Postscript to Incoming: Some may interpret this vision of God to be an overbearing, “my-way-or-the-highway” bully. He has this impossible vision of everyone being perfect and holy and when people do not measure up, He thunders punishment and damnation. Nothing can be further from the truth.
Now it is true that God is holy, and, as mentioned before, that everyone who comes before Him must also be holy. Leviticus 11:44 declares, “Be holy for I am holy.” And if He required us to meet that standard in our own ability, we would fail. Here we appeal to the Names of God for help.
YAHWEH-M'KADDESH is a name that we find in Leviticus 20:8. It means, "The Lord Who Sanctifies, Makes Holy." The Holy God also makes us holy. And further, He also gives us His righteousness. YAHWEH-TSIDKENU , or "The Lord Our Righteousness” is found in Jeremiah 33:16. The perfectly holy God makes us holy and gives us His righteousness. We can meet the standard of Leviticus 11:44.
This is illustrated in the parable Jesus told about a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. The invited guests failed to appear, so he brought in guests from the highways and byways to celebrate. And, when he inspected the assemblage he noticed a guest who did not have proper wedding garments. He was obviously out of place because everyone else had the proper attire.
When questioned as to why he was not properly dressed, “he had no answer.” That is because the host provided the proper clothes for every guest when he or she arrived. This guy had refused to accept the offered clothing. This was both and affront and an insult to the host and to his son. (Matthew 22:3)
Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
This was not arbitrary or capricious. The host had provided the proper dress and he had insisted on wearing his own clothes. They were unworthy and dishonoring to the host and his son.
The guest had no right or ability to stay. In the same way, God has provided what man needs to be in fellowship with Him, and to spend eternity with Him in heaven. If someone refuses to accept that covering, the righteousness of Jesus, he will have no place in heaven. Just as Nadab and Abihu refused to accept the proper fire and insisted on using their own, wearing our own clothes will be an affront and an act of disobedience to God.
The Name, Jesus, means Savior. He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21) The proper clothing is provided, just as the proper fire was available to Nadab and Abihu. They made the wrong choice.
We are faced with the identical choice. Obey and live. Why would anyone want to choose the alternative? Choose life.
Monday, February 18, 2019
Incoming!
“Incoming!” is the shout that goes up when a position is about to be hit by rocket or artillery fire. Everyone then dives to the ground, hopefully under some type of protection, but regardless, getting as low to the ground as possible. This does not protect them in the unlucky event of a direct or near direct hit, but if the explosion is a ways away, flying shrapnel will fly over the prone body instead of scoring a hit.
This idea occurred to me as I read Leviticus 9. Let’s take a look at it. At first glance, this chapter seems to major on tedium. The topic is Moses’ following the ordination protocol for ordaining Aaron as the high priest. First Moses called Aaron and his sons to meet with him. The elders of Israel came along. Exodus 24 and Numbers 11 tells us that there were 70 elders.
So this party evidently gathered at the Tent of Meeting to observe the ceremony. Chapter 8 began the process and now chapter 9 continues and consummates it. As I read these passages, they seemed tedious and, well, frankly boring. Take some of this animal, slaughter it and bring the blood.... The details of how the slaughter was to be accomplished are detailed, including what part of the entrails to burn and what to discard. Actually, it took eight days as chapter 9 begins with, “...on the eighth day....”
Chapter 9 continues the strain. And it was beginning to strain my attention. Then it dawned on me, that what I could read in just a few minutes took days. The slaughter details could not be accomplished in a few minutes. Hours would have been consumed in doing it. And for what purpose?
Chapter 10 will explain that. But for now, just trudge through it with me. Moses completed his portion of the ceremony and then, the newly ordained and sanctified (set apart) Aaron did his. And why do we have to endure all of these mundane details?
Because the process of encountering and interacting with God is neither mundane or trivial. Throughout the process of positing the law in Exodus and now in Leviticus, we were introduced to the extreme attention to detail that God applied to every interaction with Himself. God is holy and the minutia of our existence concerns Him. Careful attention to how we approach God is demanded and reflected here.
We must learn to discern every occasion to stray from His guidance as critical and avoid it. If He said “Do it,” we should be careful to do it. If He said, “Don’t do it,” we, likewise, must exercise diligence to avoid that. He is not pleased with the Cliff Notes version of devotion and obedience.
So the extreme attention to detail is warranted when approaching this infinitely holy God. Moses did as he was commanded. (Chapter 8) Aaron, likewise, followed the pattern laid down by his brother, Moses. The ordination of Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar was completed in chapter 8 and then Aaron begins his duties of representing the people. The same careful execution of detail was repeated.
When that was completed, Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting, presumably to have a meeting with the Lord. As they left the tent, the visible presence of the Lord was manifested. Our version said, “The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.” Now recall the scene. Aaron had sacrificed the sin offering, a goat, for the people. (Verse 15) This was followed by the grain offering which was a thanksgiving offering subsequent to the sin offering.
Finally came the peace offering of an ox and a ram. The order is sin being addressed first, followed by thanksgiving for the atonement, then peace with God is illustrated. After that Moses and Aaron had had a personal meeting with the Lord. As they came out of the tent, the glory of the Lord appeared and fire flashed out and consumed the remainder of the offering on the altar.
That would be spectacular, wouldn’t it? Evidently it was. Everyone saw it, shouted, and fell on their faces! There is no “messing around with God.” No one even got to call out, “Incoming!” But they fell, either in abject terror, hoping that no shrapnel would hit them (anachronism) or in worship. After eight days of watching the preparation, I imagine that they were impressed with how holy and meticulous they had to remain in the sight of their God.
