! v. We can fairly assume that!Shephatiah!and!Ithream!either died young or were ungodly and unworthy men because they are mentioned only once again in the Scriptures - in a generic listing of David's sons (1 Chronicles 3:1-4). ! 2. (6-7) Ishbosheth accuses Abner of impropriety with the royal concubine. !

Now it was so, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul. And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?"

a.!Abner was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul: It seems that Abner supported a weak man like Ishbosheth in power so he could be the power behind the throne. As time went on, he increased in strength and inuence!on the house of Saul. ! b.!Why have you gone in to my father's concubine?!Ishbosheth accused Abner of a serious crime. Taking a royal!concubine!was regarded as both sexual immorality and treason. ! i. "To take the wife or concubine of the late monarch was to appropriate his property and to make a bid for the throne." (Baldwin) ! ii. This might seems strange that there was a controversy over the!concubine!of!Saul, especially because Saul was dead. Yet in their thinking, the king's bride belonged to him and him alone, even if he was absent. This principle is even more true for Jesus and His bride - the church belongs to no one but Jesus, and it is treason to "take" the bride of Christ as if she were our own possession. ! 3. (8-11) Abner's harsh reply. !

Then Abner became very angry at the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head that belongs to Judah? Today I show loyalty to the house of Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends, and have not delivered you into the hand of David; and you charge me today with a fault concerning this woman? May God do so to Abner, and more also, if I do not do for David as the LORD has sworn to him; to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan to Beersheba."

And he could not answer Abner another word, because he feared him.

a.!Then Abner became very angry: We aren't specically told, but Abner's response leads us to believe that the accusation was false. It is possible that as he!was strengthening his hold on the house of Saul!he took the concubine as an expression of his power and dominance. It is more likely that because of Abner's increasing power Ishbosheth felt it necessary to invent this accusation as a reason to get rid of Abner. ! b.!If I do not do for David as the!LORD!has sworn to him: Abner told Ishbosheth that he would now support David and help David fulll what the!LORD!promised -!to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul, and set up the throne of David. ! i. If Abner knew that David was God's choice for king, he had no good reason to ght against him before this. Abner is a good example of those of us who!know!things to be true but we don't!live!as if they were true. ! ii. Abner did the right thing in joining David's side, but he did it for the wrong reason. Instead of joining David because Ishbosheth offended him personally, he should have joined David because he knew that David was God's choice to be king. ! 4. (12-16) David agrees to receive Abner if he will bring Michal with him. !

Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to David, saying, "Whose is the land?" saying also, "Make your covenant with me, and indeed my hand shall be with you to bring all Israel to you." And David said, "Good, I will make a covenant with you. But one thing I require of you: you shall not see my face unless you first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when you come to see my

face." So David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Give me my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines." And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, from Paltiel the son of Laish. Then her husband went along with her to Bahurim, weeping behind her. So Abner said to him, "Go, return!" And he returned.

a.!You shall not see my face unless you rst bring Michal, Saul's daughter: David received Michal in marriage (1 Samuel 18:26-28), but Saul took her away to spite David (1 Samuel 25:44). ! b.!Whom I betrothed to myself with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines: 1 Samuel 18:20-30 describes how David used this unusual payment instead of a dowry for the right to marry the daughter of King Saul. ! i. "He might have said two hundred; but he thought better to speak with the least." (Trapp) ! c.!Give me my wife Michal: Apparently, David was not done adding to his collection of wives. He insisted on receiving Michal as his wife again for at least three reasons. ! i. David remembered that Michal was his wife by both love and right and that King Saul took her away as part of a deliberate strategy to attack and destroy David. ! ii. David wanted to show that he harbored no bitterness towards Saul's house, and he would show this through his good treatment of Saul's daughter. !

iii. David wanted to give himself a greater claim to Saul's throne as his son-in-law. ! iv. "However distressing it was to take her from a husband who loved her most tenderly, yet prudence and policy required that he should strengthen his own interest in the kingdom as much as possible." (Clarke) ! d.!Abner said to him, "Go, return!" And he returned: This ts with the personality of Abner as we know him throughout 1 and 2 Samuel. Abner was a very tough guy. ! 5. (17-19) Abner rallies support for David among the other tribes. !

Now Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel, saying, "In time past you were seeking for David to be king over you. Now then, do it! For the LORD has spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of My servant David, I will save My people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and the hand of all their enemies.' " And Abner also spoke in the hearing of Benjamin. Then Abner also went to speak in the hearing of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and the whole house of Benjamin.

a.!Abner had communicated with the elders of Israel: It is signicant that this word came from!Abner!regarding David instead of coming from David himself. Though he was the rightful king, David would not reign over Israel until they submitted to him freely. He never moved an inch without an invitation. ! i. This is an illustration of Jesus' lordship in our life. He is in fact King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But He chooses (for the most part) to exercise His sovereignty only at our

invitation. ! ! ! ! ! ii. Abner is a good example of someone who eventually surrendered to God's king. Now he wanted to inuence others to also surrender to God's king. ! b.!Now then, do it!!Because of the word the!LORD!spoke of David, and because it was so right to do, this was something that should be done!now. In this sense, it is very much like our commitment to follow Jesus - we should be told, "Now then, do it!" ! i. Charles Spurgeon has a wonderful sermon on this text titled, "Now Then, Do It." In this sermon he shows how the same principles of Israel's embrace of David as king apply to our relationship with Jesus. "The Israelites might talk about making David king, but they would not crown him. They might meet together and say they wished it were so, but that would not do it. It might be generally admitted that he ought to be monarch, and it might even be earnestly hoped that one day he would be so, but that would not do it; something more decided must be done." (Spurgeon) ! ii. "The sooner it is done the better. Until the deed is done, remember you are undone; till Christ is accepted by you as king, till sin is hated and Jesus is trusted, you are under another king. Whatever you may think of it, the devil is your master." ! c.!For the!LORD!has spoken of David: The fact that Abner - who was a general, not a Bible scholar - knew these prophecies and the fact that he could ask the leaders of Israel to consider them means that these prophecies of David were widely known. Sadly, they were not widely obeyed - most of Israel was lukewarm and unenthusiastic in their embrace of David as king. ! i. In this regard David pregures his greater Son. Jesus fullled all manner of prophecy Some do not invite Jesus to rule over anything. Some invite Jesus to reign over a small area - like "Hebron." Some give Jesus reign over everything He has authority over - which is everything.

regarding the Messiah, yet He was rejected by all but a remnant of Israel. ! ii. We don't have a Biblical record of this exact statement Abner said!the!LORD!has spoken of David. "We read not that God had so said in express terms: but either Abner had heard of such a promise made at the anointing of David by Samuel, or else feigned it of his own head for his own ends." (Trapp) ! 6. (20-21) David formally receives Abner with a feast. !

So Abner and twenty men with him came to David at Hebron. And David made a feast for Abner and the men who were with him. Then Abner said to David, "I will arise and go, and gather all Israel to my lord the king, that they may make a covenant with you, and that you may reign over all that your heart desires." So David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

a.!David made a feast for Abner: This was David showing himself wise and generous towards a former adversary. A lesser man would never forgive Abner for leading an army against God's king, but David was a great, wise, and generous man. ! b.!That you may reign over all that your heart desires: Abner wanted David's reign to be fully realized over the people of God. ! B. Joab murders Abner. ! 1. (22-25) Joab learns that Abner has joined David's side. !

At that moment the servants of David and Joab came from a raid and brought much spoil with them. But Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace. When Joab and all the troops that were with him had come, they told Joab, saying, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he sent him away, and he has gone in peace." Then Joab came to the king and said, "What have you done? Look, Abner came to you; why is it that you sent him away, and he has already gone? Surely you realize that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you, to know your going out and your coming in, and to know all that you are doing."

a.!Surely you realize that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you: Joab accused Abner of being a double agent for Ishbosheth. He was angry that David let Abner go without arresting or killing him. ! b.!Surely you realize that Abner the son of Ner came to deceive you: This was one of at least three reasons why Joab was not pleased that Abner had defected and joined David's side. ! i. Joab feared Abner was a deceiver, a double agent working on behalf of Ishbosheth, the pretender king. ! ii. Abner killed Joab's brother, and Joab was the!avenger of blood!for Asahel (as described in Numbers 35:9-28). ! iii. As the chief general of the former King Saul, Abner had a lot of top-level military

experience. Abner might take Joab's place as David's chief military assistant. ! 2. (26-27) Joab murders Abner. !

And when Joab had gone from David's presence, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah. But David did not know it. Now when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him privately, and there stabbed him in the stomach, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.

a.!Joab took him aside in the gate: Joab carefully engineered this murder so that the killing was done!outside!the gate of Hebron. This was because Hebron was a city of refuge (Joshua 20:7), and it was against the law for Joab, as Asahel's blood avenger, to kill Abner!inside!the city. ! b.!He died for the blood of Asahel his brother: The careful plot to murder Abner outside the city of refuge made the murder all the more dark. It showed Joab!knew!that Abner had a rightful claim of self-defense and was protected inside the city of Hebron, yet he killed him anyway. ! i. Joab may have justied this by the thought, "I'm doing this to defend and honor my king." But our sin and treachery never honors our king. We must avoid the trap Spurgeon spoke of: "We may even deceive ourselves into the belief that we are honoring our Lord and Master when we are, all the while, bringing disgrace upon his name." ! 3. (28-30) David renounces Joab's evil murder of Abner. !

Afterward, when David heard it, he said, "My kingdom and I are guiltless before the LORD forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner. Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and let there never fail to be in the house of Joab one who has a discharge or is a leper, who leans on a staff or falls by the sword, or who lacks bread." So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

a.!My kingdom and I are guiltless before the!LORD: David knew that he had nothing to do with this murder. Among other evils, this murder perpetrated by Joab set a bad precedent. It gave David's administration a reputation for brutality and made it harder for David to win the rest of Israel over to his side. ! b.!Let it rest on the head of Joab: David pronounced a severe curse against Joab, but he!did!nothing!to correct Joab. Perhaps David was afraid to lose Joab as a general. His ability to kill without remorse showed he was not a nice man, but not necessarily a bad general. ! 4. (31-39) David leads the mourning for Abner. !

Then David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Tear your clothes, gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn for Abner." And King David followed the coffin. So they buried Abner in Hebron; and the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner, and all the people wept. And the king sang a lament over Abner and said: "Should Abner die as a fool

dies? Your hands were not bound nor your feet put into fetters; as a man falls before wicked men, so you fell." Then all the people wept over him again. And when all the people came to persuade David to eat food while it was still day, David took an oath, saying, "God do so to me, and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!" Now all the people took note of it, and it pleased them, since whatever the king did pleased all the people. For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's intent to kill Abner the son of Ner. Then the king said to his servants, "Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I am weak today, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me. The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness."

a.!The king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner: David did not want his kingdom established by violence. He wanted God to establish his kingdom and to punish his enemies. David still believed that!vengeance belongs to the Lord. ! b.!For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king's intent to kill Abner: This whole affair was a mess, but it would not be the rst or the last mess of David's kingdom. ! i. In some regard, "messes" like this are inevitable. Proverbs 14:4 states an important principle:!Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox. !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 Kings 3 - Solomon is Given Great Wisdom

! A. God gives Solomon wisdom. ! 1. (1) Solomon marries an Egyptian princess. !

Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall all around Jerusalem.
! a.!Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's daughter: Marriage to fellow royalty was acommon political strategy in the ancient world, and continues to the modern age. It was not only because royalty wanted to marry other royalty, but also because conict between nations were avoided for the sake of family ties. ! i. This was not Solomon's rst marriage. 1 Kings 14:21 tells us that his son Rehoboam came to the throne when he was 41 years old, and 1 Kings 11:42 tells us that Solomon reigned 40 years. This means that Rehoboam was born to his mother - a wife of Solomon named!Naamah the Amonitess - before he came to the throne and before he married this daughter of Pharaoh. ! ii. Solomon's multiple marriages - and marriages to foreign women - will cause a great disaster in his life.!Later in the Book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah was angry and frustrated because the people of Israel married with the pagan nations around them. In rebuking the guilty, Nehemiah remembered Solomon's bad example:!So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God,

saying, "You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?"!(Nehemiah 13:25-27) ! iii. The foreign wives made Solomon more than a bad example - they ruined his spiritual life.!But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites; from the nations of whom the!LORD!had said to the children of Israel, "You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods." Solomon clung to these in love. And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the!LORD!his God, as was the heart of his father David.!(1 Kings 11:1-4) ! iv. 1 Kings 11:4 says this only happened!when Solomon was old, but the pattern was set with this rst marriage to the Egyptian princess. It perhaps made political sense, but not spiritual sense. "Such arranged marriages were a common conrmation of international treaties, but this one was the beginning of Solomon's spiritual downfall." (Wiseman) ! v. 2 Samuel 3:3 tells us that David married the daughter of a foreign king:!Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. Marrying a foreign woman was not against the Law of Moses - if she became a convert to the God of Israel. What did not ruin David!did!ruin Solomon. ! b.!He brought her to the City of David: Though this was permitted under the Law of Moses, it was not wise or good for Solomon to do. Later in his life, his foreign wives were the reason his heart turned away from the!LORD!(1 Kings 11:4). ! i. Old legends of Jewish rabbis say that on their wedding night, the Egyptian princess cast a spell on Solomon and put a tapestry over their bed that looked like the night sky with stars and constellations. The spell was intended to make Solomon sleep, and when he did wake he looked up and thought the stars were still out and it was still night so he went back to sleep. He slept on past 10:00 in the morning and all Israel was grieved because Solomon kept the keys to the temple under his pillow and they couldn't have the morning sacrice until he woke up. Finally his mother Bathsheba roused him from sleep. (Cited in

Ginzberg) ! 2. (2-4) Solomon's great sacrice. !

Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days. And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places. Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
! a.!People sacriced at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the!LORD: At this time, altars were allowed in Israel at various!high places, as long as those altars were unto the!LORD!and not corrupted by idolatry (as commanded in Deuteronomy 16:21). When the temple was built, sacrice was then centralized at the temple. ! b.!Solomon loved the!LORD!. . . except that he sacriced and burned incense at the high places: There is good and bad in this assessment of Solomon. There is good in that!generally!he walked!in the statutes of his father David. There is bad in the word, "except." ! i. At the same time, it seems that God showed mercy to those who violated this law before the temple was built. "Could there be any sin in this, or was in unlawful till after the temple was built? For prophets, judges, the kings which preceded Solomon, and Solomon himself, sacriced on high places, such as Gibeon, Gilgal, Shiloh, Hebron, Kirath-jearin, etc. But after the temple was erected, it was sinful to offer sacrices in any other place." (Clarke) ! ii. Solomon!did!love the!LORD!- yet he also loved foreign wives who eventually helped

turn Solomon's heart away from the!LORD!(1 Kings 11:4-10). "The perils of mixed motives and a divided heart are terrible indeed." (Morgan) ! c.!Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar: This almost grotesque amount of sacrice demonstrated both Solomon's great wealth and his heart to use it to glorify God. ! i. This was an important event marking the "ceremonial" beginning of Solomon's reign. According to 2 Chronicles 1:2-3, the entire leadership of the nation went with Solomon to Gibeon. ! d.!Now the king went to Gibeon: Solomon made these special sacrices at!Gibeon!because!that was the great high place. What made it different was that the tabernacle was there, even though the ark of the covenant was in Jerusalem. ! i. Tracking the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant in the Promised Land: ! ! Joshua brought both the ark and the tabernacle to Shiloh (Joshua 18)

! In the days of Eli the ark was captured and the tabernacle wrecked (1 Samuel 4, Psalm 78:60-64, Jeremiah 7:12 and 26:9) ! ! ! The ark came back to Kiriath-Jearim (1 Samuel 7:1-2) Saul restored the tabernacle at Nob (1 Samuel 21) Saul moved the tabernacle to Gibeon (1 Chronicles 16:39-40)

! David brought the ark to Jerusalem and built a temporary tent for it (2 Samuel 6:17, 2 Chronicles 1:4) ! ii. There were several reasons to explain why David did not bring the tabernacle from Gibeon to Jerusalem: ! ! He may have believed if the tabernacle was there the people would be satised with

that and they would lose the passion and vision for the temple God wanted built ! It may be that the tabernacle was only moved when it was absolutely necessary - as when disaster came upon it at Shiloh or Nob ! ! 3. (5-9) God's offer and Solomon's response. ! David simply focused on building the temple, not continuing the tabernacle

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask! What shall I give you?" And Solomon said: "You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?"
! a.!The!LORD!appeared to Solomon in a dream: This remarkable visitation from God happened!in a dream. This is one of the more signicant dreams in the Bible. ! b.!Ask! What shall I give you?!This is an amazing promise. God seems to offer Solomon whatever he wants. This wasn't only because Solomon sacriced 1,000 animals.

It was because his heart was surrendered to God, and God wanted to work something in Solomon through this offer and his response. ! i. The natural reaction to reading this promise of God to Solomon is to wish we had such a promises. We do have them. ! ! Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will nd; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7) ! If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7) ! Now this is the condence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. (1 John 5:14) ! c.!You have shown great mercy: Before responding to God's offer and asking for anything,!Solomon remembered God's faithfulness to both David and now Solomon himself. ! d.!But I am a little child: Solomon was not really the age of a child. He comes to God in great humility, especially considering the job in front of him. "The statement is actually Solomon's poetic way of expressing his inadequacies as he faced the awesome tasks of leadership." (Dilday) ! i. Solomon didn't have the false humility that said, "I can't do this so I won't even try." His attitude was, "The job is so much bigger than me; I!must!rely on God." ! e.!Give to Your servant an understanding heart: Solomon asked for more than great!knowledge; he wanted!understanding, and he wanted it in his!heart, not merely in his!head. Actually, the ancient Hebrew word translated!understanding!is literally, "hearing." Solomon wanted a!hearing heart, one that would listen to God. ! i. In Ephesians 1:18 the Apostle Paul prayed for Christians, asking that!the eyes of your understanding being enlightened.

! f.!To judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil: Solomon already understood that a key component of leadership is wise and just discernment. Many leaders do not have this discernment or the courage to use it. ! 4. (10-15) God's great promise to Solomon. !

The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days." Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
! a.!The speech pleased the!LORD: God was pleased by what Solomon!asked for, in that he knew his great need for wisdom, discernment, and understanding. God was also pleased by what Solomon!did not ask for, in that he did not ask for riches or fame or

power for himself. ! i. Solomon's request was!not!bad. We are specically told that!the speech pleased the!LORD. Yet we can also ask if this was!the best!Solomon could ask for. "Was this the highest gift that he could have asked or received? Surely the deep longings of his father for communion with God were yet better." (Maclaren) ! ii. Solomon did his job well - as well or better than anyone. Yet as his falling away in the end showed (1 Kings 11:1-11) there was something lacking in his spiritual life. "There is no sign in his biography that he ever had the deep inward devotion of his father. After the poet-psalmist came the prosaic and keen-sighted shrewd man of affairs." (Maclaren) ! b.!I have done according to your words . . . I have also given you what you have not asked: God not only answered Solomon's prayer, he answered it beyond all expectation. Solomon did not ask for!riches and honor!or a long life, but God gave him those also. ! i. In Ephesians 3:20 Paul honored God saying,!Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think. Solomon!experienced!God's ability to do far beyond!all that we ask or think. ! ii. Solomon wisely asked God regarding his character, not his possessions. What we are is more important than what we have. ! c.!The Solomon awoke: It was a dream, but it was at the same time a message from God. God answered Solomon's prayer and made him wise, powerful, rich, and inuential. His reign was glorious for Israel. ! i. At the same time, his end was tragic. We can fairly say that Solomon!wasted!these gifts God gave him. Though he accomplished much, he could have done much more - and his heart was led away from God in the end (1 Kings 11:4-11). ! ii. "Instead of being the!wisest!of men, did he not become more!brutish!than any man? Did he not even lose theknowledge of his Creator, and worship the abominations of the

Moabites, Zidonians, and [so forth]? And was not such idolatry a proof of the!grossest stupidity?!How few proofs does his life give that the gracious purpose of God was fullled in him! He received!much; but he would have received!much more, had he been faithful to the grace given. No character in the sacred writings disappoints us more than the character of Solomon." (Clarke) ! B. An example of Solomon's great wisdom. ! 1. (16-22) Two women claim the same child as their own. !

Now two women who were harlots came to the king, and stood before him. And one woman said, "O my LORD, this woman and I dwell in the same house; and I gave birth while she was in the house. Then it happened, the third day after I had given birth, that this woman also gave birth. And we were together; no one was with us in the house, except the two of us in the house. And this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him. So she arose in the middle of the night and took my son from my side, while your maidservant slept, and laid him in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. And when I rose in the morning to nurse my son, there he was, dead. But when I had examined him in the morning, indeed, he was not my son whom I had borne." Then the other woman said, "No! But the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son." And the first woman said, "No! But the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son." Thus they spoke before the king.

! a.!Two women who were harlots came to the king and stood before him: This in itself is a remarkable testimony to the goodness and generosity of Solomon. Not many kings would take the time to settle a dispute between two prostitutes. ! i. However, many think that these were not!harlots!at all. "Hebrew!zonot, could equally refer to inn-keepers." (Wiseman) ! b.!The dead one is your son, and the living one is my son: This seems like an impossible problem to solve. It is surely one prostitutes' word against the other, and there is no independent witness to the events (no one was with us in the house). ! 2. (23-27) Solomon's wise solution. !

And the king said, "The one says, 'This is my son, who lives, and your son is the dead one'; and the other says, 'No! But your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'" Then the king said, "Bring me a sword." So they brought a sword before the king. And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to one, and half to the other." Then the woman whose son was living spoke to the king, for she yearned with compassion for her son; and she said, "O my LORD, give her the living child, and by no means kill him!" But the other said, "Let him be neither mine nor yours, but divide him." So the king answered and said, "Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him; she is his mother."
!

a.!Bring me a sword: Solomon's solution to the problem at rst looked foolish - even dangerous. The wisdom of his approach was only understood when the matter was settled. ! i. In the same way, the works - even the judgments - of God often rst seem strange, dangerous, or even foolish. Time shows them to be perfect wisdom. ! ii. Trapp on!bring me a sword: "For what purpose? Thought the standers by; wondering and perhaps laughing within themselves. The actions of wise princes are riddles to vulgar constructions: nor is it for the shallow capacities of the multitude to fathom the deep projects of sovereign authority." ! b.!She yearned with compassion for her son: The true parental relationship was proved by!love. The true mother would rather have the child!live!without her than to!die!with her. She put the child's welfare above her own. ! c.!She is his mother: Solomon knew that the offer to cut the child in two would reveal the true mother, and he rewarded the mother's love accordingly. ! 3. (28) Solomon is highly esteemed in the eyes of the people of Israel. !

And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
! a.!All Israel heard: Such a wise decision could not be hidden. The matter was soon known throughout the kingdom. ! b.!They feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice: The people of Israel saw that Solomon had both the wisdom and the courage to do the right thing as a leader. This made them hesitant to disobey the law of

the king. ! i. The old Jewish rabbis loved to go beyond the Bible and spin legends about Solomon's wisdom. Ginzberg quotes one, telling of the time when a demon showed Solomon something he had never seen before - a Cainite, whom the demon brought up out of the ground, and Solomon immediately saw that he had two heads. When the Cainite wanted to return again, he could not go back to his dwelling place deep under the earth. So he married and had seven sons, one of whom also had two heads. When the two-headed father died, the two-headed son claimed a double share of the inheritance, but the other six brothers thought he should only get one. The Sanhedrin couldn't decide the case, so Solomon prayed for wisdom and nally poured hot water on one of the heads. When he did, both heads inched and cried out, and from this Solomon deduced that they were one person not two and should only have one share of the inheritance. !

2004 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

2 Kings 3 - War Against Moab

! The Moabite Stone (also called the Mesha Stele) was discovered in 1868 and contains a Moabite inscription that conrms many of the events of 2 Kings 3 but gives it a distinctly pro-Moabite spin. ! A. Three kings gather against the Moabites. ! 1. (1-3) A summary of Jehorams reign, the son of Ahab. !

Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel at Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and mother; for he put away the sacredpillar of Baal that his father had made. Nevertheless he persisted in the sins of

Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.
! a.!Now Jehoram the son of Ahab became king over Israel: Jehoram came from a family that was far beyond dysfunctional. His father Ahab was one of the worst kings the northern kingdom of Israel ever knew and his mother Jezebel was certainly the worst queen Israel ever knew. ! b.!But not like his father and mother: Jehoram was better than his father and mother, but he was still a wicked man. He was the ninth consecutive bad king over the northern kingdom, which never had a godly king. ! i. The sins of Jeroboam that Jehoram perpetuated were not related to the worship of Baal but to the false worship of Yahweh under the calf (of ox) images that Jeroboam set up and Dan and Bethel. This was primarily a political strategy rather than a religious one. (Dilday) ! ii. He appears to have been, in spiritual matters, one of those undecided, neutral characters, who puzzle most observers, and who never seem to know themselves just where they stand, or belong. He put away the Baal statue, made by his father Ahab, but never became a real believer in Jehovah. (Knapp) ! iii. Poole believed that Jehoram put away Baal worship out of bad motives - either because he was frightened when he remembered the judgment that came against his father Ahab and his brother Ahaziah, or because he wanted to impress Jehoshaphat so the Judean king would agree to an alliance. Elisha wasnt impressed with Jehorams putting away of Baal (2 Kings 3:13). ! 2. (4-5) Moabs rebellion. !

Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid the king of Israel one hundred thousand

lambs and the wool of one hundred thousand rams. But it happened, when Ahab died, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.
! a.!Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder: The Moabites lived on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, and were under tribute to Israel.!!When King Ahab died, the king of the Moabites saw an opportunity to escape the taxation that the king of Israel forced upon him ! 3. (6-8) Israel and Judah join together to ght Moab. !

So King Jehoram went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel. Then he went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, saying, The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab? And he said, I will go up; I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. Then he said, Which way shall we go up? And he answered, By way of the Wilderness of Edom.
! a.!He went and sent to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: Jehoshaphat was a godly king (1 Kings 22:41-43), who followed in the godly footsteps of his father Asa (1 Kings 15:9-15). Yet Asa fought against Israel (1 Kings 15:16) while Jehoshaphat made peace with the northern kingdom (1 Kings 22:44). ! b.!Will you go with me to ght against Moab?!Though greater Israel was long since separated by a civil war, the two nations (Judah and Israel) were now willing to come together to ght this common foe. !

c.!Then he said, Which way shall we go up?!Jehoram of Israel asked Jehoshaphat of Judah for military advice because Jehoshaphat was more experienced in battle than Jehoram. The King of Judah advised Jehoram that they attack Moab from the south, going through the very dry desert of the Edomites. ! 4. (9-10) The armies of Israel, Judah, and Edom are stranded in the desert without water. !

So the king of Israel went with the king of Judah and the king of Edom, and they marched on that roundabout route seven days; and there was no water for the army, nor for the animals that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! For theLORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.
! a.!They marched on that roundabout route seven days: The combined armies of Judah, Israel, and Edom had to travel a considerable distance to attack Moab from the south. ! i. Verse 9 mentions the king of Edom, but we have already been told in 1 Kings 22:47 that there was no king in Edom at this time. So king here must refer to a vice-regent appointed by the king of Judah. (Dilday) ! b.!Alas! For the!LORD!has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab: Jehorams guilty conscience convinced him that this calamity was the judgment of God. His own sin made him think that everything that happened against him was the judgment of God. ! B. Elisha speaks for the Lord. ! 1. (11-12) The godly Jehoshaphat seeks Gods word in the matter.

But Jehoshaphat said, Is there no prophet of the LORD here, that we may inquire of the LORD by him? So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah. And Jehoshaphat said, The word of the LORD is with him. So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
! a.!Is there no prophet of the!LORD!here, that we may inquire of the!LORD!by him?!Both Jehoram and Jehoshaphat believed there was a spiritual, divine element to their current crisis. Jehoram believed that God was to be!avoided!because of the crises, while Jehoshaphat believed that God should be!sought!because of the crisis. ! b.!Who poured water on the hands of Elijah: This is a wonderful title for any servant of God. Elisha was the humble and practical servant of Elijah. This was!spiritual!service that prepared him for further spiritual service. ! c.!So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him: This was encouraging humility on the part of these three kings. Normally, kings demand that others come see them. These three were willing to go to the prophet. ! 2. (13-15) Elisha agrees to speak with the three kings. !

Then Elisha said to the king of Israel, What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother. But the king of Israel said to him, No, for the LORD has called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab.

And Elisha said, As the LORD of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. But now bring me a musician. Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
! a.!Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother: Elishas call was to continue the ministry of Elijah, and here he imitated Elijahs plain speaking to powerful people. Elishas plain speaking struck the conscience of the king of Israel. ! i.!What have I to do with you?!The Hebrew idiom . . . is commonly employed to express emphatic denial (cf. 2 Samuel 16:10) or differences of opinion between the persons involved (cf. John 2:4). (Patterson and Austel) ! b.!Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you: It wasnt that Elisha was against every king or powerful person. He was willing to speak to these three kings for the sake of Jehoshaphat, the godly king of Judah. ! c.!Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the!LORD!came upon him: When Elisha wanted to become more sensitive to the leading and speaking of the Holy Spirit, so he asked for the service of a!musician. This demonstrates the great spiritual power in music. ! i. This he requires, that his mind, which had been disturbed and inamed with holy anger at the sight of wicked Jehoram, might be composed, and cheered, and united within itself, and that he might be excited to the more fervent prayer to God, and joyfully praising him; whereby he was prepared to receive the prophetical announcement. (Poole) ! ii. The way to be lled with the Spirit is to edify ourselves by psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs. (Trapp)

! iii. This nameless musician was endowed with God-given talents and he used them for the good of others. Surely it never occurred to him that by his music he would help win a military victory and have a dramatic effect on history. But when he shared his God-given ability, the power of God came upon the prophet. (Dilday) ! 3. (16-19) The word from God. !

And he said, Thus says the LORD: Make this valley full of ditches. For thus says the LORD: You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink. And this is a simple matter in the sight of the LORD; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand. Also you shall attack every fortified city and every choice city, and shall cut down every good tree, and stop up every spring of water, and ruin every good piece of land with stones.
! a.!You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be lled with water: This was a strange promise from God. Water would be provided, but without any apparent rain or storm. ! b.!Make this valley full of ditches: God promised to send water to the valley, but they had to dig the!ditches!to catch what God would provide. They had to dig the ditches before the water was apparent, so they could benet from it when it came. ! i. The dried up river bed was to have many trenches (Hebrew trenches trenches) dug to retain the ash ood. (Wiseman) !

ii. When the kings returned from their visit to Elijah and told their commanders to have the men dig ditches, it must have been hard to hear. Thirsty, near-dead men in the middle of the desert dont look forward to the hard work of digging ditches in dry ground. Yet this work was essential. ! iii. This demonstrates the principle that God wants us to prepare for the blessing He wants to bring. Listening to Him, we are to anticipate His working and to get ready for it. ! iv. Digging ditches was something the people of God could do. God didnt ask them to do more than they were able to do. When God wants us to prepare for the blessing He will bring, He gives us things that we can really do. ! v. If we expect to obtain the Holy Spirits blessing, we must prepare for his reception. Make this valley full of trenches is an order which is given me this morning for the members of this church; make ready for the Holy Ghosts power; be prepared to receive that which he is about to give; each man in his place and each woman in her sphere, make the whole of this church full of trenches for the reception of the divine wateroods. (Spurgeon) ! vi. But the most of people say, Well, you know, of course, if God sends a blessing, we must then enlarge. Yes, that is the way of unbelief, and the road to the curse. But the way of faith and the road to the blessing is this: God has promised it-we will get ready for it; God is engaged to bless, now let us be prepared to receive the boon. Act not on the mere strength of what you have, but in expectation of that which you have asked. (Spurgeon) ! c.!This is a simple matter in the sight of the!LORD: The kings came to Elisha inquiring about water. God wanted to give them more than their immediate need. God wanted to give them more than immediate provision; He wanted to give them complete victory over their enemies. ! C. The defeat of Moab. ! 1. (20) God meets their need for provision when mysterious water ows through the camp.

Now it happened in the morning, when the grain offering was offered, that suddenly water came by way of Edom, and the land was filled with water.
! a.!Suddenly water came by way of Edom: It seems that God sent an intense down pour in the nearby mountains, and this caused a ash ood though the desert of Edom. ! b.!The land was lled with water: The water was available only because they were obedient to dig the ditches. The ditches collected the water from the ash ood. ! i. If Israel and Judah had disobeyed Gods word and failed to dig the ditches, then Gods blessing would have passed them by. God told them to get ready and prepare to receive and catch His blessing. God often moves us to do things that may or may not make much sense for the moment, but they are things that will prepare us for what He will do in the future. ! ii. The measure of water available to these thirsty men was directly connected to how faithful they were to dig the ditches. The more ditches and the bigger the ditches, the more water was provided. Though it was hard and unpleasant work, the more they did the more blessing they received. ! iii. The ditches were not the blessing, and they were not the victory, though they were essential parts of what both the blessing and the victory. When God wants us to do something to prepare for blessing, we should not confuse the preparation with the blessing itself. Without the miraculous blessing of God, the ditches meant nothing. ! 2. (21-25) The Moabites attack the camp of the three kings. !

And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, all who were able to bear

arms and older were gathered; and they stood at the border. Then they rose up early in the morning, and the sun was shining on the water; and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood. And they said, This is blood; the kings have surely struck swords and have killed one another; now therefore, Moab, to the spoil! So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they fled before them; and they entered their land, killing the Moabites. Then they destroyed the cities, and each man threw a stone on every good piece of land and filled it; and they stopped up all the springs of water and cut down all the good trees. But they left the stones of Kir Haraseth intact. However the slingers surrounded and attacked it.
! a.!The Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood: The ditches caught the water that saved the armies of these three kings from dehydration. They were also the means of confusion and defeat to the enemies of the people of God. When they saw the sun shining on the water collected in the ditches, they thought it was blood, from the three kings ghting each other. ! b.!So when they came to the camp of Israel, Israel rose up and attacked the Moabites, so that they ed before them: God used the ditches in a completely unexpected way to supply the need!and!to defeat the enemy. ! i. The whole account of Gods provision in the desert gives many principles that apply to Christian leadership. ! ! Like digging ditches, leadership is hard work.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Like digging ditches, leadership is done with faith in the future. Like digging ditches, leadership is blessed beyond reasonable expectation. Like digging ditches, leadership must use delegation. Like digging ditches, leadership matters nothing without a miracle. Like digging ditches, the work of leadership often feels like work without reward. Like digging ditches, the work of leadership comes from Gods revelation. Like digging ditches, the work of leadership will be criticized or doubted. Like digging ditches, leadership means not accepting the present state of dryness.

! Like digging ditches, the work of leadership often seems unimpressive or unspectacular. ! ! c.!And cut down all the good trees: But surely!fruit trees!are not intended here; for this was positively against the law of God, Deuteronomy 20:19-20. (Clarke) ! 3. (26-27) The king of Moabs desperate move. ! Like digging ditches, the work of leadership is purposely used and relied on by God.

And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too fierce for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords, to break through to the king of Edom, but they could not. Then he took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall; and there was great indignation against Israel. So they departed from him and returned to their own land.
! a.!He took his eldest son who would have reigned in his place, and offered him as a

burnt offering upon the wall: This shows how desperate the King of Moab was following his defeat on the eld of battle. He did this to honor his pagan gods and to show his own people his determination to prevent defeat. ! b.!So they departed from him and returned to their own land: The radical determination of the King of Moab convinced the kings of Israel, Judah, and Edom that they could not completely defeat Moab. They left content with their near-complete victory. ! i. Sickened by the maddened spectacle of senseless human sacrice, the allies lifted the siege and returned to their homes. (Patterson and Austel) !

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1 Chronicles 3 - The Royal Line of David and the House of Jesse

! A. The descendants of David. ! 1. (1-3)!The!wives of David and their sons. !

Now these were the sons of David who were born to him in Hebron: The firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah, by Abital; the sixth, Ithream, by his wife Eglah.
! a.!Now these were the sons of David: David had several wives (seven are listed

here;!Ahinoam the Jezreelitess,!Abigail the Carmelitess,!Maacah,!Haggith,!Abital,!Eglah,!Bathshua). These were in addition to his!concubines!(1 Kings 3:9). ! i.!Daniel: In 2 Samuel 3:3, this person is called!Chileab; he probably had two names. The Targum says, The second, Daniel, who was also called Chileab, because he was in every respect like to his father. (Clarke) ! b.!Eglah: Most suppose that this is another name for Michal, the daughter of Saul. ! 2. (4-9) Sons born to David in Jerusalem. !

These six were born to him in Hebron. There he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. And these were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon; four by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel. Also there were Ibhar, Elishama, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet; nine in all.These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.
! a.!And in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years: The reign of David can be divided into these two parts; before he made Jerusalem his capital city and after. ! b.!Bathshua: Most suppose that this is another name for Bathsheba. ! i. Bathshua!is probably an alternative pronunciation for!Bathsheba, perhaps inuence by 2:3, though!Solomon!is described unexpectedly as her fourth son (cf.!2 Samuel

12:24-25). (Selman) ! B. The royal line of Judah after David. ! 1. (10-16)!The!line of David unto the time of Judahs exile. !

Solomons son was Rehoboam; Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son, Amon his son,and Josiah his son. The sons of Josiah were Johanan the firstborn, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, and the fourth Shallum. The sons of Jehoiakim were Jeconiah his son and Zedekiah his son.
! a.!Solomons son was Rehoboam: This section traces the descent of the line of David from Solomon to the time after the exile, when Chronicles seems to have been written. ! i. All the Davidic kings are here, and only Athaliah, Ahabs daughter (cf.!2 Kings 11) is missing. (Selman) ! ii. Josiahs rstborn son, Johanan, is not mentioned elsewhere and may have died young. (Payne) ! iii. Selman on!Shallum,!Jehoiakim, and!Zedekiah: The information here cannot be reconciled with what is said about their ages in 2 Kings 23:31, 26; 24:18, and it is easiest to assume some scribal error in connection with the numbers.

! 2. (17-24)!The!line of David after the time of Judahs exile. !

And the sons of Jeconiah were Assir, Shealtiel his son, and Malchiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah. The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei. The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam, Hananiah, Shelomith their sister, and Hashubah, Ohel, Berechiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed; five in all. The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah, the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, and the sons of Shechaniah. The son of Shechaniah was Shemaiah. The sons of Shemaiah were Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat; six in all. The sons of Neariah wereElioenai, Hezekiah, and Azrikam; three in all. The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani; seven in all.
! a.!And the sons of Jeconiah: These were the descendants of the line of David born!after!the fall of Judah. They carried on the royal line of David. ! i. Jeremiah has said (1 Chronicles 22:30 ) that Jeconiah, or, as he calls him,!Coniah, should be!childless; but this must refer to his!posterity!being deprived of the throne, and indeed thus the prophet interprets it himself:!For no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling anymore in Judah. (Clarke) ! ii. Through this multitude of largely unknown names, the Chronicler points out that Gods election purposes were still at work despite the vicissitudes of Judahs history

(e.g.!2:3,7) and the exile (e.g.!3:17-24). (Selman) !

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2 Chronicles 3 - The Building of the Temple

! A. Where and when the temple construction began. ! 1. (1)!The!location of the temple. !

Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.
! a.!Now Solomon began to build the house of the!LORD!at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah: This place had been previously identied as the!threshing oor of Ornan the Jebusite. Here it is specically located as!Mount Moriah. This was the same hill where Abraham offered Isaac (Genesis 22:2), and the same set of hills where Jesus would later die on the cross (Genesis 22:14). ! i. Where Isaac, as a type of Christ, bore the wood, obeyed his father, and should have been sacriced.!Calvary, where our Saviour suffered, was either a part of this mount, or very near unto it. (Trapp) ! b.!Began to build the house of the!LORD: This was when the actual construction began. All Davids prior plans and preparations anticipated the actual beginning of the work. One can plan and prepare endlessly and never begin to build, but Solomon!began to build the house of the!LORD.

! 2. (2)!When!the construction began. !

And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.
! a.!On the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign: This was probably in the year 967!B.C.Connecting this with 1 Kings 6:1, this marking point shows just how long Israel lived in the Promised Land without a temple. The tabernacle served the nation well for more than 400 years. The prompting to build them temple was more at the direction and will of God than out of absolute necessity. ! b.!In the fourth year of his reign: This doesnt mean that Solomon delayed his obedience for four years. He probably started to organize the work right away. There is some evidence that it took three years to prepare timber from Lebanon for use in building. If Solomon began the construction of the temple in the!fourth year!of his reign, he probably started organizing the construction in the very rst year of his reign. ! B. A Description of the temple. ! 1. (3-7)!The!building in general. !

This is the foundation which Solomon laid for building the house of God: The length was sixty cubits (by cubits according to the former measure) and the width twenty cubits. And the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuary was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the height was one hundred and twenty. He overlaid the inside with pure gold. The larger room he paneled with cypress which he overlaid with fine gold,

and he carved palm trees and chainwork on it. And he decorated the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold from Parvaim. He also overlaid the house; the beams and doorposts, its walls and doors; with gold; and he carved cherubim on the walls.
! a.!For building the house of God: This chapter will describe the building of the temple and its associated areas. There are four main structures described. ! ! The temple proper (the foundation which Solomon laid), divided into two rooms (the holy place and the most holy place). ! The vestibule or entrance hall on the east side of the temple proper (the vestibule that was in front of the sanctuary). It was thirty feet (10 meters) wide and fteen feet (5 meters) deep, and the same height as the temple proper. Its height measurement should read!twenty cubits high!(NIV,!REB,!NEB), as against a literal translation of!MT, and its height 120. (Selman) ! The three-storied side chambers (described in 1 Kings 6:5) which surrounded the temple proper on the north, south, and west sides. ! A large courtyard surrounding the whole structure (the!inner court!mentioned in 1 Kings 6:36). ! b.!He decorated the house with precious stones for beauty: This is one description among many that give us an idea of how beautiful the temple was and how Solomon spared no expense in making it beautiful. ! i. The reference to precious stones may suggest mosaics, inlaid in the oor.!(Payne) ! c.!He carved cherubim on the walls: This was after the pattern of the tabernacle, which had woven designs of cherubim on the inner covering. Therefore when one entered the temple they saw!cherubim!all around - as one would see in heaven (Psalm 80:1, Isaiah 37:16, and Ezekiel 10:3). These angelic beings worship God perpetually in heaven.

! i. One might saw that we dont worship angels but we do worship!with!them. ! 2. (8-14)!The!Most Holy Place. !

And he made the Most Holy Place. Its length was according to the width of the house, twenty cubits, and its width twenty cubits. He overlaid it with six hundred talents of fine gold. The weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold; and he overlaid the upper area with gold. In the Most Holy Place he made two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold. The wings of the cherubim were twenty cubits in overall length: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub; one wing of the other cherub wasfive cubits, touching the wall of the room, and the other wing also was five cubits, touching the wing of the other cherub. The wings of these cherubim spanned twenty cubits overall. They stood on their feet, and they faced inward. And he made the veil of blue, purple, crimson, and fine linen, and wove cherubim into it.
! a.!And he made the Most Holy Place: Special attention was given to the Holy of Holies or Most Holy place. It was a 30-foot (10 meter) cube, completely overlaid with gold. It also had two large sculptures of cherubim (15-foot or 5 meters in height), which were overlaid with gold.

! b.!He overlaid it with six hundred talents of ne gold: There was gold everywhere in the temple, but especially in the!Most Holy Place. The walls were covered with gold (1 Kings 6:20-22), the oor was covered with gold (1 Kings 6:30) and gold was hammered into the carvings on the doors (1 Kings 6:32). ! i. There was gold everywhere on the inside of the temple. Such was Christs inside (Colossians 2:9); in his outside was no such desirable beauty (Isaiah 53:2); so the Churchs glory is inward (Psalm 44:13), in the hidden man of the heart (1 Peter 3:4). (Trapp) ! c.!Two cherubim, fashioned by carving, and overlaid them with gold: These two large sculptures inside the Most Holy Place faced the entrance to this inner room, so as soon as the High Priest entered he saw these giant guardians of the presence of God facing him. ! i. If it were image work cherubims were made like boys yet this is no plea for Popish images; since they are atly forbidden; and God made the law for us, not for himself. (Trapp) ! d.!And he made the veil: This was the important barrier separating the holy place from the!Most Holy Place. Only one man once a year could go behind the veil and enter the!Most Holy Place. ! i. To most Israelites, therefore, the temple was an unseen world. God had drawn near to them, but the way to him was hedged around with many restrictions. (Selman) ! ii. Spiritually speaking, in dying for our sins Jesus!with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption!(Hebrews 9:12). ! iii. In the temple, this veil was torn from top to bottom at the death of Jesus (Matthew 27:51),!showing that through His death, there is no longer a barrier to the Most Holy place.

! iv. Now the Most Holy Place is open to us:!brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is His esh!(Hebrews 10:19-20). The torn veil of Matthew 27:51 also symbolizes the broken body of Jesus, through which we have access to the Most Holy Place. ! 3. (15-17)!The!pillars of the temple. !

Also he made in front of the temple two pillars thirtyfive cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them was five cubits. He made wreaths of chainwork, as in the inner sanctuary, and put them on top of the pillars; and he made one hundred pomegranates, and put them on the wreaths of chainwork. Then he set up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left; he called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz.
! a.!In front of the temple two pillars thirty-ve cubits high: 1 Kings 7:15 tells us that these pillars were actually made of bronze. They were two very impressive adornments to the!front of the temple. ! b.!He called the name of the one on the right hand Jachin, and the name of the one on the left Boaz: These two pillars were so impressive that they were actually given names.!Jachin!means!He shall establish!and!Boaz!means!in strength. ! i. Every time someone came to the house of the!LORD!in the days of Solomon they said, Look! There is He Shall Establish. And there is In Him Is Strength. It set them in the right frame of mind to worship the!LORD. When the crowds gathered at the morning and

evening sacrice to worship the!LORD, the Levites led the people standing in front of the temple with these two great, bronze pillars behind them. It was always before them:!He Shall Establish!and!In Him Is Strength. ! ii. One could say that the house of God itself was!Jachin!and!Boaz. That temple was!established!by God, and built by thestrength!of God. Every time they looked at that temple, they knew that God liked to establish and strengthen things. ! iii. The house of God was a place where people experienced what the pillars were all about. At that house, people wereestablished!in their relationship with God. At that house, people were given!strength!from the!LORD. From this building, it should go out to the whole community: Come here and get!established. Come here and receive the!strength!of God. !

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Ezra 3 - A Foundation for the New!Temple

! A. The restoration of regular worship in Jerusalem. ! 1. (1) Beginning in the!seventh month. !

And when the seventh month had come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem.
! a.!When the seventh month had come: This was an important month on the spiritual calendar of Israel. In the!seventh monththey celebrated the!Day of Atonement, the Feast of Trumpets, and the Feast of Tabernacles. !

b.!The people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem: This was an encouraging sign of obedience among the returned exiles. In a time of small resources and great work to be done, they took the time and money to observe the commands to gather in Jerusalem for the major feasts. ! 2. (2-3)!The!altar is rebuilt on its ancient foundation. !

Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brethren, arose and built the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries, they set the altar on its bases; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening burnt offerings.
! a.!Jeshua!. . . and!Zerubbabel: These were the two main leaders in this rebuilding project, beginning their work with building the altar that stood outside the temple on the temple mount in Jerusalem. Out of the rubble of the destroyed temple and its courts, an altar now stood ready to receive sacrices both on behalf of the people as a whole and individuals who brought their offerings. ! i. It is signicant that they!built the altar!in!Jerusalem, on the same ground where it had once stood. They might have reasoned that the altar (and conceivably also the temple) could go anywhere, because Yahweh was God of the entire earth. Yet in the Jewish mind, there was only!one!place where the altar and the temple could stand: on Gods holy hill (Psalm 2:6, 99:9), in His holy land (Zechariah 2:12). ! ii.!Jeshua!was the grandson of!Seraiah!the high priest, who was put to death by Nebuchadnezzar, 2 Kings 25:18, 21. This!Jeshua!or Joshua was the rst high priest after the captivity. (Clarke)

! b.!Arose and built the altar of the God of Israel: Long before they could rebuild the temple, they wisely started with building the!altar!for!burnt offerings!and other sacrices. ! i. They!built the altar!rst because it something they could do relatively quickly and easily. We begin a great work by doing rst!what we can. ! ii. They!built the altar!rst because they understood its!spiritual signicance. Fundamentally, the altar was where sin was dealt with and where the common man met with God (the temple was only for the priests to enter). They started with thealtar!because it was a!wise spiritual priority, showing they understood their need to have atonement from sin and acts of dedication to God. ! iii. They!built the altar!rst because it was an act of!obedience!to do so. They needed to resume the!burnt offerings!for the atonement of sin and the!morning and evening burnt offerings!because all this was!written in the Law of Moses the man of God. ! iv. This is the rst thing that must be done before our temple-building or other undertakings can be crowned with success. . . . The new start that God Himself was giving would have been invalidated without the altar, which meant forgiveness for the past, and renewed consecration for the future. (Meyer) ! v. Thus, we see, the full establishment of religious services precedes the building of the temple. A weighty truth is enshrined in this apparently incongruous fact. The worship itself is felt to be more important than the house in which it is to be celebrated. (Adeney) ! vi. There cannot be a temple without an altar, but there may be an altar without a temple. God meets men at the place of sacrice, even though there!be!no house for His name. (Maclaren) ! c.!Though fear had come upon them because of the people of those countries: When they!built the altar!unto the!LORDon the temple mount in Jerusalem, they probably destroyed a crude altar that had been built on that spot by the scattered

remnant!who!inhabited the area during the two generations of exile. In building this altar they formally announced their presence and proclaimed their intention to rebuild the temple. ! i. Morgan suggests they also were afraid of the spiritual threat from the!peoples of those countries: They were conscious of how, in the neglect of the altar of God in the past, they had become contaminated by the idolatrous practices of surrounding peoples, and in order to prevent a repetition of such failure, they immediately set up the true altar. ! ii. The ruined Jerusalem was better guarded by that altar than if!its!fallen walls had been rebuilt. (Maclaren) ! d.!They set the altar on its bases: This means that they found the old foundations for the previous altar and built the new upon the exact place as the old, which dated back to Davids altar on the threshing oor of!Araunah!(2 Samuel 24:16-19). ! i. The altar was set!in its place,!i.e.!its traditional and proper place. (Kidner) Rebuilt it on the!same spot!on which it had formerly stood. (Clarke) ! ii. There is something very pathetic in the picture of the assembled people groping amid the ruins on the Temple hill, to nd the bases, the half-obliterated outlines, of the foundations of the old altar of burnt offerings. (Maclaren) ! iii. The centrality of the altar, set upon its ancient foundations, was essential for them as it is for us. We have an altar (Hebrews 13:10, the cross of Jesus Christ, set upon its ancient foundations. The altar was to them what the cross is to us. ! 3. (4-6)!The!feast is observed and regular sacrice is resumed. !

They also kept the Feast of Tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings in the number

required by ordinance for each day. Afterwards they offered the regular burnt offering, and those for New Moons and for all the appointed feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and those of everyone who willingly offered a freewill offering to the LORD. From the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, although the foundation of the temple of the LORD had not been laid.
! a.!They also kept the Feast of Tabernacles: This great feast (one of the three major feasts of Israel) celebrated Gods faithfulness to Israel during the wilderness journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. ! i. During this feast the families of Israel were commanded to camp out in temporary shelters, meant to remind them of how their forefathers lived during the exodus. In this context when in returning to destroyed cities, they were forced to live this way until they could properly rebuild the!Feast of Tabernacles!held a special meaning for these returned Jews to Judah. ! b.!They offered the regular burnt offering . . . all the appointed feasts of the!LORD!. . . freewill offering to the!LORD: This describes the regular resumption of sacrice at the altar, and all this was done before!the foundation of the temple!had been laid. ! i. During their long stay in Babylon, the Jews were not able to offer any sacrices, as this could only be done in Jerusalem. Instead they were surrounded by a myriad of pagan temples. About fty temples are mentioned in Babylonian texts together with 180 openair shrines for!Ishtar, three hundred daises for the!Igigi!gods, and twelve hundred daises for the!Anunnaki!gods. (Yamauchi) ! ii. The new moon marked the rst day of the month and was a holy day (Numbers 28:11-15). (Yamauchi)

! 4. (7) Preparations for rebuilding the temple. !

They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia.
! a.!They also gave money to the masons and the carpenters: Once the work of restoration began at the altar of sacrice, they followed through by assembling and hiring the workers they needed to build the temple. ! b.!Cedar longs from Lebanon: The cedar trees of Lebanon were legendary for their excellent timber. This meant that they wanted to use the best materials they could in construction and the same materials that Solomon used in building the rst temple (1 Kings 5:6), though they had far fewer resources than Solomon had. ! c.!According to the permission which they had from Cyrus king of Persia: This!permission!was not only the legal allowance to build the temple, but it also included nancial support from the royal treasury (permission!can also be translatedgrant). ! i. Since permission to buy materials would hardly need specifying, it is reasonable to take the work to include provision as well as permission, as with our own word grant. (Kidner) ! ii. This shows that they used Gentile money to purchase the supplies (from Gentile Lebanon) to build the second temple. Solomons temple used Gentile supplies and laborers; God directed the building of the second temple to likewise be built with Gentile cooperation. !

B. Work begins on the temple. ! 1. (8-11) Great joy and worship as the work begins. !

Now in the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son ofShealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began work and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work of the house of the LORD. Then Jeshua with his sons and brothers, Kadmiel with his sons, and the sons of Judah, arose as one to oversee those working on the house of God: the sons of Henadad with their sons and their brethren the Levites. When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD, according to the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel. Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORDwas laid.
! a.!In the second month of the second year of their coming to the house of God at Jerusalem: The work seemed to begin as soon as it could, allowing for the logistical preparations described in Ezra 3:7. Signicantly, the site was called!the house of God at

Jerusalem!before!the temple was built and while the former temple was still a ruin. ! i. This would hardly have escaped their notice the second was the month in which Solomons Temple had been started (1 Kings 6:1). (Kidner) ! b.!Appointed the Levites from twenty years old and above to oversee the work: The Law of Moses commanded that the Levites begin their service at thirty years of age (Numbers 4:1-3, 4:3-47). David changed the starting point for!Levitical!service to twenty years of age (1 Chronicles 23:24). Under the leadership of!Zerubbabel!and!Jeshua, they adopted Davids revised practice. ! c.!When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the!LORD: This was a memorable scene. The priests were dressed in their ceremonial!apparel, the musicians were ready to!praise the!LORD!with instruments and song, and they!sang responsively!in an arranged presentation. ! i. In general, the description matches the massive and elaborate dedication ceremony for Solomons temple (2 Chronicles 5:13), except this was held in far humbler circumstances. ! d.!They praised the!LORD, because the foundation of the house of the!LORD!was laid: It was an appropriately joyful occasion. Since the destruction of the temple under the Babylonian conquest there had been no proper place for sacrice and worship for the people of Israel. Another important step was made in the long and difcult process of the restoration of Biblical worship and service to God. ! i. This time there is no ark, no visible glory, indeed no Temple; only some beginnings, and small beginnings at that. But God is enthroned on the praises of Israel, and these could be as glorious as Solomons. (Kidner) ! 2. (12-13)!The!mixed reaction among the people. !

But many of the priests and Levites and heads of the

fathers houses, old men who had seen the first temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes. Yet many shouted aloud for joy, so that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people, for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the sound was heard afar off.
! a.!Old men who had seen the rst temple, wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes:!The older men knew that his temple would never match up to the glory of the rst. After all, King Solomon spent the modern equivalent of $5 to $8 billion on building the rst temple. They also remembered the horrible end of the rst temple, and these combined with the joy of the restoration to make profound mixed feelings in the!old men. ! i. Possibly some of them had stood on this very spot half a century before, in an agony of despair, while they saw the cruel ames licking the ancient stones and blazing up among the cedar beams, and all the ne gold dimmed with black clouds of smoke. (Adeney) ! ii. They saw that the glory had departed from Israel; in their circumstances it was impossible to build such a house as the rst temple was; and had this been even possible, still it would have been greatly inferior, because it wanted the ark of the covenant, the heavenly re, the mercy-seat, the heavenly manna, Aarons rod that budded, the divine!shechinah, the spirit of prophecy and most probably the!Urim!and!Thummim. (Clarke) ! iii. There was a danger in their weeping. The backward look which discounts present activity is always a peril. Regrets over the past which!paralyse!work in the present are always wrong. Moreover all such regrets, as in this case, are in danger of blinding the eyes to the true value and signicance of the present. (Morgan) ! iv. The prophets warned against despising this temple for its humble beginnings (Haggai

2:1-9, Zechariah 4:8-10). ! b.!Yet many shouted aloud for joy: The younger, who had no remembrance of the prior temple, felt nothing but joy in seeing this important step in the restoration of the temple and its worship. ! c.!So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: This profound scene showed the depth of the mixed feelings among the people. ! i. The sight must have been very affecting: a whole people, one part!crying!aloud with!sorrow; the other shouting aloud for!joy; and on the same occasion too, in which both sides felt an equal interest! (Clarke) !

2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Nehemiah 3 - The Building of the Walls

! A. The record of the builders. ! 1. (1-2) Builders near the Sheep Gate. !

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred, and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel. Next to Eliashibthe men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

! a.!They built . . . built . . . built: Nehemiah 3 is all about work - how individuals pitched in and did the work together, coordinated and led by Nehemiah. ! b.!And built the Sheep Gate: The work is described in reference to the gates of the wall. The gates were the critical entry and exit points to the city, and the places most likely to see an enemy attack. Therefore the work started at each gate and worked out from there. ! i. The!Sheep Gate!was so named because it was the gate where shepherds brought their ocks to sell them. Up until a few years ago, this same gate was being used for this same purpose in Jerusalem. ! c.!Eliashib the high priest: This was the rst worker mentioned. He!rose up!to do the work with the other priests, and they worked at rebuilding the!Sheep Gate!and the section of wall near there. ! i.!Eliashib the high priest!acted as a godly leader should; he was out in front of the work, leading by example. He did not act as if he was too spiritual for the hard work of rebuilding the walls. ! ii. If you are a leader, others are looking hard at you and they follow your example. If you are slow to work, they will be also; if you are full of discouragement and doubt, they will follow. There is a good reason why!Eliashib!was rst mentioned, and why the rest of the chapter is lled with the names of more than 50 others that followed his example in the work. ! d.!They consecrated it: The idea behind consecration is to recognize something as special, as uniquely set apart for Gods glory and service. These city gates were made special to God. Nehemiah and Eliashib knew that God wanted!everything!set apart special to Him, including these city walls and gates. ! i. Because the rst of the work was specially set apart to God, it was a way for them to say, All of this work belongs to You,!LORD. This is a special work done unto!You.

! ii. This is a great secret to joy and success in life: to do everything as unto the!LORD.!And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.!(Colossians 3:17) ! e.!Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built: Every mans work was important, and though these did not work on a gate, they did the important job of building up the walls of protection and security for Jerusalem. ! 2. (3-5) Builders near the Fish Gate. !

Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok the son of Baana made repairs. Next to them the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.
! a.!The Fish Gate: This gate got its name because of the nearby sh market. The!sons of Hassenaah!did the work of rebuilding the gate while others helped. ! b.!Made repairs: The word for!repairs!is the Hebrew word!chazaq, used 35 times in this chapter alone. It has the idea of strengthening, encouraging, of making something strong (Kidner). These are principles that have application to far more thanmaterial!gates and walls. ! i. The Bible says that we must be!built up!and!repaired. In Ephesians 4:12, God says the purpose of the church is!for the equipping of the saints, and idea behind!equipping!is to prepare, strengthen, and make something able to be used. We come together as Christians

to strengthen one another, to make us strong and able to live for Jesus and serve Him outside the gatherings of the church. ! c.!Next to them the Tekoites made repairs: The!Tekoites!did their work. The people of the city of Tekoa were more than willing to work -!but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.!For the most part, people joined in - but noteverybody. These!nobles!from the city of Tekoa thought they were above the hard work, so they didnt join in. ! i. Literally, the idea in the Hebrew is that they wouldnt submit - they would not bend their necks to what the!LORDwanted them to do. The real issue was submission. Maybe they thought they had a better plan, maybe they didnt like how Nehemiah was doing it. Whatever their reason, you can be sure they later regretted it, because they stand in infamy as the only people mentioned in this chapter who!did not!join in the work. ! ii. Perhaps Nehemiah wanted to record the!names!of each of these nobles, but the!LORD!made him have mercy and only indicate them in a general way. ! 3. (6-12) Builders near the Old Gate. !

Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars. And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond the River. Next to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. And next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district

of Jerusalem, made repairs. Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabniah made repairs. Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section, as well as the Tower of the Ovens. And next to him was Shallum the son of Hallohesh, leader of half the district of Jerusalem; he and his daughters made repairs.
! a.!Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate: Among the repairers of the!Old Gate!and its nearby walls was!Uzziel, the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths. Along side!him!wasHananiah, one of the perfumers. ! i. These were men of different professions, not professional builders. They were not trained for this kind of work. It would have seemed they had an easy excuse to not do anything, but they jumped in and did the work.!They fortied Jerusalem, even though many would not think them qualied or able. ! ii. The most important ability in the work of the!LORD!is!availability. The one with few gifts and little talent, who has a passion and a drive to see Gods work done, will accomplish far more than a gifted and talented person who doesnt have they passion and drive to do the!LORDs work. ! iii. Viggo Olsen, who helped rebuild ten thousand houses in war-raved Bangladesh in 1972, derived unexpected inspiration from reading a chapter ordinarily considered one of the least interesting in the Bible: I was struck . . . that no expert builders were listed in the Holy Land brigade. There were priests, priests helpers, goldsmiths, perfume makers, and women, but no expert builders or carpenters were named. (Yamauchi) ! b.!The Broad Wall: Today you can see in Jerusalem the remains of this!Broad Wall!and broad it is, more than 20 feet (6 meters) wide. Critics had denied the accuracy of Bible history like this, but the archaeologists shovel constantly conrms the truth of the

Bible. ! c.!Rephaiah the son of Hur, leader of half the district of Jerusalem: He worked on this section of the wall. Here was anotherleader!who knew real leadership is getting down and doing it - being a servant, instead of expecting others to do it for you. ! d.!Jedaiah the son of Harumaph made repairs in front of his house: Five times in the Nehemiah 3, it speaks of those who worked on the section right in front of their!house. Often, we need to give attention to the work of God right at our own homes. If the work needs to be done anywhere, it needs to be done at our homes. ! i. The names of the men who are said to have!made repairs in front of his house!are interesting: ! ! Nehemiah 3:10 mentions!Jedaiah, and his name means!He who calls unto God. Our homes must be places of prayer, where the family calls unto God. ! ! Nehemiah 3:23 mentions!Benjamin, and his name means!Son of my right hand, speaking of a protector. Our homes must be places of protection and peace. ! ! Nehemiah 3:29 mentions!Zadok, and his name means!Justice. Our homes must be places of justice and integrity, especially with integrity regarding our marital vows and promises. ! ! Nehemiah 3:30 mentions!Meshullam, and his name means!Devoted. Our homes must be places of devotion and separation to God. ! e.!Malchijah son of Harim: This man is mentioned in Ezra 10:31 as one of the men who!was!confronted by Ezra for the sin of taking on a pagan wife. That was many years before this, so!Malchijah!got things right with God and now, years later, he served Him. !

i. A believer should never let a past failure get in the way of serving God. Repent, set it right, make a stand for righteousness - and get on serving the!LORD. ! f.!Shallum the son of Hallohesh . . . he and his daughters made repairs:!Everyone!who could help did help in the repairs. ! i. With the great number of different people working on the walls, it was imperative that they all work with the same mind - or the wall would not be uniform and would not be a strong defense. Yet, each section was a little different because different people worked on each section. ! ii. In the same way, in the family of God, the work must be done with a common vision and mindset -!the mind of Christ, as Paul described it in 1 Corinthians 2:16. When believers work together in one accord, yet with each offering their distinctive gifts, the work of God gets done in a glorious way. ! 4. (13) Builders near the Valley Gate. !

Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They built it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, andrepaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Refuse Gate.
! 5. (14) Builders near the Refuse Gate. !

Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.

! 6. (15-25) Builders near the Fountain Gate. !

Shallun the son of Col-Hozeh, leader of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate; he built it, covered it, hung its doors with its bolts and bars, and repaired the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the Kings Garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, leader of half the district of Beth Zur, made repairs as far as the place in front of the tombs of David, to the man-made pool, and as far as the House of the Mighty. After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. After him their brethren, under Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs. And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the leader of Mizpah, repaired another section in front of the Ascent to the Armory at the buttress. After him Baruch the son of Zabbai carefully repaired the other section, from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. After him Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, repaired another section, from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib. And after him the priests, the men of the plain, made repairs. After him Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs by his

house. After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress, even as far as the corner. Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the buttress, and on the tower which projects from the kings upper house that was by the court of the prison. After him Pedaiah the son of Paroshmade repairs.
! a.!By the Kings Garden: Charles Spurgeon preached a beautiful sermon on this text, where he spoke of six different gardens of the King: Eden, Gesthemane, the Garden Tomb, the human heart, the church as a whole, and the garden of Paradise in heaven. ! 7. (26-27) Builders near the Water Gate. !

Moreover the Nethinim who dwelt in Ophel made repairs as far as the place in front of the Water Gate toward the east, and on the projecting tower. After them the Tekoites repaired another section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of Ophel.
! a.!The Tekoites repaired another section: The section of wall near the Water Gate saw some remarkable service. Apparently, the!Tekoites!werent satised with the signicant work they did before - they went on to do even more work. They werent going to let the bad example of their nobles who did no work (Nehemiah 3:5) keep them from working above and beyond the call of duty. ! 8. (28-30) Builders near the Horse Gate. !

Beyond the Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. After them Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in front of his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, made repairs. After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his dwelling.
! a.!Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah was the keeper of the East Gate: Apparently the gate in front of his house was in good condition, so he pitched in and helped at the!Horse Gate. His unselshness was a great example. ! b.!Meshullam the son of Berechiah made repairs in front of his dwelling: The Hebrew word for!dwelling!is actually!chamber- it refers to a singular room.!Meshullam!had only one small room, yet he was devoted to God and to the work of rebuilding the walls. It is better to be devoted to God in one small room than to have a mansion and have a heart cold to God. ! 9. (31-32) Builders near the Miphkad (muster or assembly) Gate. !

After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the Nethinim and of the merchants, in front of the Miphkad Gate, and as far as the upper room at the corner. And between the upper room at the corner, as far as the Sheep Gate, the goldsmiths and the merchants made repairs.
!

B. Observations on Nehemiah 3. ! 1. This chapter shows the need for believers to work together to accomplish something. ! a. It pleased God to see His people working together in one accord, with one heart, with one mind. God will put us into situations where we!must!work together, and learn how to lead, how to follow, how to work together with one heart and mind. ! b. The wall was continuous. Any gap compromised the entire structure. Therefore, each space at the wall was important - even if someone did not think so. As well, the wall could never be strong if someone was tearing it down at a different section. ! 2. The work done was a reection on the family - almost everyone mentioned is mentioned as the!son of!someone. ! a. It is in the family our children learn how to work, and parents must be committed to teaching their children how to be hard workers. In a spiritual sense, our hard work - or lack of it - is a reection on our spiritual family. Each Christian should be a good reection of their spiritual family. ! 3. Evidence of Nehemiahs leadership. ! a. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he made each man accountable for his work. Each man had a section of wall he was responsible for, and it was known he was responsible for it. No one wanted it to be seen that they were a poor worker in Gods cause. ! i. By giving each man a sense of responsibility for the work, they helped ensure the work would be done right. It made each man accountable. ! b. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he noted who did the work and who didnt -

the list demonstrates this. ! c. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he organized the work for maximum efciency. Everyone had their section, and the work was organized around the gates - the places most needful of the work. ! d. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he knew where to start. He began with the spiritual aspect of the work (the high priests work is mentioned rst), and by consecrating everything to God. ! e. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he got both high and low to join together in doing the work. The leaders and the high priest worked together with the man who lived in a single room. ! f. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he was willing to let people try new things goldsmiths, priests, and perfumers all became construction workers. ! g. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he made people focus on their own house rst. ! h. Nehemiah was an effective leader because he didnt disqualify people because of a past of sin and compromise. !

2007 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Esther 3 - Hamans Conspiracy

! A. Haman determines to destroy the Jews. !

1. (1) Hamans promotion. !

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
! a.!King Ahasuerus promoted Haman: Haman was an ungodly man, but God had a purpose in allowing him to be promoted. ! b.!Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite: Haman was a descendant of Agag, who was the king of the Amalekites, the people who were Israels sworn enemy for generations (Exodus 17:14-16). ! 2. (2-3) Mordecais refusal to bow before Haman or to pay him homage. !

And all the kings servants who were within the kings gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or pay homage. Then the kings servants who were within the kings gate said to Mordecai, Why do you transgress the kings command?
! a.!Mordecai would not bow or pay homage: There does not seem to be a Biblical command against bowing or paying homage to a political leader as a sign of respect (Genesis 18:2; 23:7; 43:26; Exodus 18:7; 2 Samuel 16:4). Rather, Mordecai must know something about this man Haman, which persuades him that Haman is unworthy of such honor - perhaps simply his ancestry. ! i. No self-respecting Benjaminite would bow before a descendant of the ancient

Amalekite enemy of the Jews. (Huey) ! b.!Why do you transgress the kings command?!We do not read of a specic command from King Ahasuerus that all had to bow before Haman. Perhaps the command was implied in the promotion he received (Esther 3:1). ! 3. (4-6)!The!wounded pride of Haman drives him to seek retribution against not only Mordecai and his people - the Jews. !

Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecais words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus; the people of Mordecai.
! a.!It happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman: Apparently, Haman did not rst notice Hamans stubborn resistance. It had to be pointed out to him by his aides. ! b.!Haman was lled with wrath: Haman was an extremely proud and insecure man; he could only consider himself a success ifeveryone!else thought he was a success. ! c.!Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom: Hamans anger led him to take out his wrath upon!all the Jews!in the kingdom. The problem with Haman exposed his basic hatred for all Jewish people.

! 4. (7) Haman determines the exact date he will strike out against the Jews. !

In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
! a.!The cast Pur: This was the Persian word for!the lot, something like dice, used to leave a decision to chance or to the God who guides every chance. ! b.!Until it fell on the twelfth month: Since this took place!in the rst month, the casting of the lot determined that the Jews would not be attacked and massacred for at least 11 months. ! i. This proves the truth of Proverbs 16:33:!The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD. The long delay between the rst month and the month of massacre against the Jewish people was ordained by God. ! B. Haman tells his plot to the king. ! 1. (8-9) Hamans proposal to king Ahasuerus. !

Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other peoples, and they do not keep the kings

laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the kings treasuries.
! a.!Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus: Hamans charge was the most dangerous possible; it was a half-truth. Yes, the Jews were a!certain people scattered and dispersed; and yes they had their own!laws. But their own laws, to this point, did not prevent them from keeping the kings laws as loyal subjects. ! i. In fact, Mordecais refusal to bow before Haman was!not!based on the law of God, but on the principle of personal integrity. It seems that Haman was almost completely unfamiliar with this principle of personal integrity. ! b.!Let a decree be written that they be destroyed: Haman suggested organizing the mass murder of the Jewish people. Haman also neglected to tell king Ahasuerus how many of these!certain people!there were in his kingdom; Ahasuerus probably considered this a relatively small threat. ! c.!I will pay ten thousand talents of silver: This was essentially the promise of a bribe. This money would not come from Hamans own pocket; it would be obtained from the property of slaughtered Jews. ! 2. (10-11)!The!king agrees to the plan. !

So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. And the king said to Haman, The money and the people are given to you, to do with them

as seems good to you.

! a.!The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you: Again, king Ahasuerus probably had no idea what he agreed to; he probably believed that he merely agreed to the execution of a handful of dangerous revolutionaries in his kingdom. ! 3. (12-15)!The!decree is published. !

Then the kings scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded; to the kings satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the kings signet ring. And the letters were sent by couriers into all the kings provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfthmonth, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened by the kings command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

! a.!To destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day: With this, an empire-wide death sentence on the Jews was announced by the king. This was like other attacks against the Jewish people in history, except that it was announced well in advance. ! b.!So the king and Haman sat down to drink: When the king!sat down to drink, he thought he had done well but he did not really understand what he had done. Haman also!sat down to drink, and thought he had done well and he knew exactly what he intended to do. Despite this,!the city of Shushan was perplexed. ! i. The citizens of the empire knew Jewish people who lived among them, and they knew that they were good citizens who caused no trouble. Therefore, they were confused that such a decree came forth, declaring that these Jews were dangerous enemies. ! ii. Again, all this came to pass because of the insecurity and wounded pride of one wicked man - Haman. !

2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Job 3 - Job Curses the Day of His Birth

! A. Wishes he had never been born. ! 1. (1-2) Job will curse his birth day, but not his God. !

After this Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. And Job spoke, and said:
!

a.!After this: This was after all the catastrophe, all the personal afiction, and all the demonstration of compassion from Jobs friends. Now Job will begin to speak about his situation. ! b.!Cursed the day of his birth: Satan was condent that he could push Job to curse God (Job 1:11 and 2:5). As Job spoke in his deep distress, he!cursed the day of his birth! but he did not even come close to cursing God. ! i. Jobs thinking was somewhat common among the ancients. The historian Herodotus described an ancient people who mourned new births (for the suffering that the new life would endure) and rejoiced in deaths (as a nal release from the suffering of life). ! ii.!This chapter begins the battle in Jobs mind and soul. He will not lose more or suffer more than he already has (though his physical pain will continue). Yet now we can say that the battle enters into an entirely other arena; the arena of Jobs mind and soul. How will he choose to think about his suffering? How will he choose to think about what!others!think about his suffering? How will he choose to think about God in all this? These are the questions that take up the remainder of the book, and soon come to any sufferer. The catastrophic loss itself is only an entry point into the agonizing battle in the mind and soul. ! iii. One of the grimmest aspects of this story is that Job never does teeter over the brink into madness, but rather faces his entire ordeal with eyes wide-open. (Mason) ! 2. (3-10) Job curses the day of his birth. !

May the day perish on which I was born, And the night in which it was said, A male child is conceived.

May that day be darkness; May God above not seek it, Nor the light shine upon it. May darkness and the shadow of death claim it; May a cloud settle on it; May the blackness of the day terrify it. As for that night, may darkness seize it; May it not rejoice among the days of the year, May it not come into the number of the months. Oh, may that night be barren! May no joyful shout come into it! May those curse it who curse the day, Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan. May the stars of its morning be dark; May it look for light, but have none, And not see the dawning of the day;

Because it did not shut up the doors of my mothers womb, Nor hide sorrow from my eyes.
! a.!May the day perish on which I was born: Here, in ne Hebrew poetic style, Job cursed the day of his birth. Yet if there were not enough, he goes even further back and curses the night of his conception. Jobs complaint is that it would be better if he were never born than to endure his present catastrophe of afiction. ! i. This begins a section that somewhat like a dialogue between Job and his friends. Sometimes a speaker in this dialogue answers what the previous speaker said; sometimes they do not. Sometimes the speeches are emotional much more than logical. When Job speaks, he often speaks!to!God; his friends speak much!about!God but never!to!Him. ! ii. Beginning with Job 3:3, the style of speaking (and writing) is poetic. This means that we must allow for gures of speech and exaggeration of feeling in those who speak. So when Job calls God his enemy, the reader must remember these are words of poetic passion used analogically as the total context proves. (Smick) ! b.!May that day be darkness: Job here is despising the day of his birth, and wishing that this day could be wiped off the calendar of history. Job does not curse God here or anywhere else in the Book of Job; but he here makes his strongest statements against God and especially against the wisdom and plan of God. ! i. As God had said in Genesis 1:3, Let there be light, so Job, using the same terminology in Job 3:4, said, As for that day, let there be darkness (literal translation). All this is a logical absurdity, but it is poetry, and Job meant to give full vent to his feelings. (Smick) ! ii. We can say that he cursed!his day, but not!his God, as the devil wanted him to do. Giving the reins wholly to his grief, he roareth and rageth beyond all reason; and had not the Spirit held him back, he would surely have run headlong into blasphemy and

desperation, which was Satans design. (Trapp) ! c.!May those curse it who curse the day: Without endorsing the practices of ancient sorcerers, Job calls upon them (those who curse) to also pronounce this curse upon the day he was born. ! i. Job summons the ancient soothsayers to curse his birthday. I dont believe Job personally believed in their mystical power, not was he committing himself to them. Rather, he is simply communicating vividly. (Lawson) ! d.!Those who are ready to arouse Leviathan: This is the rst mention of this strange creature in the Bible, but!Leviathan!is mentioned prominently in a long discourse beginning at Job 41:1. Usually!Leviathan!is considered to be a mythical sea-monster or dragon that terrorized sailors and shermen. ! i. In Jobs present context, the idea may be that even as sailors and shermen would curse the threatening Leviathan with all their might, so Job wishes the day of his birth would also be cursed. Not as if Job did justify this practice, but only it is a rash and passionate wish, that they who pour forth so many curses undeservedly, would bestow their deserved curse upon this day. (Poole) ! ii. Current mythology used the term Leviathan for a monster of chaos who lived in the sea, and the Sea itself was a boisterous deity who could be aroused professionally. But to Job, a strict monotheist, this was simply vivid imagery. (Smick) ! iii. There can be no doubt that the!Leviathan!is the chaos dragon of the ancient myths. (Andersen) ! iv. The name!Leviathan!means twisting one and is also used in other interesting places in Scripture. ! ! Psalm 74:12-14 refers to Leviathan as a sea serpent, and that God broke the head of

the Leviathan long ago, perhaps at the creation. ! Psalm 104:26 also refers to Leviathan as a sea creature.

! Isaiah 27:1 speaks of the!future!defeat of Leviathan, also associating it with a!twisted serpent!that lives!in the sea. ! Isaiah 51:9 and Psalm 89-8-10 also speak of a serpent associated with the sea that God defeated as a demonstration of His great strength, and identies this serpent with the name!Rahab, meaning!proud one. ! Job 26:12-13 also refers to Gods piercing defeat of a eeing serpent associated with the sea. ! v. Ancient rabbinic mythologies suggest that an evil serpent was in the primeval sea resisting creation, and that God killed the serpent and brought order to the world (Genesis 1:1-2). ! vi. Satan is often represented as a dragon or a serpent (Genesis 3; Revelation 12 and 13) and the sea is thought of as a dangerous or threatening place in the Jewish mind (Isaiah 57:20; Mark 4:39; Revelation 21:1). Therefore, Leviathan may be another serpent-like manifestation of Satan, who was the original Rahab (proud one). ! vii. The Puritan commentator John Trapp avoided the discussion of Leviathan altogether. If I should go about to show the reader, with the several opinions of interpreters, I should not only tire him out, but also danger doing as that vicar of Augsburgh did . . . at the end of his last lecture said, that both Job and himself were very glad to be rid of one another; for as he understood little or nothing of Jobs meaning, so Job seemed to him to be more tormented with his enarrations [exposition] than ever he had been with all his own ulcers. ! B. Job longs for the grave as a release from his present misery. ! 1. (11-19) Why did I not die at birth? !

Why did I not die at birth? Why did I not perish when I came from the womb? Why did the knees receive me? Or why the breasts, that I should nurse? For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep; Then I would have been at rest With kings and counselors of the earth, Who built ruins for themselves, Or with princes who had gold, Who filled their houses with silver; Or why was I not hidden like a stillborn child, Like infants who never saw light? There the wicked cease from troubling, And there the weary are at rest. There the prisoners rest together;

They do not hear the voice of the oppressor. The small and great are there, And the servant is free from his master.
! a.!Why did I not perish when I came from the womb?!Job continued his complaint from his place of misery. Using poetic exaggeration, Job powerfully communicated his present pain and the feeling that it would be much better if he had never survived to face such catastrophe. ! i. It is as if Job said at this point, I have asked that the day of my birth be obliterated, and that has not and can not happen. So why could I have not been a stillbirth? ! ii. It is easy but very, very wrong to think that Job was a sinner because he was so emotional. But the Bible does not present to us a stoic, unfeeling, stiff upper lip approach to the problems of life. It cannot be emphasized too strongly that the startling sentiments expressed in this speech do not mean that Job has cracked under the strain. There is no hint that Satan has nally made his point. . . . The Lords testing is not to nd out if Job can sit unmoved like a piece of wood. (Andersen) ! b.!For now I would have lain still and been quiet, I would have been asleep: Job was wrong in his understanding of the afterlife, perhaps believing in something similar to the modern doctrine of!soul sleep, which says that the dead lie in the grave in some sort of suspended state until they are resurrected on the nal day. ! i. The idea of!soul sleep!is wrong because of what Paul clearly wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:6-8 that!to be absent from the body!is to!be present with the Lord. Paul understood that if he was not alive on this earth, he would be in the presence of God and!not!in a suspended state lying in a grave. Paul also understood that if he died it would be an immediate!gain(Philippians 1:21), which also argues against the idea of soul sleep. ! ii. We can explain Jobs lack of knowledge of the afterlife by understanding the principle of 2 Timothy 2:10: that Jesus Christ!brought life and immortality to light through the

gospel. The understanding of immortality was at best cloudy in the Old Testament, but is much clearer in the New Testament. For example, we can say that!Jesus knew fully what He was talking about when He described hell and judgment (such as in Matthew 25:41-46). We therefore rely on the!NewTestament for our understanding of the afterlife, much more than the!Old. ! iii. We also understand that this does not in any way take away from the truth of the Bible and the Book of Job. What is true is that Job actually said this and actually believed it; the truth of the statement itself must be evaluated according to the rest of the Bible. ! iv. Later, God challenged and corrected Jobs presumptuous assertions regarding the afterlife, reminding Job that he did not in fact know that life after death was like (Job 38:2 and 38:17). ! c.!There the wicked cease from troubling: Job was also wrong in this view of the afterlife. He had the feeling that many people have that the world beyond this is somehow a better place for!everyone. In fact,!the wicked!do not!cease from troubling!in the world beyond; their trouble only increases. The!prisoners!do not!rest, and perhaps the!only!voice!they hear is that of theiroppressor. ! i. It implies that!the wicked!live in a state of emotional disturbance which happily ends for them in death. We are already near the bitter thought that being good or bad makes no difference in the end. (Andersen) ! ii. This deception is remarkably widespread. One notable example involves the infamous Columbine murderers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, who left behind a videotaped document spelling out their motivation. In the last segment of tape, shot the morning of the murders, Harris and Klebold are dressed and say they are ready for our little Judgment Day. Then Klebold, looking tense, says goodbye to his parents. He concluded, I didnt like life too much. Just know I am going to a better place than here. Incredibly, these young men believed they were going to a!better place. ! iii. Yet, we understand that Job was not aiming for theological certainty or to explain the afterlife. He poured out the agony of his soul. Job meddles not here with their eternal state after death, or the sentence and judgment of God against wicked men, of which he speaks hereafter; but only speaks of their freedom from worldly troubles, which is the

only matter of his complaint and present discourse. (Poole) ! 2. (20-26) Job laments his state: why go on living? !

Why is light given to him who is in misery, And life to the bitter of soul, Who long for death, but it does not come, And search for it more than hidden treasures; Who rejoice exceedingly, And are glad when they can find the grave? Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, And whom God has hedged in? For my sighing comes before I eat, And my groanings pour out like water. For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, And what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet;

I have no rest, for trouble comes.

! a.!Why is light given to him who is in misery?!Job wondered why God allowed those in misery such as his to go on living, and why!life!was given to those who were so!bitter of soul. It is a moving, poetic expansion of the idea expressed in the previous passage, speculating that death was better than his present misery. ! i. Job was among those!who long for death, but it does not come. Yet, he did not commit or seem to seriously consider suicide. Again, this was the outpouring of a honest, agonizing soul. ! ii. But it is observable that Job durst not lay violent hands upon himself, nor do any thing to hasten or procure his death; notwithstanding all his miseries and complaints, he was contented to!wait all the days of his appointed time, till!his!change came, Job 14:14. (Poole) ! b.!Why is light given to a man whose way is hidden, and whom God has hedged in?!Jobs trouble did not come because he had lost faith in God. He felt and feared that God had lost faith in him. He asks, Why continue living (why is light given) if I cant see the way and God has trapped me in this place? ! i. His concern from beginning to end is God; not his wealth or his health, but his life with God. It is because he seems to have lost God that he is in such torment. (Andersen) ! ii. Never does he whine and wail that the Lord has taken away his children, his servants, his camels, and his building. . . . What Job does begrudge, however, is that he feels to be the loss of his!spiritual!estate . . . what he is really bemoaning is the loss of his peace with God the loss of unbroken fellowship with his Creator, the loss of any felt sense of the Lords friendship and approval. (Mason) ! iii. As Satan invaded Jobs life and brought great harm, God had built!another!hedge around Jobs life. But this hedge is to keep Job from escaping his trials. He is now locked in. Instead of a wall of protection to keep Satan out, now there is a wall of afiction that

keeps Job in. (Lawson) ! iv. The words are even more bitter, for there is an ironical echo of what the Satan had said in 1:10. The Satan saw Godshedge!as a protection; Job nds it a restriction. He feels trapped. (Andersen) ! v.!The man here described can see no reason for the trouble he is in; his!way is hidden. Yet there was actually a wonderful answer to Jobs question, if he could only see it with the eye of faith. ! ! ! God allowed Job to continue on in life to teach a lesson to angelic beings. God allowed Job to continue on in life to teach him special reliance upon God.

! God allowed Job to continue on in life to teach him to not regard the wisdom of man so much. ! God allowed Job to continue on in life to vindicate him before other men.

! God allowed Job to continue on in life to make him a lesson and an example for all ages. ! ! c.!For my sighing comes before I eat, and my groanings pour out like water: We sense the great!emotion!in Jobs speech. He was not a stoic or concerned with keeping what is known as a stiff upper lip in the midst of all his calamity. Such an emotionless Christian life is never presented to us a Biblical ideal. ! d.!For the thing that I greatly feared has come upon me: Job reminds us that before this disaster came to his life, he did not live a happy-go-lucky care-free life. He was concerned that trouble might come to him or to his family, so he took precautions before God to prevent it (Job 1:5). ! i. Whereas it might be said unto him, Is it t for thee, who hast hitherto been so happy, now to take on so heavily, because thus and thus aficted? Truly, saith he, I was never so happy as you took me for; because (considering how movable and mutable all outward God allowed Job to continue on in life to give him more than he ever had before.

things are) I always feared lest I should outlive my prosperity; that which now also is unhappily befallen me. (Trapp) ! ii. While I was in prosperity I thought adversity might come, and I had a dread of it. I feared the loss of my family and my property; and both have occurred. I was not lifted up: I knew that what I possessed I had from divine Providence, and that he who gave might take away. I am not stripped of my all as a punishment for my selfcondence. (Clarke) ! e.!I am not at ease, nor am I quiet; I have no rest, for trouble comes: With these nal four blows of the hammer, Job ends his rst speech. Through it all he shows us that even a great man of faith can fall into great depression and despair. ! i. The great preacher of Victorian England, Charles Spurgeon, describe just such a season in his own life: I was lying upon my couch during this last week, and my spirits were sunken so low that I could weep by the hour like a child, and yet I knew not what I wept for but a very slight thing will move me to tears just now and a kind friend was telling me of some poor old soul living near, who was suffering very great pain, and yet she was full of joy and rejoicing. I was so distressed by the hearing of that story, and felt so ashamed of myself, that I did not know what to do; wondering why I should be in such a state as this; while this poor woman, who had a terrible cancer, and was in the most frightful agony, could nevertheless rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. (Charles Spurgeon,!The Christians Heaviness and Rejoicing) ! ii. Where in the world will you nd a sadder strain of more hopeless, uncontrolled, and unbroken lamentation and mourning? (Bradley) Yet, Such outpouring is a far more healthy thing for the soul than dark and silent brooding. (Morgan) !

2007 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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Psalm 3 - Peace in the Midst of the Storm

! This is the rst Psalm with a title:!A Psalm of David when he ed from Absalom his son.!James Montgomery!Boice!points out that since the titles for Psalms are in the canonical text of the Hebrew Bible, They are to be taken with absolute seriousness

throughout. The events are recorded in 2 Samuel 15-18, but the heart is recorded in this Psalm. ! A. Davids trouble and Gods help. ! 1. (1-2)!What!those who troubled David did. !

LORD, how they have increased who trouble me! Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God." Selah
! a.!How they have increased who trouble me: At the writing of this Psalm David was in a great deal of trouble. His own son led what seemed to be a successful rebellion against him. Many of his previous friends and associates forsook him and joined the ranks of those who troubled him (2 Samuel 15:13). ! b.!There is no help for him in God: Davids situation was so bad that man felt he was beyond Gods help. Those who said this probably didnt feel that God was!unable!to help David; they probably felt that God was!unwilling!to help him. They looked at Davids past sin and gured, This is all what he deserves from God.!There is no help for him in God. ! i.!Shimei!was an example of someone who said that God was against David and he was just getting what he deserved (2 Samuel 16:8). This thought was most painful of all for David - the thought that God might be!against him!and that!there is no help for him in God. !

ii. If all the trials which come from heaven, all the temptations which ascend from hell, and all the crosses which arise from the earth, could be mixed and pressed together, they would not make a trial so terrible as that which is contained in this verse. It is the most bitter of all afictions to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God. (Spurgeon) ! 2. (3-4) What God did for David in the midst of!trouble. !

But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah
! a.!You, O!LORD, are a shield for me: Though many said there was no help for him in God, David knew that God was hisshield. Others - even many others - couldnt shake Davids condence in a God of love and help. ! i. Under attack from a cunning and ruthless enemy, David needed a!shield. He knew that God!was!his shield. This wasnt a prayer asking God to fulll this; this is a strong declaration of fact:!You, O!LORD, are a shield for me. ! b.!My glory and the One who lifts my head: God was more than Davids protection. He also was the one who put David on higher ground, lifting his head and showing him glory. There was nothing glorious or head-lifting in Davids circumstances, but there was in his God. ! i. Men nd!glory!in all sorts of things - fame, power, prestige, or possessions. David found his!glory!in the!LORD. Oh, my soul, hast thou made God thy glory? Others boast in their wealth, beauty, position, achievements: dost thou nd in God what they nd in these? (Meyer)

! c.!I cried to the!LORD!with my voice: Surely, silent prayers are heard. Yes, but good men often nd that, even in secret, they pray better aloud than they do when they utter no vocal sound. (Spurgeon) ! d.!He heard me from His holy hill: Others said that God wanted nothing to do with David but he could gloriously say, He heard me. Though Absalom took over Jerusalem and forced David out of the capitol David knew that it wasnt Absalom enthroned on Gods!holy hill. The!LORD!Himself still held that ground and would hear and help David from!His holy hill. ! B. Blessing from and to God. ! 1. (5-6) God blesses David. !

I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me. I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people Who have set themselves against me all around.
! a.!I lay down and slept; I awoke: David used both of these as evidence of Gods blessing.!Sleep!was a blessing, because David was under such intense pressure from the circumstances of!Absaloms!rebellion that sleep might be impossible, but heslept.!Waking!was another blessing because many wondered if David would live to see a new day. ! i. Truly it must have been a soft pillow indeed that could make him forget his danger,!who!then had such a disloyal army at his back hunting of him. (Gurnall, cited in

Spurgeon) ! ii. God sustains us in our sleep, but we take it for granted. But think of it: you are asleep, unconscious,!dead!to the world - yet you breathe, your heart pumps, your organs operate. The same God who sustains us in our sleep will sustain us in our difculties. ! b.!I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people: With God sustaining him, David could stand against any foe. Before it was written God knew the truth of Romans 8:31:!If God is for us, who can be against us? ! 2. (7-8) David blesses God.

