Tag Archives: Christ

Christ as the Fourth Man in the Fire/Persecution

7 Jun

4th man in the fire

Read Daniel chapter 3

“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.” Daniel 3:25

We all have to die somehow. As an Oncology Nurse, I’ve seen more death than I care to. And while, as Christians, we don’t ultimately fear “crossing over to the other side”, I must admit, sometimes I do fear the process of dying itself. Whether from illness or accident, death can hurt. I’m not a fan of hurting. Worse than that are the violent deaths, like drowning or burning, or being murdered. Worse still, is being tortured and then killed.

Yes, a morbid subject, and yet it’s been the path of many believers on their way to Heaven. This story in Daniel intrigued me from the first time I heard it as a child. The three men; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Daniel’s friends, were living in exile in Babylon, in a pagan dictatorship, run by a megalomaniac. Nebuchadnezzar builds an image (probably of himself) 90 feet tall.

He then summons 8 groups of officials to attend the dedication (vs. 2), and because he is all-powerful, it says, “So,” all 8 groups gather together (vs 3). Then a herald cries out to everyone, described as “all peoples, nations, and languages.” (vs. 4)

It’s not enough that people admire it; he insists that everyone falls down and worships it. Failure to do so was easy to spot. The music played, and wherever you were, you dropped. The particular combination of instruments in symphony would play, and that would be the cue. (vs 5) The consequences of disobedience were spelled out quite clearly (vs.6) It was immediate, it was painful, and it was irreversible. It seemed to work for most people. It says, “So…when they heard the music, all peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image.” (vs 7)
Kind of like the Nazi salute; if your arm didn’t snap up when they said, “Heil Hitler”, you were suspect. Or flying the rainbow flag these days. First of all, what other group gets such a privilege? They used to ask if they could put it on the flagpole. Now they put it up and dare you to take it down. Sounds like bullying to me.

If you don’t, there are always some keeners watching, so they could report to the authorities, and thereby improve their own standing. In this case, it was “certain Chaldeans (Babylonians) who came and accused the Jews.” (vs 8)

Like most believers or other influential people from history, the people we remember most are those who did the hard things. They swam upstream. They were the minority, think of Martin Luther for example. He said he felt as if all men were born blind and he alone was condemned to see. Here in the book of Daniel we see that Daniel kneels to pray when everyone else is standing, and Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stand when everyone else is kneeling. That’s counter cultural!

Christianity itself is counter-cultural. Believers have never been the majority. Think of the 70 family members of Jacob’s family heading down to Egypt, or the eight people in Noah’s family. That’s a minority!

Their accusation begins with praise for the king, a reminder of the law he just made, including the consequences, and then finger pointing at “certain Jews” who were in prominent positions in Nebuchadnezzar’s government. So certain Chaldeans pointed the finger at certain Jews. Were they hoping to get their positions once they were out of the way? It wouldn’t be the first time such a thing has happened.
Nebuchadnezzar is furious. It says, “in rage and fury” he gave the command. And once again, what he commands is done. “So they were brought before the king.” (vs. 13)

He asks his first question, incredulous, “Is it true?” that they would dare defy the royal command? Just in case there was some misunderstanding, he offers a second chance. He’ll have them start the music again and watch them fall down and worship. They could still undo the charge against them. He even challenges God’s power, by threatening them again with the fiery furnace. He asks his second question, “And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” Who, indeed? This reminds me of Pharaoh saying, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him?” Ex. 5:1

For these three men, standing out would have been scary, especially when you are well aware of the consequences. I can read this story and admire these men and hope I could do the same, and wonder if I could. You see their boldness before the King, and their confidence in God, either to protect them or not, but they will not yield. God may protect His people, and is able to do so, but we should be obedient regardless of the consequences. Peter said, “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

I love their bold response: “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’” Dan. 3:16-18

They say, we don’t need another opportunity. The response will be the same. They are confident that God is ABLE to deliver them from both the fire and the king, BUT IF NOT, they would not cave, even to save their lives.

I’ve seen a vanity licence plate that said, BUTIFNOT, which automatically put this story in my mind. Also, during the bloody battle of Dieppe during WWII, in which many British and Canadian soldiers were killed, they were sent a message, asking how they were doing. Their response? “But if not…” It was understood by those receiving it, that they would stand their ground, even if it meant they could lose their lives.