The impact of this is bolstered in chapter 10 as the two oldest sons of Aaron violated the provisions of Moses’ and God’s instructions. It was the seemingly simple and innocuous act of taking unauthorized fire into the worship process. It was neither minor nor insignificant. The same fire that consumed the burnt offering now snuffed out their lives. We are not told the timing of this incident, but presumably it was fairly shortly. We will not follow the story any farther, but Moses and Aaron had to live with the repercussions of Nadab and Abihu’s disobedience or disregard for God’s instructions.
We can conclude, that careful observation to His guidance and instructions is pretty important. It is not a trivial matter to rebel, even passively against God. As Hebrews 10:31 reminds us:
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Before we leave, we must put this into perspective. Why was and is God so “picky?” It is because He is perfectly holy. If anything flawed, regardless of how slight the flaw, is presented to Him, it will be consumed by His holiness. And God loves us. He wants us to be able to spend eternity with Him. And if any bit of unholiness appears in us, we will perish. The sacrifice of Jesus was completely and perfectly executed. It will remove any flaws, or sins from those who trust in Him. We are completely safe and accepted in Jesus.
The picture in the Old Testament was an illustration of this coming perfection. It is now presented to us. It is incumbent on us to reflect that to a lost and dying world around us. Love compels us to share the message that perfection, though unattainable, is available. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
That should and does cause us to see it, shout, and fall on our faces. Hallelujah! And just for a little frosting on the cake, He is coming again. Incoming!
This idea occurred to me as I read Leviticus 9. Let’s take a look at it. At first glance, this chapter seems to major on tedium. The topic is Moses’ following the ordination protocol for ordaining Aaron as the high priest. First Moses called Aaron and his sons to meet with him. The elders of Israel came along. Exodus 24 and Numbers 11 tells us that there were 70 elders.
So this party evidently gathered at the Tent of Meeting to observe the ceremony. Chapter 8 began the process and now chapter 9 continues and consummates it. As I read these passages, they seemed tedious and, well, frankly boring. Take some of this animal, slaughter it and bring the blood.... The details of how the slaughter was to be accomplished are detailed, including what part of the entrails to burn and what to discard. Actually, it took eight days as chapter 9 begins with, “...on the eighth day....”
Chapter 9 continues the strain. And it was beginning to strain my attention. Then it dawned on me, that what I could read in just a few minutes took days. The slaughter details could not be accomplished in a few minutes. Hours would have been consumed in doing it. And for what purpose?
Chapter 10 will explain that. But for now, just trudge through it with me. Moses completed his portion of the ceremony and then, the newly ordained and sanctified (set apart) Aaron did his. And why do we have to endure all of these mundane details?
Because the process of encountering and interacting with God is neither mundane or trivial. Throughout the process of positing the law in Exodus and now in Leviticus, we were introduced to the extreme attention to detail that God applied to every interaction with Himself. God is holy and the minutia of our existence concerns Him. Careful attention to how we approach God is demanded and reflected here.
We must learn to discern every occasion to stray from His guidance as critical and avoid it. If He said “Do it,” we should be careful to do it. If He said, “Don’t do it,” we, likewise, must exercise diligence to avoid that. He is not pleased with the Cliff Notes version of devotion and obedience.
So the extreme attention to detail is warranted when approaching this infinitely holy God. Moses did as he was commanded. (Chapter 8) Aaron, likewise, followed the pattern laid down by his brother, Moses. The ordination of Aaron and his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar was completed in chapter 8 and then Aaron begins his duties of representing the people. The same careful execution of detail was repeated.
When that was completed, Moses and Aaron entered the Tent of Meeting, presumably to have a meeting with the Lord. As they left the tent, the visible presence of the Lord was manifested. Our version said, “The glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.” Now recall the scene. Aaron had sacrificed the sin offering, a goat, for the people. (Verse 15) This was followed by the grain offering which was a thanksgiving offering subsequent to the sin offering.
Finally came the peace offering of an ox and a ram. The order is sin being addressed first, followed by thanksgiving for the atonement, then peace with God is illustrated. After that Moses and Aaron had had a personal meeting with the Lord. As they came out of the tent, the glory of the Lord appeared and fire flashed out and consumed the remainder of the offering on the altar.
That would be spectacular, wouldn’t it? Evidently it was. Everyone saw it, shouted, and fell on their faces! There is no “messing around with God.” No one even got to call out, “Incoming!” But they fell, either in abject terror, hoping that no shrapnel would hit them (anachronism) or in worship. After eight days of watching the preparation, I imagine that they were impressed with how holy and meticulous they had to remain in the sight of their God.
The impact of this is bolstered in chapter 10 as the two oldest sons of Aaron violated the provisions of Moses’ and God’s instructions. It was the seemingly simple and innocuous act of taking unauthorized fire into the worship process. It was neither minor nor insignificant. The same fire that consumed the burnt offering now snuffed out their lives. We are not told the timing of this incident, but presumably it was fairly shortly. We will not follow the story any farther, but Moses and Aaron had to live with the repercussions of Nadab and Abihu’s disobedience or disregard for God’s instructions.
We can conclude, that careful observation to His guidance and instructions is pretty important. It is not a trivial matter to rebel, even passively against God. As Hebrews 10:31 reminds us:
It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Before we leave, we must put this into perspective. Why was and is God so “picky?” It is because He is perfectly holy. If anything flawed, regardless of how slight the flaw, is presented to Him, it will be consumed by His holiness. And God loves us. He wants us to be able to spend eternity with Him. And if any bit of unholiness appears in us, we will perish. The sacrifice of Jesus was completely and perfectly executed. It will remove any flaws, or sins from those who trust in Him. We are completely safe and accepted in Jesus.