Arise, O LORD; Save me, O my God! For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone; You have broken the teeth of the ungodly. Salvation belongs to the LORD. Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah
! a.!Arise, O!LORD!. . . For You have struck all my enemies: Davids mind was both on what he trusted God to do (Save me, O my God) and on what God had done (struck all my enemies . . . broken the teeth of the ungodly). Knowing what God!haddone gives David condence in what the!LORD!would!do. ! b.!Arise, O!LORD: This recalled the words of Numbers 10:35, where Moses used this phrase as the children of Israel broke camp in the wilderness. It was a!military!phrase,

calling on God to go forth to both defend Israel and lead them to victory. ! c.!Broken the teeth of the ungodly: This vivid metaphor is also used in Psalm 58:6. It speaks of the total domination and defeat of the enemy. David looked for protection in this Psalm, but more than protection - he looked for!victory. It wasnt enough for David to survive the threat to the kingdom. He had to be victorious over the threat, and he would with the blessing of God. ! d.!Salvation belongs to the!LORD: David understood that!salvation!- both in the ultimate and immediate sense - was Gods property. It isnt the property of any one nation or sect, but of the!LORD!God. To be saved, one must deal with the!LORDHimself. ! e.!Your blessing is upon!Your!people: This showed Davids heart in a time of!personal!calamity. He wasnt only concerned for Gods hand upon himself, but upon all Gods people. He didnt pray for preservation and victory in the trial with Absalom just for his own sake, but because it was best for the nation. !

2006 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Song of Solomon 3 - A Troubled Night, A Glorious Wedding Procession

! A. The maiden searches for her beloved. ! 1. (1-3) The restless maiden searches for her beloved. !

By night on my bed I sought the one I love; I sought him, but I did not find him.

"I will rise now," I said, "And go about the city; In the streets and in the squares I will seek the one I love." I sought him, but I did not find him. The watchmen who go about the city found me; I said, "Have you seen the one I love?"
! a.!By night on my bed I sought the one I love: The maiden woke in the middle of the night and instantly felt alone, longing for her beloved. She!sought him!but could not!nd him!anywhere in the house. ! i. This snapshot probably records another dream or daydream of the maiden, as in the previous chapter. With this section ending with her addressing her companions, we don't imagine that they haunted or stalked this loving couple with their actual presence at their intimacy. ! ii. Since this is likely another dream or daydream of the maiden, it doesn't matter if she recorded it as a married woman or yet-to-be-married maiden. She had the longings of a married woman (that her beloved would share her home and her!bed), but did not act upon those longings until married. ! iii. These lines do record the sexual longing of the maiden, and this is indicated by the particular term used for!bed: "This is the common word for bed, distinct from the word for 'couch' in 1:16. In Ezekiel 23:17 the connotation is 'love bed', and in Genesis 49:4 and

Numbers 31:17ff is used with overt sexual meaning. This is its only use in the Song." (Carr) ! iv. This connotation of the word for!bed!reminds us of Hebrews 13:4:!Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undeled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. The Bible consistently condemns sex outside of the marriage commitment (fornicators and adulterers God will judge). But the Bible celebrates sexual love within the commitment of marriage, as indicated in The Song of Solomon. ! b.!I sought him, but did not nd him: The maiden always longed for her beloved and wanted him close. Yet now, in the middle of the night, she felt the longing more intensely. She felt alone and longed for his presence, so she imagined herself seeking after him. ! i.!Sought: "Very common in the Old Testament, and is used both literally and guratively. It is always a conscious act, frequently requiring a great deal of effort (e.g.!1 Samuel 10:14; Proverbs 2:4) but with no guarantee of success." (Carr) ! ii. "This is very natural and very beautiful. Love creates a perpetual dread lest the loved one should be lost." (Morgan) "Love not only brings a greater experience of joy, but a deeper capacity for pain as well. So as the joy of the kings' presence became greater, so the sorrow from his absence became deeper." (Glickman) ! iii. The maiden allowed herself to feel needy without feeling helpless. She felt that she needed her beloved, and did not have an articial sense of self-sufciency. The maiden did not feel it was a bad thing for her to!need!her beloved. ! iv. There is something good in the maiden's seeking of her beloved; yet it came after their relationship was well established. The relationship did not begin nor was it founded upon her pursuit of him. ! v. "With what constancy she sought this communion. She began at dead of night, as indeed it is never too late to seek renewed fellowship. Yet she sought on. The streets were lonely, and it was a strange place for a woman to be at such a strange time, but she was too earnest in seeking to be abashed by such circumstances." (Spurgeon)

! c.!I will rise . . . and go about the city . . . I will seek the one I love: This emphasizes the urgency and depth of her seeking. She was safe (even under the supervision of the!watchmen), but they could not help her nd her beloved, even at her request. ! i. "She did not sit down, and say to any one of them, "O watchman of the night, thy company cheers me! The streets are lonely and dangerous; but if thou art near, I feel perfectly safe, and I will be content to stay awhile with thee." Nay, but she leaves the watchmen, and still goes along the streets until she nds!him!whom her soul loveth." (Spurgeon) ! ii. "It is probable that, lighting upon these watchmen, she promised herself much counsel and comfort from them, but was disappointed. It pleaseth God many times to cross our likeliest projects, that himself alone may be leaned upon." (Trapp) ! 2. (4) Finding her beloved. !

Scarcely had I passed by them, When I found the one I love. I held him and would not let him go, Until I had brought him to the house of my mother, And into the chamber of her who conceived me.
! a.!I found the one I love: She dreamt that her diligent search was rewarded. Though the watchmen mentioned in the previous verse could not help her, she nevertheless!found the one!she loved. !

i. It is repeated four times in these rst four verses:!the one I love. This is how she thought of her special man. ! b.!I held him and would not let him go: It is easy to picture the relieved maiden clinging to her beloved, feeling calmed and secure in his embrace. ! i.!Would not let him go: It seems to have been the same kind of embrace that Mary Magdalene had upon Jesus when she rst saw her resurrected Lord (John 20:16-17). ! ii. In either interpreting or applying Song of Solomon 3:1-4 to the relationship between Jesus and His people, many commentators have noted that this is an example of how the believer, under some sense of separation from Jesus, must seek after Him. ! iii. "When, either in a dream, or in reality we lose our sense of His presence, let us search for Him; and then in the nding, with new devotion, let us hold Him, and refuse to let Him go." (Morgan) ! c.!Until I had brought him to the house of my mother: The maiden dreamed of bringing her beloved home with her, to always be together with him - and to enjoy the intimacy of!the chamber!of her mother's home. ! i. "Still clinging to him, she leads him gently but forcefully to her mother's house and into the maternal bedroom." (Carr) ! ii. The fact that it is in!the house of!her!mother!shows that she expected it to be when they were in fact married, and not as a pre-marital sexual rendezvous. "That there I might entertain and embrace him, and gain my mother's consent, and so proceed to the consummation of the marriage." (Poole) ! iii. "She is not looking for an illicit consummation of their love. Consummation she wants, but even in her dream she wants the consummation to be right. Where in human literature does one nd a text so erotic and yet so moral as this?" (Kinlaw)

! iv. "This passage may also reect ancient Israelite marital customs now unknown to us. Perhaps we should notice that Isaac brought Rebekah into the tent of his mother, even though Sarah was deceased, and there consummated their marriage (Genesis 24:67)." (Kinlaw) ! v. Applying this symbolically, Charles Spurgeon noted the steps of the maiden's progress towards her beloved: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! vi. Spurgeon also made great application of the fact that the maiden!held him and would not let him go. "Mark, that according to the text, it is very apparent that Jesus will go away if he is not held. 'I held him and I would not let him go;' as if he would have gone if he had not been rmly retained. When he met with Jacob that night at the Jabbok, he said, 'Let me go.' He would not go without Jacob's letting him, but he would have gone if Jacob had loosed his hold. The patriarch replied, 'I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.' This is one of Christ's ways and manners; it is one of the peculiarities of his character. When he walked to Emmaus with the two disciples, 'he made as if he would have gone further:' they might have known it was none other than the Angel of the Covenant by that very habit. He would have gone further, but they constrained him, saying, 'Abide with us for the day is far spent.' If you are willing to lose Christ's company he is never intrusive, he will go away from you, and leave you till you know his value and begin to pine for him. 'I will go,' says he, 'and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offense, and seek my face: in their afiction they will seek me early.' He will go unless you hold him." (Spurgeon) ! ! Jesus!must!be held; He will go unless you hold Him. She!loved him. She!sought him. She!found him not. She!found him. She!held him. She!brought him.

! ! ! !

Jesus is!willing!to be held; He is not trying to escape us. Jesus!can!be held; He we can grasp Him by faith. Jesus!Himself!must be held; not merely a creed, tradition, or a ceremony.

3. (5) An exhortation to the maiden's companions. !

I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, By the gazelles or by the does of the field, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases.
! a.!I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem: This exhortation to the!daughters of Jerusalem!is another reminder that this section is to be understood as a dream or daydream of the maiden. We are not to imagine the couple together in the intimacy described in the previous lines with the!daughters of Jerusalem!observing. ! b.!By the gazelles or by the does of the eld: This poetic phrasing (rst found in Song of Solomon 2:7) surely sounded more natural and meaningful to the rst readers of the Song of Solomon than it does to us ! c.!Do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases: As in its previous usage, this idea can be understood as a plea to leave her sweet romantic dream uninterrupted. Or, it can be understood both in the context of!relationship!and in!passion. ! i. In terms of relationship it means, "Let our love progress and grow until it is matured and fruitful, making a genuinely pleasing relationship -!don't let us go too fast." In terms of passion it means, "Let our love making continue without interruption until we are both

fullled. Don't let us start until we can go all the way." ! B. The spectacular arrival of the wedding party. ! 1. (6-8) Solomon's entourage brings the maiden to the wedding. !

Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant's fragrant powders? Behold, it is Solomon's couch, With sixty valiant men around it, Of the valiant of Israel. They all hold swords, Being expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh Because of fear in the night.
! a.!Who is this coming out of the wilderness: The immediate impression upon reading this is to think that this is the beloved (Solomon) making a dramatic appearance. Yet the

ancient Hebrew word translated!this!is in the feminine singular; the question "Who is this?" is properly answered, "It is the maiden arriving in Solomon's!palanquin, for the wedding described at the end of the chapter." ! i. Kinlaw explains that the word translated "this" is in the feminine singular, and believes it refers to the maiden herself. "It is obviously a wedding procession . . . our picture is of the groom and his men bringing his bride from her home to his city for the wedding." (Kinlaw) ! ii. The other times this question is asked (Who is this?) in Song of Solomon, the answer is the "the maiden" (see Song of Solomon 6:10 and 8:5). "In either case it cannot be Solomon (or the 'king') who is described." (Carr) ! iii. Notably, she came!out of the wilderness, "From whence we little expected to see so beautiful and glorious bride to come, such persons being usually bred in courts or noble cities." (Poole) ! iv. "And, doubtless, whenever God shall be pleased to bring forth his Church in power, and to make her mighty among the sons of men, the ignorance of men will be discovered breaking forth in yonder, for they will say, 'Who is this?'" (Spurgeon) ! b.!Like pillars of smoke, perfumed: This adds to the idea of the dignity and impressive character of Solomon's entourage, which was then given to the maiden to bring her to her wedding. She seems to rejoice in this, and happily describes the group as they arrive, complete with!the valiant of Israel. ! i. The apocryphal, inter-testament book 1 Macabees described a similar wedding party: "Where they lifted up their eyes, and looked, and, behold, there was much ado and great carriage: and the bridegroom came forth, and his friends and brethren, to meet them with drums, and instruments of music, and many weapons." (1 Macabees 9:39). ! ii. This whole procession was!very!impressive. It even was lled with sacred and sacricial signicance, indicated by the description "perfumed with myrrh and frankincense." "Although this form occurs only here, the word occurs elsewhere about 115 times with the meaning 'go up in smoke' or 'make (a sacrice) go up in

smoke'." (Carr) The idea is that the smell of!myrrh and frankincensecomes from their burning in a sacricial sense, as an offering of incense. ! iii.!Solomon's couch!uses a different word than in Song of Solomon 3:1, and does not have a sexual connotation. ! iv. "There is no reason though why [this] should not be read as it normally is and refer to the maiden. If so, we have the scene where the groom has sent for his bride, and she comes properly perfumed in a magnicently appropriate carriage and with an impressive array of protecting attendants." (Kinlaw) ! c.!Sixty valiant men around it: We might say that Solomon's wedding party had!sixty!groomsmen. They weren't there to keep Solomon from backing out of the wedding; they were there to show that he was a powerful man who could genuinely!protect!his maiden. ! i. "Of course when travelling through a wilderness, a royal procession was always in danger of attack. Arabs prowled around; wandering Bedouins were always prepared to fall upon the caravan; and more especially was this the case with a marriage procession, because then the robbers might expect to obtain many jewels, or, if not, a heavy ransom for the redemption of the bride or bridegroom by their friends." (Spurgeon) ! ii. Therefore the maiden had no need to worry in the!fear of the night; because she was becoming one with her beloved, what belonged to him now also belonged to her. This expresses the oneness of life and the shared life that should exist between husband and wife. "She and Solomon were so identied with each other at this state that there was a perfect oneness between them. What was his, was hers. What he enjoyed, she enjoyed. This is union." (Nee) ! iii. "The very air is perfumed by the smoke of the incense that ascends pillar-like to the clouds; and all that safeguards the position of the Bridegroom Himself, and shows forth His dignity, safeguards also the accompanying bride, the sharer of His glory." (Taylor) ! iv. Spurgeon used this text to show that this answers fears people have about God's church on this earth. "All good men are dead; there are none left to guard the church as

before." Yet by symbolic application, the text shows us: ! ! ! ! There are!enough!guards for the church. There are!valiant!guards for the church. There are guards in the!right places, all about the church.

! The good guards of the church are!well-armed, well-trained, always ready, and watchful. ! 2. (9-11) Solomon enthroned and crowned. !

Of the wood of Lebanon Solomon the King Made himself a palanquin: He made its pillars of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple, Its interior paved with love By the daughters of Jerusalem. Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And see King Solomon with the crown

With which his mother crowned him On the day of his wedding, The day of the gladness of his heart.
! a.!Solomon the King made himself a palanquin: The maiden saw (or imagined herself seeing) herself arriving for her wedding, coming upon the great entourage prepared for Solomon, carried by four or six strong men on a!palanquin, sort of a portable, ornate couch for carrying an important person. ! b.!Pillars of silver . . . support of gold . . . seat of purple: The maiden was impressed not only with the opulence of this!palanquin, but especially that!he shared all these!symbols of authority and prestige with her. Solomon shared!his best!with his maiden, and Solomon's best was pretty good. ! i. It was clear from this that the beloved (Solomon) could do the two essential things a man must be able to do before he is ready to be married: he must be able to!protect!and!provide!for his maiden. The!protection!was shown in the armed men who surrounded this procession; the!provision!was shown in the opulence of Solomon's entourage. Of course, he cannot protect or provide for his maiden (or bride) until he can protect and provide for!himself; then they live a shared life, a oneness, with whatever belongs to him now also belongs to her also. ! ii. This is why a boy must grow up and become a man before he can be a good husband, and why the process of preparing to become a husband and being a husband is good for maturing men. "Love and marriage frequently bring out the noblest qualities in a person. A carefree and somewhat careless young man may become very responsible and diligent. A childish boy may become steady and manly. Why? Because love is the mother of virtue and the father of maturity . . . The one you love should bring forth your best qualities and make you a better person." (Glickman) ! iii. It also shows that the maiden respected and honored her beloved and saw his strength and authority as a good thing, not a threatening thing - because now it was also, in a sense,!her!strength and authority, because she would be one with him.

! c.!See King Solomon with the crown!with which his mother crowned him: When Solomon was anointed and recognized as king - even before the death of his father David - the high priest presided over the ceremony, not his mother Bathsheba (1 Kings 1:38-40). This may mean that the when!his mother crowned him!was when his mother crowned him for his wedding day, in a time of relative innocence when Solomon was captivated by and attached to only one woman. ! i. "Not the royal crown used in the coronation/consecration ceremony, but a 'diadem' or 'wreath' made either of branches (like the laurel wreath of the Olympic games), or of precious metals and stones (Psalm 21:3), that is a symbol of honour and joy (gladness)." (Carr) This connects well with the rabbinic traditions that a bride and bridegroom were considered to be a "royal couple" on the day of their wedding. ! ii. Considering that Solomon had his heart drawn away to!many!women and that these women drew his heart away from God, it is hard to see how this amazing collection of love poems could have come from such a corrupt man. This passage hints at one possible explanation. "Could it be that this is an indication that, if the Song did come from Solomon, it originated before his crowning in his most innocent period?" (Kinlaw) ! iii. Yet the mention of!his mother!reminds us of Bathsheba, and the period when she helped Solomon take the throne of Israel (1 Kings 1:11-18; 1:28-31). The connection to 1 Kings 1 brings up the relation between the maiden of the Song of Solomon (called theShulamite!in Song of Solomon 6:13) and!Abishag the Shunammite!mentioned in 1 Kings 1:3-4, 1:15,! From ancient times, many have wanted to associate the beautiful Abishag with the!Shulamite. "According to the theory, as she ministered to David, she became romantically involved with his son Solomon and was later the subject of his love poem." (Dilday in commentary on 1 Kings) ! iv. Yet we must say that this conjecture at best - and!Shumen!is not the same as!Shulam. "Shunem, the modern Solem, lay eleven kilometers south-east of Nazareth and ve kilometers north of Jezreel in Issachar territory, and was visited by Elijah (2 Kings 4:8). There is no need to identify Abishag with the Shulammite of Song of Solomon 6:13." (Wiseman in commentary on 1 Kings) ! d.!On the day of his wedding, the day of the gladness of his heart: It was a glad wedding, because their love was real, it was passionate, but it was also pure and

restrained into the proper channels. This principle made it a glad day not only for the maiden and the beloved, but also for everyone. ! i. "It was not only the day of gladness for the king but also for those who shared in his happiness . . . Their love had become a fountain from which all could taste the sweetness of their joy." (Glickman) ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Isaiah 3 - The Sins of Judah

! A. Prole of a society under judgment. ! 1. (1-7) Shortages of food, water, and competent leaders. !

For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store, the whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water; the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder; the captain of fifty and the honorable man, the counselor and the skillful artisan, and the expert enchanter. I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. The people will be oppressed, every one by another and every one by his neighbor; the child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable. When a man takes hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, You have clothing; you be

our ruler, and let these ruins be under your power, In that day he will protest, saying, I cannot cure your ills, for in my house is neither food nor clothing; do not make me a ruler of the people.
! a.!For behold, the Lord, the!LORD!of hosts, takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stock and the store: Gods judgment on Judah, at this point, includes taking away their food (stock and the store) and!water. ! i. Isaiah 3:1 is a good example of the way two Hebrew words, each translated!Lord!may be used. In this verse, the rst time!Lord!is used, it translates the Hebrew word!adonai, which means master, owner, sovereign. It is a broad word that can be applied to a human master as well as the Lord!GOD, the ultimate Master. The second time!LORD!is used, and is printed in small capitals, it translates the Hebrew word!Yahweh, which is the sacred name of the Triune God. So, it may be that the Hebrew Bible could use the phrase!adonai Yahweh, which could be translated into English as!Lord!LORD, but actually means Master Yahweh. That phrase appears more than 300 times in the Old Testament. Most of the time, the phrase is translated!Lord!GOD!in the New King James Version. ! ii. The specic phrase here -!the Lord, the!LORD!of hosts!- is used more than 15 times in the Old Testament, and often by Isaiah (Isaiah 1:24, 3:1, 3:15, 10:23-24, 10:33, 19:4, 22:5, 22:12, 22:14-15, and 28:22). It emphasizes the majesty and power of God, because the idea behind!LORD!of hosts!is that God is Commander in Chief of heavens armies. ! iii. So when it is The Master of All, Yahweh of Heavens Armies (the Lord, the!LORD!of hosts) who has taken food and water from!Jerusalem and from Judah, they do well to repent and get right with Him. This is also the reason why he calls God!the Lord!and!Jehovah of hosts, that the majesty of God may terrify their drowsy and sluggish minds; for God has no need of titles, but our ignorance and stupidity must be aroused by perceiving his glory. (Calvin) ! b. The judgment is worse than just taking away food and water. God also brought judgment on!Jerusalem!and!Judah!by depriving them of godly, competent leaders on every level:!the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the elder; the captain of fty and the honorable man, the counselor and

the skillful artisan, and the expert enchanter. Instead of wise, competent leaders, God!will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. ! i. The eventual fulllment of this prophecy is found in 2 Kings 24:14:!Also he carried into captivity all Jerusalem: all the captains and all the mighty men of valor, ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained except the poorest people of the land. ! ii. But this!principle!of Gods judgment endures to this day. One way God may bring judgment on a nation is to curse them with incompetent, ungodly leaders. Often, this is the simplest avenue of judgment: giving people what their wicked hearts desire. This crisis of leadership can happen even in economically prosperous times (Isaiah 2:7 is part of this same prophecy). The terrible effect of this judgment of God, the granting of incompetent and ungodly leaders, may not be immediately seen, but it will be certainly seen, apart from the repentance of a nation and the mercy of God. ! c. Because of this ungodly, incompetent leadership,!the people will be oppressed, and there will be a breakdown of order in society (The child will be insolent toward the elder, and the base toward the honorable). ! i. For there is hardly any conduct more offensive, or more tted to disturb our minds, than when the worst examples of every sort are publicly exhibited by magistrates, while no man utters a syllable against them, but almost all give their approbation. (Calvin) ! d. Things will become so bad, that in the minds of the people, the smallest achievements will qualify a man for leadership:!You have clothing, you be our ruler, and let these ruins be under your hand. Yet, even such a man will not want to lead:!In that day, he will protest, saying, I cannot cure your ills . . . do not make me a ruler of the people. ! i. It is astonishing how realistically the prophet is here able to describe the consequences of a total collapse of the state. Anyone who remembers the months that followed May 1945 in Germany will have the sensation in reading this passage of being carried right back to these days. (Kaiser, cited in Grogan) !

2. (8-12) Why Judah is ripe for judgment. !

For Jerusalem stumbled, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of His glory. The look on their countenance witnesses against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; they do not hide it.Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves. Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him. As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths.
! a. Jerusalem and Judah have sinned in what they!say!and in what they!do:!their tongues and their doings are against theLORD. In fact, what they!say!and what they!do!provoke the eyes of His glory. ! i. It is much easier to think that what we!do!is offensive to God, than to think that what we!say!can!provoke the eyes of His glory. But we are commanded to glorify God by what we!say!just as much as by what we!do. Jesus said,!For every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justied, and by your words you will be condemned. (Matthew 12:36-37) ! b.!The look on their countenance witnesses against them:!The very look on their faces is evidence of their guilt. Either they have smirk of the reprobate, or the downcast gaze of those under conviction. !

i. Impure propensities are particularly legible in the eyes: whoever has beheld the face of a!debauchee!or a!prostituteknows this; of these it may be said, they wish to appear what they really are. They glory in their iniquity. This is the highest pitch of ungodliness. (Clarke) ! c.!And they declare their sin as Sodom; they do not hide it:!Their sin is openly displayed, and there have no sense of shame. The cultural dynamic in Isaiahs day was probably much the same as in our time. In the name of frankness and honesty and lets not be hypocrites, all kinds of sin is approved, and no one is allowed to proclaim a standard unless they live up to it perfectly. ! i. Outward decency!is!important. It is important to!not!talk about many sins, even though they exist, and sometimes touch the church. It is through these means that Gods people!declare a standard, even though they or the world do not perfectly measure up to a standard. Ephesians 5:12 matters here:!For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. ! ii. One of the most destructive lies of our time is that it is wrong or hypocritical to have a standard that we dont live up to. No one has!always!told the truth, yet it is right and good to teach our children, Dont lie. It would be wrong, and destructive, for someone to answer, You cant tell your child not to lie. You have lied in the past. You are a hypocrite. This attitude in our society translates into a certain result:!a wholesale lowering of standards. Also, the charge of!hypocrisy!is false. It is not hypocritical to promote a standard you dont perfectly meet. Hypocrisy is when you!pretend!to keep the standard when you do not, or think it is ne for you to!not keep the standard, when you think others!should. ! iii. The maintenance of external decency is at least some evidence of a conscience not altogether seared. (Jennings) ! c.!Woe to their soul! For they have brought evil upon themselves: God did not have to do anything unique or special to bring this judgment on Jerusalem and Judah. All He had to do was leave them alone, and allow them to!have brought evil upon themselves. ! i. When the!LORD!gives a nation the leadership they desire and deserve, it is either a blessing or a curse. In Judahs case in the time of Isaiah, it was a curse. In the United

States at the end of the 20th!Century, it is a curse. ! d.!Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings: even in the midst of judgment, God knows how to bless and protect His people. Sometimes this is only seen in the perspective of eternity, but God assures us that the righteous will never share the same fate as the wicked. Abraham knew this principle well when he said to theLORD,!Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?!(Genesis 18:25) ! e.!They shall eat the fruit of their doings . . . for the reward of his hands shall be given him: God will give both the righteous and the wicked the reward they deserve. For the righteous, this is a comfort, for the wicked, it is a curse. ! i. Spurgeon on!Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him: It shall be ill with the wicked, and let no present appearance lead you to doubt it . . . The eyes that never weep for sin here will weep in awful anguish for ever . . . It will be a protable thing for thee to feel the wrath of God heavy on thy spirit now, for if not, it will crush thee, crush thee down and down without hope, world without end. It shall be ill with you. ! f.!As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them: Again, the!LORD!both declares and bemoans His judgment on Judah, that they have been given incompetent and ungodly leadership.!Those who lead you cause you err, and destroy the way of your paths. ! i.!Women rule over them: this was seen as a curse, not a blessing. Certainly, God may raise up particular women at particular times to be leaders in different spheres. Deborah (Judges 4-5) and Esther are examples of this. But this entirely different than a society where, in general,!women rule over them. Such a society is cursed, not blessed. ! B. Gods case against Judah. ! 1. (13-15) Their ill treatment of the poor.

The LORD stands up to plead, and stands to judge the people. The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and His princes: For you have eaten up the vineyard; the plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people and grinding the faces of the poor? says the Lord GOD of hosts.
! a.!The!LORD!stands up to plead, and stands to judge the people: Here, the!LORD!is both a!prosecutor!(stands up to plead) and a!judge!against Judah. When you are in court, and the prosecutor and the judge are the same person, you know you are going to be found guilty! ! b.!The plunder of the poor is in your houses. What do you mean by crushing My people, and grinding the faces of the poor?!Gods charge against the!elders!and the!princes!of Israel is not that they have!failed to help the poor. That would be bad in itself. But far worse than that, they have!robbed!the poor, and taken advantage of their poverty to enrich themselves. ! 2. (16-23) The sinful women of Judah, and the judgment of the!LORD!against them. !

Moreover the LORD says: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, making a jingling with their feet, therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will uncover their secret parts. In that day the Lord will take away the finery: The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; the pendants, the

bracelets, and the veils; the headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; the perfume boxes, the charms, and the rings; the nose jewels, the festal apparel, and the mantles; the outer garments, the purses, and the mirrors; the fine linen, the turbans, and the robes.
! a.!The daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks: The women of Judah were!proud. They were taken with themselves, and loved to consider themselves better than others (are haughty). ! i. This proud heart was the basis for the rest of the sin among the!daughters of Zion. To meet their unfounded accusations, he lays open the inward disease, which is manifested in the whole of their outward dress. (Calvin) ! ii. In contrast, women of God are called to!in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself!(Philippians 2:3). ! b.!Wanton eyes: The women of Judah were sexually seductive and promiscuous. They wanted to behold and attract what was sexually impure. ! i. What he adds about!wandering eyes!denotes shameless lust, which for the most part is expressed by the!eyes; for unchaste!eyes!are the heralds of an unchaste heart; but the!eyes!of chaste women are sedate, and not wandering or unsteady. (Calvin) ! ii. In contrast, women of God are called!to be discreet!and!chaste!(Titus 2:5). ! c.!Walking and mincing as they go, making a jingling with their feet: The women of Judah were obsessed with!nery, luxury, and accessories. They devoted far too much of their lives to their appearance and their image.

! i. For emphasis, the prophet declares a list of the accessories and luxury items the women of Judah longed for and devoted too much of their lives to:!The jingling anklets, the scarves, and the crescents; the pendants, the bracelets, and the veils; the headdresses, the leg ornaments, and the headbands; the perfume boxes, the charms, and the rings; the nose jewels, the festal apparel, and the mantles; the outer garments, the purses, and the mirrors; the ne linen, the turbans, and the robes. Sounds like they had some pretty good malls in Jerusalem! ! ii. This love of nery, luxury, and the obtaining of it all is not unique to women. Many men have a problem with it also. But it is denitely a problem among many women. A 1992 story in the!Los Angeles Times!told about Michelle, a successful writer and editor, who feared the day her husband might discover her secret stash of credit cards, her secret post ofce box or the other tricks she used to hide how much money she spent shopping for herself. I make as much money as my husband . . . If I want a $500 suit from Ann Taylor, I deserve it and dont want to be hassled about it. So the easiest thing to do is lie, she explained. Last year, when her husband forced her to destroy one of her credit cards, Michelle went out and got a new one without telling him. I do live in fear. If he discovers this new VISA, hell kill me. ! iii. In the same article, a school teacher explained more: Men just dont understand that shopping is our drug of choice, she joked, even while admitting that some months her salary goes exclusively to paying the minimum balance on her credit cards. Walking through the door of South Coast Plaza is like walking though the gates of heaven. God made car trunks for women to hide shopping bags in. A young professional named Mary explained: Shopping is my recreation. Its my way of pampering myself. When you walk into [a mall] and you see all the stores, its like something takes over and you get caught up in it. ! iv. It is worthy of notice that the Prophet had good reason for reproving, with so great earnestness and vehemence, the luxury of women; for while they are chargeable with many vices, they are most of all inamed with mad eagerness to have ne clothes. Covetous as they naturally are, still they spare no expense for dressing in a showy manner, and even use spare diet, and deprive themselves of what nature requires, that their clothes may be more costly and elegant. So grievously are they corrupted by this vice, that it goes beyond every other. (Calvin) ! v. Nothing can exceed the curiosity which dwells in woman. Indeed there is no end to those contrivances; and it was not without reason that the ancients called the collection of

a womans ornaments!a world; for if they were collected into one heap, they would be almost as numerous as the parts of the world. (Calvin) ! vi. In contrast, women of God are commanded:!Do not let your adornment be merely outward; arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on ne apparel; rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. (1 Peter 3:3-4) ! d. Their obsession with their appearance, their love of luxury, and their promiscuity made the!daughters of Zion!ripe for judgment:!Therefore the Lord will strike with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the!LORD!will uncover their secret parts. Their crown will be!a scab, and instead of being beautifully adorned, they will be exposed and humiliated. Also,!the Lord will take away the nery. ! i. In Isaiahs time, these judgments were connected with the coming invasions. Because of scarcity and disease, the haughty!daughters of Zion!would be sick and diseased. They would be raped and humiliated. And all their wonderful accessories would be taken away. ! ii. Because of their role in the nurture of children, it is important that women of God live and think like women of God.When the women of a culture become degenerate, then the hope for the next generation is gone. But when the women of a culture turn to the!LORD!and His ways, there is great hope for the future. ! iii.!In short, both men and women are instructed to make a sober use of the gifts of God, both in food and in clothing, and in the whole conduct of life. For the Lord cannot endure extravagance, and absolutely must inict severe punishment on account of it; for it cannot be restrained by a lighter chastisement. (Calvin) ! 3. (24-26) More of the judgment of the!LORD!on the sinful daughters of Zion. !

And so it shall be: Instead of a sweet smell there will be a stench; instead of a sash, a rope; instead of well-set

hair, baldness; instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty. Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war. Her gates shall lament and mourn, and she being desolate shall sit on the ground.
! a.!Instead of . . . Instead of . . . Instead of . . . Instead of . . . instead of: The!LORD!will replace!their nery with the marks of captivity and humiliation. They will live the!stench, the!baldness, the!branding!and the general deprivation of captivity. ! i. Do we realize how quickly God can take it all away? How much more reason to honor God with what we have, instead of indulging ourselves. ! ii.!Now there cannot befall us anything worse than that we should be hardened against chastisements, and not perceive that God chastiseth us. When we labour under such stupidity, our case is almost hopeless. (Calvin) ! b.!Your men shall fall by the sword, and your mighty in the war: without doubt, one reason the daughters of Zion loved all the luxury and nery was because it made them more attractive to men. They felt they could get men that way. But their ungodly love of luxury and nery resulted in the loss of their men. ! c.!She being desolate shall sit on the ground:!A Roman medal, struck after Jerusalems fall, shows a Jewish woman!being desolate, sitting under a palm tree next to a Roman soldier. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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Daniel 3 - Saved In the Fiery Furnace

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A. Nebuchadnezzar erects an image and demands everyone worship it. ! 1. (1) The image is made and set up. !

Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

a.!Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold: There is considerable debate regarding when this happened. Some think it was a short time after the events of Daniel 2, but others think it happened many years later. ! i. There is a discernible link between Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel 2 and the image he made in Daniel 3. It seems that Nebuchadnezzar deliberately made an!entire!statue of gold, to say that the day of his reign and authority would never end - in contradiction to God's declared plan. ! b.!An image of gold: The image was more like a stylized obelisk rather than a normal statue, being 90 feet (30 meters) high and 9 feet (3 meters) wide. Being so large, it is safe to say that it was not made of solid gold but probably wood overlaid with gold. This was a common method of construction in the ancient world. ! i. "On the plains of Dura there stands today, a rectilinear mound, about twenty feet high, an exact square of about forty-six feet at the base, resembling the pedestal of a colossal statue." (Heslop) ! 2. (2-3) All Babylonia's dignitaries gathered at the dedication of the image. !

And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together

the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

a.!Gather together the satraps:!Satrap!is a Persian loan word that means!protector of the realm. It refers to a specic category of public ofcials. ! b.!All the ofcials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image: The demand that all come to the dedication ceremony means that Nebuchadnezzar meant to use the worship of this image as a test of allegiance. ! 3. (4-6) The command to worship the image. !

Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the

midst of a burning fiery furnace."

a.!Horn, ute, harp, lyre, and psaltery: Some of these musical instruments are difcult to dene precisely but the idea is still clear. This was an impressive orchestra. ! i. The use of the Aramaic words for!lyre,!psaltery!and!symphony!has led some critics to say that the Book of Daniel was written hundreds of years after the time of Daniel. They say this because these particular words are Aramaic words borrowed from Greek words and supposedly Daniel did not have these words at his disposal in the sixth century!B.C.,!and they supposedly did not come into the Hebrew vocabulary until the third century!B.C. ! ii. Nevertheless, ancient records tell us there were Greeks in the region of Assyria, Babylon, and Persia as far back as the!eighthcentury!B.C.!Archaeology also proves beyond a doubt that Greek mercenaries fought and made military settlements in and around Judea!before!the time of Daniel. ! b.!Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning ery furnace: The command was backed up by a powerful threat. Nebuchadnezzar regarded the refusal to worship the image as!treason, not only as a religious offense. ! i. In this, Nebuchadnezzar was just like many politicians who often seem willing to use religion to strengthen their grip on political power. Politicians are happy to blend together!spiritual!allegiance and!national!allegiance. An example of this was displayed in 1936 when Herr Baldur von Schirach, head of the youth program for Nazi Germany, said: "If we act as true Germans we act according to the laws of God. Whoever serves Adolf Hitler, the fhrer, serves Germany, and whoever serves Germany serves God." ! ii. Another example comes from 1960 when the President of Ghana had a slightly larger than life-size statue of himself erected in front of the national house of Parliament. An inscription on the side of the statue read, "Seek ye rst the political kingdom and all other things shall be added unto you." The statue was destroyed after a bloodless coup in 1966.

! !c.!A burning ery furnace: Nebuchadnezzar was not a man who allowed lawbreakers to go unpunished. In an ancient cuneiform writing, Nebuchadnezzar was described as so devoted to justice that "he did not rest night or day." The document also tells of a criminal guilty of a second offense who was decapitated, and afterwards a stone image of his head was displayed as a warning. ! 4. (7) The crowd obeys Nebuchadnezzar's command. !

So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

a.!When all the people heard the sound: Nebuchadnezzar's grand idolatry was accompanied by music - elaborate and well-produced music. This reminds us of the great inherent power in music, both for good and for evil. ! b.!Fell down and worshiped the gold image: According to Baldwin, this literally reads!as soon as they were hearing they were falling down.!There was total and immediate obedience to Nebuchadnezzar's command. ! B. Three Hebrew men refuse the demand. ! 1. (8-12) Certain Chaldeans accuse the three Hebrew men. !

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward

and accused the Jews. They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live forever! You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up."

a.!Certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews: These Chaldeans had an obvious political motivation against these Jews who were promoted to high ofce along with Daniel in the events recorded in the previous chapter. ! b.!They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image: Apparently their failure to worship the image was not discovered until these certain Chaldeans made it known. With so many thousands of government ofcials in attendance, it would be easy to overlook these three. Additionally, we see from this that the three Jewish men did not lodge a formal protest; they simply refrained from sharing in the sin of idolatry themselves. ! i. Their actions were not!public!but neither were they!hidden. These three Hebrew men must have known they would be discovered, yet they obeyed God rather than man. "You will not be able to go through life without being discovered: a lighted candle cannot be hid. There is a feeling among some good people that it will be wise to be very reticent, and hide their light under a bushel. They intend to lie low all the wartime, and come out when the palms are being distributed. They hope to travel to heaven by the back lanes, and skulk into glory in disguise. Ah me, what a degenerate set!" (Spurgeon) !

2. (13-15) Nebuchadnezzar interviews the disobedient Hebrew men. !

Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made,good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"

a.!Is it true: To his credit, Nebuchadnezzar did not accept the accusation on hearsay. He made sure of it with a personal interview. This was an even greater test for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. It is one thing to make a stand for God; it is a greater thing to!stick to your stand!when pointedly asked, "Is it true?" Peter followed Jesus after His arrest, but he wilted and denied Jesus when asked, "Is it true?" ! i. "If, standing before the heart-searching God at this time, you cannot say, 'It is true,' how should you act? If you cannot say that you take Christ's cross, and are willing to follow him at all hazards, then hearken to me and learn the truth. Do not make a profession at all. Do not talk about baptism or the Lord's Supper, nor of joining a church, nor of being a Christian; for if you do, you will lie against your own soul. If it be not true that you renounce the world's idols, do not profess that it is so. It is unnecessary that a man should profess to be what he is not; it is a sin of supererogation, a superuity of naughtiness. If you cannot be true to Christ, if your coward heart is recreant to your Lord, do not profess to be his disciple, I beseech you. He that is married to the world, or inthearted, had better return to his house, for he is of no service in this war." (Spurgeon)

! b.!But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning ery furnace: Nebuchadnezzar would not tolerate losing face on such an important occasion. His pride made him declare, "You shall have no other gods than me." ! i. We can imagine the enormous pressure on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to compromise. Everything in front of them - the king, the furnace, the music, their compatriots, their competitors - all of it conspired to convince them to compromise. Yet God was more real to them than any of those things. "Do not judge the situation by the king's threat and by the heat of the burning ery furnace, but by the everlasting God and the eternal life which awaits you. Let not ute, harp, and sackbut fascinate you, but hearken to the music of the gloried. Men frown at you, but you can see God smiling on you, and so you are not moved." (Spurgeon) ! c.!Who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?!Nebuchadnezzar thought nothing of insulting!all!gods with this statement. He is more of a!secularist!or a!humanist!than a!theist. The god he!really!believes in is himself, not the gods of Babylon. ! 3. (16-18) The three Hebrew men insist they will never worship the image. !

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver usfrom your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."

a.!We have no need to answer you: They had!no need!to defend themselves. Their guilt

in the matter was clear - they clearly would not bow down to this image. ! b.!Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us: In this, the Jewish men showed a good understanding and appreciation of God's great power. In fact, they knew that God was able to save them from both the!burning ery furnace!and from the!hand!of Nebuchadnezzar himself. ! c.!But if not: In this, the Jewish men show they had a good understanding and appreciation of!submission!to God. They knew God's power, but they also knew that they must do what was right even if God did not do what they expect or hope Him to do. ! i. We often complain about our rights and what is fair. Often it is better to make a stand and endure our difculty, leaving our fate in God's hands. ! ii. They did not doubt God's!ability, but neither did they presume to know God's!will. In this they agreed with Job:!Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!(Job 13:15). They recognized that God's plan might be different than their desires. I have my own desires and dreams and I pray that God fullls them. But if He doesn't, I can't turn my back on Him. ! iii. These were men who did!not!love too much. There are popular self-help books that hope to help people who seem to love too much, yet many Christians are hindered because they love too much. Remember that early Christians were not thrown to the lions because they worshipped Jesus, but because they would!not!worship the emperor. ! iv. In our day, many do love Jesus and think highly of Him - yet they are far from God because they also love and worship the world, sin, and self.!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!(1 John 2:15). ! d.!Let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up: It took great faith to say this. God brought them to this place of great faith by preparing them with tests in less dramatic areas.

! i. These men stood rm when challenged to eat impure foods and they saw God bless their obedience. That gave them the courage to obey now, when the stakes were much higher. ! ii. Many fail in their obedience because they wait for something "big" to test their faith before they really start to obey God. Some ll their life with many small compromises; yet tell themselves that they will stand rm when it really matters. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego show us that obedience to God in small things really matters. ! e.!Let it be known to you, O king: The statement of Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego is also remarkable for what it does!not!have - any hint of an excuse. In a time of testing like this it is easy to think of a thousand excuses that seem to justify compromise. ! i. They might have said, "There is nothing to gain by resisting; wouldn't we do more good by living?" It is easy to say, "We must live," but in reality, we all must die - so why not die making a stand for God? ! ii. They might have said, "We are in a different place; in Rome, do as the Romans do." Yet they knew that God has unlimited jurisdiction. We must do more than "perform" acts of religious obedience when we have an audience. ! iii. They might have said, "We will lose our jobs and our standard of living." Often when God blesses us, we make the blessing an idol and compromise God to keep what we have. ! iv. They might have said, "After all, we are not being called to renounce our God." They did not have a super-elastic conscience that said, "We are not bowing down to the idol, but only bowing down in respect for the king, or in honor of the music." Excuses like this are common but prove the principle that anything will serve as an excuse, when the heart is bent on compromise. ! v. They might have said, "Everybody else is doing it." Instead they cultivated brave

personalities, willing to stand alone with God. ! vi. They might have said, "It is only for once, and not for very long. Ten minutes, just for the king. It is stupid to throw our lives away for ten minutes." These men knew that ten minutes could change an entire life. Ten minutes can chart the course for your eternity. ! vii. They might have said, "This is more than can be expected of us; God will understand just this once." It is true that God understands our struggle with sin - that is why He loves the sinner and made provision at the cross for freedom from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. Knowing that "God understands" should be a spur to obedience, not a license to sin. ! viii. "I am glad that the three holy children were not 'careful to answer,' [the KJV has, "we are not careful to answer thee" here] or they might have fallen upon some crooked policy or lame excuse for compromise. What have we to do with consequences? It is ours to do the right, and leave results with the Lord." (Spurgeon) ! C. The Hebrew men in the ery furnace. ! 1. (19-23) The three men are cast violently into the furnace. !

Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usually heated. And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the

burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

a.!Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury: No matter how brave Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were, facing the!fury!of a king was still extremely intimidating. We get the feeling that prior to their statement Nebuchadnezzar spoke kindly, almost in a fatherly manner to these wayward boys. After hearing their bold challenge!the expression on his face changed. ! i. Despite the intense intimidation, the men stayed courageous in their confession of faith. Spurgeon eloquently described the horror of those who lose their courage at such times: "Remember also that by yielding to the fear of man you are demeaning yourself. There shall come a day when the man that was ashamed of Christ will himself be ashamed: he will wonder where he can hide his guilty head. Look at him! There he is! The traitor who denied his Lord! The Christ was spat upon and nailed to the cross, and this man was afraid to own him. To win the smile of a silly maid, to escape the jest of a coarse fellow, to win a few pieces of silver, to stand respectable among his fellow-men, he turned his back upon his Redeemer and sold his Lord; and now what can be said for him? Who can excuse him? The angels shun him as a man who was ashamed of the Lord of glory. He is clothed with shame and everlasting contempt. Even the lost in hell get away from him, for many of them were more honest than he. Is there such a man as this before me? I summon him in the name of the living God to answer for his cowardice! Let him come forth and own his crime, and humbly seek forgiveness at the hands of the gracious Savior." (Spurgeon) ! b.!Bound in their coats . . . the furnace exceedingly hot: Everything was done to make sure that the three Hebrew men were quickly and completely burned. ! 2. (24-25) Nebuchadnezzar sees four alive and well in the furnace.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

a.!Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished: It is astonishing that anyone survived for a moment!inside!the furnace when others perished!at the door. ! i. The Septuagint says in Daniel 3:24 that Nebuchadnezzar's attention was caught when he heard the men singing praises in the furnace. We can imagine that the king had them cast into the furnace and didn't intend to look twice, believing they would be immediately consumed. As he walked away with a satised look on his face, he was immediately stopped by the sound of!singingcoming from the furnace. At a safe distance from the raging heat, he peered inside - and saw!four men loose, walking in the midst of the re. ! ii. If this singing in the furnace is true, it reminds us of Paul and Silas singing in the Philippian jail (Acts 16:25). ! b.!I see four men loose . . . and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God: Nebuchadnezzar tells us who the fourth person was -the Son of God. Jesus was literally with them in the worst of their trial. ! i. We don't know if Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego!knew!that the!Son of God!was with them in their ery trial. Sometimes we are aware of Jesus' presence in our trials and sometimes we are not - but He is there nonetheless. !

ii. Spurgeon observed that God's people are often in the furnace, and though there are different kinds of furnaces, they serve similar purposes in our life. ! ! ! ! ! iii. God can deliver us!from!a trial, or He can miraculously sustain and strengthen us!in!a trial. Trapp quotes an English martyr who said this as he was burnt at the stake: "O ye Papists, behold ye look for miracles; here now you may see a miracle; for in this re I feel no more pain than as if I were in a bed of down; but it is to me as a bed of roses." ! c.!I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the re: Nebuchadnezzar also observed that the four men were!free!in the re. The re only burnt the ropes that bound them. ! 3. (26-27) The Hebrew men leave the furnace unharmed. ! There is the furnace that man prepares. There is the furnace that Satan prepares. There is the furnace that God prepares.

Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

a.!Servants of the Most High God: Before they were out of the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar recognized that these men served the!trueGod, the God!Most High. ! b.!These men on whose bodies the re had no power: The trial had!no power!over these men because they were thoroughly submitted to the power and will of God. Before the time of Jesus, they knew the truth of Jesus' promise:!In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!(John 16:33). ! c.!The smell of re was not on them: This demonstrates how complete their deliverance was. ! i. This whole account illustrates - perhaps serving as a type of - the future of Israel during the Great Tribulation. ! ! Nebuchadnezzar is like the Antichrist, who forces the whole world into one religion of idolatry. ! Nebuchadnezzar's image is like the image described in Revelation 13, that the whole world will be commanded to worship. ! The ery furnace is like the Great Tribulation, which will be great afiction for the Jews. ! The three Hebrew men are like Israel, who will be preserved through the tribulation.

! The executioners who perished are like those in league with the Antichrist, who Jesus will slay at His return. ! The mysteriously absent Daniel is like the church, not even present for this time of great tribulation. ! D. Aftermath. !

1. (28) Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges the greatness of the God of the three Hebrews. !

Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!"

a.!Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego: Nebuchadnezzar gave glory to God, but he recognized that this great God is not!his!God. He was still!the God of!these three brave men. ! b.!Who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him: In Daniel 3:15 Nebuchadnezzar asked, "who!is!the god who will deliver you from my hands?" Now Nebuchadnezzar knew a great deal about this God. ! ! ! ! ! He is the God of the Hebrews (the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego). He is the God who sends a Savior (who sent His Angel). He is the God of great power (delivered His servants). He is the God worthy of trust (who trusted in Him).

! He is the God worthy of full surrender (frustrated the king's word, and yielded their bodies). ! He is the God who demands exclusive allegiance (that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God). ! i. Nebuchadnezzar knew a lot about God - but he did not yet know Him personally.

! c.!Yielded their bodies: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego surrendered themselves!completely!to God - body, soul, and spirit. It was the kind of submission Paul wrote of in Romans 12:1:!present your bodies a living sacrice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. ! i. This whole account is a powerful illustration of the principle of Romans 12:1. We see Satan trying to make the believer bow down to his idealized image of what men and women should be. Christians must resist this with everything they have and pursue God's ideal. In this, we will fulll Romans 12:2:!And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. ! 2. (29) Nebuchadnezzar makes a proclamation that nothing evil should be said against the God of the Hebrews. !

"Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this." Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and AbedNego in the province of Babylon.

a.!Therefore I make a decree: The three Hebrew men did not ask for Nebuchadnezzar to make this decree, and they probably did not want him to. Coerced worship isn't good, either towards an idol or towards the true God. ! b.!There is no other God who can deliver like this: Seeing God at work in the life of His people was an extremely effective testimony to Nebuchadnezzar.

! i. Paul expressed the same idea in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3:!You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of esh, that is, of the heart. ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Hosea 3 - The Restoration of an Adulterous Wife

! A. The restoration of Gomer. ! 1. (1) God commands Hosea to love Gomer again. !

Then the LORD said to me, Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery, just like the love of the LORD for the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love the raisin cakes of the pagans.
! a.!Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery: God directs Hosea to go back to his wife, even though she is!committing adultery.!!It isnt in the past; it is in the present; yet he is commanded to go back to her and tolove!her. ! i. This shows us that though Deuteronomy 24:1 and Matthew 19:7-8!permit!divorce when adultery breaks the marriage union, it by no means!commands!divorce.!!If God!commanded!divorce in the case of adultery, the He would go against His own command here.

! ii. This also shows us an important principle about love: Hosea is!directed to love, even when it must have been hard to love.!!We are lled with many romantic illusions about love, and one of these illusions is that love has very little to do with our!will!- we are just captured by love and follow whatever course it leads.!!But in principle, the Scriptures show us another way: That love is largely a matter of the!will, and when we direct ourselves to love someone God tells us we must love, it can and will happen.!!This is why Were not in love anymore isnt valid grounds for a bad relationship or divorce.!It assumes that love is something beyond or outside of our will. ! b.!Just like the love of the!LORD!for the children of Israel: Why did God command Hosea to go back to his still-unfaithful wife?!!Not only for the sake of Hosea and his wife Gomer, but also so that they would become a living lesson of the!LORDs relationship with His people.!!They were still steeped in spiritual adultery, yet the!LORD!still loved them. ! i. When we think of the greatness of Gods love and compassion towards us, it should make us much more loving, compassionate, and forgiving towards others. ! 2. (2-3) Hosea demonstrates his love to Gomer and restores her through purchase. !

So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. And I said to her, You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so, too, will I be toward you.
! a.!So I bought her for myself: Hosea didnt really need to buy His own wife, to hire her as a prostitute.!!She was his wife!!!But as a display of love and commitment, he goes the extra mile, beyond what is expected or even reasonable. ! i. In providing this way for his own wife, Hosea also showed her: I can give you what

the others can.!!You dont need them.!!Let me show you how I can provide for your needs. ! ii. Boice takes!bought her for myself!to mean that Gomer was sold as a slave and Hosea bought her out of her slavery.!This is possible, but not necessary.!!It seems more natural to regard the payment as buying her out of prostitution. ! b.!You shall stay with me many days: The point of paying Gomer wasnt just to get her to give up her trade as a prostitute.!!It was to bring her into relationship with Hosea, her husband.!!Relationship and living together was the goal. ! B. The restoration of Israel. ! 1. (4) The fallen state of Israel. !

For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim.
! a.!Without king or prince: In her fallen state, Israel will not have the national or political leadership she needs. ! b.!Without sacrice or sacred pillar: In her fallen state, Israel will not have the spiritual service she needs. ! c.!Without ephod or teraphim: In her fallen state, Israel will not have the supernatural guidance and direction she needs. !

2. (5) The restored state of Israel. !

Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORDand His goodness in the latter days.
! a.!The children of Israel shall return and seek the!LORD!their God: In this time of political and spiritual ruin, Israel will!return and seek the!LORD!again.!!This will mark their restoration - and there will be no restoration until they turn back to the!LORD. ! b.!And David their king . . . in the latter days: This shows that this prophecy will be!ultimately!fullled in the millennial kingdom, where David will reign over Israel (Isaiah 55:3-5, Jeremiah 30:9, Ezekiel 34:23-25).!!But any individual!right now!can enjoy this blessing of restored relationship if they will turn back to the!LORD. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Joel 3 - Judgment in the Valley of Decision

! A. A warning to the nations. ! 1. (1-3) A promise to bring back scattered and mistreated Israel. !

For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel,

whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land. They have cast lots for My people, have given a boy as payment for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they may drink.
! a.!In those days and at that time: Joels prophecy still concerns the time period connected with!it shall come to pass afterwardmentioned in Joel 2:28. This is the broad period of the Last Days, initiated by the Ascension of Jesus and the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost. ! i. Many have the wrong idea of the last days, thinking only in terms of the nal years or months immediately before the return of Jesus in glory to this earth, or the rapture of the Church. Scripturally, we can think of the last days as an!era, one that began with the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost. Since that time, the Church has not been rushing towards a distant edge that represents the consummation of all things. Instead, at the Day of Pentecost the Church came to the edge - and has run parallel to the brink for some 2,000 years. ! b.!When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem: In a lesser, immediate sense this was fullled in the return from the Babylonian exile. In the greater, ultimate sense it will be fullled in the end-times regathering of Israel, to the point where an expectant Israel welcomes Jesus saying, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (Matthew 23:39) and salvation comes to Israel as a whole (Romans 11:26-27). ! c.!I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat: Joel here describes the nal gather of the nations in rebellion against God at the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 16:12-16). There is no place in Israel known as theValley of Jehosphaphat!but the name!Jehoshaphat!means, The Lord Judges. It describes Gods place of judgment. ! i. There is no such valley in the land of Judea; and hence the name must be!symbolical. It signies the!judgment of God, or!Jehovah judgeth. (Clarke) ! ii. This is a judgment of!all nations. Joel was written at a time when a terrible plague of

locusts brought the judgment of God upon the people of God. At a time like that, it is easy to think God, You are dealing harshly with us, but what about the ungodly nations? We may be bad, but they are worse. Dont you care about them? God uses Joel 3 to assure Israel that the!nations!will be dealt with. ! d.!I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people: Gods complaint against the nations is that they have mistreated His!people. Primarily, this has in view the way the nations treat Israel, but also extends to how the nations treat the Church. When Gods people are mistreated, God takes it personally and will avenge it. ! i. In the judgment of the nations Jesus described in Matthew 25:31-46, the criteria is not faith in Jesus Christ but how the nations have treated the people of Israel - the!brethren!of Jesus. Held on the earth after His return in glory, this judgment determines who is allowed to enter into the Millennial Earth, and who goes straight to judgment. ! ii.!They have cast lots for My people: It is bad enough for man to regard any human life as cheap; it is worse to regard the!people!of God as cheap. God remembers and will repay. ! 2. (4-8) God warns the nations that He will retaliate against those who have mistreated His people. !

Indeed, what have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the coasts of Philistia? Will you retaliate against Me? But if you retaliate against Me, swiftly and speedily I will return your retaliation upon your own head; because you have taken My silver and My gold, and have carried into your temples My prized possessions. Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem you have sold to the Greeks, that you may remove them far from their borders. Behold, I will raise them out of the place to which you have sold them, and

will return your retaliation upon your own head. I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah, and they will sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off; for the LORD has spoken.
! a.!Will you retaliate against Me?!God virtually challenges the nations to come against Him or His people. He vows to!return your retaliation upon your own head!to those who come against Him or His people. ! i. Judgment is about the only aspect of Gods plan of the ages that is plainly logical. The grace and mercy of God is not plainly logical. Salvation by grace through faith is not plainly logical. The high standing and destiny of the believer in Jesus is not plainly logical. Judgment - God simply giving those who reject Him what they deserve -!is plainly logical. It is as if God says to the wicked, You rejected the saving logic of heaven, so I will give you the plain logic of earth: you will receive what you deserve before the holy court of My justice. ! b.!I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the people of Judah: The nations treated Gods people with contempt, and had no sense of their worth. Therefore, God will repay them with the contempt they put upon His people, vowing to!return your retaliation upon your own head. ! i. Trapp details the horrors that befell the ten Emperors of the Roman Empire that persecuted Christians: ! ! Nero lost 30,000 of his subjects by pestilence, had his armies utterly defeated in Britain, suffered a revolution in Armenia, and was so hated by the senators of Rome that they forced him to kill himself ! ! ! Domitian was butchered by his own soldiers Trajan died of a foul disease Severus died miserably on a military campaign in Britain

! ! ! ! ! ! !

Maximus was cut in pieces, together with his own son Decius died as an exile in a far country Valerian was whipped to death by the King of Persia who captured him Aurelian was killed by his own soldiers Dioclesian poisoned himself Maximum hanged himself

ii. Ye cannot tread upon the least toe in Christs mystical body, but the head cries out from heaven, Why hurtest thou me? (Trapp) Paul found this out on the road to Damascus, when Jesus asked him!Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?!(Acts 9:4) ! B. A proclamation to the nations. ! 1. (9-13) Gathering the nations for a war of judgment. !

Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near, let them come up. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble and come, all you nations, and gather together all around. Cause Your mighty ones to go down there, O LORD. Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

! a.!Prepare for war!!God challenges the nations to!prepare for war!against Him. They will do this exact thing (Revelation 16:12-16), but God will simply laugh at the puny and futile preparations by the nations (Psalm 2). ! i.!Beat your plowshares into swords: If you are going to go into battle against God, you should have every weapon available! You should also practice your best positive thinking:!let the weak say, I am strong.!!Nevertheless, the most positive attitude cant work when man sets himself against His Maker. There was a Broadway play titled Your Arms are Too Short to Box with God. This is what the nations dont know, but will learn the hard way. ! b.!I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations: Though the nations come against God and His Messiah with every weapon and the most positive frame of mind, it is all for nothing. They will be plucked like a ripe harvest and crushed in judgment. ! ii. Psalm 2 beautifully expresses the folly of the nations and the triumph of the!LORD:!Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the!LORDand against His Anointed, saying, Let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us. He who sits in the heavens shall laugh; the!LORD!shall hold them in derision. Then He shall speak to them in His wrath, and distress them in His deep displeasure: Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion.!(Psalm 2:1-6) ! c.!Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full: Revelation 14:14-20 also uses this image of the winepress of the wrath of God to describe Jesus judgment on the nations at Armageddon. ! 2. (14-17) The Day of the!LORD!in the valley of decision. !

Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will

diminish their brightness. The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So you shall know that I am the LORD your God, dwelling in Zion My holy mountain. Then Jerusalem shall be holy, and no aliens shall ever pass through her again.
! a.!Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!!Joel looks out upon the Valley of Jehoshaphat at the Battle of Armageddon, and sees!multitudes!facing their eternal fate truly, it is a!valley of decision, and those who ght against theLORD!and His Messiah are in the wrong place in the!valley of decision, ultimately fullled at the Battle of Armageddon. ! i. The idea of the Valley of Decision has been used in countless evangelistic meetings to show people that!they!stand in the Valley of Decision, and must decide for or against Jesus. Joels context is exactly the opposite. Man does indeed stand in the!valley of decision, but it is God who does the deciding, not man. It is a valley of judgment - and we should decide for Jesus right now so we never stand in this!valley of decision. ! b.!The heavens and earth will shake: Joel goes back to the descriptions of cosmic cataclysm that were mentioned in Joel 2:30-31. In the midst of it all,!the!LORD!will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel, and He will restore both His people and His city to glory. ! 3. (18-21) Blessing on Gods people, desolation for the nations. !

And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water;

a fountain shall flow from the house of the LORD and water the Valley of Acacias. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of violence against the people of Judah, for they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; for the LORD dwells in Zion.
! a.!The mountains shall drip with new wine . . . all the brooks of Judah shall be ooded with water: After Gods nal victory, there is lasting abundance and the days of drought are just a distant memory. Instead,!Egypt shall be a desolation, along with the other enemies of the!LORD!and His people. ! i.!A fountain shall ow from the house of the!LORD: Ezekiel 47 describes waters owing!from the house of theLORD!in the time after Jesus triumphant return, in the Millennium. Zechariah 14:8 also speaks of a great ow of water from Jerusalem, emptying both into the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. ! ii. The!Valley of Acacias!(Valley of Shittim) was a place associated with both failure and victory. It is located on the eastern side of the Jordan River, to the north of the Dead Sea. It was where the King of Moab sent his young women to the men of Israel to seduce them into idolatry and sexual immorality (Numbers 25:1-3). It was also the launching place for the armies of Israel when they set out against Jericho and Canaan in the days of Joshua (Joshua 2:1 and 3:1). When water!from the house of the!LORD!ows down to!the valley of Acacias, then Gods grace and provision covers the past - every sin, every victory is covered over by Him. ! b.!But Judah shall abide forever . . . for the!LORD!dwells in Zion: God will show mercy to His people, and grant them forgiveness.!!This prophecy of Joel, which began with the desperate plague of locusts, ends with a promise of restoration and redemption. ! i. This is the last promise, but not the least. It referreth, saith Danaeus, to Christ taking

our esh, by which he dwelt among us being God manifest in the esh . . . since he dwelleth with his Church for ever, as it is in the precedent verse, and maketh her a true Jehovah Shammah, as she is called Ezekiel 48:35. (Trapp) ! ii. This prophet, who has many things similar to Ezekiel, ends his prophecy in nearly the same way:!Ezekiel!says of the glory of the Church,!Yehovah shammah,!THE LORD IS THERE.!Joel!says,!Yehovah shochen betsiyon,!THE LORD DWELLETH IN ZION. Both point out the continued indwelling of Christ among his people. (Clarke) !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Amos 3 - The Logic of Gods Judgment

! A. The logic of Gods judgment. ! 1. (1-2) Gods love and care for Israel makes their judgment unavoidable. !

Hear this word that the LORD has spoken against you, O children of Israel, against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt, saying: You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.
! a.!Against the whole family which I brought up from the land of Egypt: Israels rejection and disregard of God is all the more inexcusable in light of Gods great deliverance. In His bringing Israel!up from the land of Egypt, God proved His love and care for Israel; for God to speak!against!them shows He must have been sorely provoked. ! i. The central act of redemption in the Old Testament is Israels exodus from Egypt. All through the Old Testament, God calls Israel to look back and remember Him as the one

who freed them from Egypt. The central act of redemption in the New Testament - and in Gods whole plan of redemption - is the work of Jesus on the cross. In the same way, we are called to constantly look back and remember what Jesus did on the cross and to live in light of that great fact. ! b.!You only have I known of all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities: God makes a clear connection between the great!privilege!of Israel (you only have I known) and the great!responsibility!this privilege brings (therefore I will punish you). If Israel thought that their standing as a specially chosen nation made them!less!responsible before God, they were tragically mistaken. ! i. The false deduction which is too often made is that if we are the privileged people of God,!therefore!we may look for His mercy, He will not punish us. That is not so. The measure of our privilege, in the Divine economy, is the measure of our responsibility. Therefore if we fail to fulll that responsibility He will not pass over our sins, but rather will visit upon us all our iniquities. It is well that those nations who boast of the Divine favour, should lay this lesson to heart. (Morgan) ! 2. (3-6) The inescapable logic of Gods judgment. !

Can two walk together, unless they are agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he has no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he has caught nothing? Will a bird fall into a snare on the earth, where there is no trap for it? Will a snare spring up from the earth, if it has caught nothing at all? If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the LORD have done it?
! a.!Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?!In this section, Amos connects six statements that are obvious true. In our manner of speaking he might have said, Is the Pope Catholic?

! b.!If there is calamity in a city, will not the!LORD!have done it?!The six statements of the obvious lead into a seventh statement, each one reinforcing this nal point. When judgment comes against the cities of Israel, everyone should know that it was the!LORD!who has!done it. It wont be an accident, fate, or bad luck. It will be the hand of the!LORD. ! 3. (7-8) The inevitable message of the prophet. !

Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! Who can but prophesy?
! a.!Surely the Lord!GOD!does nothing, unless He reveals His secret: In context, Amos speaks of the coming judgment upon Israel. God revealed this!secret!to His prophets, and it was prophesied for years and years before it happened so Israel would have every opportunity to repent. ! i. God especially reveals the secrets of His coming judgment, so that men will have time to repent and no reason to be surprised. Such!secrets!of God are revealed to them, that they may inform the people; that, by repentance and conversion, they may avoid the evil, and, by walking closely with God, secure the continuance of his favour. (Clarke) ! ii. We must remember the context of the prophet Amos, and understand that this!does not!mean that God does nothing without revealing it to a prophet rst. In Ephesians 3:5 Paul describes how God deliberately hid the nature of the church (being a new body, not Israel and not Gentile) from Old Testament prophets. This is one example of something that God didnt announce or explain until it happened, without giving a prior revelation to a prophet. ! b.!A lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord!GOD!has spoken! Who can but prophesy?!Amos is saying, Dont blame me. Im only the messenger. As natural as it is

for a man to!fear!when a lion roars, that is how natural it is for the prophet toprophesy!when the!Lord!GOD!has spoken. ! 4. (9-10) The message of judgment against Israel goes to the surrounding nations. !

Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt, and say: Assemble on the mountains of Samaria; see great tumults in her midst, and the oppressed within her. For they do not know to do right, Says the LORD, Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces.
! a.!Proclaim in the palaces at Ashdod, and in the palaces in the land of Egypt: The city of!Ashdod!was a leading city of the Philistines. God invites the nations - represented here by Philista and Egypt - to come to!Samaria!(the capital city of the northern kingdom of Israel) and see their sin (great tumults in her midst, and the oppressed within her). ! i. Hubbard on the choice of the Egyptians and Philistines as witnesses: Their reputations for injustice and brutality would be resented by the Israelites, who would consider themselves in every way morally superior to those whom God had summoned as witnesses. It will also show that covenant law is not the only criterion for testing Israels behaviour but that by any standards of international decency they have become culprits. ! b.!Who store up violence and robbery in their palaces: The rich and powerful of Israel used their wealth and power to oppress and steal from others. God invites the nations to see the sin of Israel, so they can understand the judgment He will bring upon Israel. ! B. The destruction Gods judgment brings. !

1. (11-12) Israel will be conquered and exiled. !

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: An adversary shall be all around the land; he shall sap your strength from you, and your palaces shall be plundered. Thus says the LORD: As a shepherd takes from the mouth of a lion two legs or a piece of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be taken out who dwell in Samaria; in the corner of a bed and on the edge of a couch!
! a.!An adversary shall be all around the land: This was fullled in the Assyrian invasion of Israel, less than 30 years after Amos made this prophecy. For ten years, Israel was a subject state in the Assyrian Empire. ! b.!As a shepherd takes from the mouth of the lion: Exodus 22:10-13 says that if an animal dies in the care of another man - such as a shepherd - that the shepherd must make restitution to the owner of the animal,!unless!he can bring remains that demonstrate the animal was attacked by a predator. Amos comparison, then, makes the sarcastic point that when invasion strikes Israels devastation will be so complete that all that will be rescued is proof of death in the form of scraps of furniture. (Hubbard) ! c.!So shall the children of Israel be taken out who dwell in Samaria: This was fullled in the Assyrian exile of Israel, less than 40 years after Amos made this prophecy. After a little more than ten years as a subject state in the Assyrian Empire, Israel was completely conquered by Assyria and the people of Israel were taken from their land and scattered throughout the Assyrian Empire. ! 2. (13-15) Judgment on wicked places. !

Hear and testify against the house of Jacob, says the Lord GOD, the God of hosts, That in the day I punish

Israel for their transgressions, I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground. I will destroy the winter house along with the summer house; the houses of ivory shall perish, and the great houses shall have an end, says the LORD.
! a.!I will also visit destruction on the altars of Bethel; and the horns of the altar shall be cut off and fall to the ground: The altars of dedication to idols would be destroyed by Gods judgment. When we build a place of idolatry, we invite God to destroy it. The!horns of the altar!at each corner and were thought to represent the strength of the altar, just as horns represent the strength of an animal. ! b.!The great houses shall have an end: Gods judgment would not stop at places of idol worship; it would also extend to places built and enjoyed through oppression and robbery. ! i. In the age prior to Jeroboam II, the houses in Israels cities were roughly the same size. But archaeologists nd a change starting in the eighth century!B.C.!- ancient cities like Tirzah have a neighborhood of large, expensive houses and another neighborhood of small, crowded structures, smaller than the houses from previous years. The larger houses are lled with the marks of prosperity, and the oppressive rich of Israel thought they could nd safety there - but Gods judgment came against those houses as well, just as Amos promised. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Obadiah - Judgment Against Israels Brother

! A. Judgment against Edom. !

1. (1-4) Obadiah announces judgment against Edom and her pride. !

The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom (We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying, Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle): Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be greatly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, Who will bring me down to the ground? Though you ascend ashigh as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down, says the LORD.
! a.!The vision of Obadiah: The Hebrew name!Obadiah!means Worshipper of Yahweh or Servant of Yahweh. There are 13 Obadiahs in the Old Testament, and one of these may the Obadiah who wrote this book. ! ! An Obadiah was an ofcer in King Ahab of Israels court and hid Gods prophets in a cave (1 Kings 18:3) ! An Obadiah was sent out by King Jehoshaphat of Judah to teach the law in the cities of Judah (2 Chronicles 17:7) ! An Obadiah was one of the overseers who helped repair the temple in the days of Josiah, King of Judah (2 Chronicles 34:12) ! ! b.!Thus says the Lord!GOD!concerning Edom: Obadiahs prophecy is unique because he doesnt deal with Judah or Israel much at all. His focus is on the sin of Edom and the An Obadiah was a priest in the days of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:5)

judgment coming upon them. Who were the Edomites? ! ! The Edomites are the people descended from Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:19-34). Esau was nicknamed Edom (which means, red) probably because he had red hair ! Esau eventually settled in the area of Mount Seir and absorbed a people known as the Horites (Genesis 36:8-43, which refers to Edomite rulers as!dukes!in the King James Version; Deuteronomy 2:12) ! When Israel came out of Egypt and wanted to pass through the land of the Edomites to enter into the Promised Land, the Edomites wouldnt let them (Numbers 20:14-21) ! The Edomites opposed Saul and were conquered under David and Solomon (1 Samuel 14:47, 2 Samuel 8:14, 1 Kings 9:26) ! In the days of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Edom joined with Moab and Ammon to attack Judah, but the Lord fought for Judah and defeated them (2 Chronicles 20:1-27, the famous battle that was led with praise) ! The Edomites successfully rebelled against King Jehoram of Judah (2 Kings 8:16-22) ! ! ! King Amaziah of Judah brought them back under subjugation (2 Kings 14:9-11) The Edomites again attacked Judah in the days of King Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:17) Centuries later, King Herod the Great (Luke 1:5) was an Edomite

! They fought side by side with the Jews the rebellion against Rome in 66-70!A.D.!and were crushed by Rome, never to be heard of as a people again. The predictions of Obadiah 1:10 and 1:18 were proven true ! c.!Concerning Edom: Because of what this book says of Edom and Jerusalem, we can gather a date for Obadiahs ministry. The only time markers we have in the book are the attack against Jerusalem (Obadiah 1:10-14) and the fact that this passage also seems to indicate that Edom was not under Judahs rule at the time. ! ! 2 Chronicles 21:16-17 describes an attack against Jerusalem during the reign of Jehoram (848-841!B.C.) by the Philistines and the Arabians. ! 2 Kings 24 and 25 describe the attack of the Babylonians against Jerusalem in

586!B.C. ! i. Probably the better choice is the earlier attack, because Obadiah 1:10-14 doesnt seem to indicate that Jerusalem was totally destroyed, as it was under the Babylonian attack. If Obadiahs prophecy considers this time period under Jehoram (848-841!B.C.), it makes him a contemporary of the prophet Elisha and also makes him the earliest of the prophets, probably beating Joel by a few years. It also means that this Prophet Obadiah!may!be the same man mentioned in 2 Chronicles 17:7. ! d.!A report from the!LORD!. . . Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle: Obadiah receives a news bulletin from theLORD. This just in - God is bringing nations against Edom in battle. As a result of the coming battle, God will!make!Edomsmall among the nations!and!greatly despised. ! e.!The pride of your heart has deceived you: This helps explain!why!God is bringing judgment against Edom. They are lled with!pride, and it!has deceived!them. ! i.!Pride!is very!deceptive. It makes us think things about ourselves and others that simply are not true. The Edomites were not the last people!deceived!by!pride. ! f.!You who dwell in the clefts of the rock: The Edomites didnt have all that much to be proud about. They were a small, relatively poor and insignicant nation. Yet what they could be proud about, they were - they lived in an area of great natural fortications and strength, so they boasted in the!clefts of the rock!around them. ! i.!Though you exalt yourself as high as the eagle: And boast they did! Pride is so ingrained in fallen human nature that even if we dont have much to be proud about, well nd!something!to exalt our self. This also reminds us that we dont have to be rich or powerful or great to be lled will pride. Sometimes those who have the least reason for pride have the most of it. ! ii. The Edomites boasted in their natural defenses. The ancient city of Petra - once the capital city of Edom, known as Sela - had amazing defenses. It is a city carved into the rock, accessible by a narrow canyon almost a mile long. At the end of the canyon there is a spectacular city carved in stone, and seemingly incapable of being conquered by any

army. ! iii. The Edomites boasted in their wisdom. The men of Edom - especially of the city!Teman!- were noted for their wisdom. The phrase!men of the East!in the Old Testament often refers to men from Edom, and passages like 1 Kings 4:30 declare the great wisdom of the!men of the East. As well, Jeremiah 49:7 says of Edom:!Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished?!This was another source of pride for the Edomites. ! iv. The Edomites boasted in their alliances and trusted in their allies - their!confederacy, the!men at peace with you(Obadiah 1:7). They thought that their alliances made them strong, and they were proud because of that strength. ! g.!From there I will bring you down: The sobering truth about our pride is that God can!bring!us!down!anytime. He can shatter our proud deception and bring us low. ! 2. (5-9) Gods judgment against Edom will be complete. !

If thieves had come to you, if robbers by night; Oh, how you will be cut off! - Would they not have stolen till they had enough? If grape-gatherers had come to you, would they not have left some gleanings? Oh, how Esau shall be searched out!How his hidden treasures shall be sought after! All the men in your confederacy shall force you to the border; the men at peace with you shall deceive you and prevail against you. Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it. Will I not in that day, says the LORD, Even destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountains of Esau? Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from

the mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter.

! a.!Would they not have stolen till they had enough?!Obadiah says that the judgment coming upon Edom will be far worse than what happens when!robbers!come and steal, because they usually stop when they have!enough. The judgment coming against Edom will be far more complete (everyone from the mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter). ! i. The Edomites were proud of their great natural defenses, but God would break their pride and bring them low. ! b.!Men at peace with you shall deceive you: When God brings judgment against Edom, they will know the sting of treachery against them. The alliances they once trusted in would come to nothing, and they would be double-crossed by their former friends. ! i. The Edomites were proud of their political alliances, but God would break their pride and bring them low. ! c.!Destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountains of Esau: The Edomites were renowned for their great wisdom, but God would bring such great judgment that even their wise men would be destroyed. ! i. The Edomites were proud of their reputation for wisdom, but God would break their pride and bring them low. ! d. Obadiah 1:1-9 is paralleled remarkably in Jeremiah 49:7-22, so Jeremiah probably had Obadiahs prophecy before him as he wrote and ministered. ! 3. (10-14) Why judgment is coming against Edom. !

For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. In the day that you stood on the other side; in the day that strangers carried captive his forces, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem; even you were as one of them. But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity; nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress. You should not have entered the gate of My people in the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity. You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped; nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained in the day of distress.
! a.!For your violence against your brother Jacob: The family lines of both Israel and Edom go back to a common ancestor - Isaac. Esau (Edom) was the!brother!of!Jacob!(Israel). This made Edoms sin against Israel all the worse. ! i. Some sins become worse depending on whom we sin against. It is sin to treat someone else badly; it is!worse!to treat!a brother or sister in Jesus!badly. It is sin to speak harshly to anyone; it is!worse!to speak harshly to your!husband!or!wife. ! b.!In that day you stood on the other side: What did Edom do when!strangers!attacked Judah and!foreigners entered his gates?!Nothing. They stood by and cheered for Judahs misery (nor should you have rejoiced). !

i. Sometimes doing!nothing!is a great sin. Numbers 32:23 speaks of the sin that!will nd you out, and the sin it speaks of is the sin of doing!nothing. ! ii. Edom actually did worse than nothing; they!rejoiced!over anothers misfortune and suffering and used it as an occasion to exalt themselves (nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress). ! c.!Nor laid hands on their substance: Edoms sin started with doing!nothing, then progressed to!pride!over Judahs distress. Soon, they took advantage of their brother Judahs misfortune and!laid hands on their substance. ! d.!You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped: The nal progression of Edoms sin was worst of all - they joined in the attack against vulnerable Judah. When they encountered people from Judah eeing southward from the attacking army, they killed them (cut off) or gave them over to the enemy as prisoners (delivered up those among them who remained). ! i. Sin proceeds by degrees; neither is any man at his worst at rst. (Trapp) ! e.!In the day of his captivity . . . in the day of distress . . . in the day of calamity: All in all, Edom treated Gods people terribly when!distress!and!calamity!came upon them. For all this, Gods judgment was coming upon them. ! ! ! ! ! ! i. Are we guilty of the same - or worse - when we see others in!distress!or!calamity? If so, God sees it as sin and He must deal with it in our life. First they did nothing Then they rejoiced in their distress and calamity Then they took advantage of their vulnerable state Then they joined in the violence against Gods people

! B. Deliverance on Mount Zion. ! 1. (15-16) A promise of judgment against Edom. !

For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. For as you drank on my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yes, they shall drink, and swallow, and they shall be as though they had never been.
! a.!The day of the!LORD!upon all the nations is near: God wants Edom to know that though distress and calamity came upon Judah, it can and will come upon Edom also. That day is!near. ! b.!As you have done, it shall be done to you: God will give simple!justice!to the Edomites, no more and no less. What they did to the people of Judah will also be done to them. The same principle is true for us, so if we want mercy from God, we do well to give mercy to others. ! i. There is a sense in which Gods judgment against Edom was just the fulllment of His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3:!I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. The Edomites cursed Israel, so they were cursed. If we want to be blessed, we should bless the Jewish people. ! 2. (17-20) God will use Israel to bring judgment against Edom. !

But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and

there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau, for the LORD has spoken. The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, and the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captives of this host of the children of Israel shall possess the landof the Canaanites as far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South.
! a.!On Mount Zion there shall be deliverance: The trials and burdens among Gods people are only temporary, because among them!there shall be deliverance. However, the attack coming against Edom will be different - Israel will be the!re!and they will be the!stubble, and Edom will be completely devoured. ! i. The word of the!LORD!through Obadiah proved true. The Edomites fought side by side with the Jews the rebellion against Rome in 66-70!A.D.!and were crushed by Rome, never to be heard of as a people again. The predictions of Obadiah 1:10 and 1:18 were precisely fullled. You just wont meet an Edomite today. ! b.!The South shall possess the mountains of Esau: Obadiah looks forward to a coming day when Israel will occupy andpossess!the land that once belonged to!Esau. Though the modern borders of Israel do not encompass the ancient lands of Edom, we can trust that they one day will, either in this age or in the age to come. ! i.!The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions: Possessing these other lands can only happen when we rst possess what is ours. God has given us a rich heritage of!every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ(Ephesians 1:3), but how much do we

actually!possess? God wants His people to!possess their possessions. ! 3. (21) Saviors come to Mount Zion. !

Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORDs.
! a.!Saviors shall come to Mount Zion: The idea isnt that there are many!saviors!in an ultimate sense. Here, the word saviors has the sense of deliverers. The contrast is plain; Edom will be completely destroyed, and no!saviors!shall help her, but!saviors shall come to Mount Zion. ! b.!To judge the mountains of Esau: They will!judge the mountains of Esau!in at least three ways: ! ! The presence of deliverers is a judgment against Edom, because Edom will have no deliverers ! ! ! c.!And the kingdom shall be the!LORDs: The brief prophecy of Obadiah ends on this high note. The Edomites seemed to have their day against Gods people but at the end of it all,!the kingdom shall be the!LORDs. He knows how to take care of Gods people and to advance His kingdom in a glorious way. ! i. This note of encouragement may be the central purpose for this prophecy of Obadiah. We wonder if it ever had much of a reading in the streets or palaces of Edom; but it certainly was received as welcome encouragement among the suffering people of God. Obadiah tells all Gods people: Dont worry about those who ignore your need, those who rejoice at your problems, those who take advantage of your crises, those join their The judges will rule over the territory of Edom The judges will actually sit in judgment over Edom and their sins

hands with others in attacking you. I will take care of them. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Jonah 3 - Jonah Preaches Repentance in Nineveh, the City Repents

! A. Jonahs ministry in Nineveh. ! 1. (1-2) The second call to Jonah. !

Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you.
! a.!Now the word of the!LORD!came to Jonah the second time:!This shows the amazing love of God to His wayward people. Though Jonah did everything he could to resist the rst call of God, after Jonah repented God called him again - though God was under no obligation to do it. He did it out of mercy and grace. ! i. By paralleling here the books opening remarks, almost word for word, the author skillfully conveys the idea that Jonah is being offered a new beginning. (Alexander) ! ii. How many of us who have been called to deliver the word of Jehovah, would still be doing it, if it were not for this patient and perfecting grace of God? Surely not many! How have we failed Him, and broken down in our ministry; and often not on ground so high as that of Jonahs failure. (Morgan) ! iii. God was determined to do the work through Jonah, so He did not give up on the

reluctant prophet. God is often just this committed to doing His work through a man. Suppose that the problem had been given to us to solve - how shall this city be moved to repentance? How shall its vice be forsaken and the God of Israel worshipped by all its inhabitants from the highest to the lowest? If we had not been paralyzed with despair, which is the most probable, we should, nevertheless, have sat down carefully to consider our plans. We should have parcelled it out into missionary districts; we should have needed at least several hundreds, it not thousands, of able ministers; at once, expenses would have to be incurred, and we should have considered ourselves bound to contemplate the erection of innumerable structures in which the Word of God might be preached. Our machinery would necessarily become cumbrous; we should nd that we, unless we had the full resources of an empire, could not even begin the work. But what saith the Lord concerning this? Putting aside the judgments of reason, and all the plans and schemes which esh and blood so naturally do follow, he raises up one man. By a singular providence he qualies that one man for his mission. (Spurgeon) ! b.!Preach to it the message that I tell you: Instead of telling Jonah to!cry out against!Nineveh, this time God simply tells Jonah to go there and wait for further instructions. God often works this way, and our esh often nds it irritating that He does. ! i. The story of Jonah demonstrates!why!God so often leads us one step at a time without telling us more. When God told Jonah what he would say in Nineveh, Jonah rejected the call. God often only tells us what we can handle at the time. ! 2. (3-4) Jonah preaches in Nineveh. !

So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent. And Jonah began to enter the city on the first days walk. Then he cried out and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!
! a.!Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the!LORD: Having learned the lesson that resisting the will of God is both futile and counter-productive,

Jonah now obeys the call and goes to Nineveh. ! b.!Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent: The idea behind this statement probably refers to how long it would take to walk around the city of Greater Nineveh - the metropolitan area around the city. ! c.!Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!!Jonah emphasized to the people of Nineveh what would happen if they did not repent - the city would be!overthrown!in judgment. Undoubtedly, this was not Jonahs!whole!message to the people of Nineveh; but clearly it was his emphasis. ! i. Overthrown is a word applied to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:25, Lamentations 4:6, and Amos 4:11). ! ii. We see that Jonah preached this message with earnestness. And such earnestness becomes a ministry that has to do with immortal souls, asleep and dead in sin, hanging on the bring of perdition, and insensible of their state. The soft-speaking, gentle-intoned, unmoved preacher, is never likely to awaken souls . . . But this earnestness is widely different from that noisy, blustering, screaming rant, that manifests more of a turbulence of disorderly passions, than of the real inspired inuence of the Spirit of God. (Clarke) ! B. The response of the people of Nineveh to Jonahs message. ! 1. (5-9) The response of the people: repentance. !

So the people of Nineveh believed God, proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest to the least of them. Then word came to the king of Nineveh; and he arose from his throne and laid aside his robe, covered himself with sackcloth and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout

Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink water. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
! a. The!word!repentance isnt in this passage; but repentance isnt really a word, it is something you!do!- and these people!didrepentance. ! b.!The people of Nineveh believed God:!Repentance begins with believing God. As we believe Him and His Word, we have the power to transform our lives as He wills. You can do many other things associated with repentance, but if they do not begin with believing on and trusting God, they are all useless works of the esh. ! i. You cant!believe God!apart from the Word of God. Therefore, any real revival or repentance will begin with faithful preaching and faithful hearing of Gods Word, just as it was in Nineveh. ! c.!The people of Nineveh . . . proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth: Repentance means!doing!something. The people of Nineveh fasted, mourned as if for the dead, and they did it from the highest to the lowest (from the greatest to the least of them). ! i. If repentance is anything, it is!not!business as usual. When repentance comes, something has to change and something has to be!different. In their case, the people of Nineveh took off their normal clothes and put on!sackcloth!- a thick coarse cloth, normally made from goats hair. Wearing it displayed the rejection of earthly comforts and pleasures. ! ii.!Let man and beast be covered with sackcloth: They even repented on behalf of their

animals, dressing them as if the animals were in mourning for the dead. ! d.!But let man and beast . . . cry mightily to God:!Repentance means crying!mightily to God. It means coming to God with passion and seriousness about your sin and your need for His mercy and forgiveness. ! i. So much of modern repentance, with its claim of excuses and reasons why we sinned, is really not repentance at all. It is only an attempt to justify and excuse our sin. Nevertheless, you sinned or you didnt; if you did,!there is no excuse, and if you havent,!there is no need to repent. Repentance and excuses simply dont belong together. ! e.!Yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands: Repentance means turning from your!evil way and from the violence that is in!your!hands. Repentance means to change your mind and turn from your previous sinful actions. ! i. In the Christian life, repentance does not describe what you must do to turn to God; it describes the very process of turning to God. When we truly turn to Him, we turn away from the things that displease Him. ! f.!Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His erce anger:!Repentance has hope in the mercy and love of God. It hopes that God will!relent!and that the repentant people will!not perish. ! g. Jonah could more effectively preach the message of repentance because he knew his own need to repent. Being a repentant sinner didnt disqualify Jonah from preaching repentance; it made his preaching all the more effective. ! 2. (10) Gods response to the peoples repentance. !

Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had

said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.

! a.!God saw their works . . . and God relented:!God honored their repentance, even though their!past!sin was just reason enough for an outpouring of judgment. The state would never forgive a cold-blooded murderer who vowed to never do it again, but God mercifully relented from judgment against the people of Nineveh. ! i. We do not!obligate!God to forgive us when we repent. Instead, repentance appeals to Gods mercy, not His justice. ! b.!God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it:!Did Gods relenting make Jonah a false prophet, when he prophesied!Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown? Not at all, for two good reasons. ! i. First, God acted in total consistency with His Word:!The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it.!(Jeremiah 18:7-8) Jonahs preaching was like all warnings of judgment: it was an invitation to repent and avert the promised judgment. His words had an implied if you do not repent in front of them. Remember that we are not told the sum total of Jonahs preaching; though we should assume that the statement in Jonah 3:5 is the central theme of what Jonah said, we should not assume it was!all!that he said. ! ii. Second, God did judge Nineveh (as recorded in the book of Nahum). Nevertheless, in light of their repentance He delayed it another 150 years. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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Micah 3 - Against Princes and Prophets

! A. God against the princes of His people.

! 1. (1-3) The violence of leaders against Gods people. !

And I said: Hear now, O heads of Jacob, and you rulers of the house of Israel: Is it not for you to know justice? You who hate good and love evil; who strip the skin from My people, and the flesh from their bones; who also eat the flesh of My people, flay their skin from them, break their bones, and chop them in pieces like meat for the pot, like flesh in the caldron.
! a.!Hear now, O heads of Jacob: Previously, Micah addressed his comments to Gods people in general. Now he specically speaks to their leaders, because they have both a special responsibility and accountability before God. ! b.!You who hate good and love evil: If this description isnt bad enough, Micah goes on to illustrate how terribly the leaders of Israel and Judah use the people - as if they were cannibals feasting on the people of God. ! i. Since the grinding poverty of the poor was leading them into an early grave, the prophet, in a sustained metaphor, depicts the magistrates responsible for creating these conditions as acting like cannibals. This grotesque gure aims to awaken the conscience of the reprobates. (Waltke) ! ii. This reminds us the people never exist for the sake of the leaders, but leaders are there for the sake of the people. A leader should never serve Gods people dominated by the question, What is in it for me? When they do, they are like the cannibalistic leaders described by Micah. ! 2. (4) Gods judgment of silence against corrupt leaders.

Then they will cry to the LORD, but He will not hear them; He will even hide His face from them at that time, because they have been evil in their deeds.
! a.!Then they will cry to the!LORD, but He will not hear them: This is one example of Gods judgment against the corrupt leaders. When they cry out for Gods help, He will remain silent. ! b.!He will even hide His face from them at that time: One aspect of the blessing pronounced by the priests of Israel was asked the!LORD!to!make His face shine upon you!(Numbers 6:25). Here, Micah promises the opposite of this blessing - that God would!even hide His face from them at that time. ! B. God against the false prophets to His people. ! 1. (5-7) The sin and promised judgment of false prophets. !

Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who make my people stray; who chant Peace while they chew with their teeth, but who prepare war against him who puts nothing into their mouths: Therefore you shall have night without vision, and you shall have darkness without divination; the sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them. So the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners abashed; indeed they shall all cover their lips; for there is no answer from God.

! a.!The prophets who make my people stray: Micah returns to a previous theme rst mentioned in Micah 2:11 - the false prophets who bring hollow comfort and pretend peace to Gods people. ! b.!The sun shall go down on the prophets: Through Micah, God announces that He will bring the false prophets into complete confusion and disrepute. They will have!no answer from God!and therefore they!shall be ashamed. ! 2. (8) Micahs condence as a true prophet of God. !