So Nebuchadnezzar, even more furious now, orders the furnace to be heated seven times hotter. He’ll show them. No one dares defy the king. For the third time, we see “certain men”, this time mighty men in the king’s army. They bind the three men and approach the furnace. (vs 20,21) However, the plan backfires, pardon the pun (vs.22)

What was going through their minds as they were bound up and thrown into the blazing hot furnace? I can only imagine.

Yet here we see that God does two things: He miraculously preserves their lives, and He is there in the midst of their ‘fiery trial’ with them. Usually it’s one or the other.

“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you.” Isa. 43:2

Because he was so furious, he actually personally attended this execution. But now Nebuchadnezzar isn’t furious, he’s astonished. He asks a third question. “’Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? 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.’” Daniel 3:25

Who is this fourth man? And what was there about Him, I wonder that made Him stand out? Even in the midst of the fire, was He even more glorious? Nebuchadnezzar, a pagan King, seemed to recognize Him. He is our Saviour and Comforter. Whatever we suffer, He suffers with us. And He is able to deliver. Our God is Mighty to save. He will likewise be with us through our journey to the other side, no matter what we may suffer.

I wonder how the Jews can read this and not get that this Messiah they’re waiting for is also called the Son of God in the Old Testament.

Now Nebuchadnezzar comes near and talks to these men. “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here.” He doesn’t know God’s name, but he does recognize His power, calling Him the Most High God.

Then the officials come near to see for themselves, and they are amazed that “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.” (vs 27) The very definition of unscathed. This answered Nebuchadnezzar’s question of who was able to deliver them from his hands.

Then he goes farther, and forbids anyone (any people, nation, or language) from serving or worshipping any god but their God. This would have been a huge change in their culture. The reason was because this God, who sent His Angel, and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, has frustrated the king’s word, by yielding their bodies. He was impressed with them and their God. His decree included severe penalties for speaking against this God because “there is no other God who can deliver like this.” (vs 28,29) This does not mean that He was converted, as we see later on in the book of Daniel, but just that He recognized the power of this God and thought He deserved the respect of not being maligned.

He then promotes the men. So these Chaldean men who thought they’d soon get new jobs by getting rid of the competition, were probably fearing for more than just their careers.

The tide has turned against Christian believers in the West very rapidly in the past few years. For all their talk of tolerance, they’re not very tolerant of us. For all their talk of diversity, they don’t appreciate that we are part of that diversity. For all their anti-bullying talk, they bully us. I can foresee several watershed issues on the horizon for the church. What’s a watershed issue? It’s like the peak of a mountain. When it rains the water flows down either side. Whether it’s gay marriage or gender issues, or women in Pastoral roles, we will need to take a stand. And whichever way we choose, there will be consequences. Our good old days are nearing the end. We may soon join the rest of the world where Christians have been suffering and paying for their faith with their lives.

I recently read a fictional series called The Seven Trilogy, set in Canada in the near future. It was written by Sara Davison. In it Bibles were outlawed as hate literature. Not as far-fetched as you’d think. It’s terrifyingly plausible. It made me want to hide a few Bibles just in case.

What is your feeling about persecution? Does the idea excite you in some strange way? Do you feel like saying, Bring it on! Or do you dread it, fearing you won’t be courageous? I’m a bit of a chicken, myself. I can only pray that when the time comes, I’ll be found faithful. A comforting verse is Matthew 10:19 “But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak.”

Prayer- “Lord, persecution and death seem remote to us. We live in freedom and ease. If or when we are called to walk that path, don’t leave us. Be our comforter; our sustainer. Give us courage to stand for You unashamed, regardless of the consequences. In Jesus’ name. Amen”

Questions- Do you find that you conform in a difficult situation, rather than stand your ground, in order to avoid punishment? It’s been said that unless you have something worth dying for, you have nothing to live for.

“You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death.” C.S. Lewis

Do you feel prepared for death? What do you fear about death, if anything?

Response- Research Voice of the Martyrs. Read some of the accounts of persecuted believers. Pray for them. Consider sending a monetary gift or purchasing one of their books.