The picture in the Old Testament was an illustration of this coming perfection. It is now presented to us. It is incumbent on us to reflect that to a lost and dying world around us. Love compels us to share the message that perfection, though unattainable, is available. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.
That should and does cause us to see it, shout, and fall on our faces. Hallelujah! And just for a little frosting on the cake, He is coming again. Incoming!
Saturday, February 9, 2019
A Mythical Adam
If Adam and Eve are mythical and we cannot believe Genesis 1, then does that affect anything else? Some have suggested that since salvation is the focus of Scripture, we are relatively free to believe that the Genesis story is somewhat less than true. As long as we believe in Jesus and have accepted Him, the rest of our beliefs are optional. (Not to be judgmental, but just frankly summarizing the position.)
If we believe in Jesus, does that drive what else we believe? We should look to Jesus Himself. What did He believe? And if He believed something, does that guide what I believe? I would suggest that it must. If I am disagreeing with the One I claim to believe, do I really belileve and trust Him? Look at what He believed.
Let’s begin with Genesis 1.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
This was what Moses wrote as an introduction to mankind. That is our foundation for thought on this. So just for reference, the male and female is Adam and Eve.
Without comment, turn to what Jesus said. Matthew 19:4
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Notice what He is quoting. That is the statement that Moses made back in Genesis. So Jesus believed Genesis and, by extension, He believed that Adam and Eve were real people. They were not mythical. How can a mythical being have babies, as they did in Genesis, and ultimately have a Seed, the Messiah, Jesus. If Adam and Eve are mythical, then Who else is mythical?
Jesus is quoted by Mark in 10:6 saying the same thing.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
But what do other writers in the New Testament believe? Start with Luke 3:38. Luke is listing Jesus’ genealogy.
...the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
He listed Adam as a real father with real children. Nothing mythical about that.
Paul had a lot to say in general, and specifically, he mentioned Adam as a real man three times. And he pinioned several theological points on the historicity of Adam. Take them in order. Romans 5:14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Adam was a type of Him Who was to come. That would be Jesus. A mythical Adam would result in a mythical Jesus. And an editorial comment is that a mythical Jesus cannot save a real me.
Paul continued his appeal to Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:22.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
I’m not liking the ramifications of this. A mythical Adam means a mythical “maker aliver.” (Just made that up.) A mythical guy can influence real people, and give us guidance. But they cannot have a physical effect on us. Paul appeals to this again in 1 Corinthians 15:45.
So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
More of the same. Paul also mentions Adam and Eve in 1 Timothy 2:13 and 14.
For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
More belief that Adam was real.
Look at one last witness. Jude 1:14
It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,
Jude, incidentally, waa the brother of Jesus. So a mythical Adam would be a mythical Jesus and he had a real brother, or else a mythical character is writing books. (Although it is a short one.) Well, the string is stretched pretty tight here. Let’s just cut it.
Adam was real. Jesus was real. Our salvation is real. And we are really done.
If we believe in Jesus, does that drive what else we believe? We should look to Jesus Himself. What did He believe? And if He believed something, does that guide what I believe? I would suggest that it must. If I am disagreeing with the One I claim to believe, do I really belileve and trust Him? Look at what He believed.
Let’s begin with Genesis 1.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
This was what Moses wrote as an introduction to mankind. That is our foundation for thought on this. So just for reference, the male and female is Adam and Eve.
Without comment, turn to what Jesus said. Matthew 19:4
And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
Notice what He is quoting. That is the statement that Moses made back in Genesis. So Jesus believed Genesis and, by extension, He believed that Adam and Eve were real people. They were not mythical. How can a mythical being have babies, as they did in Genesis, and ultimately have a Seed, the Messiah, Jesus. If Adam and Eve are mythical, then Who else is mythical?
Jesus is quoted by Mark in 10:6 saying the same thing.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
But what do other writers in the New Testament believe? Start with Luke 3:38. Luke is listing Jesus’ genealogy.
...the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.
He listed Adam as a real father with real children. Nothing mythical about that.
Paul had a lot to say in general, and specifically, he mentioned Adam as a real man three times. And he pinioned several theological points on the historicity of Adam. Take them in order. Romans 5:14
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.
Adam was a type of Him Who was to come. That would be Jesus. A mythical Adam would result in a mythical Jesus. And an editorial comment is that a mythical Jesus cannot save a real me.
Paul continued his appeal to Adam in 1 Corinthians 15:22.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
I’m not liking the ramifications of this. A mythical Adam means a mythical “maker aliver.” (Just made that up.) A mythical guy can influence real people, and give us guidance. But they cannot have a physical effect on us. Paul appeals to this again in 1 Corinthians 15:45.
So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
More of the same. Paul also mentions Adam and Eve in 1 Timothy 2:13 and 14.
For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.
More belief that Adam was real.
Look at one last witness. Jude 1:14
It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones,
Jude, incidentally, waa the brother of Jesus. So a mythical Adam would be a mythical Jesus and he had a real brother, or else a mythical character is writing books. (Although it is a short one.) Well, the string is stretched pretty tight here. Let’s just cut it.
Adam was real. Jesus was real. Our salvation is real. And we are really done.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Jehovah's Witnesses?
Dr. Ron Rhodes was on the radio talking about witnessing to Jehovah’s witnesses. He played several clips of JW teachers explaining some of their teachings. One clip discussed Jesus and said that Jesus died at the end of his ministry and was buried. (Not capitalized in accordance with what the recording claimed.) Then, Jehovah God, disintegrated Jesus’ body. Three days later, God recreated another Jesus to appear to Jesus’ believers in order to convince them that Jesus had raised from the dead. This “new” Jesus went on to return to the role of Gabriel in heaven.