But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the LORD, and of justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.
! a.!I am full of power by the Spirit of the!LORD: In contrast to the coming shame of the false prophets, Micah has a justied condence in the!LORD!who called Him as a prophet. Because he knows God and is close to God and His word, Micah knows that he is!full of power by the Spirit of the!LORD. ! i. Micah also knew that the!power!came!by the Spirit of the!LORD, not by anything in Micah. The power also came fromjustice and might, because Micah knew he was on the side of Gods word and Gods strength. ! ii.!We must have the Holy Spirit, and if we have him not, all our machinery will stand still; or if it goes on, it will produce no effect whatever. I heard of a Christian man whose mill-wheel was noticed to be in motion on a certain Sunday. The people going to worship greatly wondered there at; but one who went by set their minds at rest by pointing out that the wheel was only turning idly round, because the water, by accident, was allowed to ow over it. But the man said, It is very like our minister and his sermons. There is no work being done, but the wheel goes round, clickety click, clickety click, though it is not grinding anything. Therein it also greatly resembles many an organization for spiritual service: the water is passing over it, glittering as it ows; but the outside motion does not join on to any human need, nor produce any practical result, and nothing comes of the

click and hum. (Spurgeon) ! b.!To declare to Jacob his transgression: Like most prophets in the Old Testament, Micahs job was to expose the sin of Gods people. ! i. We might say that under the New Covenant, prophets have a somewhat different calling. Under the Old Covenant, the law was not written on the heart of the believer and the Holy Spirit did not indwell each believer in the same way as under the New Covenant. ! ii. Therefore, there was a greater need for the convicting work of the Spirit of God coming from the outside, from prophets such as Micah. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul described the ministry of the prophet like this:!But he who prophesies speaks edication and exhortation and comfort to men!(1 Corinthians 14:3). This certainly doesnt mean that under the New Covenant prophecy will never be used to expose sin, but it certainly isnt its central purpose. ! 3. (9-12) Unrepentant Jerusalem will share Samarias fate of destruction. !

Now hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and pervert all equity, who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity: her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? No harm can come upon us. Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.
!

a.!Now hear this . . . who build up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity: In this chapter, Micah rst spoke to the judges, then to the prophets - now he speaks to the princes,!you heads of the house of Jacob. The rulers of Jerusalem were not much better than the rulers of Israel, and could expect similar judgment unless the repented. ! b.!Yet they lean on the!LORD, and say, Is not the!LORD!among us? No harm can come upon us: The leaders of Jerusalem had a false condence in religious ritual and form. All the while, judgment was appointed for Jerusalem unless they repented. ! i. The great thing about the Prophet Micah was that he was listened to. Hosea was ignored, and so was Amos. They threw Jeremiah in jail for his prophetic message of coming judgment. In contrast, King Hezekiah and the leadership of Judah listened to the Prophet Micah. ! ii. Jeremiah 26:17-19 describes how even a hundred years later the impact of Micah was remembered:!Then certain of the elders of the land rose up and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying: Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus says the!LORD!of hosts: Zion shall be plowed like a eld, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest. Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah ever put him to death? Did he not fear the!LORD!and seek the Lords favor? And the Lord relented concerning the doom which He had pronounced against them. But we are doing great evil against ourselves. ! iii. He was heard in the days of Hezekiah. A revival followed. Then, one hundred years later, his words were still remembered, and the memory of what happened earlier was used of God to spare the life of Jeremiah. (Boice) !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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Nahum 3 - Nineveh, the Wicked City

! A. The sin within Nineveh.

! 1. (1-4) The violence and immorality in Nineveh. !

Woe to the bloody city! It is all full of lies and robbery. Its victim never departs. The noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots! Horsemen charge with bright sword and glittering spear. There is a multitude of slain, a great number of bodies, countless corpses; they stumble over the corpses; because of the multitude of harlotries of the seductive harlot, the mistress of sorceries, who sells nations through her harlotries, and families through her sorceries.
! a.!Woe to the bloody city!!In his prophetic vision, Nahum takes a tour of the city of Nineveh and observes how ripe it is for judgment. He sees it is a busy city, full of the!noise of a whip and the noise of rattling wheels, of galloping horses, of clattering chariots. Yet it is busy with violence, deception, and idolatry. ! i. Not only where the rulers of Assyria terribly cruel, they!boasted!of the cruelty on monuments that exist in museums to this day. Boice quotes some of the choice boasts from various monuments: ! ! I cut off their heads and formed them into pillars

! Bubo, son of Buba, I ayed in the city of Arbela and I spread his skin upon the city wall ! I ayed all the chief men who had revolted, and I covered the pillar with their skins ! Many within the border of my own land I ayed, and spread their skins upon the

walls ! ! ! I cut off the limbs of the ofcers, the royal ofcers who had rebelled 3,000 captives I burned with re Their corpses I formed into pillars

! From son I cut off their hands and their ngers, and from other I cut off their noses, their ears, and their ngers, of many I put out their eyes ! I made one pillar of the living, and another of heads, I bound their heads to posts round about the city ! b.!Who sells the nations through her harlotries: It was bad enough that Nineveh indulged in this sin for herself; it was worse that she led the!nations!into violence, deception, and idolatry. For this, the judgment of God was coming. ! i. Thousands of tablets uncovered in the Mesopotamian valley show abysmal superstition. Hundreds of sorcery incantations have been brought to light. (Maier, cited in Boice) ! 2. (5-7) The wicked city is humbled. !

Behold, I am against you, says the LORD of hosts; I will lift your skirts over your face, I will show the nations your nakedness, and the kingdoms your shame. I will cast abominable filth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle. It shall come to pass that all who look upon you will flee from you, and say, Nineveh is laid waste! Who will bemoan her? Where shall I seek comforters for you?
! a.!I am against you: Nahum repeats this phrase, rst mentioned in Nahum 2:13. In the

rst mention, the emphasis was on the military defeat of Nineveh. Now, the emphasis is on the!humbling!of city. ! i. This reminds us the principle of 1 Peter 5:5:!Be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.!!Nineveh walked in pride, and as a result had the!LORD!against!them. How much better to be humble and receive the grace of God! ! b.!I will cast abominable lth upon you, make you vile, and make you a spectacle: The strength of the word of the!LORDalmost surprises us here. He will take the idols of Nineveh (abominable lth, the Hebrew word!shiqquts!often translated abomination) and throw them back in their face. ! c.!Make you vile: The idea behind the Hebrew word for!vile!(nabel) is that something is made weak, foolish, and contemptible. Nineveh walked high in their pride, but will certainly be brought low - with no one to comfort them (Where shall I seek comforters for you?). ! i. Again, this was literally fullled The ancient Greek historian Diodorus Siculus wrote of the destruction of Nineveh: So great was the multitude of the slain that the owing stream, mingled with their blood, changed its color for a considerable distance . . . They plundered the spoil of the city, a quantity beyond counting. (Boice) ! ii. Adam Clarke, writing before the discovery of the ruins in Nineveh in 1840, quotes an author commenting on the disappearance of the city: What probability was there that the capital city of a great kingdom, a city which was!sixty!miles in compass, a city which contained so many!thousand!inhabitants, a city which had walls a!hundred!feet high . . . And yet so totally was it destroyed that the place is hardly known where it was situated . . . Great as it was formerly, so little of it is remaining, that authors are not agreed even about its situation. ! B. Nineveh is ripe for judgment. ! 1. (8-11) Because of the way God judged other cities, Nineveh is ripe.

Are you better than No Amon that was situated by the River, that had the waters around her, whose rampart was the sea, whose wall was the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was boundless; Put and Lubim were your helpers. Yet she was carried away, she went into captivity; her young children also were dashed to pieces at the head of every street; they cast lots for her honorable men, and all her great men were bound in chains. You also will be drunk; you will be hidden; you also will seek refuge from the enemy.
! a.!Are you better than No Amon:!No Amon!is the Hebrew name for the Egyptian city of Thebes. Thebes was another wealthy, mighty city that was destroyed completely. The Assyrians in Nineveh knew this well, because it was their armies that destroyed Thebes. Nahum says, Remember what you did to!No Amon? The same is coming on you. ! b.!You also: We are like the Ninevites. We see empires and nations judged in our own day and in history, just like the Assyrians saw Thebes destroyed. Yet we, like the Ninevites, somehow think that we will be spared, despite our sinful arrogance and rebellion. ! 2. (12-15) Because of her own weakness, Nineveh is ripe. !

All your strongholds are fig trees with ripened figs: If they are shaken, they fall into the mouth of the eater. Surely, your people in your midst are women! The gates of your land are wide open for your enemies; fire shall devour the bars of yourgates. Draw your water for the siege! Fortify your strongholds! Go into the clay and

tread the mortar! Make strong the brick kiln! There the fire will devour you, the sword will cut you off; it will eat you up like a locust. Make yourself many; like the locust! Make yourself many; like the swarming locusts!
! a.!Your strongholds are g trees with ripened gs: As easily as ripe fruit falls from a shaken tree, so will the!strongholds!of Nineveh fall before the judgment of God. We often have our!strongholds!of sin and pride that we put great condence in, but they are ready to be shaken and fall to the ground. ! b.!Fire shall devour the bars of your gates: Archaeologists document the burning of Nineveh. The excavators of Nineveh have remarked on the large deposits of ash, which are evidence of a gigantic conagration. (Boice) ! c.!Draw your water for the siege: Nahum practically mocks the people of Nineveh, cheering them on to do the best they can in light of the coming judgment. They can prepare as many provisions and people they please, but it will all come to nothing against the judgment of God. ! 3. (16-19) Because her leaders are weak, Nineveh is ripe. !

You have multiplied your merchants more than the stars of heaven. The locust plunders and flies away. Your commanders arelike swarming locusts, and your generals like great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges on a cold day; when the sun rises they flee away, and the place where they are is not known. Your shepherds slumber, O king of Assyria; your nobles rest in the dust. Your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them. Your injury has no

healing, your wound is severe. All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you, for upon whom has not your wickedness passed continually?
! a.!Merchants . . . commanders . . . generals . . . shepherds . . . nobles: Each of these classes of leaders were numerous in Nineveh, but they all would be ineffective and come to nothing in the day of judgment. Despite their numbers, still!your people are scattered on the mountains, and no one gathers them. The sinful and rebellious leadership of Nineveh will be powerless against the judgment of God. ! b.!All who hear news of you will clap their hands over you: Nahum ends his prophecy with a view of the righteous and their triumph over the unrighteous. This is something that the people of God need to be often reminded of, because it often goes against present appearances. ! i. Because Nineveh was so known - even renowned - for its violence and cruelty, no wonder Nahum sees the nations applauding when the city is judged and destroyed. ! ii. In Psalm 73, Asaph dealt with this same problem. It seemed to him that the wicked constantly prospered and lived at ease. It troubled him so much that he doubted his own walk with God,!Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.!(Psalm 73:17-19) ! iii. For Nahum, Asaph, and for us today, we take comfort in knowing that the judgments of the!LORD!are faithful and true. We dont need to envy the unrighteous or seek vengeance against them ourselves. Nahum and Asaph each show us that God is more than able to take care of them and us, each according to His promise. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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Habakkuk 3 - The Prophets Prayer

! A. Seeking revival from the God of all power. ! 1. (1-2) A plea for revival. !

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth. O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.
! a.!A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet: The rst two chapters of Habakkuk give us the prophets question and answer time with God. Now that God has answered Habakkuk, the prophet brings a prayer to close the book. ! b.!O!LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years: Habakkuk simply prays for!revival. He knows how God once worked and how His people once responded, and Habakkuk wants to see that again. ! i. The prayer of Habakkuk shows us that revival is a work of God, not the achievement of man. There is something man can and must do for revival - simply cry out to God and plead for His reviving work. ! ii. Notice the prayer:!revive Your work. Often, my prayer is really revive!my!work, but I must have a heart and mind for Gods work, far bigger than my portion of it. Shake off all the bitterness of everything that has to do with self, or with party, and now pray, Lord, revive thy work, and if thy work happen to be more in one branch of the church than in another, Lord, give that the most reviving. Give us all the blessing, but do let thine own purposes be accomplished, and thine own glory come of it, and we shall be well

content, though we should be forgotten and unknown. (Spurgeon) ! iii. At the same time, this must be a!personal!prayer: LORD, revive!me. We too often blame the church for sin, corruption, laziness, prayerlessness, lack of spiritual power, or whatever - and we forget that!we are the church. Pray for personal revival and diligently search yourself: ! ! Check your conduct - does your walk glorify the!LORD!as it should? How about your!privateconduct, which only the!LORD!sees? ! Check your conversation - is your speech profane or impure? Do you talk about Jesus with others? ! ! c.!In the midst of the years make it known: Habakkuk longs for God to do a work that is!evident!to everyone as a work of God. He prays that revival would be!known!at a denite!time and place!(in the midst of the years), not just as an idea in someones head. ! d.!In wrath remember mercy: Habakkuk prays knowing well that they dont!deserve!revival, so he prays for!mercy. The idea is, LORD, I know that we deserve your!wrath, but in the midst of your!wrath remember mercy!and send revival among us. ! i. Sorrowfully, not wishing to be an accuser of the brethren, it does seem to me that considering the responsibilities which were laid upon us, and the means which God has given us, the church generally, (there are blessed exceptions!) has done so little for Christ that if Ichabod were written right across its brow, and it were banished from Gods house, it would have its deserts. We cannot therefore appeal to merit, it must be mercy. (Spurgeon) ! ii. O God, have mercy upon thy poor church, and visit her, and revive her. She has but a little strength; she has desired to keep thy word; oh, refresh her; restore to her thy power, and give her yet to be great in this land. (Spurgeon) ! Check your communion - are you living a growing, abiding life with Jesus?

2. (3-15) The power of God on behalf of His people. !

God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden. Before Him went pestilence, and fever followed at His feet. He stood and measured the earth; He looked and startled the nations. And the everlasting mountains were scattered, the perpetual hills bowed. His ways are everlasting. I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; the curtains of the land of Midian trembled. O LORD, were You displeased with the rivers, was Your anger against the rivers, was Your wrath against the sea, that You rode on Your horses, Your chariots of salvation? Your bow was made quite ready; oaths were sworn over Your arrows. Selah. You divided the earth with rivers. The mountains saw You andtrembled; the overflowing of the water passed by. The deep uttered its voice, and lifted its hands on high. The sun and moon stood still in their habitation; at the light of Your arrows they went, at the shining of Your glittering spear. You marched through the land in indignation; You trampled the nations in anger. You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck. Selah. You thrust through with his own arrows the head of his villages. They came out like a whirlwind to scatter

me; their rejoicing was like feasting on the poor in secret. You walked through the sea with Your horses, through the heap of great waters.
! a.!His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise: As Habakkuk prays for revival he begins to praise the God who brings revival. In this song of praise (punctuated by several expressions of!Selah, as in the Psalms) Habakkuk glories the power and majesty of God. ! i. It is good to praise God like this, and Gods people need to do more of it. It is good to praise God because . . . ! ! ! ! ! ! ! b.!You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed: As Habakkuk remembers how God has saved in the past, it makes him full of faith for what God can do right now and in the future. He also declares that salvation is brought!with Your Anointed!- and the!LORDs anointed is none other than the Messiah, Jesus Christ. ! B. The triumph of the prophets faith. ! 1. (16-18) Knowing Gods strength, Habakkuk can trust the!LORD!even in a crisis. ! Because it gives appropriate honor and glory to God Because declares Gods specic works Because it teaches and reminds us of who God is and what He has done Because it places man in proper perspective under God Because it builds condence in the power and works of God

When I heard, my body trembled; My lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered my bones; and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When he comes up to the people, he will invade them with his troops. Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines; though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food; though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
! a.!When I hard, my body trembled: Habakkuk shows the proper response of man under the sovereign power of God. He recognizes his own weakness and low standing before this God of all majesty and power. ! b.!He will invade him with his troops: The prophet remembers that the Babylonians are coming, and that this God of sovereign power and majesty is directing their work against Judah. ! c.!Though the g tree may not blossom, not fruit be on the vines . . . yet I will rejoice in the!LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation: In almost a vision, Habakkuk sees the Judean countryside desolate, perhaps from the invading Babylonian army or perhaps from natural calamity. In the midst of this almost complete loss, Habakkuk can still!rejoice in the!LORD. ! i. He knows that this God of majesty and power is not!diminished!because man faces difcult trials. Sometimes we think, If God is so great and powerful, how come I am going through a hard time? Habakkuk knew this was the wrong question and the wrong attitude. Instead, he says: I know you are strong and mighty, and if we are in desolate circumstances it is because we deserve it. I will praise You still, and even rejoice in You. ! ii.!Rejoice in the!LORD!. . . joy in the God of my salvation: With desolate

circumstances like he just described, Habakkuk can nd no joy in the!g tree!or in the!vines!or in the!elds!or!ock; yet God is unchanged. He can stillrejoice in the!LORD, because He is unchanging. ! iii. Habakkuk didnt just practice positive thinking and shut out the idea of the barren g tree and the empty cattle stalls. Instead, he saw those problems for what they were and remembered that God was greater than them all. ! d. Benjamin Franklin - who was not a Christian, though he had great respect for the Bible - used Habakkuk 3:17-19 to confound a group of sophisticated, cultured despisers of the Bible. When he was in Paris he heard this group mocking the Bible, and mocking Franklin for his admiration of it. One evening he came among them and said that he had a manuscript containing an ancient poem, that he was quite impressed by the poem and he wanted to read it to them. When he read Habakkuk 3:17-19, his listeners received it with praise and admiration - What a magnicent poem! they said, and wanted to know where they could get copies. Franklin told them to just look in Habakkuk chapter 3. ! 2. (19) Knowing Gods strength, Habakkuk can trust God for strength. !

The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deers feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.
! a.!The!LORD!God is my strength: Habakkuk can only properly pray this after he prayed the prayer of faith in the previous verses. He rightly declared that his strength was!not!in g trees or vines or elds or ocks, but only in the!LORD!God. ! i. We might even say that!what we praise is our strength. If by his words, life, or heart a man lives to praise his own achievements and resources, that those are his!strength. If by words, life, or heart one praises a person or an idea, then those are his!strength. We demonstrate that the!LORD!God!is our!strength!when we praise Him.

! b.!He will make my feet like deers feet: Habakkuk thought of the deer running about on the!high hills, never losing a step and never falling. More than that, the deer positively dance and leap on the hills - they are full of life and joy. So the prophet declares, God will set my steps that rmly and lively also. As I trust in Him, He will not allow me to slip or fall, and I will do more than merely plod along - I will skip about with life and joy. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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Zephaniah 3 - The Lord Rejoices Over the Restoration of His People

! A. A contrast between a wicked city and a righteous God. ! 1. (1-4) Jerusalem, the wicked city. !

Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city! She has not obeyed His voice, she has not received correction; she has not trusted in the LORD, she has not drawn near to her God. Her princes in her midst are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves that leave not a bone till morning. Her prophets are insolent, treacherous people; her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law.
! a.!Woe to her who is rebellious and polluted, to the oppressing city!!From the way that Zephaniah 2 ended we perhaps hoped that this!oppressing city!was Nineveh. From the references to!her prophets,!her priests, and the!sanctuary!and thelaw, we

know!Jerusalem!is the!oppressing city. ! b.!She has not . . . she has not . . . she has not . . . she has not: In repeating these four phrases, the prophet tells us the root of Jerusalems sin. ! i.!She has not obeyed His voice: God called to His people, but they did not listen. If there is any voice for the sheep to obey, it is the voice of the shepherd - but!she has not obeyed His voice. ! ii.!She has not received correction: Correction certainly came, but she did not!receive!it as correction from the!LORD. Instead it was a bad time, tough circumstances, whatever but!she has not received correction. ! iii.!She has not trusted in the!LORD: God never gave her a reason to stop trusting in Him; He never proved Himself unfaithful or untrustworthy. Now Gods people will openly deny and contradict Gods word and promises, showing that!she has not trusted in the!LORD. ! iv.!She has not drawn near to her God: The worst offence is saved for last. God longs for relationship with His people, but they rejected His desire and went their own way, so!she has not drawn near to her God. ! 2. (5-7) The righteous God. !

The LORD is righteous in her midst, He will do no unrighteousness. Every morning He brings His justice to light; He never fails, but the unjust knows no shame. I have cut off nations, their fortresses are devastated; I have made their streets desolate, with none passing by. Their cities are destroyed; there is no one, no inhabitant. I said, Surely you will fear Me, you will receive

instruction; so that her dwelling would not be cut off, despite everything for which I punished her. But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds.
! a.!The!LORD!is righteous in her midst: This makes the unrighteousness of His people even more criminal and tragic. God has been nothing but!righteous!to them, yet they respond with sin. Eventually they put themselves on the wrong side of Gods righteousness and face His!justice. ! b.!Surely you will fear Me, you will receive instruction . . . But they rose early and corrupted all their deeds: God brought His justice to the nations around Judah, and it should have warned Judah what would happen if they rejected God. Instead of learning from the surrounding nations, they dedicated themselves to ungodliness all the more. ! B. The promise of restoration. ! 1. (8-13) Judgment and restoration. !

Therefore wait for Me, says the LORD, Until the day I rise up for plunder; My determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all my fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy. For then I will restore to the peoples a pure language, that they all may call on the name of the LORD, to serve Him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering. In that day you shall not be shamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against

Me; for then I will take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride, and you shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain. I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall do no unrighteousness and speak no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth; for they shall feed their flocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.
! a.!Pour on them My indignation . . . then I will restore: In light of the repeated and chronic sin of the nations and of Gods own people, God will bring judgment - and then!restoration. ! b.!That they all may call on the name of the!LORD: In this ultimate restoration, God will give the world a common language again (a pure language), and the entire world will worship the!LORD, not only Israel. ! i. Most Bible scholars see this as fullled in the days of the Millennium, when Jesus reigns for 1,000 years over this earth after His return in power and glory. From this passage many scholars believe that in that day the world will go back to a common language - perhaps Hebrew. ! c.!To serve Him with one accord: Literally, this is!with one shoulder. The idea is that the shoulders are working together as one to bear the load of the work. ! d.!You shall no longer be haughty in My holy mountain: In the millennial earth Israel will be the worlds superpower, but she will not be proud or!haughty. Under the leadership of the Lord Jesus and His redeemed, she will know that her standing is all of grace. !

e.!For they shall feed their ocks and lie down, and no one shall make them afraid: This speaks of the peace and prosperity Israel will know in the millennial earth. ! 2. (14-20) Restored with singing. !

Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. I will gather those who sorrow over the appointed assembly, who are among you, to whom its reproach is a burden. Behold, at that time I will deal with all who afflict you; I will save the lame, and gather those who were driven out; I will appoint them for praise and fame in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will bring you back, even at the time I gather you; for I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I return your captives before your eyes, says the LORD.
! a.!Sing, O daughter of Zion!!In light of the glorious promise of restoration, Israel should sing and shout with joy. God will save and redeem them from both their enemies and their iniquities.

! b.!The!LORD!your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save: This passage gives us denite steps for consolation, as we understand that: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! c.!He will rejoice over you with gladness: We often underestimate the joy God has in His people, and too often think God is annoyed or irritated with us. Faulty as the church is, the Lord rejoices in her. While we mourn, as well we may, yet we do not sorrow as those that are without hope; for God does not sorrow, his heart is glad, and he is said to rejoice with joy - a highly emphatic expression. (Spurgeon) ! d.!He will rejoice over you with singing: We dont often think of God singing, but He does - and He sings!over!His people. This is how much joy and delight we give to the!LORD!- that He breaks into song! ! i. Think of the great Jehovah singing! Can you imagine it? Is it possible to conceive of the Deity breaking into a song: Father, Son and Holy Ghost together singing over the redeemed? God is so happy in the love which he bears to his people that he breaks the eternal silence, and sun and moon and stars with astonishment hear God chanting a hymn of joy. (Spurgeon) ! ii. If God sings, shall not we sing? He did not sing when he made the world. No; he looked upon it, and simply said that it was good. The angels sang, the sons of God shouted for joy: creation was very wonderful to them, but it was not much to God, who could have made thousands of worlds by his mere will. Creation could not make him sing . . . When all was done, and the Lord saw what became of it in the salvation of his redeemed, then he rejoiced after a divine manner. (Spurgeon) The!LORD!is in your midst The!LORD!is in your midst with power to save God takes joy in you God gives you rest in His love God sings over you

! e.!Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak: Knowing this is the tender love and care of God for us should make us respond two ways. First, we!do not fear!- if!the Mighty One!loves us and delights in us this way, what can we be afraid of? Second, we!let not your hands be weak!- knowing this mighty Lord of Love is for us, we want to be for!Him!with all of our energy. We will not become weak or weary in our service for Him. ! i. Fear thou not. What! Not a little? No, Fear thou not. But surely I may show some measure of trembling? No, Fear thou not. Tie that knot tight about the throat of unbelief. Fear thou not: neither this day, nor any day of thy life. When fear comes in, drive it away; give it no space. If God rests in his love, and if God sings, what canst thou have to do with fear? (Spurgeon) ! f.!I will gather . . . I will save: God promises to encourage the discouraged, to defeat our enemies, to heal the lame, and to gather the scattered. All this is for His!praise and fame!and for ours, because we are found in Him (I will give you fame and praise among all the peoples). !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Zechariah 3 - The Cleansing of Joshua the High Priest A. The vision of the!LORD, Satan, and Joshua the High Priest.

1. (1-3) The Angel of the!LORD!stands against Satan on Joshuas behalf. !

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to

Satan, The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.
! a.!Then he showed me Joshua the high priest: Joshua was the High Priest at the time (Haggai 1:1). In his vision, Zechariah sees the High Priest in the presence of the!LORD!(standing before the Angel of the!LORD), and he is!clothed with lthy garments. ! b.!Standing before the Angel of the!LORD: The phrase!standing before!has the idea of priestly service. Joshua isnt in Gods presence just as a spectator but as a ministering priest. ! c.!Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him: Satan hated the whole scene. He hates it when Gods people come into the presence of the!LORD. He hates it when they come into Gods presence to minister unto the!LORD. ! i. Satan must have been pointing to those [lthy clothes] and declaring forcefully that Joshua was unt to stand before the Lord in this ofce. (Boice) !

ii. This is all according to character for!Satan. The name Satan literally means!adversary!or!opponent. He stands against us in spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). If you think it is bad to have Satan as an adversary, would you rather have him as a friend? ! d.!The!LORD!rebuke you, Satan!!We see the!LORD!- either directly, if the Angel of the!LORD!is Jesus in this place, or indirectly exercising authority through the Angel of the!LORD!standing before!Satan!and preventing his advance. ! i. God does allow Satan to attack and harass His people, but He always strictly regulates what Satan is allowed to do. Satan wanted to destroy Simon Peter, sifting him like wheat (Luke 22:31-32) but Jesus prayed for Peter and stood beside him and did not allow Satan to carry out every evil intention of his heart. ! ii.!Take note that this rebuke comes at the right season. When Satan accuses, Christ pleads. He does not wait till the case has gone against us and then express his regret, but he is always a very present help in time of trouble. He knows the heart of Satan, being omniscient God, and long before Satan can accuse he puts in the demurrer, the blessed plea on our behalf, and stays the action till he gives an answer which silences for ever every accusation. (Spurgeon) ! iii.!The!LORD!rebuke you: Jude 1:9 tells us that Michael the archangel used this same phrase in battling against Satan. The

example here of the Angel of the!LORD!and of Michael shows us a model for spiritual warfare - that we always should battle with the!LORDs authority. ! e.!The!LORD!who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you: With this phrase, God reinforces the important standing of!Jerusalemin His eyes. As mentioned in Zechariah 2:12 it is His!Holy Land. ! f.!Is this not a brand plucked from the re?!Joshua the High Priest had a place of high standing - next to the Angel of theLORD!and protected against Satanic attack. Still, this place of high privilege was not based on Joshuas own goodness or merit; he himself was rescued as a!brand plucked from the re. This is even more boldly stated in that Joshua stands!clothed in lthy garments. Satan had a lot to accuse Joshua of, but Joshua had an even greater advocate in the Angel of the!LORD. ! i. A!brand!is a burning, burnt, or smoldering piece of wood. Think of a campre with a blackened, charred chunk of wood smoking in the ashes. It isnt worth much at all and will be consumed completely if it isnt!plucked from the re. ! ii. So it is with the child of God. What is he at the best? Till he is taken up to heaven, he is nothing but a brand plucked out of the re. It is his daily moan that he is a sinner; but Christ accepts him as he is: and he shuts the devils mouth by telling him, Thou sayest this man is black - of course he is: what did I think he was but that? He is a brand plucked out of the re. I plucked him out

of it. He was burning when he was in it: he is black now he is out of it. He was what I knew he would be; he is not what I mean to make him, but he is what I knew he would be. I have chosen him as a brand plucked out of the re. What hast thou to say to that? Do observe that this plea did not require a single word to be added to it from Joshua. (Spurgeon) ! iii.!Such is the divine economy, that God makes much of brands, fragments, castaways. What others regard as unworthy of their heed is dear and priceless to the great Lover of souls. (Meyer) ! iv. This question, as it appears to me, will bear three renderings; rst, it may be looked upon as!an exclamation of wonder:!Is not this a brand plucked out of the re! Secondly,!as an enquiry or hope:!Is not!this!a brand - this one particularly, plucked out of the re? And, in the third place, it is certainly!a deance for us, assured of our safety, to throw into the face of Satan, the accuser:!Is not this a brand plucked out of the re? (Spurgeon) ! v.!When John Wesley was only six years old, he was trapped in a burning house and was only rescued when one neighbor climbed on anothers shoulders and pulled him out of window. A picture of the scene was drawn for Wesley and he kept the drawing until he died, and wrote under it Zechariah 3:2:!Is this not a brand plucked from the burning? ! 2. (4-5) Joshuas iniquity is removed, and is given clean

garments. !

Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And to him He said, See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes. And I said, Let them put a clean turban on his head. So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of theLORD stood by.
! a.!Take away the lthy garments from him: As Joshua the High Priest stood in the presence of the!LORD, Satan accused him and on seemingly solid grounds - Joshua was guilty of standing before God in!lthy garments. Nevertheless, the!LORD!xed the problem by cleansing Joshua, taking away the!lthy garments!and the!iniquity!they represented. ! i. The Hebrew word translated!lthy!is the strongest expression in the Hebrew language for lth of the most vile and loathsome character. (Feinberg, cited in Barker) ! b.!And I will clothe you with rich robes: Joshua not only enjoys having his!iniquity!removed, he also is given a!positiverighteousness - clothed with!rich robes. The thought of being clothed by God in righteousness runs from Genesis

(Genesis 3:7 and 3:21) to Revelation (Revelation 7:13-14). ! c.!Let them put a clean turban on his head: The!turban!was part of the High Priests garments and on the front it had a gold plate inscribed with the phrase!HOLINESS TO THE LORD!(Exodus 28:36-38). ! B. Gods message to Joshua the High Priest. ! 1. (6-7) A personal admonishment and promise to Joshua. !

Then the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.
! a.!If you will walk in My ways and if you will keep my command: Joshua in Zechariahs day was admonished much the same way that the rst Joshua was admonished.!Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you

go.!(Joshua 1:7) ! b.!Then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts: God promised Joshua that he would indeed continue to serve as High Priest as he was diligent to stay obedient to God. ! c.!I will give you places to walk among these who stand here: God promised Joshua privileged access into the presence of God. This isnt a surprising promise for a High Priest, but we have the same promise:!Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and nd grace to help in time of need.!(Hebrews 4:16) ! 2. (8-10) A prophetic message of Messiah and His reign. !

Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign; for behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription, says the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, says the LORD of hosts, everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine

and under his fig tree.

! a.!I am bringing forth My Servant the!BRANCH: BRANCH is used several times as a title for the Messiah (Isaiah 4:2 and 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15). The!BRANCH!is associated with fruitfulness and life. Jesus used the same image when He said that He was the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5). ! b.!For behold, the stone I have laid before Joshua: If a branch seems weak, then God gives us another picture - a!stone, having!seven eyes. In the thinking of the ancient world eyes represented knowledge because we learn more through our eyes than any other way. The!seven eyes!speak of the perfection and fullness of the knowledge and wisdom of the Messiah. ! c.!I will engrave its inscription: Early Christians saw the engraving on the stone to be a picture of Jesus wounds but the engraving could also be a mark of identication or beautication. ! d.!Everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his g tree: This is a proverbial expression that means prosperity and peace (1 Kings 4:25, 2 Kings 18:31) - ultimately, the peace that the reign of the Messiah brings. This vision and word from Zechariah shows how much God wanted to encourage and strengthen Joshua, and He does it in the best way: setting his eyes on our Messiah, Jesus Christ. Thats our best

encouragement also. !
2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

! Malachi 3 - The Messenger of the Covenant

! A. The coming of the two messengers. ! 1. (1) The two messengers are introduced. !

Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
! a.!Behold, I send My messenger: This prophesied!messenger!is none other than John the Baptist. Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, and Luke 7:27 each apply this promise to John the Baptist. ! i. At the end of Malachi 2, Israel complained that God seemed to reward the wicked and did not exercise His justice in the world. God responds to their complaint by saying, I will set things right with My Messiah, and before Him will come!My messenger. ! b.!And he will prepare the way before Me: In an ancient royal procession the messenger went before the King to announce his arrival, to indicate the route, and to remove any obstacles in the road. John the Baptist fullled this exact ministry for Jesus.

The same idea is indicated in Isaiah 40:3-5. ! i. Gods purpose for bringing this specic prophecy through Malachi in his day was probably because Israel complained that the Messianic promises of Haggai and Zechariah were not fullled. Here Malachi shows that the way for the Messiah must be!prepared, and they arent ready yet. ! ii.!Before Me: The!LORD!promises that He Himself will come - not merely a new or better prophet, but the!LORD!Himself. ! c.!Even the Messenger of the covenant: This second messenger is the!LORD!Himself Jesus coming to!His temple!as the fulllment of the old covenant and to institute a new covenant. ! 2. (2-5) This second Messenger will also come with purifying judgment; it will be a fearful coming. !

But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiners fire and like launderers soap. He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the LORD, as in the days of old, as in former years. And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien; because they do not fear Me, says

the LORD of hosts.

! a.!Who can endure the day of His coming?!Malachi 3:1 spoke of two messengers to come - one to prepare the way of theLORD, and one to be the!Messenger of the covenant. The!coming!that man must!endure!is the coming of the!Messenger of the covenant, but it is His!second coming. ! i. Like most Old Testament prophets, Malachi, in his picture of the coming Christ, mingled the two advents. (Alden) ! b.!He is like a reners re and like launderers soap: The coming of this second Messenger will be awesome and terrible, but with a purpose. Both the launderer and the rener work to clean, not to destroy. ! i.!He will sit as a rener and a purier of silver: The beauty of this picture is that the rener looks into the open furnace, or pot, and knows that the process of purifying is complete, and the dross all burnt away, when he can see his image plainly reected in the molten metal. (Baldwin) ! ii. If any of you, my hearers, are seeking the Lord at this time, I want you to understand what it means: you are seeking a re which will test you, and consume much which has been dear to you. We are not to expect Christ to come and save us in our sins, he will come and save us from our sins; therefore, if yon are enabled by faith to take Christ as a Savior, remember that you take him as the purger and the purier, for it is from sin that he saves us. (Spurgeon) ! iii. We note that!He!will sit as a rener. What a comfort it is that He surrenders this work to no other hands than his own. He may give his angels charge concerning us when we are in danger; but he keeps our purication beneath his special superintendence. (Meyer) ! iv. At the same time, notice that!He will!sit!as a rener. The!sitting!posture shows that the rener may seem indifferent, but He is not. He is carefully working with the silver, burning off and scraping away the dross that that the ames bring to the top. I think I see

in the sitting down of the rener a settled patience, as if he seemed to say, This is stern work, and I will sit down to it, for it will need care, and time, and constant watchfulness. (Spurgeon) ! v. If you are just now in the re, dear soul, be of good cheer - it shows at least that you are silver, and are capable of performing more acceptable service in Gods holy Temple. (Meyer) ! c.!He will purify the sons of Levi: In the rst two chapters of Malachi, the!LORD!spoke out against the corruption of the priesthood. Here, God gives His ultimate answer for that corruption - the Messiah!will purify the sons of Levi. ! i. Have you ever reected upon the fact that when Christs rening work is done upon us there will never be any need for it again? Blessed be God, there is no purgatorial re. We need not dread that we have yet to pass through purging ames in another world. (Spurgeon) ! d.!I will be a swift witness against sorcerers: Gods ultimate purpose is to cleanse society, and to change the hearts of men. When Jesus returns in glory and rules on this earth, evil will be quickly punished. ! i.!Sorcerers: This sin is mentioned rst because the Jews became familiar with sorcery and other magical arts during their captivity in Babylon. ! B. Returning to God instead of robbing God. ! 1. (6-7) While declaring His mercy, God asks for repentance. !

For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances

and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts. But you said, In what way shall we return?
! a.!I am the!LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed: If it were!possible!for God to change His mind about us, He might very well do it and we would be!consumed. Fortunately the!LORD!does!not change!in His love or His choice towards us. ! b.!Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances: Gods unchanging love for Israel should have made them more obedience and submitted to Him, but they presumed upon His faithfulness and patience. ! c.!Return to Me, and I will return to you: In its most basic sense, repentance is turning away from sin and turning to God. It isnt so much!required!if we want to return to God; repentance describes what the very act of returning is. ! d.!In what way shall we return?!Israel didnt know how to return to God. Either they!chose!not to know or they simply were ignorant. ! 2. (8-12) How Israel needed to repent. !

Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, In what way have we robbed You? In tithes and offerings. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me, even this whole nation. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this, says the LORD of hosts, If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be

room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field, says the LORD of hosts; and all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, says the LORD of hosts.
! a.!Will a man rob God?!It seems crazy to think that a man could rob God. What could someone possibly steal from God? TheLORD!makes it clear - they!robbed God!by withholding their!tithes and offerings. ! i. Its an expression of astonishment:!Will a!man!rob God? ! ! ! ! ! ! ii. God calls it robbery because they had unlawful possession of what belonged to God. It isnt because!only!the!tithes and offerings!belonged to God. In fact,!everything!we have belongs to God (Psalm 24:1). Yet God does not normally command us to give everything that belongs to Him; He allows us to keep some as managers on His behalf. But thetithes and offerings!are different; they are not given to us to manage - they belong to what the!LORD!calls!My house, the!house!of the!LORD. ! iii. If you give a tithe - that is, 10% of your income or assets - to God, it isnt as if the remaining 90% is yours to do with as you please. It all belongs to God, but He allows you to directly manage the remaining 90%. ! iv. The Law of Moses had a detailed system of giving based on the tithe (Deuteronomy Astonishing because it is such a daring thing to do Astonishing because it is shamefully ungrateful Astonishing because it is senselessly self-destructive Astonishing because it will certainly be punished

14:22-29 is one passage describing this system). If you failed to pay your tithe, you were assessed a 20% penalty (Leviticus 5:14-16; 22:14; 27:31-32). Nevertheless, tithing predated the law (Genesis 14:18-20). ! b.!You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed Me: Because Gods people did not give as He commanded, God did not bless them materially or spiritually the way He would have otherwise. Their stingy hearts proved that their hearts were far from God, because God is the greatest giver (John 3:16). ! i. Many people with nancial problems fail to do the most important thing rst: obey and honor God with their resources. When we put God and His kingdom rst, He promises to meet our other needs (Matthew 6:33). ! c.!Bring all the tithes into the storehouse: This was the answer to their problems - to actually!do!what God commanded them to do, and to!bring!all!the tithes!to God. It wasnt that they didnt give anything to God; they simply did not!bring!all!the tithesto Him. They must not fall short in giving God everything that He asked for. ! i. Under the New Covenant, are we under a similar command to tithe? The New Testament nowhere specically commands tithing, but it certainly does speak of it in a positive light, if it is done with a right heart (Luke 11:42). ! ii. It is also important to understand that tithing is not a principle that depends on the Law of Moses. Hebrews 7:5-9 explains that tithing was practiced and honored by God before the Law of Moses. ! iii. What the New Testament does speak with great clarity on is the principle of!giving. 1 Corinthians 16:1-4 makes it clear that our giving must be: ! ! ! ! Periodic Planned Proportional

! !

Private

iv. As well, 2 Corinthians 9 tells us that giving must be: ! ! ! ! ! v. Since the New Testament doesnt emphasize tithing, one might not be strict on it for Christians (though some Christians do argue against tithing on the basis of self-interest). Nevertheless, giving is to be proportional so we should give!somepercentage so ten percent is a good benchmark. For some, 10% should really be the beginning of their giving. ! vi. If our question is, how little can I give and still please God? then our heart isnt in the right place at all.!!We should have the attitude of some early Christians, who essentially said: Were not under the tithe - we can give!more!!!Giving and nancial management are!spiritual!issues not just a nancial issues (Luke 16:11). ! d.!That there may be food in My house: The purpose of the tithe was primarily to support the priests who ministered before theLORD. When the people did not bring their tithes, the priests were not properly supported and there was not enough!food!for them in the!house!of the!LORD. ! i. The tithe in Israel was also to be used to help the poor, and once every three years some of it was put aside for that purpose (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). Still, the main purpose for the tithe was to support the tribe of Levi and the priests (Deuteronomy 14:27). ! ii. The same principle carries over in the New Testament. Some think that a paid ministry is an abomination before God, but Paul made it clear that not only do ministers deserve to be supported by those they minister to (1 Timothy 5:18, 2 Corinthians 9:4-14) but also that their support is even more worthy than the poor (1 Timothy 5:17). Nevertheless, Paul voluntarily yielded his right to be supported when he thought it was in the best interests Generous Freely given Cheerful

of the gospel to do so (2 Corinthians 9:12, 9:15). ! e.!And try Me now in this: Its hard to nd a comparable passage of Scripture - where the!LORD!commands!His people to test Him. Here, in regard to giving and His blessing of it, He tells His people try Me now in this. See if you can give to Me and be the poorer for it. See if you can out-give Me. ! i. The context for Gods words about tithes is the teaching that God is faithful. The matter of tithes is only an illustration of that teaching. (Boice) ! f.!Open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it: This is the response God promises when His people give as He tells them to. He will bless them both with provision and protection (I will rebuke the devourer). ! i. The reference to the!windows of heaven!reminds us of the glorious account of provision in 2 Kings 7, when God provided in a completely unexpected way. God has resources that we know nothing about, and it is often of no help to try and gure out - or worry about - how God will provide. ! C. What good is it to serve God? ! 1. (13-15) Gods people ask the question. !

Your words have been harsh against Me, says the LORD, Yet you say, What have we spoken against You? You have said, It is useless to serve God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the LORD of hosts? So now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are raised up; they even tempt God and go

free.
! a.!Your words have been harsh against Me: Israel spoke against the!LORD!in a harsh and sinful way - and they apparently didnt even realize they did it. ! b.!It is useless to serve God: These were the harsh words spoken by Gods people against God. They saw the prosperity of theproud!and those who did!wickedness, and they felt that it was!useless to serve God!as long as those who didnt serve Him seemed to have it so good. ! i. It cost something to keep Gods!ordinance, and they had to humble themselves to walk!as mourners before theLORD. Yet it seemed to Gods people that cost wasnt worth the reward. ! 2. (16-18) The comfort of knowing that God remembers. !

Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name. They shall be Mine, says the LORDof hosts, On the day that I make them My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
! a.!Then those who feared the!LORD!spoke to one another: Discouraged by the sense that it wasnt worth the trouble to serve God, the people of God came together -!spoke to

one another!- and encouraged each other in the!LORD. ! i. When Gods people speak to one another in this way, the!LORD!listens from heaven. He loves to see true fellowship and love among His people. ! b.!A book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the!LORD!and who meditate on His name: When they saw the wicked rewarded and the righteous suffer, it made them think that God forgot all their good. Here Malachi promises that not only will God remember, but He will write it down! ! i. The thought that God has a!book of remembrance!is common, but varied (Exodus 32:32-33; Psalm 69:28; 87:6; Daniel 12:1). ! c.!They shall be Mine . . . My jewels: In the midst of suffering, assaulted by doubt and discouragement, Gods people didnt feel like Gods!jewels. Yet their feeling didnt change the fact, and they needed to let Gods fact be greater than their feeling. ! i. It was a spiritually low time for Israel - the priests and the people were steeped in corruption and mediocrity. At the same time, God always has His!jewels. Even if everyone around you turns away from the!LORD, you can still be one of Hisjewels. ! ii. Ways that Christians are like!jewels: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! They are hard and durable They are prized for their luster They are prized for their rarity They are made by God alone They are of all different sizes, yet they are all jewels They are found all over the world

! ! ! ! !

They are associated with royalty They are protected Some are hidden and undiscovered Some are not yet polished

d.!Then you shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked: One day this dilemma will be cleared up. In the end, the distinction between the!righteous!and the!wicked!will be evident. !

2001 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Matthew 3 - The Ministry of John the Baptist

! A. The public ministry of John the Baptist. ! 1. (1-2) The message of John the Baptist. !

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

a.!In those days John the Baptist came: Matthew introduces us to one of the fascinating characters of the New Testament. This was the John born to Zacharias and Elisabeth, whose miraculous birth to this too-old couple was announced, along with his call to be the forerunner of the Messiah, in Luke 1. ! i.!In those days: "It is a general term that reveals little chronologically but insists that the

account is historical." (Carson) ! b.!Preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent": John's message was a call to repentance. Some people think that repentance is mostly about!feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. It is wonderful to feel sorry about your sin, but!repent!isn't a "feelings" word. It is an!action!word. John told his listeners to make a change of the mind, not merely to feel sorry for what they had done. Repentance speaks of a change of direction, not a sorrow in the heart. ! i. Is repentance something we must!do!before we can come to God? Yes and no. Repentance does not describe something we must do before we come to God; it describes what coming to God is like. If you are in New York, and I tell you to come to Los Angeles, I don't really need to say "Leave New York and come to Los Angeles." To come to Los Angeles!is!to leave New York, and if I haven't left New York, I certainly haven't come to Los Angeles. We can't come to the!kingdom of heaven!unless we leave our sin and the self-life. ! ii. The call to repentance is important and must not be neglected. It is entirely accurate to say that it is the!rst word of the gospel. ! ! ! Repent!was the!rst word!of John the Baptist's gospel (Matthew 3:1-2). Repent!was the!rst word!of Jesus' gospel (Matthew 4:14 and Mark 1:14-15).

! Repent!was the!rst word!in the preaching ministry of the twelve disciples (Mark 6:12). ! Repent!was the!rst word!in the preaching instructions Jesus gave to His disciples after His resurrection (Luke 24:46-47). ! Repent!was the!rst word!of exhortation in the rst Christian sermon (Acts 2:38).

! Repent!was the!rst word!in the mouth of the Apostle Paul through his ministry (Acts 26:19-20). ! iii. The!wilderness!John preached in wasn't exactly desert. "It is hot and, apart from the Jordan itself, largely arid, though not unpopulated." (Carson)

! c.!For the kingdom of heaven is at hand: John wanted people to know that!the kingdom of heaven!was!near!- as close as yourhand. It wasn't as distant or as dreamy as they had imagined. This is why John was so urgent in his call to repentance. If the!kingdom of heaven is at hand, then we must get ready!now. ! i. John's main message wasn't "You're a sinner, you need to repent." John's main message was "Messiah the King is coming." The call to repentance was the!response!to the news that the King and His kingdom were coming - indeed, already here in one sense. ! ii. Some dispensationalists see a difference between the!kingdom of heaven!and the!kingdom of God, the dominant terms used in Mark and Luke. The idea is that the!kingdom of God!is a now-present spiritual kingdom, but the!kingdom of heaven!refers to the coming millennial earth in its splendor. A much better explanation is that Matthew simply used the term!kingdom of heaven!instead of!kingdom of God!so as to avoid offence to Jewish readers, who often rejected direct references to God and would refer to His dwelling place instead of Him directly. ! iii. Adam Clarke gives a further idea: "But why is it called the!kingdom of!HEAVEN? Because God designed that his kingdom of grace here should resemble the kingdom of glory above. And hence our Lord teaches us to pray, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." ! 2. (3-4) The identity of John the Baptist. !

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'" And John himself was clothed in camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.

a.!Prepare the way of the!LORD: Matthew used this passage from Isaiah 40:3 to identify John the Baptist as the prophesied forerunner of the Messiah. In this role, John's purpose was to!prepare!hearts for the Messiah, and to bring an awareness of sin among Israel so they could receive the salvation from sin offered by the Messiah (Matthew 1:12). ! i. "According to John 1:23, the Baptist once applied this passage to himself. Here Matthew does it for him." (Carson) ! b.!Make His paths straight: The passage Matthew quotes from (Isaiah 40:3) has in mind building up a great road for the arrival of a majestic king. The idea is to ll in the holes and knock down the hills that are in the way. ! i. "The idea is taken from the practice of eastern monarchs, who, whenever they entered upon an expedition, or took a journey through a desert country, sent!harbingers!before them, to prepare all things for their passage; and!pioneers!to!open!the!passes, tolevel!the!ways, and to!remove!all!impediments." (Clarke) ! ii. The idea of preparing the way of the!LORD!is a word picture, because the real preparation must take place in our hearts. Building a road is very much like the preparation God must do in our hearts. They are both expensive, they both must deal with many different problems and environments, and they both take an expert engineer. ! iii. Jesus was the coming Messiah and King, and John the Baptist was the one!crying in the wilderness, and through his message of repentance, he worked to!prepare the way of the!LORD. We often fail to appreciate how important the!preparing!work of theLORD!is. Any great work of God begins with great!preparation. ! iv. "Men's hearts were like a wilderness, wherein there is no way; but as loyal subjects throw up roads for the approach of beloved princes, so were men to welcome the Lord, with their hearts made right and ready to receive him." (Spurgeon) !

v. In Isaiah 40:3 the way of Yahweh is prepared and made straight; in Matthew 3:3 it is the way of Jesus. This identication of Jesus with Yahweh is common in the New Testament (as in Exodus 13:21 and 1 Corinthians 10:4; Isaiah 6:1 and John 12:41). ! c.!Clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt: In his personality and ministry, John the Baptist was patterned after the bold Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), who fearlessly called Israel to repentance. ! i. "Both Elijah and John had stern ministries in which austere garb and diet conrmed their message and condemned the idolatry of physical and spiritual softness." (Carson) ! ii. In the spirit of today's age, John's ministry would have been very different. He wouldn't start in the wilderness. He wouldn't dress funny. He wouldn't preach such a straightforward message. He would use marketing surveys and focus groups to hone his message and presentation. John wasn't motivated by the spirit of today's age, but by the Spirit of God. ! iii. It wasn't that John the Baptist was!trying to be!this Elijah-like forerunner predicted in Malachi 4:5, as if he decided on his own to make this his destiny and public image. John knew the words spoken to his father Zacharias before he was born:!He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children," and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.!(Luke 1:17) This is simply who John the Baptist!was, and one might say he was this before he was even created in the womb. ! iv. "His diet, though limited, was nutritious and readily available in the wilderness." (France) ! iv. "Lord, let not my meat, my drink, or garments, hinder me in thy work!" (Spurgeon) ! 3. (5-6) The success of John's ministry. !

Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the

Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

a.!Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him: John's ministry met with wonderful response. There were many people who recognized their sinfulness, their need to get ready for the Messiah, and were willing to!do!something about it. ! i. Under the blessing of God, John's message of repentance and call to prepare for the Messiah bore great fruit. "Baptism was for sinners, and no Jew ever conceived of himself as a sinner shut out from God. Now for the rst time in their national history the Jews realized their own sin and their own clamant need of God. Never before had there been such a unique national movement of penitence and of search for God." (Barclay) ! ii. "His preaching created a widespread revival movement, and his followers constituted a signicant group within Judaism which maintained its separate existence beyond the New Testament period." (France) ! iii. Josephus actually wrote more about John the Baptist than he did about Jesus. The inuence of John the Baptist is evident decades after his ministry began, as seen in Acts 18:25 and 19:3. ! iv.!All Judea, and all the region: "The term!all!here twice repeated, is enough to let us know, that it is often in Scripture signicative no further than!many, for it cannot be imagined that every individual person in Jerusalem and the region about Jordan went to hear John the Baptist, but a great many did." (Poole) ! b.!And were baptized by him: With baptism, John offered a ceremonial washing that confessed sin and!did something!to demonstrate repentance. Before we can gain the kingdom of heaven, we must recognize our poverty of spirit (Matthew 5:3). This type of awareness of sin is the foundation for most revivals and awakenings. !

i. Baptism simply means to "immerse or overwhelm." John didn't sprinkle when he!baptized. As was the custom in some other Jewish ceremonial washings, John completely immersed those he baptized. "Naturally, therefore, the baptism was not a mere sprinkling with water, but a bath in which his whole body was bathed." (Barclay) ! ii. Baptism was practiced in the Jewish community already in the form of ceremonial immersions, but typically it was only among Gentiles who wished to become Jews. For a Jew in John's day to submit to baptism was essentially to say, "I confess that I am as far away from God as a Gentile and I need to get right with Him." This was a real work of the Holy Spirit. ! iii. John's baptism might have been related to the Jewish practice of baptizing Gentile converts, or to some of the ceremonial washings practiced by the Jews of that day. Though it may have some links, at the same time it was!unique!- so unique that John simply became known as "the Baptizer." If there were a lot of people doing that, it wouldn't be a unique title. ! iv. "John's baptism was an innovation. The nearest contemporary parallels are the selfbaptism of a Gentile on becoming a proselyte, and the repeated ritual washings (also selfadministered) at Qumran." (France) ! v. Christian baptism is like John's in the sense that it demonstrates repentance, but it is also more. It is being!baptized into Christ, that is, into His death and resurrection (Romans 6:3). ! c.!Confessing their sins: This was another important aspect, and is a partner to the call to repentance. These Jewish people were very serious about getting right with God. ! i. "The participle means,!while confessing; not, provided they confessed. This confession of sins by individuals was a new thing in Israel. There was a collective confession on the great day of atonement, and individual confession in certain specied cases (Numbers 5:7), but no great spontaneous self-unburdenment of penitent souls - every man apart. It must have been a stirring sight." (Bruce) ! ii. "The 'Confessing their sins' which went with baptism in the Jordan gave it its meaning.

Apart from the acknowledgement of guilt, it would have been a mere bathing of the person without spiritual signicance." (Spurgeon) ! 4. (7-12) John's confrontation with the Pharisees and Sadducees. !

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

a.!When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming: This is our introduction to these two important groups in rst-century Judaism. These two groups were very different and often in conict. Together they represented the leadership of Judaism. !

i. Matthew Poole pointed out four things about the Pharisees. ! ! They believed that one was made righteous by keeping the law, and they believed themselves to be righteous in this way. ! ! They often misinterpreted the law. They held many traditions to be of equal authority to Scripture.

! They were often hypocrites in their practice, neglecting the core and spirit of the law for aspects of outward observance. ! ii. Bruce called the Pharisees "Legal precisians,!virtuosi!in religion." Of the Sadducees, he said they were "Men of affairs and of the world, largely of the sacerdotal class." ! b.!Brood of vipers! Who warned you to ee from the wrath to come: John accused these leaders of wanting to!appear!anxious for the Messiah, but not truly repenting and preparing their hearts. Therefore John demanded!fruits worthy of repentance. ! i. "Many Pharisees and Sadducees may have come for baptism with the ostentation that characterized their other religious activities... they were showing the world how ready they were for Messiah, though they had not truly repented." (Carson) John reminded them that real repentance will show itself in life. It has to be a matter of!living!repentance, not just!talking!repentance. ! ii. "You come here and thrust yourselves into a crowd of penitents, but this is not enough, true repentance is not a barren thingyou must bring forth the fruits of holiness, fruits that may answer the nature of true repentance." (Poole) ! iii. Of course most of the Jewish people believed in!the wrath to come; the difference was the targets of that judgment. "They conceived of the judgment as concerning the heathen peoples; he thought of it as concerning the godless in Israel." (Bruce) ! iv. We can learn much from John the Baptist's preaching, "Flee from the wrath to

come." ! ! ! ! ! ! This wrath is the!wrath!of!God. This wrath is fair and well deserved. This wrath is often ignored or disregarded because it is not immediate; it is!to come. This wrath is not any less certain just because it is delayed and is!to come. This wrath is terrible when it comes because it is God's wrath.

! This wrath cannot be stood against; the only way to survive is to successfully!ee!from it. ! v. What John told them to do is also instructive:!ee. ! ! ! ! ! c.!Do not think to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father": John warns them to stop trusting in their Jewish heritage because they must truly repent, not simply trust in Abraham's merits. ! i. It was widely taught in that day that Abraham's merits were plenty for any Jew's salvation and that a Jewish person!couldn't!go to hell. John points out that these Pharisees and Sadducees are of a different family; they are a!brood of vipers!- meaning a family associated with serpents! ! ii.!Even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees: "It has been well observed, that there is an allusion here to a woodman, who, having marked a tree for excision, lays his axe at its root, and strips off his outer garment, that he may wield his blows more powerfully, and that his work may be quickly performed." (Clarke) To!ee!implies!immediate action. To!ee!implies!swift action. To!ee!implies!straight movement with no diversions.

! iii. "No mere pruning and trimming work did John come to do; he was the handler of a sharp axe that was to fell every worthless tree." (Spurgeon) ! d.!I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: John's baptism was one of!repentance. In this regard, it was not identical to Christian baptism or!baptism into Christ!(Romans 6:3), which includes a demonstration of repentance and cleansing, but also recognizes the believer's identication with Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3-4). ! e.!Whose sandals I am not worthy to carry: John recognizes his own place before Jesus. He is one!not worthy to carry!the!sandalsof Jesus, and he did not consider himself far above those whom he has called to repentance, and he knew where he stood in relation to Jesus (instead of becoming proud of the crowds he drew and the response he saw). ! i. In saying this, John put himself lower in relation to Jesus than a normal disciple of a normal rabbi. "A Rabbi's disciple was expected to act virtually as his master's slave, but to remove his shoes was too low a task for even a disciple (Ketuboth!96a)." ! f.!He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and re. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing oor: John warns them to prepare for the Messiah's coming, because He is coming with judgment. ! i.!Baptize you with the Holy Spirit: This is the promised out-pouring of the Spirit promised with the New Covenant (Ezekiel 37:14). ! ii.!And re: To baptize with!re!means to bring the res of judgment, which will purify the pure, but destroy the wicked like!chaff.Chaff!is the worthless residue of a wheat stalk after the kernel of grain has been removed. These proud and unrepentant leaders were just as useless to God. "Purication by!re!was also a prophetic hope (Isaiah 4:4; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:2;!cf.!Isaiah 1:25). John therefore predicts a real cleansing, in contrast with his own merely outward token." (France) !

iii. "A winnowing fork tossed both unto the air. The wind blew the chaff away, and the heavier grain fell to be gathered up from the ground. The scattered chaff was swept up and burned and the threshing oor cleared." (Carson) ! iv. The Jewish leaders thought that the Messiah would come with judgment, but only against Israel's enemies. They were blind in their self-righteous condence that only others needed to get right with God. Many today have the same idea. "John the Baptist is sadly needed to-day. Much of what we call Christianity is but christianized heathenism we need that John the Baptist should come with his stern words about the axe, the winnowing-fan, and the re. Nothing less will avail to prepare the way for a new coming of Christ." (Meyer) ! B. John's ministry in baptizing Jesus. ! 1. (13-14) Jesus comes to John for baptism. !

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?"

a.!Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized: This is a signicant emergence of Jesus from His many years of obscurity. These rst works in His public ministry carry great meaning in understanding the rest of His ministry. ! b.!Jesus came: No one compelled Jesus to be baptized. He came to John of His own choice. There are some old and false traditions (mentioned in Barclay) that Jesus was baptized because of pressure from His mother and brothers. Since everyone else was doing it, they thought He should also. ! c.!I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me: John recognized the

inherent irony in this situation. Jesus had nothing to repent of, and it would be more appropriate for Jesus to baptize John. ! i. It was as if John said to Jesus, "I need your Spirit-and-re baptism, not you my waterbaptism." (France) ! 2. (15) Jesus allows Himself to be baptized by John. !

But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he allowed Him.

a.!It is tting for us to fulll all righteousness: Jesus understood why this seemed strange to John, but it was nevertheless necessary!to fulll all righteousness. It wasn't that this one act in itself fullled all righteousness, but it was another important step in the overall mission of Jesus to identify with fallen and sinful man, a mission that would only nally be fullled at the cross. ! i. Yet it would be easy for any onlooker to think that Jesus was just another sinner being baptized; so He identied with sinful man. "Christ's baptism might create misunderstanding, just as His associating with publicans and sinners did. He was content to be misunderstood." (Bruce) ! b.!Then he allowed Him: The purpose was for Jesus to completely identify Himself with sinful man. This is exactly what He did in His birth, His upbringing, and His death. So here, as John!allowed Him!to be, Jesus stood in the place of sinful man. ! i. "In baptism He confessed, as His own, sins which He had not committed, and repented of them before God. He was numbered with the transgressors and bore the sins of many." (Morgan)

! ii. There is also a sense in which this was an important new beginning for Jesus; not in the sense of turning from sin, but in making a break with His previous life. "In accordance with the symbolic signicance of the rite as denoting death to an old life and rising to a new, Jesus came to be baptized in the sense of dying to the old natural relations to parents, neighbors, and earthly calling, and devoting Himself henceforth to His public Messianic vocation." (Bruce) ! 3. (16-17) The Divine witness to Jesus' status as the Son of God. !

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

a.!The heavens were opened: It was important for God the Father to publicly demonstrate that Jesus' baptism was not just like anyone else's, in the sense of being a display of repentance. It was!not!a display of repentance, but instead it was a righteous identication with sinners, motivated by love, was!well pleasing!to the Father. ! b.!The Spirit of God descending like a dove: This was a dramatic experience with the Holy Spirit, with the!Spirit of God!coming upon Jesus in a way that could actually be seen (somewhat similar to the coming of the Spirit of God upon the gathered disciples in Acts 2:1-4). ! i. Luke 3:22 says it like this:!And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him. In some way the Spirit was present, and "ew down" upon Jesus!like a dove. Whatever exactly it was, it was real. John 1:32-34 indicates that John the Baptist!saw!this phenomenon and understood what it meant.

! ii. This was not a temporary gift of the!Spirit of God. John the Baptist's testimony in John 1:32-33, when he said that he saw!the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. Jesus was about to begin His public ministry, and He would do it in the power of the!Spirit of God. "It was the Spirit of God who gave success to Jesus Christ's ministry." (Spurgeon) ! iii. How a!dove!represents the work of the Holy Spirit: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! c.!This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: When this voice of God the Father spoke from heaven, everyone knew that Jesus was not just another man being baptized. They knew Jesus was the perfect (in whom I am well pleased) Son of God, identifying with sinful man. By this, everyone knew that Jesus was different. Jesus was baptized so to be identied!with!sinful man, but He was also baptized to be identied!to!sinful man. ! i. Luke 3:21 tells us that the heavens were opened while Jesus prayed. "As he was praying; for prayer is the key of heaven, wherewith we may take out of God's treasury plentiful mercy for ourselves and others." (Trapp) ! ii. In this God the Father also expressed His approval of Jesus' life up to this point. "By the divine proclamation at the baptism God announced the presence of the King, and set the seal of His approval on the years already lived." (Morgan) ! d.!The Spirit of God descendingMy beloved Son: We should not miss the obvious point:!God the Father loves God the Son, and communicated that love by God the Holy Like a dove, the work of the Holy Spirit can be swift. Like a dove, the work of the Holy Spirit can be soft and gentle. Like a dove, the work of the Holy Spirit brings peace. Like a dove, the work of the Holy Spirit is harmless. Like a dove, the work of the Holy Spirit speaks of love.

Spirit. Here we see the love relationship and cooperation between the Persons of the Trinity, in one occasion when the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were all manifested at the same time. ! i. "God so loved his Son, that he gave him all the world for his possession, Psalm 2; but he so loved the world, that he gave Son and all for its redemption." (Trapp) ! ii. There is no suggestion that Jesus!became!the Son of God with this experience. "We need not assume that Jesus had no previous experience of the Spirit; the vision symbolizes his commissioning for his Messianic work, not a new spiritual status." (France) ! ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Mark 3 - Twelve Chosen to Follow Jesus

! A. Jesus: hated, adored, and followed. ! 1. (1-6) The Lord of the Sabbath heals on the Sabbath. !

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, "Step forward." Then He said to them, "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger,

being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

a.!A man was there who had a withered hand: "The man's hand was withered, but God's mercy had still preserved to him the use of his feet: he uses them to bring him to the public worship of God, and Jesus meets and heals him there. How true is the proverb -!It is never so all with us, but it might be much worse!" (Clarke) ! b.!They watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath: The critics of Jesus!expected!Him to heal this man with the withered hand. By their expectation, they admitted that Jesus had the power of God to work miracles. Knowing this, they!watched Him closely . . . so that they might accuse Him. They knew what Jesus could do, yet their knowledge didn't draw them!to!Jesus. It was as if a man could y, but the authorities wanted to know if he had a pilot's license. ! i. The religious leaders!watched!Jesus!closely!but with no heart of love for Him. They knew!about!Jesus, but they did not know Him. ! ii. They also!knew!Jesus would do something when He saw this man in need. In this sense, these critics had more faith than many of us, because we sometimes doubt that Jesus wants to meet the needs of others. ! c.!Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?!In His question to the religious leaders, Jesus emphasized the truth about the Sabbath: there is never a!wrong!day to do something!truly good. ! i. According to their Sabbath traditions, if you cut your nger, you could stop the bleeding - but you could not put ointment on the cut. You could stop it from getting

worse, but you weren't allowed to make it better. ! d.!He had looked around them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts: This is one of the few places where Jesus is described as having!anger, and He was angry at the!hardness!of men's hearts. ! i. Jesus was angry because this was a perfect opportunity for these critics of His to change their minds about Him and their traditions. But they refused to change their minds, and rejected Jesus instead. In this we can see that Jesus deliberately used this occasion to provoke a response. Jesus!could!have done this the next day. Jesus!could!have done it privately. But He chose to do it at this time and place. ! e.!Stretch out your hand: In this, Jesus commanded the man with the withered hand to do something impossible - to move his paralyzed hand. But as the man put forth effort, God did the rest. God never commands us without enabling us. ! i. "This man might have reasoned thus: 'Lord, my hand is!withered; how then can I stretch it out? Make it whole rst, and afterwards I will do as thou commandest.' This may appear!reasonable, but in his case it would have been!foolishness. At the command of the Lord he made the effort, and in making it the cure was effected!" (Clarke) ! f.!The Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him: Jesus did nothing but a wonderful miracle. In response, two parties of former enemies (the!Pharisees!and the!Herodians) agreed together in one cause: to!destroy!Jesus. ! i. "The Herodians were not a religious party; they were a group of Jews who were sympathetic to King Herod and supported his rule." (Wiersbe) ! 2. (7-12) Multitudes come to Jesus. !

But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a

great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God." But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

a.!Jerusalem . . . Idumea . . . beyond the Jordan . . . Tyre and Sidon: The crowds came to Jesus near the Sea of Galilee from distant places. Yet it seems that this crowd was attracted to Jesus more because of His miraculous works than because of His message (when they heard how many things He was doing). ! i. It is wonderful for people to be attracted to Jesus. But if their focus is on!what He can do for them!instead of!Who He is, they will not follow Him for long. ! b.!Fell down before Him and cried out, saying, "You are the Son of God": "The demons addressed Jesus as the divine Son of God in a futile attempt to render him harmless. These cries of recognition were designed to control him and strip him of his power, in accordance with the conception that knowledge of the precise name or quality of a person confers mastery over him." (Lane) ! 3. (13-15) Jesus chooses the twelve. !

And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

a.!And He went up on the mountain: At this time Jesus was at a critical point in His ministry. Responding to the opposition, He spent a whole night in prayer (Luke 6:12) and chose 12 disciples. ! ! He had offended the traditions of the religious leadership, and they plotted His destruction. ! Great crowds followed Him, but they were not interested in spiritual things and could be quickly turned against Jesus. ! ! b.!Then He appointed twelve: In one sense, there was nothing in Jesus' three years of ministry before the cross more important than this. These were the men who would carry on what He started; without them the work of Jesus would never extend throughout the whole world. Therefore, He made the choice with God's wisdom: He!called to Him those He Himself wanted. ! c.!He called to Him: A disciple was a student, but not in a classroom and lecture sense. A disciple learned by being with and hearing from his master. A disciple was an!apprentice!and learned from the master rsthand. ! d.!Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him: He appointed these from among His larger circle of followers, and He appointed them!that they might be with Him. The rst job of the disciples was simply to!be with!Jesus, to learn from being around Him. Then, in a secondary sense He chose them!that He might send them out to preach. His response to all of this was to pray and choose leaders to train.

! i. A preacher will only be as useful to Jesus to the extent that He has "been with" Jesus. There is little done for eternal good by those who preach without having a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. ! ii. "A disciple was a learner, a student, but in the rst century a student did not simply study a subject; he followed a teacher. There is an element of personal attachment in 'disciple' that is lacking in 'student.'" (Morris) ! e.!He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: When someone has!been with!Jesus, and is!sent out!to serve Him, they can expect that Jesus will give them the!power!to serve Him, including the power to see miraculous works (heal sicknesses and to cast our demons) done in their midst. ! i. "The business of a ministers of Christ is, 1st. To!preach!the!Gospel. 2nd. To be the!physician!of souls. And 3rd. To!wage!war with the!devil, and destroy his kingdom." (Clarke) ! 4. (16-19) The twelve disciples listed. !

Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, "Sons of Thunder"; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

a.!Peter; James . . . John: We do not know very much about these 12 men.

Of!Peter,!James,!John, and!Judas!we know something about. But of the other eight, we know only their names. Their fame is reserved for heaven, where their names are on the 12 foundations of God's heavenly city (Revelation 21:14). ! i. The Bible values fame, but fame in heaven. For the most part, this group was not "famous" in the sense that we think of fame in the Twentieth Century. We must learn to value and respect!heaven's!fame, not modern fame. ! b. There are many interesting connections with this group. There are brothers (James!and!John,!Peter!and!Andrew); business associates (Peter,!James, and!John!were all shermen); political opponents (Matthew, the Roman-collaborating tax collector, andSimon, the Roman-hating zealot); and one who would betray Jesus (Judas Iscariot). ! i. Mark gives a "note for the Gentiles" by translating!Boanerges!- which means!Sons of Thunder!and is perhaps a reference to the ery disposition of James and John (as they are displayed in Luke 9:54). ! ii.!Canaanite!has nothing to do with geography. It is the Hebrew word for "zealous," identifying Simon as a member of the radical Zealot party. ! iii. "Judas's surname of Iscariot probably indicates that he was a man from Kerioth: he thus seems to have been the only Judean among the twelve." (Geldenhuys) ! iv. It seems that the names of the 12 disciples are usually arranged in pairs. "Since Jesus sent His Apostles out two by two, this was a logical way to list them." (Wiersbe) ! ! ! ! ! Peter and Andrew James and John Philip and Bartholomew (also called Nathanael in John 1:45) Thomas (his name means "twin") and Matthew (Levi)

! James, son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus (also called Judas, son of James in John 14:22) ! ! c.!And Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him: The choice of Judas was just as important as the choice of any of the other disciples, but many people wonder why Jesus choose Judas. ! ! It wasn't because Jesus didn't know how he would turn out. Jesus told His disciples that He chose them, and knew one of them was a devil. ! It wasn't because He had no others to choose. He could raise up followers from stones, so He could easily have found someone else. ! It wasn't because He wanted a scandalous person, or a "bad boy" - we read of no scandal surrounding Judas during Jesus' ministry. The other disciples did far more stupid things during their three years with Jesus. ! i. A man once asked a theologian, "Why did Jesus choose Judas Iscariot to be his disciple?" The teacher replied, "I don't know, but I have an even harder question: Why did Jesus choose me?" ! B. Jesus answers accusations. ! 1. (20-21) An accusation from His own family. ! Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot

Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. But when His own people heard about this,they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."

a.!So that they could not so much as eat bread: The idea is that the huge crowds so pressed upon Jesus and the disciples that they did not have the time or the space to eat. ! b.!His own people: This refers to Jesus' family and close friends. Since Jesus grew up in Galilee and practiced His ministry there, many knew Him before this time of wide popularity. ! c.!He is out of His mind: There was at least some reason why some from!His own people!thought that Jesus was!out of His mind. ! ! He left a prosperous business to become an itinerant preacher.

! The religious and political leaders plotted to murder Him, but He did not back down (Mark 3:6). They were afraid for Jesus' sake. ! Huge crowds began to follow Jesus, and they knew how such fame and attention and celebrity could go to someone's head (Mark 3:7-8). ! He showed spiritual power and ministry He had never really shown earlier in His life (Mark 3:9-11). Was something very wrong? ! He picked such an unlikely group of disciples that His judgment could fairly be questioned (Mark 3:13-19). ! But there was one last straw: the pressures of this incredible ministry made Him miss regular mealtimes (they could not so much as eat bread). ! i. Jesus constantly faced the rejection of the religious and political leaders of the day, and in a way their hatred of Jesus made sense - He actually threatened their status quo. Undoubtedly, it was far more painful and challenging for Jesus to deal with the way!His own people!rejected Him. It isn't easy to be profoundly!misunderstood!as you try to walk with God. "When the Lord said 'a man's enemies will be those in his own home' (see Matthew 10:36), He may well have been speaking from bitter experience." (Cole) ! ii. The brothers of Jesus didn't believe in Him until after His resurrection, and during His

earthly ministry they prodded Him to prove Himself (John 7:3-5). ! 2. (22) An accusation from the religious leaders. !

And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."

a.!The scribes who came down from Jerusalem: This was an ofcial delegation of experts!from Jerusalem!coming to Galilee to observe and assess the ministry of Jesus. The opinion of these!scribes!carried a lot of weight with many people. ! i. "It is possible that they were ofcial emissaries from the Great Sanhedrin who came to examine Jesus' miracles and to determine whether Capernaum should be declared a 'seduced city,' the prey of an apostate preacher." (Lane) ! b.!He has Beelzebub: Actually, they accused Jesus of being possessed by Satan. "He!hath!Beelzebub, implying that Beelzebub hath Him, using Him as his agent. The expression points to something more than an alliance [but] to possession, and than on a grand scale." (Expositor's) ! i. They wouldn't say that Jesus was possessed by just!any!demon, but by Satan himself. This was "an involuntary compliment to the exceptional power and greatness of Jesus." (Expositor's) ! ii. This wasn't the only time Jesus was insulted like this. ! ! "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" (John 10:20)

! ! ! ! !

"Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?" (John 8:48) "We were not born of fornication." (John 8:41) "A glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' (Luke 7:34) "You have a demon." (John 7:20)

c.!By the ruler of demons He casts out demons: Luke 11:14 tells us this accusation came in response to a dramatic demonic deliverance. The religious leaders attributed this working of Jesus to Satan (Beelzebub). ! i. His own people!misunderstood!Jesus, but!the scribes who came down from Jerusalem!viciously and cynically attacked Jesus. Because of their ofcial position, this was the rst step in the plot to destroy Jesus referred to in Mark 3:6. Before they could destroy Him, they had to rst discredit Jesus in the eyes of the multitude. ! d.!Beelzebub: This name clearly refers to Satan, but it is a difcult name to analyze. It may have been coined because it sounds similar to the Hebrew phrase for "Lord of the Flies." ! i. "It is supposed that this idol was the same with!Baalzebub, the!god y, worshipped at Ekron . . . who had his name changed afterwards by the Jews to!Baal zebul, the!dung god, a title of utmost!contempt." (Clarke) ! 3. (23-27) Jesus answers those who attributed His work to Satan. !

So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. No one can

enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house."

a.!How can Satan cast out Satan?!Jesus showed that if He were an agent of Satan and was working against Satan, then surely Satan's kingdom was in a civil war and would not stand. Jesus said this to show that Satan would not work!against!himself. ! b.!No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods: With this Jesus answered the charge that He was in league with the Devil. He said, "I'm not under Satan. Instead, I am proving that I am stronger than he is." ! c.!Unless he rst binds the strong man: In this parable Satan is the!strong man!who guards what belongs to him. Jesus' ministry was defeating this!strong man, both in the case of casting the demon out of the man who was mute and in the broader sense. ! d.!Then he will plunder his house: Jesus looked at every life delivered from Satan's domination and said, "I'm plundering the kingdom of Satan one life at a time." There is!nothing!in our life that!must!stay under Satan's domination. The!one who binds the strong manand!will plunder his house!is our risen Lord. ! 4. (28-30) Jesus warns the religious leaders about the unforgivable sin. !

"Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation"; because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."

a.!He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness: This blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is serious indeed. The person guilty of this sin is!subject to eternal condemnation. In other Gospels (such as in Luke 12:10), this sin is described as "unforgivable." ! b.!Because they said, He has an unclean spirit: These religious leaders were in danger of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit because they looked at the perfectly good and wonderful work of God in Jesus and ofcially pronounced it the evil of Satan. This pointed to a settled rejection of heart against Jesus - possible evidence of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. ! i. "Notice that these men had not yet committed the unpardonable sin . . . Otherwise Jesus would never have warned them. By his own words, there is no use warning a man who has committed the unpardonable sin; he is beyond help." (Steadman) ! c.!He who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness: Many people wonder what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is, and some wonder if they have committed this sin. The warning of Jesus makes us recognize the terrible danger of the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and our need to avoid this sin at all cost. At the same time, we guard our hearts against the unwarranted accusation of this sin. ! i. We understand what the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is by rst understanding what the ministry of the Holy Spirit is all about. Regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit, Jesus said,!when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment!(John 16:8), and that!He will testify of Me!(John 15:26). ! ii. Therefore, when we persistently reject the work the Holy Spirit wants to do in us and when we have a continued, settled rejection of what He wants to tell us about Jesus, then we blaspheme the Holy Spirit. ! iii. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven - not because it is a sin "too big" for God to forgive, but because it is an attitude of heart that cares nothing for God's forgiveness. It never has forgiveness because it never!wants!forgiveness God's way.

! iv. "These words were never intended to torment anxious souls honestly desiring to know Christ, but they stand out as a blazing beacon warning of the danger of persisting in the rejection of the Spirit's testimony of Christ, until the seared conscience no longer responds to the gospel message." (Ironside) ! 5. (31-35) Jesus describes His true family relationships. !

Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You." But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?" And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

a.!His brothers and His mother: Perhaps these relatives of Jesus!sent to Him!to carry out the plan described in Mark 3:21, to!lay hold of Him, thinking that Jesus was!out of His mind. ! b.!Who is My mother, or My brothers?!We might have expected that Jesus' family would have special privileges before Him. It almost surprises us that they do not. Yet the brothers of Jesus never seemed to be supportive of His ministry before His death and resurrection (John 7:5). ! i.!Brothers: Jesus plainly had brothers. The Roman Catholic idea of the perpetual virginity of Mary is in contradiction to the plain meaning of the Bible. In fact, many reliable manuscripts add!and Your sisters!to!Your mothers and Your brothers. "According to a reading in several MSS., these included!sisters!among those

present." (Expositor's) ! c.!Whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother: Mark 3 ends with a huge contrast. There are religious leaders in danger of damnation and an invitation to!be part of Jesus' family. ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Luke 3 - The Work of John the Baptist

! A. The mission of John the Baptist. ! 1. (1-2a) The time is described in reference to the contemporary political and religious leaders. !

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests,
! a.!In the fteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar: Biblical chronology can be a complicated matter. From secular historical records we know with certainty the!general!time this was, but it is difcult to be certain!exactly!when this was. The best reckonings set it anywhere from!a.d.!27 to 29 ! b.!Tiberius CaesarPontius PilateHerodPhilipLysanias: Luke listed the!political!leaders of the region Jesus lived and served in. Like any good historian, Luke gave a real, historical framework. This is not a fairy tale beginning with once upon

a time. ! i. Luke gave more than a chronological measure; he also told us something of the tenor of the times. ! ! Tiberius!was an emperor known for his cruelty and severity.

! Pontius Pilate!was also renowned for his brutal massacres of the Jewish people in Judea, and his insensitivity towards the Jews. ! The rulers from the family of Herod the Great (Herod,!Philip, and!Lysanias) were known for their corruption and cruelty. ! ii. With all this, Luke reminds both his original readers and us today of the corruption and moral degradation of the Roman Empire, especially in the distant provinces like Judea. ! iii. The historical reality of these rulers is beyond dispute. Archaeologists have discovered specic, undeniable evidence that these people lived and ruled in these places and at these times. ! iv.!When Herod the Great died, he divided his kingdom among his three sons!Herod,!Philip, and!Lysanias.!The title tetrarch literally means!governor of a fourth partlater the word widened its meaning and came to mean the governor of any part. (Barclay) ! c.!CaiaphasAnnas: Luke also listed the!religious!leaders of Judea in the period of Jesus ministry.!Caiaphas!was actually the High Priest, but his father-in-law!Annas!(the patriarch of the family) was the real inuence among the priestly class. ! i. The mention of these two corrupt high priests reminds us that the Jewish leaders were more interested in power politics than in serving God. ! ii. In November 1990, scholars discovered what they believe to be the family tomb

of!Caiaphas. On an ancient burial box (an!ossuary) from the era is an inscription reading!Joseph, Son of Caiaphas. Remains of a 60 year-old male were discovered in the box. ! 2. (2b-3) The ministry of John the Baptist. !

The word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,
! a.!The word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness: John lived in the desert since his youth (Luke 1:80). But now, prompted by!the word of God, John began to fulll his ultimate calling: to be a forerunner of the Messiah. ! i. Luke carefully set the work of John in historical context, because!To Luke the emergence of John the Baptist was one of the hinges on which history turned. (Barclay) ! b.!Preaching!a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins: The idea behind!remission!is not only forgiveness, but also liberty and deliverance (as in!to preach deliveranceto set at liberty!in Luke 4:18).!Repentance!could bring true liberty in the Messiah for those who received it. ! i. Johns message was a call to!repentance. Some people think that repentance is mostly about!feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. It is wonderful to feel sorry about your sin, but!repent!isnt a feelings word. It is an!action!word. John told his listeners to make a change of the mind, not merely to feel sorry for what they had done. Repentance speaks of a change of direction, not a sorrow in the heart. ! c.!Baptism of repentance: There was nothing strange in the ceremony of!baptism!(a ceremonial immersion) itself. The strange thing was that!Jews!submitted to baptism. This was a common ritual for Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. For a Jew to submit to

baptism was to say something like, Im as bad as a heathen Gentile. This was a true mark of humble repentance, a radical rededication to the Lord. ! i.!Baptism by water, whether understood by the Qumran community as applicable to itself or as preached by Jewish missionaries to Gentile converts symbolized spiritual cleansing from sin, the result of forgiveness. (Pate) ! ii. This is different than our!baptism into Christ!(Romans 6:3-4) where our immersion in water identies us with Jesus death and resurrection. This!baptism of repentance!John presented identied a person with their need to get right with God and be cleansed. ! 3. (4-6) Johns ministry as a fulllment of prophecy. !

As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying: The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.
! a.!As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: Luke connected John the Baptist with the one prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3-5). John himself was aware of this from his early days, because his father was aware of it from before Johns birth (Luke 1:76-77). ! b.!Prepare the way of the!Lord: Johns great message was that things!can!be set right. The Messiah is here to do things that are too big for man: lling valleys, leveling mountains, setting crooked roads straight and rough roads smooth. !

i. The Jews at that time thought that the problem was mainly them - that is, the Romans who politically oppressed them. John made them see that when you got right down to it, the problem was really with!me, not!them.!I!have to get right with God. ! c.!All esh shall see the salvation of God: The way of the Messiah must be made ready. He came to!all mankind. (NIV) ! i.!Simply stated, the theme of Johns preaching was that the messianic age was at hand. (Pate) ! B. The message of John the Baptist. ! 1. (7-9) Johns message to the multitudes. !

Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father. For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
! a.!Brood of vipers! Who warned you to ee from the wrath to come?!Addressing your audience as a!family of snakes!is not a customary way to begin a sermon. Asking them why are you here anyway? isnt a smooth introduction. But John wasnt interested in preaching a soft message or in tickling ears. !

i. Simply said, John was weird. Any man who preached like this, lived in the desert, wore funny clothes and lived on grasshoppers and wild honey was just plain!strange. Jesus didnt have a polished advance man with a thousand dollar suit and a two-hundred dollar haircut. God often uses weird people. ! b.!Do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father: John cautioned against trusting in Abrahams merits as sufcient for salvation. It was widely taught that Abrahams merits were plenty for any Jews salvation, and that it wasimpossible!for any descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to go to hell. ! c.!Bear fruits worthy of repentance: John was not unreasonable in demanding!good fruit. True repentance will always have fruit - and the basic fruit of the Christian life is!love!(Galatians 5:22 and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3). ! 2. (10-14) Johns message to specic individuals. !

So the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answered and said to them, He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise. Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, Teacher, what shall we do? And he said to them, Collect no more than what is appointed for you. Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, And what shall we do? So he said to them, Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.
! a.!What shall we do then?!Johns instructions were quite ordinary. He demanded that people share, that they be fair with each other, and that they not be mean and cruel; that they be happy with what they get. These are things we teach our smallest children.

! i. Integrity in the!ordinary!things is still a mark of true repentance. We sometimes think God requires us to do great or impossible things to demonstrate repentance. Often He instead looks for integrity in the ordinary things. ! ii.!He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the!Lord!require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?!(Micah 6:8) ! b.!Collect no more than what is appointed for youDo not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages:!John did not see tax collecting or soldiering as inherently evil. He did not command these to quit their professions, but to conduct themselves honestly in them. ! i. The Romans taxed by auctioning the rights to collect taxes to the highest bidder. Because the tax collector could only cover his costs and make a prot by getting as much as he could, these men were hated intensely. ! ii. These were the toll-takers, custom-gatherers for the Romans, and most of them greedy gripers. Publicans they were called, because they took up!publica, the goods of the empire. (Trapp) ! 3. (15-18) John points forward to a greater One and a greater baptism. !

Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, John answered, saying to all, I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into

His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire. And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.
! a.!All reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not: John made such an impact that people logically wondered if he was the Messiah. Instead of cultivating his own popularity, he gave it all to Jesus. John pointed to!One mightier than I. ! b.!Whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose: The rabbis of Jesus day taught that a teacher might require just about anything of his followers!except!to have them take off his sandals. That was considered too humiliating to demand. Yet John said that he was not even worthy to do!this!for Jesus. ! i.!John had many reasons to be proud, yet he was humble. He had a miraculous birth, a prophesied destiny, a man called to personally fulll great prophetic promises, a powerful preacher, and a man with a great following. ! ii.!What was the reason, think you, of Johns always retaining his proper position? Was it not because he had a high idea of his Master, and a deep reverence for him? Ah, brethren, because of our little estimate of Christ, it is often unsafe for the Lord to trust us in any but the very lowest positions. (Spurgeon) ! iii.!John was both!strict!and!humble. That is an all-too-rare combination. ! c.!He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and re:!John said that the Messiah was coming with a different baptism. The Holy Spirits outpouring was promised as part of the New Covenant. We are promised an!immersion, an!overowing!of the Holy Spirit in our lives. This was often experienced as people were prayed for with hands laid on them (Acts 6:6, 8:17, 9:17, 13:3-4, and 19:6). ! d.!His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing oor:!The Messiah would also bring a baptism of re, re that would

both!purify!and!destroy!what is lacking, like re burns up the worthless chaff. Gods power is always a transforming power, a purifying power. ! i. The Messiah will also be the one to divide the true from the false, to separate the wheat from the chaff;!the winnowing fan is in His hand. Judas is set apart from Peter; one thief blasphemes, another believes. ! 4. (19-20) The boldness of Johns message is illustrated. !

But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philips wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.
! a.!Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias: The relationship between Herod and Herodias was both complicated and sinful. He was her uncle, and he seduced her from his half-brother. In marrying Herodias, Herod at once married a woman both his niece and his sister-in-law. ! i.!In light of passages like Leviticus 18:16 and 20:21, which specically forbid a man having sexual relations with his brothers wife, Herods actions called for condemnation. (Pate) ! b.!He shut John up in prison: Because John made such a bold stand for the truth, Herod, who was steeped in immorality, punished him. ! i. Josephus says that the reason for the arrest was that Herod feared lest the great inuence John had over the people might put it in his power and inclination to raise a rebellion; for they seemed ready to do anything he should advise. (Barclay) !

C. John baptizes Jesus. ! 1. (21a) Jesus is baptized along with the others. !

When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized;
! a.!When all the people were baptized: There was a remarkable response to the work of John the Baptist, and many came to repent and receive baptism. One day, in the midst of the crowd, Jesus came to also be baptized. ! b.!Jesus also was baptized: Jesus did not receive baptism because He was a sinner that needed to repent and be cleansed from His sins. He did it to completely identify Himself with sinful man. This was the same heart that would lead to His ultimate identication with sinful man on the cross. ! 2. (21b-22) The Divine witness to Jesus standing as the Son of God. !

And while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.
! a.!And while He prayed: We notice Lukes repeated emphasis on prayer. Other gospel writers describe this occasion, but only Luke points out that it happened!while He prayed. ! b.!The Holy Spiritand a voice came from heaven: The three Persons of the Trinity were all manifested at once. The Holy Spirit came!in bodily form like a dove.

The!voice!of God the Father was heard, and the!beloved Son!was baptized. ! i.!There was some visible, tangible evidence that the Holy Spirit had come upon Jesus. A similar thing happened with the apostles when something like tongues of re appeared over their heads on Pentecost. ! ii.!What this scene was in the life of the Lord, Pentecost was for the Church. Then she was anointed for her divine mission among men; the unction of the Holy One rested upon her, to be continued and renewed as the centuries slowly passed. (Meyer) ! c.!You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased: The!voice!from heaven left no doubt. This wasnt just another sinner being baptized; this was the sinless, Eternal Son of God, pleasing the Father by His identication with sinful man. ! ! You are My beloved Son!is an echo of Psalm 2:7, a glorious Messianic Psalm.

! In You I am well pleased!is an echo of Isaiah 42:7, marking Jesus as the suffering Servant spoken of in that broader passage. ! d.!In You I am well pleased: Jesus began His earthly ministry with the blessing of the Father and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus, we can have the same things. ! i. In Jesus, we can hear the Father say to us,!This is My beloved son, in you I am well pleased. ! ii. In Jesus, the Holy Spirit can come upon us for empowering and blessing. ! D. The genealogy of Jesus. ! 1. (23a) The age of Jesus when He began His ministry.

Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age,
! a.!Thirty years of age: This seems to have been the age of full maturity in the Jewish mind. Priests could begin their service only at 30 (Numbers 4:2-3). ! 2. (23b-38) Lukes genealogy of Jesus. !

Being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, the son of Melea, the son of Menan,the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah,the son of Jacob, the

son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, the son of Serug, the son of Reu,the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan,the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
! a.!Being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph: According to ancient custom,!genealogies were almost always traced through the father, not the mother. This was a problem in the unique situation of a virgin birth. ! i. Luke differs in the account of Matthew from David onward, but they both end their genealogies with Joseph. The best explanation for this seems to be that Luke followed Marys line (Jesus!actual!lineage) while Matthew followed Josephs line (His!legal!lineage by adoption). This was Lukes point in his important phrase!being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph. ! ii. Luke began with!Joseph!because he followed proper form and included no women in his genealogy ! b.!The son ofthe son of...:! The fact that Luke could give Jesus genealogical history was not unusual. Josephus traced his own genealogy from the public records (Autobiography, paragraph 1). It was also well known that the famous Rabbi Hillel could prove his descent from King David with reference from the public registers. ! c.!The son of Adam, the son of God: Luke traced his genealogy all the way back to Adam, to show that Jesus belonged to all mankind, not only to the Jewish people. ! i. A genealogy may not seem like much, but it exactly established Jesus credentials as a member of the human race. A Bible translator to a distant tribe saved the genealogies for

last, because he thought them the least important part of the gospels. But when he nally nished them last of all, the tribesmen were astounded - they told the translator, You mean to tell us that this Jesus was a!real!person, with!real!ancestors? We had no idea! ! !