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Jesus as the Passover Lamb

26 Mar

Passover-doorpost

Since our first parents sinned, God told them that the result of sin was death. Yet He had mercy on them and instead of immediately requiring their own death, He provided them with a way to temporarily cover their sin. God allowed the life-blood of an animal to atone or take away sin, so they could be restored to fellowship with God.

Animal sacrifice was instituted in the garden, even before the Passover and the subsequent sacrificial system in the tabernacle. The animal represented an undeserving recipient of a deserved punishment. Substitutionary atonement; one punished in place of another. It represented faith in God’s word if it was done as He instructed, and trust in His provision. The sacrifice was valuable; one gave only the best. The perfect, unblemished animal foreshadowed Jesus, the perfect sacrifice who atones for sin once and for all. “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29b

Because these sacrifices only temporarily covered the sins of the people, they needed to be offered on a regular basis. When the offering was brought, the person would put their hands on the head of the animal while it was killed (Lev. 1:4). This symbolically put their sins onto the animal, and the person identified with it, and then it died in their place.

The requirements for the Passover lamb; male of the first year, one per household, a lamb without blemish, kill it and catch its blood, smear it on door posts and lintels, eat the flesh which was roasted whole on a fire, eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, while wearing travelling clothes, all of it must be eaten that night, anything left till morning must be burnt with fire. The bones were not to be broken. The angel of death would come, and God promised, “when I see the blood, I will pass over you.” Ex. 12:13

How is Jesus represented by the Passover Lamb?

He is without blemish (sinless).

“For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.” Heb. 7:26,27

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin,” Heb. 4:15

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”2 Cor. 5:21

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Pet. 1:18,19

The lamb was to be fully consumed. Ex. 12:8-10

He really died. We feed on Him by faith. (John 6:54)

Ex. 12:46, Num. 9:12 The lamb’s bones were not to be broken.
His bones weren’t broken. John 19:33,36 To show He fulfilled Scripture, it points back to the instructions about the Passover lamb, but now applies it specifically to Jesus.

John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29)

They were to remain inside the house all night to be safe. “And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.” Ex.12:22b We are safe if we are “in Christ.” “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Rom. 8:1

He was perfect, unblemished, male, no broken bones, a substitute who bore the wrath of God, we are covered by His blood, protected from the punishment of death, we feed on him, we partake because we are circumcised in heart=regenerated/born again. He preserves the lives of all who trust Him.
“Circumcise yourselves to the Lord, and take away the foreskins of your hearts, you men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn so that no one can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.” Jer. 4:4

“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,” Col. 2:111
It was to be eaten with bitter herbs to remind them of their bitter slavery in Egypt/our bitter slavery to sin.
Jesus redeemed His people from slavery to sin. “Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” John 8:34-36
“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?” Romans 6:16
“But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.” Romans 6:17
“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” Romans 6:22
Also eaten with unleavened bread. Leaven represented sin.

We have been set free (redeemed) from our slavery to sin. Therefore we must remove sin from our lives.

“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Cor. 5;7,8

Those who applied the blood of the lamb were safe from judgment and death. Ex. 12:7,13
We are under the safety and protection of His blood.
“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Pet. 1:18,19

He was killed as our Substitute, therefore we need not fear death and judgment.
“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,” 1 Pet. 3:18

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Jesus as the One Who Hears the Taunts of His Enemies

24 Feb

hezekiahs_prayer

“Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Your prayer to me about Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.” 2 Kings 19:20

“Isaiah said to them, “Say to your master, ‘Thus says the LORD: Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have reviled me.” 2 Kings 19:6

“Whom have you mocked and reviled?
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes to the heights?
Against the Holy One of Israel!” 2 Kings 19:22

Read 2 Kings 16-20 (Corresponding passages; 2 Chronicles 29-32, Isaiah 36-39)

When we are tormented by our enemies, Jesus knows. Our God is not a distant God who doesn’t care about our situations. We are the apple of his eye, the bride for which He gave His life. He not only hears the taunts of our enemies, and sees the distress we feel, but He comforts our hearts, and He acts on our behalf. Moreover, we see in this narrative that God takes the taunts and threats against His people as taunts and threats against Himself.

This is what we see in this familiar story of the Assyrian siege of Jerusalem when Hezekiah was king of Judah.