I had never heard that Jesus was recreated in a new body to fool the believers. If that is what they really teach, it would seem that they are identifying Jehovah God as a liar. Jesus did not rise from the dead, but Jehovah God pretended or faked the fact that Jesus did.
Paul addressed just that concept in 1 Corinthians 15 beginning in verse 12. Read through v. 19. To apply it to this false idea, focus on v. 14, 15.
...and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead (and Jesus) are not raised.
Some in Corinth were claiming that there was no resurrection from the dead. Paul specifically answered that here. First, he pointed out that faith is worthless if it is in a dead Jesus. Then he continued, as if he had heard the teaching that Dr. Rhodes was exposing and contradicting. Paul did a steamroller job on it.
Paul said that if Jesus had not been raised from the dead, then, he, Paul, was a false witness of God because he testified that God had raised Christ from the dead. Just in case it is not clear, Paul was defending the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This was not some kind of reincarnation nor a recreation. It was the dead body of Jesus being brought back to life. (The entire chapter is referenced in the link below.)
It would seem that a Jehovah Witness is not a very good witness if he calls Jehovah a liar. In fact, it would seem that the witness would be a false witness for Jehovah. That is not a place that I would care to occupy. And we have not even considered the fact that Jesus was truly God and not a secondary being. Jehovah God commands that we worship no one but Himself. (Exodus 20. 1st commandment.)
So in Hebrews 1, when Jehovah God commands the angels to worship Jesus (Hebrews 1:6) He is contradicting Himself.
“And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Then later in v. 9 Jehovah God calls Jesus, God.
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”
He is mistaken or telling a lie. The hole is getting deeper and deeper. Either we have a schizophrenic God who makes mistakes and tells angels to worship someone or some thing different than Himself, or worse, tells lies. Particularly a lie that Jesus is Jehovah God, if indeed Jesus is not God.
Going farther, to deny that Jesus is Jehovah God both disobeys Jehovah by not worshiping Jesus, and then, calls Jehovah a liar for saying that Jesus is Jehovah God. I choose to believe what Jehovah God says and discount what His “witnesses” proclaim. The liar is not Jehovah. You decide who is lying and who you want to believe.
I had never heard that Jesus was recreated in a new body to fool the believers. If that is what they really teach, it would seem that they are identifying Jehovah God as a liar. Jesus did not rise from the dead, but Jehovah God pretended or faked the fact that Jesus did.
Paul addressed just that concept in 1 Corinthians 15 beginning in verse 12. Read through v. 19. To apply it to this false idea, focus on v. 14, 15.
...and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 15 Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead (and Jesus) are not raised.
Some in Corinth were claiming that there was no resurrection from the dead. Paul specifically answered that here. First, he pointed out that faith is worthless if it is in a dead Jesus. Then he continued, as if he had heard the teaching that Dr. Rhodes was exposing and contradicting. Paul did a steamroller job on it.
Paul said that if Jesus had not been raised from the dead, then, he, Paul, was a false witness of God because he testified that God had raised Christ from the dead. Just in case it is not clear, Paul was defending the bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This was not some kind of reincarnation nor a recreation. It was the dead body of Jesus being brought back to life. (The entire chapter is referenced in the link below.)
It would seem that a Jehovah Witness is not a very good witness if he calls Jehovah a liar. In fact, it would seem that the witness would be a false witness for Jehovah. That is not a place that I would care to occupy. And we have not even considered the fact that Jesus was truly God and not a secondary being. Jehovah God commands that we worship no one but Himself. (Exodus 20. 1st commandment.)
So in Hebrews 1, when Jehovah God commands the angels to worship Jesus (Hebrews 1:6) He is contradicting Himself.
“And let all the angels of God worship Him.”
Then later in v. 9 Jehovah God calls Jesus, God.
“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever.”
He is mistaken or telling a lie. The hole is getting deeper and deeper. Either we have a schizophrenic God who makes mistakes and tells angels to worship someone or some thing different than Himself, or worse, tells lies. Particularly a lie that Jesus is Jehovah God, if indeed Jesus is not God.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Rock of Ages in Revelation
“Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in Thee.” I cannot confirm that this hymn was written with Revelation 3:14-22 in mind, but it certainly fits. Agustus Toplady (what an interesting name) wrote this and it fit right in to our lesson on Sunday. Read this verse.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
This fits right in with the description of the church at Laodicea. Oh, wait. Not everyone who reads this was in class this week. Let’s get a little background and/or refresher. The church at Laodicea was probably the richest of the seven in chapters 2 and 3. The city was the production center of fine black wool textiles and clothing. It also boasted a medical school that developed an effective salve to treat eye problems. It also had a compromised water supply, so it built a six mile long aqueduct to pipe hot water from hot springs at nearby Hierapolis. It also piped cold water in from Colossae. (Ten miles)
So when Jesus dictated His message to Laodicea, He used these characteristics of the city to emphasize His meaning. Here is part of what He said. V. 17
“...you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”
They were, in Jesus’ eyes, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked. That just about contradicted the entire prospectus of the city and its citizens. Now check Toplady’s description.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Now the miracle of the song is that when I got to class on Sunday, I did not have a hymn to sing. (We try to have a hymn every week. Sometimes they correspond with the lesson. Sometimes they just give us a chance to revel in the wonderful music that ministers to the church and gives us more insight into His love for us.)
Back to class. On the way, I heard a radio station playing “Rock of Ages” and asked the early attenders if they had an idea for a song. I asked, “How about ‘Rock of Ages?’” They agreed that it was a good one and so the Holy Spirit, I think, chose the song for us. I had spent over a month thinking and working on this lesson and no song had occurred to me.