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John 3 - The New Birth

! A. Nicodemus and the new birth. ! 1. (1-3) Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night. !

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
! a.!Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: Nicodemus was one of those impressed by Jesus' signs (John 2:23), and a member of the ruling Sanhedrin. He was religious (of the Pharisees), educated (Nicodemus!is a Greek name), and inuential (a ruler). Nicodemus came to Jesus as a representative of!all men!(John 2:23-25), and in a sense he represented what is highest and best in men. ! b.!This man came to Jesus by night: Perhaps Nicodemus came!by night!because he was timid, or perhaps he wanted an uninterrupted interview with Jesus.

! c.!No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him: We understand the sense in which Nicodemus meant this, but his statement was not entirely true. The Bible tells us that deceivers and false prophets can sometimes perform remarkable signs (2 Thessalonians 2:9 and Revelation 13:13-14). ! d.!Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God: Jesus' reply to Nicodemus shattered the Jewish assumption that their racial identity - their old birth assured them a place in God's Kingdom. Jesus made it plain that a man's rst birth does not assure him of the!kingdom; only being!born again!gives this assurance. ! i. It was taught widely among the Jews at that time that since they descended from Abraham, they were automatically assured of heaven. In fact, some Rabbis taught that Abraham stood watch at the gate of hell, just to make sure that none of his descendants accidentally wandered in there. ! ii. Most Jews of that time looked for the Messiah to bring in a!new world, in which Israel and the Jewish people would be pre-eminent. But Jesus came to bring!new life, in which!He!would be preeminent. ! e.!Born again: The ancient Greek word translated!again!(anothen) can be also translated "from above." This is the sense in which John used this word in John 3:31 and in John 19:11 and 19:23. Either way, the meaning is essentially the same. To be born!from above!is to be born again. ! i. Essentially, this means to!have new life. A theological term for this is!regeneration. It isn't simply a moral or religious reform, but the bringing of new life. ! ii. Jesus clearly said that without this - that!unless one is born again!- he cannot enter or be part of (see) the!kingdom of God. Moral or religious reform isn't enough; "turning over a new leaf" won't do it. One must be!born again. ! 2. (4) Nicodemus answers: How can this be?

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"
! a.!How can a man be born when he is old?!Nicodemus' reply may not have been out of ignorance, but from thinking that Jesus meant "turning over a new leaf." His question may be "How can you teach an old dog new tricks?" One way or another, Nicodemus clearly does not understand Jesus or the truth about the new birth. ! b.!How can a man be born when he is old?!In His description of new birth, Jesus recalled a familiar theme from Old Testament promises of the New Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-6, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah 32:37-41, Ezekiel 11:16-20, Ezekiel 36:16-28, Ezekiel 37:11-14, 37:21-28). These passages essentially made three promises in the New Covenant: ! ! ! ! ! i. In Jesus' day, the common teaching among the Jewish people was that the rst two aspects of the New Covenant had been fullled. They saw Israel gathered - at least in part - after the Babylonian exile. They saw strong spiritual movements like the Pharisees, which they believed fullled the promise of spiritual transformation. All they waited for was the reign of the Messiah. ! ii. That's why Jesus' statement about the new birth was so strange to Nicodemus. He!thought!that the Jewish people already had it; they certainly weren't looking for it. They only looked for a triumphant Messiah. ! 3. (5-8) Jesus explains the new birth. The gathering of Israel. The cleansing and spiritual transformation of God's people. The reign of the Messiah over Israel and the whole world.

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
! a.!Most assuredly . . . you must be born again: Jesus is emphatic in saying that man does not need!reformation, but a radical conversion by the Spirit of God. We must be!born of water and the Spirit. ! b. What does it mean to be!born of water? We know from John 3:10 that whatever being!born of water!is, it should have been familiar to Nicodemus from the Old Testament. ! i. Some have thought!born of water!means to be baptized. Water here may represent baptism, but there is no real Old Testament foundation for this. ! ii. Some have thought that!born of water!refers to our physical birth, since we come forth from a sack of water. This approach is more attractive, but doesn't it simply state the obvious? However, it does make a good parallel with the idea ofthat which is born of the esh!in John 3:6. ! iii. Some have thought that!born of water!means to be born again by the Word of God. In other passages of Scripture, water represents the Word, as we are!washed by the water of the word!(Ephesians 5:26). ! iv. Some have thought that!born of water!means to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit,

the!living water!of John 7:38-39. ! v. Some have thought that!born of water!means to receive the water of cleansing prophesied in Ezekiel 36:25-28 as part of the New Covenant. This is the approach has the most weight (though it is a tough call), because of its rm connections to Old Testament prophecy - which Jesus says Nicodemus should have know to understand these things. ! c.!That which is born of the esh is esh: Without the new birth of the Spirit, all works of righteousness are tainted by the esh. Yet, everything that a Spirit-led man does can be pleasing to God. ! d.!Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again": Again, Nicodemus!did!marvel at this statement, because he - like most all Jews of his time believed they!already had!the inner transformation promised in the New Covenant. Jesus wants him to take hold of the fact that!he does not have it, and!must be born again. ! i. We should not forget!whom!Jesus said this to. Nicodemus was a religious leader and a Pharisee. By all outward appearance, he was!already!transformed unto God. If!Nicodemus!must be born again, what about you and I? ! e.!The wind blows where it wishes: Jesus' idea to Nicodemus is "You don't understand everything about the wind, but you see its effects. That is just how it is with the birth of the Spirit." Jesus wanted Nicodemus to know that he didn't have to understand everything about the new birth before he experienced it. ! 4. (9-13) Jesus responds to the question "how can these things be?" !

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive

Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven."
! a.!How can these things be?!Nicodemus is confused. He is so set in his thinking that the new birth has already happened to him and all of faithful Israel, that he has a hard time thinking out of that "box." Jesus needs to keep explaining. ! b.!Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?!Jesus chides Nicodemus for not being aware of the need and the promise of the new birth, because these are plainly laid out in the Old Testament. Nicodemus knew these passages well, but believed that they had been fullled in regard to the new birth. But he should have known better! ! c.!If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?!A simple look at!earthly things!- like the illustrations Jesus used, and even a look at his own life - should have made Jesus' point plain to Nicodemus. If he can't see that he needs this spiritual transformation, what more can Jesus tell him? ! d.!No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven: Jesus "makes it clear that He can speak authoritatively about things in heaven, though no one else can." (Morris) ! 5. (14-15) Jesus and the brazen serpent. !

"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life."

! a.!As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness: Jesus made a remarkable statement, that the serpent of Numbers 21:4-9 was a picture Jesus and His work. ! i. Serpents are often used as pictures of evil in the Bible (Genesis 3:1-5 and Revelation 12:9). However, Moses' serpent in Numbers 21 was made of bronze, and bronze is a metal associated with judgment in the Bible, because bronze is with re, a picture of judgment. ! ii. So, a!bronze!serpent does speak of sin, but of sin judged. In the same way Jesus, who knew no sin became sin for us on the cross, and our sin was judged in Him. A bronze serpent is a picture of sin judged and dealt with. ! iii. We would have wanted to diminish our sense of sin, and put the image of a man up on the pole. Our image of man might represent "both good and bad" in man. But a serpent is more apparently sinful, and shows us our true nature and true need of salvation. ! iv. In addition, if the serpent lay horizontally on the vertical pole, it is easy to see how this also was a!visual!representation of the cross. However, many traditions show the serpent being wrapped around the pole, and this is the source for the ancient gure of healing and medicine - a serpent, wrapped around a pole. ! v. In the Numbers 21:4-9 account, the people were saved not by!doing!anything, but by simply!looking!to the bronze serpent. They had to trust that something as seemingly foolish as looking at such a thing would be sufcient to save them, and surely, some perished because they thought it too foolish to do such a thing. ! vi. As it says in Isaiah 45:22:!Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.!We might be willing to do a hundred things to earn our salvation, but God commands us to only trust in Him - to!look to!Him. ! b.!Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up:!Remember that even though Jesus bore our sins, He never!became!a sinner. Even His becoming sin for us was a holy, righteous,

act of love. Jesus remained the!Holy One!throughout the entire ordeal of the cross. ! c.!Lifted up!is a term later used to describe both Jesus' crucixion (John 12:32) and His ascension (Acts 2:33). Both meanings are in view, His suffering!and!exaltation. Jesus was!lifted up!in both ways. ! d.!Should not perish but have eternal life: The idea behind!eternal life!means much more than a!long!or!never ending!life.Eternal life!does not mean that this life goes on forever. Instead,!eternal life!also has the idea of a certain!quality!of life, of God's kind of life. It is the kind of life enjoyed in eternity. ! 6. (16-21) God's gift of salvation and sin's condemnation. !

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
!

a.!For God so loved the world: John 3:16 has long been celebrated as a powerful, succinct, declaration of the gospel. Of the 31,373 verses in the Bible, it may be the most popular single verse used in evangelism. ! i. We learn the!object!of God's love:!For God so loved the world. God did not wait for the world to turn to Him before He loved the world. He loved and gave His only begotten Son to the world when it was!still!the!world! ! ii. We learn the!expression!and the!gift!of God's love:!He gave His only begotten Son. God's love didn't just!feel!for the plight of a fallen world. God!did!something about it, and He!gave!the most precious thing to give:!His only begotten Son. ! iii. We learn the!recipient!of God's love:!Whoever believes in Him. God loves the world, but the world does not receive or benet from that love until it!believes in!Jesus, the gift that the Father gave.!Believes in!means much more than intellectual awareness or agreement. It means to!trust in, to!rely on, and to!cling to. ! iv. We learn the!intention!of God's love:!Should not perish. God's love!actually saves!man from eternal destruction. God looks at fallen humanity, does not want it to!perish, and so in His love He extends the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. ! v. We learn the!duration!of God's love:!Everlasting life. The love we receive among people may fade or turn, but God's love will never change. He will never stop loving His people, even unto the furthest distance of eternity. ! b. The Seven Wonders of John 3:16. !

God So loved the world That He gave His only begotten Son That whoever Believes in Him Should not perish But have everlasting life

The Almighty Authority The Mightiest Motive The Greatest Gift The Widest Welcome The Easiest Escape The Divine Deliverance The Priceless Possession

That He gave His only begotten Son That whoever Believes in Him Should not perish But have everlasting life
!

The Greatest Gift The Widest Welcome The Easiest Escape The Divine Deliverance The Priceless Possession

c. What Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:7 (You must be born again) refuted the popular Jewish idea regarding the!way!to salvation. Now Jesus refuted the popular Jewish idea regarding the!scope!of salvation is refuted:!for God so loved the!world. ! i. The Jews of that day rarely thought that God!loved the world. They thought that God only loved. The universal offer of salvation and life in Jesus was absolutely revolutionary. ! d.!This is the condemnation: Jesus came to bring salvation, but those who reject that salvation condemn themselves. We never need to leave the!reason!for anyone's!condemnation!at God's door. The responsibility is theirs alone. ! e.!Men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil: What keeps people from belief in Jesus and salvation? It is sin, or is it unbelief? Really it is both, because people will not believe!because!they love their sin. ! i. This cuts right through many of the "intellectual" excuses or dishonest doubts some proclaim. Many opponents of Christianity have a vested interested in ghting against the truth of Jesus, because they love their sin and don't want to face it, or face a God who will judge their sin. ! ii. When we think of the!love of sin!that sends people to hell, we often other think of notorious sin. But the simple demand to be lord of my own life is enough of a sin to deserve condemnation before God. ! f.!Everyone practicing evil hates the light: How do people hate the light of God's truth? Some express their hatred by actively ghting against it, and others express their hatred by ignoring God's truth - by saying to Jesus "You are not worth my time." !

B. John the Baptist's nal testimony about Jesus. ! 1. (22-30) John puts Jesus in the preeminent place. !

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized. Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized. For John had not yet been thrown into prison. Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification. And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified; behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!" John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."
! a.!All are coming to Him!!John's disciples seem alarmed, but it didn't bother John one bit. John would not allow envy or the ckle crowds make him forget his mission: to announce that the Messiah had come, and then to step back. ! b.!The friend of the bridegroom: John is the "best man" at the "wedding" between Jesus

and Jesus' followers. In the Jewish wedding customs of that day, the!friend of the bridegroom!arranged many of the details of the wedding and brought the bride to the groom. ! c.!Therefore this joy of mine is fullled: John the Baptist lost his congregation - and!he was happy about it!!John was happy because he lost his congregation to Jesus. ! d.!He must increase, but I must decrease: This should be the motto of every Christian, especially leaders among God's people. Jesus should become greater and more visible, and the servant should become less and less visible. ! 2. (31-36) John's testimony about Jesus. !

"He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
! a.!He who comes from above: John wants everyone to know!where Jesus came from. Jesus is different from everyone else because He came from heaven. Not only is Jesus!different, but!He who comes from heaven is above all!- Jesus is!greaterthan everyone else.

! b.!He whom God has sent speaks the words of God: Jesus is a uniquely reliable revelation, because He has the Holy Spirit without!measure, in contrast to the previous prophets. ! c.!He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him:!Because!Jesus is the man from heaven, there is a heavy price to pay for rejecting Him. If you reject the Son, then you receive the wrath. ! i.!The!wrath!of God: "The word does not mean a sudden gust of passion or a burst of temper. Rather, it is the settled displeasure of God against sin. It is the divine allergy to moral evil, the reaction of righteousness to unrighteousness." (Tenney) ! d.!The wrath of God abides: It!abides!in this world, because there is there is no "statute of limitations" on sin. It!abides!into the next world, because those who reject Jesus cannot offer a perfect sacrice acceptable to God. The wrath of God!abides!until it is satised by receiving the perfect payment Jesus made on the cross. ! 3. We might say that John 3 is a "must read" chapter of the Bible. There are three prominent "musts" in John 3. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The Sinner's must:!you must be born again!(John 3:7). The Savior's must:!so must the Son of Man be lifted up!(John 3:14). The Sovereign's must:!He must increase!(John 3:30). The Servant's must:!I must decrease!(John 3:30).

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Acts 3 - A Lame Man Healed

! A. The healing of the paralytic at the Gate Beautiful. ! 1. (1-3) The request of the paralyzed beggar. !

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a certain man lame from his mothers womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
! a.!Now Peter and John went up together: Peter and John were both commissioned by Jesus and recognized by the early Christians as!apostles! special ambassadors of Jesus. Acts 2:43 told us,!many signs and wonders were done through the apostles. Acts 3 tells us of a specic example, one of the!many. ! i. We can think of at least three reasons why Luke found it important to share the story of!this!miracle. First, to give an example of what he mentioned in Acts 2:43. Second, to give an excuse for telling us about another sermon of Peter. Third, to show why these earliest Christians were persecuted, because that is what this beautiful story leads to. ! b.!At the hour of prayer: Apparently Peter and John saw no problem in continuing their Jewish custom of prayer at certain hours of the day. ! i. Morgan points out that Peter and John were!not!going to the temple at the hour of!sacrice, but!at the hour of prayerthat followed the afternoon sacrice. They realized that the sacricial system was fullled in the perfect sacrice Jesus offered on the cross. !

ii. Calvin saw a missionary intent in what Peter and John did: Furthermore, if any man ask, whether the apostles went up into the temple that they might pray according to the rite of the law, I do not think that that is a thing so likely to be true, as they might have better opportunity to spread abroad the gospel. ! iii.!The ninth hour: Perhaps this time of day, even then, held special signicance for them because it was the hour when Jesus cried from the cross, It is nished (John 19:30). (Hughes) ! c.!The gate of the temple which is called Beautiful: The Jewish historian Josephus described this gate on the temple mount; made of ne Corinthian brass, seventy-ve feet high with huge double doors, so beautiful that it greatly excelled those that were only covered over with silver and gold. (Cited in Stott) ! d.!A certain man lame from his mothers womb was carried . . . asked for alms: The lame man simply wanted to besupported!in the condition that he was in. God had something better in mind; Jesus wanted to completely change his condition. ! i. Of course, the lame man felt he had no other option than to be supported in his condition; and it was certainly better for him to be supported than to starve to death. ! ii. In addition, the man had good reason to believe that begging at the!Beautiful!gate could support him. There was (and is) a strong tradition of alms-giving (giving to the poor, especially beggars) in Judaism, and doing it as an act of righteousness. ! 2. (4-6) What Peter said to the lame man. !

And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, Look at us. So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and

walk.
! a.!Fixing his eyes on him: The man must have been happy and encouraged when Peter and John looked at him intently. Most people who want to ignore beggars are careful to not make eye contact with them. When they looked at the lame man so intently, he probably thought he had a big gift coming. ! b.!He gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them: The lame man returned the eye contact with Peter and John; perhaps he stretched out his hand or a cup to receive their generosity. ! i. The lame man was correct in!expecting to receive something from them, but he received much more than the monetary donation he would have been satised with! ! ii. Many have yet to come to the place where they really expect something from God. This is!faith, plain and simple even if the man expected less than Jesus wanted to give. ! iii. Better yet, we should expect the right things from God. We are often much too ready to settle for much less than God wants to give to us, and our low expectations often rob us. ! c.!Silver and gold I do not have: Peter didnt have any money, but he did have authority from Jesus to heal the sick (what I do have I give to you). Peter knew what it was like to have God use him to heal others, because Jesus had trained him in this (Luke 9:1-6). ! i. For some people, to say silver and gold I do not have is about the worst thing that can be said. They feel the church is in ruins if it must say silver and gold I do not have. But it is much worse if the church never has the spiritual power to say, In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk? ! ii. There is a story perhaps true about a humble monk walking with a Roman Catholic cardinal at a time in the Middle Ages when the Roman Catholic church was at its zenith

of power, prestige and wealth. The cardinal pointed to the opulent surroundings and said to the monk, We no longer have to say,!silver and gold I do not have. The monk replied, But neither can you say,!In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. ! iii. When Peter and John gave him no money, we might have heard the lame man complain: You dont care about me. You wont support me. Look at the mess Im in. But Peter and John wanted something greater than supporting the man in his condition. They wanted to transform his life by the power of the risen Jesus Christ. ! iv. It is not the Churchs business in this world to simply make the present condition more bearable; the task of the Church is to release here on earth the redemptive work of God in Christ. (LaSor) ! d.!What I do have I give you: He gave the lame man power in the name of Jesus, but he could not give it unless!he had it in his own life. Many people want to be able to say, rise up and walk without having received the power of Jesus to transform their own life. ! i.!In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth: Jesus was from Nazareth he was a Nazarene, and this had been used to insult Christ during his life on earth. But now Peter waved it like a banner. (Hughes) ! 3. (7-10) The healing of the lame man. !

And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them; walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and

they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
! d.!And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up: It was one thing to say, rise up and walk, but it was a much greater thing to so boldly take the mans hand and lift him to his feet. At this moment, Peter received the!gift of faith!described in 1 Corinthians 12:9 a supernatural ability to trust God in a particular situation. ! i. This wasnt something Peter did on a whim or as a promotional event; he did it under the specic prompting of the Holy Spirit. God gave Peter the supernatural ability to trust Him for something completely out of the ordinary. ! b.!Immediately his feet and bones received strength: Strength did not come to the lame man until Peter said rise up and walk, and not until Peter!took him by the right hand and lifted him up. ! i. Perhaps only medical men can fully appreciate the meaning of these words; they are peculiar, technical words of a medical man. The word translated!feet!is only used by Luke, and occurs nowhere else. It indicates his discrimination between different parts of the human heel. The phrase!ankle-bones!is again a medical phrase to be found nowhere else. The word leaping up describes the coming suddenly into socket of something that was out of place, the articulation of a joint. This then is a very careful medical description of what happened in connection with this man. (Morgan) ! c.!Entered the temple . . . walking, leaping, and praising God: As soon as he was healed, the formerly lame man did three good things. First, he attached himself to the apostles (entered the temple with them). Secondly, he immediately started to use what God had given him (walking, leaping). Finally, he began to praise and worship God (praising God). ! d.!Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms: This man was more than 40 years old (Acts 4:22), and had been crippled since birth. He was a familiar sight at this temple gate (Acts 3:10). Therefore, Jesus must have passed him by many times without healing him.

! i. We can say that one Jesus didnt heal his is because Gods timing is just as important as His will, and it was for the greater glory of God that Jesus heal this man from heaven through His apostles. ! B. Peter preaches to the gathered crowd. ! 1. (11-12) Introduction: Why do you think!we!have done something great? !

Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomons, greatly amazed. So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?
! a.!Held on to Peter and John: Since he could walk, it wasnt for support. Perhaps he held on to them out of gratitude, perhaps out of a combined sense of fear and surprise since a crowd quickly gathered as!the people ran together to them . . . greatly amazed. ! b.!When Peter saw it, he responded to the people: Peter wisely took advantage of the gathering crowd. Yet he knew that the phenomenon of the miraculous in itself brought no one to Jesus, it merely aroused interest. Though they were!greatly amazed, they werent saved yet. ! i. This might have been a good time for a testimony service, for the healed man certainly had a great experience. Yet Peter knew that what the crowd needed to hear even more than the healed mans experience was the gospel of Jesus Christ, and a call to repent and believe. The healed man didnt know enough yet to share that, so Peter did the

talking. ! ii. Peter knew that saving faith did not come by seeing or hearing about miracles, rather!faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God!(Romans 10:17). ! b.!Why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?!Peter denied that the healing was due to either his!power or!godliness. ! i. Many evangelists or preachers today who would never claim to heal in their own power still give the impression that healing happens because they are so spiritual, so close to God, or so godly. Peter knew that it was all of Jesus and nothing was of him. ! c.!Why do you marvel at this?!Peters point was simple: Jesus healed all sorts of people when He walked this earth, so why should it seem strange that He continues to heal from heaven? ! 2. (13-15) Peter preaches Jesus. !

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
! a.!God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: By opening with this reference to God, Peter made it clear that he spoke to them about the God of Israel, the God represented in the Hebrew Scriptures.

! b.!His Servant Jesus: The greatness of Peters sermon is that it was all about Jesus. The focus on the sermon was not on Peter nor on anything he did, but all about Jesus. ! i. The rst thing Peter said about Jesus in this sermon drew attention to the idea that Jesus was the perfect!Servant!of the Lord, and spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures (as in Isaiah 42 and 52:13-53:12). The concept of the servant of the Lord was well-known in Israel because of Isaiah 53 and other texts. (Boice) ! c.!Whom you delivered up and denied: Peter boldly set the guilt of Jesus death squarely where it belonged.!Pilate, the Roman governor, was!determined to let Him go, but the Jewish mob insisted on the crucixion of Jesus (John 18:29-19:16). ! i. This does!not!mean that the Jewish people of that day!alone!were responsible for the death of Jesus. They Romans Gentiles were also responsible. The Romans would not have crucied Jesus without pressure from the Jewish leaders, and the Jews could not have crucied Jesus without Roman acceptance of it. God made certain that both Jew and Gentile shared in the guilt of Jesus death. In fact, it was not political intrigue or circumstances that put Jesus on the cross; it was our sin. If you want to know who put Jesus on the cross, look at me or look in the mirror. ! ii. Peter was not afraid to confront their sin, and he showed amazing boldness. One commentator says that the miracle of the speech of Peter is a far more wonderful one than the miracle wrought in the healing of the man who lay at the Beautiful Gate. (Morgan) ! iii. Yet notice the contrast. In Gods estimation Jesus is the exalted!Servant, promised centuries before in the Hebrew Scriptures. In mans estimation Jesus was only worthy to be tortured and crucied. ! d.!Holy One: Here Peter exalted Jesus as!God. The term!Holy One!is used more than 40 times in the Old Testament as a high and glorious title for Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel. ! e.!Asked for a murderer to be granted to you: One of the ironies of the crucixion of

Jesus is that while the crowd rejected Jesus, they embraced a criminal and a murderer named Barabbas (Luke 23:13-25, John 18:39-40). Peter!boldly!confronted this audience. ! i. When Peter spoke of sin, he used the word!you!several times. In the sermon on the day of Pentecost it is recorded that he only used it once (Acts 2:23). ! ! ! ! ! ! f.!And killed the Prince of life: Of course,!the Prince of life!could not remain in the grave, and the apostles were unitedwitnesses!of the fact of His resurrection. ! 3. (16) How the man was healed. ! You!delivered up and denied You!denied the Holy One and the Just [You]!asked for a murderer to be granted to you [You]!killed the Prince of Life

And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comesthrough Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
! a.!And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong: Peter said that it was in the!name!of Jesus that this man has been made whole. This means more than Peter said, in Jesus name. It means that Peter consciously did this in the authority and power of Jesus, not in the authority and power of Peter. Peter would not even take credit for the!faith!that was exercised in the healing (yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness). ! i. In Semitic thought, a name does not just identify or distinguish a person, it expresses

the very nature of his being. Hence the power of the person is present and available in the name of the person. (Longenecker) ! b.!Through faith in His name: When Gods people really do good in this world, they do it!through faith in His name. The temptation is always to do things trusting in something or someone else. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! i. Instead, we must always trust in and do good!through faith in His name. ! 4. (17-18) Explaining the sufferings of Jesus. ! To trust in good intentions. To trust in talents and gifts. To trust in material resources. To trust in reputation and prior success. To trust in hard work or smart work.

Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.
! a.!Yet now, brethren: Though Peter spoke boldly to them about their sin, he didnt hate them. He didnt say, Yet now, you lthy disgusting wretches. He still connected to them as!brethren. Notice that twice Peter had accused them of!denying!Jesus (3:13, 14) something Peter had himself done. ! b.!I know that you did it in ignorance: Peter recognized they called for the execution of

Jesus in ignorance of Gods eternal plan. This did not make them innocent, but it did carefully dene the nature of their guilt. If we sin in ignorance, it is still sin; but it is different from sin done with full knowledge. ! c.!He has thus fullled: Despite all the evil they did to Jesus, it did not change or derail Gods plan. God can take the most horrible evil and use it for good. Joseph could say to his brothers, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good. (Genesis 50:20) The same principle was at work in the crucixion of Jesus and is at work in our lives (Romans 8:28). ! 5. (19-21) Peter calls them to repentance. !

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
! a.!Repent therefore: As he did in his rst sermon (Acts 2:38), Peter called upon the crowd to!repent. He told them to turn around in their thinking and actions. ! i. Peter spoke boldly to them about their sin, but he didnt just want to make them feel bad. That wasnt the goal. The goal was to encourage them to repent and believe. ! ii. Repentance does not describe being sorry, but describes the act of!turning around. And as he used it in chapter two, here also Peter made!repent!a word of!hope. He told them that they had done wrong; but that they could turn it around and become right with God. !

b.!And be converted: Peter knew the necessity of!conversion, of Gods work of bringing new life to us. Being a Christian is not turning over a new leaf, it is being a!new creation in Christ Jesus!(2 Corinthians 5:17). ! i. Boice says that!be converted!is better translated, turn to God or, even better, ee to God. Boice connects this with the imagery of the cities of refuge in the Old Testament, and thinks Peter told them to ee to Jesus as their place of refuge. ! c.!That your sins may be blotted out: This was the rst!benet!of repentance Peter presented to them. The one who repents and is converted is forgiven their sins, and the record itself is erased. ! i.!Blotted out: This has the idea of wiping ink off of a document. Ink in the ancient world had no acid content and didnt bite into the paper. It could almost always be wiped off with a damp cloth. Peter said that God would wipe away our record of sin just like that. ! d.!So that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord: This was the second benet of repenting and turning to God. In speaking of times of refreshing,!Peter referred to the time when Jesus will return and rule the earth in righteousness. Peter went so far as to say, that He may send Jesus Christ, thus implying that if the Jewish people as a whole repented, God the Father would send Jesus to return in glory. ! i. Peter made it clear that Jesus will remain in heaven!until the times of restoration of all things, and since the repentance of Israel is one of the!all things, there is some sense in which the return of Jesus in glory will not happen until Israel repents. ! ii. Peter essentially offered Israel the opportunity to hasten the return of Jesus by embracing Him on a national level, something that must happen before Jesus will return (as in Matthew 23:37-39 and Romans 11:25-27). ! iii. One may raise the hypothetical question,!if!the Jews of that day had received the gospel as a whole, would!then!Jesus had returned way back then? Hypothetically, this may have been the case, but there is no point in speculating about something that!didnt

happen! ! iv. In a lesser (though glorious) sense, God sends!times of refreshing!to His people today. We should pray for and believe God for seasons of revival and!refreshing. ! 6. (22-26) Peter warns of the danger of rejecting Jesus. !

For Moses truly said to the fathers, The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.
! a.!For Moses truly said to the fathers: The Jewish people of Peters day were aware of this prophecy of Moses (recorded in Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18-19), but some thought that the!Prophet!would be someone different than the!Messiah. Peter made it clear that they are one and the same. ! b.!Every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed: The destruction promised in the prophecy would become the legacy of this generation of Jews. Many of this generation (certainly not all) rejected Jesus twice over.

! i. This is the third blessing that comes from repenting and turning to God being!spared!this promised judgment. ! c.!And of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham: Hidden in the idea of the promise to Abraham (all the families of the earth shall be blessed) and in the words!to you rst!is the undeveloped theme of the extension of the gospel to all the world - even to the Gentiles. ! d.!Sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities: This is the fourth blessing that comes from repenting and turning to God. Jesus blesses us from heaven, and does this by!turning!us!away!from our sins. Gods desire to bless us and to do good for us also includes His desire to turn us all away from our sins. ! i. The lame man at the Beautiful Gate wanted something; but God wanted to give him something much greater. The same was generally true of the Jewish people Peter preached to. They expected the Messiah!in a certain way, but God wanted to give them something much greater. They looked for a political and military Messiah, and not so much one to turn!every one of you from your iniquities. It shows how important it is for us to expect the right things from God. !

2012 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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Romans 3 - Justied Freely by His Grace ! A. The righteousness of God's judgments.

1. (1-2) The advantage of the Jewish people.

What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of

circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God.

a. What advantage then has the Jew: Paul has carefully explained in Romans 2 that the possession of the law or circumcision will not save a Jewish person. If this is the case, then what is the advantage of being "God's chosen nation"?

i. After all, if there is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11), what good is it to be Jewish?

b. Much in every way! Paul knows there are many advantages God gave to the Jewish people. In particular, He entrusted them withthe oracles of God, which speaks of God's written revelation before the time of Jesus. He gave the Jewish people His Word, and that is an indescribable gift.

i. "This was their prime privilege, that they were God's library-keepers, that this heavenly treasure was concredited to them." (Trapp)

ii. Paul will later expand on the advantage of the Jewish people in Romans 9:4, explaining that Israel also had the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises.

2. (3-4) Jewish unbelief does not make God wrong.

For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written: "That You may be justified in Your words, and may overcome when You are judged."

a. For what if some did not believe? The fact that the Jewish people as a whole to that point had rejected the gospel did not mean that God's faithfulness to them was in vain. It did not mean that God's work was futile or without effect.

i. "I have to say, with Paul, 'What if some did not believe?' It is no new thing; for there have always been some who have rejected the revelation of God. What then? You and I had better go on believing, and testing for ourselves, and proving the faithfulness of God, and living upon Christ our Lord, even though we see another set of doubters, and another, and yet another ad infinitum. The gospel is no failure, as many of us know." (Spurgeon)

b. Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar: Paul reminds us that God will be justified in all His actions. In the end, it will be demonstrated that even our unrighteousness somehow proclaimed His righteousness

and glory, even if only in judgment.

i. "Should any man say that the promise of God had failed toward him, let him examine his heart and his ways, and he will find thathe has departed out of that way in which alone God could, consistent with his holiness and truth, fulfill the promise." (Clarke)

ii. Spurgeon on let God be true but every man a liar: "It is a strange, strong expression; but it is none too strong. If God says one thing, and every man in the world says another, God is true, and all men are false. God speaks the truth, and cannot lie. God cannot change; his word, like himself, is immutable. We are to believe God's truth if nobody else believes it. The general consensus of opinion is nothing to a Christian. He believes God's word, and he thinks more of that than of the universal opinion of men."

3. (5) An objection regarding the unrighteousness of man and the righteousness of God.

But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)

a. But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Paul brings the

counter-argument of an opponent: "If my unrighteousness will demonstrate God's righteousness, how can God judge me? My sin ultimately serves to bring Him more glory, and that is good!"

b. Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? Paul was familiar with the line of thinking that says, "God is in control of everything. Even my evil will ultimately demonstrate His righteousness. Therefore God is unjust if He inflicts His wrath on me, because I'm just a pawn in His hand."

i. In theory, the most dramatic example of someone who might ask this question is Judas. Can you hear Judas make his case? "Lord, I know that I betrayed Jesus, but You used it for good. In fact, if I hadn't done what I did, Jesus wouldn't have gone to the cross at all. What I did even fulfilled the Scriptures. How can You judge me at all?" The answer to Judas might go like this: "Yes, God used your wickedness but it was still your wickedness. There was no good or pure motive in your heart at all. It is no credit to youthat God brought good out of your evil. You stand guilty before God."

c. I speak as a man: This doesn't mean Paul is without the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and apostolic authority. Instead he explains that only as a man - a fallen man at that - would anyone dare to question God's justice.

4. (6-8) Paul's answer to the objection raised.

Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? And why not say, "Let us do evil that good may come"?; as we are slanderously reported and as some affirm that we say. Their condemnation is just.

a. Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? Paul dismisses the question of his opponent easily. If things were such as his opponent suggested, then God could judge no one.

i. It is true that God will use even the unrighteousness of man to accomplish His work and bring praise to His name Judas' betrayal of Jesus is a perfect example. Nevertheless, part of the way God glorifies Himself in man's sin is by righteously judging that unrighteousness.

b. How will God judge the world? For both Paul and his readers it was a given that a judgment day was coming, when some will be acquitted and some condemned. He didn't need to contest this point; it was simply understood in that culture.

i. Paul understood that God would judge the world, both Jew and Gentile. Many of the Jews of Paul's day figured that

God would condemn the Gentile for his sin, but save the Jew despite his sin.

c. For if the truth of God has increased through my lie to His glory, why am I also still judged as a sinner? Paul restates the objection of an imaginary questioner: "If God will glorify Himself through my lie, how can He judge me, since I seem to indirectly increase His glory?"

d. Let us do evil that good may come: This was a perversion of Paul's doctrine of justification by faith, and an extension of the objection of his imaginary questioner. If you take the thinking of Paul's adversary far enough, you end up saying, "Let's sin as much as we can so God can be glorified even more." This shows us that one way to examine a teaching is to extend its meaning and consequences and see where you end up.

i. Of course, let us do evil that good may come was not Paul's teaching. He was slanderously reported to teach this. Still, it is possible to see how this accusation came as Paul freely preached forgiveness and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, not works.

ii. Most Christian preaching is so far from the true gospel of free grace that Paul preached that there is no way anyone could evenslanderously report that they taught "let us do evil that good may come." If we find ourselves sometimes accused of preaching a gospel that is "too open" and too

centered on faith and grace and God's work then we find ourselves in good company with Paul.

e. Their condemnation is just: Paul will not even answer such an absurd twisting of his gospel. He simply says of those who would teach such things or accuse Paul of teaching them, their condemnation is just. God rightly condemns anyone who teaches or believes such a thing.

i. Twisting the glorious free gift of God in Jesus into a supposed license to sin is perhaps the peak of man's depravity. It takes the most beautiful gift of God and perverts it and mocks it. This twisting is so sinful Paul saves it for last, because it is beyond the depravity of the pagan (Romans 1:24-32), beyond the hypocrisy of the moralist (Romans 2:1-5), and beyond the false confidence of the Jew (Romans 2:17-29).

B. Conclusion: the universal guilt of mankind before God.

1. (9) The guilt of both Jew and Gentile before God.

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin.

a. Are we better than they? Not at all: Since Paul was Jewish by birth and heritage (Philippians 3:4-6), when he says "we" he means "we Jews." The point is that by nature, the Jewish person is no more right with God than the pagan or the moralist. Paul demonstrates that the pagan, the moralist, and the Jew are all under sin and under condemnation.

b. Under sin: This is a powerful phrase. It speaks of our slavery to sin, literally meaning "sold under sin." By nature every person knows what it is like to be a slave to sin, both Jews and Greeks.

i. "Under the power of sin, but chiefly under the guilt of sin." (Poole)

ii. Morris on under sin: "He is regarding sin as a tyrant ruler, so that sinners are 'under' it (Jerusalem Bible, 'under sin's dominion'); they cannot break free."

2. (10-18) The Old Testament witnesses to the universal depravity and guilt of mankind.

As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks

after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one."

"Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit";

"The poison of asps is under their lips"; "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

"Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known."

"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

a. There is none righteous, no, not one: These quotations from the Psalms (Psalms 14:1-3; 5:9, 140:3, 10:7 and 36:1) and from Isaiah 59:7-8 all support this opening statement.

i. Paul looks at the human condition from top to bottom. He begins with the head and moves down to the feet. Warren Wiersbe calls this passage "An X-ray study of the lost sinner,

from head to foot."

ii. This look at the human condition is depressing. What's the point? The Apostle Paul wants us to understand our complete inability to save ourselves. The fall touches every part of man's being, and the inventory of body parts corrupted by the fall demonstrates this.

b. There is none righteous, no, not one: When God finds none righteous, it is because there are none. It isn't as if there were some and God couldn't see them. There has never been a truly righteous man apart from Jesus Christ. "Even Adam was not righteous: he was innocent - not knowing good and evil." (Newell)

c. There is none who seeks after God: We deceive ourselves into thinking that man, on his own, really does seek after God. But don't all the religion and rituals and practices from the beginning of time demonstrate that man seeks after God? Not at all. If man initiates the search then he doesn't seek the true God, the God of the Bible. Instead he seeks an idol that he makes himself.

i. "You have gone through this form of worship, but you have not sought after God. I am sick of this empty religiousness. We see it everywhere; it is not communion with God, it is not getting to God; indeed, God is not in it at all." (Spurgeon)

d. They have together become unprofitable: The word unprofitable has the idea of rotten fruit. It speaks of something that was permanently bad and therefore useless.

e. Their throat is an open tomb: With these references from the Psalms, Paul calls virtually every part of man's body into guilt. Thethroat, tongue, lips, mouth, feet, and eyes are filled with sin and rebellion against God.

i. Their feet are swift to shed blood: "For further details, read your daily papers!" (Newell). For example, the Los Angeles Timesreported that in 1992 murders reached a record level of 800 in Los Angeles County.

f. There is no fear of God before their eyes: This summarizes the entire thought. Every sin and rebellion against God happens because we do not have a proper respect for Him. Wherever there is sin, there is no fear of God.

i. John Calvin on the fear of God: "In short, as it is a bridle to restrain our wickedness, so when it is wanting, we feel at liberty to indulge every kind of licentiousness."

3. (19-20) Summation: the law cannot save us from our sin and the penalty it deserves.

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law isthe knowledge of sin.

a. Whatever the law says: Paul points out that this horrific description of man's utter sinfulness come to us in the law; and it is intended for those under the law, to silence every critic and to demonstrate the universal guilt of mankind that all the world may become guilty before God.

i. "We may add, that though all the vices here enumerated are not found conspicuously in every individual, yet they may be justly and truly ascribed to human nature, as we have already observed." (Calvin)

b. It says to those who are under the law: If God speaks this way to those who had the law, and attempted to do the law, it is evident that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight.

i. Remember that many Jewish people of Paul's day took every passage of the Old Testament describing evil and applied it only to the Gentiles - not to themselves. Paul makes it clear that God speaks to those who are under the

law.

c. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight: The law cannot save us. The law can't justify anyone. It is useful in giving us the knowledge of sin, but it cannot save us.

i. Since the time of Adam and Eve, people have tried to justify themselves by the deeds of the law. In the Garden of Eden Adam tried to make himself presentable to God by making coverings out of fig leaves - and he failed. In Job, the oldest book of the Bible, the problem is presented clearly: how can a man be righteous before God? (Job 9:2). God makes part of the answer clear here through Paul - the answer is not in the performance of good works, in the deeds of the law.

ii. How we need to deeply understand this - that by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified!

! This means that the law, having been broken, now can only condemn us - it can never save us ! This means that even if we could now begin to perfectly keep the law of God it could not make up for past disobedience, or remove present guilt ! This means that keeping the law is NOT God's way of salvation or of blessing under the New Covenant

d. For by the law is the knowledge of sin: J.B. Phillip's paraphrase of this phrase is striking. He writes, "it is the straight-edge of the Law that shows us how crooked we are."

i. "Lest any should think that the law hereupon is useless, he goes on to show its use, but a quite contrary one to what they intended." (Poole)

C. The revelation of the righteousness of God.

1. (21) The revelation of righteousness.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

a. But now: These words provide the most glorious transition from the judgment of Romans 3:20 to the justification of Romans 3:21.

i. But now speaks of the newness of God's work in Jesus Christ - it really is a New Covenant. Being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets reminds us that there is still continuity with God's work in former times.

b. Apart from the law: The law cannot save us, but God reveals a righteousness that will save us, apart from the law. This is the essence of God's plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is a salvation that is offered apart from the law, apart from our own earning and deserving, apart from our own merits.

c. Being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets: This righteousness is not a novelty. Paul didn't "invent" it. It was predicted long ago, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets. The Old Testament said this righteousness was coming.

d. Apart from the law: It isn't that the righteousness of God is revealed apart from the Old Testament, but that it is revealed apart from the principle of law. It is apart from a legal relationship to God, based on the idea of earning and deserving merit before Him.

i. "The Greek puts to the very front this great phrase apart from law (choris nomou) and this sets forth most strongly the altogether separateness of this Divine righteousness from any law-performance, any works of man, whatsoever." (Newell)

ii. God's righteousness is not offered to us as something to take up the slack between our ability to keep the law and God's perfect standard. It is not given to supplement our own

righteousness, it is given completely apart from our own attempted righteousness.

2. (22) How this righteousness is communicated to man.

Even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

a. To all and on all who believe: In Romans 3:21, Paul told us how this righteousness does not come. It does not come through the deeds of the law, it is apart from the law. Now Paul tells us how this saving righteousness does come. It is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.

b. Through faith in Jesus Christ: The righteousness of God is not ours by faith; it is ours through faith. We do not earnrighteousness by our faith. We receive righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.

i. Through faith "points to the fact that faith is not a merit, earning salvation. It is no more than the means through which the gift is given." (Morris)

ii. "But faith is not 'trusting' or 'expecting' God to do

something, but relying on His testimony concerning the person of Christ as His Son, and the work of Christ for us on the cross . . . After saving faith, the life of trust begins . . . trust is always looking forward to what God will do; but faith sees that what God says has been done, and believes God's Word, having the conviction that it is true, and true for ourselves." (Newell)

c. For the there is no difference: There is no other way to obtain this righteousness. This righteousness is not earned through obedience to the law; it is a received righteousness, gained through faith in Jesus Christ.

i. "There is a little book entitled, Every man his own lawyer. Well, nowadays, according to some people, it seems as if every man is to be his own saviour; but if I had, say; a dozen gospels, and I had to sort them out, and give the right gospel to the right man, what a fix I should be in! I believe that, oftentimes, I should be giving your gospel to someone else, and someone else's gospel to you; and what a muddle it would all be! But now we have one universal cure . . . The blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ will save every man who trusts him, for 'there is no difference.' " (Spurgeon)

3. (23-24) Man's universal need and God's universal offer.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the

redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

a. Being justified: Paul develops his teaching about salvation around three themes.

! !

Justification is an image from the court of law Redemption is an image from the slave market

! Propitiation is an image from the world of religion, appeasing God through sacrifice

i. Justification solves the problem of man's guilt before a righteous Judge. Redemption solves the problem of man's slavery to sin, the world, and the devil. Propitiation solves the problem of offending our Creator.

b. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God: This universal statement is answered by a universal offer to be justified freely by His grace. It is open to everyone who will believe.

i. Morris, quoting Moule: "The harlot, the liar, the murderer, are short of it; but so are you. Perhaps they stand at the bottom of a mine, and you on the crest of an Alp; but you are as little able to touch the stars as they." Everyone falls short,

but everyone can bejustified freely by His grace.

c. Fall short of the glory of God: It's impossible to describe every way we fall short, but here are four important ways man falls short of the glory of God.

i. We fail to give God the glory due Him, in our words, thoughts and actions.

ii. We fail to qualify for, and thereby reject the glory and reward that God gives faithful servants.

iii. We fail to properly reflect God's glory by refusing to be conformed into His image.

iv. We fail to obtain the final glory God will bestow on His people at the end of all history.

d. Justified freely by His grace: Being in such a sinful state, the only way we can be justified is to be justified freely. We can't purchase it without good works at all. If it isn't made free to us, we can't have it all. So we are justified freely by His grace - His unmerited favor, given to us without regard to what we deserve. It is a giving motivated purely by the giver, and motivated by nothing in the one who receives.

i. Freely is the ancient Greek word dorean. The way this word is used in other New Testament passages helps us understand the word. Matthew 10:8 (Freely you have received, freely give) and Revelation 22:17 (And whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely) show that the word means truly free, not just "cheap" or "discounted." Perhaps the most striking use of the ancient Greek word dorean is in John 15:25: They hated me without a cause (dorean). Even as there was nothing in Jesus deserving of man's hatred, so there is nothing in us deserving of justification - all the reasons are in God.

ii. Calvin on the use of both the words freely and grace: "He thus repeats the word to show that the whole is from God, and nothing from us . . . lest we should imagine a half kind of grace, he affirms more strongly what he means by a repetition, and claims for God's mercy alone the whole glory of our righteousness."

e. Through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Again, Paul's gospel centers squarely in Christ Jesus. Salvation is possible because of the redemption found in Him. God cannot give us His righteousness apart from Jesus Christ.

f. Redemption: This has the idea of buying back something, and involves cost. However, God pays the cost and so we are justified freely.

i. The word translated redemption had its origin describing the release of prisoners of war on payment of a price and was known as the "ransom." As time went on, it was extended to include the freeing of slaves, again by the payment of a price.

ii. The idea of redemption means that Jesus bought us; therefore, we belong to Him. Paul expressed this thought in another letter:For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's (1 Corinthians 6:20).

4. (25-26) How the death of Jesus satisfies the righteous judgment of God.

Whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

a. Whom God set forth as a propitiation: Jesus, by His death (by His blood) was a propitiation (substitute sacrifice) for us. As He was judged in our place, the Father could demonstrate His righteousness in judgment against

sin, while sparing those who deserved the judgment.

i. Wuest on propitiation: "The word in its classical form was used of the act of appeasing the Greek gods by a sacrifice . . . in other words, the sacrifice was offered to buy off the anger of the god."

ii. The NIV translates propitiation as sacrifice of atonement; the Living Bible has: to take the punishment for our sins.

b. A propitiation: The ancient Greek word for propitiation (hilasterion) is also used in the Septuagint for the mercy seat, the lid covering the Ark of the Covenant, upon which sacrificial blood was sprinkled as an atonement for sin. While it might be said that this passage means "Jesus is our mercy seat," it probably has the more straightforward idea of propitiation - a substitute sacrifice.

i. At the same time, the "mercy seat" idea should not be neglected as an illustration of propitiation. Inside the Ark of the Covenant was the evidence of man's great sin: the tablets of law; the manna received ungratefully; the budded rod of Aaron, showing man's rejection of God's leadership. Up over the Ark of the Covenant were the symbols of the holy presence of the enthroned God in the beautiful gold cherubim. In between the two stood the mercy seat, and as sacrificial blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), God's wrath was averted because a substitute had been slain on behalf of sinners coming by faith. We really can say that Jesus is our "mercy

seat," standing between guilty sinners and the holiness of God.

c. Whom God set forth as a propitiation: This shows that Jesus did not somehow appease a reluctant, unwilling Father to hold back His wrath. Instead, it was God the Father who initiated the propitiation: whom God set forth.

d. Passed over the sins: God, in His forbearance, had passed over the sins of those Old Testament saints who trusted in the coming Messiah. At the cross, those sins were no longer passed over, they were paid for.

i. The idea is that through the animal sacrifice of the Old Testament, those who looked in faith to the coming Messiah had their sins "covered" by a sort of an "IOU" or promissory note. That temporary covering was redeemed for full payment at the cross.

ii. The work of Jesus on the cross freed God from the charge that He lightly passed over sin committed before the cross. Those sins were passed over for a time but they were finally paid for.

e. That He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus: At the cross, God demonstrated His righteousness by offering man justification (a legal verdict of "not guilty"), while remaining completely just (because the

righteous penalty of sin had been paid at the cross).

i. It's easy to see how someone could be only just - simply send every guilty sinner to hell, as a just judge would do. It's easy to see how someone could only be the justifier simply tell every guilty sinner, "I declare a pardon. You are all declared 'not guilty.'" But only God could find a way to be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

ii. "Here we learn that God designed to give the most evident displays of both his justice and mercy. Of his justice, in requiring asacrifice, and absolutely refusing to give salvation to a lost world in any other way; and of his mercy, in providing THE sacrifice which his justice required." (Clarke)

5. (27) Boasting in the salvation which comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ is excluded.

Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.

a. Where is boasting then? It shouldn't be anywhere. Because we are justified freely by His grace, there is no room for self-congratulation or credit.

b. By what law? Boasting and pride are not excluded because there is some specific passage in the law against them. Instead, pride is excluded because it is completely incompatible with the salvation that is freely ours though faith. Boasting is excluded by the law of faith.

c. By the law of faith: No room for boasting! This is why the natural man hates being justified freely by His grace. Grace absolutely refuses to recognize his (imagined) merits and gives no place to his pride whatsoever.

6. (28-30) Justification (acquittal in the court of God) is found, for both Jew and Gentile, apart from the deeds of the law.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is Henot also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

a. Justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law: It isn't that we are justified by faith plus whatever deeds of the law we can do. We are justified by faith alone, apart from the deeds of the law.

i. "Since all works of law are barred out, faith alone is left. Luther so translated, and since his time Sola Fide has become a slogan." (Lenski)

b. Apart from the deeds of the law: Doesn't James contradict this in passages like James 2:14-26? How can we say that it is faithalone that saves, apart from the deeds of the law?

i. It is true faith alone saves, but true faith, saving faith, has a distinct character. It is not just agreeing with certain facts, but it is directing the mind and will in agreement with God. The whole purpose of the book of James is to describe the character of this saving faith.

ii. Calvin explains: "What James says, that man is not justified by faith alone, but also by works, does not at all militate against the preceding view [of justification by faith alone]. The reconciling of the two views depends chiefly on the drift of the argument pursued by James. For the question with him is not, how men attain righteousness before God, but how they prove it to others that they are justified; for his object was to confute hypocrites, who vainly boasted that they had faith . . . James meant no more than that man is not made or proved to be just by a feigned or dead faith, and that he must prove his righteousness by his works."

c. Yes, of the Gentiles also: This righteousness is offered to

both Jew and Gentile. The universal character of the offer is demonstrated by a simple fact: Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Of course He is. If there is only one God, then God is God of the Gentiles as much as He is God of the Jews. It's just up to the Gentiles to recognize Him as God.

d. There is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith: Not only is this righteousnessavailable to both Jew and Gentile, it is also received the same way by both Jew and Gentile. Since one God justifies both Jew and Gentile, He justifies them in the same way: by faith . . . through faith.

7. (31) What of the law then?

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

a. Do we then make void the law through faith? We can see how someone might ask, "If the law doesn't make us righteous, what good is it? Paul, you have just made the law void. You are going against the law of God."

b. Certainly not! Of course, Paul does not make void the law. As the Apostle will demonstrate in Romans 4, the law anticipated the coming gospel of justification by faith, apart from the deeds of the law. Therefore, the

gospel establishes the law, fulfilling its own predictions.

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 Corinthians 3 - Carnal Christians and Godly Ministers

! A. Carnality in the Corinthian church. ! 1. (1) Paul confronts their condition. !

And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

a. These people are part of the family of God (he calls them!brethren), and that is the problem. Though they have the Holy Spirit (unlike the!natural man!of 1 Corinthians 2:14), they are not behaving like!spiritual people, but like!carnal!- that is, eshly people, like immature Christians (babes in Christ). ! i. There is a signicant debate as to if there can be such a thing as a!carnal!Christian. Some say it is a contradiction in terms; that Paul really says that these!carnal!ones are not Christians at all. Yet he clearly calls them!brethren, and says they are!babes in Christ. How could these terms be used of someone who is not a Christian? ! ii. These Christians, to some extent, are!thinking!and!acting!according to the esh, not the Spirit. Of course, the esh does not dominate!every!aspect of their life, or they would then have no evidence of being born again. But Paul is addressing issues where they

clearly are thinking and acting in a!carnal!- that is, in a eshly - manner. ! iii. "The carnal Christian is a child of God, born again and on his way to heaven, but he is traveling third class." (Redpath) Romans 7 is a portrait of the carnal Christian; indwelt by the Spirit, but mastered by the esh. ! b. There is a difference between being!eshy!(sarkinos, used in 2 Corinthians 3:3) and being!eshly!(the Greek word!sarkikos, used here in this passage). ! i.!Fleshy!is simply "made of esh"; it can speak of the weakness that is common to every fallen human. ! ii.!Fleshly, when used of a person means, "characterized by the esh." It speaks of the one who can and should do differently but does not. Paul says that the Corinthians were!sarkikos. ! c. Paul speaks about three categories of men. There is the!natural man!(1 Corinthians 2:14), who is patterned after Adam and rejects the things of the Spirit; there is the!spiritual!man (1 Corinthians 2:15), who knows the things of God; and there is the!carnal!man who knows the things of God, yet in some signicant ways is still characterized by the esh. Which one are you? ! 2. (2) How Paul treated carnal believers. !

I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.

a.!I fed you with milk: Paul kept his teaching on the basics, even though they had an inated view of their spirituality. They believed they were ready for the "deeper things,"

but were not living any deeper in the basic things he already preached to them. ! b. The difference between!milk!and!solid food!is one of degrees, not kind. Every doctrine that can be taught in seminary can be taught to children, though not in the same words. ! i. There are not two gospels, one for the learned and one for the unlearned; there is no part of the gospel that we are authorized to keep back from the people. ! c.!You were not able to receive it: It wasn't that God prevented them from receiving the!solid food!Paul gave. The real problem was the Corinthian attraction to spiritual "junk food," based on man's wisdom and eloquence. They were so "lled" with this junk food that they were!not able to receive!the spiritual!solid food!Paul wanted to give them. ! i. Some "spiritual junk food Christians" are greatly blessed when they get a spiritual meal of!solid food, but others, when presented with!solid food!are!not able to receive it, because their spiritual "taste buds" are so conditioned to junk food, that is all they have a taste for. ! 3. (3-4) Evidence of their carnality. !

For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like meremen? For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal?

a.!For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal: The Corinthian Christians thought of themselves as spiritual, but their divisions show that they are in fact eshly.

! i. The problems they had in human relationships showed there was something wrong in their relationship with God. It was evidence of carnality, of a eshly way of thinking and living. ! ii.!Divisions,!envy!and!strife!among Christians are not the only signs of eshiness, but they are the ones most evident among the Corinthians. ! b.!Are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?!Paul did not say that they!were!mere men!(that is, not saved), only that they were!behaving like mere men. Christians have a higher call than living like the rest of humanity. ! i. "Spiritual people are to walk in the Spirit. If they do otherwise, they are "worldly" and are called upon to desist.!Remaining worldlyis not one of the options." (Fee) ! c.!When one says, "I am of Paul," . . . are you not carnal?!We might think Paul would be more kind to his own "fan club." Instead of letting their praise stroke his esh, Paul denounced even his own partisans. ! B. How to regard leaders in the church. ! 1. (5-7) The foolishness of exalting church leaders. !

Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

a.!Who then is Paul?!Paul and Apollos are not the ones you believed on for salvation; they only brought Jesus to you. They arethrough whom you believed, not!on!whom you believed. ! i. "So what was the use of ghting which of two nothings was the greater?" (Maclaren) ! b.!I planted, Apollos watered: Christian workers have different jobs and see different results, but God is the one who gets the work done. Only!God . . . gives the increase. ! i. When a farmer plants a seed, and waters it, he really does not!make!it grow. The miracle of life does that. All the farmer can do is provide the right environment for growth, and trust in the miracle of life. We do the same thing in ministering Jesus to other people. ! ii. Some people are frustrated because they want to water when God has called them to plant, or they want to plant when God has called them to water. Others are frustrated because they want to make the increase happen, when only God can do that. Real fruitfulness in ministry happens when we are peacefully content with what God has called us to do. ! c.!Planted!and!watered!are in the ancient Greek aorist tense, marking denite acts in the past.!Gives the increase!is in the imperfect tense, marking the continued work of God. ! 2. (8-9) Christian workers work together, but are rewarded according to their own labor. !

Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building.

a.!He who plants and he who waters are one: In combating the Corinthian desire to divide among leaders, Paul reminds them they are all on the same team. ! i. How silly to say, "Planting is what is really important. Those waterers are really missing the boat." Or to think, "Watering is where it's at. Those planters better get their priorities straight." The fact is planters and waterers are both necessary, both need each other, and both are working towards the same goal. ! b.!Each one will receive his own reward: All work together, but each is rewarded individually. Reward is not given according to gifts, talents, or even success, but according to their!own labor. ! i. God knows how to reward properly. On earth, many ministers either receive too much or too little reward. ! ii. "The faithful, laborious minister or missionary who labours in obscurity and without apparent fruit, will meet a reward far beyond that of those who, with less self-denial and effort, are made the instruments of great results." (Hodge) ! iii. Young preachers used to ask G. Campbell Morgan the secret to his preaching success. He would answer: "I always say to them the same thing: work; hard work; and again, work!" ! c.!We are God's fellow workers: God gives us the amazing opportunity to work with Him. We cannot work without Him, and He will not work without us (generally speaking). God wants!you!as His working partner. ! i. When you consider all the ways God!could!have done His work, it is even more amazing to know He wants our participation. !

d.!You are God's eld, you are God's building: The work Paul did with God was to work "on" God's people. They were his "eld" (using the picture of a farmer planting and watering), and they were his "building" (using the picture of a builder). ! 3. (10-15) The church as a building. !

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

a.!According to the grace of God: In describing Paul's work among the Corinthians, he begins with a declaration of!grace. He knew that his status as a worker in God's eld, or on God's building, was based on!God's undeserved favor, not on his own deserving or merit. ! i. It is an exalted thing to be a!fellow worker!with God. But God doesn't choose exalted people to do His work. It isn't anything in them that makes them worthy to be His worker, it is!according to the grace of God. !

b.!I have laid the foundation: When Paul founded the church in Corinth (Acts 18), he set the only foundation that can be laid - the person and work of!Jesus Christ. Yet he knew that others would come after him and build on the foundation he set. ! i. So,!let each one take heed how he builds on it. There is only one foundation for the church. If it isn't founded on Jesus Christ, it isn't a church at all. So one can't build on any other foundation; but one can build!unworthily!on the one foundation. ! c. God will test the building work of all His!fellow workers, so!each one's work will become manifest. Some build with precious things like!gold, silver, precious stones; others build with unworthy materials like!wood, hay,!and!straw. ! i. By using the gures of!gold, silver,!and!precious stones, Paul seems to have in mind the building materials used in the construction of the temple (1 Chronicles 22:14, 22:16, and 29:2). The "building" is what God builds in His people with the help of Hisfellow workers. ! ii.!Precious stones!doesn't mean jewels, but ne stone materials like marble and granite. Mixing the wisdom of men with the wisdom of God in the work of building the church is like using alternate layers of straw and marble in building. Straw may be ne, it may have a place (in the barn), but it is an inadequate building material. In the same way, human wisdom and eshly attractions may have a place in life, but not in the building of the church. ! d.!The re will test each one's work: When God tests our work, it will be!revealed!what kind of work it was. Just as re will destroywood, hay,!and!straw, but not!gold, silver,!and!precious stones; so the work of some will be revealed as!nothing!on that Day. ! i. Notice that the!amount!of the work isn't going to be evaluated (though it does have some relevance). Paul says the work will be tested to see!what!sort!it is. If one did a lot of the wrong!sort!of work, it will be as if he did nothing. His work will be burned and will vanish in eternity. Moody wisely said that converts ought to be!weighed!as well as!counted. ! ii. Paul also referred to this great testing in 2 Corinthians 5:10:!For we must all appear

before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. When our work is tested before the Lord, we will be rewarded according to what remains. ! iii. It is a sobering thought: many, many people who believe they are serving God, but are doing it in an unworthy manner or with unworthy "materials" will come to nd in eternity that they have, in reality, done!nothing!for the Lord. Some will be saved, but with a life that was wasted, and receive no crown to give to Jesus, for His glory (as in Revelation 4:10-11).!He himself will be saved, yet so as through the re!shows that some will be saved, but barely saved, and saved with everything gone. ! e.!If anyone's work: The re does not purify the!worker, it tests their!workmanship. Roman Catholics use this passage to teach purgatory, the idea that when we die, we go to a place where we are puried by re before we go to heaven. The idea of purgatory has nothing to do with this passage, and nothing to do with any other passage in the Bible. Purgatory is strictly a human invention, and denies the nished work of Jesus for the believer. ! f. This passage has rst application to Christian leaders, because this is Paul's topic in context, but the application extends to all servants of God. ! 4. (16-17) The church as a temple. !

Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

a.!You are the temple of God: Paul will later (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) speak as individual Christians being temples. Here his emphasis is on the church as a whole (though it has application to individuals).

! i. When Paul calls the church a temple, don't think he is using a picture. The physical temple was the picture; God's dwelling in us is the reality. ! b. What makes the church a temple?!The Spirit of God dwells in you. The ancient Greek word used for!temple!(naos) refers to the actual sanctuary, the place of the deity's dwelling, in contrast to the broader word!hieron, which was the temple area in general. ! c.!If anyone deles the temple of God: If you dele the church, God will!destroy!you. God's temple - His church - is!holy, and it matters to God how we treat His holy temple. ! C. How to glorify God. ! 1. (18-20) Glorify Him by pursuing real wisdom. !

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, "He catches the wise in their own craftiness"; and again, "The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."

a.!If anyone among you seems to be wise: Paul is being a little sarcastic here. Of course the Corinthians considered themselveswise in this age! That was one of their problems, their love of worldly wisdom. ! b. What is one to do if they are!wise in this age? If they are wise according to a human

measure of wisdom? They are to!become a fool that he may become wise. ! i. Paul asks them to renounce all worldly wisdom, all!humanism!(man-centered philosophy), even if it means being called a fool. If one is not willing to be considered a!fool!by those who value only human wisdom, they will never be able to truly!become wise. ! c. God has evaluated the!wisdom of this world, and He considers it!foolishness,!craftiness, and!futile. Will we agree with God's evaluation or not? ! 2. (21-23) Glorify God by seeing His servants in the right perspective. !

Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.

a.!Let no one glory in men: How prone we are to!glory in men! We are more excited about being with the inuential and famous of this world than about being with God. We value the gifts and honors of men more than the gifts and honors God gives. How we need to hear,!let no one glory in men! ! b.!For all things are yours: To say!I am of Paul!or!I am of Apollos!is to have a view that is too narrow, too constricted. Both Paul and Apollos belong to you; the whole universe is yours in Christ. ! i. Why, even!death!is "ours"; it is our servant, not our master! Death may be to us as the angel who touched Peter in Acts 12, causing his chains to fall off, and leading him through a gate that opens by itself, into real freedom.

! c.!All are yours: This is Christian liberty.!And you are Christ's: This is Christian responsibility. ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

2 Corinthians 3 - The Glory of the New Covenant

! A. Paul's letter of recommendation. ! 1. (1-2) Does Paul need a letter of recommendation? He has one - the Corinthian Christians themselves. !

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.

a.!Epistles of commendation: Such letters were common and necessary in the early church. A false prophet or apostle could travel from city to city and easily say, "Paul sent me, so you should support me." To help guard against problems like this, letters of recommendation were often sent with Christians as they traveled. ! i. Paul himself sent!letters of commendation!on many occasions (Romans 16:1-2, 1 Corinthians 16:3, 16:10-11, 2 Corinthians 8:16-24). Now Paul will describe!his!letter of recommendation. !

b.!You are our epistle: Paul has a letter of recommendation, but it isn't written on paper. Paul says the letter is!written in our hearts, and it is!known and read by all men. ! i. There was nothing wrong with a letter of commendation written on paper, but how much better to have a!living!letter of commendation! The Christians at Corinth, along with groups of Christians wherever Paul had worked, were Paul's "living letter" to validate his ministry. ! ii. The best analogy in today's world might be a certicate of ordination. Many people think that a certicate of ordination means that you have the credentials of ministry. While there is an important purpose in a public ordination to ministry, a piece of paper in itself never is a proper credential. The true credentials of the ministry are changed lives, living epistles. We might almost say, keep your paper to yourself and show us the changed lives from your ministry. ! iii. "Nothing so commends a minister as the prociency of his people." (Poole) "The fruitfulness of the people is the preacher's testimonial." (Trapp) ! iv. Many think the main reason God granted the miraculous signs and wonders among the apostles in the Book of Acts to! serve as a "letter of commendation" to their apostolic ministry. If this was the case, it makes sense that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit would cease when the apostles passed from the scene, because there would no longer be an apostolic ministry to authenticate. However, it is signicant that Paul does!not!say, "miracles are our epistle of commendation." Paul apparently did not believe his primary "letter of recommendation" was found in miraculous signs but found in miraculously changed lives. ! 2. (3) The writing of Paul's letter of recommendation. !

Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

a.!An epistle of Christ: Paul's letter of recommendation has an author, Jesus Christ. The Corinthian Christians were indeed Paul's letter of recommendation, yet he realized that he did not write that letter - Jesus did. Paul is not trying to say, "I made you the Christians you are," but he is saying, "God used me to make you the Christians you are." ! b.!Ministered by us: Paul's letter of recommendation was written with a "pen" and the "pen" was Paul himself. He "wrote into" the lives of the people he served. ! c.!Written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God: Paul's letter of recommendation was written with "ink," and the "ink" was the Holy Spirit. ! d.!On tablets of esh, that is, of the heart: Paul's letter of recommendation was written on "paper" or!tablets, and the "paper" was the hearts of the Corinthian Christians. ! i. The Old Testament prophets looked forward to the New Covenant, when the law of God would be written in our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), and said God would grant hearts of esh to replace hearts of stone (Ezekiel 11:19 and 36:26). ! 3. (4-6) Sufcient ministers of a new covenant. !

And we have such trust through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

a.!We have such trust through Christ toward God: Paul knows that what he has just written might sound proud in the ears of the Corinthian Christians. After all, it is no small thing to say, "You are my letter of recommendation" and "I am a pen in God's hand." Paul knows these are big ideas, but his place for thinking these big ideas is in Jesus, not in himself. ! b.!Not that we are sufcient of ourselves: Paul doesn't consider himself!sufcient!for the great task of changing lives for Jesus. Only Jesus is sufcient for such a big job. ! i. Some people refuse to be used by God because they think of themselves as "not ready," but in a sense, we are never ready or worthy. If we were, the sufciency would be in ourselves and not from God. ! ii. "Brethren, if Paul is not sufcient of himself, what are you and I? Where are you . . . Do you indulge the dream of self-sufciency? Be ashamed of your folly in the presence of a great man who knew what he said, and who spoke under the direction of the Spirit of God, and wrote deliberately, 'Not that we are sufcient of ourselves.' " (Spurgeon) ! iii. "Our sufciency is of God; let us practically enjoy this truth. We are poor, leaking vessels, and the only way for us to keep full is to put our pitcher under the perpetual ow of boundless grace. Then, despite its leakage, the cup will always be full to the brim." (Spurgeon) ! c.!Ministers of the new covenant: The idea of a!new covenant!was prophesied in the Old Testament (Jeremiah 31:31) and put into practice by Jesus (Luke 22:19-20). ! i. The ancient Greek word for!covenant!(diatheke) had the ordinary meaning of a "last will and testament." Paul's use of the word reinforces the sovereignty of God, because it is not a negotiated settlement, but a divine decree. ! ii. The word!covenant!describes "An 'arrangement' made by one party with plenary power, which the other party may accept or reject, but cannot alter . . . A covenant offered by God to man was no 'compact' between two parties coming together on equal terms." (Moulton and Milligan)

! iii. This!new covenant!presents the terms by which we can have a relationship with God, centered on Jesus and His work for us. ! d.!Not of the letter but of the Spirit: When Paul contrasts!the letter!and!the Spirit, he isn't favoring "experience" over "the word," nor is he favoring allegorical interpretation over a literal understanding of the Bible. Rather Paul shows the superiority of the!new covenantover the old covenant. ! i. The!letter!is the law in its outward sense, written on tablets of stone. The letter of the law came by the old covenant. It was good in itself, but it gave us no power to serve God, and it did not change our heart; it simply told us what to do. Paul can say!the letter killsbecause the law, exposing our guilt, "kills" us before God. The law thoroughly and completely establishes our guilt. ! ii. Paul expresses this point well in Romans 7:5-6:!For when we were in the esh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter. ! iii. The indwelling!Spirit!then becomes for us a law written on our hearts. He is in us to guide us and be our "law." It isn't that the Holy Spirit!replaces!the written law, but!completes!and!fullls!the work of the written law in our hearts.!The Spirit gives life, and with this spiritual life, we can live out the law of God. ! iv. Therefore, we can't throw away or neglect our Bibles (which some might say is!the letter) because now we have!the Spirit. Instead,!the Spirit!makes us alive to!the letter,!fullling!and!completing!the work of!the letter!in us. We also shouldn't think this is permission to live our Christian life on experiences or mystical interpretations of the Bible. Experiences and allegories in the Bible have their place, but each must be proved true and supported by studying the literal meaning of the Bible.!The Spirit!and!the letterare not enemies, but friends. They don't work against each other, and one is incomplete without the other. ! B. A contrast between the old and new covenants.

! 1. (7-11) The surpassing glory of the new covenant. !

But if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance, which glory was passing away, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of the glory that excels. For if what is passing away wasglorious, what remains is much more glorious.

a.!The ministry of death: Was it wrong to call the old covenant!the ministry of death? No, because that is what the law does to us: It slays us as guilty sinners before God so that we can be resurrected by the new covenant. It isn't that the problem was with the law, but with us:!The sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.!(Romans 7:5) ! i. Trapp on!the ministry of death: "David was the voice of the law awarding death to sin, 'He shall surely die.' Nathan was the voice of the gospel awarding life to repentance for sin, 'Thou shalt not die.' " ! b.!Was glorious: There was glory associated with the giving of the law and the old covenant. At that time, Mount Sinai was surrounded with smoke; there were earthquakes, thunder, lightning, a trumpet blast from heaven, and the voice of God Himself (Exodus 19:16-20:1). Most of all, the glory of the old covenant was shown in!the face of Moses!and the!glory of his countenance.

! i. "And although the gospel came not into the world as the law, with thunder, lightning, and earthquakes; yet that was ushered in by angels, foretelling the birth and ofce of John the Baptist, and of Christ; by the great sign of the virgin's conceiving and bringing forth a Son; by a voice from heaven, proclaiming Christ the Father's only begotten Son, in whom he was well pleased." (Poole) ! c.!The face of Moses: Exodus 34:29-35 describes how Moses put a veil over his face after speaking to the people. As glorious as the radiant face of Moses was, it was a fading glory:!which glory was passing away. The glory of the old covenant shining through the face of Moses was a fading glory, but the glory of the new covenant endures!without!fading. ! d.!How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious: If the!old!covenant, which brought!death!had this! glory, we should expect!greater glory!in the new covenant, which brings!the ministry of the Spirit!and life. ! i. The old covenant was!a ministry of condemnation, but the new covenant is!the ministry of righteousness. The old covenantis passing away, but the new covenant!remains. No wonder the new covenant is!much more glorious! ! ii. The old covenant!had glory, but the glory of the new covenant far outshines it, just as the sun always outshines the brightest moon. Compared to the new covenant, the old covenant!had no glory!because of!the glory that excels!in the new covenant. ! 2. (12-16) The open and bold character of the new covenant. !

Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech; unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away. But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil

remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.

a.!Therefore, since we have such hope: Since our hope is in a more glorious covenant, we can have a more glorious!hope. Because of this hope, Paul can!use great boldness of speech. The old covenant restricted and separated men from God; the new covenant brings us to God and enables us to come!boldly!to Him. ! b.!Unlike Moses, who put a veil over his face: Even Moses did not have real boldness under the old covenant. A!veil!is not a "bold" thing to wear; it is a barrier and something to hide behind. Moses lacked boldness (compared to Paul) because the covenant that he ministered under was fading away and fading in glory. ! c.!So that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away: From reading the account in Exodus 34:29-35, one might rst get the impression that Moses wore a veil after his meetings with God so that the people wouldn't be afraid to come near him; the veil was to protect!them!from seeing the shining face of Moses. Here Paul explains the real purpose of the veil: not to hide the shining face of Moses, but to hide the!diminishing!glory of his face because the glory was fading. The!passing!glory of the old covenant contrasts with the enduring glory of the new covenant. ! d.!Could not look: Since the veil hid the face of Moses, the children of Israel couldn't see!any!of the glory from his face. Therefore, the contrast isn't only between!passing!glory and enduring glory, but also between!concealed!glory and!revealed!glory. ! e.!For until this day the same veil remains unlifted: Paul says that most of the Jews of his day could not see that the glory of Moses' ministry faded in comparison to the ministry of Jesus. Because the!veil remains unlifted, they can't see that the glory of Moses' ministry has faded and they should now look to Jesus. Since the!same veil!that

hid Moses' face now!lies on their heart, they still think there is something superior or more glorious in the ministry of Moses. ! f.!Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away: Paul could say of his fellow Jews that!a veil lies on their heart, but he could also say that the veil can be taken away in Jesus. Paul knew this well because he was once veiled to the glory and superiority of Jesus. ! i. Many Christians with a heart to preach to their Jewish friends wonder why it is rarely so simple as just showing them that Jesus is the Messiah. This is because!a veil lies on their heart. Unless God does a work in them so they turn to the Lord and have the veil taken away, they will never see the fading glory of Moses' covenant and the surpassing glory of Jesus and the new covenant. ! ii. Of course, it could be said that the Jews are not the only ones with!a veil . . . on their heart. Gentiles also have "veils" that separate them from seeing Jesus and His work for us clearly, and Jesus is more than able to take those veils away. This points to the essential need of!prayer!in evangelism. It has been rightly said that it is more important to talk to God about men than it is to talk to men about God, but we can do both of these important works. ! 3. (17) The liberty of the new covenant. !

Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

a.!The Lord is the Spirit: From the context of Exodus 34:34, we see that when Paul says!the Lord is the Spirit, he means that the Holy Spirit is God, just as Jesus and the Father are God. ! b.!Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. Paul's thinking follows like this: When Moses went into God's presence, he had the liberty to take off the veil; the

presence of the Lord gave him this liberty. We have the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord. We live in the Spirit's presence because He is given to us under the new covenant. So, just as Moses had the liberty to relate to God without the veil in the presence of the Lord, so we have!liberty!because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. ! i. We should also consider what Paul is!not!saying. He is not giving license to any Pentecostal or Charismatic excess becausewhere the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. We have great liberty in our relationship with God through what Jesus did and through what the Holy Spirit is doing, but we never have the!liberty!to disobey what the Spirit says in the word of God. That is a perversion of true liberty, not a Spirit-led liberty. ! c.!There is liberty: Paul really has in mind the!liberty of access. He is building on what he wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:12:!We use great boldness of speech. Boldness is a word that belongs with!liberty. Because of the great work of the Holy Spirit in us through the new covenant, we have a bold, liberated relationship with God. ! i. "A liberty from the yoke of the law, from sin, death, hell; but the liberty which seemeth here to be chiey intended, is a liberty from that blindness and hardness which is upon men's hearts, until they have received the Holy Spirit." (Poole) ! 4. (18) The transforming glory of the new covenant. !

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

a.!We all with unveiled face: Paul invites every Christian to a special, glorious intimacy with God. This is a relationship and transforming power that is not the property of just a few privileged Christians. It can belong to!all, to everyone who has an!unveiled face. !

i. How do we get an!unveiled face?!When one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away!(2 Corinthians 3:16). If we will turn to the Lord, He will take away the veil and we can be one of the "we all." ! b.!Beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord: We can see!the glory of the Lord, but we cannot see His glory perfectly.!A mirrorin the ancient world did not give nearly as good a reection as our mirrors do today. Ancient mirrors were made of polished metal, and gave a clouded, fuzzy, somewhat distorted image. Paul says, "We can see!the glory of the Lord, but we can't see it perfectly yet." ! i. There may be another thought here also: "Now as!mirrors, among the Jews, Greeks, and Romans, were made of highly polishedmetal, it would often happen, especially in strong light, that the face would be greatly!illuminated!by this strongly!reected!light; and to this circumstance the apostle seems here to allude." (Clarke) ! c.!Are being transformed: As we behold the glory of God, we will be!transformed. God will change our lives and change us from the inside out. Though the old covenant had its glory, it could never transform lives through the law. God uses the new covenant to make ustransformed!people, not just!nice!people. ! i. Everyone wants to know, "How can I change?" Or, everyone wants to know, "How can!they!change?" The best and most enduring change comes into our life when we are!transformed!by time spent with the Lord. There are other ways to change, such as guilt, willpower, or coercion, but none of these methods bring change that is as deep and lasts as long as the transformation that comes by the Spirit of God as we spend time in the presence of the Lord. ! ii. Yet, it requires something:!beholding. The word means more than a casual look; it means to make a careful study. We all have something to behold, something to study. We can be transformed by the glory of the Lord, but only if we will!carefully study!it. ! d.!Into the same image: As we look into "God's mirror," we are changed!into the same image!of the Lord. When we spend timebeholding!the glory of the God of love, grace, peace, and righteousness, we will see a transforming growth in love, grace, peace, and righteousness.

! i. Of course, this is how you can know someone is really spending time with the Lord: They!are being transformed into the same image. However, much depends on what we "see" when we look into "God's mirror." In this analogy, "God's mirror" is not a mirror that shows us what!we are!as much as it shows us what!we will become, and what we will become is based on our picture of who God is. If we have a false picture of God, we will see that false picture in God's "mirror" and will be transformed into that!same image!much to our harm, both for now and eternity. ! ii. Not everyone sees the truth when they look into the mirror. Thirty year-old David gets up every morning, and his morning routine only gets as far as the bedroom mirror, where he sees a horribly distorted face - a crooked, swollen nose covered with scars and a bulging eye. The pain from his deformities made him quit college and move in with his parents ten years ago. Since then, he rarely leaves his room, afraid to let anyone see him. His four cosmetic surgeries have done nothing to help his condition because the problems with David's appearance are only in his!mind. Experts call it!body dysmorphic disorder, or BDD. It causes people to imagine themselves as deformed, ugly people when they really have a normal appearance. Psychiatrists call it a hidden epidemic, and one psychiatrist said, "Patients are virtually coming out of the woodwork. I'm meeting with one new patient each week." Most BDD sufferers are convinced the problem is with their face. Those aficted live with such an overwhelming sense of shame that they can barely function. One young teacher in Boston tried to continue her job but often ran out in the middle of class, afraid that her imagined hideous appearance showed through her thick makeup. A Denver businessman called his mother from the ofce 15 times a day for reassurance that he did not look grotesque and spent hours in the bathroom stall with a pocket mirror trying to gure out a way to improve his appearance. Some try to cope with harmful rituals, such as cutting themselves to "bleed" the damaged area. BDD sufferers are usually convinced that the problem is with their body, not their mind. They don't want to see anyone but plastic surgeons and dermatologists for their problem. ! iii. Thankfully, we don't have to be in bondage to a false image of ourselves or of God. When we!behold!the picture of God as He is in truth, we will be transformed into His image. This is God's great design in our salvation,!for whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son!(Romans 8:29). Calvin speaks to this great design of God: "That the image of God, which has been defaced by sin, may be repaired within us . . . the progress of this restoration is continuous through the whole of life, because it is little by little that God causes His glory to shine forth in us." ! e.!Are being transformed: This work of transformation is a process. We are!being!transformed; the work isn't complete yet, and no one should expect it to be complete in themselves or in others. No one comes away from one incredible time with

the Lord perfectlytransformed. ! f.!From glory to glory: The work of transformation is a continual progression. It works!from!glory!to!glory. It doesn't have to work from!backsliding to glory to backsliding to glory. God's work in our lives can be a continual progression,!from glory to glory. ! g.!By the Spirit of the Lord: With these last words, Paul emphasizes two things. First, this access to God and His transforming presence is ours by the new covenant, because it is through the new covenant we are given!the Spirit of the Lord. Secondly, this work of transformation really is God's work in us. It happens!by the Spirit of the Lord, not by the will or effort of man. We don't!achieve!orearn!spiritual transformation by!beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord. We simply put ourselves in a place where!the Spirit of the Lord!can transform us. ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Galatians 3 - The Christian, Law, and Living by Faith

!
A. The principle of continuing in faith. ! 1. (1) Paul confronts their blurred vision of Jesus and His work for them. !

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified?

a.!O foolish Galatians!!The strong words were well deserved. Phillips even translated

this, "O you dear idiots of Galatia." In calling the Galatians!foolish, Paul did not mean they were morally or mentally decient (the ancient Greek word!moros!had that idea and was used by Jesus in parables such as in Matthew 7:26 and 25:1-13). Instead, Paul used the ancient Greek word!anoetos, which had the idea of someone who!can!think but!fails!to use their power of perception. ! i. The principles Paul referred to are things the Galatians knew, things they had been taught. The knowledge and understanding were there, but they were not using them. ! b.!Who has bewitched you:!Bewitched!has the idea that the Galatians were under some type of spell. Paul didn't mean this literally, but their thinking was so clouded - and so unbiblical - that it seemed that some kind of spell had been cast over them. ! i. Barclay translates!bewitched!as!put the evil eye on. The ancient Greeks were accustomed to and afraid of the idea that a spell could be cast upon them by an!evil eye. ! ii. The evil eye was thought to work in the way a serpent could hypnotize its prey with its eyes. Once the victim looked into the evil eye, a spell could be cast. Therefore, the way to overcome the evil eye was simply not to look at it. In using this phrasing and the word picture of!bewitched, Paul encouraged the Galatians to keep their eyes always and steadfastly upon Jesus. ! iii. It is wonderful to have a soft, tender heart before God. But some people have softer!heads!than hearts. Their minds are too accommodating to wrong, unbiblical ideas, and they don't think things through to see if they really are true or not according to the Bible. This is a sign of spiritual immaturity, even as a baby will stick!anything!into its mouth. ! c.!Before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucied: The idea behind!clearly portrayed!is something like "billboarded," to publicly display as in setting on a billboard. Paul wondered how the Galatians could have missed the message because he certainly made it clear enough to them. ! i. When they left the message of Jesus and Him crucied, they left the message Paul preached. Paul's preaching was like setting up posters of Jesus all over town - if you saw

anything, you saw Jesus. ! ii. When we see Jesus clearly before us, we won't be deceived. "If anything contrary to this comes before him, he does not timidly say, 'Everybody has a right to his opinion'; but he says, 'Yes, they may have a right to their opinion, and so have I to mine; and my opinion is that any opinion which takes away from the glory of Christ's substitutionary sacrice is a detestable opinion.' Get the real atonement of Christ thoroughly into your soul, and you will not be bewitched." (Spurgeon) ! d.!Before whose eyes: Paul didn't mean that they literally saw the crucixion of Jesus or even that they had a spiritual vision of it. He meant that the truth of Jesus and Him crucied and the greatness of His work for them was clearly laid out for them so clearly that they could!see!it. Actually watching the death of Jesus on the cross might mean nothing. Hundreds, if not thousands, saw Jesus dying on the cross and most of them only mocked Him. ! 2. (2-3) Paul confronts their departure from the principle of faith. !

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

a.!This only I want to learn from you: "Just tell me this," Paul said.!Did you receive the Spirit through the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?!Obviously, the Galatians received the Holy Spirit through simple faith. The Holy Spirit is not a prize earned through the!works of the law. ! i. It worked like this: A Gentile was told he must come under the Law of Moses or God would not bless him. This meant he must be circumcised according to the Law of Moses. So he has the operation and as soon as the cut is made, the Holy Spirit is poured out upon him. Of course, this is not how it works. We receive the Holy Spirit by!faith!and not by

coming under the works of the law. ! b.!Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the esh?!The Galatians were deceived into thinking that spiritual growth or maturity could be achieved through the works of the esh, instead of a continued simple faith and abiding in Jesus. ! i. Another way to say Paul's message is like this: "You received the greatest gift - the Holy Spirit of God - by faith. Are you going on from there, not by faith, but by trusting in your own obedience under the Law of Moses?" ! ii. This lays out one of the fundamental differences between the principle of!law!and the principle of!grace. Under law, we are blessed and grow spiritually by!earning and deserving. Under grace, we are blessed and grow spiritually by!believing and receiving. God deals with you under the covenant of!grace; we should not respond on the principle of!law. ! c.!Are you so foolish?!This was indeed foolishness. This deception was cultivated by Satan to set our Christian life off-track. If he cannot stop us from being!saved!by faith, then he will attempt to hinder our!blessing!and!growth and maturity!by faith. ! 3. (4) A question about the past: Was it all for nothing? !

Have you suffered so many things in vain - if indeed it was in vain?

a.!Have you suffered so many things in vain: Apparently, the Galatians had (perhaps when Paul was among them) suffered for the principle of faith (probably at the hands of legalistic Christians). Would their departure from the principle of faith mean that this past suffering was!in vain? !

i. We know that Paul did suffer persecution in this region. Acts 14 makes it clear that Paul and his companions were persecuted vigorously (Paul even being stoned and left for dead) by the Jews when they were among the cities of Galatia. Surely some of this persecution spilled over to the Christian congregations Paul left behind in Galatia. ! b.!Have you suffered so many things in vain: Perhaps a better translation of this phrase is "Have you had such wonderful spiritual experiences, all to no purpose?" This may t the context better. Paul wondered if all the gifts of the Spirit they had received would amount to no lasting value because they tried to walk by law, not by faith. ! 4. (5) Paul asks them to examine the source of the Spirit's work. !

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

a.!He who supplies the Spirit to you: Who supplied the Holy Spirit? Obviously, the Spirit was given as a gift from God. ! b.!Does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?!God supplied the Holy Spirit in response to!faith. Miracles are wrought by!faith. Yet the Galatians were deceived into thinking that real spiritual riches lay in pursuing God through a!worksrelationship. ! c.!By the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?!Paul repeated the phrase from Galatians 3:2 because he wanted to emphasize there was a choice to be made. Which will it be? Do you believe you will be blessed!by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Will you!earn and deserve!your blessing from God, or will you!believe and receive!it? ! i. This speaks to those who see!lack of blessing. Why? Not from a lack of devotion, not because they haven't earned enough; but because they are not putting their faith, their

joyful and condent expectation in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ! ii. This speaks to those who are!wonderfully blessed. How? For them to be proud is to be!blind. They have not earned their blessing, so they should not take pride in them. All the more they should look to Jesus and put their expectation in Him. ! B. Abraham: an example of those justied and walking by faith. ! 1. (6) How Abraham was made righteous before God. !

Just as Abraham "believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

a.!Just as Abraham: Among the Galatian Christians, the push towards a works-based relationship with God came from certain other Christians who were born as Jews and who claimed Abraham as their spiritual ancestor. Therefore, Paul used!Abraham!as an example of being right before God by!faith!and not by faith plus works. ! i. "It mattered a great deal to the apostle that God saves people by grace, not on the grounds of their human achievement, and he found Abraham an excellent example of that truth." (Morris) ! b.!Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness: Paul here quoted from Genesis 15:6. It simply shows that!righteousness!was!accounted!to Abraham because he!believed God. It was!not!because he performed some work and certainly not because he was circumcised, because the covenant of circumcision had not yet been given. ! i. Genesis 15:1-6 shows that when Abraham put his trust in God, specically in God's promise to give him children that would eventually bring forth the Messiah, God credited

this belief to Abraham's account as righteousness. "Abraham was not justied merely because he believed that God would multiply his seed, but because he embraced the grace of God, trusting to the promised Mediator." (Calvin) ! ii. There are essentially two types of righteousness: righteousness we!accomplish!by our own efforts and righteousness!accountedto us by the work of God when we believe. Since none of us can be good enough to accomplish perfect righteousness, we must have God's righteousness accounted to us by doing just what Abram did:!Abraham believed God. ! c.!Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness: This quotation from Genesis 15:6 is one of the clearest expressions in the Bible of the truth of salvation by grace, through faith alone. It is the gospel in the Old Testament, quoted four times in the New Testament (Romans 4:3, Romans 4:9-10, Romans 4:22 and here in Galatians 3:6). ! i. Romans 4:9-10 makes much of the fact this righteousness was accounted to Abraham before he was!circumcised!(Genesis 17). No one could say Abraham was made righteous because of his obedience or fulllment of religious law or ritual. It was faith and faith alone that caused God to account Abraham as righteous. ! ii. We should be careful to say that Abraham's faith did not make him righteous. Abraham's!God!made him righteous, by accounting his faith to him for righteousness. "His faith was not his righteousness, but God so rewarded his exercise of faith, as that upon it he reckoned (or imputed) . . . the righteousness of him in whom he believed." (Poole) ! d.!Accounted to him for righteousness: Abraham's experience shows that God!accounts!us as righteous, because of what Jesus did for us, as we receive what He did for us by faith. ! i. Morris on!accounted: "It has a meaning like 'reckon, calculate', and may be used of placing something to someone's account, here of placing righteousness to Abraham's account." !

ii. If God!accounted!Abraham as righteous, then that is how Abraham should account himself. That was his standing before God, and God's accounting is not pretending. God does not account to us a pretended righteousness, but a real one in Jesus Christ. ! e.!Believed God: It wasn't that Abraham believed!in!God (as we usually speak of believing in God). Instead, it was that Abrahambelieved God. Those who only believe!in!God, in the sense that they believe He exists, are only as spiritual as demons are (James 2:19). ! i. "Believed, of course, means more than that he accepted what God said as true (though, of course, he did that); it means that he trusted God." (Morris) ! ii. Generally speaking, ancient Rabbis did not really admire Abraham's!faith. They believed he was so loved by God because he was thought to have kept the law hundreds of years before it was given. For these and other reasons, when Paul brought up Abraham, it would have been a complete surprise to his opponents, who believed that Abraham proved!their!point. "Paul's emphasis on Abraham's faith must have come as a complete surprise to the Galatians." (Morris) ! iii. However, some Rabbis had seen the importance of Abraham's faith. "It is remarkable that the Jews themselves maintained that Abraham was saved by faith.!Mehilta, in Yalcut Simeoni, page 1, fol. 69, makes this assertion: 'It is evident that Abraham could not obtain an inheritance either in this world or in the world to come, but by faith.' " (Clarke) ! iv. "Faith in God constitutes the highest worship, the prime duty, the rst obedience, and the foremost sacrice. Without faith God forfeits His glory, wisdom, truth, and mercy in us. The rst duty of man is to believe in God and to honor Him with his faith. Faith is truly the height of wisdom, the right kind of righteousness, the only real religion . . . Faith says to God: 'I believe what you say.' " (Luther) ! 2. (7) The true sons of Abraham. !