I must admit this is one of my favourite Bible narratives and Hezekiah one of my favourite characters in Scripture. I am looking forward to meeting him in Heaven. (You’ve heard of a nerd-crush? He’s my king-crush, even though most like David.) He ruled, for the most part, as a righteous king. (2 Kings 18:3, 5-7, 2 Chron. 19:3) He brought about reforms to undo the idolatry his father, Ahaz introduced into Judah, and he reinstated true worship of Yahweh. He had a co-regency with his father at first, then a sole regency from 715 B.C. onward. He began his reign at age twenty-five and reigned almost thirty years.

At this point in time, the kingdom is already divided, with ten tribes in the North, called Israel, with Samaria as its capital, and two tribes in the south, Benjamin and Judah, known as Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital. (show diagram) The infamous kings of the Assyrian nation, Shalmaneser V and then Sargon II, are rolling through the known world like a juggernaut, flattening nation after nation with the mighty Assyrian army. They are taking fortified city after fortified city, merely laying siege and waiting out the inhabitants who either starve or surrender. They besieged Samaria for three years before it fell. But fall, it did.

They use psychological warfare to great effect, threatening the leaders of the newest city state under siege by standing next to the impaled heads of the previous conquest while they negotiate terms of surrender. The terms are simple; complete surrender with forced tribute or face annihilation or forced servitude. They only imposed heavy tribute if a city did not resist. If they did, the city was plundered then all the prisoners gruesomely tortured.

After centuries of idolatry, God’s patience is at an end. The curses promised because of disobedience are about to fall on the nation. This time, the judgment is not confined to Israel in the north, which has generally been worse in terms of idolatry, but now it reaches Judah, and Jerusalem itself is threatened.

In chapter seventeen some of the reasons are mentioned in verses 16-18. They “made images… worshipped the host of heaven, and served Baal…they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire (child sacrifice) and practiced witchcraft and soothsaying.”

The judgment He has been threatening, finally comes. Assyria attacks Israel. They take one city after another. After a few years, Sennacherib is the new king of Assyria, and he picks up where Sargon left off. News comes to Hezekiah in Jerusalem and he and the people are rightly, terrified.

A little more background on Hezekiah. He was the twelfth sovereign of Judah, excluding Athaliah. Sennacherib invaded Judah around 705-681 B.C.

Hezekiah’s first act was to purge, repair and reopen the Temple which was neglected and polluted by the idolatrous reign of his father Ahaz. It was a thorough reform. He didn’t even spare the high places, but tore them down, “broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the Asherah poles.” He also destroyed the bronze serpent, made by Moses in the wilderness, recorded in Numbers 21:9, because the people gave it a name and started worshipping it. He took this object of worship and turned it into scrap metal. This reformation was followed by a celebration of the Passover.

You’d think these were happy times in Judah, but we don’t know how the people responded. They were accustomed to their idols. For many, it was all they’d known. They may have been outwardly conforming to the new way, but secretly worshipping idols. Syncretism, or mixing of true worship with idolatry was common.

“And the people of Israel did secretly against the LORD their God things that were not right. They built for themselves high places in all their towns, from watchtower to fortified city. They set up for themselves pillars and Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, and there they made offerings on all the high places, as the nations did whom the LORD carried away before them. And they did wicked things, provoking the LORD to anger, and they served idols, of which the LORD had said to them, ‘You shall not do this.'” 2 Kings 17:9-12

The term “from watchtower to fortified city” simply means from small hamlets to large cities. This implies that the paganism was rampant.

Hezekiah had ample warning of an Assyrian invasion. He inherited the Assyrian menace from his father, who made an alliance with them. Hezekiah built up the country in order to throw off the Assyrian yoke. He strengthened the national economy and military. He established warehouses and stockyards in strategic places to store food. He developed a national system of defense and ensured an adequate water supply in the event of a siege.

“The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?” 2 Kings 20:20

“This same Hezekiah closed the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them down to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.” 2 Chron. 32:30

Hezekiah's-Tunnel

He diverted the Gihon Spring, which was exposed to enemy attack. He covered it up and diverted it through a tunnel 1,777 feet long through solid rock, into a reservoir within the city walls. His building projects included the Siloam tunnel, reservoir and pool. The pool was 20 X 30 feet. It was the place where Jesus later healed a blind man.