“Naked, come to Thee for dress.” That fits right in with Jesus’ corrective command for the church. V.18
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
This supposedly rich church needed to go to the Lord for His gold, true riches. (Out of order for this meditation) And eye salve so that they could see their true condition. This seems to have inspired Toplady, buy “white garments,” not opposed to the black, but to cover their nakedness. Even black cloth, was insufficient to cover their moral deficiencies: nakedness. They needed the righteousness of Christ. (3:4, 5)
Just to finish our discussion, we will turn to Jesus’ initial comment to this church. V. 15
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”
Recall the water supply for the city. The cold water was piped ten miles and the hot water aqueduct stretched six miles. You can imagine the quality of the water that spilled out of these two conduits. The hot was no longer hot, The cold had warmed to about room temperature.
A visitor to the city who was unaware of the quality of the water would by unpleasantly surprised at either option. And, the hot water was from springs that were high in minerals, particularly carbonate. Did you ever drink a glass of water with sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, dissolved in it? As our German friends would say, “Nicht so gut!” (Long U, guut) And if you think you are getting a refreshing gulp, you might just go “Pfew!”
Jesus said He would spue them out of His mouth. Hot and cold are not opposite extremes of devotion. They are complementary levels of usefulness. Hot water is good when you need hot. Cold water is good when you need cold. Lukewarm substitutes for either are unsatisfactory. Jesus said, “I wish you were useful, not nauseating.”
Thank you, Pastor Toplady for the reminder of our state and our need. And as John records, Jesus final advice was, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The medical school also had a salve for ear problems. Listen.
(Two links to the music and a description of his situation when he wrote the hymn are below.) Read all of the verses, especially the last one.
https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/rock-of-ages-lyrics-story-behind-hymn/
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rock+of+ages+hymn&view=detail&mid=0817E6ACA37206E38DAC0817E6ACA37206E38DAC&FORM=VIRE
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [b]spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+3&version=NASB
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
This fits right in with the description of the church at Laodicea. Oh, wait. Not everyone who reads this was in class this week. Let’s get a little background and/or refresher. The church at Laodicea was probably the richest of the seven in chapters 2 and 3. The city was the production center of fine black wool textiles and clothing. It also boasted a medical school that developed an effective salve to treat eye problems. It also had a compromised water supply, so it built a six mile long aqueduct to pipe hot water from hot springs at nearby Hierapolis. It also piped cold water in from Colossae. (Ten miles)
So when Jesus dictated His message to Laodicea, He used these characteristics of the city to emphasize His meaning. Here is part of what He said. V. 17
“...you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.”
They were, in Jesus’ eyes, wretched, miserable, poor, blind, naked. That just about contradicted the entire prospectus of the city and its citizens. Now check Toplady’s description.
Nothing in my hand I bring, Simply to Thy cross I cling;
Naked, come to Thee for dress; Helpless, look to Thee for grace;
Foul, I to the fountain fly; Wash me, Savior, or I die.
Now the miracle of the song is that when I got to class on Sunday, I did not have a hymn to sing. (We try to have a hymn every week. Sometimes they correspond with the lesson. Sometimes they just give us a chance to revel in the wonderful music that ministers to the church and gives us more insight into His love for us.)
Back to class. On the way, I heard a radio station playing “Rock of Ages” and asked the early attenders if they had an idea for a song. I asked, “How about ‘Rock of Ages?’” They agreed that it was a good one and so the Holy Spirit, I think, chose the song for us. I had spent over a month thinking and working on this lesson and no song had occurred to me.
“Naked, come to Thee for dress.” That fits right in with Jesus’ corrective command for the church. V.18
I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
This supposedly rich church needed to go to the Lord for His gold, true riches. (Out of order for this meditation) And eye salve so that they could see their true condition. This seems to have inspired Toplady, buy “white garments,” not opposed to the black, but to cover their nakedness. Even black cloth, was insufficient to cover their moral deficiencies: nakedness. They needed the righteousness of Christ. (3:4, 5)
Just to finish our discussion, we will turn to Jesus’ initial comment to this church. V. 15
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.”
Recall the water supply for the city. The cold water was piped ten miles and the hot water aqueduct stretched six miles. You can imagine the quality of the water that spilled out of these two conduits. The hot was no longer hot, The cold had warmed to about room temperature.
A visitor to the city who was unaware of the quality of the water would by unpleasantly surprised at either option. And, the hot water was from springs that were high in minerals, particularly carbonate. Did you ever drink a glass of water with sodium bicarbonate, baking soda, dissolved in it? As our German friends would say, “Nicht so gut!” (Long U, guut) And if you think you are getting a refreshing gulp, you might just go “Pfew!”
Jesus said He would spue them out of His mouth. Hot and cold are not opposite extremes of devotion. They are complementary levels of usefulness. Hot water is good when you need hot. Cold water is good when you need cold. Lukewarm substitutes for either are unsatisfactory. Jesus said, “I wish you were useful, not nauseating.”
Thank you, Pastor Toplady for the reminder of our state and our need. And as John records, Jesus final advice was, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” The medical school also had a salve for ear problems. Listen.
(Two links to the music and a description of his situation when he wrote the hymn are below.) Read all of the verses, especially the last one.
https://www.godtube.com/popular-hymns/rock-of-ages-lyrics-story-behind-hymn/
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=rock+of+ages+hymn&view=detail&mid=0817E6ACA37206E38DAC0817E6ACA37206E38DAC&FORM=VIRE
15 ‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. 16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will [b]spit you out of My mouth. 17 Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+3&version=NASB
Friday, December 28, 2018
Shekinah
An interesting idea was proposed about the Shekinah Glory of God. We understand the Shekinah as a visible manifestation of God indicating that He was “dwelling” with His people. The Shekinah was pictured as resident in the Tabernacle and specifically above the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant. Two cherubim, one one each side of the mercy seat arched their wings toward each other producing an arch of sorts. The shining glory is said to shine out from that circle.