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons

of Abraham.

a.!Therefore know: The emphasis is clear. Paul made an important point, and he wanted each one of his readers to understand it. ! i. "Know!is imperative; Paul commands the Galatians to acquire this piece of knowledge." (Morris) ! b.!Only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham: Since Abraham was made righteous by!faith!and not by works, Abraham was therefore the father of everyone who believes God and is accounted righteous. ! !i. "It is always possible that we should translate!huioi Abraam, not so much!children!(or 'sons')!of Abraham!as 'real Abrahams.' " (Cole) ! c.!Are sons of Abraham: This was a strong rebuke to the Jewish Christians who tried to bring Gentile Christians under the law. They believed they were superior because they descended from Abraham and observed the law. Paul said that the most important link to Abraham was not the link of!genetics!and not the link of!works, but it is the link of!faith. ! i. This would have been a shocking change of thinking for these particular opponents of Paul. They deeply believed that they had a standing before God because they were!genetically!descended from Abraham. At that time, some Jewish Rabbis taught that Abraham stood at the gates of Hell just to make sure that none of his descendants accidentally slipped by. John the Baptist dealt with this same thinking when he said,!Do not think to say to yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father." For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones!(Matthew 3:9). Paul knocked down their blind reliance on!genetic!relation to Abraham and showed that what really mattered was!faith in Jesus. ! ii. It's the same today when people believe God accepts them because they come from a Christian family. God is a Father, not a grandfather; everyone must have their!own!faith

in God. ! d.!Are sons of Abraham: This was a great comfort to the Gentile Christians who were regarded as "second class Christians" by others. Now they could know that they had a real, important link to Abraham and could consider themselves!sons of Abraham. ! i. Sadly, Christians have taken this glorious truth and misapplied it through the centuries. This has been a verse that many claim in support of!replacement theology!- the idea that God is!nished!with the people of Israel as a nation or a distinct ethnic group, and that the Church spiritually inherits all the promises made to Israel. ! ii. Replacement theology has done tremendous damage in the Church, providing the theological fuel for the res of horrible persecution of the Jews. If Galatians 3:7 were the only verse in the Bible speaking to the issue, there might be a place for saying that the Church has completely replaced Israel. But we understand the Bible according to its entire message, and allow one passage to give light to others. ! iii. For example, Romans 11:25 (hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in) states clearly that God is!not!nished with Israel as a nation or a distinct ethnic group. Even though God has turned the focus of His saving mercies away from Israel on to the Gentiles, He will turn it back again. This simple passage refutes those who insist that God is forever done with Israel as Israel, and that the Church is the New Israel and inherits every promise ever made to national and ethnic Israel of the Old Testament. ! iv. We are reminded of the enduring character of the promises made to national and ethnic Israel (such as Genesis 13:15 and Genesis 17:7-8). God is not "nished" with Israel, and Israel is not "spiritualized" as the church. While we do see and rejoice in a continuity of God's work throughout all His people through all generations, we still see a distinction between Israel and the Church - a distinction that Paul understands well. ! v. All who put their faith in Jesus Christ!are sons of Abraham; but Abraham has his!spiritual!sons and his!genetic!sons, and God has a plan and a place for both. Yet no one can deny that it is far more important to be a!spiritual!son of Abraham than a!geneticson.

! 3. (8-9) This blessing of righteousness by faith is for all nations. !

And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, "In you all the nations shall be blessed." So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

a.!And the Scripture: Paul spoke from the Scriptures. He had already spoken from his personal experience and from the experience of the Galatian Christians themselves. But this passage is even more important, because it shows how Paul's teaching is correct according to the Bible itself. ! i. It would have been just ne for Paul's opponents to say, "Experiences are just ne Paul, but show us from the Scriptures." Paul was more than ready to take up the challenge. ! ii.!The Scripture, foreseeing . . . preached . . . saying: Remarkably, Paul referred to the!Scriptures!virtually as a person whoforesees,!preaches, and!says. This shows just how strongly Paul regarded the Bible as God's word. Paul believed that when the Scriptures spoke, God spoke. ! iii. "Paul personies Scripture." (Morris) "Excellently spake he, who called the Scripture,!Cor et animam Dei, The heart and soul of God." (Trapp) ! b.!Foreseeing that God would justify the nations by faith: Paul observed that even back in Abraham's day it was clear that this blessing of righteousness by faith was intended for every nation, for Gentiles as well as Jews, because God pronounced that!in you all the nations shall be blessed!(Genesis 12:3). !

i. The intention was to destroy the idea that a Gentile must rst become a Jew before they could become a Christian. If that were necessary God would never have said this blessing would extend to every nation, because Gentiles would have had to become part of the!Israelite nation!to be saved. ! ii. The idea is that the gospel goes!out to!the nations, not that the nations come and assimilate into Israel. ! c.!Those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham: The!blessing!we receive with!believing Abraham!is not the blessing of fantastic wealth and power, though Abraham was extremely wealthy and powerful. The blessing is something far more precious: the blessing of a right standing with God through faith. ! i. "The faith of the fathers was directed at the Christ who was to come, while ours rests in the Christ who has come." (Luther) ! ii. "They who are of faith!are those whose characteristic is faith; it is not that they sometimes have an impulse to believe, but rather that believing is their constant attitude; faith is characteristic of them." (Morris) ! C. The Law in light of the Old Testament and the New Testament. ! 1. (10) The Old Testament tells us that the Law of Moses brings a curse. !

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them."

a.!For as many as are of the works of the law: Paul here addressed those who thought that their law-performance could give them a right standing before God. ! i. The transition from believing Abraham (Galatians 3:9) to those who are!of the works of the law!had a purpose. "If even the great patriarch was accepted by God only because of his faith, then it follows that lesser mortals will not succeed in producing the good deeds that would allow them to be accepted before God." (Morris) ! ii. "The hypocritical doers of the Law are those who seek to obtain a righteousness by a mechanical performance of good works while their hearts are far removed from God. They act like the foolish carpenter who starts with the roof when he builds a house." (Luther) ! b.!For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: The Christians from a Jewish background who believed Gentiles should still live under the Law of Moses thought that it was a path to!blessing. Paul boldly declared that instead of blessing, living underthe works of the law!put them!under the curse. ! i. It isn't hard to see how these Christians believed that living under law brought blessing. They could read in the Old Testament many passages that supported this thinking. Psalm 119:1 says,!Blessed are the undeled in the way, who walk in the law of theLORD!!Psalm 1:1-2 says,!Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the!LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. ! ii. We must understand!how!the Law can bring blessing. First, we see that the word!law!is used in two senses in the Bible. Sometimes it means "The Law of Moses, with all its commands, which a man must obey to be approved by God." Sometimes it means "God's Word" in a very general sense. Many times when the Old Testament speaks of the law, it speaks of it in the general sense of God's Word to us. When Psalm 119:97 says!Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day, the Psalmist meant more than just the Law of Moses; he meant all of God's Word. Seeing this, we understand how the Bible is lled with praise for the law. Secondly, we are blessed when we keep the law because we are living according to the "instruction manual" for life. There is an inherent, built-in blessing in living the way God says we should live, in fullling the "manufacturer's recommendation." !

iii. When Paul said that!as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse, he didn't mean that the law was bad or the Word of God is wrong. He simply meant that God never intended the law to be the way we nd our approval before Him. He knew we could never keep the law, and so God instituted the system of!atoning sacrice!along with the law. And the entire sacricial system looked forward to what Jesus would accomplish on the cross for us. ! c.!Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them: To prove his point Scripturally Paul quoted from Deuteronomy 27:26. The Old Testament itself shows us that if we do not keep!all things!in the law and actually!do them, then we are under a curse. ! i. The important words are!all!and!do. For God to approve you on the basis of the law, you rst have to!do!it. Not simply!know!it, not simply!love!it, not simply!teach!it, not simply!want!it, you must!do!it. Secondly, you have to do it!all. Not some. Not just when you are over 18 or over 40. Not just more good than bad. Deuteronomy 27:26 specically says that to be justied by the law, you must!do!it, and do it in!all things. ! ii.!All!means a lot. It means that while some sins are worse than others are, there are no small sins before such a great God. "Jewish keepers of the law would overlook small transgressions. Paul would not." (Morris) ! iii. "It is worthy of remark that no!printed!copy of the Hebrew Bible preserves the word!col,!ALL, in Deuteronomy 27:26, which answers to the apostle's word!all, here. St. Jerome says that the Jews suppressed it, lest it should appear that they were bound to perform!all!things that are written in the book of the law. Of the genuineness of the reading there is no cause to doubt: it exists in!sixMSS. of!Kennicott!and!De Rossi, in the!Samaritan!text, in several copies of the!Targum, in the!Septuagint, and in the quotation made here by the apostle, in which there is no variation either in the MSS. or in the!versions." (Clarke) ! d.!Cursed is everyone: Paul's point is heavy; it weighs us down with a curse. If you are under the works of the law, the only way you can stand approved and blessed before God by the law is to!do!it, and to do it!all. If you don't, you are!cursed. ! i.!Cursed!is a word that sounds strange in our ears. Yet in the Bible, the idea of being!cursed!is important, and frightening - because it means being!cursed!by God. Not

only!cursed!by our own bad choices, not only!cursed!by this wicked world, not onlycursed!by the Devil - but especially!cursed!by God. He is the one Person you don't want to be!cursed!by. ! 2. (11) The Old Testament tells us that a right standing before God comes by faith, not by the law. !

But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith."

a.!But that no one is justied by the law in the sight of God is evident: Paul had already proven this point in the Scriptures by examining the life of Abraham (Galatians 3:5-9). Now he brought in another passage from the Old Testament, Habakkuk 2:4, which reminds us that the just live by!faith!and not by law. ! i. The Jews themselves sensed that because none could keep the law perfectly, salvation could not come through keeping the law. This is why they placed such emphasis on their descent from Abraham, essentially trusting in Abraham's merits to save them because they sensed that their own merits could not. ! b.!The just shall live by faith: This brief statement from the prophet Habakkuk is one of the most important and most quoted Old Testament statements in the New Testament. Paul used it here to show that the!just!live!by faith, not by law. Being under the law isn't the way to be found!just!before God; only living by faith is. ! i. If you are found to be!just!- approved - before God, you have done it by a life of!faith. If your life is all about living under the law, then God does not nd you approved. ! c.!The just shall live by faith: Every word in Habakkuk 2:4 is important and God quotes it three times in the New Testament just to bring out the fullness of the meaning.

! i. In Romans 1:17, when Paul quoted this same passage from Habakkuk 2:4, the emphasis was on!faith: "The just shall live byfaith." ! ii. In Hebrews 10:38, when the writer to the Hebrews quoted this same passage from Habakkuk 2:4, the emphasis was on!live: "The just shall!live!by faith." ! iii. Here in Galatians 3:11, when Paul quoted this passage from Habakkuk 2:4, the emphasis is on!just: "The!just!shall live by faith." ! 3. (12) The Old Testament tells us that approval by God through the law must be earned by actually living in obedience to the law, not just trying. !

Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."

a.!Yet the law is not of faith: Some might come back to Paul and say, "Look, I'll do the best I can under the law and let faith cover the rest. God will look at my performance, my effort, and my good intentions and credit to me as righteousness. The important thing is that I am really trying." Paul proved from the Old Testament itself that this simply isn't good enough. No; the paths of approval by!the law!andfaith!don't run together, because!the law is not of faith. ! b.!The man who does them shall live by them: The quote from Leviticus 18:5 is clear. If you want to!live!by the law, you must!do!it. Not!try to do it, not!intend to do it, and not even!want to do it. No, it is only!the man who does them!who!shall live by them. ! i. It is very easy to comfort ourselves with our good intentions. We all mean very well; but if we want to nd our place before God by our works under the law, good intentions are never enough. A good effort isn't enough. Only actual!performance!will do.

! ii. This passage from Leviticus 18:5 is another often-quoted principle from the Old Testament. Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:29) quoted it in his great prayer for Israel. The!LORD!Himself quoted it through the prophet Ezekiel (Ezekiel 20:11, 13, and 21). Paul also quotes it again in Romans 10:5). ! iii. The effect of Paul's use of Scripture in Galatians 3:10-12 is overwhelming. We understand that we don't actually!do!the law. We understand that we don't actually do!all!the law. And we understand that this put us under a!curse. Galatians 3:10-12 is the bad news; now Paul begins to explain the good news. ! 4. (13-14) Jesus redeems us from the curse of the law. !

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

a.!Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law: Because we didn't actually do it and do it all, the law put us under a curse. But now Jesus!has redeemed us from the curse of the law.!Redeemed!has the idea of "buying back" or "purchasing out of." It isn't just rescuing; it is paying a price to rescue. Jesus bought us out from under the!curse of the law. ! i. Simply put, in Jesus, we aren't cursed anymore. Galatians 3:10-12 left us all under a curse, but we are not cursed any more because Jesus bought us out from under the curse. ! ii.!Redemption!is an important idea. "Redemption points to the payment of a price that sets sinners free." (Morris)!Redemptioncame from the practices of ancient warfare. After

a battle the victors would often capture some of the defeated. Among the defeated, the poorer ones would usually be sold as slaves, but the wealthy and important men, the men who mattered in their own country, were held to ransom. When the people in their homeland had raised the required price, they would pay it to the victors and the captives would be set free. The process was called redemption, and the price was called the ransom. ! iii. The image took root in other areas. When a slave had his freedom purchased - perhaps by a relative, perhaps by his own diligent work and saving - this was called "redemption." Sometimes the transaction took place at a temple, and a record was carved in the wall so everyone would forever know that this former slave was now a redeemed, free man. Or, a man condemned to death might be set free by the paying of a price, and this was considered "redemption." Most importantly, Jesus bought us out of defeat, out of slavery, and out of a death sentence to reign as kings and priests with Him forever. ! b.!Having become a curse for us: This explains!how!Jesus paid the price to rescue us. Jesus became cursed on our behalf; He stood in our place and took the curse we deserved. ! i. It stops us in our tracks to understand that the price He paid to buy us out from under the!curse of the law!was the price of Himself. It didn't just cost Jesus something, even something great - it cost Jesus Himself. We know that men cursed Jesus as He hung on the cross; but that compares nothing to how He was cursed by God the Father. He made Himself the target of the curse, and set those who believe outside the target. ! ii. "Paul does not say that Christ was made a curse for Himself. The accent is on the two words, 'for us.' Christ is personally innocent. Personally, He did not deserve to be hanged for any crime of His own doing. But because Christ took the place of others who were sinners, He was hanged like any other transgressor." (Luther) ! iii. "Whatever sins I, you, all of us have committed or shall commit, they are Christ's sins as if He had committed them Himself. Our sins have to be Christ's sins or we shall perish forever." (Luther) ! c.!For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree."!When!did Jesus pay this price? The principle of Deuteronomy 21:23 shows that Jesus received this curse upon Himself as He hung on the cross, fullling the Deuteronomy 21:23 promise of a curse to

all who are not only executed but have their bodies publicly exposed to shame. ! i. "This passage did not refer to crucixion (which the Jews did not practise), but to the hanging on a tree or wooden post of the corpse of a criminal who had been executed. But in the New Testament times a cross was often called a tree and there is no doubting that that is what Paul has in mind here." (Morris) ! ii.!Hangs on a tree: In the thinking of ancient Israel, there was something worse than being put to death. Worse than that was to be put to death, and to have your corpse left in the open, exposed to shame, humiliation, and scavenging animals and birds. When it says!hangs on a tree, it does not have the idea of being executed by strangulation; but of having the corpse "mounted" on a tree or other prominent place, to expose the executed one to the elements and supreme disgrace. ! iii. However, if anyone was executed and deemed worthy of such disgrace, the humiliation to his memory and his family must not be excessive. Deuteronomy 21:23 also says "his body shall not remain overnight on the tree." This was a way of tempering even the most severe judgment with mercy. Signicantly, Jesus fullled this also, being taken down from the cross before night had fully come (John 19:31-33). ! d.!That the blessing of Abraham might come: Jesus received this curse, which we deserved and He did not, so that we could receive the!blessing of Abraham, which He deserved and we did not. It would be enough if Jesus simply took away the curse we deserved. But He did far more than that; He also gave a!blessing!that we didn't deserve. ! i.!The blessing of Abraham!is what Paul already described in Galatians 3:8-9: the blessing of being justied before God by faith instead of works. ! e.!The Gentiles in Christ Jesus: This tells us to whom the!blessing of Abraham!comes. Paul didn't mean that it!only!comes upon Gentiles, as if Jews were excluded, but that it comes also upon those!Gentiles in Christ Jesus. ! i. The phrase!in Christ Jesus!is important. The blessing doesn't come!because!they are Gentiles, any more than the blessing of being right with God comes to Jewish people because they are Jews. It comes to all, Jew and Gentile alike, who are identied!in Christ

Jesus!and not by their own attempts to justify themselves. ! f.!Receive the promise of the Spirit through faith: This means that this blessing is ours in Jesus on faith and not the principle of law. The promise is!received, not!earned. ! 5. (15-18) The unchanging nature of God's covenant with Abraham. !

Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet if it is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

a.!Brethren, I speak in the manner of men: Paul rst establishes the principle that even with a covenant among men, the covenant stands rm once it is made -!no one annuls or adds to it. Paul's point isn't really about covenants among men, but to say "How much more certain is a covenant!God!makes." ! i. But we shouldn't miss the rst word of Galatians 3:15:!Brethren. As difcult and dangerous as Paul's opponents in Galatia were, they were also his!brothers. He confronts them and persuades them as!brothers. ! b.!Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made: In Genesis 22:18, God

promised Abraham that!in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. Paul observes that the singular for!seed!is used, not the plural. The point is clear:!"And to your Seed," who is Christ. God is referring to one specic descendant of Abraham, not all his descendants in general ! c.!For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise: If the inheritance offered to Abraham was on the basis of law, it might not be permanent - because it would depend, at least in part, on Abraham's keeping of the law. But since the inheritance was offered on the basis!of promise,!God's!promise, it stands sure. ! d.!God gave it to Abraham by promise: The word!gave!here is the ancient Greek word!kecharistai, which is based on the Greek wordcharis!- grace. God's giving to Abraham was the free giving of grace. The word is also in the perfect tense, showing that the gift ispermanent. ! i. "Judaizers might quote Moses; Paul will quote Abraham. Let them quote law; he will quote promise. If they appeal to the centuries of tradition and the proud history of the law of Moses, he will appeal to the grander 'covenant with Abraham', older by centuries still." (Cole) ! D. The purpose of the law helps us understand our freedom from the law. ! 1. (19-21) The law was given because of man's transgression. !

What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which

could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.

a.!What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions: Part of the reason the law was given was to restrain the transgression of men through clearly revealing God's holy standard. God had to give us His standard so we would not destroy ourselves before the Messiah came. But the law is also!added because of transgressions!in another way; the law also excites man's innate rebellion through revealing a standard, showing us more clearly our need for salvation in Jesus (Romans 7:5-8). ! b.!Till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made: So as the Law was meant to prepare us for the work of the Messiah, it was given!till the Seed!(Jesus)!should come. It isn't that the Law of Moses is!revoked!when Jesus came (Jesus said that He came to fulll the Law, not destroy it in Matthew 5:17). Instead, the Law of Moses is not longer our ground of approaching God. ! c.!It was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator: According to ancient traditions - true traditions, according to Paul - the Law was delivered to Moses on Mount Sinai by the hands of angels. Angels were the "go-between" or mediator for Moses when he received the Law from God. ! d.!Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one: Moses needed a mediator between himself and God, but we don't need a mediator between us and Jesus He!is!our mediator. The law was a two-party agreement brought by mediators. Salvation in Jesus by faith is received by a promise. ! i. James Montgomery Boice called Galatians 3:20 "probably the most obscure verse in Galatians, if not the entire New Testament." Another commentator said he has read more than 250 different interpretations of it; another commentator raises the gure to 300. ! ii. "The general thought seems to be that the promise must be considered superior to the law because the law is one-sided. The law was mediated, and this means that man was a

party to it. The promise, on the other hand, is unilateral; man is not a party to it." (Boice) ! e.!Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not!!The law is not something evil, opposing God's promise. The problem with the law is found in its inability to give strength to those who desire to keep it. If the law!could have given life, then it could have brought righteousness. But the Law of Moses brings no life; it simply states the command, tells us to keep it, and tells us the consequences if we break the command. ! i. "People foolish but wise in their own conceits jump to the conclusion: If the Law does not justify, it is good for nothing. How about that? Because money does not justify, would you say that money is good for nothing? Because the eyes do not justify, would you have them taken out? Because the Law does not justify it does not follow that the Law is without value." (Luther) ! 2. (22) The picture of our imprisonment under sin. !

But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

a.!The Scripture has conned all under sin: Paul paints a picture of imprisonment. The bars of the cell are sin, keeping us conned. The!Scripture!put us in the prison, because it pointed out our sinful condition. So we sit imprisoned by sin, and the law can not help us, because the law put us in the prison. ! i. "Sin is personied as a jailor, keeping sinners under its control so that they cannot break free." (Morris) ! ii. Some protest and say, "I'm not a prisoner to sin." There is a simple way to prove it: stop sinning. But if you can't stop sinning, or ever have a record of sin, then you are

imprisoned by the law of God. ! iii. "When the Law drives you to the point of despair, let it drive you a little farther, let it drive you straight into the arms of Jesus who says: 'Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.' " (Luther) ! b.!Given to those who believe: Only faith can break us out of our connement to sin. The Law of Moses can show us clearly our problem and God's standard, but it cannot give us the freedom that only Jesus can give. The freedom is!given to those who believe. ! i. The bars of our sin are strong; we can't saw through them ourselves. There is no chance of a jailbreak. Instead, an offer is made by the warden Himself to simply open the door and walk out - but you have to acknowledge you are conned, that you deserve to be in the cell, and ask Him to free you. When the prosecutor accuses the warden of not being just, the warden simply points out that the freed prisoner's sentence was completely fullled - by Himself! ! ii. "Far from being the gateway into a glorious liberty, it turns out to be a jailor, shutting people up. The result is that the only way of escape was through faith." (Morris) ! 3. (23-25) The Law of Moses is our tutor, a guardian to bring us to Jesus. !

But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

a.!Before faith came: Before we were saved by faith; before we lived our lives by faith,!we were kept under guard by the law. Here, Paul uses a different word and a

different idea than when he wrote!the Scripture has conned all under sin!in the previous verse. The idea behind!conned!is imprisonment; the idea behind!under guard!is protective custody. There is a sense in which we were imprisoned by our own sin under the law; but there is also another sense in which it guarded us in!protective custody. ! i. How does the law protect us? It protects us by!showing us God's heart. It protects us by!showing us the best way to live. It protects us by!showing what should be approved and disapproved among men. It protects us by providing a!foundation for civil law. In these ways and more,!we were kept under guard by the law. ! b.!Kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed: The Law of Moses prepared us to come to Jesus by the way it reveals God's character and the way it exposed our sin.!Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justied by faith. The!purpose!of the Law of Moses is fullled when we stop trying to justify ourselves and come to faith in Jesus. ! i. The whole purpose of!the law!is to bring us to Jesus. Therefore, if someone doesn't present the Law in a manner that brings people to faith in Jesus, they aren't presenting the Law properly. The way Jesus presented the Law was to show people that they could not fulll it, and needed to look outside of their law-keeping to nd a righteousness greater than the Scribe and the Pharisees (Matthew 5:17-48). ! ii. "Satan would have us prove ourselves holy by the law, which God gave to prove us sinners." (Andrew Jukes, cited in Stott) ! c.!But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor: Once we have come to a relationship of faith, we no longer have to live under our tutor, though we remember the behavior he has taught us. So we respect our tutor, the Law; but we don't live under him. We live under Jesus by faith. ! i.!Tutor!is not a completely accurate translation of the idea of the ancient Greek word!paidagogos. The!paidagogos!did not simply teach a child. More than that, the tutor was the child's guardian, watching over the child and his behavior. The idea is more of a nanny than of a teacher, but since the!tutor!could discipline the child, the!tutor!was also the "dean of discipline."

! ii. Morris translates!tutor!as!custodian. "The!custodian!was not a teacher, but a slave whose special task was to look after a child. He exercised a general supervision over the boy's activities, and it was his responsibility to bring him to the teacher who would give him the instruction that betted his station." (Morris) ! iii. When the child has grown, he doesn't do away with the discipline and lessons he gained from the tutor; but he also doesn't liveunder!the tutor any longer. This is our relation to the law of God. We learn from it; we remember our lessons from it, but we don't liveunder!the law. "The simile of the schoolmaster is striking. Schoolmasters are indispensable. But show me a pupil who loves his schoolmaster." (Luther) ! 4. (26-27) By faith, we nd our identity with Jesus Christ. !

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

a.!For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus: Compared to what was being taught among the Galatians, this was a revolutionary statement. In traditional Jewish thinking (carried into Christianity by Jewish Christians), your standing before God was measured by your obedience to the law. To truly be close to God considered!sons of God!- you had to be!extremely observant!of the law, just as the Scribes and Pharisees were (Matthew 23). Here, Paul says we can be considered!sons of God!in a completely different way:!through faith in Christ Jesus. ! i. The!standing!is impressive. To be among the!sons of God!means that we have a special relationship with God as a loving and caring Father. It is a place of!closeness, a place of!affection, a place of!special care and attention. ! ii. The!method!is impressive. To become a son of God!through faith in Christ Jesus!means much more than believing that He exists or did certain things. It is to put

our!trust!in Him, both for now and eternity. ! b.!For as many of you as were baptized into Christ: Here, using the picture of baptism, Paul illustrates what it means to have!faith in Christ Jesus. He doesn't say we were!baptized!into water, but!baptized into Christ. Just as in water baptism a person is!immersed!in water, so when we place our!faith in Christ Jesus, we are!immersed!in Jesus. ! i. Many Christians seem content with just "dipping a bit" into Jesus. God wants us to be!fully immersed!in Jesus; not sprinkled, not just a part of us dipped. When a person is immersed in water, you don't even see the person much anymore - you mostly see the water. When we live as!baptized into Christ, you don't see so much of "me" anymore; you mostly see Jesus. ! ii. It should be stressed that!this!is the baptism that really saves us: our immersion into Jesus. If a person isn't!baptized into Christ, he could be dunked a thousand times into water and it would make no eternal difference. If a person has been!baptized into Christ, then he should follow through and do what Jesus told him to do: receive baptism as a demonstration of his commitment to Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20). ! c.!Have put on Christ: Another way of expressing our!immersion!in Jesus is to say that we have!put on Christ. In the original language, the phrase has the idea of!putting on a suit of clothes. So we "clothe ourselves" with Jesus as our identity. ! i. How we dress has a real impact on how we think and act. How we dress has a real impact on how we appear to others. We also need to know how to dress appropriately for each occasion. Paul says to us, "Your appropriate clothing for each day is to!put on Christ. People should see that you belong to Him by looking at your life. You should live with the awareness that you are adorned with Jesus." ! ii. Some people might wonder if this is only play-acting, if it is really an illusion, like a child playing "dress-up." The answer is simple. It is only an illusion if there is no!spiritual reality!behind it. In this verse, Paul really speaks of the!spiritual reality!those who!were baptized into Christ!really have!put on Christ. Now they are called to live each day consistent with the spiritual reality.

! 5. (28-29) Our equal standing with others who come to God through faith. !

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

a.!There is neither Jew nor Greek: This was an amazing revolution. The whole problem among the Galatian Christians is that some wanted to still observe the dividing line between!Jew!and!Greek. Paul writes, "In Jesus Christ that line is done away with. When we are in Jesus,!there is neither Jew nor Greek." ! b.!There is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus: The dividing line betweenJew!and!Greek!is not the only dividing line erased. Regarding our standing before God in Jesus, every dividing line is erased. Now that Jesus is our identity, that is more important than any prior identity we possessed. We are!all one in Christ Jesus. ! i. At that time, some Rabbis quoted a morning prayer that was popular among many Jews of that day. According to William Barclay, in that prayer the Jewish man would thank God that he was not born a Gentile, a slave, or a woman. Paul takes each of these categories and shows them to be equal in Jesus. ! ii. Sadly, some Christians still draw lines today. Some draw lines between denominations, some draw lines between races, some draw lines between nations, some draw lines between political parties, and some draw lines between economic classes. For example, if you feel you have more common ground with an unbeliever who shares your race or your political party than with a genuine Christian from another race or political party, you have drawn a line that Jesus died on the cross to erase. ! iii. This doesn't mean that there are no!differences. Paul knew that there was still a

difference between!Jew and Greek, and his evangelistic approach might differ to each group (1 Corinthians 9:19-21). The!slave!still had a daily obligation to obey his!master, though he might be equal in Jesus (Ephesians 6:5-8). There are still different roles for!male!and!female!in the home and in the church (1 Timothy 2:1-15, Ephesians 5:22-33), though they are equal in standing before God. There are differences in role and in function, but none in standing before God through faith in Jesus. "When we say that Christ has abolished these distinctions, we mean not that they do not exist, but that they no longer create any barriers to fellowship." (Stott) ! iv. "He is not writing about a unity that comes about as a result of human achievement. He is saying that when people are saved by Jesus Christ they are brought into a marvelous unity, a unity between the saved and the Saviour and a unity that binds together all the saved." (Morris) ! c.!You are all one in Christ Jesus: This is amazing. Some would have Paul exclude some of the Christians from a Gentile background because they hadn't come under the Law of Moses. Paul includes them saying "You are all one in Christ Jesus." Others might have Paul exclude some of the Christians from a Jewish background, because their theology was wrong on this point and Paul needed to correct them. Paul includes them saying "You are all one in Christ Jesus." ! i. "Many of God's children lack a deep understanding of the Christian way, but that does not mean that they are not genuine Christians. Being a Christian is being a believer, not having an intellectual answer to all the problems we meet as we live out our Christian lives." (Morris) ! d.!And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed: Since all Christians belong to Jesus the Messiah, all Christians are spiritual descendants of Abraham and!heirs!of God. This place of high privilege comes!according to the promise, not according to law or works. We are connected with the long line of God's people assembled throughout all the ages. ! i. Some Jewish Christians said to the Galatians that if they submitted to the law and became circumcised, they could enjoy the status of being!Abraham's seed. Paul points out that this status was!already!theirs through faith in Jesus. ! ii. Paul has reinforced this principle throughout this section by his repeating of the

title!Christ!for Jesus (used 11 times in the last 17 verses). When Paul referred to Jesus as!Christ, he emphasized Jesus' role as the promised!Messiah!of the Jewish people - and of all the world, as Paul emphasized. ! e.!If you are Christ's: This is the issue. The issue is not "Are you under the law?" The issue is not "Are you a Jew or a Gentile?" The issue is not "Are you slave or free?" The issue is not "Are you a man or a woman?" The only issue is!if you are Christ's. ! i. If we!are Christ's, then . . . ! ! We nd our place in!eternity, because we are sons and daughters of God.

! We nd our place in!society, because we are brothers and sisters in the family of God. ! We nd our place in!history, because we are part of God's plan of the ages, related spiritually to Abraham by our faith in Jesus. ! ii. "It enables me to answer the most basic of all human questions, 'Who am I?' and to say, 'In Christ I am a son of God. In Christ I am united to all the redeemed people of God, past, present, and future. In Christ I discover my identity. In Christ I nd my feet. In Christ I come home." (Stott) ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Ephesians 3 - The Revealing of God's Mystery

! A. God's mystery and man's place in it revealed. ! 1. (1-5) Preface to the revelation of the mystery. !

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles; if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

a.!I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles: During his Roman imprisonment Paul was under house arrest. In the day he was free to move around the house with the supervision of soldiers, but every night he was chained to a soldier to make sure he did not escape before his trial before Caesar. Yet he saw himself as!the prisoner of Jesus Christ. He knew that Jesus was the Lord of his life, not the Roman government, so if he was a prisoner, he was Jesus' prisoner. ! b.!For you Gentiles: The entire reason he was under arrest and awaiting trial was because of his missionary efforts on behalf of the Gentiles. ! i. Paul suffered for the very truth he would explain to the Ephesians, and this did not make him back down one bit. ! ii. The last thing Paul wanted was people to feel sorry for him because he was imprisoned. He wanted his readers to realize that it was a benet for them that he was a prisoner. ! c.!If indeed you have heard: This suggests Paul knew his particular calling to the Gentile world was well known among Gentile Christians. !

d.!You have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you: The word!dispensation!speaks of the "implemented strategy" of God's plan in the church. "Here as in Ephesians 1:10, however, it is to be interpreted rather as the implementation of a strategy." (Wood) ! i. "By the!dispensation of the grace of God!we may understand, either the!apostolic ofce!and!gifts!granted to St. Paul, for the purpose of preaching the Gospel among the Gentiles . . . or the!knowledge!which God gave him of that gracious and Divine!planwhich he had formed for the conversion of the Gentiles." (Clarke) ! e.!How that by revelation: Paul wanted them to know, "I'm not making this up. This isn't my invention. God gave me the!revelationand I am only His messenger of this truth." It cost Paul a lot to hold on to this mystery, so he probably would not have made it up himself. ! i. It is indeed amazing that God would take a Hebrew of the Hebrews, a Pharisee, and a persecutor of the church to be the main minister of the mystery, the mystery of the work of the gospel in bringing Jew and Gentile together into one new body. ! f.!He made known to me the mystery: The principle Paul will describe is a!mystery, yet it is known. However, it would never be known if God did not make it!known. ! i. "In English a 'mystery' is something dark, obscure, secret, puzzling. What is 'mysterious' is inexplicable, even incomprehensible. The Greek word!mysterion!is different, however. Although still a 'secret', it is no longer closely guarded but open . . . More simply,mysterion!is a truth hitherto hidden from human knowledge or understanding but now disclosed by the revelation of God." (Stott) ! g.!He made known to me the mystery: Paul did not hesitate to claim that the mystery he will reveal was given to him!by revelation. But it was not given to!only him!by revelation. It was also given specically to Peter by revelation (Acts 11:1-18), and it is consistent with prophecy in the Old Testament (such as Isaiah 49:6) and the specic words of Jesus (Acts 1:8). ! i. However, it seems that God used Paul to declare specically how Jews and Gentiles

would be joined together in one body of Christ. This was something hinted at through others, but only specically detailed through Paul's revelation. Paul trusted that his readers would understand what God revealed to him. ! h.!Was not made known to the sons of men, as it now has been revealed: The nature of the union of Jews and Gentiles into this new body is the aspect that was!not made known. In the Old Testament, the salvation of Gentiles in the Messiah is prophesied, the coming together of Jew and Gentile into the Church is never spoken of. ! 2. (6-7) The mystery described. !

That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

a.!That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body: This describes the mystery itself - that believing Jews and believing Gentiles are joined together into one body of Christ, into one Church, and no longer separated before God as such. ! b.!Partakers of His promise in Christ: The truth of this mystery means that Gentiles are now full!partakers of His promise. This was a privilege no longer reserved only for the believing Jewish person. ! c.!Through the gospel: This could only happen!through the gospel, where all men have an equal standing in Jesus. This is the same gospel Paul is a servant of, because of!the gift of grace given!to him by the working of God's power. ! i. Paul says he is a!minister, but that is a title of service, not exaltation. In classical

literature of ancient Greece, the!minister(diakonos) "is a table waiter who is always at the bidding of his customers." (Wood) ! 3. (8-9) Paul's presentation of the mystery. !

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ;

a.!To me, who am less than the least of all the saints: Paul marveled at the!grace!given to him, by which he was called to preach the gospel that makes the mystery a reality. When we consider Paul's personal history, we see that his calling really was all of!grace. ! i. "But while Paul was thus thankful for his ofce, his success in it greatly humbled him. The fuller a vessel becomes the deeper it sinks in the water. A plenitude of grace is a cure for pride." (Spurgeon) ! ii. "Preachers ought to grow in grace, for their very calling places them at a great advantage, since they are bound to search the Scriptures, and to be much in prayer. It is a choice mercy to be permitted to preach the gospel. I wish some of you would be ambitious of it, for earnest preachers are wanted." (Spurgeon) ! b.!That I should preach: The ancient Greek word translated "preach" literally means "to announce good news." Paul's!preaching!was simply the announcement of the good news of what God has done in Jesus. ! c.!The unsearchable riches of Christ: This mystery is like great!riches!for the Gentiles.

They can now come before God in a standing they could only dream of before. ! i. Paul tried to gure out the greatness of God's grace, and started tracking it out as one might track out the shore of a lake. He soon discovered that it wasn't a lake at all, but an ocean, an immeasurable sea. God's riches are unsearchable; we will never know them completely. ! ii. "I am bold to tell you that my Master's riches of grace are so unsearchable, that he delights to forgive and forget enormous sin; the bigger the sin the more glory to his grace. If you are over head and ears in debt, he is rich enough to discharge your liabilities. If you are at the very gates of hell, he is able to pluck you from the jaws of destruction." (Spurgeon) ! d.!To make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery: Having been entrusted with such riches, Paul's passion was to make this gospel known to!all people. He wants everybody to see and share in the fellowship of this!mystery!- which is a!mystery!precisely because it was unknown and unknowable until God revealed it. ! e.!Fellowship of the mystery: We should carefully consider what this phrase means. It demonstrates that these are not only facts to know but also a life to live, united in Jesus with other believers, without any separation such as existed between Jew and Gentile. ! f.!Which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God: This great truth the!fellowship of the mystery!- was!hiddenbefore it was revealed after the nished work of Jesus on the cross. This reinforces the idea that there is genuinely something!new!in the New Covenant, and that it is wrong to consider Israel simply the Old Testament Church and the Church the New Testament Israel. ! i. "This statement settles the question once for all concerning the existence of the church, the body of Christ, in and during the Old Testament dispensations. Yet it is one of the most widespread views that the church existed from the beginning of creation and the words of promise contained in the Old Testament prophetic Word are the promises of the church, and its glorious future on the earth, in reigning over the nations." (Gaebelein) !

4. (10-12) The purpose of the mystery. !

To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

a.!That now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known: God is a being of innite wisdom and glory, and He wants His creatures to know His great and!manifold wisdom. One purpose in His great plan of the ages is to reveal this wisdom. ! i. Understanding the character of God, we can say that this is not for a!selsh!or!selfglorying!motive, in the way we think of the proud man showing his brains and accomplishments to everyone. God does this for the glory of His!creatures, because the glory of the creature is directly connected to the glory of the!Creator. ! ii. This wisdom is!manifold. The ancient Greek word!polupoikilos!has the ideas of intricacy, complexity, and great beauty. "That hath abundance of curious variety in it, such as is seen in the best pictures or textures." (Trapp) ! iii. It also!must!be made known. Dean Alford points out that the words!might be made known!are emphatic, strongly contrasting the idea of!hidden!in Ephesians 3:9. ! b.!Might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers: This explains!how!God will reveal His wisdom, and towhom!He reveals it. He will reveal it!by!His work in!the church, and He will reveal it!to!angelic beings (principalities and powers). !

i. Of course, God also wants to reveal this wisdom to the church. Yet in the big picture, God doesn't use the angels to reveal His wisdom to the saints, but He does use the saints to reveal His wisdom to the angelic beings, both faithful and fallen angels. This reminds us that we are called for something far greater than our own individual salvation and sanctication. We are called to be the means by which God teaches the universe a lesson, and a beautiful lesson. ! ii. We are surrounded by invisible spiritual beings, and they intently look upon us. Here, Paul draws back the invisible curtain that hides these beings just as Elisha prayed at Dothan,!LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see!(2 Kings 6:17). These angelic beings see us perfectly and know us far better than we know them. ! iii. "What then have they to learn!from us? Ah, they have to learn something which makes them watch us with wonder and with awe. They see in us indeed all our weakness, and all our sin. But they see a nature which, wrecked by itself, was yet made in the image of their God and ours. And they see this God at work upon that wreck to produce results not only wonderful in themselves but doubly wonderful because of the conditions." (Moule) ! iv. "In his immortality, never touched by one drop of our cold river, it is instructive to him beyond all our thought to see his God triumphing over pain and death in some sufferer in the re of martyrdom, or in the torture of cancer, or in the shipwreck, or just in the silent awe of any form of our departure from the body . . . They see these fallen and mortal beings, this Community of the lost and saved, not only bearing and doing for God here on earth, but spiritually present with Him in the Holy of Holies above." (Moule) ! v. Sometimes Christians get the crazy idea that God saved them and works in their life because they are somehow such great people. The angels see right through this. We might believe that it is because of us; the angels know better. We may think our lives are small and insignicant; the angels know better. We may doubt our high standing, seating in heavenly places; the angels see this spiritual reality with eyes wide open. ! vi. "It is as if a great drama is being enacted. History is the theatre, the world is the stage, and the church members in every land are the actors. God himself has written the play, and he directs and produces it. Act by act, scene by scene, the story continues to unfold. But who are the audience? They are the cosmic intelligences,!the principalities and powers in the heavenly places." (Stott) !

vii. "The Angels are instructed in God's wisdom . . . by the fact of the great spiritual body, constituted in Christ, which they contemplate, and which is to them the!theatre of the glory of God." (Alford) "The history of the Christian church becomes a graduate school for angels." (Stott, quoting Mackay) ! c.!To the principalities and powers in the heavenly places: This means that angelic beings are!interested!and!instructed!by the lives of Christians. This is why the conduct of the church is so important: because angelic and demonic beings are looking on, and God's intent is to teach them through us. Several passages refer to this: ! ! For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels!(1 Corinthians 11:10). ! The things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven; things which angels desire to look into!(1 Peter 1:12). ! I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality!(1 Timothy 5:21). ! i. We should take this responsibility seriously, for angels are given the responsibility to carry souls to heaven at death (Luke 16:22) and are the reapers of the nal harvest (Matthew 13:39-43). ! ii. "And, lastly, what think some of you, would angels say of!your!walk and conversation? Well, I suppose you don't care much about them, and yet you should. For who but angels will be the reapers at the last, and who but they shall be the convoy to our spirits across the last dark stream? Who but they shall carry our spirit like that of Lazarus into the Father's bosom? Surely we should not despise them." (Spurgeon) ! iii. "O be not, ye converts, ignorant of the word of God; be not oblivious of the operations of God in your own souls! The angels desire to look into these things. Do you look into them?" (Spurgeon) ! iv. A popular interpretation today sees the!principalities and powers!as modern political states and economic structures. The idea is that the church primarily is a witness to them, and should redeem governments and social structures through its witness. But Paul

specically wrote that these!principalities and powers!are!in the heavenly places, not in earthly places. ! d.!According to the eternal purpose which He accomplished: The mystery reveals and furthers God's!eternal purpose!in Jesus, previously described in Ephesians 1:10 - that in the fullness of the times, God will gather together (essentially, to sum up or resolve) all things in Jesus. ! i. The mystery of the unied body of Christ is!according!to that purpose. It is a preview of what Jesus will ultimately do in the fulllment of summing up all things in Himself. ! ii. "The church thus appears to be God's pilot scheme for the reconciled universe of the future, the mystery of God's will!to be administered in the fullness of the times!when!the things in heaven and the things on earth!are brought together in Christ." (Bruce) ! e.!Which He accomplished: There is a sense in which Paul can say that this eternal purpose is already!accomplished. Its fulllment is a certainty (as shown by the initial work of bringing Jew and Gentile together in Jesus), so he can speak of it as already nished. ! f.!Through faith in Him: The fact of this unity is shown by the truth that!we!(Jew and Gentile collectively) have the identical!boldness,access, and!condence!before God because it has nothing to do with national or ethnic identity, only with!faith in Him!(Jesus). ! i. The word for!boldness!has the idea of "freedom of speech." We have the freedom to express ourselves before God, without fear or shame. "The Greek word 'parresia' translated by 'boldness' means really 'free speech' - that is, the speaking of all. It is the blessed privilege of prayer." (Gaebelein) ! ii. Divisions in the church have not always been between Jew and Gentile. The Reformers spoke out against the division between "clergy" and "laity" and the teaching of the priesthood of all believers insisted that all had the same access to God.

! 5. (13) Paul's current personal participation in the mystery. !

Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

a.!Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart: Though under arrest for the sake of the gospel, Paul asked his readers to not!lose heart. Paul didn't want them to be discouraged for!his!sake, because Paul was still being used in the service of God's eternal plan. ! b.!My tribulations for you: Paul wrote the Letter to the Ephesians from prison, and it is useful to remember why Paul was in prison. He lived his whole life with the passion to bring salvation to his own people, the Jews (Romans 9:1-3). On a strategic visit to Jerusalem he had the opportunity to preach to a vast crowd on or near the temple mount (Acts 21:39-22:22), but the opportunity ended in disaster because the Jewish crowd could not stand the idea of the good news of the Messiah being extended to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21-22). The ensuing riot put Paul in a legal dilemma, from which he used his right as a Roman citizen and appealed to Caesar. Now Paul was imprisoned in Rome, waiting for his trial before Caesar - and there because he knew God wanted Gentiles to share in the good news of the Messiah, and he wasn't afraid to preach that truth. ! c.!Which is your glory: Paul was being used, and probably in a greater way than he ever imagined. This Roman imprisonment produced the letters of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon. They all certainly have a place in God's eternal plan. ! i. In the same manner, each of us has a place in the service of God's eternal plan. Knowing this and working towards it is a great guard against losing heart in the midst of tribulation. ! B. Paul prays in light of the mystery. !

1. (14-15) Introduction to the prayer. !

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,

a.!For this reason: The basis of Paul's prayer was his knowledge of God's purpose. This means he condently prayed according to God's will. We can't pray effectively if we do not have insight into God's purpose and will. ! b.!I bow my knees: Paul prayed in the posture of bowing his knees. This position of utmost humility was in contrast to the more normal posture of prayer in that culture, to pray standing with hands raised up. ! i. The humility came when he considered God's great eternal plan, his place in that plan, and how God's work is unstoppable even when Paul was imprisoned. ! ii. Solomon prayed on his knees (1 Kings 8:54). Ezra prayed on his knees (Ezra 9:5). The Psalmist called us to kneel (Psalm 95:6). Daniel prayed on his knees (Daniel 6:10). People came to Jesus kneeling (Matthew 17:14, Matthew 20:20, and Mark 1:40). Stephen prayed on his knees (Acts 7:60). Peter prayed on his knees (Acts 9:40). Paul prayed on his knees (Acts 20:36), and other early Christians prayed on their knees (Acts 21:5). Most importantly, Jesus prayed on His knees (Luke 22:41). The Bible has enough prayer!not!on the knees to show us that it isn't required, but it also has enough prayer!on!the knees to show us that it is good. ! iii. Adam Clarke saw a connection between Solomon's kneeling prayer at the dedication of the temple and Paul's kneeling prayer here. "Many parts of this prayer bear a strict resemblance to that offered by Solomon when dedicating the temple . . . The apostle was now dedicating the Christian Church." ! c.!To the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: Paul directed his prayer to the!Father, who

is presented as the "planner" among the members of the Trinity. In the Bible, prayer is usually directed to!the Father, through the Son, by the empowering and direction of the Holy Spirit. ! d.!From whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named: In remembering that all God's family is called after His name, Paul showed that his mind was rather taken with this idea of the essential unity of the Body of Christ. God is Father of both Jew and Gentile. ! i. Charles Spurgeon preached a touching sermon on this verse titled,!Saints in Heaven and Earth One Family. In it he developed the idea that we are one with our brothers and sisters in heaven, and how this enriches our hope of heaven. ! ii. Some commentators think Paul refers to heavenly families in the sense of families of angels. "May not the holy Angels be bound up in spiritual!families, though they marry not nor are given in marriage?" (Alford) ! 2. (16-19) Paul prays again for the Ephesians. !

That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

a.!To be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man: Paul asked that they would!be strengthened with might, and that the strength would be!according to

the riches of His glory!(a most generous measure). He also prayed that the strength would come!through the Holy Spirit!and that it would be put into their!inner man. ! i. There is an!inner man!just as real as our physical body. We all understand the importance of strength in our physical body, but many are exceedingly weak in the!inner man. ! ii.!According to the riches of His glory: "It would be a disgrace to a!king!or a!nobleman!to give no more than a!tradesman!or apeasant. God acts up to the dignity of his innite perfections; he gives!according!to the!riches!of his!glory." (Clarke) ! b.!That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith: Paul asked that Jesus would live in these believers, even as Jesus promised in John 14:23:!If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. ! i. Two ancient Greek words convey the idea "to live in." One has the idea of living in a place as a stranger, and the other has the idea of settling down in a place to make it your permanent home.!Dwell!uses the ancient Greek word for a!permanent home. Jesus wants to settle down in your heart, not just visit as a stranger. ! ii. The glory of the indwelling Jesus is something for us to know, and to know by faith. It is there for us, but must be taken hold ofthrough faith. "You have your Bible, and you have your knees; use them." (Carr John Glynn, godfather to H. C. G. Moule) ! iii. We need spiritual strength to let Christ dwell within us because there is something in us that!resists!the inuence of the indwelling Jesus. That something can be conquered as the Spirit of God gives us the victory of faith. ! c.!Being rooted and grounded in love: Paul asked that all this would take place as they were!rooted and grounded in love. The meaning seems to be that they should be rooted and grounded in their love for one another, more than being rooted and grounded in their love for God and the knowledge of that love.

! i. "Two expressions are used: 'rooted,' like a living tree which lays hold upon the soil, twists itself round the rocks, and cannot be upturned: 'grounded,' like a building which has been settled, as a whole, and will never show any cracks or aws in the future through failures in the foundation." (Spurgeon) ! d.!May be able to comprehend with all the saints: Paul asked that they might be able to understand together in community every dimension of the love of Jesus. Paul wanted them to know it by experience and not just in words. ! i. "In this measurement may you and I be skilled. If we know nothing of mathematics, may we be well-tutored scholars in this spiritual geometry, and be able to comprehend the breadths and lengths of Jesu's precious love." (Spurgeon) ! e.!What is the width and length and depth and height: This means that the love of Jesus has!dimensions!and that it can bemeasured. ! i. "Alas, to a great many religious people the love of Jesus is not a solid substantial thing at all - it is a beautiful ction, a sentimental belief, a formal theory, but to Paul it was a real, substantial, measurable fact; he had considered it this way, and that way, and the other way, and it was evidently real to him, whatever it might be to others." (Spurgeon) ! ii. The love of Jesus has!width. You can see how wide a river is by noticing how much it covers over. God's river of love is so wide that it covers over my sin, and it covers over every circumstance of my life, so that all things work together for good. When I doubt His forgiveness or His providence, I am narrowing the mighty river of God's love. His love is as wide as the world:!For God so loved the world!(John 3:16). ! iii. "Some of them seem to be so taken up with the height and length that they deny the breadth, and you would think from hearing them preach that Christ came into the world to save half-a-dozen, and that they were ve of them . . . Out on their narrowness! There will be more in heaven than we expect to see there by a long way; and there will be some there with whom we had very little comfortable fellowship on earth who had fellowship with Christ, and who are therefore taken to dwell with him for ever." (Spurgeon)

! iv. The love of Jesus has!length. When considering the length of God's love, ask yourself, "When did the love of God start towards me? How long will it continue?" These truths measure the!length!of God's love.!Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love(Jeremiah 31:3). ! v. The love of Jesus has!depth. Philippians 2:7-8 tell us how deep the love of Jesus goes:!but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.!You can't go lower than!the death of the cross, and that is how deep the love of Jesus is for us. ! vi. The love of Jesus has!height. To see the height of God's love, ask yourself, "How high does it lift me?" It lifts me to heavenly places where I am seated with Christ. He has!raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus(Ephesians 2:6). ! vii. Can we really!comprehend!the!width and length and depth and height!of God's love? To come to any understanding of the dimensions of God's love, we must come to the cross. The cross pointed in four ways, essentially in every direction, because . . . ! ! ! ! ! ! f.!To know the love of Christ: Paul wrote of something we can!know. This isn't speculation, guesswork, emotions, or feelings. This is something to!know. ! i. "One of these philosophers kindly says that religion is a matter of belief; not of knowledge. This is clean in opposition to all the teaching of Scripture." (Spurgeon) God's love is wide enough to include every person. God's love is long enough to last through all eternity. God's love is deep enough to reach the worst sinner. God's love is high enough to take us to heaven.

! g.!That you may be lled with all the fullness of God: Paul asked God to ll these Christians!unto!all the fullness of God. The wordunto!is a better translation than the word!with. Paul wanted Christians to experience life in Jesus Christ, the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9), and to be lled to their capacity with Jesus, even as God is lled to His own capacity with His own character and attributes. ! i. "Among all the great sayings in this prayer, this is the greatest. To be!FILLED!with God!is a great thing; to be!lled with theFULLNESS!of God!is still greater; but to be!lled with!ALL!the fullness of God!utterly bewilders the sense and confounds the understanding." (Clarke) ! 3. (20-21) A glorious doxology. !

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

a.!Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think: As Paul came to this great height (what can there be higher than the!fullness of God?), it is logical to ask how this can ever be. How can something so far above us ever become reality? It can only happen because God is able to do far beyond what!we ask or think. ! i. This doxology does not only belong to the prayer that precedes it, but also to every glorious privilege and blessing spoken of in the rst three chapters. Who!is able to!bring such things to pass? Only God can do this because He can do far beyond our ability to think or ask. ! ii. Paul says that God is able to do above all that!we!ask or think. The!we!included Paul

and the other apostles and they certainly knew that Jesus could do great things. ! ! You can ask for every good thing you have ever experienced - God can do!above!that. ! You can think of or imagine things beyond your experience - God can do!above!that.

! You can imagine good things that are beyond your ability to name - God can do!above!that. ! iii. Spurgeon on the phrase!exceedingly abundantly: "He has constructed here in the Greek an expression which is altogether his own. No language was powerful enough for the apostle, - I mean for the Holy Ghost speaking through the apostle, - for very often Paul has to coin words and phrases to shadow forth his meaning, and here is one, 'He is able to do exceeding abundantly,' so abundantly that it exceeds measure and description." (Spurgeon) ! iv. "Therefore he is able to do all things, and able to do!superabundantly above the greatest abundance." (Clarke) ! b.!According to the power that works in us: God is able to do this in our life now, not beginning with heaven. This!power . . . works in us!now. ! i. The things Paul prayed for in the previous verses (spiritual strength, the indwelling Jesus, experiential knowledge of God's love, and the fullness of God) belong to us as children of God. However, they must be received by believing prayer and can be furthered in the lives of others by our prayers for them. ! c.!To Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus: The only tting response to this great God is to give Him glory - especially in the church, the company of His redeemed, and that He receive that glory!throughout all ages, world without end!- Amen! ! i. When the church understands and walks in God's eternal purpose, God will be gloried and the church will fulll its important duty of simply glorifying God.

! ii. "But the apostle felt that he must not say, 'Unto him be glory in my soul.' He wished that, but his one soul afforded far too little space, and so he cried 'unto him, be glory!in the church.' He calls upon all the people of God to praise the divine name." (Spurgeon) ! ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Philippians 3 -!Leaving Law and Pressing On to Jesus

! A. The futility of a relationship with God based on the principle of law. ! 1. (1-2) Warning against the inuence of legalistic Jews. !

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!

a.!Finally: This didn't mean that Paul was almost nished; Paul wrote here as many preachers speak. Yet we should expect some sort of transition in the letter with the word!nally. ! i. "Paul's 'nally' here is not the 'nally' of the present day preacher. He has another 'nally' in 4:8. He does not mean by this that he is about to close the letter. The words translated by the word 'nally' are literally 'as for the rest.' " (Wuest) !

b.!Rejoice in the Lord: This is a tting theme for the whole letter. Paul shared with the Philippians the principle of being able to rejoicein the Lord!- not in circumstances or in situations, but!in the Lord!who works all things together for good. ! i. This abiding joy is tting for the believer because it shows that we really do trust in a God whom we really believe is in control. When we believe this, it isn't any surprise that we are then lled with joy. ! ii.!Rejoice in the Lord: "The entire phrase may be the Christian equivalent of the Old Testament exclamation,!Hallelujah." (Martin) ! iii. "It is a duty for us to cultivate this joy. We must steadfastly arrest any tendency to murmur and complain; to nd fault with God's dealings; or to seek to elicit sympathy. We must as much resist the temptation to depression and melancholy as we would to any form of sin." (Meyer) ! c.!For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe: Paul assured the Philippians that he didn't mind reminding them of the same things because it was for their safety. ! i. Paul did not mind reminding them because he was passionately concerned about certain dangers, and he would speak out strongly against them. "This outburst is very remarkable, for its vehemence is so unlike the tone of the rest of the letter. That is calm, joyous, bright, but this is stormy and impassioned, full of ashing and scathing words." (Maclaren) ! d.!Beware of dogs: This was a harsh reference to the troublemaking legalists who attempted to deceive the Philippians. "Dogs" is exactly the term of contempt Jews would use against Gentiles. Paul said a lot by using this word against these Jewish-inuenced legalists. ! i. Muller quoting Lightfoot: "The herds of dogs which prowl about Eastern cities, without a home and without an owner, feeding on the refuse and lth of the streets, quarreling among themselves, and attacking the passer-by, explain the applications of the image."

! ii. "We are bidden, therefore, to beware of men of a quarrelsome and contentious spirit, who under the guise of religion hide impure and unclean things; and who are not only deled, but deling in their inuence." (Meyer) ! e.!Beware of evil workers: This describes both what these legalists!do!(working!evil), but was also a word against their emphasis on righteousness with God by!works. Paul would admit that they have a concern for works, but they were!evil!workers. ! i.!Evil workers: "These people are the 'Cranks' of our Churches; they introduce fads and hobbies; they exaggerate the importance of tries; they catch up ever new theory and vagary, and follow it to the detriment of truth and love." (Meyer) ! f.!Beware of the mutilation: Here is another harsh reference to the insistence of these Jewish legalists on requiring circumcision for Gentiles who wanted to become Christians. This was all done with the idea that someone must become a Jew!rst!before they could become a Christian. ! i. "They did not deny that Jesus was the Messiah, or that His Gospel was the power of God unto salvation, but they insisted that the Gentile converts could only come to the fullness of Gospel privilege through the Law of Moses." (Meyer) ! ii. However, Paul did not see their insistence on circumcision as something beautiful or noble; he regarded it as an ugly example ofmutilation. Maclaren imagines Paul saying it like this: "I will not call them the circumcision, they have not been circumcised, they have only been gashed and mutilated, it has been a mere eshly maiming." ! iii. Martin on!the!mutilation: "By a pun, he mockingly calls it a mere cutting,!katatome,!i.e.!mutilation of the body on a par with pagan practices forbidden in Leviticus 21:5." ! 2. (3-4) Paul denes the!true!circumcision.

For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:

a.!For we are the circumcision: These Jewish legalists considered themselves the ones truly circumcised and right with God. But Paul declared that he and his followers were the!true!circumcision. ! b.!Who worship God in the Spirit: This denes the true circumcision. They!worship God in the Spirit, as opposed to the eshly and external worship emphasized by these legalists. ! i. "The word 'worship' is the translation of the Greek word referring to the service of Jehovah by His peculiar people, the Jews. A Jew would be scandalized by the application of this word to a Gentile." (Wuest) ! c.!Rejoice in Christ Jesus: This also characterizes those of the true circumcision. Their joy is not found in their own ability to be justied by the law or by their law-keeping. Jesus and Jesus alone is their joy. ! d.!Have no condence in the esh: This is a third characteristic of the true circumcision. They do not trust in their own ability to be righteous before God through external works (the esh), but their only condence is in Jesus. ! e.!I also might have condence in the esh . . . I more so: Paul knew that he was more qualied to be justied by the keeping of the law than any of his present legalistic opponents were.

! i. Curiously, often those who promote the idea of having condence in the esh are the same ones who are the least qualied to have such condence. This is because of the principle Paul explains in Colossians 2:23 -!These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the esh. ! 3. (5-6) Paul's reasons why he might have condence in the esh. !

Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

a.!Circumcised the eighth day . . .: Paul rst listed four things that were his possessions by birth, all reasons why he might have condence in the esh. ! ! Paul was!circumcised the eighth day!in accordance with Leviticus 12:3.

! Paul was!of the stock of Israel, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and therefore an heir to God's covenant with them. ! Paul was of!the tribe of Benjamin, a distinguished tribe. Benjamin was distinguished by the fact that it gave Israel her rst king, Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2). It was the tribe that aligned itself with faithful Judah when Israel divided into two nations at the time of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:21). It was also the tribe that had the city of Jerusalem within its boundaries (Judges 1:21). ! Paul was!a Hebrew of the Hebrews. This contrasted him with the Jews who embraced Greek culture as it spread through the Mediterranean. In that time, many Jews became ashamed of their Jewishness and tried to live and act as much like Greeks as they could, sometimes even to the point of having their circumcision cosmetically restored or hidden so they could enjoy the Roman public baths without being noticed as Jews. In

contrast, Paul was raised by his parents as!a Hebrew of the Hebrews. ! b.!Concerning the law . . .: Paul then listed three things that were his by personal choice and conviction, all reasons why he might have condence in the esh. ! ! Paul was!concerning the law, a Pharisee. This tells us that among an elite people (the Jews), Paul was of an elite sect (the Pharisees), who were noted for their scrupulous devotion to the law of God. "There were not very many Pharisees, never more than six thousand, but they were the spiritual athletes of Judaism. Their very name means!The Separated Ones. They had separated themselves off from all common life and from all common tasks in order to make it the one aim of their lives to keep every smallest detail of the Law." (Barclay) The concern that Pharisees had for keeping the law is reected in passages like Matthew 23:23. ! Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Paul was not merely an!intellectual!opponent of perceived heresies against Judaism; he was also an active ghter against them - even in his blindness to God. Paul's observation that the Jews of his dayhave a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge!(Romans 10:2) was true of his own life before God confronted him on the road to Damascus. ! Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. This shows that Paul achieved the standard of righteousness which was accepted among the men of his day though this standard fell short of God's holy standard. Because of how the law was interpreted and taught, there were those of that day who were deceived into thinking that they really were!blameless, like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23). ! i. In summary, if!anyone!could lay claim to pleasing God by law-keeping and the works of the esh, it was Paul. He was far more qualied than his legalizing opponents were to make such a claim. ! 4. (7) Paul rejects all condence in the esh. !

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.

a.!These I have counted loss for Christ: Any of the corrupting teachers Paul warned against would be proud to claim Paul's pedigree. Yet Paul made it plain:!these things I have counted loss for Christ. ! i. "The word 'gain' is plural in the Greek, namely, 'gains.' . . . 'Loss' is singular. The various gains are all counted as one loss." (Wuest) ! ii. "He was skilled in spiritual arithmetic, and very careful in his reckoning. He cast up his accounts with caution, and observed with a diligent eye his losses and his gains." (Spurgeon) ! b.!I have counted loss: Paul!counted!these things loss. It wasn't so much that they were a loss by their very character, as much as he chose to!regard!them as!loss. ! i. They were!counted loss!not so much because they were harmful to Paul, but because these things were ways in which Paul sought to please God in the energies of the esh. Before Paul became a Christian, he thought all these things made him a success in the effort to please God by works. ! ii. We can say that Paul's attitude was the same that Jesus described in the parable of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45-46). ! B. Paul's utter condence in a living relationship with Jesus Christ. ! 1. (8) Paul's gain in Jesus Christ. !

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as

rubbish, that I may gain Christ

a.!Yet indeed I also count all things loss: Paul did not only count his religious pedigree as a loss; he counted!all things loss!- but he counted them as a loss in view of!the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus. ! i.!Yet indeed: "The translation of ve particles, which latter are literally translated, 'yea, indeed, therefore, at least, even,' and show the force and passion of Paul's conviction." (Wuest) ! ii. It wasn't so much that those things were worthless in themselves, but compared to the greatness of!the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, they really were nothing. ! iii. Paul here put a!personal relationship with Jesus Christ!at the very center of the Christian's life. He joyfully accepted the loss of all other things for the greatness of this personal relationship. ! iv. In Philippians 3:7 Paul said that he!counted; in this verse he said!I also count. This rst counting was at his conversion; the second - some 30 years later - was in his Roman prison. After all he had experienced, he still counted it worthy to give everything up for the sake of following Jesus. ! v. "After twenty years or more of experience Paul had an opportunity of revising his balance-sheet, and looking again at his estimates, and seeing whether or not his counting was correct. What was the issue of his latest search? How do matters stand at his last stocktaking? He exclaims with very special emphasis, 'Yea doubtless; and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.' " (Spurgeon) ! b.!For whom I have suffered the loss of all things: This counting loss was not merely an internal spiritual exercise. Paul had indeedsuffered the loss of all things!that he might gain Christ.

! i. This is demonstrated by the place and circumstances under which Paul wrote this letter - a Roman prison, where he truly could say that he had!suffered the loss of all things. ! c.!Count them as rubbish: Paul here used strong language. Literally, Paul considered them as excrement - as dung; not only as worthless, but as offensive. ! i. The ancient Greek word for!rubbish!had one of two uses. It could describe excrement from the body or table scraps that were t only to be thrown to the dogs. We may suppose that Paul would be comfortable with either meaning in this context. ! ii. "The word [rubbish] means the vilest dross or!refuse!of any thing; the worst excrement. The word shows how utterly insignicant and unavailing, in point of salvation, the apostle esteemed every thing but the Gospel of Jesus." (Clarke) ! 2. (9) The spiritual benets of his gain in Jesus Christ. !

And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;

a.!And be found in Him: Because Paul was!in Him, he could renounce his!own righteousness!and live by the!righteousness which is from God by faith. The foundation for his spiritual life was in what Jesus had done for him and not in what he had done, was doing, or would do for Jesus in the future. ! b.!The righteousness which is from God by faith: Paul here exposed the great difference between the legal relationship stressed by his opponents and his personal connection with Jesus Christ. The difference is between living and trusting in your own

righteousness and living and trusting in God's righteousness given!through faith in Christ. ! i. "He disowns his own righteousness as eagerly as other men disown their sins, and he highly esteems the righteousness which Christ has wrought out for us, which becomes ours by faith." (Spurgeon) ! 3. (10-11) Paul's experience of a personal relationship with Jesus. !

That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

a.!That I may know Him: This was the simple plea of Paul's heart. It was a plea unknown to the legalist, who must necessarily focus on his own performance and status to nd some kind of peace with God. But Paul wanted Jesus, not self. ! i. To know Jesus is not the same as knowing His historical life; it is not the same as knowing correct doctrines regarding Jesus; it is not the same as knowing His moral example, and it is not the same as knowing His great work on our behalf. ! ! We can say that we know someone because we recognize him: because we can distinguish what is different about him compared to other people. ! We can say that we know someone because we are acquainted with what he does; we know the baker because we get our bread from him. ! We can say that we know someone because we actually converse with him; we are on speaking terms with that person. ! We can say that we know someone because we spend time in his house and with his

family. ! We can say that we know someone because we have committed our life to him and live with him every day, sharing every circumstance as in a marriage. ! Yet beyond all this, there is a way of knowing Jesus Christ that includes all of these yet goes beyond them. ! ii. "They tell me he is a rener, that he cleanses from spots; he has washed me in his precious blood, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he clothes the naked; he hath covered me with a garment of righteousness, and to that extent I know him. They tell me that he is a breaker, and that he breaks fetters, he has set my soul at liberty, and therefore I know him. They tell me that he is a king and that he reigns over sin; he hath subdued my enemies beneath his feet, and I know him in that character. They tell me he is a shepherd: I know him for I am his sheep. They say he is a door: I have entered in through him, and I know him as a door. They say he is food: my spirit feeds on him as on the bread of heaven, and, therefore, I know him as such." (Spurgeon) ! b.!And the power of His resurrection: Knowing Jesus means knowing this!power, the new life that is imparted to us!now, not when we die. ! i. "He wants to know in an experiential way the power of Christ's resurrection. That is, he wants to experience the same power that raised Christ from the dead surging through his own being, overcoming sin in his life and producing the Christian graces." (Wuest) ! ii. "I do not think, however, that Paul is here thinking so much of the power displayed in the resurrection, as of the power which comes out of it, which may most properly be called, 'the power of his resurrection.' This the apostle desired to apprehend and to know." ! ! The power of His resurrection is an!evidencing power. It is the evidence and seal that everything Jesus did and said was true. ! The power of His resurrection is a!justifying power. It is the receipt and proof that the sacrice of the cross was accepted as payment in full. ! The power of His resurrection is a!life-giving power. It means that those who are connected with Jesus Christ receive the same resurrection life. ! The power of His resurrection is a!consoling and comforting power. It promises that

our friends and loved ones who are dead in Christ live with Him. ! c.!And the fellowship of His sufferings: Knowing Jesus also means knowing this!fellowship of His sufferings. It is all part of following Jesus and being!in!Christ. We can say that suffering is part of our heritage as the children of God; we get to be part of the family of suffering:!If children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be gloried together!(Romans 8:17). ! d.!Being conformed to His death: This reminds us that being!in Christ!also means being "in" His death. These words had particular relevance to Paul who faced possible martyrdom. ! e.!If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead: Paul was not morbidly focused on suffering and death in the Christian life. He saw that they were a necessary way to the goal of resurrection life right now and the ultimate resurrection from the dead. ! i. This was a goal that was worth!any means!to Paul. The suffering was worth it, considering the greatness of the goal ofresurrection from the dead. ! ii.!I may attain: Paul didn't doubt that he was saved, but he did long mightily for the completion of his salvation through the resurrection of his body. It was something that he had not yet attained and longed for. ! iii. Remember that Paul wrote this having experienced more suffering than we will ever experience, and he wrote it from the custody of Roman soldiers. This wasn't merely theological theory and ideas, but a lived-out connection with God. ! 4. (12-14) The future of Paul's relationship with Jesus Christ. !

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for

which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

a.!Not that I have already attained: Paul wrote from such spiritual maturity and purity that we might expect he believed that he had conquered all spiritual difculties and saw himself as having arrived at near perfection. Yet he assured us this was not so. There was no perfectionism in Paul. ! i. Sadly, it is common for many Christian leaders to cultivate the attitude that they!have!already attained. Without saying the words, they put forth the image of constant triumph that gives the idea that they!have already attained!and are!already perfected. ! ii. "Brethren, it is a very healthy thing for us who are ministers to read a biography like that of M'Cheyne. Read that through, if you are a minister, and it will burst many of your windbags. You will nd yourselves collapse most terribly. Take the life of Brainerd amongst the Indians, or of Baxter in our own land. Think of the holiness of George Herbert, the devoutness of Fletcher, or the zeal of Whiteld. Where do you nd yourself after reading their lives? Might you not peep about to nd a hiding-place for your insignicance?" (Spurgeon) ! iii. "Just as a little child is a perfect human being, but still is far from perfect in all his development as man, so the true child of God is also perfect in all parts, although not yet perfect in all the stages of his development in faith." (Muller) ! iv. "But while the work of Christ for us is perfect, and it were presumption to think of adding to it, the work of the Holy Spirit in us is not perfect, it is continually carried on from day to day, and will need to be continued throughout the whole of our

lives." (Spurgeon) ! b.!But I press on: Because Paul realized that he had not arrived, there was only one option open for him. He had to!press on. There was no turning back for Him. ! i. When Spain led the world (in the 15th century), her coins reected her national arrogance and were inscribed!Ne Plus Ultra!which meant "Nothing Further" - meaning that Spain was the ultimate in all the world. After the discovery of the New World, she realized that she was not the end of the world, so Spain changed the inscription on her coinage to!Plus Ultra!meaning "More Beyond." In the same pattern, some Christian lives say, "Nothing Further" and others say "More Beyond." ! ii. This is where child-like faith meets real maturity. A child can't wait to be bigger and always wants to be more mature. ! iii.!But I press on!meant that Paul had put his hand to the plow and refused to look back (Luke 9:62). ! c.!That I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me: Paul pressed on for what Jesus wanted. His effort was put forth to do God's will, not his own. ! i. When Paul said, "That I may lay hold," he used strong language. "The word 'apprehend' is from the same Greek word translated 'attained,' but with a preposition prexed which means in its local force 'down.' He wants to catch hold of it and pull it down, like a football player who not only wants to catch his man, but wants to pull him down and make him his own." (Wuest) ! ii. Paul began this verse with the idea that Jesus Christ had laid hold of him. This is an important idea; yet sometimes Christians react to that idea by being passive. They suppose, "Jesus got a hold of me; so that is it now. I am a Christian and I am going to heaven." Paul showed a different attitude; he was determined to!lay hold!for that for which Jesus had!laid hold!of him. So one should ask, "Why did Jesus lay hold of Paul?" !

! Jesus!laid hold!of Paul to make him a new man (Romans 6:4) - so Paul would!lay hold!of that and wanted to see the converting work of Jesus completely carried out in himself. ! Jesus!laid hold!of Paul to conform him into the image of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:29) - so Paul would!lay hold!of that and wanted to see the nature of Jesus within himself. ! Jesus!laid hold!of Paul to make him a witness (Acts 9:15) - so Paul would!lay hold!of both the experience of Jesus and to testify of that experience. ! Jesus!laid hold!of Paul to make him an instrument in the conversion of others (Acts 9:15) - so Paul would!lay hold!of the work of bringing others to Jesus. ! Jesus!laid hold!of Paul to bring him into suffering (Acts 9:16) - so Paul would!lay hold!of even that work of God in his life, wanting to know Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings. ! Jesus!laid hold!of Paul that so that the Apostle might attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:11) - so Paul would!lay hold!of that heavenly hope. ! d.!The prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus: Paul was focused on one thing and would not let!those things which are behind!distract him from it. He pressed on for the!prize. ! i. We often let!those things which are behind!distract us, whether they be good things or bad things. Looking at what is in the past often keeps us from what God has for us in the future. ! ii. It is a deception to live either in the past or in the future; God wants us to press on in the present, because the present is where eternity touches us now. Paul knew that a race is won only in the present moment, not in the past or in the future. ! e.!I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus: The prize is the!upward call of God. The!prizeis the!call!itself, not the benets that come from the call or any other thing. The prize is being able to run the race at all, working with God as a partner to do the work of His kingdom. ! i. "It is a!high calling!because it comes from above, from God; the conception of it has emanated from His heart. It is a!high callingbecause it is worthy of God. It is a!high

calling!because it is so much above the ideals of men. . . . And then this is a!high callingbecause it summons us to where Christ sits at the right hand of God." (Meyer) ! ii. Because it is such a glorious call, it is worth!reaching forward!for it. "The Greek word points out the strong exertions made in therace; every muscle and nerve is exerted, and he puts forth every particle of his strength in!running. He was running for life, and running for his life." (Clarke) ! f.!The upward call of God in Christ Jesus: As everything else, this!upward call of God!is only!in!Christ Jesus. The legalists might say they followed the!upward call of God, but they certainly didn't do it!in Christ Jesus; instead they did it in the efforts of their own esh. ! 5. (15-16) Paul exhorts the Philippians to adopt this same attitude. !

Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.

a.!Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind: Those who are really!mature!will have this!mind. If they do not, Paul trusted that God would reveal the necessity of having it. ! b.!God will reveal even this to you: Paul had great trust in the ability of the Lord to deal with His own people. He didn't have the attitude that if!he!failed to convince them, they would then never be convinced. ! c.!Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same

rule: However, Paul would not allow a lack of understanding to excuse anyone from doing what he!did!know to be the Lord's will. What we!don't know!can never excuse us from failing to fulll what we!do know!to do. ! d.!Let us be of the same mind: Part of doing what we do know is being!of the same mind. This is a call to unity (a unity of truth, against the potential division brought in by the legalists) that looks back to Philippians 2:1-2. ! i. The problems of unity facing the Philippians did not spring from great problems with carnality as was the case with the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). Rather it seemed to be a danger brought on by pressure, both from the outside (Philippians 1:27-30) and from the inside (Philippians 3:2). Paul wanted to make sure that this pressure pushed them!together!instead of driving them!apart. ! C. Walking the walk. ! 1. (17) The good example of walking the walk: Paul and others. !

Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.

a.!Join in following my example: We shouldn't think that Paul was being egotistical here. He knew that he was not a sinless or perfect example, yet he was still a!good!example. He could say as he also did in 1 Corinthians 11:1 -!Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. ! i. We!need!concrete examples. While it is wrong to put our trust in any man, it is hypocritical for any Christian to say, "Do as I say,not!as I do." ! b.!And note those who so walk: As well, Paul wasn't so proud to think that he was

the!only!one who could be such an example. He told the Philippians to!note those who so walk!in the way he spoke of, and he noted that the Philippians had!us!as a pattern (instead of saying that Paul was the only pattern). ! 2. (18-19) The bad examples: the!enemies of the cross. !

For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who set their mind on earthly things.

a.!For many walk: With great sadness, Paul realizes that there are many who!walk!in a manner contrary to what he teaches. He regards these people as!enemies of the cross of Christ. ! i.!The enemies of the cross!were really the opposite of the legalists, who celebrated their supposed liberty in Christ to the indulgence of their esh. ! ii. Paul had to contend with people like this in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and Romans 6, who thought that salvation comes without repentance and conversion, and who thought that as long as your soul was saved, it didn't matter what you did with your body. ! iii. When we say that men are!enemies of the cross, we do not mean that they are enemies of a physical representation of the cross. We mean that they are enemies of the Biblical truth of the atonement Jesus made for us on the cross and its ongoing power and effect in our life. ! iv. These people were truly!enemies of the!cross!of Christ, who did not want to follow Jesus by taking up His!cross!of self-denial (Matthew 16:24-26).

! b.!And now tell you even weeping: The work and the end of these!enemies!was that they, in their disregard for God's holiness, gave ammunition to the legalist's accusation that Paul preached a cheap grace that required no commitment of the life. This is what grieved Paul so at their teaching. ! i. Spurgeon thought that Paul wept for three reasons. First, on account of the!guilt!of these enemies of the cross of Christ. Second, on account of the!ill effects of their conduct. Finally, on account of!their doom. ! ii. "I never read that the apostle wept when he was persecuted. Though they ploughed his back with furrows, I do believe that never a tear was seen to gush from his eye while the soldiers scourged him. Though he was cast into prison, we read of his singing, never of his groaning. I do not believe he ever wept on account of any sufferings or dangers to which he himself was exposed for Christ's sake. I call this an extraordinary sorrow, because the man who wept was no soft piece of sentiment, and seldom shed a tear even under grievous trials." (Spurgeon) ! iii. "Professors of religion, who get into the church, and yet lead ungodly lives, are the worst enemies that the cross of Christ has. These are the sort of men who bring tears into the minister's eyes; these are they who break his heart; they are the enemies of the cross of Christ." (Spurgeon) ! c.!Whose end is destruction: The word translated!destruction!is the same word used for!perdition!in other places (such as Philippians 1:28). This can refer to either their ultimate damnation or to the present destruction of their lives. Probably their ultimate damnation is more in view. ! d.!Whose god is their belly: This describes the idolatry of these!enemies. Not that they were necessarily focused on what they eat, but!belly!here has a broader reference to sensual indulgence in general. They live for the pleasures of the body, mind, and soul. ! e.!Whose glory is in their shame: This shows the misplaced priorities of these!enemies. They gloried about things they should have been ashamed about.

! f.!Who set their mind on earthly things: This describes the focus of their life. It was not to please and worship God, but to get along inthis!world. Their attitude was the same as the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21. ! 3. (20) Our citizenship and our Lord. !

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

a.!For our citizenship is in heaven: We need to appreciate all this would meant to the Philippians, who greatly valued their Roman citizenship. Just as the Philippians could consider themselves citizens of Rome and were under Roman laws and customs (even though they were in fact far from Rome) so Christians should consider themselves citizens of heaven. ! i. One paraphrase of!citizenship is in heaven!reads like this: "We have our home in heaven, and here on earth we are a colony of heaven's citizens." Paul is saying: "Just as the Roman colonists never forgot that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven; and your conduct must match your citizenship." (Barclay) ! ii. If we are citizens of heaven, it means that we are resident aliens on earth. Foreigners are distinct in whatever foreign land they go. Christians must be so marked by their heavenly citizenship that they are noticed as different. ! ! ! Aliens should seek to do good works in the land they sojourn in. Aliens should not seek to interfere in the affairs of the land they sojourn in.

! Aliens have privileges as well as duties; they are not under the same obligations as citizens of the land they sojourn in. ! Aliens are not eligible for the same rewards and recognitions as the citizens of the

land that they sojourn in. ! ! iii. We also have a certain character as citizens of heaven. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! iv. "How heartily the Germans sing of the dear old fatherland; but they cannot, with all their Germanic patriotism, they cannot beat the genial glow of the Briton's heart, when he thinks of his fatherland too. The Scotchman, too, wherever he may be, remembers the land of 'brown heath and shaggy wood.' And the Irishman, too, let him be where he will, still thinks the 'Emerald Isle' the rst gem of the sea. It is right that the patriot should love his country. Does not our love fervently ame towards heaven?" (Spugeon) ! v. There is a signicant contrast between the citizens of earth as described in Philippians 3:18-19 and the citizens of heaven as described in Philippians 3:20-21. ! b.!From which we also eagerly wait for the Savior: As Philippians would eagerly await a visit from the emperor in Rome, even more so should Christians eagerly await the coming of their King - Jesus Christ. ! i.!Savior!was a title given to the Caesars. In 48!B.C.!Julius Caesar was declared to be "the universal savior of mankind." It then became a common title for the ruling Caesar. Paul means something when he applies the title to Jesus in the context of!citizenship. As citizens we are under the government of heaven. As citizens we share in heaven's honors. As citizens we have property rights in heaven. As citizens we enjoy the pleasures of heaven. As citizens of heaven we love heaven and feel attached there. As citizens of heaven we keep in communication with our native home. Aliens should not focus on building riches in the land they sojourn in.

! c.!The Lord Jesus Christ: The title!Lord!was also applied to the Roman Caesar. It wasn't long after the time of Paul that Christians were martyred for refusing to call Caesar!Lord, claiming that Jesus was the only!Lord. ! 4. (21) The future work of our Savior: transforming our bodies. !

Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

a.!Who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body: Our!Savior!can do and will do something that no Caesar can. When we are resurrected, we will have the same type of body that Jesus Himself had when he was resurrected. ! i. Jesus was not merely resuscitated from the dead in the same body. He was resurrected in a new body, patterned after the old yet equipped and tted for heaven. ! b.!According to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself: This is possible only because the God we serve is omnipotent.!He is able even to subdue all things to Himself!and accomplish something as amazing as the resurrection of our bodies after the pattern of Jesus' resurrection. ! i. Jesus really can!subdue all things. "There may be sins within your heart that have long resisted control. Do with them as you will, they still defy you. . . . But if you will hand over the conict to Jesus, He will subdue them; He will bring them under his strong, subjecting hand. Be of good cheer. What you cannot do, He can." (Meyer) !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Colossians 3 -!Put Off, Put On

! A. Put off the old man. ! 1. (1-4) The basis for Paul's practical instruction. !

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who isour life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

a.!If then you were raised with Christ: Paul here begins a section where he focuses on practical Christian living, with the clear understanding that practical Christian living is built on the foundation of theological truth. Because we know that Jesus is really raised from the dead, then our identication with Him becomes real. It is only because we!were raised with Christ!that we can!seek those things which are above. ! i. The idea of being!raised with Christ!was introduced back in Colossians 2:12, where Paul used baptism to illustrate this spiritual reality. Now, seeing that we are!raised with Christ, certain behavior is appropriate to us. ! ii. "The opening verses of chapter 3 sustain the closest connection with the closing verses of chapter 2. There the apostle reminds the Colossians that ascetic regulations are of no real value in restraining indulgence of the esh. The only remedy for sinful passions is

found in the believers' experience of union with Christ." (Vaughan) ! iii. Because we!were raised with Christ, we should act just as Jesus did when He was resurrected. ! ! After His resurrection, Jesus left the tomb. So should we - we don't live there any more. ! After His resurrection, Jesus spent His remaining time being with and ministering to His disciples. So should we - live our lives to be with and to serve one another. ! After His resurrection, Jesus lived in supernatural power with the ability to do impossible things. So should we - with the power and the enabling of the Holy Spirit. ! After His resurrection, Jesus looked forward to heaven, knowing He would soon enough ascend there. So should we - recognizing that our citizenship is in heaven. ! iv. To emphasize it even more, Paul added the phrase,!sitting at the right hand of God: "This phrase, particularly in its allusion to Psalm 110, focuses attention on the sovereign rule which Christ now exercises. The command to aspire to the things of heaven is a command to meditate and dwell upon Christ's sort of life, and on the fact that he is now enthroned as the Lord of the world." (Wright) ! b.!Set your mind on things above: The best Christian living comes from minds that are xed on!heaven. They realize that their lives are now!hidden with Christ in God, and since Jesus is enthroned in heaven, their thoughts and hearts are connected to heaven also. ! i. "The believer is to 'seek the things . . . above.' The word 'seek' marks aspiration, desire, and passion. . . . In order to seek these things the mind must be set on them." (Morgan) ! ii. "Love!heavenly things;!study!them; let your hearts be entirely!engrossed!by them. Now, that you are converted to God, act in reference to heavenly things as ye did formerly in reference to those of earth." (Clarke) !

iii. " 'Earthly things' are not all evil, but some of them are. Even things harmless in themselves become harmful if permitted to take the place that should be reserved for the things above." (Vaughan) ! c.!When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory: The promise of the return of Jesus is not only that we will see!His!glory, but so that we also!will appear with Him in glory. This is the!revealing of the sons of God!mentioned in Romans 8:19 ! i.!Christ who is our life: In another place, Paul wrote!For me to live is Christ!(Philippians 1:21). Here he shows that this idea was not just for special apostles, but for all believers -!Christ who is our life. Sometimes we say, "Music is his life" or "Sports is his life" or "He lives for his work." Of the Christian it should be said, "Jesus Christ is his life." ! ii. On that day, all will see the saints of God for what they!really are, not as they merely appear to this world. "Paul, the prisoner, an eccentric Jew to the Romans and a worsethan-Gentile traitor to the Jews, will be seen as Paul the apostle, the servant of the King. The Colossians, insignicant ex-pagans from a third-rate country town, will be seen in a glory which, if it were now to appear, one might be tempted to worship." (Wright) ! 2. (5-7)!Put to death!the things that are against God and part of this world. !

Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

a.!Therefore put to death your members:!Therefore!points back to our identication with the risen and enthroned Lord Jesus mentioned in Colossians 3:1-4. It is because we

understand this fact that we can!put to death!the things in our life that are contrary to our identity with Jesus. ! i. "The verb!nekrosate, meaning literally 'to make dead,' is very strong. It suggests that we are not simply to suppress or control evil acts and attitudes. We are to wipe them out, completely exterminate the old way of life." (Vaughan) ! ii. We!put to death!in the sense of denying these things and considering them dead to us and us dead to them. "To!gratify!any sensual appetite is to give it the very food and nourishment by which it lives, thrives, and is active." (Clarke) ! iii. There is importance in!listing!and!naming!these sins as Paul does in this section. "It is far easier to drift into a sin which one does not know by name than consciously to choose one whose very title should be repugnant to a Christian." (Wright) ! b.!Fornication, uncleanness, passion!and!evil desire: Each of these terms refers to sexual sins.!Covetousness!is simple, but insidious greed, and nothing less than!idolatry. There is no way that Jesus would walk in any of these sins, so if we identify with Him, we won't walk in them either. ! i.!Fornication: "The word here translated!sexual immorality!refers to any intercourse outside marriage; in the ancient world, as in the modern, intercourse with a prostitute would be a specic, and in a pagan culture a frequent, instance of this." (Wright) ! ii.!Uncleanness: "A wider range of meaning than fornication. It includes the misuse of sex, but is applicable to various forms of moral evil." (Bruce) ! iii. Morgan lists three ways that covetousness is terribly destructive: ! ! "First, it is idolatry, in that it only obtains when man thinks of life consisting in things possessed, rather than in righteous relationship to God."

"It is also a sin against others, for to satisfy the desire, others are wronged."

! "Finally, it is self-destructive, for these wrong conceptions and activities always react upon the soul to its own undoing." ! Morgan added: "And yet, what ecclesiastical court ever yet arraigned a churchmember for covetousness?" ! iv. "Every godly man seeks his happiness in God; the covetous man seeks that in his money which God alone can give; therefore his covetousness is properly!idolatry." (Clarke) ! c.!Because of these things: The sins mentioned previously are part of the way the world lives and not the way Jesus lives. Every Christian is faced with a question: "Who will I identify with, the world or with Jesus?" ! d.!The wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience: These sins invite!the wrath of God. Because the world loves this kind of sinful lifestyle, they don't come in humility to Jesus. As they continue in these sins, it adds to their condemnation. One sin is enough to send anyone to hell (James 2:10), but there are greater levels of condemnation (Matthew 23:14). ! i. In part,!the wrath of God!comes as God allows men to continue in sinful - and therefore self-destructive - behavior (as in Romans 1:24-32). ! e.!In which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them: These sins may mark a world in rebellion against God, but they are in the!past tense!for the Christian. ! i. Simply put, the Christian should not live like the!sons of disobedience. A true Christian can not be comfortable in habitual sin. ! ii. Paul says that Christians!once walked!in these sins. It is possible - though tragic - that these sins should!occasionally!mark a Christian's life, but they must not be a Christian's!walk, their manner of living.

! 3. (8-9) Removing other traces of worldliness. !

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,

a.!But now you yourselves are to put off all these: The sins Paul next lists (anger, wrath, and so forth) are regarded by many as "little" sins that Christians may overlook with little danger. Paul challenges us to!put off!the old man in!every!area of our lives. ! i. "Put off all those old habits, just as you would discard an outworn suit of clothes which no longer tted you." (Bruce) ! b.!Anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, lthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie: Each of these sins are primarily committed by what we!say. When Paul calls the believer to a deeper obedience, he tells us to!bridle!our!tongue!(as did James in James 1:26 and 3:1-9). ! i. Nevertheless, it is also possible to!lie to one another!without words. "It is easy to distort the truth; an alteration in the tone of voice or an eloquent look will do it; and there are silences which can be as false and misleading as any words." (Barclay) ! c.!Since you have put off the old man with his deeds: The more notorious sins of Colossians 3:5 are easily seen as incompatible with the nature of Jesus. But these "lesser" sins are also incompatible, so!put off!these sins also. ! i. In this section (Colossians 3:5-9) Paul showed two high priorities in Christian living: sexual morality connected with a right attitude towards material things,!and!simple

getting along in love with one another. It is easy for a Christian community to compromise one for the other, but Paul (by inspiration of the Holy Spirit) insisted that they!both!have a high place in Christian practice. ! ii.!You have put off the old man with his deeds!means that in Jesus Christ, the saints of God are!different people. Therefore, "When a tide of passion or a surge of anger is felt, it must be dealt with as the alien intruder it really is, and turned out of the house as having no right to be there at all, let alone to be giving orders." (Wright) ! B. Put on the new man. ! 1. (10-11) As we put off the old man, we must put on the new man. !

And have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

a.!Put on the new man: The phrase Paul used was commonly used for changing a set of clothes. We can almost picture a person taking off the old and putting on the!new man!in Jesus. ! b.!Who is renewed in knowledge: Because the new man is!renewed in knowledge, he is hungry to know what!God says!in His Word. ! c.!According to the image of Him who created him: Paul is clearly alluding to Genesis 1:27, where it is said that God created Adam in His own image. Nevertheless, now that the rst Adam is regarded as the!old man!who should be put off and discarded, because now we are created after the!image!of the!second!Adam, Jesus Christ.

! d.!Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free: The new man is part of a family, which favors no race, nationality, class, culture or ethnicity. It only favors Jesus, because in this new family,!Christ is all and in all. ! i. This work of the new creation not only deals with the old man and gives us the new man patterned after Jesus Christ; it also breaks down the barriers that separate people in society. Among new creation people it doesn't matter if one is!Greek!or!Jew!orcircumcised!or!uncircumcised!or a!Scythian!or a!slave!or a!free!man. All those barriers are broken down. ! ii. "He therefore adds to barbarian the Scythian as the extreme example." (Peake) ! iii. All of these barriers existed in the ancient Roman world; and the power of God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ broke them all down. Especially powerful was the barrier between!slave!and!free, but Christianity changed that. ! "In times of persecution slaves showed that they could face the trial and suffer for their faith as courageously as freeborn Romans. The slave-girl Blandina and her mistress both suffered in the persecution which broke out against the churches of the Rhone valley in!A.D.!177, but it was the slave-girl who was the hero of the persecution, impressing friend and foe alike as a 'noble athlete' in the contest of martyrdom." (Bruce) ! "In the arena of Carthage in!A.D.!202 a profound impression was made on the spectators when the Roman matron Perpetua stood hand-in-hand with her slave Felicitas, as both women faced a common death for a common faith." (Bruce) ! 2. (12-17) Life of the new man. !