An ancient inscription by the workmen of the tunnel was found accidentally in 1880 by a boy wading in the pool. It’s at the point where the two sides met. The pic marks can be seen coming from two directions. The original is now in a museum, but the translation is there. It says,

“The boring through is completed. Now this is the story of the boring through. While the workmen were still lifting pick to pick each toward his neighbor and while three cubits remained to cut through, each heard the voice of the other who called his neighbor, since there was a crevice in the rock on the right side. And on the day of the boring through the stone cutters struck, each to meet his fellow pick to pick; and there flowed the waters to the pool for 1200 cubits and 100 cubits was the height of the rock above the heads of the stone cutters.”

I know I’m a bit of a history nerd, but I find this fascinating. This was a building project done without our modern tools. Think of how they made the Chunnel between England and Belgium or France. We rode in it. I tried not to think that we were not just underground, but also underwater. I remember seeing it on the news when they had a giant boring machine, and once they broke through, they shook hands. In this project, they were in a rush, fearing attack at any time, and started from both sides at once, chipping through the path of the softer limestone. They were aiming in the general direction, but they didn’t know if they would pass each other or go over each other and never meet. They didn’t have GPS. So that’s why this inscription is so interesting. It shows their joy when they heard the other workmen and they knew they got it right.

You can still go into this tunnel today, I’m told. It’s not for the faint of heart, however, as it is very narrow, you are walking in thigh deep water and there is no light. You hold hands with each other and there is only space for one person at a time. It’s disconcerting to be in a tunnel built thousands of years ago in a place known for earthquakes.

We attended the Mesopotamia exhibit at the ROM this year and it was amazing to see the records of some of these kings. The Assyrian account of this third campaign, including the siege of Jerusalem, is preserved in the British Museum. Sennacherib says:

“As for Hezekiah, the Jew, who did not submit to me, all 46 of his strong walled cities as well as the small cities in their neighbourhood I besieged and took 200,150 people…and counted as spoil. Himself, like a caged bird, I shut up in Jerusalem, his royal city.”

Despite their boasts, they were not able to take Jerusalem. The Assyrians record an attack on the city, but not its capture. It’s funny that Sennacherib says he kept Hezekiah in Jerusalem like a bird in a cage, trying to make it seem like that is punishment enough. As is usual in annals of ancient despots, they record only their victories, so it’s not surprising that they would not record the devastating losses when they tried to take Jerusalem.

Early in his reign, Hezekiah revolts and refuses to pay tribute to Assyria any longer. 2 Kings 18:7 He was probably emboldened to do so because Assyria was preoccupied with fighting the Babylonians, and he was establishing his own prosperity. 2 Kings 18:13-16 After the fortified cities of Judah are taken, one after the other, he relents, and promises to pay tribute. He pays 11 tons of silver and one ton of gold. At that time, in Judah, silver was more valuable than gold. Yet, in spite of this payment, Sennacherib still attacks; part of the punitive measures for the revolt.

Assyrian records show it was the second-in-command, known by the title of Tartan, who actually conducted the campaign. The great army was under the Tartan, the Rabsaris, or chief eunuch, and the Rabshakeh, or chief officer.

It’s interesting that the place they chose to negotiate terms of surrender was the same place where Isaiah had earlier encouraged Ahaz to trust God rather than an alliance with the Assyrians. 2 Kings 18:17 compare with Isaiah 7:3

The three representatives from Jerusalem, sent to parley, are Eliakim, son of Hilkiah, who was over the household (possibly senior palace administrator), Shebna, the scribe, who was formerly in Eliakim’s role and also treasurer, and Joah, son of Asaph, who was the recorder.

Let’s look at 2 Kings Chapter 18-20 more closely. Please read each verse and then the comments.

Verse 20: “You speak…but they are mere words.” Accuses Hezekiah of lies.

Verse 21: Heard they may have had some alliances with Egypt, but tells them not to trust in that.

Verse 22: The Assyrians mistakenly believe the high places and altars Hezekiah removed were for the worship of Yahweh, or else they were trying to split the opposition, assuming many were unhappy with the loss of the pagan places of worship.