This was not God, Himself, but merely a representation to remind the people that He was indeed dwelling among them. Most of the time, the Ark was covered. When it was transported, a covering was over it, and when it was inside the tabernacle, only the priests would be able to see it.
The Ark was meticulously purified and sanctified to denote the absolute purity and holiness of God. This reminded the people that holiness was demanded to approach God. That, in and of itself, is interesting, but a new interpretation was suggested the other day. This began with Genesis 2:25
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
We often explain this as Adam and Eve, being pure, without sin, had no sinful attitudes or impulses that now accompany mutual nakedness. This innocence is reproduced in the marriage bond when couples are unashamed to appear before each other without clothes. Incidentally, this also appears in children as they cavort innocently in the nude.
The alternative interpretation referenced above to Adam and Eve, is that their bodies were cloaked or “clothed” in the Shekinah glory. As long as they remained pure, God’s presence was “with” and around them. But when they sinned, the Glory left. That would certainly explain their instinctive act at concealment, as they realized that God would know that they were no longer pure. (He knew anyhow, but they either were unaware of that, or ignored it.)
Genesis 3:10 reports that Adam answered God’s inquiry as to why he was hidden.
“I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
Adam and Eve could not “see” their loss of purity, even though they knew it. But the absence of the visual evidence of the Spirit’s covering would definitely justify their “hiding,” and then crafting a fig leaf substitute in an attempt to conceal their condition.
Our analysis now shifts to Revelation 3:4
But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
The “walk with Me in white,” is a promise to the overcomers, those who believe in Jesus. Our “clothes” in heaven will consist of righteousness–His righteousness provided for us. Remember the parable of the wedding feast where one guest did not wear the provided garments? Matthew 22
The guest without proper clothing, provided by the host, was ejected from the assembly. Those invited to the “wedding supper of the Lamb” must appear in the proper attire–the righteousness of the Host, the Lamb. Hypothetically this could be the Shekinah Glory. What a thought.
And how does that apply to us, today? The Glory of God, dwelling in the midst of the people, was an indication that God was with them. Ezekiel saw a vision of the Glory of God leaving the temple through the eastern gate in Ezekiel 10. This represented the fact that God had “left” His people, as they had left Him. Then Ezekiel saw another vision of that gate being closed. (Ezekiel 44) The prophesy continued with the King, God’s glory, returning through that same gate.
Are you ready for this? The eastern gate, today, is bricked shut. Check it out on line by that name or by “Golden Gate.” But Ezekiel foresaw the Lord returning through that gate. So keep you eyes on that. It’s gonna get good. It will happen.
So what? Or as my sister said as a toddler, “What’s the i-big-dee-uh?” We do not have to wait until the Lord comes back to Jerusalem to resume dwelling with His people. Jesus promised that He would send Someone to live in us. The Paraclete, or Comforter is the Holy Spirit. He now does not just dwell with us, He dwells within us. (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 6:19) In fact, Paul notes that we are now the temple in which the Holy Spirit lives. In that sense, we are now clothed in the Glory of God. Think of that. The Glory of God is living within us!
And the good news is that He will never leave us. The Holy Spirit was given as the non-refundable down payment, or earnest of our salvation. (Ephesians 1:14) The fact that God will never leave us nor forsake us was reiterated in Hebrews 13:5. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So did the Church supplant Israel in God’s economy? As Paul said in Romans 11:2, God has not, nor will He forsake His people, the Jews. Add to that the prophesy in Ezekiel that He is coming back to His temple, through the eastern gate, to rule over His people, and you get an iron-clad promise. Better yet, it is a Spirit-clad promise. The Glory of God is dwelling in His Church and will be resident in His people, the Jews. What a promise for us to anticipate. The Millennium is coming.
During the Millennium, the Holy Spirit will indwell every person. No wonder it will be perfect. The Holy Spirit cannot lie to Himself; He cannot cheat Himself; in short, He cannot sin against Himself. The Garden of Eden, the presence of God, will cover the entire earth. That is what will make it so special. The physical environment will be flawless, but that will pale in the realization that God, Himself, is with us!
We can declare with my college pastor, who, instead of saying “amen” exclaimed, “Glory!” What a future for us with the Shekinah Glory of God leading and directing not only us personally, but the entire world. (Note: We are not differentiating between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are all one, but different manifestations of God’s essential nature. God did not reveal Himself like this to confuse us, but to help us, finitely limited beings, to glimpse infinity, Infinity.) Again, “Glory!”
I can’t wait. “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)
This was not God, Himself, but merely a representation to remind the people that He was indeed dwelling among them. Most of the time, the Ark was covered. When it was transported, a covering was over it, and when it was inside the tabernacle, only the priests would be able to see it.
The Ark was meticulously purified and sanctified to denote the absolute purity and holiness of God. This reminded the people that holiness was demanded to approach God. That, in and of itself, is interesting, but a new interpretation was suggested the other day. This began with Genesis 2:25
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
We often explain this as Adam and Eve, being pure, without sin, had no sinful attitudes or impulses that now accompany mutual nakedness. This innocence is reproduced in the marriage bond when couples are unashamed to appear before each other without clothes. Incidentally, this also appears in children as they cavort innocently in the nude.
The alternative interpretation referenced above to Adam and Eve, is that their bodies were cloaked or “clothed” in the Shekinah glory. As long as they remained pure, God’s presence was “with” and around them. But when they sinned, the Glory left. That would certainly explain their instinctive act at concealment, as they realized that God would know that they were no longer pure. (He knew anyhow, but they either were unaware of that, or ignored it.)