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,

longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you alsomust do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whateveryou do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

a.!Therefore, as the elect of God: The new man is!elect of God. This means that God has!chosen!the Christian, and chosen him to be something special in His plan. "Elect" is a word that frightens some, but it should be taken both as a comfort and as a destiny to fulll. ! b.!Put on tender mercies, kindness, humility: Each one of the qualities mentioned in this passage express themselves inrelationships. A signicant measure of our Christian life is found simply in how we treat people and the quality of our relationships with them. ! i. "It is most signicant to note that every one of the graces listed has to do with personal relationships between man and man. There is no mention of virtues like efciency or cleverness, not even of diligence or industry - not that these things are unimportant. But the great basic Christian virtues are those which govern human relationships." (Barclay) ! ii.!Tender mercies: If something is!tender, it is sensitive to touch. "The apostle would have them to!feel!the!slightest touch!of another's misery; and, as their clothes are put over their body, so their tenderest feeling should be always within reach of the miserable." (Clarke)

! iii.!Kindness: "The ancient writers dened!chrestotes!as the virtue of the man whose neighbour's good is as dear to him as his own. . . . It is used of wine which has grown mellow with age and lost its harshness. It is the word used when Jesus said, 'My yoke iseasy.' (Matthew 11:30)." (Barclay) ! iv. We can say that!humility!(which was!not!considered a virtue among the ancient Greeks) is the "parent" of both!meekness!andlongsuffering.!Meekness!shows how!humility!will effect my!actions!towards others; I will not dominate, manipulate, or coerce for my own ends, even if I have the power and the ability.!Longsuffering!shows how!humility!will effect my!reaction!towards others; I will not become impatient, short, or lled with resentment towards the weaknesses and sins of others. ! c.!Forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do: We are told to live!forgiving one another, after the pattern of Jesus' forgiveness towards us. Understanding the way Jesus forgave us will always make us!more!generous with forgiveness, and never less generous. ! i. When we consider the staggering debt Jesus forgave for us, and the comparative smallness of the debts others have toward us, it is base ingratitude for us to not forgive them (as in the parable Jesus spoke in Matthew 18:21-35). "The forgiveness they have received is used to enforce the duty of forgiving others." (Peake) ! ii. When one thinks of how!Christ forgave you!it should make us much more generous with forgiveness. ! ! God holds back His anger a very long time when we sin against Him. He bears with us a long time, even when we sorely provoke Him. ! God reaches out to!bad people!to bring forgiveness to them; the habit of man is to not reconcile if the offending person is a person of bad character. ! God makes the rst move towards us in forgiveness; the habit of man is to only be reconciled if the offending party craves forgiveness and makes the rst move. ! God forgives often knowing that we will sin again, sometimes in the exact same way. It is the habit of man to forgive only if the offending party solemnly promises to never do

the wrong again. ! God's forgiveness is so complete and glorious that He grants adoption to those former offenders. In the habit of man, even when forgiveness is offered, he will not lift again the former offender to a place of high status and partnership. ! God bore!all!the penalty for the wrong we did against Him. In the habit of man, when he is wronged, he will not forgive unless the offender agrees to bear all the penalty for the wrong done. ! God keeps reaching out to man for reconciliation even when man refuses Him again and again. In the habit of man, one will not continue to offer reconciliation if it is rejected once. ! God requires no probationary period to receive His forgiveness; in the habit of man, one will not restore an offender without a period of probation. ! God's forgiveness offers complete restoration and honor; in the habit of man, we feel we should be complimented when we merely!tolerate!those who sin against us. ! Once having forgiven, God puts His trust in us and invites us back to work with Him as co-laborers. In the habit of man, one will not trust someone who has formerly wronged him. ! iii. "Suppose that someone had grievously offended any one of you, and that he asked your forgiveness, do you not think that you would probably say to him, 'Well, yes, I forgive you; but I - I - I - cannot forget it'? Ah! dear friends, that is a sort of forgiveness with one leg chopped off, it is a lame forgiveness, and is not worth much." (Spurgeon) ! d.!Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection:!Love!is the summary of all the things described in this passage. Love perfectly fullls what God requires of us in relationships. ! i.!But above all these things put on love: "Upon all, over all; as the!outer!garment!envelopes all the clothing, so let!charity!or!loveinvest and encompass all the rest. . . . Let this, therefore, be as the!upper garment!. . . that invests the whole man." (Clarke) ! ii. "All the virtues listed in vv. 12, 13 are, on the highest level, manifestations of love; but love is larger than any one of them, indeed, larger than all of them combined." (Vaughan)

! iii. "The other virtues, pursued without love, become distorted and unbalanced." (Wright) ! e.!And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body: The rule of!the peace of God!means that!peace!should!characterize!the community of God's people, and that!peace!is a standard for discerning God's will. ! i. "The apostle says, Let it rule. The Greek word means arbitrate. Whenever there is a doubtful issue to be decided, and by one course your peace may be disturbed, whilst by another it may be maintained, choose the things that make for peace, whether for yourselves or others. Let God's peace act as umpire." (Meyer) ! ii. "Let the peace of Christ!judge, decide, and!govern!in your hearts, as the!brabeus, or judge, does in the Olympic contests. . . . When a man loses his!peace, it an awful proof that he has lost something else that he has given way to evil, and grieved the Spirit of God." (Clarke) ! iii. Wright sees the context of community: " 'Peace' here is not the inward, individual peace of mind which accompanies humble condent trust in God's love, but a peace which characterizes the community, the 'body' as a whole." ! f.!Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: The new man walks in the word of God and in worship with other believers. ! i.!Dwell in you: "There appears to be here an allusion to the!Shechinah, or symbol of the Divine presence, which!dwelt!in thetabernacle!and rst!temple." (Clarke) ! ii.!Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs: This variety suggests that God delights in creative, spontaneous worship. The emphasis is more on!variety!than on!strict categories. "We can scarcely say what is the exact difference between these three expressions." (Clarke)

! iii. "The word of Christ is to dwell in them so richly that it nds spontaneous expression in religious song in the Christian assemblies or the home." (Peake) ! g.!Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus: The new man lives his life,!all!his life, for Jesus. He will only seek to do the things that hemay!do!in the name of the Lord Jesus, and he will persevere in the difculty of doing such things, knowing that he is doing them!in the name of the Lord Jesus. ! 3. (18-19) The new man's marriage relationship. !

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them.

a.!Wives, submit: The ancient Greek word translated!submit!is essentially a word borrowed from the military. It literally means "to be under in rank." It speaks of the way that an army is organized among levels of rank, with generals and colonels and majors and captains and sergeants and privates. There are levels of rank, and one is obligated to respect those in higher rank. ! i. We know that as a person, a private can be smarter, more talented, and be a better person than a general. But he is still!under rank!to the general. He isn't submitted to the general so much as a!person!as he is to the general as a!general. In the same way, the wife doesn't submit to her husband because he!deserves!it. She submits because he is her husband. ! ii. The idea of submission doesn't have anything to do with someone being smarter or better or more talented. It has to do with a God-appointed order. "Anyone who has served in the armed forces knows that 'rank' has to do with order and authority, not with value or ability." (Wiersbe)

! iii. "The equality of men and women before the Lord, of which Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, has not been retracted: but neither does it mean identity of role or function." (Wright) ! iv. Therefore, submission means you are part of a team. If the family is a team, then the husband is "captain" of the team. The wife has her place in relation to the "captain," and the children have their place in relation to the "captain" and the wife. ! v. "The form of the verb (hypotassesthe, middle voice) shows that the submission is to be voluntary. The wife's submission is never to be forced on her by a demanding husband; it is the deference that a loving wife, conscious that her home (just as any other institution) must have a head, gladly shows." (Vaughan) ! b.!Wives, submit to your own husbands: This denes the!sphere!of a wife's submission - to her!own husband. The Bible never commands nor recommends a!general!submission of women unto men. It is commanded only in the spheres of the home and in the church. God does not command that men have exclusive authority in the areas of politics, business, education, and so on. ! c.!As is tting in the Lord: This is a crucial phrase. It colors everything else we understand about this passage. There have been two main "wrong" interpretations of this phrase, each favoring a certain "position." ! i. The interpretation that "favors" the husband says that!as is tting in the Lord!means that a wife should submit to her husband as if he were God himself. The idea is "you submit to God in absolutely everything without question, so you must submit to your husband in the same absolute way." This thinks that!as is tting in the Lord!denes the!extent!of submission. But this is wrong. Simply put,!in no place!does the Scripture say that a person should submit to another in that way. There are limits to the submission your employer can expect of you. There are limits to the submission the government can expect of you. There are limits to the submission parents can expect of children. In no place does the Scripture teach an unqualied, without exception, submission - except to God and God alone. To violate this is to commit the sin of idolatry. ! ii. The interpretation that "favors" the wife says that!as is tting in the Lord!means "I'll

submit to him as long as he does what the Lord wants." And then it is the wife's job to decide what the Lord wants. This thinks that!as is tting in the Lord!denes the!limit!of submission. This is also wrong. It is true that there are limits to a wife's submission, but when the wife approaches!as is tting in the Lord!in this way, then it degenerates into a case of "I'll submit to my husband when I agree with him. I'll submit to him when he makes the right decisions and carries them out the right way. When he makes a wrong decision, he isn't!in the Lord, so I shouldn't submit to him then. It isn't!tting!to do so." Simply put,!that is not submission at all. Except for those who are just plain cantankerous and argumentative,!everyone!submits to others when they are in agreement. It is only when there is a!disagreement!that submission is tested. ! iii.!As is tting in the Lord!does not dene the!extent!of a wife's submission. It does not dene the!limit!of a wife's submission. It denes the!motive!of a wife's submission. It means, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands because it is a part of your duty to the Lord, because it is an expression of your submission to the Lord." They submit simply because it!is tting in the Lord!to do it. It honors God's Word and His order of authority. It is part of their Christian duty and discipleship. ! iv. "The phrase 'in the Lord' indicates that wifely submission is proper not only in the natural order but also in the Christian order. The whole thing, then, is lifted to a new and higher level." (Vaughan) ! v. Therefore,!as is tting in the Lord!means: ! ! For wives, submission to their husband is part of their Christian life.

! When a wife doesn't obey this word to!submit to your own husband as is tting in the Lord, she doesn't just fall short as a wife. She falls short as a follower of Jesus Christ. ! This means that the command to submit is completely out of the realm of "my nature" or "my personality." Wives aren't expected to submit because they are the "submissive type." They are expected to submit because it is!tting in the Lord. ! This has nothing to do with your husband's intelligence or giftedness or capability. It has to do with honoring the Lord Jesus Christ. ! This has nothing to do with whether or not your husband is "right" on a particular issue. It has to do with Jesus being right. ! This means that a woman should take great care in how she!chooses!her husband.

Remember, ladies: this is what God requires of you in marriage. This is!His!expectation of you. Instead of looking for an attractive man, instead of looking for a wealthy man, instead of looking for a romantic man, you better rst look for a man you can!respect. ! vi. As is the case in every human relationship, the command to submit is not absolute. There are exceptions to this command for a wife to!submit to her own husband. ! ! When the husband asks the wife to sin, she must not submit.

! When the husband is medically incapacitated, insane, or under the inuence of mind altering substances, the wife may not submit. ! When the husband is violent and physically threatening, the wife may not submit.

! When the husband breaks the marriage bond by adultery, they wife does not need to subit to her husband being in an adulterous relationship. ! vii. "If a Stoic disciple asked why he should behave in a particular way, his teacher would no doubt tell him that it was 'tting' because it was in conformity with nature. When a Christian convert asked the same question, he was told that such behavior was 'tting in the Lord'; members of the believing community should live thus for Christ's sake." (Bruce) ! d.!Husbands, love your wives: Paul's words to husbands safeguards his words to wives. Though wives are to submit to their husbands, it never excuses husbands acting as tyrants over their wives. Instead, a husband must!love!his wife, and the ancient Greek word translated!love!her is!agape. ! i. Signcantly, this puts an obligation upon the!husbands. In the ancient world - under Jewish, Greek, and Roman customs,!allpower and privileges belonged to husbands in regard to wives, to fathers in regard to children, and to masters in regard to slaves. There were no complimentary powers or privileges on the part of wives, children, or slaves. ! ii. "Agapao!does not denote affection or romantic attachment; it rather denotes caring love, a deliberate attitude of mind that concerns itself with the well-being of the one loved." (Vaughan)

! iii. Strictly speaking,!agape!can't be dened as "God's love," because men are said to!agape!sin and the world (John 3:19, 1 John 2:15). But it can be dened as a sacricial, giving, absorbing, love. The word has little to do with emotion; it has much to do with self-denial for the sake of another. ! ! ! ! ! It is a love that loves without changing. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when it is rejected.

! Agape!love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given. It gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive. ! iv. We can read this passage and think that Paul means, "Husband, be kind to your wife." Or "Husband, be nice to your wife." There is no doubt that for many marriages, this would be a huge improvement. But that isn't what Paul writes about. What he really means is, "Husband, continually practice self-denial for the sake of your wife." ! v. Of course, this!agape!love is the kind of love Jesus has for His people and this is the love husbands should imitate towards their wives (Ephesians 5:25). ! e.!And do not be bitter toward them: The implication is perhaps the wife has given the husband some!reason!to be bitter. Paul says, "That doesn't matter, husband." The husband may feel perfectly justied in his harsh or unloving attitude and actions towards his wife, but he is not justied -!no matter how the wife has been towards the husband. ! i.!Agape!loves even when there are obvious and glaring deciencies, even when the receiver is unworthy of the love. ! 4. (20-21) The new man's parent and child relationship.

Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

a.!Children, obey your parents in all things: Paul has in mind children who are still in their parents' household and under their authority. For these, they must not only!honor!their father and mother (as in Ephesians 6:2), but they must also!obey!them, and!obeythem!in all things. ! i. When a child is grown and out of his parents' household, he is no longer under the same obligation of!obedience, but the obligation to!honor your father and mother!remains. ! b.!For this is well pleasing to the Lord: This is one of the important!reasons!for a child's obedience. When a child respects his paren't authority, he is respecting God's order of authority in other areas of life. ! i. This idea of an order of authority and submission to an order of authority are so important to God that they are part of His very being. The First Person of the Holy Trinity is called the!Father; the Second Person of the Holy Trinity is called the!Son. Inherent in those titles is a relationship of authority and submission to authority. ! ii. The Father exercises authority over the Son, and the Son submits to the Father's authority - and this is in the very nature and being of God! Our failure to exercise Biblical authority, and our failure to submit to Biblical authority, isn't just wrong and sad - it sins against the very nature of God. Remember 1 Samuel 15:23:!For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft. ! c.!Fathers, do not provoke your children: Children have a responsibility to obey, but parents - here, put into one as!fathers!- have a responsibility to!not provoke!their!children. Parents can!provoke!their children by being too harsh, too demanding, too controling, unforgiving, or just plain angry. This harshness can be

expressed through words, through actions, or through non-verbal communication. ! i. In most parenting problems, the parent blames the child. It is easy to do because the problem is usually most evident in the bad behavior in the child. But Paul wisely reminds us that the bad behavior may actually be!provoked!by the parent. When this is the case, it doesn't justify the bad behavior of the child, but it may explain part of its cause. It is commanded to to parents to do everything they can to!not provoke!their!children. ! ii.!Provoke: "Irritate by exacting commands and perpetual faultnding and interference for interference' sake." (Peake) ! iii. "Parents, and specially fathers, are urged not to irritate their children by being so unreasonable in their demands that their children lose heart and come to think that it is useless trying to please their parents." (Bruce) ! iv. "The word 'fathers' can refer to parents of both sexes, though it may well have an eye to the importance of the father's role, within God's created order, in the upbringing of children." (Wright) ! d.!Lest they become discouraged: Children who grow up with parents who provoke them will!become discouraged. They will not feel the love and the support from their parents like the should, and they will come to believe that the whole world is against them because they feel their parents are against them. This reminds us how important it is to season our parenting with lots of grace. Perhaps we should be as gracious, gentle, forgiving, and longsuffering with our children as God is with us. ! 5. (3:22-4:1) The new man's servant and master relationship. !

Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that

from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.

a.!Obey in all things your masters according to the esh: As Christians put on the new man, they will show a properly submissive attitude towards their!masters!- in a modern context, towards their employer or supervisor. ! i. This is another sphere of God's order of authority. Employees have a God-ordained role of obedience and submission to their employers or supervisors. ! ii. "It will be noted that this section is far longer than the other two; and its length may well be due to long talks which Paul had with the runaway slave, Onesimus, whom later he was to send back to his master Philemon." (Barclay) ! iii. "More than half the people seen on the streets of the great cities of the Roman world were slaves. And this was the status of the majority of 'professional' people such as teachers and doctors as well as that of menials and craftsmen." (Vaughan) ! b.!Not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God: We are always tempted to work just as hard as we have to, thinking we only have to please man. But God wants every worker to see that ultimately, they work for!Him. Therefore, they should!do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. God promises to!reward!those who work with that kind of heart. ! i. The Christian who is a dishonest, lazy or unreliable worker has something far worse to deal with than a reprimand from his earthly supervisor. His heavenly supervisor may prepare a reprimand as well.

! ii. "Far more culpable is the attitude of modern 'clockwatchers,' who have contracted to serve their employer and receive an agreed remuneration for their labor. But Christian slaves - or Christian employees today - have the highest of all motives for faithful and conscientious performance of duty; they are above all else servants of Christ, and will work rst and foremost so as to please him." (Bruce) ! iii.!The reward of the inheritance: "One should properly read 'the!inheritance'; the reference is clearly to the life of the age to come. This is ironic, since in earthly terms slaves could not inherit property." (Wright) ! iv.!For you serve the Lord Christ: "The force of this unusual phrase (Paul nowhere else allows the titles 'Lord' and 'Christ' to stand together without the name 'Jesus' as well) could be brought out by a paraphrase: 'so work for the true Master - Christ!' " (Wright) ! c.!But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done: When a Christian worker does poorly in his job, he should not expect special leniency from his boss, especially if his boss is a Christian. Being a Christian should make us!more!responsible, not!lessresponsible. ! i. "It is possible for an unfaithful servant to wrong and defraud his master in a great variety of ways without being detected; but let all such remember what is here said: he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done; God sees him, and will punish him for his breach of honesty and trust." (Clarke) ! ii.!Will be repaid . . . and there is no partiality: For ancient Christian slaves and for modern Christian workers, there is no guarantee on earth of fairness of treatment from those whom they work for. Sometimes!partiality!means that bad workers are unfairly rewarded and good employees are penalized or left unrewarded. Paul assures both our ancient brethren and us that there is a nal rewarding and punishment, and with this!there is no partiality. ! iii. In Ephesians 6:9 Paul addressed masters and warned!them!that there was!no partiality with!God. Here, he warned!servants!that there is!no partiality!with God. "In Ephesians masters are not to think that God is inuenced by social position; in the present passage, slaves are not to act unscrupulously just because they know men treat them as

irresponsible chattel." (Vaughan) ! d.!Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair: As Christians put on the new man, they will be!just and fair!to those who work for them. It is a terrible thing for a boss to cheat or mistreat his workers, but far worse for a Christian to do it. ! i.!Just and fair: This is even more powerful than a command for masters to be!kind!or!pleasant!to slaves. One can be kind or pleasant to animals or pets; but we are only!just and fair!to fellow human beings. Paul asked masters to make a recognition that would undermine the very foundations of slavery. ! ii. Through the history of Christianity, there have been some who used these passages where Paul speaks to slaves and their masters to!justify!or even!promote!the practice of slavery. Others have!blamed!these passages for the practice of slavery. Yet one can never blame Christianity for slavery; it was a universal practice that pre-dated both Christianity and the Jewish nation. Instead, one should see that the!abolition!of slavery came from Christian people and impulses, and not from any other major religion and certainly not from secularism. ! iii. Without making an overt protest against slavery, Paul seemed to understand that if he could establish the point that slaves were equals in the body of Christ, full human beings with both responsibilities and rights (that they should be treated in a manner bothjust and fair), then in time the whole structure of slavery in the Roman Empire would crumble and it did. ! !

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1 Thessalonians 3 - Appointed to Afiction

! A. An appointment to afiction. ! 1. (1-3) Why Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians.

Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith, that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this.

a.!Sent Timothy . . . to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith: In the previous chapter Paul explained how much he wanted to be with the Thessalonians during their time of trial (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18). However, since Paul could not be with the Thessalonians himself, he did the next best thing. He sent his trusted companion and fellow worker!Timothy!to them. ! i.!We thought it good to be left in Athens alone: For the sake of the Thessalonians, Paul was willing to!be left in Athens alone. It cost him something to send Timothy to the Thessalonians, and he thought it was!good!to pay that cost. ! ii.!Our brother and minister of God: "Minister!is not an ofcial title and does not connote an ordained minister in the modern sense of the term. The word rather designates one who renders a service of some kind to another. It speaks of the servant in relationship to his work, stressing his activity of serving." (Hiebert) ! iii. "Originally the word denoted the service of a table waiter, and from that it came to signify lowly service of any kind. It was often used by the early Christians to give expression to the service that they habitually were to render to both God and to man. Where a word like 'slave,' which is often used of Christians, puts the emphasis on the personal relation, this word draws attention to the act of service being rendered." (Morris) ! b.!To establish you and encourage you concerning your faith: Paul wanted Timothy to do two things - to!establish and encouragethe Thessalonians. Both are necessary,

but!establishing!comes rst.!Encouragement!can really only come after we are!established!in the right direction; otherwise, we are only!encouraged!in the wrong course. ! i. "When Paul sent Timothy to Thessalonica it was not nearly so much to inspect the Church there as it was to help it." (Barclay) ! c.!That no one should be shaken by these afictions: As the Thessalonians were established and encouraged, they would not!be shaken by these afictions. Timothy's ministry would help them to endure their present hardship. ! i. The ancient Greek word translated!shaken, came from the idea of a dog wagging its tail. "Flattered, as a dog attereth, by moving his tail; the devil, by attering you, with promise of more ease by a contrary course, will but do as a dirty dog, dele you with fawning." (Trapp) ! ii. Without a good understanding of the truth concerning the place of suffering in the life of the believer, we are in great danger of being!shaken!in our faith. ! d.!These afictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this: Paul wanted the Thessalonians to know that their time of present suffering was in God's control. These were afictions they were!appointed to. As part of the normal Christian life, believers have an appointment with afiction. ! i. Some believe that Christians shouldn't suffer afiction and that God wants to teach us!only!by His Word, and not through trial or tribulation. It is true that there is a great deal of suffering we could be spared by simply obeying God's Word, and God wants to spare us that suffering. Nevertheless, suffering was good enough to teach Jesus (Hebrews 2:10 and 5:8), therefore it is good enough to teach us. God does teach the believer perseverance, obedience, how to comfort others, and deeper fellowship with Jesus in trials. ! ii. Some believe that the only kind of afiction a Christian should experience is!persecution. The truth is that there are two ancient Greek words used to translate the concept of suffering, and neither of them is used exclusively in regard to

persecution.!Thilipsiswas used for such things as physical pain, emotional hardships, and suffering under temptation.!Pasko!was used for such things as physical sufferings unrelated to persecution, suffering under temptation, and hardships in a general sense. ! iii. Some believe that afiction means God is angry at the believer. The truth is that afiction means that God loves us enough to give the!best!when we may only desire what is!easy. The symbol of Christianity is the cross, not a feather bed. Afiction is just part of following Jesus; therefore Paul recognized that Christians are!appointed!to!afiction. ! iv. "Surveying the whole Christian movement, he saw suffering everywhere as the result of loyalty to the faith; and he did not conceive of it merely as something to be endured. He saw God ruling over all, and knew that this pathway of pain was a Divinely-arranged one." (Morgan) ! 2. (4) Afiction should never surprise the Christian. !

For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know.

a.!We told you before when we were with you: When Paul was with the Thessalonians (just a few months before writing this letter) he warned them they!would suffer tribulation. Though he was only with them a few weeks, he taught them about the place of suffering in the Christian life. ! b.!We would suffer tribulation: In Jesus' parable of the soils (Matthew 13:1-23), He described the way that some fall away when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word - Jesus said!when!tribulation arises, and not!if!tribulation comes. The Christian's faith will be tested. Paul knew this, and as a good pastor, he warned the Thessalonians. ! 3. (5) Paul's urgency in sending Timothy to the Thessalonians.

For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.

a.!When I could no longer endure it: Paul could barely!endure!the thought that the faith of the Thessalonians might crumble under this season of afiction, so he sent Timothy to both check on them and to help them. ! i. "Paul's subdued missionary activities at Corinth before the return of Silas and Timothy (Acts 18:5) seems to indicate that Paul was deeply depressed! because of the heavy burden of suspense and uncertainty concerning the outcome of his mission at Thessalonica." (Hiebert) ! b.!Lest by some means the tempter had tempted you: Paul recognized that the tempter - that is, Satan - wanted to exploit this season of suffering. As in the case of Job, Satan wanted to tempt the Thessalonians to give up on God. ! c.!And our labor might be in vain: If the Thessalonians did waver in their faith, Paul would consider his work among them to have been!in vain. In the parable of the soils (Matthew 13:1-23) Jesus described the seed that withered under the heat of trials. If the Thessalonians withered, Paul's hard work as a farmer among them would have born no harvest. ! i. Paul!did!something to help prevent the Thessalonians from falling under their afiction. He sent Timothy to them, because those who are in afiction need the help of other godly people. ! B. Timothy's encouraging report. !

1. (6) The good news from Timothy. !

But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you;

a.!Brought us good news of your faith and love: When Timothy returned from his visit to the Thessalonians, he brought!good news. The Thessalonians were doing well in!faith and love, and Paul helped them to do even better with this letter he wrote. ! i. Calvin on!faith and love: "In these two words he states concisely the sum total of godliness. All who aim at this double mark are beyond the danger of error for the whole of their life." ! ii. Morris on!good news: "The verb he employs is the one which is usually translated 'preach the gospel.' Indeed, this is the only place in the whole of Paul's writings where it is used in any other sense than that." ! iii. "All pastors are reminded by this of the kind of relationship which ought to exist between them and the church. When things go well with the Church, they are to count themselves happy, even though in other respects they are surrounded by much distress. On the other hand, however, if they see the building which they have constructed falling down, they are to die of grief and sorrow, even though in other respects there is good success and prosperity." (Calvin) ! b.!That you always have good remembrance of us: Timothy also brought the good news that the Thessalonians had not believed the vicious and false rumors about Paul. ! 2. (7-9) The effect of the good news on Paul.

Therefore, brethren, in all our affliction and distress we were comforted concerning you by your faith. For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God,

a.!In all our afiction and distress we were comforted: Paul wrote this letter from Corinth, and his coming to that city was marked by difculty. He said of his coming to Corinth,!I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling!(1 Corinthians 2:3). Yet since Timothy came back with good news, Paul had a renewed strength and freshness of life (for now we live). It made Paul feel much better that the Thessalonians were doing well. ! i. "Never is the servant of God so full of delight as when he sees that the Holy Spirit is visiting his hearers, making them to know the Lord, and conrming them in that heavenly knowledge. On the other hand, if God does not bless the word of his servants it is like death to them. To be preaching and to have no blessing makes them heavy of heart: the chariot-wheels are taken off, and they drag heavily along: they seem to have no power nor liberty." (Spurgeon) ! b.!For what thanks can we render to God for you: Paul's!thanks!and!joy!overowed because he knew that they did!stand fast in the Lord. Some nd it easy to rejoice in the!material!prosperity in the life of others, but Paul honestly rejoiced in the!spiritual!prosperity of others. ! 3. (10) Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians. !

Night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

a.!Night and day praying exceedingly: Paul heard good news from Timothy, but it wasn't enough. He wanted to!see!the!face!of the church family in Thessalonica. Paul wanted it enough to pray!night and day . . . exceedingly!that God would make a way for him to see them. ! i.!Exceedingly: "There are various ways of expressing the thought of abundance, and this double compound is probably the most emphatic of all." (Morris) ! b.!And perfect what is lacking in your faith: In the midst of all this joy, Paul called attention to the fact that they were still!lacking. Though the apostle repeatedly complimented them (1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1:7, 2:13, 2:19-20, and 3:6), he was also concerned toperfect!(complete)!what is lacking in!their!faith. ! i. Paul believed that his personal presence would be a help to the Thessalonians. "Though his Epistles might avail towards it, yet his personal presence would do more. There is a peculiar blessing that attends oral preaching, more than reading." (Poole) ! C. Paul's prayer for what is lacking in the Thessalonians. ! 1. (11) Paul prays that he may be reunited with the Thessalonians soon, because to make up what is lacking, they needed apostolic inuence. !

Now may our God and Father Himself, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way to you.

a.!Now may our God and Father Himself: This shows Paul begins a passage of written prayer. He told the Thessalonians what he prayed for them. !

i. Hiebert points out that this is technically not a prayer. "Recognition should be given to the fact that in actual statement these verses do form a prayer addressed directly to God. They are rather a devout prayer-wish . . . the solemn tone of this fervent prayer-wish approaches the language of prayer and is virtually a prayer." ! ii.!And our Lord Jesus Christ: "Two persons viewed as one (cf. John 10:30) possess power to open the way to Thessalonica once again; 'our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus' is the compound subject of a singular verb . . . probably an indication of the unity of the Godhead." (Thomas) ! b.!Direct our way to you: Paul was encouraged at the current state of the Thessalonians and by the fruit that Timothy's ministry had there. Yet he still prayed that God would!direct!his!way to!the Thessalonians. This shows that though Paul valued the ministry others brought to them, he believed that they still needed the authoritative instruction and encouragement only the apostles could give. ! i. This being true, we also need to be under apostolic inuence. Paul and the rest have graduated to glory, but their!writings!remain. God has preserved the apostles' teaching for us in the New Testament. ! ii. The church is founded upon the apostles, with Christ Himself the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The foundation of the New Jerusalem is the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:14). There was something signicantly unique about the rst-century apostles and prophets, and that unique ministry is preserved in the New Testament. ! 2. (12) To make up what is lacking, they must!increase and abound in love. !

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,

a.!And may the Lord make you increase and about in love: This was not a loveless church, but they still had room to grown in love, because love is an essential mark of the

Christian faith. ! i. Jesus spoke of the essential place love has as an identifying mark of the Christian:!By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another!(John 13:35). The Apostle John also emphasized this principle:!If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?(1 John 4:20) ! b.!Abound in love to one another and to all: Paul looked for the Thessalonian Christians to show love!to!one another and to all. This love!begins!in the family of God, but it must go beyond. Jesus told us that our love is small and shallow if we only love those who love us also (Matthew 5:46-47). ! c.!Just as we do to you: Paul daringly set himself as a standard of love to be emulated. We should live such Christian lives that we could tell young Christians, "Love other people just the way that I do." ! 3. (13) To make up what is lacking, they needed!hearts!established in!holiness. !

So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

a.!So that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness: Paul knew that God wanted the Thessalonians to have their!heartsestablished!blameless in holiness. The idea behind!holiness!is to be set apart!from!the world and!unto!God. The genuinely!holyperson is separated!away!from!the domination of sin and self and the world, and they are separated!to!God. ! b.!Your hearts blameless in holiness: The heart must be made holy rst. The devil wants us to develop a holy!exterior!while neglecting the!interior, like whitewashed tombs, full

of death (Matthew 23:27). ! c.!Blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Paul was reminded of Jesus' return, because nothing can encourage us to holiness like remembering that Jesus might come today. ! i. Paul's prayer for the Thessalonians emphasized three things that are important for every Christian today: ! ! First, he wanted to!be!with them, so they could benet from his apostolic wisdom and authority. ! ! ! ii.!All His saints: "It is best to understand the 'holy ones' as all those bright beings who will make up His train be they angels or the saints who have gone before." (Morris) ! ! He wanted them to abound in love. He wanted them to be established in true heart-holiness.

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2 Thessalonians 3 - Guidance for Church Life

! A. Prayer requested and given. ! 1. (1-2) Paul's prayer request. !

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,

and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.

a.!Finally, brethren, pray for us: Paul constantly asked other Christians to pray for him (Romans 15:30, 2 Corinthians 1:11, Ephesians 6:18-19, Philippians 1:19, Colossians 4:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:25, and Philemon 1:22). Paul knew that the success of his ministry in some measure depended on the prayers of God's people. ! i. "You cannot tell how much God's servants are helped by the prayers of his people. The strongest man in Israel will be the better for the prayers of the weakest saint in Zion." (Spurgeon) ! b.!That the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be gloried: Paul's great concern what he rst asked the Thessalonian Christians to pray for - was that God's Word be!free!to do its work among others, even as it had among the Thessalonians (just as it is with you). ! i. Paul asked for prayer so that the Word can!run!freely, without any hindrance. Paul's prayer request makes us wonder how often the work of God's Word is hindered by our prayerlessness. ! ii. God!has!promised that His Word would be free and perform its work:!It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it!(Isaiah 55:11). But as with many of God's promises, we are expected to take this promise in faith, and in prayer, to ask God to perform the promise for His glory. ! c.!That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: These were those who wanted to hinder the work of the gospel. Paul wanted God to either deliver him from such men, or change them into reasonable and godly men. ! 2. (3-5) Paul's condence in the Lord and prayer for the Thessalonians.

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things we command you. Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.

a.!But the Lord is faithful: Even if not!all!men!have faith, the!Lord is faithful. This was the basis of Paul's condence in God's ability to!establish!and!guard!us from the!evil one. ! i. God promised to keep Satan on a leash. He will not allow any temptation to become too great for us (1 Corinthians 10:13), and will not allow Satan to do whatever he wants with us (Luke 22:31-32). ! b.!And we have condence in the Lord: Paul was also condent (in the Lord) regarding the Thessalonians themselves, that they would follow through and be obedient to God's Word (that you do and will do the things we command you). This shows that God's work of establishing and guarding us is done, in part, through His appeal to our will in obeying His Word. ! i. God doesn't just pour spiritual maturity and stability into us. He works it in us through our cooperation with His will. ! c.!Now may the Lord direct your hearts: Towards this end, Paul wisely prayed for both!love!and!patience!(endurance) for the Thessalonian Christians. These were two qualities essential for the kind of spiritual stability and strength the Thessalonians needed. ! B. Instructions for the strength and purity of the church.

! 1. (6) The command to withdraw from the disorderly. !

But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.

a.!But we command you: The strength of this statement is plain. It was not only a!command, but it was also made!in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ! b.!That you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly: Paul dened the!disorderly!as those who did not walk!according to the tradition!(the pattern of teaching and living) Paul and the apostles gave to them. ! i. Churches should never withdraw from someone because he fails to conform to!man's!traditions or teachings. The only standard to uphold is!apostolic!tradition and teaching. ! ii. "The present tense of the verb!walks!denotes that it is a deliberate course of action. Their disorderly conduct is not an occasional lapse but a persistent practice." (Hiebert) ! c.!Withdraw from every brother: Paul had already told the Thessalonians to!warn the unruly!(1 Thessalonians 5:14). Apparently, the problem still remained in some measure, so he told them to now discipline the!unruly!ones in question. ! i. The purpose in withdrawing from these disobedient was not so much punishment, but more so simply to deny these disobedient ones the aid and comfort of the fellowship of the body of Christ until they repented. It put them out of the church into the "domain" of Satan (the world), in hope that they might miss the fellowship of the church so much they

would repent of their disobedience. ! ii. Paul echoed the same idea in 1 Corinthians 5:4-5. The purpose was to bring about repentance and salvation in the disobedient ones, not to condemn or damn them. ! iii. In an indirect way, Paul showed that his vision for the church was that it should be such a place of love and comfort that one would genuinely feel sad and sorry to be excluded from the church. Churches today should also t that description. ! 2. (7-9) Paul describes the life displayed by the apostolic tradition. !

For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us, for we were not disorderly among you; nor did we eat anyone's bread free of charge, but worked with labor and toil night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, not because we do not have authority, but to make ourselves an example of how you should follow us.

a.!For you yourselves know how you ought to follow us: Paul was an excellent example among the Thessalonians, in that he worked hard to support his own needs. This wasn't because apostles like Paul didn't have the right to request support. Instead, it was because he wanted to set a good example of hard work and prove false any accusation that he preached the Gospel for personal gain. ! b.!To make ourselves an example of how you should follow us: Therefore, the Thessalonians should follow Paul in his example of both hard work and willingness to sacrice for the furtherance and integrity of the Gospel. !

3. (10) Paul describes the teaching presented by the apostolic tradition. !

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat.

a.!If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat: Simply put, Paul says that if anyone!will not work!(instead of!can not work),!neither shall he eat. God's plan is to provide for our needs through our work. ! b.!Neither shall he eat: Since God is able to provide through our needs in any manner imaginable, it means something that He has chosen (for the most part) to meet our needs through work. This is part of God's character, because He is a busy God and always at work. ! 4. (11-13) Paul applies the apostolic tradition to the situation among the Thessalonians. !

For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies. Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. But as for you, brethren, do not grow weary in doing good.

a.!There are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner: The idleness of some had become a source of sin. It was not only because of the work that they!didn't do, but also because of the harm they!did do!with their idle time (but are busybodies). !

i. There is a play on words between the ancient Greek phrasing in the lines!not working at all!and!but are busybodies. The idea is something like "busybodies who do no business." ! ii. Perhaps these!busybodies!thought that if Jesus was coming soon, it made no sense to work. It would then be easy for them to intrude into the lives of others and take advantage of Christian generosity. ! iii. "It is the inactive drones whom Paul is berating - those who live by the sweat of others while they themselves do nothing for the common good to help the human race, such as our monks and priests who acquire ample dimensions by their inactivity." (Calvin) ! b.!Now those who are such we command: With authority,!through our Lord Jesus, Paul commanded these!busybodies!to!work, to get out of the business of others (in quietness) and to provide for their own needs (eat their own bread) instead of expecting other Christians to provide for them. ! i. The early church did provide for the truly needy among them, but only after being certain that they were truly needy and after putting them to work for the church (1 Timothy 5:3-16). ! ii. "Paul forbids the Thessalonians to encourage their laziness by indulging it, and teaches that it is those who proved themselves with the necessities of life by honourable and useful work that lead a life of holiness." (Calvin) ! c.!Do not grow weary in doing good: This was a proper encouragement for those who were working as they should. Few things are more wearying than seeing others take advantage of Christian generosity. But we should never let the manipulations of some discourage us from doing good to the truly needy. ! i. The older King James Version has this,!be not weary in well doing. There is plenty of!well-wishing!in the world.!Well-resolving,well-suggesting, and!well-criticizing!are also found in plenty. Many people are good at!well-talking, but there is not enough of simplewell doing.

! ii. "But well doing consists in taking down the shutters and selling your goods; tucking up your shirt sleeves and doing a good day's work; sweeping the carpets and dusting the chairs, if you happen to be a domestic servant. Well doing is attending to the duties that arise out of our relationships in life - attending carefully to them, and seeing that in nothing we are eye-servers and men-pleasers, but in everything are seeking to serve God." (Spurgeon) ! iii. There are many excuses one might make to allowing weariness in!doing good, but they should all be rejected. ! ! "It takes so much effort to keep doing good" - but you will extend effort towards the things of the world. ! "It takes so much self-denial to keep doing good" - but it is worth it when we consider the reward. ! "It just brings me persecution to do good" - but your persecutions are nothing compared to that which others have suffered. ! "People don't respond and there are little results when I do good" - but remember how slow you were to respond to Jesus Christ. ! "It doesn't earn much gratitude when I do good" - but God sends many blessings even to those who do not thank or appreciate Him. ! 5. (14-15) More on how to deal with the disobedient. !

And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

a.!And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle: Here, Paul nished the thought

introduced at 2 Thessalonians 3:6. He here elaborates on what it means to!withdraw!from a brother as mentioned previously. ! b.!Note that person and do not keep company with him: To!withdraw!means to!note that person, and to!not keep company with him, with the purpose of causing him to!be ashamed. Yet, the purpose is not to make him an!enemy!of the church, but through the severity of the withdrawal from fellowship, to warn and!admonish!him as an erring!brother. ! i. "The intention of excommunication is not to drive men from the Lord's ock, but rather to bring them back again when they have wandered and gone astray. . . . Excommunication is to be distinguished from anathema." (Calvin) ! 6. (16-18) Conclusion to the letter. !

Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all. The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

a.!Now may the Lord of peace: Paul's blessing of!peace!(always in every way) was appropriate for this church experiencing both persecution and tribulation. It is the presence of the!Lord of peace!that will grant them this peace. ! i. "I want to call particular attention to the apostle's words in this place. He does not say 'May the Lord of peace send his angel to give you peace.' It were a great mercy if he did, and we might be as glad as Jacob was at Mahanaim, when the angels of God met him. He does not even say, 'May the Lord of peace send his minister to give you peace.' If he did we might be as happy as Abraham when Melchizedec refreshed him with bread and wine. He does not even say, 'May the Lord of peace at the communion table, or in reading the word, or in prayer, or in some other sacred exercise give you peace.' In all these we might

well be as refreshed . . . but he says 'the Lord of peace himself give you peace,' as if he alone in his own person could give peace, and as if his presence were the sole means of such a divine peace as he desires." (Spurgeon) ! b.!The salutation of Paul with my own hand: As was his custom, Paul himself wrote the nal words of the epistle with his own hand. This was both a personal demonstration of affection, and proof that the letter was authentic (a sign in every epistle). ! c.!The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all: For Paul, God's!grace!was the beginning and the end of the Christian life. It was appropriate that this letter - and most of his letters began and ended with a mention of!grace. ! i. "There is the addition of one little word in this nal benediction as compared with its form in the rst Epistle. It is the word 'all.' Thus the apostle takes those whom he had been rebuking and correcting, and so reveals the greatness of his heart and his love." (Morgan) ! ii. "Thus he poureth out his affection, by prayer upon prayer for them. A sweet closing up!" (Trapp) ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 Timothy 3 - Qualications for Leaders !

A. Qualications for a!bishop. ! 1. (1) Introduction the good work of spiritual leadership. !

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of

a bishop, he desires a good work.

a.!This is a faithful saying: Paul has just written that women are not to hold positions of authority in the church; but he does not want to leave the impression that just!any!man is qualied. No man is qualied to be a spiritual leader in the church just because of his gender. ! b.!If a man desires the position of a bishop: The ofce Paul described is that of!bishop. Our religious culture has given us a particular idea of what a!bishop!is; but the word!bishop!in New Testament Greek [episkopos] literally means "over" (epi) "watcher" (skopos) - an!overseer. ! i. These were men with leadership and authority in the church. "The!state!has its!monarch, the!Church!has its!bishop; one should govern according to the!laws of the land, the other according to the!word of God." (Clarke) ! ii. In Acts 20:17, we learn there were many!bishops!- that is, overseers - in one church in one city. Undoubtedly, these were men who had oversight over the many house-churches that met throughout the city. The idea of a "regional bishop" doesn't come from the Bible. ! iii. Based on what!bishop!means, a bishop is someone with!oversight!in the church, a leader. Such a person may also sometimes be called an!elder!(presbuteros) or a!pastor!(poimen, which means "shepherd"), as in Acts 20:17, 28. ! iv. "On the question as to the terms presbyter and episcopus, it is sufcient here to state my own conclusion, that they represent slightly different aspects of the same ofce, pastoral and ofcial; aspects which came naturally into prominence in the Jewish and Greek societies respectively which gave birth to the names." (White) ! v. Of this passage, White adds: "Having given elementary directions concerning the scope of public prayer, and the ministers thereof, St. Paul now takes up the matter of Church organization." Yet this organization of the church is greatly limited. There is no advice or guidance on structure or exactly how the ofces of!bishop!or deacon or anything else

relate to each other. In the New Testament design, there seems to be some exibility on!structure!and an emphasis rather on the!character!of leaders. ! c.!He desires a good work: The idea isn't, "Good for you, you want to have a place of spiritual leadership," even though that can be a godly desire. The idea is more like this: "This is a good, noble, honorable work. Timothy, you need to look for good, noble, honorable men." ! i. "For it is no light matter to represent God's Son in such a great task as erecting and extending God's kingdom, in caring for the salvation of souls whom the Lord Himself has deigned to purchase with His own blood, and ruling the Church which is God's inheritance." (Calvin) ! d.!He desires a good work: Spiritual leadership in the church isn't all about titles and honor and glory; it's about!work. Jesus said:!If anyone desires to be rst, he shall be last of all and servant of all.!(Mark 9:35) ! i. "A good work, But a hard work. The ministry is not an idle man's occupation, but a sore labour." (Trapp) ! ii. "What is the use of a lazy minister? He is no good either to the world, to the Church, or to himself. He is a dishonor to the noblest profession that can be bestowed upon the sons of men." (Spurgeon) ! 2. (2a) Qualications for bishops. !

A bishop then must be . . .

a.!A bishop then must be: God has specic!qualications!for leaders in the church. Leaders are not to be chosen at random, nor just because they volunteer, nor because they aspire to the position, nor even because they are "natural leaders." Instead they should be

chosen primarily on how they match the qualications listed here. ! i. The qualications for leadership have nothing to do with!giftedness. God doesn't say, "Go out and get the most gifted men." God may easily and instantly create gifts in a man, because gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11). ! ii. Going to seminary doesn't make one qualied for spiritual leadership. Being a good talker doesn't make one qualied for spiritual leadership. Natural or spiritual gifts in themselves do not qualify one for spiritual leadership. What one gives in money or volunteer time does not qualify them for spiritual leadership. What qualies a man for spiritual leadership is!godly character!- and godly character established according to these clear criteria. ! b.!Then must be: However, this is not a rigid list which demands!perfection!in all areas; they are both goals to reach for and general criteria for selection. One looks at this list and asks, "Does the man in question desire all these things with his whole heart?" "Does that desire show itself in his life?" "Are there others available who better fulll the requirements of this list?" ! c.!Must be: As well, these qualications are valuable for every person - not only those who aspire to leadership. They are clear indicators of godly character and spiritual maturity and they can give a true measure of a man. ! 3. (2b-7) A list of qualications for leaders in the church. !

Blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, soberminded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of

God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

a.!Blameless: This word literally means, "Nothing to take hold upon." There must be nothing in his life that others can take hold of and attack the church. ! i. "The word is a metaphor, taken from the case of an expert and skilful pugilist, who!so defends every part of!his!body!that it is impossible for his antagonist to give one hit." (Clarke) ! ii. This is a broad term for a man who lives a righteous life that can be!seen!as righteous. No one can stand up and rightfully accuse the man of grievous sin. ! iii. In 1 Timothy 3:10, in speaking about deacons, Paul used the phrase!being found blameless. This implies being!blameless!is demonstrated by a track record of behavior. ! b.!Husband of one wife: The idea here is of "A one-woman man." It is!not!that a leader!must!be married (if so, then both Jesus and Paul could not be spiritual leaders in our churches). Nor is the idea that leader could never remarry if his wife had passed away or was Biblically divorced. The idea is that is love and affection and heart is given to!one!woman, and that being his lawful and wedded wife. ! i. This means that the Biblical leader is not a playboy, an adulterer, a irt, and does not show romantic or sexual interest in other women, including the depictions or images of women in pornography. ! c.!Temperate: The idea is of someone who is!not given to extremes. They are reliable and

trustworthy, and you don't have to worry about wide swings of vision, mood, or action. ! d.!Soberminded: This describes the person who is!able to think clearly and with clarity. They are not constantly joking, but know how to deal with serious subjects in a serious way. ! i. "This does not man he has no sense of humor, or that he is always solemn and somber. Rather it suggests that he knows the value of things and does not cheapen the ministry or the Gospel message by foolish behavior." (Wiersbe) ! e.!Of good behavior: The idea is "orderly." It is the same word translated!modest!in 1 Timothy 2:9. "Orderly, perhaps!dignied!in the best sense of the term." (White) ! f.!Hospitable: They are willing and able to open up their home to both friends and strangers. ! g.!Able to teach: Skilled enough in the Bible to teach, either in a public or one-on-one setting. ! h.!Not given to wine: The idea is of not being addicted to wine or intoxicating drink. This verse, in itself, does not!prohibit!godly leadership from drinking alcoholic beverages, but it clearly discourages it. ! i. "No ale-stake, tavern-haunter, that sits close at it, till the wine iname him." (Trapp) ! i.!Not violent: This is a man who is not given to violence either publicly nor privately; a man who can let God ght his cause. ! j.!Not greedy for money: The King James Versions puts it far more memorably:!not greedy of lthy lucre.

! i. "I repeat that the man who will not bear poverty patiently and willingly will inevitably become the victim of mean and sordid covetousness." (Calvin) ! k.!Gentle: The kind of man who takes Jesus as his example, not the latest action hero. ! l.!Not quarrelsome: The kind of person who is not always ghting over something or other. ! m.!Not covetous: This is a more encompassing thought than merely!greedy for money. The!covetous!man is never satised with anything, always demanding something more or different. A man who is constantly!dissatised!is not t for leadership among God's people. ! n.!Who rules his own house well: The godly leader demonstrates his leadership ability rst in his own home; Paul recognized that it is in the home where our Christianity is rst demonstrated. ! i. It is true that a child may rebel from even a good home; but is the rebellion!because!of the parents or!in spite!of their job as parents? This is the question that must be asked. ! o.!Not a novice: New converts should not be given leadership too quickly. The leader should be well past the!novice!stage in their spiritual development. ! i.!Novice!is literally "newly planted." When someone rst comes to Jesus, it isn't good to put them into a place of leadership until they have been allowed to grow long enough to put down some deep roots. ! ii. "Novices are not only bold and impetuous, but are puffed up with foolish selfcondence, as though they could y beyond the clouds." (Calvin) Promoting a novice too quickly gives occasion to the great sin - pride, in imitation of the Devil himself.

! p.!A good testimony: These characteristics must be evident to all, even unbelievers to see. The potential leader must be a good Christian!outside!the walls of the church. ! B. Qualications for deacons. ! 1. (8a)!Deacons, the practical servants of the church. !

Likewise deacons must be . . .

a.!Likewise deacons: An example of the appointment of deacons is in Acts 6:1-6, where the apostles saw the need for those to distribute the daily assistance to the widows among the church, yet did not have the time to distribute the aid themselves. They chose men to act essentially as deacons in that church. ! b.!Deacons must be: Their qualications are much the same as those for "bishops"; practical service (especially when recognized by an ofce) is leadership also. ! i. It is a mistake to see one ofce as more prestigious than the other, though bishops have more responsibility before God. Each is more a matter of!calling!than status. ! 2. (8b-12) Qualications for deacons. !

Reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.

Likewise their wives must bereverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

a.!Reverent: Showing proper respect towards both God and man. ! b.!Not double-tongued: A man who speaks the truth the rst time, with no intent to deceive. ! c.!Holding the mystery of the faith: Those who can adhere to proper doctrine, out of sincere conviction. ! d.!First be proved: A man!demonstrates!his tness for ofce in the church by his conduct. Deacons and bishops are more!recognizedthan!appointed. ! e.!Likewise their wives: It is difcult to know if Paul here referred here to female deacons (such as Phoebe, in Romans 16:1), or the wives of male deacons. The original wording will permit either possibility. ! i. If he is speaking mainly of a male deacon's wife, it is appropriate because a man's leadership in the home can be evaluated, in part, by his wife's conduct. Is she!reverent, not![one of the]!slanderers, temperate,!and!faithful in all things? ! ii.!Not slanderers: "Literally,!not devils. This may be properly enough translated!slanderers, backbiters, tale-bearers,!for all these are of their father, the devil, and his lusts they will do." (Clarke) !

3. (13) A promise for deacons. !

For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

a.!For those who have served well as deacons: God remembers their faithful service, even in tasks which some would consider menial. There is little doubt that you will see more!deacons!with a great reward than bishops or pastors. ! C. The mystery of godliness. ! 1. (14-15) Paul's reason for writing Timothy. !

These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

a.!These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly: Paul desired to speak these things to Timothy personally, but knowing he might not be able, he made certain that he said it in a letter. ! i. "This verse makes it clear that Timothy's position was a temporary one; he was acting as St. Paul's representative at Ephesus." (White)

! b.!How you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God: Paul's purpose for writing was to give Timothy, as a leader, practical information on how to run things in the Ephesian church. ! c.!The house of God: The church must be, very consciously, the place where God is. This makes a church more attractive than anything else. ! i. The Church is God's house because . . . ! ! ! ! ! ! ! d.!The church of the living God: In the ancient Greek language, "church" was a nonreligious word for a group of people called together for a purpose. The!living God!has called His people together for His purpose. ! e.!The pillar and ground of truth: The pillar and ground (foundation) of the church is!truth. Tragically, many churches today sell truth short and are therefore left weak pillars and shaky ground. ! i. "The Church is the pillar of the truth because by its ministry the truth is preserved and spread . . . Paul will not acknowledge the Church except where God's truth is exalted and plain." (Calvin) ! ii. It isn't that the church is the foundation!for!the truth, but that the church!holds up!the truth so the world can see it. "Pillars also were of ancient use to fasten upon them any He is the Architect. He is the Builder. He lives there. He provides for it. He is honored there and He rules there.

public edicts, which princes or courts would have published, and exposed to the view of all; hence the church is called,!the pillar!and basis, or seal,!of truth, because by it the truths of God are published, supported, and defended." (Poole) ! iii. "When the Church stands boldly out, and preaches the Word, it is the pillar of the truth; when it is hidden in the Roman catacombs, and cannot proclaim the Savior's name to the world, still there lives the truth deep in the hearts of believers, and they are then the ground of the truth." (Spurgeon) ! 2. (16) An early hymn to express the foundation of Christian truth. !

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.

a.!Without controversy: "When he says 'without controversy,' I suppose he means that there ought to be no controversy about these facts, though controversies have arisen concerning them, and always will, since the most self-evident truth will always nd selfevident fools to contradict it." (Spurgeon) ! i. "Observe that the comprehensive summary of the gospel here given is contained in six little sentences, which run with such regularity of measure in the original Greek, that some have supposed them to be an ancient hymn; and it is possible that they may have been used as such in the early church." (Spurgeon) ! b.!God was manifested in the esh: This is the essence of the incarnation; that God the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, added to His deity humanity - and was thus!manifested in the esh. ! c.!Justied in the Spirit: We can say that Jesus was!justied by the Spirit!not in the

sense that He was once sinful but made righteous, but in the sense that He was declared to be, by the Holy Spirit, what He always was - completely justied before the Father. ! i. This declaration was made at His baptism (Matthew 3:16), and at His resurrection (1 Peter 3:18; Acts 2:32-33). ! d.!Seen by angels: The ministry of Jesus, both on earth and through the Church, is of great interest to angelic beings. There were many instances when Jesus was seen by angels (Mark 1:13; Luke 22:41-43), and especially at the resurrection (Matthew 28:2-7). ! i. "The apostle mentions this to show the greatness of our religion, since the noblest intellects are interested in it. Did you ever hear of angels hovering around the assemblies of philosophical societies?" (Spurgeon) ! ii. "The Godhead was seen in Christ by angels, as they had never seen it before. They had beheld the attribute of justice, they had seen the attribute of power, they had marked the attribute of wisdom, and seen the Prerogative of sovereignty; but never had angels seen love, and condescension, and tenderness, and pity, in God as they saw these things resplendent in the person and the life of Christ." (Spurgeon) ! e.!Preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world: Paul himself did his best to!fulll!these statements.!He was busy preaching Jesus among the Gentiles and bringing the world to belief. ! i. "God's way of creating faith in men's hearts is not by pictures, music, or symbols, but by the hearing of the word of God. This may seem a strange thing, and strange let it seem, for it is a mystery, and a great mystery, but a fact beyond all controversy; for ever let the church maintain that Christ is to be preached unto the Gentiles." (Spurgeon) ! f.!Received up in glory: This reminds us of Jesus' ascension (Luke 24:51), His nished work on our behalf (Hebrews 1:3), and His present intercession for us (1 John 2:1). ! i. "He was so received because his work is nished. He would never have gone into his

glory if he had not nished all his toil. He would have accepted no reward had he not fully earned it." (Spurgeon) ! ii.!Received up in glory: Jesus ascended into heaven in a resurrection body; yet it was a body that still retained the marks of His great work of love for us. It still had the nail prints in His hands and feet, the wound in his side, all marks of His suffering on our behalf (John 20:24-29). ! iii. Paul's description of Jesus after the passage speaking of Christian character reminds us of the key to our own character transformation - beholding Jesus. It is just as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:18:!But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. ! iv. Jesus is the perfect fulllment of these descriptions of Christian character. We trust that Jesus will transform our life according to the same character, as we put our focus on Him. We sometimes want!religion!to build this character in us; but truly,!relationship!with Jesus is what really does it. ! ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

2 Timothy 3 - Perilous Times and Precious Truth !

"As he lies in his cell, a prisoner of the Lord, Paul is still preoccupied with the future of the gospel. His mind dwells now on the evil of the times, now on the difdence of Timothy. Timothy is so weak, and the opposition so strong."!(John Stott) ! A. Perilous times mean that discernment matters. !

1. (1) Perilous times in the!last days. !

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

a.!In the last days perilous times will come: The word translated!perilous!has the idea of troubles, difculty, and stressful situations. This sort of atmosphere will mark the!last days. ! i. "The word was used in classical Greek both of dangerous wild animals and of the raging sea. Its only other New Testament occurrence is in the story of the two Gaderene demoniacs who were as savage and untamed as wild beasts and whom Matthew describes as 'so!erce!that no one could pass that way' (Matthew 8:28)." (Stott) ! ii. The characteristics Paul will describe speak not of bad!times, but of bad!people. "We should note what the hardness or danger of this time is in Paul's view to be, not war, not famine or diseases, nor any of the other calamities or ills that befall the body, but the wicked and depraved ways of men." (Calvin) ! iii. "The description in this and in the following verses the Papists apply to the Protestants; the Protestants in turn apply it to the Papists;!Schoettgen!to the!Jews; and others to!heretics!in general . . . but it is probable that the apostle had some particular age in view, in which there should appear some very essential corruption of Christianity." (Clarke) ! b.!In the last days: This is a broad term in the New Testament, broad enough to where one could say that!the last days!began with the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:17). The days of the Messiah mark!the last days; yet the term is especially appropriate to the season immediately before the return of Jesus and the consummation of all things. ! i. Though some think that any attention paid to the!last days!or Biblical prophecy is

frivolous, we should be able to discern when thelast days!are; or at least when world conditions are like the Bible described they would be in the!last days. ! ii. "There are sanguine brethren who are looking forward to everything growing better and better and better, until, at last, this present age ripens into a millennium. They will not be able to sustain their hopes, for Scripture gives them no solid basis to rest upon. . . . Apart from the second Advent of our Lord, the world is more likely to sink into a pandemonium than to rise into a millennium." (Spurgeon) ! iii. In Matthew 16:1-4, Jesus rebuked the religious leaders of His day because they did not or would not understand the meaning of their times:!Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times!(Matthew 16:3). It is possible that Jesus would have the same rebuke for some Christians today who are unaware of the!last days!and the soon return of Jesus Christ. ! 2. (2-5) A description of the human condition in the!last days. !

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

a.!Men will be lovers of themselves: This is certainly characteristic of our present age, when men and women are encouraged to love themselves. People are told to love themselves unconditionally and that such self love is the foundation for a healthy human personality. ! i. We don't need to be encouraged to love ourselves; we naturally have such a love.

Neither should we be taught to hate ourselves, but as Paul said in Romans 12:3:!For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.!We must see ourselves as we really are - both the bad of what we are in the esh and the glory of what we are in Jesus Christ. ! ii. This love of self is the foundation for all the depravity that follows in Paul's description: "But readers should note that!lovers of themselves, which comes rst, can be regarded as the source from which all the others that follow spring." (Calvin) ! iii. "It is no accident that the rst of these qualities will be!a life that is centred in self. The adjective used is!philautos, which meansself-loving. Love of self is the basic sin, from with all others ow. The moment a man makes his own will the centre of life, divine and human relationships are destroyed, obedience to God and charity to men both become impossible. The essence of Christianity is not the enthronement but the obliteration of self." (Barclay) ! iv. "'Lovers of self' aptly heads the list since it is the essence of all sin and the root from which all the other characteristics spring. The word is literally 'self-lovers' and points to the fact that the center of gravity of the natural man is self rather than God." (Hiebert) ! b.!Men will be . . . lovers of money: The love of money is nothing new, but today people have the ability to pursue our love of money like never before. ! i. In recent years newspapers featured a story about a woman named Brenda Blackman, who enjoyed some measure of success teaching a course titled!How to Marry Money. The course attempts to show men and women how to marry rich, and costs $39 per person. In the course Blackman offered helpful hints, such as how to search through your prospective mate's checkbooks to study their deposits and then assess their income levels. She built her student's condence by leading them in a chant several times through the lecture: "I want to be rich! I deserve to be rich! I am rich! I was born to be rich!" In one class, Blackman was asked by a woman if it was all right to settle for a man whose income was about $100,000 a year. "No way," she replied. What if he was perfect in every other way? "If he was in his peak earning years and he was maxed out at $100,000 - forget it," Blackman advised. When someone asked her about the place of love in such relationships, Blackman said that nding a mate with that much money is the hard part; learning to love that person is easy by comparison. "How could you not love someone who is doing all these wonderful things for you?" she said. Blackman was single as she

taught these courses. ! c.!Men will be . . . boasters, proud, blasphemers: Boasting, pride, and blasphemy are nothing new; but today, they seem far more prominent than ever. ! i. Boasting, pride, and blasphemy each act as if!I!am the most important person. Each of them say, "You don't matter and God does not matter. All that matters is me." ! ii. Today boasting, pride, and blasphemy are apparent everywhere, especially among the celebrities that our cultures idolizes. Many people today become wealthy by calculated boasting, pride, and blasphemy. ! d.!Men will be . . . disobedient to parents: Since the mid 1960s there has been a frightening breakdown in the authority once assumed by a child towards their parents. ! i. Several years ago a judge in Orlando Florida ruled that an 11-year-old boy had the right to seek a "divorce" from his parents so that he could be adopted by a foster family. But though there are few legal divorces from parents by children, it is far more common that young people simply disregard their parents. ! ii. In the 1990s, a 13 year-old Los Angeles area grafti vandal was quoted in the!Los Angeles Times: "It's like a family to belong to a crew. They watch your back, you watch theirs. You kick it everyday with them. . . . You get friendship, love, supplies, everything." He also says: "I'll tag anything . . . Now I don't care. Well, sort of. I wouldn't like no one to write on my stuff. I do it to get known, to get up, regardless if people feel that I'm causing damage to property. I'd say the damage I've done is quite a bit. During the day I carry a screwdriver or a knife for protection. But at night I carry a gun. I have three guns. I hide them. My mom took a .38 from me. I'm getting it back." When asked about once when he got caught, he said: "My parents sort of talked to me about it. Of course they told me, 'Don't do it again.' But I'm not gonna listen, and they don't have to know about it." ! e.!Men will be . . . unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving: Ever since Adam, humankind has been marked by these things to one degree or another. Here, Paul said

these things will be especially prevalent!in the last days. ! i.!Unloving!(translated!without natural affection!in the KJV) literally means, "without family love." Paul said that the end times would be marked by an attitude of growing disregard of normal family love and obligation. ! f.!Men will be . . . slanderers: Men have always told hurtful lies about other men; but today, in media and in politics, slander has been elevated to both big business and big money. ! i. In politics, candidates routinely and knowingly distort their opponent's positions, just to make their competition look bad - and they don't feel bad at all about the lying if it helps them get elected. In media, editors and news directors serve as prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner to innocents who are wrongly suspected - and usually refuse to apologize when they are proven to be wrong. ! g.!Men will be . . . without self control: The story of no self-control can be written across almost everything today - sex, drugs, alcohol, food, work. Whatever we do, we often do it out of control. ! i. In the 1990s the!Los Angeles Times!published an article about Michelle, who was a successful writer and editor. She feared the day her husband might discover her secret stash of credit cards, her secret post ofce box or the other tricks she used to hide how much money she spent shopping for herself. "I make as much money as my husband . . . If I want a $500 suit from Ann Taylor, I deserve it and don't want to be hassled about it. So the easiest thing to do is lie," she explained. Last year, when her husband forced her to destroy one of her credit cards, Michelle went out and got a new one without telling him. "I do live in fear. If he discovers this new VISA, he'll kill me." A school teacher explained more: "Men just don't understand that shopping is our drug of choice," she joked, even while admitting that some months her salary goes exclusively to paying the minimum balance on her credit cards. "Walking through the door of South Coast Plaza is like walking though the gates of heaven. God made car trunks for women to hide shopping bags in." A young professional named Mary explained: "Shopping is my recreation. It's my way of pampering myself. When you walk into [a mall] and you see all the stores, it's like something takes over and you get caught up in it." ! h.!Men will be . . . brutal: Cruelty and brutality are nothing new in the world; but Paul

wrote by inspiration of the Holy Spirit that the!last days!would be marked by a particular brutality. ! i. A newspaper article in the 1990s described how an Oxnard man was accused of murdering his roommate after the two disagreed over the brand of beer the man had brought home. The accused man brought home Natural Light, and the murdered man wanted him to bring home Michelob. As he poured the Natural Light down the kitchen sink, he was stabbed to death. ! ii. We like to think of ourselves as more advanced than previous generations; but surely more people have been murdered in our century than ever before; these are violent, brutal times. ! i.!Men will be . . . despisers of good: There just seem to be too many examples of this in modern society to pick out examples. For one example, there was a time when most people thought letting people live was good and killing them was generally a bad thing. Today, we live in a culture when the simple good of!life!is now despised and attacked, through abortion, through the glorifying of violence and murder, and through euthanasia. ! i. On March 6, 1996, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals declared the United States Constitution gives every American the right to kill someone else. Essentially, the court said that if you!think!someone might want to die - even if they have never said so - you can kill them and no law can stop you. You can kill someone if you are a doctor, a nurse, a pharmacist, a family member, or a "signicant other" to a person you think wants to die. From the Judge's ruling: "When patients are no longer able to pursue liberty or happiness and do not wish to pursue life," they can be killed. The Federal Judge directly tied his decision to the right to abortion on demand. The reasoning seems to be that if the state must allow us to kill humans in the womb, it must also allow them to kill them later. ! j.!Men will be . . . traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God: These characteristics are all about one thing:!Self. Men are!traitors!because of!self, they are!headstrong!because of!self, they are!haughty!because of!self, and they arelovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God!because of!self. ! i. This attitude marks our current age. For example, think of national advertising slogans from the late 1990s:

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The message is the same: You make your own rules. You answer to no one. You are the one that matters. Your universe revolves around you. ! ii. We don't have to choose between pleasure and God. Serving God is the ultimate pleasure; Psalm 16:11 says,!At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. But we do have to choose between the!love!of pleasure and the!love!of God. Living for God will give you many pleasures, but they only come as you love God rst and refuse to love the pleasures themselves. ! k.!Having a form of godliness but denying its power: In our self-obsessed world, people feel very free to have a "salad bar" religion - they pick and choose what they want. They feel free to be very "spiritual," but sense no obligation to be!Biblical. ! i. In the late 1990s it was reported that the Reverend John Canning delivered the eulogy after Leo and Hazel Gleese were slain, telling mourners that he had been so close to the couple that he could call them Mom and Dad. On Friday, six weeks later, Canning was led off to jail in handcuffs, charged with beating and strangling the 90-year-old couple. Police say the Gleeses were killed in their home January 2 after they discovered Canning had abused the power of attorney they gave him and was stealing their savings. "It's the most despicable thing I've ever heard of," said Phil Ramer, a Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent. "Of all people in the world you should be able to trust, it's your pastor. They couldn't do it in this case, and he wound up killing them." The pastor was a suspect from the start because he waited a day to report he found the couple dead in their Nothing is taboo. Break all the rules. To know no boundaries. Relax: No rules here. Peel off inhibitions. Find your own road. We are all hedonists and want to do what feels good. That's what makes us human. Living without boundaries. Just do it.

home. "When it takes somebody a day to report two dead bodies, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to say who the suspect is," Ramer said. The minister passed the time before reporting the deaths by spending a day at the beach and dining out with friends. ! ii. A 63-year-old married woman wrote to Dear Abby to justify her adultery. She writes: "He's also married. We meet once a week at a motel for three hours of heaven. My husband knows nothing about this, and neither does my lover's wife. Sex with my husband is even better now, and it's not as though I am denying my husband anything. I teach a class at church every week, but for some reason, I feel no guilt." ! iii. When we talk about the!power!of godliness, we often mean it in the sense of "power to give me what I want." But this is exactlyopposite!of what Paul meant here. The!power!of godliness that men will despise in the last days is the power it should have to guide their lives; power in the sense of rightful authority - and many, many, today deny that God has the!power!to tell them what to do through His Word. ! l.!From such people turn away!!The command to!turn away!from people described by the characteristics in this list is especially difcult in our present day. ! i. People who do the things on this list are not only common today but hey are often also our cultural heroes. The simple responsibility of Christians is to!turn away!not only these attitudes, but also from the people who do these things. ! ii. Many think it is enough if they themselves are not like this, and give little heed to the company they keep. But if we spend time with people like this - either personally or by allowing us to entertain us - they will inuence on us. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:33:!Do not be deceived: "Evil company corrupts good habits." ! iii.!From such turn away!also means that Paul knew those marked by the spirit of the last days were present in Timothy's own day. However, we should expect that they would be even more numerous and have increased power in the last days shortly before the return of Jesus. ! iv. "This exhortation clearly implies that Paul did not consider the state of moral depravity just pictured as wholly a matter of the future. He was keenly aware that the

evils about which he was forewarning were already at work." (Hiebert) ! 3. (6-7) The strategy of the corrupt in the last days. !

For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

a.!Those who creep into households: Paul knew that they dangers were in the world in his day and would be increasingly present in the last days before the return of Jesus. However, he seemed especially concerned that these would!creep into households. It is one thing to have such evil present in the world; it is another thing to allow it into your home. ! b.!Make captives of gullible women: Those marked by the last days depravity Paul mentioned in the previous verses want to take others captive, and it can do this among the!gullible, those who will believe or pay attention to most anything if it is packaged the right way. ! i. One should know if they are indeed one of these!captives!that Paul mentioned, bound by the inuence of this end times rejection of God and celebration of self. There is one effective way to know: walk away from any kind of worldly inuence and see if there are chains that make your escape difcult. Take a week off from letting!anything!marked by the spirit of the last days into your household - and see if chains bind you back to those things. ! ii. Paul singled out!gullible women!simply because in that day, women spent far more time at home than the men, and were far more exposed to any corruption that would inltrate the household. "Also he speaks here of women rather than men, for they are more liable to be taken in by such impostors." (Calvin)

! c.!Led away by various lusts: Obviously, the spirit of the last days nds its appeal to us by exciting!various lusts!within us. It appeals to the desire to be excited sexually, or romantically, or to have our desires for comfort or wealth or status satised. ! d.!Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth: The spirit of the last days has a certain intelligence about it; the high priests of the spirit of the last days know how to make things work and how to lead us!away by various lusts. But for all their skill, for all of their marketing brilliance and knowledge, they never come to!truth. ! i. Indeed, the spirit of the last days has a problem with the idea of "true truth" altogether, because it believes that we each are the center of our own universe and we each create our own truth. According to the spirit of the last days there is no truth outside of ourselves, so we can learn and learn and learn, but we will never come to God's eternal truth. ! ii. "There are many professors of Christianity still who answer the above description. They hear, repeatedly hear, it may be, good sermons; but, as they seldom meditate on what they hear, they derive little prot from the ordinances of God. They have no more grace!now!than they had!several years ago, though hearing all the while, and perhaps not wickedly departing from the Lord. They do not meditate, they do not think, they do not reduce what they hear to practice; therefore, even under the preaching of an apostle, they could not become wise to salvation." (Clarke) ! 4. (8-9) An example of this sort of corrupt human condition:!Jannes and Jambres, who!resisted Moses. !

Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

a.!Jannes and Jambres: Though they were not named for us in the Exodus account, these two men are the Egyptian magicians who opposed Moses before Pharaoh (Exodus 7:8-13, 7:19-23, 8:5-7, and 8:16-19). ! b.!Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses: These were able to work!real miracles!- not mere parlor tricks - but by the power of darkness and not the power of God. When Moses cast down his rod and it turned into a serpent, Jannes and Jambres could do the same. When he turned water into blood, they could do the same. When Moses brought forth a plague of frogs, Jannes and Jambres could do the same. Yet eventually they could not match God miracle-for-miracle, and their occult powers were shown to be inferior to God's power. ! i. The ability to do miracles by the power of darkness and the willingness to receive them as authentic will characterize the end times (Revelation 13:13-15 and 2 Thessalonians 2:9). ! ii. Some of us are amazed by any spiritual power that is!real, without carefully thinking that real power may have a demonic source instead of a Godly source. And even if a psychic or new age power seems to feel right, we must not be seduced by it because demonic powers can come masquerading as!angels of light!(2 Corinthians 11:15). ! c.!Resisted Moses: The resistance of truth by Jannes and Jambres was shown by their ability to cooperate with demonic powers to do miracles. In the last days, men will also!resist!the truth. ! i. Even as!Jannes and Jambres!were eventually put to shame (though for a while they matched Moses "miracle for miracle") and were eventually compelled to give reluctant glory to God, so also will the evil men of the last days. Even as Jannes and Jambres' power had limits, so does Satan's power, even in the last days - God is still in control. ! ii. This is the message of great hope in the midst of this great darkness - the spirit of the last days has an answer to it in Jesus Christ. The spirit of the last days is not stronger than the power of Jesus. The glorious truth is that we don't have to be bound by the spirit of our times; we don't have to be slaves to self and have our universe revolve around

something as puny as our selves. There is hope, triumphant hope, in Jesus. ! iii. "What is remarkable about this analogy, however, is not just that the Asian false teachers are likened to the Egyptian magicians but that Paul is thereby likening himself to Moses!" (Stott) ! B. Faithfulness to God in difculty and opposition. ! 1. (10-12) Persecution and following Jesus. !

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

a.!But you: Paul has just described the kind of people that will threaten the earth in the last days and which Timothy must contend with in his own day.!But you!showed that Paul drew a clear dividing line between Timothy and those ruled by the spirit of the last days. ! b.!You have carefully followed: This is what made Timothy from the spirit of his age. He had!carefully followed!Paul's!doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afictions. ! i.!Carefully followed!means that Paul did not merely!teach!Timothy these things in an academic sense; Timothy learned these things by!carefully following!Paul's example.

The best kind of Christianity is not only!taught, it is also!caught!by seeing it lived out in other people. ! ii. It all began with Timothy catching Paul's!doctrine. The reason Paul lived the way he lived was because he believed certain things. What we believe will determine how we live. ! iii. Timothy caught Paul's!manner of life: There was just a certain way that Paul lived, and Timothy was around him enough to learn it and follow it. ! iv. Timothy caught Paul's!purpose: Paul's life had a purpose. It was not without direction. He was going somewhere, and that purpose had been established by God. Timothy saw that in Paul, he caught it, and he wanted to live his life that way. ! v. Timothy caught Paul's!faith,!longsuffering,!and!love: you could see in Paul that he had a!faith!not everyone had, and Timothy wanted to catch it. Paul was!longsuffering!- that is, patient with the little irritations of people and life in a special way, and he had alove!that made him stand out. Remember all of these owed forth from the!doctrine!the truth - Paul held on to and Timothy carefully followed. ! c.!Perseverance, persecutions, afictions: Timothy also caught these from Paul. We might think that the person who lives their life with the right!doctrine, with the right!manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering,!and!love!would be loved and accepted by everyone - but they are not. ! i. In fact, some level of persecution is!certain!for people who carefully follow this kind of life:!Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. ! ii. In our own day, Christians are being persecuted all over the world - in China, in the Muslim world, even in Russia, where a strong anti-missionary law was just passed. And we can face persecution in a social way today. ! iii. Christians are persecuted for the same reason Jesus was persecuted:!And this is the

condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.!(John 3:19) ! d.!Which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra: Paul reminded Timothy of the specic occasions of persecution which he endured. ! ! At Antioch, where Paul was kicked out of the city for preaching the gospel (Acts 13:50). ! ! ! e.!And out of them all the Lord delivered me: Paul remembered this as he sat in prison and waited for execution. He knew that God was completely able to deliver him again, or that He might not. Paul seemed at complete peace, leaving it in the Lord's hands. Persecution was not going to stop Paul from following hard after Jesus Christ. ! i. Persecution must not stop Christians today. We may not face much violent or even economic persecution in our culture; but there is a great deal of social persecution Christians must deal with. 1 Peter 4:4 describes the mind-set of many of those who socially persecute Christians:!They think it strange that you do not run with them in the same ood of dissipation, speaking evil of you.!Does anyone think you are strange? ! ii. If we are not willing to have others think us strange; if we are not willing to be rejected by some for the sake of Jesus Christ; if we are not willing to be an outcast before some people, then we can never be true followers of Jesus Christ. ! 2. (13-15) The course of evil men and the course of the godly. ! At Iconium, where Paul was almost executed by stoning (Acts 14:5). At Lystra, where they actually did stone Paul and leave him for dead (Acts 14:19).

But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of,

knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

a.!But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse:!Evil men!refers to the obvious, open enemies of Jesus;!impostorsrefers to those who appear good and many think of as ne, but they are actually destructive forces among Jesus' followers. ! i. These two kinds of people (evil men!and!impostors) will!grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. Paul gave us insight into how many people are effective deceivers among God's people - they themselves are!being deceived. ! ii. Motives are important, but we can sometimes place too much importance on them. Much harm has been done by people who were sincerely deceived and who tried to do wrong things out of wonderful motives - and because others look at their wonderful hearts, they accept their dangerous deceptions. We can't always go only by motives in others; we must measure them also by thetruth. ! b.!But you must continue in the things which you have learned: This is the key point to this section, around which the rest of the section develops. The command itself is simple enough to understand. He told Timothy to abide - it's the same ancient Greek verb as when John wrote,!therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning!(1 John 2:20). ! i. It was as if Paul wrote this: "Timothy, you learned these things. Right now you rmly believe them. Now, you have to!continue in the things which you have learned. The important thing is to abide in them, to continue in them, to never let them go." ! ii.!But you: A.T. Robertson called this an "Emphatic contrast." Timothy was to strongly set himself!against!the course that some other men took.

! iii. Yet the words "But you" go back even further, marking a contrast to what came earlier in the letter. ! ! There are approved and disapproved workers -!you must continue!in the things which you have learned. ! There will be dangerous times and dangerous men in the last days -!you must continue!in the things which you have learned. ! There will be hardship and sometimes persecution as you follow the Lord - but!you must continue!in the things which you have learned. ! c.!You must continue in the things which you have learned: The plural suggests that the command is somewhat broader. The core is faithfulness to God's word, but through the letter we see that this refers to a pattern of ministry. ! i. This was all centered on God's word, but "the things which you have learned" seems to be more than just Paul's Bible studies; it was those, but also his pattern of ministry. ! ii. This pattern of ministry doesn't deal much with specics, such as when to have Christian services, how long to have them, a schedule for what to do during service, and so on. The emphasis is on a pattern, a philosophy, and then Timothy was to implement that into his own situation. ! d.!You must continue in the things which you have learned: The rest of the passage up until the fourth chapter - simply describes for us what this means, and why it was so important for Timothy to do this. ! i. It is wonderful to see that God gives us!reasons!to continue - it isn't just, "Well, that is what we do" or "We have always done it that way." God is good enough to give us!reasons. ! e.!And been assured of: This puts the idea in the past tense, as if this was something that

Timothy was once assured of, but perhaps now he wasn't so sure. Perhaps he wavered from time to time, so Paul called him back to this. ! f.!Knowing from whom you have learned them: Continue in the things you have learned,!remembering who taught you those things. It was as if Paul wrote, "Remember, Timothy: you learned these things!from me." Paul was too humble to say his own name here, but it certainly seems that is what he meant. ! i. There is some debate among manuscripts whether!whom!is singular or plural. I think the context pushes us towards the idea that it is singular; Paul here refers to his own inuence on Timothy. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ii. So, Timothy was to remember who taught him these things,!knowing from whom you have learned them. Paul's idea included: ! ! ! ! ! g.!That from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures: Continue in the things you have learned,!that you have received as a heritage. This truth didn't begin with Timothy or even with Paul, but it is part of a long heritage that was passed on to Timothy. ! Remember how I strongly and condently I believe these things. Remember the love with which I believe these things. Remember the urgency with which I believe these things. Paul led him to Christ Paul gave him ministry opportunity Paul taught him by both word and example Paul laid hands on him in ordination Paul guided and mentored him in the midst of ministry

i.!From childhood!means that it came to him through the inuence of his grandmother and mother - Lois and Eunice, respectively. From his young childhood, they taught him. ! ii. Timothy learned this starting in!childhood. "The story of Mistress Elizabeth Wheatenhall, daughter of Mr. Anthony Wheatenhall, of Tenterden in Kent, late deceased, is very memorable. She being brought up by her aunt, the Lady Wheatenhall, before she was nine years old (not much above eight), could say all the New Testament by heart; yea, being asked where any words thereof were, she could presently name book, chapter, and verse." (Trapp) ! iii.!Holy Scriptures: This use here referred to the Old Testament, because that is what Timothy would have learned from his grandmother Eunice and his mother Lois. ! iv.!From childhood you have known: Timothy had known the word of God from his earliest years; yet see how strong the exhortation is from Paul that he!continue!in them! Nothing is assumed; the furthest thing from Paul's mind is an attitude that says, "Well of course we are all founded on the Bible and we can assume that and move on to other things." For Paul this was never assumed - not even with his trusted protg Timothy. ! h.!From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures: It's as if Paul said this: "Timothy, continue in what you received from me. But never forget that it didn't start with me; it's a heritage that was passed on to you. You came into contact with all this long before you ever knew me. You came into contact with this heritage through!the Holy Scriptures." ! i. We're happy to belong to the same church as Moody and Spurgeon, and Luther and Zwingli; the same church as Wesley and Whiteeld, and Polycarp and Ignatius. We are part of them and they are part of us, because we are connected by our trust in the same Jesus, revealed to us by the same!Holy Scriptures. ! i.!Which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus: Continue in the things you have learned,because of their great value. There is no wisdom greater than this in the world. Your wisdom about 20 other subjects means nothing if you are not!wise for salvation. !

i. This is something each generation must acquire for itself and then hold on to - the appreciation for the wisdom of the Bible, and a deliberate forsaking of any human wisdom that opposes or replaces what the Bible teaches. ! ii. We don't think for a moment that mere Bible knowledge saves; there are those who know the words of the Bible well yet are notwise for salvation. Yet those words mixed with!faith!do make one wise for salvation. ! 3. (16-17) Timothy must continue with condence in the Holy Scriptures. !

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

a.!All Scripture: This indicates!more!than the Hebrew Scriptures. If Paul meant the exact same thing here as what Timothy learned as a child, he might have said "Those Scriptures" referring back to verse 15, or he might have just repeated the exact phrase, "Holy Scriptures." ! i. Paul changed his wording here because he recognized that what God uniquely brought forth from the apostles and prophets in his time was also!Scripture; it was also the Godbreathed word of God. This included what he and others knew was emerging as the written form of the!foundation of the apostles and prophets!mentioned in Ephesians 2:20. ! ii. This would fulll the promise Jesus made that the Holy Spirit would speak to the apostles and lead them into all truth. ! iii. There is no doubt that Paul thought this way - knowing that God was bringing forth a

New Testament through the apostles and prophets of the rst century. ! ! Paul commanded the public congregational reading of his letters,!as would be done with the Hebrew Scriptures!(Colossians 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:27). ! Paul called his own message!the word of God!(1 Thessalonians 2:13).

! In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul combined a quotation from the Old Testament, and some words of Jesus recorded in Luke 10:7 and he called!both!of them "Scripture." ! iv. Paul wasn't the only one who thought this way. 2 Peter 3:15b-16 indicates the same idea, especially when Peter included Paul's writings under the heading,!Scriptures. ! v. All this reminds us that even in Apostolic times, they were well aware that God was bringing forth more!Holy Scripture, just as Jesus promised, just as Paul described, just as Peter understood. ! b.!All Scripture is given by inspiration of God: Paul exhorted Timothy, "Continue in these things!because the Bible comes from God and not man. It is a God-inspired book, breathed out from God Himself." ! i. This means something more than saying that God inspired the men who wrote it, though we believe that He did; God also inspired the very words they wrote. We notice it doesn't say, "All Scripture writers are inspired by God," even though that was true. Yet it doesn't go far enough.!The words they wrote were breathed by God. ! ii. It isn't that God breathed into the human authors. That is true, but not what Paul says here. He says that God breathed out of them His Holy Word. ! iii. Some protest: "This statement doesn't mean anything because it is self-referential. Anyone could write a book and say that it is inspired by God."!Of course!it is selfreferential.!Of course!the Bible says it is Holy Scripture. If it did not make that claim, critics would attack the lack of such a claim saying, "The Bible itself claims no inspiration."

! iv. Yet the difference is that the Bible's claim to be Holy Scripture has been tested and proven through the centuries. Every generation gives rise to those who really believe they will put the last nails in the cofn that will bury the Bible - yet it never, never works. The Bible outlives and outworks and out-inuences all of its critics. It is an anvil that has worn out many, many hammers. ! v. And to the critic who claims, "Anyone could write a book and say that it is inspired by God" we simply say,!please do. Write your book, give it every claim of inspiration, and let's see how it compares to the Bible in any way you want to compare. We invite the smarter critics of the Bible to give us another Bible, something more inspired, something with more life-changing power. The great critic or professor or skeptic is surely smarter than a Galilean sherman 2,000 years ago, having all the qualications, all the culture, all the brainpower necessary. It should be!easy!for them to write something greater than the Bible. ! vi. But of course this is impossible; there is no equal to the Bible and there never will be. The grass withers, the ower fades, but the word of our Lord stands forever. What can compare to the Bible? What is the chaff to the wheat? ! ! ! ! ! ! ! c.!By inspiration of God: One may easily argue that the Bible is a!unique!book, but it does not prove that God inspired it. For greater evidence, one can look to the phenomenon of fullled prophecy. ! i. Peter wrote about how we can know the Scriptures are really from God and he spoke about his own certainty because he saw Jesus miraculously transgured before his own eyes and he heard a voice from heaven say,!This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Yet, Peter said that we even have something!more!certain than a voice from There is no book like it in its!continuity and consistency There is no book like it in its honesty There is no book like it in its circulation There is no book like it in its survival There is no book like it in its inuence and life-changing power

heaven in knowing the Bible is from God:We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place!(2 Peter 1:19). ! ii. God's ability to precisely predict future events in the Bible is His own way of building proof for the Bible right into the text. It proves that it was authored by Someone who not only can see the future, but Who can also shape the future. ! iii. For example, there are at least 332 distinct Old Testament predictions regarding the Messiah which Jesus fullled perfectly (such as His birth in Bethlehem, His emergence from Egypt, His healing of the sick, His death on the cross, and so forth). Collectively, the combination of this evidence together is absolutely overwhelming. ! iv. Professor Peter Stoner has calculated that the probability of any one man fullling eight of these prophesies is one in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (10 to the 17th power); that many silver dollars would cover the state of Texas two feet deep. Stoner says that if you consider 48 of the prophecies, the odds become one in 10 to the 157th power. ! d.!All Scripture is given by inspiration of God: Remember that one may believe in the inspiration of the Bible in!principle, but deny it in!practice. ! ! We do this by imposing our own meaning on the text instead of letting it speak for itself. ! We do this by putting more of ourself in the message than what God says.

! We do this by being more interested in our opinions when we preach than in explaining and proclaiming what God has said. ! We do this by lazy study and sloppy exposition.

! Instead, we honor God and His word by, as much as possible, simply letting the text explain and teach itself; to speak for itself. ! i. "False doctrine cannot prevail long where the sacred Scriptures are read and studied. Error prevails only where the book of God is withheld from the people. The religion that fears the Bible is not the religion of God." (Clarke)

! ii. In 2005 the!London Times!reported that a new "teaching document" issued by the Roman Catholic bishops of England, Wales and Scotland warns that Catholics should not take the Bible literally -- that it's not infallible. "We should not expect to nd in Scripture full scientic accuracy or complete historical precision," they say in the booklet,!The Gift of Scripture. So what sorts of things aren't accurate? Creation, for one. Genesis, they note, has two different, and sometimes conicting, creation stories and cannot be considered "historical." Rather, the bishops say, it simply contains "historical traces." ! e.!All Scripture: This tells us!how much!of the Bible is inspired by God. The great Greek scholar Dean Alford understood this as meaning, "Every part of Scripture." ! i. Some try to twist this - they try to make it say, "All Scripture that!is!inspired by God is protable" and so on. In doing this, they put themselves in the place of highest authority, because they then will tell us what is inspired and what isn't. ! ii. They claim that the grammar is elastic enough in this statement to give the translation, "All Scripture!that is!inspired by God is protable." But this is dishonest to the text, and ignores a critical word present both in the English translation and the ancient Greek: the word!and. ! iii. The position of!and!in the text makes it clear that Paul is asserting two truths about Scripture: that it is!both!God-breathed!andprotable;!not!that only the God-breathed parts!are!protable. ! iv. So we believe it forever: it is!all!inspired,!and!all!protable. Since it comes from a perfect God, it is perfect and without error in the original autographs; and what we have before us are extraordinarily good copies of what was originally written. ! v. The reliability of our copies of what was originally written is a matter which can be decided by science and research, and though some errors have been made in copying the Scriptures through the centuries, today we have a New Testament where not more than one-one thousandth of the text is in question - and not!one!signicant doctrine is in question. The numbers for the Old Testament are even more impressive.

! vi. There is something else we can say about the Bible:!It is true. And though the Bible is!not!a science text-book, when it does speak on matters of science as science (not in gures of speech or poetic hyperbole), it is!true. ! f.!And is protable: Paul exhorted, "Timothy, continue in these things!because the Bible is protable, and protable in many ways." ! i. Protable for!doctrine: telling us what is true about God, man, the world we live in, and the world to come. ! ii. Protable for!reproof and correction: with the authority to rebuke us and correct us. We are all under the authority of God's word, and when the Bible exposes our doctrine or our conduct as wrong,!we are wrong. ! iii. Protable for!instruction in righteousness: it tells us how to live in!true!righteousness. There is perhaps here a hint of grace, because Paul knew what true righteousness was instead of the legalistic false righteousness that he depended on before his conversion. ! iv. This all means something else very simple: We can understand the Bible. If the Bible could not be understood, there would be nothing!protable!about it. ! v. It is!protable!when we understand it!literally. But when we take the Bible literally, we also understand that it means that we take it as true according to its literary context. When the Bible speaks as poetry, it will use gures of speech that may not be literally true. One example is when David said,!All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears!in Psalm 6:6. Obviously, he spoke in poetic metaphor and he did not actually oat his bed with tears. But when the Bible speaks as history, it!is!historically true, when it speaks in prophecy, it!is!prophetically true. ! g.!That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work: Paul exhorted, "Timothy, continue in these things!because the Bible makes you complete

and thoroughly equipped for every good work." ! i.!Complete!doesn't mean that the whole Christian life is about reading the Bible, or that the only important thing in good ministry is good Bible teaching. ! ii.!Complete!means the Bible leads me into everything I need. If I will be both a hearer and a doer of the word, I will be!complete!as a Christian,!thoroughly equipped for every good work. This reminds us that we are not in the business of building sermon appreciation societies, but in equipping the saints for the work of ministry. ! iii. So, I don't ignore prayer, or worship, or evangelism, or good works to a needy world !because the Bible itself tells me to do such things. If I will be both a hearer and a doer of the word, I will be!complete. ! h.!That the man of God may be complete: When we come to the Bible and let God speak to us, it changes us - it makes us!completeand transforms us. ! i. One way the Bible transforms us is through our understanding. Romans 12:2 says,!do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. When we let the Bible guide our thinking, our minds are renewed and transformed, so we begin to actually think like God thinks. ! ii. But there is another level by which the Bible transforms us: by a spiritual work, a spiritual blessing which God works in us as we come to the Bible and let Him speak to us. This is a spiritual work that goes beyond our intellectual understanding. With great spiritual power beyond our intellect: ! ! ! ! The Bible gives us eternal life (1 Peter 1:23). The Bible spiritually cleanses us (Ephesians 5:26). The Bible gives us power against demonic spirits (Ephesians 6:17).