Verse 23: Challenge. They believed, rightly, that Hezekiah’s army was inadequate. It was made up of some infantry and few cavalry.

Verse 25: Claims a divine imperative; “The LORD told me to attack the city.” This is blasphemy; they are misrepresenting and maligning God.

Verse 26: They speak over the heads of the officials to the people themselves. They bypass the usual language of commerce and diplomacy, Aramaic, and speak in the language of the people, to frighten them. This is psychological warfare.

Verse 27: They threaten horrible conditions if they do not submit; which can be blamed on Hezekiah.

Verse 28: They shout loudly to the people in Hebrew, so they will all be aware of what they will face, hoping they may, in turn, influence Hezekiah to surrender. They don’t even refer to Hezekiah as a king, but just use his name. Whereas, they refer to the Assyrian king as the Great King.

Verse 29: Claim Hezekiah is deceiving them and the LORD cannot be trusted.

Verses 31-32: The old carrot and stick. Stick, or threats in verse 27, now carrot, or promises of abundance in a new promised land, if they surrender. Not likely, based on past actions.

Verses 33-35: Appeal to precedent, even mentioning Samaria. They would have heard about the capital of Israel succumbing to starvation and exile.

Verse 36: Silence from the people, who are obedient to the king’s command.

Verse 37: Report back to Hezekiah, with clothes torn, a sign of grief and distress.

Chapter 19

Verse 1: He goes to the right place, the house of the LORD. It’s where we need to go when we are in distress as well.

Verse 2: Hezekiah involves both state and religious authorities in a time of crisis.

Verse 3: His message to Isaiah reflects his helplessness in this critical situation. This was probably a well-known proverb about difficult childbirth.

Verse 4: Hezekiah hopes God will hear the taunts of the enemy and Isaiah’s prayer for the remnant. Because many Israelites fled to Judah for safety, they are also included in the remnant of Israel to carry on God’s name and work.

Verses 5-6: God answers right away through the prophet. “Thus says the LORD,” shows divine authority. God’s answer is consistent with His responses throughout the ages whenever His people were in distress. “Do not be afraid,” even though they had great reason to be afraid. The Assyrians were on their doorstep.

Verses 7-9: Isaiah’s prophecy includes the withdrawal of the Assyrian forces from Judah and Jerusalem. And Sennacherib’s murder in his home country as punishment for his blasphemy against Yahweh. God moves men’s minds and hearts, here using a rumour to divert the enemy’s attack.

Verses 10-13: Now an even more desperate letter from the Assyrians, challenging Israel, as if they are deluded into thinking their God can save them. Also, this time, instead of saying Hezekiah is deceiving them into trusting their God, he actually dares to say God, Himself is deceiving them! More blasphemy. Their mockery puts God on the same level as no-gods. Also, the lists of the cities which were exterminated or utterly destroyed shows that Israel was not alone in using this method of warfare.

Verse 14: Both the prophet (verse 4) and now the ruler pray. Hearing someone’s prayer gives you a good idea of their heart and character. It’s intimate. The practice of spreading out a parchment can be compared to the Mesopotamian practice of placing letters in the temple to be read by the god. They were usually pleas for help. It doesn’t mean Hezekiah thought God needed to see the actual letter in the temple in order to respond, but merely showed his own distress over it. This may also have something to do with how today, people put prayer requests on paper and shove them into the crevices of the Western Wall, or Wailing Wall, the only part of Solomon’s temple that remains.

Verses 15-19: Prayer is addressed to God as Creator and King, alive, unique and still ruling. The phrase “enthroned between the cherubim” gives the idea that God is present with His people. “You are God, You alone” compared with verse 18 “they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands.” Therefore they were defeated; they are unable to do anything. For Hezekiah, God is alive (the Living God) verse 16, in contrast to the no-gods. He asks God to incline His ear, and hear. The idea is of a parent bending down to listen to His child. He asks God to condescend to His children. He acknowledges that the Assyrian boasts are not unfounded. Hezekiah gives a reason why God should help them. “…so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God. You alone.”

Verse 20: God answers Hezekiah, assuring him He has heard. What comfort that must have brought to his heart!