Genesis 3:10 reports that Adam answered God’s inquiry as to why he was hidden.
“I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.”
Adam and Eve could not “see” their loss of purity, even though they knew it. But the absence of the visual evidence of the Spirit’s covering would definitely justify their “hiding,” and then crafting a fig leaf substitute in an attempt to conceal their condition.
Our analysis now shifts to Revelation 3:4
But you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments; and they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
The “walk with Me in white,” is a promise to the overcomers, those who believe in Jesus. Our “clothes” in heaven will consist of righteousness–His righteousness provided for us. Remember the parable of the wedding feast where one guest did not wear the provided garments? Matthew 22
The guest without proper clothing, provided by the host, was ejected from the assembly. Those invited to the “wedding supper of the Lamb” must appear in the proper attire–the righteousness of the Host, the Lamb. Hypothetically this could be the Shekinah Glory. What a thought.
And how does that apply to us, today? The Glory of God, dwelling in the midst of the people, was an indication that God was with them. Ezekiel saw a vision of the Glory of God leaving the temple through the eastern gate in Ezekiel 10. This represented the fact that God had “left” His people, as they had left Him. Then Ezekiel saw another vision of that gate being closed. (Ezekiel 44) The prophesy continued with the King, God’s glory, returning through that same gate.
Are you ready for this? The eastern gate, today, is bricked shut. Check it out on line by that name or by “Golden Gate.” But Ezekiel foresaw the Lord returning through that gate. So keep you eyes on that. It’s gonna get good. It will happen.
So what? Or as my sister said as a toddler, “What’s the i-big-dee-uh?” We do not have to wait until the Lord comes back to Jerusalem to resume dwelling with His people. Jesus promised that He would send Someone to live in us. The Paraclete, or Comforter is the Holy Spirit. He now does not just dwell with us, He dwells within us. (John 14:26, 1 Corinthians 6:19) In fact, Paul notes that we are now the temple in which the Holy Spirit lives. In that sense, we are now clothed in the Glory of God. Think of that. The Glory of God is living within us!
And the good news is that He will never leave us. The Holy Spirit was given as the non-refundable down payment, or earnest of our salvation. (Ephesians 1:14) The fact that God will never leave us nor forsake us was reiterated in Hebrews 13:5. “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So did the Church supplant Israel in God’s economy? As Paul said in Romans 11:2, God has not, nor will He forsake His people, the Jews. Add to that the prophesy in Ezekiel that He is coming back to His temple, through the eastern gate, to rule over His people, and you get an iron-clad promise. Better yet, it is a Spirit-clad promise. The Glory of God is dwelling in His Church and will be resident in His people, the Jews. What a promise for us to anticipate. The Millennium is coming.
During the Millennium, the Holy Spirit will indwell every person. No wonder it will be perfect. The Holy Spirit cannot lie to Himself; He cannot cheat Himself; in short, He cannot sin against Himself. The Garden of Eden, the presence of God, will cover the entire earth. That is what will make it so special. The physical environment will be flawless, but that will pale in the realization that God, Himself, is with us!
We can declare with my college pastor, who, instead of saying “amen” exclaimed, “Glory!” What a future for us with the Shekinah Glory of God leading and directing not only us personally, but the entire world. (Note: We are not differentiating between the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are all one, but different manifestations of God’s essential nature. God did not reveal Himself like this to confuse us, but to help us, finitely limited beings, to glimpse infinity, Infinity.) Again, “Glory!”
I can’t wait. “Even so, come Lord Jesus.” (Revelation 22:20)
Tuesday, December 25, 2018
Micah 5 Bethlehem
It was considerate of Mich, and some of the other prophets, to specify the time that he spoke. That helps to place them into a time frame and understand their message. Micah 1:1
The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah....
Coupling the kings with the prophets gives us an idea of why the messages were specially given. Micah, for instance preached from 740 BC and about 700 BC. This encompassed the demise of the northern kingdom, (722 BC) so most of his prophesy was directed specifically to Judah.
I used to just skip over the names, until I realized that they added a big part to the story. For Micah, the trauma of watching Israel being deported to Assyria could have been a driving force to warn Judah to avoid the same fate. The first four chapters begin with a warning to both countries, and specifically predicted that Israel would be deported. He specifically targets the leaders and prophets for “malpractice” in serving the Lord and the people.
Chapter 3 verse 12 is specifically harsh, noting that Jerusalem will be “plowed like a field:" on account of the false prophets. The Lord exacts a harsher judgment on those who “know better” in failing to follow Him.
Then chapter 4 completely switches the focus to the future and specifically spotlights the reign of the Messiah. Micah 4:7
And the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever.
Notice the promise and prediction that the Lord will rule in Jerusalem “forever.” That certainly does not sound like God will replace His people with another group. To paraphrase a country song, “What part of forever do you not understand?” But this is only the introduction.
Chapter 5 verse 2 is the famous verse that pinpoints the birthplace of the Messiah, Jesus. The Lord is speaking:
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
This points back to the Lord and His forever reign.
That is not all. The chapter has a tremendous amount of information about , the future. Micah jumps far into the future, to the prophesies of Revelation 12:2. V. 3-4
Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.
Now Micah’s focus turns to the immediate threat of Assyria, who did invade Judah but did not succeed in overthrowing it. V. 5-6
5 This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. 6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory.
Micah, like most of the other prophets switches between “now” or the near future, to “then,” the far distant prophesy. V. 7-9
7 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the Lord, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men. 8 The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to rescue. 9 Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off.