! ! ! !

The Bible brings spiritual power to heal our bodies (Matthew 8:16). The Bible brings us spiritual strength (Psalm 119:28). The Bible has the power to spiritually build faith in us (Romans 10:17).

iii. Because of this spiritual level on which the Word of God operates, we don't have to understand it all to have it be effectively working in our lives. Many people get discouraged because they feel they don't get much when they read the Bible on their own and so they give up. We must work to understand the Bible the best we can, and read it thoughtfully and carefully, but it benets usspiritually!even when we don't understand it all!intellectually. ! iv. A critic once wrote a letter to a magazine saying, "Over the years, I suppose I've gone to church more than 1,000 times, and I can't remember the specic content of even one sermon over those many years. What good was it to go to church 1,000 times?" The next week, someone wrote back: "Over the past many years, I have eaten more than 1,000 meals prepared by my wife. I cannot remember the specic menu of any of those meals. But they nourished me along the way, and without them, I would be a much different man!" The Bible will do its spiritual work in us, if we will let it. ! v. Paul began the chapter warning Timothy about dangerous times. Some Christians are swept away by these perilous times and some others go into hiding. Neither option is right for us. We are to stand strong and stay on the Word of God. ! ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Titus 3 - Remember This !

A. Remember good works. !

1. (1-2) Remember to live obedient and kind lives. !

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

a.!Remind them: In the grammar of the ancient Greek text,!remind!is in the present tense: "Go on reminding." Titus was to constantly remind the Christians under his care to show proper respect and humility towards all people, particularly those in a position of authority. ! i. Knowing the sometimes difcult character of the people of Crete (as mentioned before in Titus 1:12), this command to!be subject to rulers and authorities!had special meaning. ! ii. "It is perhaps signicant of the difference between Crete and the province of Asia, as regards respect for law, that in 1 Timothy 2:1-3, reasons are given why we should pray for rulers, while here the more elementary duty of obedience is enjoined." (White) ! b.!Ready for every good work: If we simply focus on being!subject to rulers and authorities, it is easy to make the Christian lifepassive. Titus should not allow this, and also!remind them!to be!ready for every good work. ! c.!Speak evil of no one . . . peaceable . . . gentle, showing all humility to all men: This is a distinctively Christian kindness, coming not from simple good manners but from knowing who we are and who others are in the heart of Jesus. ! 2. (3) Remember what you used to be.

For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

a.!For we ourselves were also once: This shows!why!Titus should!remind them!of the things mentioned in Titus 3:1-2. Remembering where we once were shows us that the fallen nature is not so far from us, and we need constant reminding to stay where we should be in the Lord. ! i.!For we ourselves: "You need not suppose that it is hopeless to imagine that these wild Cretan folk can be reclaimed. We ourselves are a living proof of the power of God's grace." (White) ! b.!Were also once foolish, disobedient,!deceived: Remembering this work of God builds four things in us. ! ! ! ! ! ! 3. (4-8) Remember the great salvation of God. ! First,!gratitude!for how God changed us. Second,!humility!as we see that it was His work that changed us. Third,!kindness!to others in the same place. Finally,!faith!that God can change those who are still in that place.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He

saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

a.!But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared: When we were in the place described by Titus 3:3, we didn't rescue ourselves. We were rescued by!the kindness and the love of God. He reached out to us long before we reached out to Him. ! b.!Not by works of righteousness which we have done: Our salvation isn't based on any!works of righteousness which we have done. In and of itself, response to an altar call does not save. Saying the sinner's prayer does not save. Baptism does not save. Church attendance does not save. Giving does not save. Reading the Bible does not save. Each of these may be wonderful!works of righteousness, but they do not save us. Instead,!according to His mercy He saved us. ! c.!He saved us: This is the essence and distinctive of the gospel. We can notice the emphasis:!of God . . . not by works . . . His mercy . . . He saved us . . . of the Holy Spirit . . . He poured . . . through Jesus . . . by His grace . . . heirs. God is always the initiator, and we receive from Him before we give anything back. ! d.!Through the washing of regeneration: These words are commonly taken as a reference to baptism, and this passage is sometimes quoted in support of the idea of!baptismal regeneration. Yet we cannot say that Paul specically mentions baptism here, and the only other use of the ancient Greek word translated!washing!here is connected with the!spiritual!cleansing of the believer by the Word of God through faith

(Ephesians 5:26). ! i. "In the!LXX!the word, which occurs three times only, on each occasion seems to represent not the receptacle but the washing itself. This is also the sense in the only other New Testament occurrence, Ephesians 5:26, 'the washing of water by the word.'" (Guthrie) ! ii. "Most commentators take the washing as a reference to water baptism. But if water baptism is the means that produces the spiritual rebirth, we then have the questionable teaching of a material agency as the indispensable means for producing a spiritual result (but cf. Matthew 15:1-20; Romans 2:25-29; Galatians 5:6). We accept the washing as a divine inner act, although the experience is viewed as openly confessed before men in baptism." (Hiebert) ! e.!Those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works: This reminds us what we are saved!for!-!to maintain good works. Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone. We must never put the cart of works before the horse of grace! ! i. "The theology of Christianity is based on grace; the ethics of Christianity are based on gratitude." (Briscoe) ! 4. (9-11) Remember to keep on course. !

But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

a.!Avoid foolish disputes: These are some of the things which ought not to be taught warned against in Titus 1:11. These!foolish disputes!are simply!unprotable and useless. Instead, Titus should focus on the simple word of God. ! i.!Avoid: "The word!peristemi!literally meaning to turn oneself about so as to face the other way (cf. 2 Timothy 2:16 where it is used in a similar manner)." (Guthrie) ! ii. "The Jewish Rabbis spent their time building up imaginary genealogies for the characters of the Old Testament. . . . It is much easier to discuss theological questions than to be kind and considerate and helpful at home, or efcient and diligent and honest at work." (Barclay) ! b.!Reject a divisive man: Titus must take measures against those who insist on going their own way. Their self-will makes them!self-condemned. ! i. "Labour to convince him of his error; but if he will not receive instruction, if he has shut his heart against conviction, then -!burn him alive?!No, even if demonstrably a heretic in any one sense of that word, and a disturber of the peace of the church, God gives no man any other authority over him but to!shun him. Do him no harm in body, soul, character, or substance; hold no communion with him; but leave him to God." (Clarke) ! B. Concluding thoughts. ! 1. (12-13) Remember people. !

When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.

a.!Artemas . . . Tychicus . . . Zenas . . . Apollos: These personal words of Paul - common at the end of his letters - may seem insignicant, but are really very important. They communicate that Paul was a real man in a real world with real friends that he had regular contact with and care for. ! i. "It is natural to suppose to Artemas or Tychicus would take the place of Titus as apostolic legate in Crete. This temporary exercise of apostolic superintendence marks a stage in the development of monarchial local episcopacy in the later sense." (White) ! ii. "The epistle closes with reference to Tychicus, Apollos, Artemas, and Zenas. The very mention of these names indicates the growth of the Christian movement." (Morgan) ! b.!That they may lack nothing: "The nal word concerning occupation shows clearly the duty of members of the Christian Church to contribute to the support of those devoted to the work of the ministry." (Morgan) ! 2. (14-15) Remember to do good deeds. !

And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all. Amen.

a.!That they may not be unfruitful: This is a recurring theme through Paul's letter to Titus. Paul was concerned that Christians might be barren and unfruitful, yet still have a "wonderfully" condent assurance of their standing in the Lord. Instead of being!unfruitful, God's people must!learn to maintain good works!and!to meet urgent needs.

! b.!Grace be with you all: "The closing benediction harmonizes with the opening salutation. It is a benediction of grace, the only difference being that whereas at the beginning it was addressed to Titus, at the close all those to whom he ministered were included." (Morgan)

!
2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Philemon - Paul's Plea to a Friend, on Behalf of a Slave !

"This is a notable Epistle, and full of worth; each word having its weight, each syllable its substance. From an abject subject, the receiving of a runaway servant, St. Paul soars like a heavenly eagle, and ies a high pitch of heavenly discourse."!(John Trapp) ! A. Greeting and introduction. ! 1. (1) The writer and the recipient. !

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,

a.!Paul, a prisoner: This brief letter was written by Paul during his Roman imprisonment described in Acts 28:30-31. There are some that believe he wrote it from time of imprisonment in Ephesus, but this is an unlikely possibility. ! b.!A prisoner of Christ Jesus: As always, Paul did not consider himself a prisoner of Rome, of circumstances, or of the religious leaders who started his legal troubles (Acts

23-24). Paul was!a prisoner of Jesus Christ. ! i. "They were not shackles which self had riveted, but a chain with which Christ had invested him; thus they were a badge of ofce." (Lightfoot, cited by Oesterley) ! c.!To Philemon our beloved friend: Paul wrote to!Philemon, a Christian brother living in Colosse. This is the only place in the New Testament where!Philemon!is mentioned by name, but we do know that he was a!beloved friend!to Paul. ! i. Paul's friendship with Philemon is shown by something signicantly!missing!in his greeting. Of the 13 letters Paul wrote to churches or individuals, in 9 of them he called himself an!apostle!in the opening verse. In this letter (along with Philippians and 1 and 2 Thessalonians), Paul appealed to his reader more as a friend and less an apostle. ! 2. (2-3) Greetings to the household of Philemon. !

To the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

a.!To the beloved Apphia:!Apphia!was probably the wife of Philemon, and!Archippus!was probably his son. This address to family members is unique among the letters of Paul, but it makes sense considering the content of the letter to Philemon. In this letter Paul will appeal to Philemon regarding a runaway slave who has met Jesus and found refuge with Paul. In the customs of that day, Philemon's wife!Apphia!was the supervisor of the slaves in the household, so the letter concerned her also. ! i. Regarding the escaped slave, "She is as much a party to the decision as her husband, because according to the custom of the time, she had day-to-day responsibility for the slaves." (Rupprecht)

! b.!To the church in your house: This means that the church - or a portion of the church in Colosse met in the!house!of Philemon. The earliest Christians had no property of their own for church buildings. The Jews had their synagogues, but Christians met in the homes of their members. The Christians of a city would be gathered into different "house churches" with a city "bishop" overseeing the different house churches. House churches are also mentioned in Romans 16:5 and Colossians 4:15. ! i. "Up to the third century we have no certain evidence of the existence of church buildings for the purpose of worship; all references point to private houses for this. In Rome several of the oldest churches appear to have been built on the sites of houses used for Christian worship." (Oesterley) ! ii. Spurgeon points out that apparently, Philemon had a church that met in his house. This suggests to believers that!their!homes should also be a church, and that each home can have the characteristics of a healthy church: ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! c.!Grace to you and peace: Paul gave his customary greeting of!grace!and!peace, found in each one of his letters. However, this greeting was not directed towards an entire congregation, but to Philemon as an individual. This makes the letter unique among Paul's writings. ! i. The other Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) are also written rst to individuals, but the character of their content suggests that they were intended to be shared with the entire congregation. Philemon really is a personal note written by Paul to Consisting of converted, saved people Worshipping together Together having a bond of unity Supplied with oversight Teaching always present With a heart to minister to those on the outside

one man. ! ii. "It is only one sample of numberless letters which must have been written to his many friends and disciples by one of St Paul's eager temperament and warm affections, in the course of a long and chequered life." (Lightfoot) ! 3. (4-7) Paul's thanks God for Philemon. !

I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

a.!I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers: Paul prayed often for Philemon, and he prayed with thanksgiving to God. Philemon had been such a blessing to Paul that prayed often and gratefully for him. ! i. In Paul's letters, four times he says he!makes mention!for people: To the Romans (Romans 1:9), to the Ephesians (Ephesians 1:16), to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 1:2), and here at Philemon 4. ! ii.!Making mention!means that Paul did not always pray long, intricate prayers for Philemon, but he did often make!mention!of Philemon in his prayers. ! b.!Hearing of your love and faith: Paul thanked God for Philemon because of his!love

and faith!- rst towards Jesus and then towards!all the saints. The word "saints" in the New Testament describes!every!true Christian, not just!a few exceptional!Christians. ! c.!That the sharing of your faith: Paul prayed!for!Philemon, desiring!that the sharing of!his!faith!would!become effective!as Philemon understood the work God did in him (every good thing which is in you). ! i. This is the foundation for all effective evangelism: the overow of a life touched and changed by God. God had done!every good thing!in the life of Philemon. Now, it was a matter of it being!acknowledged!by both Philemon and those he shared the faith with. When these good things were understood, others would come to Jesus. The reason why some!sharing of the faith!in not!effectiveis because we don't!know!or can't!communicate!every good thing!God has done for us. ! ii.!The sharing of your faith: It is possible that Paul means the!sharing!of material things, prompted by!faith. The ancient Greek word for!sharing!is!koinonia, and sometimes Paul used!koinonia, which means "fellowship, sharing," to describe giving (2 Corinthians 8:4; 9:13; Romans 15:6). ! iii. "The apostle speaks here of the works of charity in which Philemon abounded toward poor Christians." (Clarke) ! d.!Because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother: Paul remembered how wonderfully Philemon had met the needs of other Christians. He effectively!refreshed!the!hearts!of others. ! B. Paul's plea on behalf of Onesimus. ! 1. (8-11) Paul speaks to Philemon regarding Onesimus !

Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love's sake I rather

appeal to you; being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ; I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

a.!Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is tting, yet for love's sake I rather appeal: It is clear that Paul will ask a favor of Philemon. Before he asked, he appealed!for love's sake!instead of making a!command. Of course, under the surface Paul made it clear that he had the!right!to!command you what is tting!- yet he appealed in!love. ! i. A loving appeal is often better than an authoritative command. Paul wasn't hesitant to command when the situation demanded it (1 Corinthians 5:4-5), but in wisdom he knew when to use the loving appeal. ! b.!Being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ: It was clear Paul would ask a favor of Philemon. Before he asked, he appealed to Philemon's sympathies by the way he described himself (Paul, the aged) and his circumstances (a prisoner). ! i. Since Paul will make his appeal based on love, he does what he can to stir up the loving sympathy of Philemon. "Philemon, before I tell you what I need from you, remember that I'm an old man, and a prisoner at that." ! ii. Some translations have!ambassador!instead of!aged. There is a difference of one letter between the two ancient Greek words. ! c.!I appeal to you for my son Onesimus:!Onesimus!was an escaped slave who escaped from his master Philemon. It seems that when!Onesimus!escaped, he ed to Rome and intentionally or not - met with Paul. Paul, though under house arrest by the Romans,

led!Onesimus!to faith in Jesus Christ (whom I have begotten while in my chains). ! i. It was logical that!Onesimus!escaped to Rome, the biggest city of the Roman Empire. Lightfoot says, "Rome was the natural cesspool for these offscourings of humanity." But at his providential meeting of Paul in Rome,!Onesimus!met the man who had led his master Philemon to Jesus (Philemon 19). ! ii. When Paul made this appeal on behalf of!Onesimus, he followed deep traditions in Roman culture. There was an ancient Greek law (inherited by the Romans) allowing any escaped slave sanctuary at an altar. The altar could even be the hearth of a private family home; then the head of the family was obligated to give the slave protection while he tried to persuade him to return to his master. If the slave refused, the head of the family would put the slave up for auction and give the price for the slave to the former master. Paul gave!Onesimus!protection, and now was working the issue out with Philemon. ! d.!My son Onesimus: Paul often spoke of his converts as his "children." Timothy (1 Corinthians 4:17), Titus (Titus 1:4), the Corinthian Christians (1 Corinthians 4:14) and the Galatian Christians (Galatians 4:19) were each called Paul's "children." ! e.!Who once was unprotable to you, but now is protable to you and to me: In some way, Onesimus became!protable!to Paul. Perhaps he served as an assistant to Paul during his house arrest. So Philemon's runaway slave Onesimus was now!unprotable!to Philemon, since he had escaped. But he had become!protable!to Paul - and by extension, also to Philemon (protable to you and me). Since Philemon loved Paul, if Onesimus helped Paul he was helping Philemon also. ! i. When Paul spoke of Onesimus being!unprotable!and!protable, he made a play on a word. The name!Onesimus!meansprotable. Now that he was a Christian, Onesimus could live up to his name ! ii. "It is signicant to note that Paul claims that in Christ the useless person has been made useful." (Barclay) ! iii. By making this clear to Philemon, Paul gently hinted that he would like to retain the

services of this escaped slave - though he would not!command!Philemon to do this. ! 2. (12-14) Paul sends Onesimus back with the hope that Philemon will allow him to return again to Paul. !

I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

a.!I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart: Onesimus had done something wrong in that he escaped from his master. It was time to set that right, so Paul was willing to send!him back. Yet Paul obviously wanted Philemon to deal gently with Onesimus. Under Roman law the slave owner had complete and total control over his slave. It wasn't unusual for slaves to be crucied for lesser offenses than escaping. ! i. One ancient writer described how a slave carried a tray of crystal goblets, and he dropped and broke one. The master instantly demanded the slave be thrown into a shpond full of lampreys that tore the slave to pieces. "Roman law . . . practically imposed no limits to the power of the master over his slave. The alternative of life or death rested solely with Philemon, and slaves were constantly crucied for far lighter offenses than this." (Lightfoot) ! ii. Considering the huge number of slaves in the Roman Empire, they thought the harsh punishment against escaped or rebellious slaves was necessary. In an Empire with as many as 60 million slaves, there were constant fears of a slave revolt. Therefore, laws against runaways were strict. When captured, a runaway slave might be crucied, or branded with a red-hot iron on the forehead with the letter "F" for!fugitive. !

iii. Considering this, we understand Paul's phrase!that is, my own heart. "Philemon, I know this man has done you wrong and deserves to be punished. But consider him as!my own heart!and be merciful to him." ! b.!Whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel: Clearly, Paul wanted Onesimus to stay, because he had become a big help. Paul sweetened his appeal in three ways. ! i. First, if Onesimus stayed he could serve Paul!on your behalf. "Philemon, if you leave Onesimus with me, it's like!you!serving me, because Onesimus is your rightful servant." ! ii. Secondly, if Onesimus stayed he helped a man in!chains. "Philemon, I know Onesimus might be of some use to you. Yet I am inchains, and need all the help I can get." ! iii. Thirdly, if Onesimus stayed he helped man in!chains for the gospel. "Philemon, please don't forget why I am here in!chains. Remember that it is for the sake of the!gospel." ! c.!But without your consent I wanted to do nothing: Paul made his appeal and made it strong and skillfully. At the same time, he really did leave the decision to Philemon. He would appeal in love, but he would not trample over the rights of Philemon. ! d.!That your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary: This explained why Paul would not force a decision on Philemon. If Paul!demanded!it, then Philemon's!good deed!would come by!compulsion, and not be!voluntary. This would make the whole affair unpleasant and rob Philemon of any reward he otherwise might have had. ! i. Essentially, Paul gave Philemon the freedom to do what was right in love before the Lord, and he gave the freedom to do it on his own choice and not out of Paul's compulsion. !

3. (15-16) Paul explains the providential hand of God at work in Onesimus' escape. !

For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave; a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

a.!Departed for a while: It was true that Philemon!departed, but Paul would send him back. Somehow!departed for a while!doesn't sound nearly as bad as!escaped slave. ! i. In writing!departed for a while, Paul spoke softly of a slave's escape. Clarke said of this phrase, "This is another most delicate stroke." ! b.!For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose: In some ways the escape of Onesimus was nothing but trouble. It deprived Philemon of a worker and an asset. It made Onesimus a criminal, possibly subject to the death penalty. Yet in it all, Paul could see apurpose!of God and he wanted Philemon to see the!purpose!also. ! i. The phrase, "for perhaps" is important. It showed that Paul did not come to Philemon in this manner: "Philemon, God has shown me His hidden hand at work, and you must accept what I see also." Instead,!for perhaps!means Paul's heart is like this: "Philemon, it seems to me that God is working in unusual ways here. Let me tell you what I see, and!perhaps!it will make sense to you." ! c.!That you may receive him forever: This was one aspect of the!purpose!Paul saw God working in the escape of Onesimus. Philemon the master lost a slave; but Philemon the Christian gained a brother, and he gained that brother!forever. ! i. "Here the apostle makes the best of an ill-matter. Converts are to be gently handled, and

their former evil practices not to be aggravated." (Trapp) ! d.!That you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave; a beloved brother:!Paul "re-introduced" Onesimus to Philemon; not as a slave, but as a brother. In this relationship as brothers and not slaves, Paul effectively abolished the sting of the "master-slave" relationship and laid the foundation for the eventual legal abolition of slavery. If a man is a stranger, I might make him my slave. But how can my brother be my slave? ! i. This breaking of the distinction between master and slave was an absolutely revolutionary development. It did far more to change society than the passing of a law prohibiting slavery. ! ii. "What the letter to Philemon does is to bring the institution into an atmosphere where it could only wilt and die. Where master and slave were united in affection as brothers in Christ, formal emancipation would be but a matter of expediency, the legal conrmation of their new relationship." (Bruce) ! iii. The transformation of the!individual!is the key to the transformation of society and the moral environment. "But mark this word, - the true reforming of the drunkard lies in giving him a new heart; the true reclaiming of the harlot is to be found in a renewed nature. . . . I see certain of my brethren ddling away at the branches of the tree of vice with their wooden saws, but, as for the gospel, it lays the axe at the roots of the whole forest of evil, and if it be fairly received into the heart it fells all the bad trees at once, and instead of them there spring up the r tree, the pine tree, and the box tree together, to beautify the house of our Master's glory." (Spurgeon) ! 4. (17-19) Paul's personal promise of restitution towards Philemon. !

If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay; not to mention to you that you owe

me even your own self besides.

a.!If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me: Again, Paul stood beside Onesimus, requesting mercy. "If I am your partner in the gospel, then treat Onesimus like you would treat me." ! i. Paul's appeal is powerful because he stood beside a guilty man and said to the owner of the slave, "I know this man is a criminal and deserves punishment. Yet this slave is my friend, so if you punish him punish me also. I stand beside him to take his punishment." This is what Jesus does for us before our master, God the Father. ! b.!But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account:!Apparently when Onesimus escaped he also stole from Philemon. This in itself was a capital crime. Paul asked that the value of what had been stolen be "charged" to Paul's!account. "Put it on my tab, Philemon." ! c.!I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay: Paul was so serious about that he gave Philemon a personal!IOU, written by his own hand. When Paul said to Philemon, "charge the wrong of Onesimus to my account," he essentially did for Onesimus what Jesus did for us in taking our sins to!His!account. ! i. "Here we see how Paul lays himself out for poor Onesimus, and with all his means pleads his cause with his master, and so sets himself as if he were Onesimus, and had himself done wrong to Philemon. Even as Christ did for us with God the Father, thus also does Paul for Onesimus with Philemon. We are all his Onesimi, to my thinking." (Luther) ! d.!Not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides: While "accounts" were being studied, Paul mentioned one more thing. "Philemon, remember that I have a lot of credit on your account, because you!owe me even your own self besides." Paul could afford to pay Onesimus' expenses because there was a sense in which Philemon owed Paul his salvation! !

5. (20-22) Paul's condence in Philemon's response. !

Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

a.!Let me have joy from you in the Lord:!Joy!is more literally!prot. It translates the ancient Greek word!oninemi, the root word for the name "Onesimus." Paul used another play on words and the name Onesimus to communicate a not so subtle request: "Let me have Onesimus back from you in the Lord." ! b.!Refresh my heart in the Lord: Earlier in the letter, Paul said that Philemon was a man who refreshed the heart of the saints (Philemon 7). Now, he specically told Philemon how he could refresh Paul's heart: by allowing Onesimus to stay with Paul. ! c.!Knowing that you will do even more than I say: Paul's letter, full of appeal, was also full of hope. Philemon was not a bad or a harsh man. Paul had every reason to expect that he would fulll his Christian duty and!do even more that!Paul asked. ! d.!But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me: This showed the close relationship between Paul and Philemon. Paul knew that hospitality always waited for him at Philemon's home. ! e.!I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you: Paul wanted Philemon to pray, and he didn't think the prayers were a mere formality. Paul believed that it would be!through!the!prayers!of Philemon that they would once again be together. !

C. Conclusion. ! 1. (23-24) Paul sends greetings to Philemon from common friends in Rome. !

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

a.!Ephaphras . . . Mark . . . Aristachus . . . my fellow laborers: Each of these names is also mentioned in the conclusion of the letter to the Colossians (Colossians 4:10-17). This conrms that the two letters went to the same place. Philemon lived in Colosse. ! i.!Fellow prisoner: "Literally 'a prisoner of war,' used metaphorically." (Oesterley) ! b.!Demas: "Demas!is supposed to be the same who continued in his attachment to Paul till his last imprisonment at Rome: after which he left him for what is supposed to have been the!love of the world, 2 Timothy 4:10." (Clarke) ! 2. (25) Conclusion to the letter. !

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

a.!The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit: We see some enduring principles from Paul's letter to Philemon. !

i.!Paul never called for an overthrow of the system of slavery, yet the principles in the letter to Philemon destroy slavery.!The greatest social changes come when people are changed, one heart at a time. In our society, racism and our low regard for the unborn cannot be eliminated by laws; a change of heart must occur. ! ii.!Onesimus was obligated to return to his master.!When we do something wrong, we must do our best to set it right. Being made anew creation!in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17) does not end our responsibility to make restitution; it increases our obligation, even when restitution is difcult. ! iii.!Onesimus was morally responsible for his wrongs.!The letter to Philemon demonstrates that we are!not!primarily directed by economics, despite the ideas of Marxists and modern liberals. Whether rich or poor, we are to be directed by the Spirit of God, not our economic status. ! iv. "No part of the New Testament more clearly demonstrates integrated Christian thinking and living. It offers a blend, utterly characteristic of Paul, of love, wisdom, humour, gentleness, tact, and above all Christian and human maturity." (Wright) ! b.!Amen: The conclusion of the letter can lead us to ask, "Why is the letter to Philemon in our Bibles?" In!A.D.!110, the bishop of Ephesus was named Onesimus, and it could have been this same man. If Onesimus was in his late teens or early twenties when Paul wrote this letter, he would then be about 70 years old in!A.D.!110 and that was not an unreasonable age for a bishop in those days. ! i. "Ignatius, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, maketh mention of Onesimus, as pastor of Ephesus, next after Timothy. The Roman Martyrologue saith, that he was stoned to death at Rome, under Trajan the emperor." (Trapp) ! ii. There is also some historical evidence that the letters of Paul were rst gathered as a group in the city of Ephesus. Perhaps Onesimus rst compiled the letters, and wanted to make sure!his!letter - his charter of freedom - was included. !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

!

Hebrews 3 - Jesus, Superior to Moses

! A. Considering Jesus. ! 1. (1a) Therefore: who we!are!because of our superior savior.. !

Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,

a.!Therefore: From the previous chapter, we are left with the picture of Jesus as our heavenly High Priest. Since this is true, it teaches something about who we are. Understanding who!we are!in light of who Jesus is and what He did is essential for a healthy Christian life. It keeps us from the same depths of discouragement the Hebrew Christians faced. ! b.!Holy brethren: This is who we are because Jesus regards us as such, because our heavenly, holy High Priest is!not ashamed to call them brethren!(Hebrews 2:11). It should bless and encourage us that Jesus calls us His!holy brethren. ! c.!Partakers of the heavenly calling: Because Jesus is committed to!bringing many sons to glory!(Hebrews 2:10), we are partners in His heavenly calling. This should bless and encourage us to press on, even through times of difculty and trial. ! 2. (1b) Therefore: what we are to!do!in light of the previous paragraphs. !

Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession,

Christ Jesus,

a.!Consider the Apostle: We don't often apply this word to Jesus, but He is our!Apostle. The ancient Greek word translated!apostlereally means something like!ambassador. In this sense, Jesus is the Father's ultimate ambassador (Hebrews 1:1-2). God the Father had to send a message of love that was so important, He sent it through!Christ Jesus. ! i. The ancient Greek word translated!consider!is!katanoein: "It does not mean simply to look at or to notice a thing. Anyone can look at a thing or even notice it without really seeing it. The word means to x the attention on something in such a way that its inner meaning, the lesson it is designed to teach, may be learned." (Barclay) The same word is used in Luke 12:24 (Consider the ravens). It is an earnest appeal to look, to learn, and to understand. ! ii. The message is plain:!consider!this.!Consider!that God loves you so much He sent the ultimate Messenger,!Christ Jesus.Consider!also how important it is for you to pay attention to God's ultimate!Apostle, who is!Christ Jesus. ! iii. God also chose His original, authoritative "ambassadors" for the church. These are what we think of as the original twelve apostles. God still chooses ambassadors in a less authoritative sense, and there is a sense in which we are!all!ambassadors for God. Yet surely, Jesus was and is the Father's!ultimate!ambassador. ! b.!Consider the . . . High Priest: Jesus is the One who supremely represents us before the Father, and who represents the Father to us. God cares for us so much that He put the ultimate mediator, the ultimate!High Priest, between Himself and sinful man. ! i. The message is plain:!consider!this.!Consider!that God loves you so much to give you such a great High Priest. Consider that if such a great!High Priest!is given to us, we must honor and submit to this!High Priest, who is!Christ Jesus. ! c.!Of our confession: Jesus is the!ambassador!and the!mediator!of!our confession. Christianity is a!confession!made with both the mouth and with the life (Matthew 10:32,

Romans 10:9). ! i. The word "confession" means, "to say the same thing." When we confess our sin, we "say the same" about it that God does. In regard to salvation, all Christians "say the same thing" about their need for salvation and God's provision in Jesus. ! 3. (2) Consider Jesus as!faithful!in His duties before the Father. !

Who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house.

a.!Who was faithful: When we!consider!the past faithfulness of Jesus, it makes us understand that He will!continue!to be!faithful. And as He was!faithful!to God the Father (Him who appointed Him), so He will be!faithful!to us. This should bless and encourage us. ! b.!As Moses also was faithful in all His house: Moses showed an amazing faithfulness in his ministry; but Jesus showed a!perfectfaithfulness - surpassing even that of Moses. ! B. Jesus, superior to Moses. ! 1. (3a) Jesus has received more glory than Moses did. !

For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses,

a.!Moses: Moses received much glory from God. This is seen in his shining face after spending time with God (Exodus 34:29-35), in his justication before Miriam and Aaron (Numbers 12:6-8), and before the sons of Korah (Numbers 16). ! b.!For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses did: But Jesus received far more glory from the Father, at His baptism (Matthew 3:16-17), at His transguration (Mark 9:7), and at His resurrection (Acts 2:26-27 and Acts 2:31-33). ! 2. (3b-6) Moses the servant, Jesus the Son. !

Inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house. For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.

a.!Inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house: Moses was a!member!of the household of God but Jesus is the creator of that!house, worthy of greater glory. ! i. The ancient Rabbis considered Moses to be the greatest man ever, greater than the angels. The writer to the Hebrews does nothing to criticize Moses, but he looks at Moses in his proper relation to Jesus. ! b.!Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant . . . but Christ as a Son over His own house: Moses was a faithfulservant, but he was never called a!Son!in the way Jesus is. This shows that Jesus is greater than Moses.

! c.!Whose house we are if we hold fast: We are a part of Jesus' household!if we hold fast. The writer to the Hebrews is encouraging those who felt like turning back, helping them to!hold fast!by explaining the benets of continuing on with Jesus. ! i. True commitment to Jesus is demonstrated over the long term, not just in an initial burst. We trust that!He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ!(Philippians 1:6). ! ii.!Whose house we are: 1 Peter 2:4-5 says we are!being built up a spiritual house. God has a work to build through His people, even as one might build a!house. ! C. The application of the fact of Jesus' superiority to Moses. ! 1. (7-11) A quotation from Psalm 95:7-11 and its relevance. !

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years. Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, 'They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.' So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest.' "

a.!Do not harden your hearts: If those who followed Moses were responsible to surrender, trust, and persevere in following God's leader, we are much more responsible to do the same with a greater leader, Jesus.

! i. The point is clear. As the Holy Spirit speaks, we must hear His voice and!not!allow our hearts to become hardened. We hear the Spirit speak in the Scriptures, in the heart of His people, in those He draws to salvation, and by His works. ! ii. Just as the Spirit speaks in many ways, there are also several ways we can harden our heart. ! ! ! ! ! ! b.!Today: There is!urgency!to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He never prompts us to get right with God!tomorrow, or to trust in!yesterday!- the Holy Spirit only moves us to act!today. ! i. The Holy Spirit tells us!today!because it is a!genuine!invitation. We know that the Holy Spirit really wants us to come to Jesus because He says, "today." If someone asks me to come over their house for dinner but they give no day or time, I know it isn't a rm invitation yet. But when they say, "Come over on this day at this time," I know it is a!rm!invitation, that they!want!me to come, that they!are ready!for me to come, and that it will be!prepared!for my coming. The Holy Spirit gives you a time for His invitation !today. ! ii. Charles Spurgeon pointed out one reason why the Holy Spirit is so urgent: "Besides, he waits to execute his favourite ofce of a Comforter, and he cannot comfort an ungodly soul, he cannot comfort those who harden their hearts. Comfort for unbelievers would be their destruction. As he delights to be the Comforter, and has been sent forth from the Father to act specially in that capacity, that he may comfort the people of God, he watches with longing eyes for broken hearts and contrite spirits, that he may apply the balm of Gilead and heal their wounds." ! Some harden their hearts by relapsing into their old indifference. Some harden their hearts by unbelief. Some harden their hearts by asking for more signs. Some harden their hearts by presuming upon the mercy of God.

iii. We must also have great urgency about!today. "Select the strongest man you know, and suppose that everything in reference to your eternal welfare is to depend upon whether he lives to see the next year. With what anxiety would you hear of his illness, how concerned you would be about his health? Well, sinner, your salvation is risked by you upon your own life, is that any more secure?" (Spurgeon) ! c.!As in the rebellion, in the day of trial: The!day of trial!refers rst to the trial at Meribah (Numbers 20:1-13). But more generally it speaks of Israel's refusal to trust and enter the Promised Land during the Exodus (Numbers 13:30-14:10). God did not accept their unbelief and condemned that generation of unbelief to die in the wilderness (Numbers 14:22-23 and 14:28-32). ! d.!And saw My works forty years: Because of their unbelief, the people of Israel faced judgment which culminated after!forty years. This warning in Hebrews was written about!forty years!after the Jews' initial rejection of Jesus. God's wrath was quickly coming upon the Jewish people who rejected Jesus, and would culminate with the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. ! e.!Therefore I was angry with that generation: God's anger was kindled against!that generation!on account of their unbelief. They refused to trust God for the great things He promised, and they were unwilling to continue in trust. ! 2. (12-15)!Beware: Don't be like the generation that perished in the wilderness. !

Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."

a.!Lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief: This is strong language, but we often underestimate the terrible nature of ourunbelief. Refusing to believe God is a serious sin because it shows!an evil heart!and a!departing from the living God. ! i. "Unbelief is not inability to understand, but!unwillingness!to!trust!. . . it is the will, not the intelligence, that is involved." (Newell) ! ii. One can truly believe God, yet be occasionally troubled by doubts. There is a doubt that!wants!God's promise but is weak in faith at the moment.!Unbelief!isn't!weakness!of faith; it sets itself in!opposition!to faith. ! iii. "The great sin of not believing in the Lord Jesus Christ is often spoken of very lightly and in a very triing spirit, as though it were scarcely any sin at all; yet, according to my text, and, indeed, according to the whole tenor of the Scriptures, unbelief is the giving of God the lie [calling God a liar], and what can be worse?" (Spurgeon) ! iv. "Hearken, O unbeliever, you have said, 'I cannot believe,' but it would be more honest if you had said, 'I!will!not believe.' The mischief lies there. Your unbelief is your fault, not your misfortune. It is a disease, but it is also a crime: it is a terrible source of misery to you, but it is justly so, for it is an atrocious offense against the God of truth." (Spurgeon) ! v. "Did I not hear someone say, 'Ah, sir, I have been!trying to believe!for years.' Terrible words! They make the case still worse. Imagine that after I had made a statement, a man should declare that he did not believe me, in fact, he could not believe me though he would like to do so. I should feel aggrieved certainly; but it would make matters worse if he added, 'In fact I have been for years trying to believe you, and I cannot do it.' What does he mean by that? What can he mean but that I am so incorrigibly false, and such a conrmed liar, that though he would like to give me some credit, he really cannot do it? With all the effort he can make in my favour, he nds it quite beyond his power to believe me? Now, a man who says, 'I have been trying to believe in God,' in reality says just that with regard to the Most High." (Spurgeon) ! b.!Exhort one another daily: If we will strengthen our faith and avoid the ruin of unbelief, we must be around other Christians who willexhort!- that is, "seriously

encourage" us. This shows our responsibility to both!give!exhortation and to!receive!exhortation, and toexhort one another daily. It is an easy thing to judge and criticize, but that is not exhortation. ! i. If you are out of fellowship altogether, you can't exhort or be exhorted. When we are out of fellowship, there is much less around us to keep us from becoming!hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ! ii. Some think that Jesus' command to not bother with the speck in our brother's eye while we have a log in our own (Matthew 7:5) indicates that we should not!exhort one another daily. Yet Jesus told us to!rst!deal with our log in our own eye, but!then!to go and deal with the speck in our brother's eye. He did not tell us to ignore their speck, only to deal with it in proper order. ! iii. This emphasis on the importance of fellowship stands in the face of society's thinking. A United States survey found that more than 78% of the general public and 70% of churchgoing people believed that "you can be a!good!Christian without attending church." (Roof and McKinney) ! iv. "You are to watch over your brethren, to exhort one another daily, especially you who are ofcers of the church, or who are elderly and experienced. Be upon the watch lest any of your brethren in the church should gradually backslide, or lest any in the congregation should harden into a condition of settled unbelief, and perish in their sin. He who bids you take heed to yourself, would not have you settle down into a selsh care for yourself alone, lest you should become like Cain, who even dared to say to the Lord himself, 'Am I my brother's keeper?' " (Spurgeon) ! c.!Lest any of you become hardened: Christians must be vigilant against hardness of heart. That hidden sin you indulge in - none suspect you of it because you hide it well. You deceive yourself, believing that it really does little harm. You can always ask forgiveness later. You can always die to self and surrender to Jesus in coming months or years. What you cannot see or sense is that your hidden sin hardens your heart. As your heart becomes harder, you become!less and less sensitive!to your sin. You become more and more distant from Jesus. And your spiritual danger grows every day. ! d.!The deceitfulness of sin: The sin of unbelief has its root in!deceit!and its ower is marked by!hardness!(lest any of you be hardened). Unbelief and sin

are!deceitful!because when we don't believe God, we don't stop believing - we start believing in a lie. ! e.!Partakers of Christ: Believers - those who turn from sin and self and put their life's trust in Jesus - are gloriously called!partakers of Christ. ! i.!Partakers of Christ!- this is the whole picture. Partakers of His obedience, partakers of His suffering, partakers of His death, partakers of His resurrection, partakers of His victory, partakers of His plan, partakers of His power, partakers of His ministry of intercession, partakers of His work, partakers of His glory, partakers of His destiny. Saying "Partakers of Christ" says it all. ! ii. There are many ways that the believer's union with Jesus is described: ! ! ! ! ! f.!Do not harden your hearts: We often say our hearts become hard because of what!others!or!circumstances!do to us. But the fact is that we harden our own hearts in!response!to what happens to us. ! 3. (16-19) It isn't enough to make a good beginning. ! Like a stone cemented to its foundation Like a vine connected to its branches Like a wife married to her husband

For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they

could not enter in because of unbelief.

a.!For who, having heard, rebelled?!As a nation, Israel made a good beginning. After all, it took a lot of faith to cross the Red Sea. Yetall!of that rst generation perished in the wilderness, except for the two men of faith - Joshua and Caleb. ! i. Think of their great privilege: ! ! ! ! ! ! b.!They would not enter His rest: 11 times in Hebrews chapters 3 and 4, the Book of Hebrews speaks of!entering rest. That rest will be deeply detailed in the next chapter. But here, the!key!to entering rest is revealed:!belief. ! c.!So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief: One might be tempted to think the key to entering rest is!obedience, especially from Hebrews 3:18:!to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?!But the disobedience mentioned in Hebrews 3:18 is an outgrowth of the!unbelief!mentioned in Hebrews 3:19. The!unbelief!came rst, then the disobedience. ! i. It was!unbelief!and not something else that kept them out of Canaan: ! ! ! Their sin did not keep them out of Canaan. Lack of evidence did not keep them out of Canaan. They saw the seven plagues come upon Egypt They had great revelation from God They had received great patience from God They received great mercy

! ! !

Lack of encouragement did not keep them out of Canaan. Difcult circumstances did not keep them out of Canaan.

ii. In a New Testament context, our belief centers on the superiority of Jesus Christ, the truth of who He is (fully God and fully man) and His atoning work for us as a faithful High Priest (as in Hebrews 2:17). When we trust in these things, making them the food of our souls, we enter into God's rest. ! d.!They could not enter in: Israel's great failure was to persevere in faith. After crossing much of the wilderness trusting in God, and after seeing so many reasons to trust in Him, they end up falling short - because they did not persevere in faith in God and in His promise. ! i. Jesus reminded us in the parable of the soils with the seeds cast on stony ground and among thorns that it is not enough to make a good beginning, real belief perseveres to the end. It is wonderful to make a good start, but how we nish is even more important than how we start. ! ii. C.S. Lewis wrote about the difculty of persistence (from a tempting demon's ctional perspective): "The Enemy has guarded him from you through the rst great wave of temptations. But, if only he can be kept alive, you have time itself for your ally. The long, dull monotonous years of middle-aged prosperity or middle-aged adversity are excellent campaigning weather. You see, it is so hard for these creatures to!persevere. The routine of adversity, the gradual decay of youthful loves and youthful hopes, the quiet despair (hardly felt as pain) of ever overcoming the chronic temptations with which we have again and again defeated them, the drabness which we create in their lives and inarticulate resentment with which we teach them to respond to it all this provides admirable opportunities of wearing out a soul by attrition. If, on the other hand, the middle years about prosperous, our position is even stronger. Prosperity knits a man to the World. He feels that he is 'nding his place in it' while really it is nding its place in him. . . . That is why we must often wish long life to our patients; seventy years is not a day too much for the difcult task of unraveling their souls from Heaven and building up a rm attachment to the earth." (The Screwtape Letters) ! iii. If we enter in to God's rest, then the coming years will only increase our trust and reliance on Jesus. If by unbelief we fail to enter in, then the coming years will only

gradually draw us away from a passionate, trusting relationship with Jesus. ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

James 3 -!Warnings and Words to Teachers

! A. The demonstration of a living faith in controlling what we say. ! 1. (1-2) Opening observations: the greater accountability of teachers and the difculty of not stumbling. !

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.

a.!Let not many of you become teachers: James has a sober admonition for those who would!become teachers!in the church. They must take the responsibility seriously, because their accountability is greater and they shall!receive a stricter judgment. ! i. It is easy to take the position of teacher lightly in the church, without considering its cost in terms of accountability. Jesus warnedto whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much have been committed, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:48) ! ii. The words of Jesus and James remind us that being among the!teachers!in God's church is more than a matter of having natural or even spiritual gifts; there is an

additional dimension of appropriate character and right living. "James found that this department of church-work had become extremely popular. Hence his warning about its serious responsibilities. God will judge us on the last daywith special strictness!on account of our inuence over others." (Moffatt) ! iii. Therefore,!teachers!were both tested more and would be judged more strictly. "Their case is awful;!they shall receive greater condemnation!than common sinners; they have not only sinned in thrusting themselves into that ofce to which God has never called them, but through their!insufciency!the ocks over whom they have assumed the!mastery!perish for lack of knowledge, and their blood will God require at the watchman's hand." (Clarke) ! iv. "The comparative adjective!greater![stricter] implies degrees of treatment at the judgment seat." (Hiebert) ! b.!For we all stumble in many things: The greater accountability of teachers is especially sobering in light of our common weaknesses. After all,!we all stumble in many things. The ancient Greek word translated!stumble!does not imply a fatal fall, but something that trips us up and hinders our spiritual progress. ! i.!We all stumble: James included himself among those who!stumble. Yet he did not excuse his or our stumbling. We know that!we all stumble, but we should all press on to a better walk with the Lord, marked by!less!stumbling. ! ii. This is another of the several statements in the Bible which tell us that all men sin (also including 1 Kings 8:46; Job 14:4; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; and 1 John 1:8, 10). ! c.!If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man: James provided a way to measure spiritual maturity for teachers and for all Christians. Jesus demonstrated in Matthew 12:34-37 that words are the revelation of the inner character. ! i. To!not stumble in word!shows true spiritual maturity. This is especially relevant to teachers, who have so much more opportunity to sin with their tongue.

! ! We!stumble in word!about ourselves, with our boasting, exaggeration, and selective reporting. ! We!stumble in word!about others, with our criticism, gossip, slander, cruelty, twofacedness, and anger; or with attery and insincere words meant to gain favor. ! 2. (3-6) The power of the tongue. !

Indeed, we put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell.

a.!We put bits in horses' mouths that they may obey us: A small bit in the mouth controls a strong horse. A small rudder turns a large ship. Even so, if we have control over our tongue it is an indication that we have control over our self. Whoever can control the tongue can!bridle the whole body!(James 3:2). ! i. The bit and the rudder are small but extremely important. If they are not controlled the entire horse is out of control and the entire ship is out of control. It is possible for something as small as the tongue is to have tremendous power for either good or evil. ! ii. You don't solve the problem of an unruly horse by keeping it in the barn, or the

problem of a hard-to-steer ship by keeping it tied to the dock. In the same way, even a vow of silence is not the ultimate answer for the misuse of our tongue. ! iii. If the tongue is like a bit in the mouth of a horse or the rudder on a ship, it leaves us with the question:!Who or what holds the reigns, or who or what directs the rudder?!Some people have!no!hand on the reigns or rudder, and therefore say whatever comes into mind. Others direct their tongue from their emotions or from aspects of their carnal nature. James points us towards having the Spirit of God, working through the new man, set directing hands on the reigns and rudder that is our tongue. ! b.!See how great a forest a little re kindles! And the tongue is a re, a world of iniquity: The re of the tongue has been used to burn many. Children are told!sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me. But that child's rhyme isn't really true; the bitter pain of a word spoken against us can hurt us for a lifetime, long after a broken bone has healed. ! i. "In the two former illustrations, animals and ships are controlled by small objects; in this last illustration, a huge forest is destroyed by a tiny spark. The tongue likewise can either control or destroy." (Burdick) ! ii. What others say to us and what we say to others can last a long time, for good or for evil. The casual sarcastic or critical remark can inict a lasting injury on another person. The well-timed encouragement or compliment can inspire someone for the rest of their life. ! iii. Proverbs speaks of the person who doesn't consider the destructive power of his words.!Like a madman who throws rebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor, and says, "I was only joking!"!(Proverbs 26:18-19). ! iv. Again, James isn't telling us to never speak or to take a vow of silence; in many ways that would be!easier!than exercising true self-control over the tongue. The bridle, the rudder, and the re can all do tremendous!good!when they are controlled properly. ! c.!The tongue is a re, a world of iniquity: There aren't many sins that don't involve talking in some way. "It is though all the wickedness in the whole world were wrapped up

in that little piece of esh." (Burdick) ! i. "It walketh through the earth, and faceth the very heavens, Psalm 73:9. It can run the world over and bite at everybody; being as a sharp razor . . . that instead of shaving the hair cutteth the throat, Psalm 52:2. It is made in the shape of sword; and David felt it as a sword in his bones, Psalm 42:10. It is thin, broad, and long, as an instrument most t to empty both speaker's and the hearer's heart. It is of a ame-colour, as apt to set on re the whole wheel of nature, James 3:6." (Trapp) ! ii. James echoes the testimony of Proverbs regarding the tongue: ! ! In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise. The tongue of the righteous is choice silver; the heart of the wicked is worth little. The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for lack of wisdom.!(Proverbs 10:19-21) ! Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.!(Proverbs 12:25) ! Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.!(Proverbs 16:24) ! Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.!(Proverbs 18:21) ! 3. (7-8) The difculty of taming the tongue. !

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

a.!Every kind of beast and bird . . . has been tamed by mankind: A wild animal can be more easily tamed than the tongue. In fact, James tells us that!no man can tame the

tongue. ! i. The human spirit has incredible capacity for sacrice and self-control. Sometimes we hear a desperate survival story of someone who cuts off their own leg to get free from a tree that has fallen on them, and then they make it to a hospital for medical treatment. Yet that same man can't!tame the tongue!perfectly. ! b.!No man can tame the tongue: Nevertheless the!tongue!can be brought under the power and the control of the Holy Spirit. We might say that only God Himself is mightier than the human tongue! ! c.!It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison: The untamable tongue is even more dangerous when we consider the!deadly poison!it can deliver. ! i. "The poison of the tongue is no less deadly, it murders men's reputations by the slanders it utters, their souls by the lusts and passions it stirs up in them, and many times their bodies too by the contentions and quarrels it raiseth against men." (Poole) ! ii. A woman once came to John Wesley and said she knew what her talent was and she said, "I think my talent from God is to speak my mind." Wesley replied, "I don't think God would mind if you buried that talent." Speaking forth everything that comes to mind is unwise, poisonous speech. ! 4. (9-12) The contradictory character of the tongue. !

With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives,

or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.

a.!With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men: The tongue can be used for the highest calling (to!bless our God) and it can be used for the lowest evil (to!curse men). In those who are born again, it shouldn't be said that!out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. ! i. Peter's tongue confessed Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God!and!denied Jesus with curses. John said, "Little children, love one another"!and!he wanted to say the word to bring down re from heaven upon a Samaritan village. ! b.!These things ought not to be so: Our speech should be consistently glorifying to God. We shouldn't use one vocabulary or one tone of speaking at church and a different one at home or on the job. Like a spring of water, our mouths shouldn't!send forth fresh . . . and bitter from the same opening. ! i. "This outburst of James suggests that he had suffered from the strife of tongues in the religious world . . . it reads like a transcript of bitter experience." (Moffatt) ! c.!Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh: James points to the ultimate!impossibility!of such a contradiction. If bad fruit and bitter water continue to come forth, it means that there is no contradiction. The tree is bad and the spring is bad. ! i. Jesus taught in Matthew 12:34-37 that a man's words are a reliable revelation of his inner character. What we say can indicate what we are. ! ii.!Can a g tree, my brethren, bear olives: "It would be a monstrosity, a thing to be wondered at, and stared at as unnatural and absurd if a g tree started bearing olive berries and!it is just as unnatural for a Christian to live in sin. Can he so live as to bear the fruits of iniquity instead of the fruits of righteousness? God forbid that it should be

so!" (Spurgeon) ! iii. "Unless you are regenerated, born from above by a new and heavenly birth, you are not Christians, whatever you may be called, and you cannot, produce the fruit which is acceptable to God any more than a g tree can produce olive berries." (Spurgeon) ! ! You can label a g tree "Olive Tree" and that will not make it an olive tree.

! You can trim a g tree to look like an olive tree, and that will not make it an olive tree. ! You can treat a g tree like an olive tree, and that will not make it an olive tree.

! You can surround a g tree with many olive trees, and that will not make it an olive tree. ! You can transplant that g tree to the Mount of Olives, and that would not make it an olive tree. ! B. The demonstration of a living faith in the presence of wisdom. ! 1. (13) Wisdom shows us how to do good works !

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

a.!Who is wise and understanding among you?!At the beginning of James 3, the author addressed those who were teachers or wanted to be teachers among Christians. There he told such teachers how they should!talk; here he speaks about how they should!live. ! i. "James addresses the person who is 'wise and understanding.' The word!sophos!('wise')

was the technical term among the Jews for the teacher, the scribe, the rabbi. It appears that the author is still speaking to those who would be teachers (cf. James 3:1); here it is not what they say that he is concerned with, but rather how they live." (Burdick) ! b.!Who is wise . . . Let him show by good conduct: Wisdom is not mere head knowledge. Real wisdom and!understanding!will show in our lives, by our!good conduct. ! i. In this sense wisdom and understanding are like faith; they are invisible, inner qualities. If a person considers himself to be!wise!orunderstanding, it is fair to expect that this invisible inner quality would show itself in regular life. Here James told us how to judge if a person really is!wise and understanding. ! c.!His works are done in the meekness of wisdom: True!wisdom!is also evident by its meek manner. Those who do their good works in a way designed to bring attention to themselves show they lack true wisdom. ! i. On!meekness: "Prautes!is gentleness, but not a passive gentleness growing out of weakness or resignation. It is an active attitude of deliberate acceptance." (Burdick) ! 2. (14-16) The character of earthly wisdom. !

But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and selfseeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.

a.!Bitter envy and self-seeking: These are the opposite of!the meekness of wisdom!mentioned in James 3:13. These words actually refer to someone who has a

critical, contentious, ght-provoking manner. ! i. "It is out of keeping with the temper of!bitter jealousy and rivalry!(i.e. party-spirit, selsh ambition, factiousness).!Do not pride yourselves on that, on the intensity and harsh zeal which lead to such unscrupulous partisanship, which are sometimes justied as loyalty!to the truth." (Moffatt) ! ii. "Religious people my be extremely provoking, and defeat their own ends by overbearing methods; right views and sound counsels may lose their effect if they are expressed by men who are self-seeking partisans or unscrupulous controversialists." (Moffatt) ! b.!Do not boast and lie against the truth: Anyone who shows!bitter envy and selfseeking!should not deceive anyone - especially themselves - about how wise they are. They show a!wisdom!that is!earthly,!sensual, and!demonic. Their wisdom is more characteristic of the world, the esh, and the devil than of God. ! i. "This wisdom" that James referred to was not really wisdom at all. "It is the wisdom claimed by the would-be teachers of James 3:14 whose lives contradict their claims. Such 'wisdom' evaluates everything by worldly standards and makes personal gain life's highest goal." (Burdick) ! ii.!Earthly, sensual, demonic: Adam Clarke dened each term: ! ! Earthly: "Having this life only in view."

! Sensual: "Animal-having for its object the gratication of the passions and animal propensities." ! Demonic: "Demoniacal-inspired by demons, and maintained in the soul by their indwelling inuence." ! c.!Confusion and every evil thing: This is the fruit of human, earthly wisdom. The wisdom of the world, the esh, and the devil may be able to accomplish things, but

always with the ultimate fruit of!confusion and every evil thing. ! 3. (17-18) The character of heavenly wisdom. !

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

a.!But the wisdom that is from above: God's wisdom also has fruit. James here dened exactly what he meant by!the meekness of wisdom!in James 3:13. ! b.!First pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy: The character of this wisdom is wonderful. It is full of love and a giving heart, consistent with the holiness of God. ! i. This wisdom is!rst pure: "The reference is not to sexual purity but to the absence of any sinful attitude or motive." (Burdick) ! ii. This wisdom is!then peaceable: "This is one of the great words of character description in the NT. In the LXX it is used mostly of God's disposition as a King. He is gentle and kind, although in reality he has every reason to be stern and punitive toward men in their sin." (Burdick) ! iii. This wisdom is!gentle: "The man who is!epieikes!is the man who knows when it is actually wrong to apply the strict letter of the law. He knows how to forgive when strict justice gives him a perfect right to condemn. . . . It is impossible to nd an English word to translate this quality. Matthew Arnold called it 'sweet reasonableness' and it is the ability to extend to others the kindly consideration we would wish to receive

ourselves." (Barclay) ! iv. This wisdom is!willing to yield: "Not stubborn nor obstinate; of a yielding disposition in all indifferent things; obsequious, docile." (Clarke) "Conciliatory!(only here in N.T.) is the opposite of stiff and unbending." (Moffatt) "Eupeithes!can mean!easy to persuade, not in the sense of being pliable and weak, but in the sense of not being stubborn and of being willing to listen to reason and to appeal. . . . true wisdom is not rigid but is willing to listen and skilled in knowing when wisely to yield." (Barclay) ! v. This wisdom is!full of mercy: It does not judge others strictly on the basis of the law, but will extend a generous hand!full of mercy. This wisdom knows that the same measure of mercy we grant to others is the same measure God will use with us (Matthew 7:2). ! vi. This wisdom is!full of . . . good fruits: This wisdom can!be seen by the fruit it produces. It isn't just the inner power to think and talk about things the right way; it is!full of . . . good fruits. ! vii. This wisdom is!without partiality: "Without partiality; or, without judging, i.e. either a curious inquiring into the faults of others, to nd matter for censures." (Poole) ! viii. This wisdom is!without hypocrisy: "Without!pretending to be what it is not; acting always in!its own character; never!working under a mask. Seeking nothing but God's glory, and using no other means to attain it than those of his own prescribing." (Clarke) ! ix. "These last two words [without partiality!and!without hypocrisy] rule out the habit of using speech to half reveal and half conceal the mind of the speaker, who has something (as we say) at the back of his mind all the time." (Moffatt) ! c.!Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace: This fruit is like a seed that will bear fruit as it is sown by!those who make peace. ! i. "The fruit of righteousness; either the fruit we bring forth, which is righteousness itself,

Luke 3:8, 9; Romans 6:22; Philippians 1:11; or the fruit we reap, which is the reward of righteousness, viz. eternal life." (Poole) ! ii. "Far from being theoretical and speculative, James's concept of wisdom is thoroughly practical. It is the understanding and attitude that result in true piety and godliness." (Burdick) ! ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

1 Peter 3 -!Submission and Suffering

! A. Submission in the home. ! 1. (1-2) The heart of a godly wife. !

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.

a.!Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands: The godly wife will!be submissive!to her husband. This submission isn't a reward for the husband's good behavior; as the proper order of the home, God commands it. ! i. The teaching about submission was especially relevant to a rst century married woman who had begun to follow Jesus. She would ask questions such as "Should I leave my husband?" or "Should I change my behavior towards him?" or "Should I assume a

superior position to him because now I am in Jesus?" ! ii. In the culture of the ancient world it was almost unthinkable for a wife to adopt a different religion than her husband. Christian women who came to Jesus before their husbands needed instruction. ! b.!Likewise: Proper submission in the home follows the same principles of submission as towards government or our employers. It is submission not only of the actions, but also of the heart - as demonstrated by the surrendering heart of Jesus (1 Peter 2:21-25). ! i. The call for submission is not merely a call for love and considerate action. It is a call to take the place of submission to authority. The ancient Greek word translated!submission!was used outside the New Testament to describe the submission and obedience of soldiers in an army to those of superior rank. It literally means, "to order under." ! ii. Yet submission to authority can be totally consistent with!equality!in importance, dignity, and honor. Jesus was subject to both His parents and to God the Father but was not lower than either of them. "Thus the command to wives to be subject to their husbands should never be taken to imply inferior personhood or spirituality, or lesser importance." (Grudem) ! iii. Of course, submission in marriage follows the same principles as submission in other spheres. We submit to God appointed authority as our obligation before God, unless that authority directs us to sin. In that case it is right to obey God rather than men (Acts 4:19-20). ! c.!Be submissive to your own husbands: Peter carefully observed that wives are called to submit to their!own husbands!and not to all men in a general sense. Male headship is God's commanded principle for the home and the church, not for society in general. ! i. The principle of submission is presented in many different ways in the New Testament. !

! !

Jesus submitted to His parents (Luke 2:51). Demons submitted to the disciples (Luke 10:17).

! Citizens should submit to government authority (Romans 13:1 and 5, Titus 3:1, 1 Peter 2:13). ! ! The universe will submit to Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:27 and Ephesians 1:22). Unseen spiritual beings submit to Jesus (1 Peter 3:22).

! Christians should submit to their church leaders (1 Corinthians 16:15-16 and 1 Peter 5:5). ! Wives should submit to husbands (Colossians 3:18, Titus 2:5, 1 Peter 3:5, and Ephesians 5:22-24). ! ! ! ! ii. None of these relations are reversed. For example, masters are never told to submit to servants, Jesus is never told to submit to the church, and so forth. So while there must be a servant-like love and attitude on the part of those in positions of authority, that does not eliminate the concept of God's order of authority and the corresponding submission. ! d.!That even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives: The benet of submission is shown in the way that it affects husbands for God. A wife's submission is a powerful expression of her trust in God. This kind of faith and obedience can accomplish great things, even!without a word. ! i. Wives may want to shape their husbands, either guiding them to Jesus or guiding them in Jesus through their!words. Peter reminds them that God's plan is that wives impact their husbands not through persuasive lectures, but through godly submission,chaste conduct, and the!fear!of God. ! ii. There is a sense in which a wife's efforts to shape her husband through her own words and efforts may hinder the power of God's working on the husband. It is much more effective to submit in the way God says to, thus demonstrating trust in Him, and to The church should submit to Jesus (Ephesians 5:24). Servants should submit to masters (Titus 2:9, 1 Peter 2:18). Christians should submit to God (Hebrews 12:9, James 4:7).

let!Godhave his way with the husband. ! iii. "The attractiveness of a wife's submissive behaviour even to an unbelieving husband suggests that God has inscribed the rightness and beauty of role distinctions to include male leadership or headship in the family and female acceptance of and responsiveness to that leadership . . . The unbelieving husband sees this behaviour and deep within perceives the beauty of it. Within his heart there is a witness that this is right, this is how God intended men and women to relate as husband as wife. He concludes, therefore, that the gospel which his wife believes must be true as well." (Grudem) ! e.!Do not obey the word: This refers to an unbelieving husband, but it is a stronger idea than merely "do not believe." It has the idea of someone in active disobedience to God's word. Even!these!husbands can be won through the godly conduct of loving wives. ! 2. (3-4) The true beauty of a godly woman. !

Do not let your adornment be merely outward; arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel; rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

a.!Do not let your adornment be merely outward: Peter did not forbid all!adornment. But for the godly woman!outward!adornment is always in moderation, and her emphasis is always on!inward!adornment. ! i.!Arranging the hair: According to William Barclay, in the world Peter lived women often arranged and dyed their hair. They also wore wigs, especially blonde wigs made with hair imported from Germany. Peter had this in mind speaking of the!adornment!that ismerely outward. Peter did not forbid a woman xing her hair, or wearing jewelry, any more than he forbade her wearing!apparel(ne!is not in the original).

! b.!Rather let it be the hidden person of the heart: Real beauty comes from the!hidden person of the heart. It isn't something you wear or primp before a mirror to have. It is something you!are. ! i. The real question is "What do you depend on to make yourself beautiful?" Peter's point is not that any of these are forbidden, but that they should not be a woman's!adornment, the source of her true beauty. ! c.!The incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit: The inner beauty of a godly woman is!incorruptible. This means that it does not decay or get worse with age. Instead,!incorruptible beauty!only gets better with age, and is therefore of much greater value than the beauty that comes from the hair, jewelry, or clothing. ! d.!A gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God: Peter described the character of true beauty -!a gentle and quiet spirit. These character traits are not promoted for women by our culture; yet they are!very precious in the sight of God. ! 3. (5-6) Examples of submission. !

For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

a.!In former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves: Peter reminds women that he did not call them to a new standard; but to something that was practiced by!holy women of former times.

! b.!Who trusted in God: When women submit to their husbands and when they do not put trust in their outward adornment, they are like the holy women of former times who!trusted in God. They powerfully demonstrate their faith. ! i. A woman can trust her own ability to inuence and control her husband, or she can trust God and!be submissive. A woman can trust her outward beauty and adornment, or she can trust God and cultivate!a gentle and quiet spirit. It all comes back to trust in God; so she should be like!the holy women who trusted in God. ! c.!As Sarah obeyed Abraham: Two things demonstrated Sarah's submission to Abraham. First, she!obeyed!Abraham even when it was difcult and even when he was wrong (as in Genesis 12:10-20). Second, she!honored!Abraham by!calling him lord. It is possible to!obey!someone without showing them the!honor!that is part of submission. True submission knows the place of both!obedience!andhonor. ! i. "An attitude of submission to a husband's authority will be reected in numerous words and actions each day which reect deference to his leadership and an acknowledgment of his nal responsibility." (Grudem) ! d.!If you do good and are not afraid with any terror: True submission, full of faith in God has no room for fear or terror. It does good and leaves the result to God and not to man. ! i. The words "do good" remind us that true submission is not a sulking surrender to authority. It is an active embrace of God's will, demonstrating trust in Him. ! 4. (7) The heart of a godly husband. !

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace

of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

a.!Dwell with them: A godly husband lives with his wife. He doesn't merely share a house, but he truly!lives with!her. He recognizes the great point of Paul's teaching on marriage in Ephesians 5: that "husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself" (Ephesians 5:28). The godly husband understands the!essential unity!or!oneness!God has established between husband and wife. ! b.!With understanding: A godly husband undertakes the important job of!understanding!his wife. By knowing her well, he is able to demonstrate his love for her far more effectively. ! i. When a husband has this!understanding, God directs him to use it in that he is to!dwell with!his wife!with understanding. He is supposed to take his!understanding!and apply it in daily life with his wife. This is where many men have trouble following through. They may!have!understanding!about their wives, but they don't!use!it as they!dwell with them. ! c.!Giving honor: A godly husband knows how to make his wife feel honored. Though she submits to him, he takes care that she does not feel like she is an employee or under a tyrant. ! i. In!giving honor to the wife, the word in the ancient Greek language for!the wife!is a rare word, meaning more literally "the feminine one." It suggests that the woman's feminine nature should prompt the husband to honor her. ! ii. This was a!radical!teaching in the world Peter lived in. In that ancient culture a husband had absolute rights over his wife and the wife had virtually no rights in the marriage. In the Roman world, if a man caught his wife in an act of adultery he could kill her on the spot. But if a wife caught her husband, she could do nothing against him. All the duties and obligations in marriage were put on the wife. Peter's radical teaching is that the!husband!has God-ordained duties and obligations toward his wife.

! d.!As to the weaker vessel: In this context!weaker!speaks of the woman's relative physical weakness in comparison to men. Men aren't necessarily stronger spiritually than women, but they are generally stronger physically. As Peter brought in the idea of the woman's feminine nature with the words!the wife, he continues in appreciating the feminine nature and how a husband should respond to it. ! i. Therefore, a godly husband recognizes whatever limitations his wife has physically and he does not expect more from her than is appropriate and kind. ! e.!Heirs together: A godly husband realizes that his spouse is not only his wife, but also his sister in Jesus. Part of their inheritance in the Lord is only realized in their oneness as husband and wife. ! i.!Heirs together: This "reminds husbands that even though they have been given great authority within marriage, their wives are still equal to them in spiritual privilege and eternal importance: they are 'joint heirs.'" (Grudem) ! f.!That your prayers may not be hindered: The failure to live as a godly husband has spiritual consequences. It can and it will hinder prayer. ! i. Some have thought that Peter has in mind here the!prayers!that husbands and wives pray together. But since he addresses husbands only, and because he says!your!prayers, he refers to the prayers of husbands in general. ! ii. Peter!assumed!that the fear of!hindered!prayer would motivate Christian husbands to love and care for their wives as they should. Many Christian men have such a low regard for prayer that this warning may not adequately motivate them. ! iii. "Indeed, to true believers prayer is so invaluable that the danger of hindering it is used by Peter as a motive why, in their marriage relationships, and household concerns, they should behave themselves with great wisdom. He bids the husband 'dwell' with his wife 'according to knowledge,' and render loving honor to her, lest their united prayers should be hindered. Anything which hinders prayer must be wrong. If any management of the

family, or want of management, is injuring our power in prayer, there is an urgent demand for an alteration." (Spurgeon) ! B. Godliness in suffering. ! 1. (8-9) A plea for unity and love among God's people. !

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

a.!Be of one mind: Most of us are willing to have!one mind, as long as that!one mind!is!my mind! But the!one mind!is to be!the mind of Christ!(1 Corinthians 2:16). Our common!mind!is to be Jesus' mind. ! i. This command brings us back to the need to know God's word. We can't!be of one mind, the mind of Jesus, if we don't know what His mind is. The word of God shows us the mind of Jesus. ! b.!Be of one mind: This speaks to the essential!unity!of God's people. We are one; but we are not all the same. While we should all!be of one mind, we can't expect everyone to be like us. God has built both unity and diversity among His people. ! i. Every cell of your body is different, and each one has its role to play. But every cell in your body has the same DNA code written in it, the master plan for the whole body. Every cell in your body has the same "mind."

! ii. We could say that Christians should be like a good choir. Each one sings with his own voice and some sing different parts, but everyone sings to the same music and in harmony with one another. ! c.!Having compassion . . .!tenderhearted . . . courteous: Peter described the kind of warm love that should be among the people of God. We should be compassionate, brotherly, tenderhearted, and even polite. ! i. Remember that this was the measure Jesus gave to the world to identify His true disciples: "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). Jesus did not command us to!like!our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we are commanded to love them; and once we start loving them we will start liking them. ! d.!Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing: The greatest challenge to our love for others comes when we are wronged. At those times we are called to not return!evil for evil, but to give a!blessing!instead. ! i. No dispute, argument, or personality conict among believers should linger. Even if one Christian gets out of line, the loving response of other Christians should keep the problem small and short-lived. ! ii. The natural response to hostility is retaliation. This is what the terrible ethnic conicts all over the world are all about - one group wrongs another, and dedicates the rest of its existence to repaying that wrong. Only the love of Jesus for our enemies can break the terrible cycle. ! iii. Jesus reminded us that it is no great credit if we love those who love us in return; the real test of love is to demonstrate compassion to our enemies (Matthew 5:44-47). ! e.!That you may inherit a blessing: We love one another, but not only for the sake of Jesus, whose body we are members of. We love one another, but not only for the sake of our brother or sister for whom Jesus died. We also love one another for our!own sake!- by

blessing those who have wronged us, we will!inherit a blessing. If you can't love for the sake of Jesus, or for the sake of your brother, then do it for your!own sake! ! 2. (10-12) A quotation from Psalm 34:12-16 demonstrates the blessing that comes to those who turn away from evil and do good. !

For "He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His earsare open to their prayers; but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."

a.!Let him turn away from evil and do good: Doing good is often difcult because as a general rule, evil is rewarded immediately and the reward of doing good is often delayed. But the rewards of good are better and far more secure than the rewards of doing evil. God promises this in the passage quoted by Peter. ! 3. (13-17) How to handle it when our good is returned with evil. !

And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good

conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed. Forit is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

a.!And who is he who will harm you: Though Peter says that Christians should always answer evil with good, he also lived in the real world and he knew that people often repaid good with a response of evil. ! i. "Not to be hated by the world; to be loved and attered and caressed by the world - is one of the most terrible positions in which a Christian can nd himself. 'What bad thing have I done,' asked the ancient sage, 'that he should speak well of me?' " (Meyer) ! b.!If you become followers of what is good: Literally,!become followers!is "be zealous." "Some!Jews were zealots, boasting their zeal for the Lord or His Law . . .!all!Christians should be!zealots for that which is good." (Hart) ! c.!But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed: Peter reminds us that there is even a blessing for us when we!suffer for righteousness' sake. God will care for us, especially when we!suffer!unjustly. ! i. Jesus spoke of the same attitude: "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). ! d.!And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled: The presence or possibility of suffering for doing good should not make us shrink back from doing good. Instead we should give a special place (sanctify) to God in our hearts, and always be ready to explain our faith (give a defense), always doing it with a right attitude (meekness and fear). !

i. Other manuscripts render!sanctify the Lord God in your hearts!as,!sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. "The simple meaning of the injunction is that at the very centre of life there is to be one Lord, and that is Christ. . . . Other lords are permitted to invade the sanctuary of the heart, and to exercise dominion over us. Our own selsh desires, the opinion of others, worldly wisdom, the pressure of circumstances, these and many other lords command us, and we turn away our simple and complete allegiance to our one Lord." (Morgan) ! ii. We can!be ready to give a defense!if we have made ourselves ready in knowing the Bible. Peter knew how important it was togive a defense to everyone who asks you. He had to do this in the situations described in Acts 2:14-39, Acts 3:11-26, Acts 4:8-12, and Acts 5:29-32. In each point of testing Peter relied on the power of the Holy Spirit and was able to!give a defense. ! e.!Those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed: Our!good conduct, when our good is returned with evil, will prove others wrong in their opinions about us and it will make them!ashamed!for speaking against our godly lives. ! f.!For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil: None of us want to suffer. But if we must, may it be for!doing good!and not for!doing evil. Sometimes Christians are obnoxious and offensive and are made!to suffer!for it. They may wish it were persecution for the sake of the gospel, but really it is simply suffering!for doing evil. ! C. Jesus shows the power of suffering for doing good. ! 1. (18) Through His godly suffering, Jesus brought us to God. !

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

a.!For Christ also suffered once for sins: Jesus!suffered once for sins. There is no longer any sacrice or atonement that can please God other than what Jesus provided at the cross. Even our own suffering won't pay for our sins. The price has already been paid. ! i. Though Peter used the suffering of Christ as an encouragement and strength to his aficted readers, we must remember that Peter also set Jesus completely apart from all others in his suffering. Spurgeon recalled the heroic suffering of one godly man: "I remember reading, in Foxe's!Book of Martyrs,!the story of a man of God, who was bound to a stake to die for Christ; there he was, calm and quiet, till his legs had been burned away, and the bystanders looked to see his helpless body drop from the chains as black as coal, and not a feature could be discerned; but one who was near was greatly surprised to see that poor black carcass open its mouth, and two words came out of it; and what do you suppose they were?!'Sweet!Jesus!' And then the martyr fell over the chains, and at last life was gone." ! ii. That saint had the sweet presence of Jesus to help him through his horrible suffering; but Jesus did not have the sweet presence of His Father to help Him on the cross. Instead, God the Father treated Him as if He were an enemy, as the target of the righteous wrath of God. In this sense, the suffering of Jesus on the cross was worse than any ever suffered by a martyr; perhaps not worse in the physical pain suffered, but certainly in the spiritual suffering and total experience. ! iii. "It is almost as if the apostle said, 'You have none of you suffered when compared with him;'!or, at least, he was the Arch-Sufferer, - the Prince of sufferers, - the Emperor of the realm of agony, - Lord Paramount in sorrow. . . . You know a little about grief, but you do not know much. The hem of grief's garment is all you ever touch, but Christ wore it as his daily robe. We do but sip of the cup he drank to its bitterest dregs. We feel just a little of the warmth of Nebuchadnezzar's furnace; but he dwelt in the very midst of the re." (Spurgeon) ! b.!The just for the unjust: Jesus is a perfect example of suffering for doing good. He, the!just, suffered for all of us who are!the unjust- and the purpose of it all was to!bring us to God, to restore our broken and dead relationship with Him. ! i. Since Jesus did all this to!bring us to God, how wrong it is for us to not come to God in fellowship! The ancient Greek word translated "bring" is the same word used for!access!in Romans 5:2 and Ephesians 2:18. In ancient literature, the word!bring!was

used "of admission to an audience with the Great King." (Blum) ! c.!Being put to death in the esh but made alive by the Spirit: Jesus did die in His body but was raised from the dead!by the!HolySpirit. Here, the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. It also tells us that the Father raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 6:4), and it says that Jesus raised Himself from the dead (John 2:18-22). The resurrection was the work of the Triune God. ! 2. (19-20a) Through godly suffering, Jesus preached to the spirits in prison. !

By whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient,

a.!By whom: This means that Jesus was!inspired by the Holy Spirit!when He did the work of preaching to the spirits in prison. He wasmade alive by the Spirit, and then also did this work by the same Spirit. ! b.!He went and preached to the spirits in prison: Apparently this work was done in the period after Jesus' death but before His rst resurrection appearance to the disciples. Jesus went to Hades - the abode of the dead - and!preached to the spirits!there. ! c.!Spirits in prison: Though some have regarded these!spirits!as human spirits, it is more likely that they were demonic spirits. We know that their disobedience was!in the days of Noah!(1 Peter 3:20). We have evidence that this was a time of gross sin for both demons and humans, when there was an ungodly mingling of humans and demons (Genesis 6:1-2). ! i. "Apparently, the oldest identication of those imprisoned spirits understood them as the fallen angels of Genesis 6. That view was widely known and generally taken for granted in the apostolic era." (Hiebert)

! d.!Preached to the spirits in prison: We also don't know exactly why Jesus!preached!to these imprisoned spirits. In all probability this was!preaching!(the proclamation of God's message), but it was not!evangelism!(the proclamation of good news). Jesus!preached!a message of!judgment!and nal condemnation in light of His nished work on the cross to these disobedient spirits. ! i. In doing this there was a completion in Jesus' triumph over evil, even the evil that happened before the ood. The Bible says that even those!under the earth!must acknowledge Jesus' ultimate Lordship. Here Jesus was announcing that fact: "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth"!(Philippians 2:10). ! ii. "We do not believe that Peter said that Christ preached the gospel to those imprisoned spirits; he taught that Christ announced His triumph over evil, which was bad news for them. For Peter's readers, however, it meant comfort and encouragement." (Hiebert) ! iii. "What His message was we are not told. Why only those disobedient in the days of Noah are mentioned is not stated. What the purpose or result of Christ's preaching was, is not revealed. On all these points we may form our own conclusions, but we have no authority for anything approaching dogmatic teaching." (Morgan) ! 3. (20b-22) The salvation of Noah as a picture of baptism. !

When once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us; baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers

having been made subject to Him.

a.!Eight souls, were saved through water: Peter drew a picture with his words here. Even as Noah's salvation from the judgment of God was connected with!water, so the Christian's salvation is connected with!water, the water of!baptism. ! i. The water of the ood washed away sin and wickedness and brought a new world with a fresh start before God. The water of baptism does the same thing, providing a passage from the old to the new. ! b.!Not the removal of the lth of the esh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God: At the same time Peter was careful to point out that it isn't the actual water washing of baptism that saves us, but the spiritual reality behind the immersion in water. What really saves us is the!answer of a good conscience toward God, a conscience made!good!through the completed work of Jesus. ! c.!Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God: We see the completeness of Jesus' work by His exaltation to the!right hand of God!the Father, and the subjection of all created spirits unto Him (angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him). So though Jesus suffered for doing good, He had the ultimate triumph. The example of Jesus proves Peter's point in 1 Peter 3:9: when we suffer for doing good, we will inherit a blessing. ! i. Jesus!has gone into heaven, and it is better for us that He is there. Spurgeon related this to how the high priest, ministering for Israel on the Day of Atonement, disappeared from the people and went behind the veil. "Though he was not with them, he was with God, which was better for them. The high priest was more useful to them within the veil than outside of it; he was doing for them out of sight what he could not accomplish in their view. I delight to think that my Lord is with the Father. Sometimes I cannot get to God, my access seems blocked by my inrmity; but he is always with God to plead for me." ! ii. Our connection with Jesus is like the little boy with his kite. His kite ew so high in the sky that he could no longer see it. Someone asked him, "How do you know it is still

up there?" The boy answered, "I can feel it pull." We can't see Jesus enthroned in heaven, but we can certainly feel Him pull us toward Himself. ! iii. Since Jesus!has gone into heaven, His Church is safe. "Let not his church tremble, let her not think of putting out the hand of unbelief to steady the ark of the Lord. The history of the church is to be the history of Christ repeated: she is to be betrayed, she is to be scourged, she is to be falsely accused and spitted on; she may have her crucixion and her death; but she shall rise again. Her Master rose, and like him she shall rise and receive glory. You can never kill the church till you can kill Christ; and you can never defeat her till you defeat the Lord Jesus, who already wears the crown of triumph." (Spurgeon) ! ! ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

2 Peter 3 -!Living Like a "Last Days Christian"

! A. The certainty of the last days and God's promise. ! 1. (1-2) Another reference to the importance of being reminded !

Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior,

a.!I now write to you this second epistle: Peter already wrote about the importance of being reminded (2 Peter 1:12-13). But here he wanted to emphasize what should be known in light of the coming of Jesus and the prophecies surrounding His coming. ! i. "The purest minds need stirring up at times. It would be a great pity to stir up impure minds. That would only be to do mischief; but pure minds may be stirred as much as you please, and the more the better." (Spurgeon) ! b.!That you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before: Peter knew the importance of!reminding!his readers of the Scriptural message, both received from the Old Testament (spoken before) and contemporary to his own day (and of the commandment of us). ! i. Peter clearly believed that the!words!of Scripture were important; the!words!themselves, and not merely the!meaning!behind the words. ! ii. "Peter believed in the inspiration of the very 'words' of Scripture; he was not one of those precious 'advanced thinkers' who would, if they could, tear the very soul out of the Book, and leave us nothing at all; but he wrote, 'That ye may be mindful of the words' the very words 'which were spoken before by the holy prophets.' 'Oh!' says one, 'but words do not signify; it is the inward sense that is really important.' Exactly so; that is just what the fool said about egg-shells. He said that they did not signify; it was only the inward life-germ of the chick within that was important; so he broke all the shells, and thereby destroyed the life. . . . If the words could be taken from us, the sense itself would be gone." (Spurgeon) ! c.!By the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior: By placing the messengers of the new covenant on the same level as the messengers of the old covenant, Peter understood the authority of the New Testament, even as it was being formed. ! i. Peter understood that Jesus gave His!apostles!the inspired authority to bring forth God's message to the new covenant community. He understood this from passages such as Matthew 16:19, where Jesus gave the apostles authority to!bind!and!loose, much as the

authoritative rabbis of their day. ! ii. "Your apostles!does not merely mean 'your missionaries', the folk who evangelized you. When the New Testament writers mean merely 'church emissary' by!apostolos, they say so, or the context makes it plain (Philippians 2:25). Peter is referring here to the 'apostles of Jesus Christ'. It is they and they alone who are put on a level with the Old Testament prophets." (Green) ! iii. Signicantly, Peter saw this authority invested in!the apostles, not in him alone. He would think it strange for supposed papal authority to be credited to him. ! 2. (3-4) The message of scoffers. !

Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

a.!Knowing this rst: Christians should not be surprised to nd that there are those who scoff at the idea of Jesus coming again. Peter told us that the!scoffers will come. This is the!rst!thing to know. ! i. "Every time a blasphemer opens his mouth to deny the truth of revelation, he will help to conrm us in our conviction of the very truth which he denies. The Holy Ghost told us, by the pen of Peter, that it would be so; and now we see how truly he wrote." (Spurgeon) ! b.!Will come in the last days: In a sense, the!last days!began when Jesus ascended into heaven. Since that time, we haven't rushed towards the precipice of the consummation of all things; but we have run along side that edge - ready to go anytime at God's good

pleasure. ! i. "With the advent of Jesus the last chapter of human history had opened, though it was not yet completed." (Green) ! c.!Walking according to their own lusts: These words remind us that scoffers do not only have an intellectual problem with God and His word. They also have a clear!moral!problem, wanting to reject the Lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives. ! d.!Where is the promise of His coming?!This is the message of scoffers. In the thinking of these scoffers, Christians have talked about Jesus coming for two thousand years and He still hasn't come back yet. ! e.!All things continue as they were from the beginning of creation: The!scoffers!base their message on the idea that things have always been the way they are right now, and that God has not and will not do anything new in His plan for creation. ! i. "The argument of the false teachers is essentially a naturalistic one - a kind of uniformitarianism that rules out divine intervention in history." (Blum) ! 3. (5-7) The error of scoffers. !

For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

a.!For this they willfully forget: The scoffers presume upon the mercy and longsuffering of God, insisting that because they have never seen a widespread judgment of God, that there will never be one. But!they willfully forget!God's creation and the judgment God poured out on the earth in the days of Noah. ! i. A literal belief in Creation, in Adam and Eve, and in Noah's Flood are essential for a true understanding of God's working both then and now. To deny these things undermines the very foundations of our faith. Sadly, today it is many Christians who!willfully forgetthese things, thereby putting themselves in the place of scoffers. ! b.!That by the word of God the heavens were of old: The Bible clearly teaches that the active agent in creation was God's!word. He spoke and creation came into being. ! c.!The world that then existed perished, being ooded with water: Peter's point is that things on this earth have not always continued the way they are now. The earth was different when God rst created it and then it was different again after the ood. Therefore no one should scoff at God's promise that He will make it different once again, judging it not with water but with re. The same!word of God!that created all matter and judged the world in the ood will one day bring a judgment of re upon the earth. ! i. "The lesson taught by the ood was this is a moral universe, that sin will not for ever go unpunished; and Jesus himself used the ood to point to this moral (Matthew 24:37-39). But these men chose to neglect it." (Green) ! 4. (8-10) Truths that scoffers deny but God's people cling to. !

But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should

perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

a.!That with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day: What seems like forever for us is but a short time for God, just as an hour may seem to be an eternity for a child but a moment for an adult. ! i. Peter quoted this idea from Psalm 90:4:!For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night.!"All time is as nothing before him, because in the!presence!as in the!nature!of God all is!eternity; therefore nothing is!long, nothing!short, before him; no!lapse!of ages impairs his purposes." (Clarke) ! ii. "All things are equally near and present to his view; the distance of a thousand years before the occurrence of an event, is no more to him than would be the interval of a day. With God, indeed, there is neither past, present, nor future. He takes for his name the 'I AM.' . . . He is the I AM; I AM in the present; I AM in the past and I AM in the future. Just as we say of God that he is everywhere, so we may say of him that he is always; he is everywhere in space; he is everywhere in time." (Spurgeon) ! iii. Peter did not give some prophetic formula, saying that a prophetic day somehow equals a thousand years. He instead communicated a general principle regarding how we see time and how God sees time. When people use this verse as a rigid prophetic key it opens the door for great error. ! iv. "God sees time with a!perspective!we lack; even the delay of a thousand years may well seem like a day against the back-cloth of eternity. Furthermore, God sees time with an!intensity!we lack; one day with the Lord is like a thousand years." (Green) ! b.!The Lord is not slack concerning His promise: The truth is that God!will!keep His

promise, and without delay according to His timing. Any perceived delay from our perspective is due to the!longsuffering!of God, who allows man as much time as possible to repent. ! i. Many of those who are Christians today are happy that Jesus didn't return ten years, or ve years, or two years, or one year, or even two months ago. There is a compassionate purpose in God's timing. ! c.!Not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance: Peter here revealed some of God's glorious heart. The reason why Jesus' return isn't sooner is so that!all should come to repentance, because God is!not willing that any should perish. ! i. We understand that God is!not willing that any should perish!not in the sense of a divine decree, as if God has!declared!that no sinners will perish. Rather, Peter's statement reects God's heart of love for the world (John 3:16), and His compassionate sorrow even in the righteous judgment of the wicked. ! ii. It is the same thought as expressed in Ezekiel 33:11:!As I live, says the Lord!GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. ! iii. "So wonderful is his love towards mankind, that he would have them all to be saved, and is of his own self prepared to bestow salvation on the lost." (Calvin) ! iv. "As God is!not willing that any should perish, and as he is!willing that all should come to repentance, consequently he has never devised nor decreed the damnation of any man, nor has he rendered it impossible for any soul to be saved." (Clarke) ! d.!But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night: Though the Lord's longsuffering love to the lost makes it seem that perhaps He delays His coming, the truth is that He will indeed come. And when Jesus does return, He will come at a time that will surprise many (as a thief in the night). The ultimate result of His coming will be a total transformation of this present world (in which the heavens will pass away with a great

noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat). ! i. God!could!destroy the earth again as He did in the days of the ood. "There is still!water!enough to drown the earth, and there isiniquity!enough to induce God to destroy it and its inhabitants." (Clarke) Yet God has promised to deal with this world with!re, notooding. ! B. Living in light of the last days and God's promise. ! 1. (11-13) Holy and godly living in anticipation of a new created order. !

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

a.!Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be: In light of the fact that this world order and the things associated with it will be dissolved, we should live our lives seeking rst the Kingdom of God and its righteousness - that is, having holy conduct and godliness. ! i. We tend to think that the world is more enduring and will last longer than!people. This is not true, and Peter reminds us of it.People!will live into eternity, longer than even the earth. !

ii.!Will be dissolved: "They will all be!separated, all!decomposed; but none of them!destroyed." (Clarke) "The solar system and the great galaxies, even space-time relationships, will be abolished . . . All elements which make up the physical world will be dissolved by heat and utterly melt away. It is a picture which in an astonishing degree corresponds to what might actually happen according to modern theories of the physical universe." (Bo Reicke, cited in Green) ! iii. "This world, so far as we know, will not cease to be; it will pass through the purifying ame, and then it may be the soft and gentle breath of Almighty love will blow upon it and cool it rapidly, and the divine hand will shape it as it cools into a paradise more fair." (Spurgeon) ! iv.!What manner of persons ought you to be: "The king is coming; he is coming to his throne, and to his judgment. Now a man does not go up to a king's door, and there talk treason; and men do not sit in a king's audience-chamber when they expect him every moment to enter, and there speak ill of him. The King is on his way, and almost here; you are at his door; he is at yours. What manner of people ought ye to be? How can ye sin against One who is so close at hand?" (Spurgeon) ! b.!Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God: Peter says there is a sense in which we can!hasten!the Lord's coming. It's remarkable to think that we can actually!do!things that will affect the return of Jesus. In the immediate context, Peter says that we hasten the Lord's coming by our!holy conduct and godliness. ! i. We can also hasten the Lord's coming through!evangelism. Paul said that God's prophetic focus on Israel will resume when thefullness of the Gentiles has come in!(Romans 11:25). ! ii. We can also hasten the Lord's coming through!prayer. Even as Daniel asked for a speedy fulllment of prophecy regarding captive Israel (Daniel 9), we can also pray "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20). ! c.!Because of which the heavens will be dissolved: Peter tells us that the very elements of this world order!will be dissolved. God will genuinely make a!new heavens and a new earth, even as Isaiah promised:!For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind!(Isaiah 65:17).

! d.!A new earth in which righteousness dwells: The most glorious characteristic of this new heaven and new earth is that it is a placein which righteousness dwells. In God's plan of the ages, this happens after the millennial earth ruled by Jesus Christ. ! i. It is the re-creation of this world order as described in Revelation 21:1: "Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the rst heaven and the rst earth had passed away." ! 2. (14-15a) Keep diligent and do not despise the longsuffering of God. !

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;

a.!Looking forward to these things, be diligent: If our hearts are really set on the glory of the new heaven and new earth, we will endeavor to walk godly in regard to our brothers and sisters (in peace) and in regard to God (without spot and blameless). ! b.!The longsuffering of our Lord is salvation: It is easy for Christians to sometimes resent the!longsuffering of God; after all, it in some sense delays His coming. Yet,!the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation!for others, and it is salvation for us. ! i. "We are puzzled at the longsuffering which causes so weary a delay. One of the reasons is that we have not much longsuffering ourselves. We think that we do well to be angry with the rebellious, and so we prove ourselves to be more like Jonah than Jesus. A few have learned to be patient and pitiful to the ungodly, but many more are of the mind of James and John, who would have called re from heaven upon those who rejected the Savior. We are in such a hurry." (Spurgeon) !