Verses 21-28: Isaiah’s prophecy against Sennacherib. Here we see God stand up to the bully for us, like a big brother who comes to our rescue. This is when you hear Sennacherib gulp. God’s reply is in essence a poetic taunt-song. The image of shaking the head is a sign of derision and contempt. God is not threatened by Assyrian might. Jerusalem and its inhabitants are personified as defenceless as a virgin daughter. Words spoken against God’s people are the same as speaking against God, Himself. God is called, The Holy One of Israel. The Assyrian kings loved to take titles onto themselves, some even took twenty titles or more, all lofty, like ruler of the universe. But this title is the only one that has any power and truth behind it. He is the Holy One of Israel. The speaker and the one who sent him will be held to account. I have to admit, I like the sections of Scripture where God tells people off. Like in the book of Job, he puts us in our creaturely place. We serve a great and awesome and powerful God, who will not share His glory with another. But I digress.

He addresses the Assyrian arrogance against God. Notice all the boasts of the Assyrians in verses 23, 24 and the boasts about what “I” have done? But then God tells them they were just part of His plan. He used them as His instruments, in the same way one wields an ax to chop wood. Verse 26, “therefore” tells them the real reason the defeated peoples were drained of power and they had any military success; because God planned it. Always ask what the “therefores” of Scripture are there for; they connect two thoughts. Verse 27 says basically, “I know where you live.” That should strike fear into their hearts. God sees their rage is ultimately against Him. He says it has come up to His ears. He is about to respond.

Verse 28: The Assyrian practice of leading foreign princes captive with a ring or a hook in their nose (seen on some of their wall reliefs), is now happening to them. They are God’s slaves. He has defeated them. They are now the conquered ones.

Verses 29-34: A message of hope for the survivors (remnant). The land will recover within two full years of the invasion. By the third year, all will be recovered.

Verse 31: “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this,” shows it is a miraculous act of deliverance of Jerusalem. Compare with Isaiah 9:6,7 which is also the means of accomplishing the birth of a unique deliverer-king to rule David’s kingdom.

Verses 32-34: The prophecy against Sennacherib is authenticated with a “thus says the LORD.” No doubt it will happen. The motivation is God’s own glory and His promise to David. “For my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.”

Verse 35: The deliverance. Exact method of death unknown. Significant defeat.

Verse 36: Sennacherib’s return to Nineveh is confirmed in his annals.

Verse 37: Sennacherib is murdered twenty years later, hence the phrase, “one day” or “it came to pass.” He was assassinated by two of his sons. According to neo-Babylonian sources, there was an Assyrian conspiracy led by an older son, Adrammalech. It was well known that Sennacherib preferred his son, Esharhaddon, and could be the reason he was killed. Esharhaddon did become the next king of Assyria, as the Bible also says. It is also confirmed that the assassination took place between the guardian figures at the temple entrance. It’s those little details included in Scripture that assure us of its veracity.

This event gained international recognition for Hezekiah and his God, for successful resistance against the Assyrian power, just as Hezekiah had prayed, “so that the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God. You alone.” 2 Chronicles 32:22,23

Chapter 20

Later in his reign, Hezekiah foolishly flaunts the riches of his kingdom to the Babylonian emissaries. Isaiah rebukes him. It will eventually lead to the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in the next generation. Hezekiah is spared from seeing it.

Hezekiah’s severe illness while he is still under threat by Assyria, and while he has no heir, causes him to cry out to God for his life to be spared. God grants him another fifteen years and he dies a natural, peaceful death.
Jesus was often taunted by His enemies. They frequently made reference to the questionable circumstances surrounding His birth. John 8:41 They mocked Him prior to His crucifixion by placing the purple robe and crown of thorns on His head. They jeered at Him on the cross. Even one of the other criminals being crucified scorned Him.

Because of this, we can be sure He knows how we feel. He comforts us and will one day vindicate us before all at the judgment.

Questions: What do you think about the obsession our culture has with astrology and mediums? Do you think it’s a harmless practice or a harmful practice?

How does it make you feel to know that God hears the taunts of our enemies and our prayers for deliverance?

Blasphemy is misrepresenting or maligning God’s character. In what ways to we see God blasphemed in our culture?