Verse 10-15 reverts back to the “now,” but not the Assyrian invasion. Micah, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, now looks to the future Babylonian invasion which occurred about 100 years later. (605 BC) This one had the singular purpose of excising the desire to worship idols from the nation. Once they were released by Cyrus to return to their land, the nation no longer tolerated idol worship. There is not evidence of idols in the ruins that have been excavated, from the Babylonian captivity forward. This is specific and detailed. No more idols.
10 “It will be in that day,” declares the Lord, “That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots. 11 “I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications. 12 “I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. 13 “I will cut off your carved images And your sacred pillars from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands. 14 “I will root out your Asherim from among you And destroy your cities. 15 “And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath On the nations which have not obeyed.”
As we meditate on 5:2 and the birth of the Messiah, we can look backward and forward to Micah’s other prophesies and marvel at their accuracy as well. Bethlehem was the name of two towns. The one in Judah was pinpointed, and the Jewish leaders understood the meaning and significance of it. When the wise men, from Babylon, I believe, asked about the King of the Jews, the leaders identified the Bethlehem that was about 5 or 6 miles from Jerusalem: Bethlehem Judah. (Matthew 2) And the Babylonian believers found Him there.
And, as Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story,” And the rest of the prophesy.
http://www.biblechronologytimeline.com/biblechronologytimeline7.html
The word of the Lord which came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah....
Coupling the kings with the prophets gives us an idea of why the messages were specially given. Micah, for instance preached from 740 BC and about 700 BC. This encompassed the demise of the northern kingdom, (722 BC) so most of his prophesy was directed specifically to Judah.
I used to just skip over the names, until I realized that they added a big part to the story. For Micah, the trauma of watching Israel being deported to Assyria could have been a driving force to warn Judah to avoid the same fate. The first four chapters begin with a warning to both countries, and specifically predicted that Israel would be deported. He specifically targets the leaders and prophets for “malpractice” in serving the Lord and the people.
Chapter 3 verse 12 is specifically harsh, noting that Jerusalem will be “plowed like a field:" on account of the false prophets. The Lord exacts a harsher judgment on those who “know better” in failing to follow Him.
Then chapter 4 completely switches the focus to the future and specifically spotlights the reign of the Messiah. Micah 4:7
And the Lord will reign over them in Mount Zion From now on and forever.
Notice the promise and prediction that the Lord will rule in Jerusalem “forever.” That certainly does not sound like God will replace His people with another group. To paraphrase a country song, “What part of forever do you not understand?” But this is only the introduction.
Chapter 5 verse 2 is the famous verse that pinpoints the birthplace of the Messiah, Jesus. The Lord is speaking:
“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel.
This points back to the Lord and His forever reign.
That is not all. The chapter has a tremendous amount of information about , the future. Micah jumps far into the future, to the prophesies of Revelation 12:2. V. 3-4
Therefore He will give them up until the time When she who is in labor has borne a child. Then the remainder of His brethren Will return to the sons of Israel.4 And He will arise and shepherd His flock In the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God. And they will remain, Because at that time He will be great To the ends of the earth.
Now Micah’s focus turns to the immediate threat of Assyria, who did invade Judah but did not succeed in overthrowing it. V. 5-6
5 This One will be our peace. When the Assyrian invades our land, When he tramples on our citadels, Then we will raise against him Seven shepherds and eight leaders of men. 6 They will shepherd the land of Assyria with the sword, The land of Nimrod at its entrances; And He will deliver us from the Assyrian When he attacks our land And when he tramples our territory.
Micah, like most of the other prophets switches between “now” or the near future, to “then,” the far distant prophesy. V. 7-9
7 Then the remnant of Jacob Will be among many peoples Like dew from the Lord, Like showers on vegetation Which do not wait for man Or delay for the sons of men. 8 The remnant of Jacob Will be among the nations, Among many peoples Like a lion among the beasts of the forest, Like a young lion among flocks of sheep, Which, if he passes through, Tramples down and tears, And there is none to rescue. 9 Your hand will be lifted up against your adversaries, And all your enemies will be cut off.
Verse 10-15 reverts back to the “now,” but not the Assyrian invasion. Micah, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, now looks to the future Babylonian invasion which occurred about 100 years later. (605 BC) This one had the singular purpose of excising the desire to worship idols from the nation. Once they were released by Cyrus to return to their land, the nation no longer tolerated idol worship. There is not evidence of idols in the ruins that have been excavated, from the Babylonian captivity forward. This is specific and detailed. No more idols.
10 “It will be in that day,” declares the Lord, “That I will cut off your horses from among you And destroy your chariots. 11 “I will also cut off the cities of your land And tear down all your fortifications. 12 “I will cut off sorceries from your hand, And you will have fortune-tellers no more. 13 “I will cut off your carved images And your sacred pillars from among you, So that you will no longer bow down To the work of your hands. 14 “I will root out your Asherim from among you And destroy your cities. 15 “And I will execute vengeance in anger and wrath On the nations which have not obeyed.”
As we meditate on 5:2 and the birth of the Messiah, we can look backward and forward to Micah’s other prophesies and marvel at their accuracy as well. Bethlehem was the name of two towns. The one in Judah was pinpointed, and the Jewish leaders understood the meaning and significance of it. When the wise men, from Babylon, I believe, asked about the King of the Jews, the leaders identified the Bethlehem that was about 5 or 6 miles from Jerusalem: Bethlehem Judah. (Matthew 2) And the Babylonian believers found Him there.
And, as Paul Harvey would say, “Now you know the rest of the story,” And the rest of the prophesy.
http://www.biblechronologytimeline.com/biblechronologytimeline7.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)