3. (15b-16) A note regarding the letters of the Apostle Paul. !

As also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

a.!As also our beloved brother Paul: It is fashionable for some critics to say that the Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul aren't in agreement. These same critics also often say that Peter and Paul aren't in agreement with Jesus. Yet here Peter afrmed Paul's teaching in the warmest terms. He called Paul!beloved!and said that Paul wrote with!wisdom. ! i. This praise from Peter is even more wonderful when we remember that at one time Paul publicly rebuked Peter for public compromise (Galatians 2:11-21). ! b.!In which are some things hard to understand: Though Peter praised Paul's ministry, he admitted that some things in Paul's writings were!hard to understand, and those who were!untaught and unstable!could use some of the difculties to their own ends, twisting Scripture. ! c.!Twist . . . the Scriptures: Peter reminds us that the Scriptures!can be!twisted. Just because someone quotes the Bible doesn't mean that they teach Biblical truth. It's possible that they!twist . . . the Scriptures. That is why we should be like the Bereans, who "searched the Scriptures daily to nd out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). ! i. "It is worthy of remark that Paul's epistles are ranked among the!Scriptures; a term applied to those writings which are divinely inspired, and to those only." (Clarke) !

ii. "I may just add that the verb [twist], which the apostle uses here, signies to!distort, to!put to the rack, to!torture, to!overstretch, and!dislocate the limbs; and hence the persons here intended are those who proceed according to no fair plan of interpretation, butforce unnatural!and!sophistical meanings!on the word of God." (Clarke) ! iii.!Destruction: "Peter is very rm. The action of the false teachers in twisting Paul to justify their own libertinism and rejection of the parousia is so serious as to disqualify them from salvation." (Green) ! 4. (17-18) Conclusion. !

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

a.!Since you know this beforehand: We, who know of the Day of the Lord and await it with patient expectation, must persevere lest we!fall from your own steadfastness. We must take care to keep abiding in Jesus. ! i. "In order that they might know how to stand, and to be preserved from falling, he gave them this direction: 'grow in grace;' for the way to stand is to grow; the way to be steadfast is to go forward. There is no standing except by progression." (Spurgeon) ! b.!But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ: We prevent a!fall from your own steadfastness!by a continual growth in!grace and knowledge of!Jesus. !

i.!Grace!is not merely the way God draws us to Him in the beginning. It is also the way we grow and stay in our!steadfastness. We can never grow apart from!the grace and knowledge of our Lord, and we never grow out of God's grace. ! ii. "But you will remark that our text does not say anything about grace growing; it does not say that grace grows. It tells us to 'grow in grace.' There is a vast difference between grace growing and our growing in grace. God's grace never increases; it is always innite, so it cannot be more; it is always everlasting; it is always bottomless; it is always shoreless. It cannot be more; and, in the nature of God, it could not be less. The text tells us to 'grow in grace.' We are in the sea of God's grace; we cannot be in a deeper sea, but let us grow now we are in it." (Spurgeon) ! iii. We must also grow in our!knowledge!of Jesus Christ. This means knowing more!about!Jesus, but more importantly,!knowing Jesus!in a personal relationship. ! c.!To Him be the glory: When we are this ready and this steadfast in the!grace and knowledge of our Lord, it gives God glory. ! i. Spurgeon noted that this second letter of Peter ends on "two trumpet blasts." One is from heaven to earth:!grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The other is from earth to heaven:!To Him be the glory both now and forever. ! ii.!Amen: This nal word in not included in all ancient manuscripts of 2 Peter, yet it is appropriate for a letter afrming the truth in the face of the danger of false prophets and scoffers. We can say there are four meanings to "Amen": ! ! ! ! ! ! iii. Under the law,!Amen!was only said at the declaration of the!curses!(Deuteronomy It expresses the!desire of the heart. It expresses the!afrmation of our faith. It expresses the!joy of the heart. It expresses the!declaration of resolution.

27:14-26). Under the New Covenant, we say "Amen" at the announcement of a great blessing and praise to God. ! Adam Clarke added this insightful postscript to Second Peter: ! "We have now passed over all the canonical writings of Peter that are extant; and it is worthy of remark that, in no place of the two epistles already examined, nor in any of this apostle's sayings in any other parts of the sacred writings, do we nd any of the!peculiar!tenets of the Romish Church: not one word of!his!or the!pope's supremacy; not one word of those of affect to be his!successors; nothing of the!infallibilityclaimed by those pretended successors; nothing of!purgatory,!penances,!pilgrimages,!auricular confession,!power!of the!keys,!indulgences,extreme unction,!masses, and!prayers for the dead; and not one word on the most essential doctrine of the Romish Church,transubstantiation." (Clarke) ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

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1 John 3 - The Love of God and the Life of Love

! A. The destiny of our relationship with God. ! 1. (1) The glory of God's love. !

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

a.!Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!!Having just mentioned being!born of Him, John speaks in amazement about this!manner of love!that makes us!children of God. He wants us to!behold!it - that is, look at it and study it intently. ! i. It is of great benet to the Christian to take a good, intense look at the love of God!bestowed on us. ! ii.!Bestowed on us!speaks many things. First, it speaks of the!measure!of God's love to us; it could more literally be translatedlavished on us. Secondly, it speaks of the!manner!of God's giving of love;!bestowed!has the idea of a one-sided giving, instead of a return for something earned. ! iii. What is it that makes us slow to believe the love of God? Sometimes it is!pride, which demands to prove itself worthy of the love of God before it will receive it. Sometimes it is!unbelief, which cannot trust the love of God when it sees the hurt and pain of life. And sometimes it just takes!time!for a person to come to a fuller understanding of the greatness of God's love. ! iv.!Behold!means that God wants to!see!this love and He is not ashamed to show it to us. " 'There,' he says, 'you poor people that love me you sick people, you unknown, obscure people, without any talent, I have published it before heaven and earth, and made the angels know it, that you are my children, and I am not ashamed of you. I glory in the fact that I have taken you for my sons and daughters.' " (Spurgeon) ! b.!That we should be called children of God: The greatness of this love is shown in that by it, we are!called children of God. As God looked down on lost humanity, He might have merely had a charitable compassion, a pity on our plight, both in this life and in eternity. With a mere pity, He might have set forth a plan of salvation where man could be saved from hell. But God went far beyond that, to call us the!children of God. ! i. Who calls us the children of God? ! ! The Father does ("I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,

says the!LORD!Almighty,"!2 Corinthians 6:18) ! The Son does (He is not ashamed to call them brethren, Hebrews 2:11)

! The Spirit does (The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16) ! ii. There is a sense in which this is a totally "unnecessary" blessing that God gives in the course of salvation, and a demonstration of His true and deep love for us. We can picture someone helping or saving someone, but not going so far as to make them a part of the family - but this is what God has done for us. ! iii. In this, we gain something in Jesus Christ greater than Adam ever possessed. We never once read of Adam being called one of the!children of God!in the sense John means here. He was never adopted as a son of God in the way believers are. We err when we think of redemption as merely a restoration of what was lost with Adam; we are granted more in Jesus than Adam ever had. ! iv. If we are truly!children of God, then it should show in our likeness to our Father and in our love for our "siblings." ! v. It is important to understand what it means to be the!children of God, and that everyone is not a child of God in the sense John meant it here. God's love is expressed to all in the giving of Jesus for the sins of the world (John 3:16), but this does not make all of humanity the!children of God!in the sense John means it here. Here he speaks of those who have!received!the love of Jesus in a life of fellowship and trust with Him;!But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name!(John 1:12). ! c.!Therefore the world does not know us: Because of our unique parentage from God, we are strangers to this world (or should be). ! i. This shows the great danger of a Christianity that works so hard to show the world just how much like the world they can be; we can not be surprised or offended to nd out that!the world does not know us.

! d.!Because it did not know Him: Ultimately, we should expect the world to treat us as it treated!Him!- rejecting Jesus and crucifying Jesus. While it is true that Jesus loved sinners and they, recognizing that love, ocked to Him, we must also remember that it was the world that cried out!crucify Him! ! 2. (2) The destiny of God's children. !

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

a.!Now we are children of God: Our present standing is plain. We can know, and have an assurance, that we are indeed among thechildren of God. Romans 8:16 tells us,!The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. If you are a child of God, you have an inward assurance of this. ! b.!It has not yet been revealed what we shall be: Though our present standing is plain, our future destiny is clouded. We don't know in the kind of detail we would like to know what we will become in the world beyond. In this sense, we can't even imagine what we will be like in glory. ! i. "What we are does not now appear to the world; what we shall be does not yet appear to us." (Stott) ! ii. "If I may use such an expression,!this is not the time for the manifestation of a Christian's glory.!Eternity is to be the period for the Christian's full development, and for the sinless display of his God-given glory. Here, he must expect to be unknown; it is in the hereafter that he is to be discovered as a son of the great King." (Spurgeon)

! c.!We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is: We are not left completely in the dark about our future state. When Jesus is revealed to us, either by His coming for us or our coming to Him,!we shall be like Him. ! i. The Bible speaks of God's great plan for our lives like this:!For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the rstborn among many brethren!(Romans 8:29). God's ultimate goal in our lives is to make us like Jesus, and here, John speaks of the fulllment of that purpose. ! ii. This does not mean that we cease to be ourselves, full of the distinct personality and character God has given us. Heaven will not be like the Nirvana of Eastern mysticism, where all personality is dissolved into God like a drop into the ocean. We will still be ourselves, but our character and nature will be perfected into the image of Jesus' perfection. We will not be "clones" of Jesus in heaven! ! iii. The Christian should long to be like Jesus, yet remember that God will never force a person to be like Jesus if he doesn't want to. And that is what hell is for: people who don't want to be like Jesus. The sobering, eternal truth is this: God gives man what he really wants. If you really want to be like Jesus, it will show in your life now, and it will be a fact in eternity. If you don't really want to be like Jesus, it will also show in your life now, and it will also be a fact in eternity. ! iv.!We!shall be!like Him: This reminds us that even though we grow into the image of Jesus now, we still have a long way to go. None of us will be nished until we see Jesus, and only then truly!we shall be like Him. ! d.!We shall see Him as He is: Perhaps this is the greatest glory of heaven: not to be personally gloried, but to be in the unhindered, unrestricted, presence of our Lord. ! i. Paul said of our present walk,!For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known!(1 Corinthians 13:12).!Today, when we look in a good mirror, the image is clear. But in the ancient world, mirrors were made out of polished metal, and the image was always unclear and somewhat distorted. We see Jesus now only in a dim, unclear way, but one day we will

see Him with perfect clarity. ! ii. Heaven is precious to us for many reasons. We long to be with loved ones who have passed before us and whom we miss so dearly. We long to be with the great men and women of God who have passed before us in centuries past. We want to walk the streets of gold, see the pearly gates, and see the angels round the throne of God worshipping Him day and night. However, none of those things, precious as they are, make heaven really "heaven." What makes heaven, heaven, is the unhindered, unrestricted, presence of our Lord, and to!see Him as He is!will be the greatest experience of our eternal existence. ! iii. What will we see when we see Jesus? Revelation 1:13-16 describes a vision of Jesus in heaven:!He was dressed in a long robe with a golden![breastplate]; His head and His hair were white as snow-white wool, His eyes blazed like re, and His feet shone as the nest bronze glows in the furnace. His voice had the sound of a great waterfall, and I saw that in His right hand He held seven stars. A sharp two-edged sword came out of His mouth, and His face was ablaze like the sun at its height. (J.B. Phillips translation) This isn't the same Jesus who walked this earth, looking like a normal man. ! iv. At the same time, we know that in heaven, Jesus will still bear the scars of His suffering on this earth. After Jesus rose from the dead in His gloried body, His body uniquely retained the nail prints in His hands and the scar on his side (John 20:24-29). In Zechariah 12:10, Jesus speaks prophetically of the day when the Jewish people, turned to Him, see Him in glory:!then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a rstborn. Zechariah 13:6 continues the thought:!And one will say to him, "What are these wounds between your arms?" Then he will answer, "Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends." ! e.!We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is: John made the connection between seeing!Him as He is!and our transformation to be like Jesus. We can say that the same principle is at work right now. To the extent that you see Jesus!as He is, to that same extent, you are like Him in your life. ! i. We can say that this happens by!reection. "When a man looks into a bright mirror, it makes him also bright, for it throws its own light upon his face; and, in a much more wonderful fashion, when we look at Christ, who is all brightness, he throws some of his brightness upon us." (Spurgeon)

! 3. (3) Knowing our destiny puries our lives right now. !

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

a.!Everyone who has this hope in Him puries himself: Knowing our eternal destiny, and living in!this hope!will purify our lives. When we know our end is to be more like Jesus, it makes us want to be more like Jesus right now. ! i. Having the anticipation of being with Jesus, of the soon coming of Jesus Christ, can have a marvelous purifying effect in our lives. It makes us want to be ready, to be serving Him now, to be pleasing Him now. ! b.!This hope in Him: Ultimately, our hope is not in heaven or in our own glory in heaven. Our hope is!in Him. We must never set our hope on other things; not on a relationship, on success, on mutual fund, on your health, on your possessions, or simply just on our self. Our only real hope is!in Him. ! B. Sin: An Attack on Relationship. ! 1. (4-5) The nature of sin and Jesus' work in removing our sin. !

Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

a.!Sin is lawlessness: John denes sin at its most basic root. It is a disregard for the law of God, which is inherently a disregard for the law!Maker, God Himself. ! i. We often fail in the battle against sin because we won't call it for what it is: lawlessness, an offense against the Great Law Maker, God. Instead, we say things like "If I've done anything wrong . . ." or "Mistakes were made . . ." and so forth. Call it for what it is: sin and lawlessness. "The rst step towards holy living is to recognize the true nature and wickedness of sin." (Stott) ! b.!You know that He was manifested to take away our sins: John here dened the mission of Jesus Christ at its most basic root -!to take away our sins. The angel Gabriel promised Joseph regarding the ministry of Jesus:!you shall call His name!JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sin!(Matthew 1:21). ! i. Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the!penalty!of our sin. This is immediately accomplished when one comes by faith to Jesus. ! ii. Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the!power!of sin away. This is an ongoing work in the lives of those who walk after Jesus. ! iii. Jesus takes away our sin in the sense of taking the!presence!of sin away. This is a work that will be completed when we pass into eternity and are gloried with Jesus. ! c.!He was manifested to take away our sins: This is the work of Jesus in our life. It is a work we must respond to, but it is!His!work in us. ! i. We cannot!take away!the!penalty!of our own sin. It is impossible to cleanse ourselves in this way. We must instead receive the work of Jesus in taking away our sin. ! ii. We cannot!take away!the!power!of sin in our lives. This is His work in us, and we

respond to that work. Someone who comes to Jesus does not have to clean himself up rst, but he must be willing to have Him!take away!his sin. ! iii. We cannot!take away!the!presence!of sin in our lives. This is His work in us, ultimately accomplished when we will be gloried with Him. ! d.!In Him there is no sin: Jesus had no sin to take away; therefore, He could take away our sin, taking it upon Himself. ! 2. (6) Abiding in sin or abiding in God. !

Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

a.!Whoever abides in Him does not sin: Since!sin is lawlessness, a disregard for God (1 John 3:4), and since Jesus came!to take away our sins!(1 John 3:5), and since in Jesus!there is no sin!(1 John 3:5), then to!abide in Him!means to!not sin. ! i. It is very important to understand what the Bible means - and what it does not mean when it says!does not sin. According to the verb tense John uses,!does not sin!means!does not live a life style of habitual sin. John has already told us in 1 John 1:8!If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. The grammar of 1 John 3:6 indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. John is not teaching here the possibility of sinless perfection. ! ii. "The present tense in the Greek verb implied habit, continuity, unbroken sequence" (Stott); the NIV has the right idea when it translates these verbs with phrases such as!keeps on sinning,!continues to sin, and!he cannot go on sinning. !

b.!Whoever abides in Him does not sin: John's message is plain and consistent with the rest of the Scriptures. It tells us that a life style of habitual sin is inconsistent with a life of abiding in Jesus Christ. A true Christian can only be!temporarily!in a life style of sin. ! i. Paul's teaching in Romans 6 is a great example of this principle. He shows us that when a person comes to Jesus, when his sins are forgiven and God's grace is extended to him, he is radically changed - the old man is dead, and the new man lives. So it is utterly incompatible for a new creation in Christ to be comfortable in habitual sin; such a place can only be temporary for the Christian. ! ii. In some ways, the question is not "Do you sin or not?" We each sin. The question is, "How do you react when you sin? Do you give into the pattern of sin, and let it dominate your lifestyle? Or do you humbly confess your sin, and do battle against it with the power Jesus can give?" ! iii. This is why it is so grieving to see Christians make excuses for their sin, and not humbly confess them. Unless the sin is dealt with squarely, it will contribute to a pattern of sin that may soon become their lifestyle - perhaps a secret lifestyle, but a lifestyle nonetheless. ! iv. What is important is that we never sign a "peace treaty" with sin. We never wink at its presence or excuse it by saying, "Everybody has his own sinful areas, and this is mine. Jesus understands." This completely goes against everything we are in Jesus, and the work He has done in our life. ! c.!Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him: To live a lifestyle of habitual sin is to demonstrate that you have not!seen Him!(in a present sense of the ultimate "seeing Him mentioned in 1 John 3:2), and that you have not!known Him. There are some people so great and so wonderful that seeing them or knowing them will change your life forever. Jesus is that kind of person. ! 3. (7) Righteousness will show in a person's life. !

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices

righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

a.!Let no one deceive you: This tells us that John wrote against a deception threatening the Christians of his day. ! b.!He who practices righteousness is righteous: John did not allow us to separate a!religious!righteousness from a life of righteousness. If we are made righteous by our faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 3:22), it will be seen by our righteous lives. ! i. The most important thing a person can ever do is make sure he is!righteous!before God. This simply means he is held in!right standing!before God. It's more than saying, "not guilty." It is more like saying, "Not guilty and in right standing." It speaks of the presence of good, not just the absence of evil. ! ii. John is!not!saying that we are made righteous before God by our own righteous acts the Bible clearly teaches that we are made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ - yet that righteousness in Jesus will be evident in our lives. ! iii. Apparently, there were those who taught that you could be righteous before God with no evidence of righteousness in your life - John is rebuking this idea. Charles Spurgeon said it well: "The grace that does not change my life will not save my soul." ! c.!Just as He is righteous: We can live lives characterized by!righteousness, not sin, because we have been given the righteousness of Jesus, and!He is righteous. We have the resource we need to live righteously! ! 4. (8-9) The root of sin and the root of righteousness. !

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was

manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

a.!He who sins is of the devil: People who are settled in habitual sin are not the children of God - they are!of the devil, and Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil and free us from our bondage to the devil. ! i. "Well, labor under no mistake, sir. 'He that committeth sin is of the devil.' It is no use making excuses and apologies; if you are a lover of sin, you shall go where sinners go. If you, who live after this fashion, say that you have believed in the precious blood of Christ, I do not believe you, sir. If you had a true faith in that precious blood, you would hate sin. If you dare to say you are trusting in the atonement while you live in sin, you lie, sir; you do not trust in the atonement; for where there is a real faith in the atoning sacrice, it puries the man, and makes him hate the sin which shed the Redeemer's blood." (Spurgeon) ! b.!For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil: John gave us one reason why Jesus came in 1 John 3:5 (He was manifested to take away our sins). Now, John gives us another reason:!that He might destroy the works of the devil. ! i. We can just imagine the heart of God grieving over the destruction the devil has wrought over this earth, and grieving that man has allowed the devil to do it all. Jesus came to put a stop to all that by overcoming the devil completely by His life, His suffering, His death, and His resurrection. ! ii. Note the purpose of Jesus: to!destroy the works of the devil. Not to neutralize them, not to alleviate them, or not to limit them. Jesus wants to!destroy!the works of the devil! ! iii. Many people are unnecessarily afraid of the devil, fearing what he could do against them. If they only knew that as we walk in Jesus, the devil is afraid of us! As we walk in

Jesus, we help in seeing Him!destroy the works of the devil! ! c.!Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him: The change from being!of the devil!to beingchildren of God!comes as we are!born of God; when this happens, our old nature, patterned after the instinctive rebellion of Adam, dies and we are given a new nature, patterned after the instinctive obedience of Jesus Christ. ! i. John here is simply emphasizing what it means to be!born again. It means that a!change!comes into our lives - it is a change that will be worked out into every area of our lives as we grow in Christ, but it is a real, observable change. ! ii. It is the same message Paul preached, saying that as believers we are to!put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and that we are to!put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness!(Ephesians 4:22, 24). ! d.!Does not sin . . . he cannot sin:!Does not sin!and!cannot sin!each has the same verb tense as!does not sin!in 1 John 3:6, meaning a continual practice of habitual sin. John tells us that when we are born again - born into the family of God - there is a real change in our relation to sin. ! C. Hatred: An Attack on Relationship. ! 1. (10) Two essentials: righteous conduct and love for the brethren. !

In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, noris he who does not love his brother.

a.!The children of God and the children of the devil: John has already introduced the

idea of being a child of God (1 John 3:1,!that we should be called the children of God!and 1 John 3:9,!born of God). He has already written of some being!of the devil!(1 John 3:8). But here, he makes it plain: some are!children of God!and some are!children of the devil. ! i. John doesn't spend time trying to prove or explain the existence of the devil. He knows the reality of the devil is a Biblical fact. Some today lack John's wisdom and either deny the devil's existence or they are obsessed with the devil. ! ii. Some might think John is far too harsh in saying some are!children of the devil, supposing perhaps that John did not love people as Jesus did. But Jesus called people!children of the devil!also in John 8:41-45. In this passage, Jesus' point was important, establishing the principle that our spiritual parentage determines our nature and our destiny. If we are born again, and have God as our Father, it will show in our nature and destiny. But whether our father is Satan or Adam, it will also show in our nature and destiny - just as it showed in these adversaries of Jesus. ! b.!Are manifest: John gave a simple - though not easy - way to identify who the!children of God and the children of the devil!are.Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. ! i. Both of these are essential. Righteousness without love makes one a religious Pharisee, and love without righteousness makes one a partner in evil. ! ii. How do righteousness and love "balance"? They don't. We are never to love at the expense of righteousness, and are never to be righteous at the expense of love. We aren't looking for a balance between the two, because they are not opposites. Real love is the greatest righteousness, and real righteousness is the greatest love. ! iii. Love and righteousness are each most perfectly displayed in the nature of Jesus. He was both righteous, and completely loving. ! 2. (11) The need to love one another.

For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

a.!This is the message that you heard from the beginning: John had already emphasized the command to love as being!the word which you heard from the beginning!(1 John 2:7). In remembering this message to!love one another, he remembered the command of Jesus in John 13:34. ! b.!That we should love one another: The basic Christian message has not changed. Perhaps some have thought that because Christians talk about a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ" that it is only us and Jesus who matter. But how we treat others - how we!love one another!- really matters before God. ! 3. (12) An example of hatred: Cain. !

Not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.

a.!Not as Cain: As a negative example, John presents Cain, who was not right with God (his works were evil) and who hated his brother. When there are two children of God who are both right with God, there!will!be love. ! b.!Who was of the wicked one: Cain is a good example of the failure to love. ! i. We can presume that Cain had a godly upbringing that should have equipped him to

love, but he chose not to. ! ii. Cain's disobedience came from a lack of faith (Hebrews 11:4) which resulted in rst disobedience, then hatred. ! iii. Cain's disobedience and hatred was based in pride (Genesis 4:5). ! iv. Cain's disobedience and hatred made him miserable (Genesis 4:5). ! v. Cain refused the warning God gave him, and gave into the sin of hatred (Genesis 4:6-7). ! vi. Cain's sin of hatred led to action against the one he hated (Genesis 4:8). ! vii. Cain was evasive about his sin of hatred, and tried to hide it. But God found him out (Genesis 4:9). ! 4. (13-15) Love as the evidence of the new birth. !

Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

a.!Do not marvel: We shouldn't be surprised when the world hates us; but we should be surprised when there is hatred among the body of Christ. ! b.!We know: John insists that the believer can come to a place of genuine assurance. "I have, heard it said, by those who would be thought philosophers, that in religion we must believe, but cannot know. I am not very clear about the distinction they draw between knowledge and faith, nor do I care to enquire; because I assert that, in matters relating to religion, we!know; in the things of God, we both believe and know." (Spurgeon) ! c.!We know that we have passed from death to life: A love for the people of God is a basic sign of being born again. If this love is not evident in our lives, our salvation can be questioned. If it is present, it gives us assurance. ! i. We can know we have!passed from death to life!by our love for other Christians. The place of hatred, of jealousy, of bitterness you nd yourself in is a place of!death. You need to pass!from death!over!to life. ! ii. This means knowing two things. First,!we know!that we were dead. Second,!we know!that we have passed to life from death. To pass!from death to life!is the reverse of the normal. We all expect to pass from life to death; but in Jesus, we can turn it around. ! iii. This speaks to our pursuit of fellowship. If we love the brethren, we will want to be with them - and even if we have been battered and bruised by unloving brethren, there will still be something in us drawing us back to fellowship with the brethren we love. ! iv. "Do you love them!for Christ's sake?!Do you say to yourself, 'That is one of Christ's people; that is one who bears Christ's cross; that is one of the children of God; therefore I love him, and take delight in his company'? Then, that is an evidence that you are not of the world." (Spurgeon) ! d.!Whoever hates his brother is a murderer: To hate our brother is to murder him in our hearts. Though we may not carry out the action (through cowardice or fear of punishment), we!wish!that person dead. Or, by ignoring another person, we may!treat!them as if they were dead. Hatred can be shown!passively!or!actively.

! i. John seemed to have in mind the teaching of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount regarding the true fulllment of the law (Matthew 5:21-22). ! ii. "In the heart there is no difference; to hate is to despise, to cut off from relationship, and murder is simply the fulllment of that attitude." (Barker) ! iii. "Every man who hates another has the venom of murder in his veins. He may never actually take the deadly weapons into his hand and destroy life; but if he wishes that his brother were out of the way, if he would be glad if no such person existed, that feeling amounts to murder in the judgment of God." (Spurgeon) ! e.!You know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him: To live in the practice of murder - or to have a life style of the habitual hatred of our brethren - is a demonstration that we do not have!eternal life abiding in!us, that we are not born again. ! i. There are many people for whom being a Christian is a "none of the above" sort of thing. They consider themselves Christians because they are not Moslems, or Jewish, or Buddhists, or atheists. But being a Christian is never a "none of the above" kind of thing. ! ii. Being a Christian is more than saying, "I am a Christian." There are in fact some who claim to be Christians who are not. How can we know if we are one of these? John's reply has been constant and simple. There are three tests to measure the proof of a genuine Christian: the truth test, the love test, and the moral test. If we believe in what the Bible teaches as true, if we show the love of Jesus to others, and if our conduct has been changed and is becoming more like Jesus, then our claim to be a Christian can be proven true. ! D. What love is and how we should love one another. ! 1. (16) The objective reality of love and how it shows in our life. !

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

a.!By this we know love: What is love? How we dene love is important. If we dene love the wrong way, then everyone passes, or no one passes, the love test. To understand the Biblical idea of love, we should begin by understanding the vocabulary of love among the ancient Greeks, who gave us the original language of the New Testament. ! i.!Eros!was one word for love. It described, as we might guess from the word itself,!erotic!love. It referred to sexual love. ! ii.!Storge!was the second word for love. It referred to family love, the kind of love there is between a parent and child, or between family members in general. ! iii.!Philia!is the third word for love. It spoke of a brotherly friendship and affection. It is the love of deep friendship and partnership.Philia!love might be described as the highest love that one is capable of without God's help. ! iv.!Agape!is the fourth word for love. It described a love that loves without changing. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when it is rejected.!Agape!love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given - it gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive. ! v. Many people confuse the four loves, and end up extremely hurt as a result. Often a person will tell another, "I love you" meaning one kind of love, but the other person believes he means another kind of love. Often a man has told a woman, "I love you," when really he had a selsh love towards her. Sure, there were strong feelings in the heart - but they were feelings that!wanted!something from the other person. !

vi. "It's true you can say to a girl, 'I love you,' but what you really mean is something like this: 'I want something. Not you, but something from you. I don't have time to wait. I want it immediately.' . . . This is the opposite of love, for love wants to give. Love seeks to make the other one happy, and not himself." (Walter Trobisch in!I Loved a Girl, cited by Boice) ! b.!By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us: Real love isn't merely "felt" as an inward feeling; it is also shown by demonstration - and the ultimate demonstration was the giving of Jesus on the cross. ! i. The exact same idea was expressed by Paul in Romans 5:8:!But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ! ii. It isn't the death of Jesus in!itself!that is the ultimate demonstration of love; it is the death of Jesus together with!what it does for us!that shows the epitome of love. If I am on a pier, and a man jumps in the water and drowns, and cries out with his last breath, "I'm giving my life for you!" I cannot really comprehend that act as an act of love - it just seems strange. But if that same man jumps in the water to save me from drowning, and gives his own life that I may survive, then I can fully understand how the giving of his life was a great act of love. ! iii. In a sermon titled "The Death of Christ for His People," Charles Spurgeon drew three points from this great sentence: ! ! ! ! ! c.!By this we know love: There is a real sense in which we would not!know!what love was all about if not for the work of Jesus on the cross. We have an innate ability to pervert the true meaning of love, and pursue all kinds of things under the guise of looking for love. ! How great must have been our sins. How great must have been His love. How safe the believer is in the love of Christ.

i. Nature can teach us many things about God. It can show us His wisdom, His intelligence, and His mighty power. But nature, in and of itself, does not teach us that God is a God of love. We needed the death of God the Son, Jesus Christ, to ultimately demonstrate that. ! ii. David Scott Crother died of AIDS in early 1993, but not before he infected his unnamed partner, who pressed charges against Crother. The woman said in an interview: "This is not an assault. It is murder . . . All I wanted is someone to love me, and now I'm going to die for that. I don't think I should have to die for that." We all have that craving for love, but we look for it in the wrong ways and in the wrong places. ! d.!And we also: Since we are sent with the same mandate Jesus was sent with, we must demonstrate our love by laying!down our lives for the brethren. Jesus' words!As the Father sent Me, I also send you!(John 20:21) seem to be ringing in John's ears. ! i. Stott on!laid down!and!lay down: "It seems to imply not so much the laying!down!as the laying!aside!of something like clothes . . . It is, in fact, used in John 13:4 of Christ taking off his outer garment." [Italics added] ! e.!We also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren: The focus here is on loving!the brethren. Of course, we are also called to love our enemies and those who hate us (Matthew 5:44), but John calls us to a more basic test - if we can't even love our!brethren, what kind of Christians are we? ! f.!Lay down our lives: John also reminds us that love, and its demonstration, often involves!sacrice!- the laying down of our lives for others.!Wishing!to be more loving won't do, because it won't sacrice where it is necessary. ! i. And if we take the analogy from Jesus' love for us, sometimes the cost of love will make us feel like we are!dying!- but that is what it means to!lay down!your life. "Love means saying 'No' to one's own life so that somebody else may live." (Marshall) ! ii. We often consider ourselves ready to!lay down!our lives in one great, dramatic, heroic gesture; but for most of us, God calls us to lay down our lives piece by piece, little by

little in small, but important ways every day. ! iii. Simply put, John is telling us to do the same thing we read of in Philippians 2:3-4:!Let nothing be done through selsh ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. ! 2. (17-18) What it means to love in real life. !

But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

a.!Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth: John will not allow us to merely!talk!about love; real love is demonstrated in actions (though it is also often evident in our feelings). ! b.!And shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?!If you have the capability to meet a brother's needs, and do nothing to meet those needs, then how can you say you love that brother? How!does the love of God abide in!you? ! i. " Here is a test of this love; if we do not divide our bread with the hungry, we certainly would not lay down our life for him. Whatever love we may pretend to mankind, if we are not charitable and benevolent, we give the lie to our profession." (Clarke) ! ii. What is the limit to this kind of love? The only limit is the one that love itself imposes. When giving to a person, meeting his perceived or immediate need, does him harm instead of good - then the loving thing to do is to!not!give him what he asks for, but to give him what he really needs instead.

! c.!My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth: We can substitute talk for love - talking about meeting people's needs instead of actually meeting them. ! i. Stott quoting Lewis: "It is easier to be enthusiastic about Humanity with a capital 'H' than it is to love individual men and women, especially those who are uninteresting, exasperating, depraved, or otherwise unattractive. Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular." ! 3. (19-21) The assurance this love brings. !

And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

a.!Assure our hearts: When we see this love at work in our lives, we can know that we are!of the truth!- and this brings assurance to our hearts before God, that we are standing in Him. ! i. Gayle Erwin tells a wonderful story about a man he knew when he was a boy. The man's name was Jake, and he was the meanest, drunkest, man in town. He would come to church from time to time, but that was only to beat up the elders. One Wednesday night, Jake came to church - but not to beat anybody up. Remarkably, Jake gave his life to Jesus. He walked down the aisle of the little church and kneeled down at the altar. The next night there was another meeting at the church, and the pastor asked if anyone wanted to share what God was doing in their lives. Jake stood up, and said: "I have something to say. Last night when I came here, I hated you people." Heads nodded in agreement. "But something happened to me and I don't understand this, but tonight I love you." And even though he only had one tooth, he smiled really big. This is a wonderful assurance that we

are born again. ! ii. Assurance is essential - who wants to wait until it is too late to know if they are really saved or not? ! b.!And shall assure our hearts before Him: Our assurance is two-fold. First, God!already!knows everything about you and He loves you, He cares for you, He desires you; second, God!knows all things, and knows who we truly are in Jesus Christ. If we are born again, than the!real!self is the one created in the image of Jesus Christ. ! c.!For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things: But what if we have been walking in love, yet our heart still condemns us before God? John assures us that!God is greater than our heart, and so reminds us that we cannot base our relationship with Him purely on how we!feel!in His presence. ! i. Condemnation can well up inside us that has nothing to do with our standing before God. It may be the work of the enemy of our souls (who, according to Revelation 12:10 accuses the brethren), or the work of an over-active conscience. At those times, we trust in what God's Word says about our standing, not how we feel about it. ! ii. "Sometimes our heart condemns us, but, in doing so, it gives a wrong verdict, and then we have the satisfaction of being able to take the case into a higher court, for 'God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.' " (Spurgeon) ! d.!Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have condence toward God: Yet, when we are in fellowship with God, and!our heart does not condemn us, we know that we can have condence toward God and our standing with Him. ! i. If someone is in true fellowship with God - not deceiving oneself, as mentioned in 1 John 1:6 - then the assurance that comes to his heart while fellowshipping with God is a precious thing. It is what Paul spoke about in Romans 8:16 -!The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. !

e.!We have condence toward God: How precious is the!condence!we can have in Jesus Christ! There is such a thing as a false condence, a condence in self or in illusions; but there is also a glorious!condence!we can have in Jesus. ! i. "The word rendered!condence!stood in ancient Greece for the most valued right of a citizen of a free state, the right to 'speak his mind' . . . unhampered by fear or shame." (Barker citing Dodd) ! 4. (22) Fellowship in God's love means the assurance of answered prayer. !

And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

a.!Whatever we ask: The person who walks in the kind of obedience and love John speaks of will also experience answered prayer. This is not because their love and obedience has!earned!them what they ask, but their love and obedience comes from fellowship - the key to answered prayer. ! i. John seems to be quoting Jesus' idea from John 15:7 -!If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. ! b.!Because we keep His commandments: Keeping God's commandments is important to answered prayer. But we should make a distinction between the prayer of the man who is saved, and the cry of the heart seeking mercy from God in Jesus. For the sinner who comes to Jesus in prayer, seeking mercy, the only requirement is sincerity of heart. God does not demand our obedience!before!He saves us. ! i. The key to prayer is being in such close fellowship with God that we ask for the things that are on!His!heart; we take up His agenda with our requests and intercession.

! ii. The spirit of true prayer is!Thy will be done, not!My will be done!- we turn to prayer to call into action what God desires; even knowing that some of the things God desires will directly and personally benet us. ! c.!And do those things that are pleasing in His sight: The person who is in fellowship with God will want to!do those things that are pleasing in His sight. We should have hearts that just want to please the Lord in everything that we do. ! i. It is sobering to look at our lives and see how much we do to please ourselves and how much we do to please the Lord. We shouldn't think that the two are opposites; God is gloried when we enjoy His goodness and His good things. Yet, the godly life will have special focus on just pleasing God, even if it doesn't particularly please us at the moment. ! 5. (23-24) The commandment of Jesus. !

And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

a.!And this is His commandment: The idea of keeping!His commandments!in the previous verse led John to speak specically about what!His commandment!is. Simply, that!we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. ! i. Here, John does not refer to these two aspects of obedience as two commandments, but as one!commandment. Grammatically, he may not be ofcially correct, but spiritually, he is right on. These two are one. When Jesus spoke of the greatest commandment:You shall love the!LORD!your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your

mind, He added another saying:!And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"!(Matthew 22:37-39). There are two commandments, but they are clearlylike!one another. ! b.!We should believe on the name of His Son: Again, John seems to have quoted Jesus' idea from John 6:29:!This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent. The rst commandment and the greatest work we can do, is to believe on Jesus. ! i. This is not simply believing that Jesus is, or even believing that He did certain things such as die on a cross. To!believe on the name of!Jesus means to put your belief!on!Jesus in the sense of trusting in Him, relying on Him, and clinging to Jesus. It isn't about intellectual knowledge or understanding, it is about!trust. ! c.!And love one another: The second commandment is also a quoting of Jesus' idea from John 15:12:!This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. The love of the brethren is not an option for some Christians; it is a commandment for all. ! d.!Abides in Him: Those who abide in Jesus!know!they are abiding in Jesus, because of the presence and assurance of the Holy Spirit. John again is giving the same idea as Romans 8:16 (The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God). ! i. Romans 8:9 tells us that anyone who belongs to Jesus has the Spirit in him; that indwelling Holy Spirit gives us assurance. You can't be abiding in Jesus and not know it, though you may be attacked with doubt from time to time. ! ii. The one who does!not!keep God's commandments does not have the ground of condence that he abides in Jesus. As well, he does not truly have the assurance of the Holy Spirit's presence in his life. ! iii. To know if you really have this assurance can take spiritual discernment, and that is what John deals with in the very next verse. But God has already given us another basis for assurance: seeing if we love one another (1 John 3:19).

! ! !

2013 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Revelation 3 - Jesus' Letters to the Churches (Continued)

! A. To the church at Sardis ! 1. (1a) The character of the city of!Sardis. !

And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

a.!The church in Sardis: At the time Jesus spoke these words to John, the ancient city of!Sardis!had seen its best days and had started to decline. Yet it was a wealthy city, situated at the junction of several important roads and trade routes. The connection between!Sardis!and money - easy money - was well known in the ancient world. ! i. "It is of interest to note that the rst coinage ever to be minted in Asia Minor was minted in Sardis in the days of Croesus. These roughly formed electrum staters were the beginning of money in the modern sense of the term. Sardis was the place where modern money was born." (Barclay) ! b.!Sardis: This city was also a city well known for its softness and luxury. It had a welldeserved reputation for apathy and immorality. In Sardis there was a large, stately temple to the mother goddess, Cybele. From the ruins of that temple we can see that its main columns were 60 feet (20 meters) high and more than 6 feet (2 meters) in diameter. This mother goddess was honored and worshipped with all kinds of sexual immorality and impurity. !

c.!Sardis: The combination of easy money and a loose moral environment made the people of!Sardis!notoriously soft and pleasure loving. "The great characteristic of Sardis was that, even on pagan lips, Sardis was a name of contempt. Its people were notoriously loose-living, notoriously pleasure-and luxury loving. Sardis was a city of the decadence." (Barclay) ! i. This softness, this lack of discipline and dedication, was the doom of!Sardis!on a few different occasions. The Greek historian Herodotus tells the story of the fall of Sardis in days of Cyrus. King Cyrus came to Sardis, and found the position of the city ideally suited for defense. There seemed to be no way to scale the steep cliff walls surrounding the city. He offered a rich reward to any soldier in his army who could gure out a way to get up to the city. One solider studied the problem carefully, and as he looked he saw a soldier defending Sardis drop his helmet down the cliff walls. He watched as the soldier climbed down a hidden trail to recover his helmet. He marked the location of the trail and led a detachment of troops up it that night. They easily climbed the cliffs, came to the actual city walls and found them unguarded. The soldiers of Sardis were so condent in the natural defenses of their city they felt no need to keep a diligent watch, so the city was easily conquered. Curiously, the same thing happened almost 200 years later when Antiochus attacked and conquered the overcondent city that didn't set a watch. ! ii. "Although the situation of the city was ideal for defense, as it stood high above the valley of Hermus and was surrounded by deep cliffs almost impossible to scale, Sardis had twice before fallen because of overcondence and failure to watch. In 549!B.C.!the Persian King Cyrus had ended the rule of Croesus by scaling the cliffs under the cover of darkness. In 214!B.C.!the armies of Antiochus the Great (III) captured the city by the same method." (Walvoord) ! 2. (1b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Sardis. !

These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars:

a.!These things says He: As Jesus described Himself, He used terms that emphasized His character as the Master of every spiritual power and authority. The repetition of the number!seven!helped indicate this because!seven!is the number of!completeness!in the Bible. Therefore, Jesus holds the fullness of the Spirit of God, and the fullness of the

church. ! b.!He who has the seven Spirits of God: Jesus has the fullness of the Holy Spirit in Himself, and He!has!the Holy Spirit in fullness to give to the Church. ! c.!And the seven stars: Jesus also has the fullness of the church in His hand. We know the!seven stars!represent the churches because of what Jesus said in Revelation 1:20:!The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and through these letters, when Jesus speaks to the!angels of the seven churches, He speaks not to one individual, but to the entire church through that individual. ! 3. (1c) What Jesus knows about the Christians of Sardis. !

I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive,

a.!I know your works: As Jesus said to each church, He also said to Sardis. What a church!is!and what a church!does!is never hidden from Jesus. ! b.!That you have a name that you are alive: Jesus knew the church at Sardis had!a name!- that is, a!reputation!- of life and vitality. If you looked at the church of Sardis, you would see signs of life and vitality. In the church of Sardis, like the city of Sardis, everything seemed alive and good. ! i. "We are not to get the impression that Sardis was a defunct affair with the building a wreck, the members scattered, the pastor ready to resign. It was a busy church with meetings every night, committees galore, wheels within wheels, promotion and publicity, something going on all the time. It had a reputation of being a live, wide-awake, going concern." (Havner) !

4. (1d) What Jesus has!against!the church at Sardis. !

But you are dead.

a.!Dead: Despite their reputation of life, Jesus saw them for what they really were.!But you are dead!shows that a good reputation is no guarantee of true spiritual character. Despite their good appearance, Jesus saw them as!dead. ! b.!Dead: This indicates no struggle, no ght, no persecution. It wasn't that the church at Sardis was!losing!the battle. A!dead!body haslost!the battle, and the ght seems over. In this letter Jesus didn't encourage the Christians in Sardis to stand strong against persecution or false doctrine, probably because there simply!wasn't!a signicant danger of these things in Sardis. Being!dead, the church in Sardis presented no signicant threat to Satan's domain, so it wasn't worth attacking. ! i. Sardis was "A perfect model of inoffensive Christianity." (Caird) Their problem was not scandalous wickedness, but a decent death. Their image said "alive," but in substance they were dead. ! ii. "The church of Sardis was at peace - but it was the peace of the dead." (Barclay) ! 5. (2-4) What Jesus wants the church at Sardis to do. !

Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You

have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

a.!Be watchful: This rst instruction from Jesus told them they need to examine and protect, strengthening what they have.!The things which remain!tells us that though the spiritual condition of the church of Sardis was bad, it wasn't hopeless. Spiritually, there werethings which remain!that could be strengthened. Jesus had not given up on them, and though it was late (that are ready to die) it was not!too!late. ! i. In its history, the city of Sardis was easily conquered twice before. It wasn't that the attacking armies overwhelmed Sardis, but because overcondence made them stop being!watchful. The spiritual state of the church in Sardis was a reection of the city's historical character. ! b.!I have not found your works perfect before God: This shows that their!works, though present, had not measured up to God's standard. The!presence!of!works!isn't enough because God requires a particular intent and purpose in all of our!works. They should be done with a heart and in a manner that show them to be!perfect before God. ! i. Clarke on!I have not found your works perfect: "They performed duties of all kinds, but not duty!completely. They were constantly beginning, but never brought anything to a proper end." ! c.!Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent: What they must do was to!remember!how they rst!received and heard!the Word of God. Then they must!hold fast!to those things, and!repent!by turning and restoring the gospel and apostolic doctrine to authority over their lives. ! i. Paul described in 1 Thessalonians 2:13 the kind of reception of the word they needed to remember:!For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who

believe. ! d.!Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief: Jesus warned them of the great danger in failing to watch. If they ignored His command to!be watchful, then Jesus would come upon them!as a thief, at a time completely unexpected. ! i.!I will come upon you: How would Jesus!come upon!them? He could!come!in the sense bringing immediate judgment. Or, He could!come!in the sense of His coming at the rapture of the church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). Used in either sense, it showed He might come suddenly and unannounced, so they must!!be watchful. ! ii. Winston Churchill said to Britain in the early days of World War II: "I must drop one word of caution, for next to cowardice and treachery, overcondence leading to neglect and slothfulness, is the worst of wartime crimes." (cited in Bunch) ! e.!You have a few names even in Sardis who have not deled their garments: Even among the dead Christians in Sardis, there was a faithful remnant, but only a!few names. In Pergamos (Revelation 2:14) and in Thyatira (Revelation 2:20) there were a few bad among the good; in Sardis there were!a few!good among the bad. ! i.!Even in Sardis:!Even!shows that in some ways it was remarkable that there were!a few names!still faithful to the Lord. It may have been remarkable because of the city's notoriously immoral reputation.!Even!in a city that wicked, some among the Christians had not deled themselves by joining in sin. ! ii.!Who have not deled their garments: Jesus referred to!deled garments!because in the heathen worship of the day, the pagan gods could not be approached with dirty clothes. The analogy works for the worship of Jesus because He gives His people white garments. ! iii. "As sin is expressed under the notion of nakedness, so holiness is expressed under the notion of a garment." (Poole) !

f.!And they shall walk with Me in white: Jesus also promised that these pure ones would!walk with Me. This picture of close fellowship and friendship is seen in Enoch, who!walked with God; and he was not, for God took him!(Genesis 5:24). ! i. Of course, the garments Jesus gives are always!white. Sardis was a church that was!dead!because of!sinful compromise. They needed to receive and walk in the pure,!white!garment that Jesus gives.!White!was also the color of triumph to the Romans, so thewhite!garments spoke of the believer's ultimate triumph in Jesus. ! ii.!Walk with Me: This is the greatest reward Jesus can give His followers. The Christians in Sardis who forsook the sinful compromise of their city would be rewarded with a closer, more intimate walk with Jesus. This reward is ultimately a better motivator than the fear of punishment or ruin from our sin. ! iii. The pure can have greater intimacy with God not because they have!earned!it, but because they are simply more interested in the things of God. God promises to reward that interest:!Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!(Matthew 5:8). ! iv. "But what shall be done with such persons as live in the church, but are not of it, having a name to live, but are dead? What shall be done with mere professors who are not possessors? What shall become of those who are only outwardly religious but inwardly are in the gall of bitterness? We answer, as good Calvin did once: 'They shall walk in black, for they are unworthy.' They shall walk in black - the blackness of God's destruction. They shall walk in black - the blackness of hopeless despair. They shall walk in black - the blackness of incomparable anguish. They shall walk in black - the blackness of damnation. They shall walk in black for ever, because they were found unworthy." (Spurgeon) ! 6. (5) A promise of a reward. !

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before

His angels.

a.!He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments: Jesus identied the overcomers with those!few names!who have notdeled their garments!(Revelation 3:4). These overcomers would wear!white garments, received from Jesus. ! i. The difference between the dead majority with imperfect works (but who had a good reputation) and the!few names!who pleased God was!purity, and the closeness with Jesus that is always related to purity. The deadness and spiritual facade of most of the Christians in Sardis was related to their impure lives, their embrace of the impurity and sin of the world around them. It's hard to say if the deadness came before the impurity or the impurity came before the deadness, but they were surely related. ! ii. Jesus explained the absolute necessity of this being clothed by God with His garments of purity and righteousness in His parable of the wedding feast (Matthew 22:11-14). Real righteousness is receiving God's covering instead of trying to cover ourselves. Adam and Eve tried to cover their own sin (Genesis 3:21) but God provided them with a covering that came from sacrice (Genesis 3:7). ! b.!And I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life: By this, the overcomers were assured of their heavenly citizenship. In the ancient world, death or a criminal conviction could!blot out!the name of an ancient citizen from the city's book of the living, which was the city register. ! i. "In ancient times cities kept a register of their citizens; and when a man died, his name was removed from the register. The risen Christ is saying that, if we wish to remain on the roll of the citizens of God, we must keep our faith amingly alive." (Barclay) ! c.!Blot out his name from the Book of Life: Does this mean that someone can lose their salvation? That someone is saved one day - their name is in!the Book of Life!- and another day, they have fallen away and their name has been blotted out!from the Book of Life? We need to rst see the context here in Revelation 3:5. The focus is!assurance, so we should not think that names are being constantly erased and then rewritten. The focus here is not the idea that Jesus sits in heaven with a busy eraser. At the same time, we

should carefully consider what the Word has to say about the Book of Life. ! i. There is a!Book of Life, and it will be opened and referenced on the Day of Judgement. This means that the Book of Life is!real, and will be!read. ! And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (Revelation 20:12) ! ii. There is a!Book of Life, and it determines if we go to heaven or hell. This means that the Book of Life is!important. ! And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of re. (Revelation 20:15) ! iii. There is a!Book of Life, and knowing our names are written there should bring us great joy. ! Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20) ! iv. There is a!Book of Life, and there are ve different references to people being blotted out of the book. This means that the!idea of being blotted out of the Book of Life should be taken seriously. Perhaps it is only a symbol, and that person's name was never there to begin with. Even if that is the case,!the Lord still wants us to take it seriously, because there are some who!by every human appearance!are saved, yet will not be in heaven. ! Moses said to the Lord:!Yet now, if You will forgive their sin; but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written. (Exodus 32:32) ! And the!LORD!said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My

book."!(Exodus 32:33) ! Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous. (Psalm 69:28) ! He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5) ! And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelation 22:19) ! v. A good example of how we should take this warning seriously is the life of a man named Charles Templeton. A generation ago he was deeply involved in the foundations of Youth for Christ and impacted the nation for Jesus. Many people received Jesus at his meetings, and Mr. Templeton was an associate with Billy Graham in the early years. Nevertheless, he renounced his belief in Jesus, renounced even his belief in God, and said he was an atheist. Charles Templeton totally renounced his early confessions of faith and wanted to "rescue" the people he once brought to Jesus. Obviously, this man - in his present, apostate state - is not going to heaven and did not want to. One may long debate if he was ever saved or if he lost his salvation, but at the end of the debate there are two conclusions. First, at one time - by all human appearance - he was saved. Second, he didn't honor the warnings of the Bible telling us to keep walking, to keep trusting, and to keep persevering in the faith. ! vi. In the genealogies of the Bible there are two books mentioned. ! ! ! ! Being born of Adam doesn't guarantee that our name is written in the Book of Life. Being born again - born of Jesus Christ - gives us that assurance. The book of the generation of Adam!(Genesis 5:1) The book of the generation of Jesus Christ!(Matthew 1:1)

! d.!But I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels: This was an amazing promise. It simply makes sense that we should be willing to confess the name of Jesus, but it is amazing that He would not be ashamed to confess us! ! i. It is important for us to accept Jesus. But it is far more important to know if Jesus accepts us. ! 7. (6) A general exhortation to all who will hear. !

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

a.!Let him hear: We must all hear what the Spirit says to the church at Sardis. It is easy to drift in sleepy apathy towards spiritual death, especially when you have a good reputation. Still, there is always hope for the dead church because Jesus knows how to raise the dead. ! b.!What the Spirit says to the churches: Sardis teaches us that we must beware of our success. The city was wealthy and knew easy living, but it made them soft and spoiled. Sardis also teaches us that we be watchful at our strongest points. Sardis thought it was unconquerable, and so it was conquered. Where we say "I would never do that" is the exact place we must guard against. ! i. The British Field Marshal Montgomery used to say, "One man can lose me a battle." One corrupt or disobedient Christian can lose a battle for an entire church. First, they can lose a battle simply through their own point of failure. Second, they can lose a battle because they lead others into their same sin. Finally, they can lose a battle because they foster a spirit of accommodation to sin in the other members of the church. One man can lose a battle! !

B. Jesus' letter to the church at Philadelphia. ! 1. (7a) The character of the city of!Philadelphia. !

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

a.!Philadelphia: The name means!brotherly love, and this city was the youngest of the seven cities, and was originally founded as a missionary outpost for Hellenism, the culture of ancient Greece. ! i. "The original purpose behind this key city was to make it a center for spreading Greek language, culture and manners throughout the Asian provinces." (Hocking) ! ii. "Philadelphia had been built with the deliberate intention that it might become a missionary city. Beyond Philadelphia lay the wilds of Phrygia and the barbarous tribes; and it was intended that the function of Philadelphia should be to spread the Greek language, the Greek way of life, the Greek civilization, throughout the regions beyond." (Barclay) ! iii. The city gained its name after its founder - Attalus the Second - who was nicknamed!Philadelphos. ! b.!Philadelphia: This was a!prosperous!city. "Philadelphia commanded one of the greatest highways in the world, the highway which led from Europe to the East. Philadelphia was the gateway from one continent to another." (Barclay) ! c.!Philadelphia: This city was also known for beautiful buildings (it was called the "little Athens") and her earthquakes, which required frequent evacuations. !

i. "To walk through its temple-scattered streets was to be reminded of Athens, the center of worship of the Olympian gods." (Barclay) ! 2. (7b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Philadelphia. !

These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens":

a.!These things says He who is holy, He who is true: Jesus reminded the church in Philadelphia that He was!holy!and!true. These do not describe "tendencies" within Jesus, but His very being. They also show that Jesus is Yahweh, because He alone is!holy!in an absolute sense. ! i. There are two ancient Greek words that we might translate!true. One means "true!and not!false." The other means "true!and notfake." The ancient Greek word used here for!true!(alethinos) is the second, with the idea of "real" or "genuine." Jesus is!true!in all of who He is; He is the!real!God and the!real!man. ! b.!He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: Jesus showed He is also the keeper of the keys and doors. In this quotation from Isaiah 22:20-23, Jesus expressed His power and authority, especially to admit and exclude. ! 3. (8) What Jesus knows about the church of Philadelphia. !

I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My

name.

a.!I know your works: Jesus said this to each of the seven churches. The church at Philadelphia had served God well in difcult circumstances, and Jesus knew it. ! b.!I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it: The church in Philadelphia had an!open door!set before them. Often, an!open door!speaks of evangelistic opportunity (1 Corinthians 16:9, 2 Corinthians 2:12, and Colossians 4:3). Jesus told them He had opened the!door!of evangelistic opportunity, and they must go through that door in faith. ! i. In its history, Philadelphia had a great "evangelistic" calling. The city had the mission of spreading Greek culture and language through the whole region. Now Jesus opened the door for the Christians of Philadelphia to spread the culture of His kingdom through the whole region. ! ii. Jesus told them to!see!that they had this!open door. Sometimes God sets an!open door!of evangelistic opportunity in front of us, but we don't!see!it. A man once came to Spurgeon and asked how he could win others to Jesus. Spurgeon asked him, "What are you? What do you do?" ! The man said, "I'm an engine driver on a train." ! "Then," said Spurgeon, "Is the man who shovels coal on your train a Christian?" ! "I don't know," said the man. ! "Go back," said Spurgeon, "and nd out and start on him." !

iii. Once we!see!the!open door, we then have to!walk through it. God wants us to take every evangelistic opportunity that He gives us. ! iv. There may be another sense to this!open door. It seems Christians in Philadelphia were excluded from the synagogue (Revelation 3:9). The!open door!may also speak of their opportunity to enter God's kingdom in contrast with exclusion from the synagogue. ! c.!And no one can shut it: The emphasis is on unhindered openness. There is nothing that can keep them from their access to this door. Since Jesus is!He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens!(Revelation 3:7), He had the authority to keep this door open for the Christians in Philadelphia. ! i. "David could!shut!or!open!the kingdom of Israel to whom he pleased. He was not bound to leave the kingdom even to his eldest son. He could choose whom he pleased to succeed him. The kingdom of the Gospel, and the kingdom of heaven, are at the disposal of Christ." (Clarke) ! ii. God opens doors for ministry and ministers today. "I would like to bear witness that I have proved this Philadelphian promise of the open door through years of ministry and it has never failed. Promotion does not come from the south, east, or west, but from God; and if we commit our way unto Him and trust Him, He will bring it to pass . . . God's man is not dependent on religious talent scouts nor is his ministry in the hand of ecclesiastical ofcials. His headquarters is heaven and his itinerary is made up by the Lord of the Open Door." (Havner) ! iii. Because Jesus has opened the door, He gets the glory for it. "Neither wealth or inuence, neither promotional schemes nor the eloquence of its pulpit, nor the harmonies of its musicians can give it an effective ministry. The Lord alone has opened the door; the Lord alone 'giveth the increase.' " (H. Morris) ! d.!For you have a little strength: The term!a little strength!does not imply weakness, but!real!strength. They were weak enough to be strong in the Lord. We can be "too strong" or "too big" or too sure of ourselves for God to really use us. The church in Philadelphia had the poverty of spirit to know they really needed God's strength. !

i. "It is not a matter of great strength, not great ability but great dependability. Samson had great ability but poor dependability. A little strength faithfully used means more than much strength ashily and tfully used." (Havner) ! ii. The Apostle Paul was a great example of this dynamic of weakness and strength. God's strength was made evident in his weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). ! e.!Have kept My word, and have not denied My name: The church in Philadelphia was faithful to Jesus and His word. The idea behind!have not denied My name!is not only that they expressed their allegiance to Jesus, but that they!lived!in a way that was faithful to the name and character of Jesus. ! i. Some churches that claim great faithfulness to the!word!of Jesus deny His!name!- His character. They represent the manner and style of Jesus as something very different from what the Bible shows. ! f. Look at the features of the church in Philadelphia: ! ! ! ! ! In some ways, these features seem unspectacular. They should be commonplace among churches. Yet Jesus was!completely!pleased with this church. He had!nothing!negative to say to the church at Philadelphia. ! i. "The church of Philadelphia is commended for keeping the Word of the Lord and not denying His Name. Success in Christian work is not to be measured by any other standard of achievement. It is not rise in ecclesiastical position. It is not the number of new buildings which have been built through a man's ministry. It is not the crowds that ock to listen to any human voice. All of these things are frequently used as yardsticks of success, but they are earthly and not heavenly measures." (Barnhouse) Evangelistic opportunity (I have set before you an open door) Reliance on God (You have a little strength) Faithfulness to Jesus (have kept My word, and have not denied My name)

! 4. (9-10) What Jesus will do for the Christians of Philadelphia. !

Indeed I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie; indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

a.!I will make those of the synagogue of Satan: Apparently, the Christians in Philadelphia were persecuted by Jewish people (the synagogue). However, these persecuting Jews were Jews in name only (who say they are Jews and are not, but lie). In fact, they had no spiritual connection to Abraham or to the people of faith. ! i. In this, Jesus did not speak against!all!Jewish people. It would be entirely wrong to speak of the Jewish people as a whole as!the synagogue of Satan!or those!who say they are Jews and are not. Jesus spoke of this specic group of Jewish people in Philadelphia who persecuted the Christians during that period. ! b.!I will make them come and worship before your feet: In this, Jesus promised that He would vindicate His people and make sure that their persecutors recognized they were wrong, and that Jesus and His followers were right. The idea is of vindication before selfrighteous "spiritual" persecutors. God promised that the church in Philadelphia would be vindicated before their persecutors. ! i. God promised Israel that Gentiles would honor them and acknowledge their God (Isaiah 45:14). Now the tables were somewhat turned, and these Jewish people "will play the role of the heathen and acknowledge that the church is the Israel of God." (Mounce)

! ii. 1 Corinthians 14:24-25 speaks of unbelievers falling down in the midst of Christians to worship God. This establishes that it wasn't Christians who were being worshipped, but God was worshipped in the!presence!of Christians. ! iii.!And to know that I have loved you: As those who were once their enemies worshipped along side them, they were destroyed as enemies. They now knew that Jesus had!loved!these people they once persecuted. The best way to destroy the enemies of the Gospel is to pray that God would change them into friends. ! iv. Persecuted people often long for justice against their persecutors (Revelation 6:10). A passage from a second century Christian shows this: "What sight shall wake my wonder, what my laughter, my joy and exultation? As I see all those kings, those great kings . . . groaning in the depths of darkness! And the magistrates who persecuted in the name of Jesus, liquefying in ercer ames than they kindled in their rage against the Christians!" (Tertullian, cited in Barclay) ! c.!I will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world: Jesus also promised them protection from thehour of trial!coming on the!whole world. ! i. Most Bible scholars see this!hour of trial!as a prophetic reference to the Messianic woes, the Great Tribulation, which precede Jesus' earthly kingdom. Jesus promised to!keep!these Christians from that!hour of trial. ! d.!To test those who dwell on the earth: The test is directed against!those who dwell on the earth. This phrase is used nine times in the Book of Revelation, and it speaks of those who are!not!saved in Jesus. Revelation 17:8 makes the term synonymous with the lost:And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. Thistest!is for!unbelievers, not Christians. ! i.!Those who dwell on the earth!"refers not to believers but to unbelievers who are objects of God's wrath" throughout Revelation. (Johnson) ! ii. Christians are different. Though we walk on this earth, our dwelling place is in heaven.

We have been seated in heavenly places in Jesus (Ephesians 2:6). We do not!dwell on the earth, our life is hidden in Jesus (Colossians 3:3). ! e.!Keep you from the hour of trial: Does this imply an!escape!before!the Great Tribulation, or does it promise!protection in!it? Each side believes this passage easily supports their position. ! i. Those who believe the church will be here on earth during this time of Great Tribulation focus on Jesus'!command to persevere, and say the context demands seeing this as protection that enables the faithful to!persevere!in the period. ! ii. Those who believe that Jesus will come for His church before this time of Great Tribulation note that protection is promised from the very!hour of trial, not just the trial itself. They also point to the worldwide, inescapable cataclysm predicted in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21 and Revelation chapters 6, 8-9, 16). ! iii. However,!persevere!is in the past tense, showing it is something that the Christians had already done before the!hour of trial, which has not yet come upon the world. The promise is a!reward!for past perseverance, not the!equipping!to persevere in the future. "As far as the Philadelphian church was concerned, the rapture of the church was presented to them as an imminent hope." (Walvoord) ! iv. In addition, the ones tested by this!hour of trial!are not primarily believers, but!those who dwell on the earth!- whose home is this earth, who are not citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20). ! 5. (11) What Jesus wants the church of Philadelphia to do. !

Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.

a.!Behold, I am coming quickly: First, the church at Philadelphia must remember that Jesus is!coming quickly, and they must prepare for His!coming. ! i. "The expression 'quickly' is to be understood as something which is sudden and unexpected, not necessarily immediate." (Walvoord) ! b.!Hold fast what you have: The church at Philadelphia must not depart from its solid foundation, as described in Revelation 3:8: ! ! ! ! ! These things can and must continue among the church in Philadelphia, but it will only happen as they!hold fast what!they!have. ! c.!That no one may take your crown: If they failed to!hold fast, their!crown!might be!given!to another. The idea is not that it might bestolen!by another, but!given. ! i. This was not a crown of royalty, given because of royal birth. This was a crown of victory. Jesus encouraged His saints to nish their course with victory, to "play the second half" just as strongly as they "played the rst half." ! ii. "Never forget that the man most likely to steal your crown is!yourself. 'Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life' (Proverbs 4:23). You are in no greater danger from anyone or anything than from yourself." (Havner) ! Evangelistic opportunity (I have set before you an open door) Reliance on God (You have a little strength) Faithfulness to Jesus (have kept My word, and have not denied My name)

6. (12) A promise of reward. !

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God. AndI will write on him My new name.

a.!He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar: Overcomers were told that they would be as a!pillar in the temple of My God. Pillars were pictures of strength, stability, and dignied beauty. ! i. The ancient city of Philadelphia suffered from frequent earthquakes. When a building collapsed in an earthquake often all that remained standing were the huge pillars. Jesus offers us this same strength, to remain standing in Him when everything around us crumbles. ! ii. The pillar holds up the building. The only thing supporting the pillar is the foundation. True pillars in the church support the church, and they look to Jesus as their support foundation. ! b.!He shall go out no more: The overcomer would have a place of permanence and stability with God, in contrast to an uncertain place in this world. ! i. "The citizens of Philadelphia lived an unsettled and tremulous life. Whenever the earthquake tremors came, and they came often, the people of Philadelphia ed from the city out into the open country, to escape the falling masonry and the ying stones which accompanied a severe earthquake shock. Then, when the earth was quiet again, they returned. In their fear the people of Philadelphia were always going out and coming in; they were always eeing from the city and then returning to it." (Barclay)

! c.!I will write on him the name of My God . . . I will write on him My new name: The overcomer also received many names - of God, the New Jerusalem, and the new name of Jesus. These names are marks of identication because they show who we belong to. They are marks of intimacy, because they show we are privileged to know Him in ways others are not. ! i. This works together well with the image of a!pillar. In the ancient world, having a special inscribed pillar added to one of the temples sometimes honored a faithful city servant or distinguished priest. "Philadelphia honored its illustrious sons by putting their names on the pillars of its temples, so that all who came to worship might see and remember." (Barclay) ! 7. (13) A general exhortation to all who will hear. !

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

a.!He who has an ear, let him hear: We all want to hear the praise and encouragement Jesus gave to the church at Philadelphia. If we will be like this church, we must stay on their foundation, which was Jesus' name and Jesus' word. We must also depend on their source of strength which was Jesus, not themselves. ! C. Jesus' letter to the church at Laodicea. ! 1. (14a) The character of the city of!Laodicea. !

And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,

a.!The church of the Laodiceans:!Laodicea!was an important, wealthy city, with a signicant Jewish population. Like other cities in the region, it was a center for Caesar worship and the worship of the healing god Asklepios. There was a famous temple of Asklepios in Laodicea, with a more famous medical school connected with the temple. ! i. After an earthquake devastated the region in!A.D.!60 Laodicea refused Imperial help to rebuild the city, successfully relying on their own resources. They didn't need outside help, they didn't ask for it, and they didn't want it. "Laodicea was too rich to accept help from anyone. Tacitus, the Roman historian, tells us: 'Laodicea arose from the ruins by the strength of her own resources, and with no help from us.' " (Barclay) ! b.!The church of the Laodiceans: Laodicea was also a noted commercial center, and some of its goods were exported all over the world. "It is frequently noted that Laodicea prided itself on three things: nancial wealth, an extensive textile industry, and a popular eye-salve which was exported around the world." (Mounce) ! c.!The church of the Laodiceans: One of their problems was a poor water supply that made Laodicea vulnerable to attack through siege. If an enemy army surrounded the city, they had insufcient water supplies in the city, and the supplies coming into the city could be easily cut off. Therefore, the leaders of Laodicea were always accommodating to any potential enemy, and always wanted to negotiate and compromise instead of ght. ! i. Their main water supply came on a six-mile aqueduct from the hot springs of Hierapolis. Because the water came from hot springs, it arrived unappetizingly lukewarm. ! d.!The church of the Laodiceans: The church at Laodicea is mentioned by Paul - in a somewhat unfavorable light - in Colossians 2:1 and 4:16. ! 2. (14b) Jesus describes Himself to the church at Laodicea. !

These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True

Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:

a.!These things says the Amen: Jesus is!the Amen, the "so be it," the "it is done." As 2 Corinthians 1:20 says,!For all the promises of God in Him are "Yes," and in Him "Amen."!Jesus is "the personication and the afrmation of the truth of God." (Barclay) ! b.!The Faithful and True Witness: This is Jesus, and this was a contrast to the Laodiceans, who will be shown to be neither faithful nor true. ! c.!Beginning of the creation of God: The idea behind the word for!beginning![the ancient Greek word!arche] is that of a "ruler, source, or origin," not of rst in a sequential order. This verse does!not!teach that Jesus was the rst being created, but that He is theruler, source,!and!origin!of all creation. It has the idea of!rst in prominence!more than!rst in sequence. ! 3. (15-16) What Jesus knows about the church of Laodicea. !

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

a.!You are neither cold nor hot: This picture of lukewarmness would immediately connect with the Christians of Laodicea because the water they drank every day was lukewarm. Jesus said, "Just as the water you drink is disgustingly lukewarm,!you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot." In this spiritual sense, lukewarmness is a picture of!indifference!and!compromise. It tries to play the middle, too hot to be cold and too cold to be hot. In trying to be both things, they end up being nothing - except to hear the words, "I will vomit you out of My mouth."

! i. Did Jesus mean to say that these Christians were intrinsically cold, but warmed up by their religious trappings? Or, that they were essentially hot, but cooled down by their apathy and self-reliance? Both are possible, but since He spoke to His church, there is an emphasis on the later. ! ii. Has there been a greater curse upon the earth than!empty!religion? Is there any soul harder to reach than the one who has just enough of Jesus to think they have enough? The church of Laodicea exemplies empty religion, and tax collectors and harlots were more open to Jesus than the scribes and Pharisees. ! iii. Satan will have us any way he can get us, but he prizes a lukewarm religionist far above a cold-hearted sinner. ! b.!I could wish that you were cold or hot: What Jesus wanted to change in them (and us) as much as anything is the deceptive playing of the middle, trying to please both the world and Jesus. ! i.!I could wish that you were cold or hot!also points to another aspect of lukewarmness, as a picture of!uselessness. "Hot water heals, cold water refreshes, but lukewarm water is useless for either purpose." (L. Morris) It was as if Jesus said, "If you were hot or cold I could do something with you. But because you are neither, I will do nothing." The lukewarm Christian has enough of Jesus to satisfy a craving for religion, but not enough for eternal life. ! ii. The thief on the cross was cold towards Jesus and clearly saw his need. John was hot towards Jesus and enjoyed a relationship of love; but!Judas!was lukewarm, following Jesus enough to be considered a disciple, yet not giving his heart over to Jesus in fullness. ! iii. Deep down, there is no one more miserable than the lukewarm Christian is. They have too much of the world to be happy in Jesus, but too much of Jesus to be happy in the world. ! iv. But how could Jesus say,!I could wish that you were cold? We know His deepest

desire is that they be!hot, with an on-re love for Him (see Revelation 3:19, where the word!zealous!is associated with this same word!hot). Yet if they would not be!hot, Jesuspreferred!cold!rather than!lukewarm. "So the Lord is saying, 'If instead of being lukewarm, you were so cold that should feel that coldness, then the very feeling of your need might drive you to the true warmth, but now in your lukewarmness, you have just enough to protect yourselves against a feeling of need.' " (Barnhouse) ! c.!Lukewarm: Such prayers mock God. "O my brethren and sisters, have you ever really thought what an insult it is to God when we come before him with lukewarm prayers? There stands the heavenly mercy-seat; the road to it is sprinkled with the precious blood of Jesus, yet we come to it with hearts that are cold, or we approach it leaving our hearts behind us. We kneel in the attitude of prayer, yet we do not pray. We prattle out certain words, we express thoughts, which are not our real desires, we feign wants that we do not feel. Do we not thus degrade the mercy-seat? We make it, as it were, a common loungingplace, rather than an awful wrestling-place, once besprinkled with blood, and often to be besprinkled with the sweat of our fervent supplication." (Spurgeon) ! d.!Lukewarm: Such lives turn people!away!from Jesus. "Now, lukewarm professor, what do worldlings see in you? They see a man, who says he is going to heaven, but who is only travelling at a snail's pace. He professes to believe that there is a hell, yet he has tearless eyes, and never seeks to snatch souls from going down into the pit. They see before them one who has to deal with eternal realities, yet he is but half awake; one who professes to have passed through a transformation so mysterious and wonderful that there must be, if it is true, a vast change in the outward life as the result of it; yet they see him as much like themselves as can be. He may be morally consistent in his general behavior, but they see no energy in his religious character." (Spurgeon) ! i. "The careless worldling is lulled to sleep by the lukewarm professor, who, in this respect, acts the part of the syren to the sinner, playing sweet music in his ears, and even helping to lure him to the rocks where he will be destroyed. This is a solemn matter, beloved. In this way, great damage is done to the cause of truth; and God's name and God's honor are compromised by inconsistent professors. I pray you either to give up your profession, or to be true to it. If you really are God's people, then serve him with all your might; but if Baal be your god, then serve him. If the esh be worth pleasing, then serve the esh; but if God be Lord paramount, then cleave to him." (Spurgeon) ! e. The name!Laodicea!means "rule of the people." This church well represents a church run by majority rule instead of God. "Its name designates it as the Church of mob rule,!the democratic Church, in which everything is swayed and decided by popular

opinion, clamour and voting." (Seiss) ! i. This is reected in Jesus' address to the church:!the church of the Laodiceans!(Revelation 3:14). For the other churches, it was!the church of Ephesus!(Revelation 2:1) or!the church in Smyrna!(Revelation 2:8) or!the church in Sardis!(Revelation 3:1). But here, it isthe church of the Laodiceans. ! ii. We might even say that lukewarmness is the natural tendency of our fallen natures. "Alas, this state of lukewarmness is so congenial with human nature that it is hard to fetch men from it. Cold makes us shiver, and great heat causes us pain, but a tepid bath is comfort itself. Such a temperature suits human nature. The world is always at peace with a lukewarm church, and such a church is always pleased with itself." (Spurgeon) ! f.!Because you are lukewarm: In his sermon!An Earnest Warning against Lukewarmness, Spurgeon described the!lukewarm!church: ! ! They have prayer-meetings, but there are few present, for they like quiet evenings home ! When more attend the meetings they are still very dull, for they do their praying very deliberately and are afraid of being too excited ! They are content to have all things done decently and in order, but vigor and zeal are considered to be vulgar ! They may have schools, Bible-classes, preaching rooms, and all sorts of agencies; but they might as well be without them, for no energy is displayed and no good comes of them ! They have deacons and elders who are excellent pillars of the church, if the chief quality of pillars be to stand still, and exhibit no motion or emotion ! The pastor does not y very far in preaching the everlasting Gospel, and he certainly has no ame of re in his preaching ! The pastor may be a shining light of eloquence, but he certainly is not a burning light of grace, setting men's hearts on re ! Everything is done in a half-hearted, listless, dead-and-alive way, as if it did not matter much whether it was done or not

! Things are respectably done, the rich families are not offended, the skeptical party is conciliated, and the good people are not quite alienated: things are made pleasant all around ! The right things are done, but as to doing them with all your might, and soul, and strength, a Laodicean church has no notion of what that means ! They are not so cold as to abandon their work, or to give up their meetings for prayer, or to reject the gospel ! i. "They are neither hot for the truth, nor hot for conversions, nor hot for holiness, they are not ery enough to burn the stubble of sin, nor zealous enough to make Satan angry, nor fervent enough to make a living sacrice of themselves upon the altar of their God. They are 'neither cold nor hot.' " (Spurgeon) ! g.!I will vomit you out of My mouth: How are churches in the mouth of Jesus? ! ! ! ! i. What a terrible thing - in either of these ways - to be expelled from the mouth of Jesus! ! 4. (17) What Jesus has!against!the church of Laodicea. ! They are in His mouth because they spread His Word They are in His mouth because He prays for them constantly

Because you say, "I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing"; and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked;

a.!You say, "I am rich and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing."!The church at Laodicea lacked a sense spiritual poverty. They looked at their spiritual condition and said "rich." They looked again and said "wealthy." They looked a third

time and said, "We!have need of nothing." They were the opposite of!blessed are the poor in spirit!Jesus spoke of in Matthew 5:3. ! i. The Laodiceans put their trust in material prosperity, in outward luxury, and in physical health. They felt like they didn't need anything. "The loss of a sense of need, as the drowsiness that besets a freezing man, is fatal." (Newell) ! ii. "The cause of Christ has been hurt more by Sunday-morning bench-warmers who pretend to love Christ, who call Him Lord but do not His commands, than by all the publicans and sinners." (Havner) ! b.!And do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked: It wasn't that the church at Laodicea wasn't spiritually poor - they were, they were simply!blind!to it. Jesus looked at their spiritual condition and said, "wretched." He looked again and said, "miserable." A third time Jesus looked and said, "poor." He looked again and said, "blind." A nal time Jesus looked and He saw that they were spiritually!naked. ! i. The city of Laodicea was famous for its wealth, but the Christians of the city were spiritually!wretched, miserable,!and!poor. Laodicea was famous for its healing eye salve, but the Christians of the city were spiritually!blind. Laodicea was famous for its ne clothing, but the Christians of the city were spiritually!naked. ! ii. The contrasts are shocking: ! ! ! The contrast between what they think they are and what they really are The contrast between what they see and what Jesus sees

! The contrast between the wealth and afuence of their city and their own spiritual bankruptcy ! c.!You are: This wasn't just the!opinion!of Jesus. Spiritually speaking, they were!wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. What Jesus saw in them was more important than how they saw themselves. The church in Smyrna thought they were poor

when they were really rich (Revelation 2:9), but the church of the Laodiceans believe they are rich when they are really poor. ! i. We might say that it all began with their spiritual blindness. If you are blind, you can't look at yourself and see that you arewretched, miserable, poor . . . and naked. Mental darkness is worse than a loss of sight; but a loss of spiritual vision is even worse. ! ii. "The Laodiceans are typical of the modern world, which revels in that which the natural eye can see but is untouched by the gospel and does not see beyond the veil of the material to the unseen and real eternal spiritual riches." (Walvoord) ! 5. (18-20) What Jesus wants the church of Laodicea to do. !

I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, thatthe shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

a.!I counsel you to buy from Me: The change in the Laodiceans had to begin with understanding their spiritual poverty. As long as we believe we can meet the need for wealth, clothing, or sight ourselves, we can never receive them from Jesus. We must seek these things from Jesus!instead!of relying on them ourselves. ! i.!Buy from Me gold rened in the re: If they received from Jesus His riches,

His!gold!- beautifully!rened in the re!- then theymay be rich. ! ii.!White garments, that you may be clothed: If they received from Jesus the pure, righteous covering He gives, then they wouldbe clothed, and no longer would!the shame of your nakedness . . . be revealed. The merchants of Laodicea were famous for a glossy black wool they used to make beautiful garments. Jesus says, "I know the beautiful black that the world can clothe you in. But I have!white garments, that you may be clothed." ! iii.!Anoint your eyes with eye salve: If they received from Jesus the healing of their spiritual sight, they would then be able to!see. ! b.!Buy from Me: How can we!buy!these things from Jesus? We don't earn them through our good works. Instead, Jesus would say, "All this self-sufciency must be expended in the labour of getting from Me (Jesus) these absolute necessaries." (Alford) ! c.!As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: With such a sharp rebuke, had Jesus lost His love for this errant church? Not at all. Jesus' great love was expressed!in!His rebuke. "It is, in fact, God's nal punishment to leave a man alone." (Barclay) ! i. The word for!love!in!as many as I love!is not!agape, but!phileo. Jesus' heart to this church is, "Even though I!rebuke!you andchasten!you, I am still your friend. I love you deeply as My friend." ! ii. "Yet upon a church that has sunk so low as Laodicea, the risen Lord still showers His love." (Barnhouse) ! iii. "The word here used for 'love' is a very choice one; it is one which signies an intense personal affection." (Spurgeon) ! d.!Therefore be zealous and repent: He commanded them to make a decision to repent, and to continue in!zeal. "Turn your way," Jesus said. "Don't look to your own riches and resources, because they are really bankrupt. Turn around and look to Me."

! i. The ancient Greek word!zealous!comes from the same word as!hot!in Revelation 3:16. Though Jesus detested their lukewarmness, He would really rather them be!hot!with zeal rather than cold. ! ii. "When you and I shall be stretched upon our dying beds, I think we shall have to regret, above everything else, our coldness of heart. Among the many sins . . . perhaps this will lie the heaviest upon our heart and conscience, 'I did not live as I ought to have done; I was not as earnest in my Lord's cause as I should have been.' Then will our cold sermons, like sheeted ghosts, march before our eyes in dread array. Then will our neglected days start up, each one seeming to wave its hair as though it were one of the seven furies, and to look right into our hearts, and make our very blood curdle in our veins." (Spurgeon) ! iii. We need to make!our life!following Jesus, not just a hobby or an occasional activity. This goes against the spirit of our age, which was long ago expressed by a famous Englishman when he read a sermon by G.W.E. Russell: "Things have come to a pretty pass when religion is allowed to invade the sphere of private life." (English statesman William Lamb [1779-1848]) ! iv. Trapp, on the believer's repentance: "This is the rainbow, which if God seeth shining in our hearts, he will never drown our souls." ! e.!Behold, I stand at the door and knock: Jesus gave this lukewarm church!The Great Invitation. He knocked at their door, asking entry to come and!dine with!them, in the sense of sharing warm, intimate time. It only happens as we respond to His knock, but the promise is made to all:!If!anyone!hears my voice. ! i. The idea of Jesus!at the door!applies to the sinner and to the saint just the same. Jesus wants to!come in to!us, and!dine withus, in the sense of having a deep, meaningful relationship. ! ii.!I stand at the door: Sadly, Jesus stood on the outside, knocking to get in. If the church at Philadelphia was "The Church of the Open Door," then Laodicea had "The Church of the Excluded Jesus."

! iii.!I stand at the door and knock . . . If anyone hears My voice and opens the door: This statement of Jesus expressed a profound mystery. Why did Jesus!stand!outside the door? Why did He!knock? Why did He wait until someone!opens the door? He had every right to break down the door, or enter some other way on His own accord, but He didn't. The sovereign, omnipotent Jesus lowered Himself to work out His eternal plan by wooing the cooperation of the human heart. ! iv. "The occupant must open the door. That is, he must repent of his pride and selfsufciency, his human wisdom, and his cowardly neutrality." (H. Morris) ! v. "Christ!stands!- waits long, at the!door!of the sinner's heart; he!knocks!- uses judgments, mercies, reproofs, exhortations, to induce sinners to repent and turn to him; he lifts up his!voice!- calls loudly by his word, ministers, and Spirit." (Clarke) ! vi. Jesus comes to the door as the lover in the Song of Solomon. This is similar to - or perhaps a quotation of - Song of Solomon 5:2:!It is the voice of my beloved! He knocks, saying, 'open for me, my sister, my love.' ! vii. The key to opening the door is to rst!hear His voice. When we give attention to what Jesus says, then we can be rescued from our own lukewarmness and enter into a "zealous" relationship with Him. ! f.!I will come into him: What a glorious promise! If we open the door, He!will come!in. He won't ring the bell and run away. He promised to!come!in, and then to!dine with!the believer. ! i. When Jesus said!dine with him, He spoke of a specic meal known as the!deipnon. "The!deipnon!was the main meal of the day and was a leisurely affair, not a hurried snack." (L. Morris) This speaks of!fellowship. This speaks of a!depth!to the relationship. ! ii. "Supper!(deipnon) was the main meal of the day. This was the meal at which a man sat and talked for long, for now there was time, for work was ended . . . it is not a mere courtesy visit, paid in the passing, which Jesus Christ offers to us. He desires to come in

and to sit long with us, and to wait as long as we wish him to wait." (Barclay) ! iii.!This!is where Jesus wants us, in the place of fellowship with Him. Everything He said to the Laodicean church up to this point must be seen in light of this loving desire for fellowship. "Rebuke and chastisement are no signs of rejection from Christ, but of His abiding and pleading love, even to the lukewarm and careless." (Alford) ! g.!If anyone: Notice that Jesus gave the call to!individuals. He didn't say, "If any church," but!if anyone. "We must not talk about setting the church right, we must pray for grace each one for himself, for the text does not say, 'If the church will open the door,' but 'If!any manhear my voice and open the door.' It must be done by individuals: the church will only get right by each man getting right." (Spurgeon) ! 6. (21) A promise of reward. !

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

a.!To him who overcomes: Jesus' promise to the overcomer, even at Laodicea, showed that we!don't have to be!Christians who are compromising and lukewarm. If we are, we can change and become one of Jesus' overcomers. ! b.!I will grant to sit with Me on My throne: Those who overcome the battle against indifference, compromise, and self-reliance, receive a special reward. They enjoy a place with the enthroned Jesus (as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne). ! i. "This is the worst of the seven Churches, and yet the most eminent of all the promises are made to it, showing that the worst may repent, nally conquer, and attain even to the highest state of glory." (Clarke)

! 7. (22) A general exhortation to all who will hear. !

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

a.!He who has an ear, let him hear: Few want to identify themselves with the church of Laodicea. We would much rather identify ourselves with the church at Philadelphia. ! b.!Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: We!must!hear what the Holy Spirit says here, because He speaks!to the churches!- including us. May God deliver us from the self-reliant, compromising lukewarmness that marked the church of the Laodiceans! !

Putting the Seven Churches of Revelation into Historical Perspective

! Many have attempted to make sense of Revelation chapters 2 and 3 (the letters to the seven churches of Asia) by taking them as a unied whole. It is signicant that Jesus chose these particular seven congregations to address, though there were other churches in the region that were not written to (such as the church at Collosse). Additionally, some have pointed to the!order!of the letters as evidence of their signicance as a broad explanation of church history in the period between the Ascension and Jesus to His return. ! It is also interesting to note that Paul addressed seven churches: Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Colosse, Phillipi, and Thessalonica (some also note with interest that Jesus gives seven "Kingdom Parables"). Early commentators on the Book of Revelation emphasized that as seven is a number of completion and fulllment, so Jesus and Paul wrote to seven churches as an indication that they were in fact speaking to the complete

church, not just these seven congregations. Speaking to seven churches means speaking to the church in perfection,!in completion and totality. As one commentator puts it, "The churches of all time are comprehended in seven." ! Here is what some say about each of these periods as they relate to church history: ! Henry Morris,!The Revelation Record!(written in 1983) ! "Although it is by no means the dominant theme, there is a sense also in which the seven churches seem to depict the respective stages of development and change of Christ's churches during the ensuing centuries. History has, indeed, shown such a general development through the years . . . He is not capricious in His selection. There is bound to be some signicance in the!sequence!of the seven, as well as the total." ! Following is a chart from page 66 of!The Revelation Record: ! Church!!!!!!!!! Period in Church History!!! Dates ! Ephesus!!!!!!!! Apostolic Age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Before!A.D. 100 ! Smyrna!!!!!!!!!! Age of Persecution!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A.D.!100 to 313 ! Pergamos!!! Imperial Church Age!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 313 to 590 ! Thyatira!!!!!!!!! Age of Papacy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 590 to 1517 ! Sardis!!!!!!!!!!!! Reformation Age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1517 to 1730 !

Philadelphia!!! Missionary Age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1730 to 1900 ! Laodicea!!!!!!! Age of Apostasy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1900 to ? ! ! Joseph Seiss,!The Apocalypse!(written in 1900) ! Ephesian:!Warmth and love and labor for Christ; defection beginning with a gradual cooling of love, false professions and clergy/laity distinctions. ! Smyrna:!Sweet and precious martyrdom, but a progression of clergy and laity distinctions and Judaizing tendencies, with an increasing departure from the simplicity of the gospel. ! Pergamite:!True faith more and more disappearing; clericalism systematized, union with the world. ! Thyatiran:!Purple and glory for the corrupt priesthood; false prophets enthroned in a time when truth was exchanged for darkness (up to the Reformation). ! Sardian:!Separation and return to the rule of Christ; many great names, but also deadness, and lethargy (Protestant centuries). ! Philadelphian:!Closer adherence to Jesus' Word, more fraternity among Christians (modern evangelical movement of the 19 !century). ! Seiss does not give much of a description of the Laodicean church along this same pattern, because he felt that in his day (1900), it was yet to really emerge upon the scene. !
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! ! Clarence Larkin,!The Greatest Book on Dispensational Truth in the World!(1918) ! Ephesian:!A.D.!70 to 170 - "The backslidden church." ! Smyrna: 170 to 312 - "The persecuted church." ! Pergamite: 312 to 606 - "The licentious church." ! Thyatiran: 606 to 1520 - "A lax church." ! Sardian: 1520 to 1750 - "A dead church." ! Philadelphian: 1750 to 1900 - "A favored church." ! Laodicean: 1900 to the end - "A lukewarm church." ! ! ! Taylor Bunch,!The Seven Epistles of Christ!(1947) ! Ephesian: "The universal church of the days of the apostles, or the rst century of Christianity." ! Smyrna: Second and third centuries, "the age of martyrdom, when pagan Roman

emperors attempted to destroy Christianity with the violence of the sword." ! Pergamite: Covering 250 years (from Emperor Constantine to Emperor Justinian the Great) "the church was exalted to royal power and kingly authority through a union, or marriage, with the state." ! Thyatiran: 538 to 1520, the corrupt, political church of the Middle Ages. ! Sardian: 1520 to the mid 1700's ("but doubtless embraces the entire history of Protestantism to the end of the gospel dispensation"); the church of the Reformation, and a partial work. ! Philadelphian: From the mid 1700's to the present; the church of 18th!and 19th!century revivals, worldwide missions movements, and renewed expectation of Jesus' return. ! Laodicean: Middle 1800's to the end of the Christian dispensation, "a sad comment on modern Christendom." ! ! ! Chuck Smith,!What the World is Coming To!(1977) ! Ephesian: The early church, up until the death of John. ! Smyrna: 2 !to 4 !centuries, Roman persecutions. ! Pergamite: Beginning in 316, "development of church-state system under Constantine."
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! Thyatiran: The unrepentant, unfaithful church destined to go through the Great Tribulation. ! Sardian: Dead Protestantism. ! Philadelphian: The faithful church of the last days. ! Laodicean: The apostate church of the last days. ! ! ! Evaluating these Interpretations ! This historical approach to the seven churches of Revelation is useful if these periods are seen as broad, imprecise descriptions of the church through history, allowing for generous periods of overlap. For example, it seems that the last four churches will persist until the coming of Jesus (see Revelation 2:25, 3:3, 3:11, and 3:20). If one accepts these seven letters as descriptive of the ow of church history, it does not require that we see them as exclusive, rigidly sequential ages. ! It is good to remember that if these letters are a prophecy of the course of church history, this is their!secondary!signicance. First and foremost, the letters were written to real, existing rst-century congregations, and to "all who have an ear to hear." As Henry Morris says, ! "Since there is nothing directly said by Christ to require - or even to suggest - such an (prophetic) application, a literalistic approach to the study of Revelation cannot place much emphasis on it." ! As well, we must remember that every age has had!some!characteristics of!all!seven

churches. Though certain historical periods are marked by the conditions spoken of in these letters, we could never say that "only one letter" applies only to us or our age. Joseph Seiss speaks to this well: ! "There are Protestant Papists, and Papistical Protestants; sectarian anti-sectarians, and partyists who are not schismatics; holy ones in the midst of abounding defection and apostasy, and unholy ones in the midst of the most earnest and active faith; light in dark places, and darkness in the midst of light." ! We need to hear what the Spirit says to the!churches!(in the plural sense), not just one church. ! !

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