Prayer: “Our Great God, Who dwells amongst Your people. You Who hear prayer, Who condescends to us, Who inclines Your ear to listen to Your children. Thank You. You not only hear us, but You hear the taunts and jeers of our world. The culture around us Who rages against You. They think they have power, but any power they have is granted to them by You for Your purposes. We know that One day You will vindicate us before the world. Now we are nothing. We are weak. But on that Great Day, we will be shown to be who we truly are; the apple of God’s eye, His own dearly beloved bride, wooed in eternity past, purchased with His own precious blood, and kept for all eternity in the everlasting arms. Lord, we thank You for being our Deliverer, the One Who rescues us from Satan, death and hell. Thank You that You hear us, because of Jesus. Amen.”

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Jesus as the Intercessor in David’s census

12 Jan

threshing-floor
“Let your hand be against me…but not against Your people.” 1 Chron. 21:17

Read 2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21

It’s a sad fact of the Christian walk that many of our greatest sins are not committed early in our walk, when we are immature in the faith, but later in life, when we should know better. We can become complacent or over-confident. But we are told in 1 Cor. 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall.”

We see David, larger than life in the pages of Scripture, boldly facing a giant when he was only a teen, leading soldiers during his years in the wilderness, and finally becoming not only a righteous king of Israel, but a man after God’s own heart.

David is known for his great moral failure in regard to Bathsheba. That is a sad story and most understand the lessons from that event quite well. But although the causes of that sin could be lust, coveting, abuse of power, and neglect of duty, it also led to other sins like adultery, murder and lying.

In this stage of David’s life, he is nearing the end of his reign. The incident with Bathsheba is long past, Solomon is a grown man, and David’s kingdom is well established. At this point, they have rest from their enemies.

Yet, instead of thankfulness and praise to God, we see both pride and insecurity. David orders a census of the people in his realm. Was he puffed up with hubris, forgetting that the LORD had taken him from shepherding sheep to shepherding His people? Did David think that the kingdom was his because of anything great in himself?

Or was David insecure, fearing that his army wasn’t large enough? Did he forget that God did not need armies to win battles, but that He was able to save “with many, or with few”? Did he need to hear the numbers to assure himself that they would be able to withstand any attacks? He spoke of trusting the LORD, but now he trusted in the arm of man.

We don’t know David’s true motives in this case, but we do know that behind it all, God was judging His people. We see this in verse one of 2 Sam. 24

“Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, ‘Go, number Israel and Judah.’”

The reason is not given, but it must have been some kind of sin. The fact that it says, ‘again’ tells us there had been an earlier incident. Most believe this to be Uzzah’s sin in touching the ark, recorded in 2 Sam. 6:6-12. It related to the improper respect for the law of God in handling the things of God. Something similar may have been the case here. In the law of Moses, there is a regulation regarding taking a census. It is found in Exodus 30:12 which says,

“When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.”

The amount is specified in the next few verses. As far as we know, this wasn’t done, so it could be the reason. This would again remind them that they needed to remember they were dealing with a holy God.

We know from Scripture that God is the First Cause of the judgment upon His people.

Yet, 1 Chronicles 21:1 says Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel. Which was it? God, Satan, or David? All three, but in this order. God, the Sovereign of the universe is the First Cause, allowing events for His good purposes; Satan, once allowed by God, incites David by putting the thought in David’s mind; and David, as a free moral agent, does what he wants by ordering a census.

What next? David calls a meeting of his generals, tells them what he wants, and silences their protests. They can’t understand why he feels it is necessary to order this make-work project. Even his nephew, General Joab, protests. He seems to understand the wicked intent behind the order, and refuses to count the Levites or Benjamites in the total; possibly because the Levites were excluded from military service and the temple was in Gibeon, with the tribe of Benjamin. The main reason for Joab’s half-hearted obedience was his general disdain towards any of David’s orders with which he disagreed.

David ordered them to count all the men over the age of twenty. This was the age at which they would be eligible for military service.

Was he hoping to conscript more soldiers if he deemed there were not enough, or to increase taxes based on the population? Was David planning an offensive to take even more land than Yahweh had allotted them? We don’t know, but we know that whatever his motives, God was not pleased.

Ten months later, the census is completed and the numbers reported to David. Immediately, his conscience is pricked and he recognizes the wickedness of what he has done. He sees it even before a prophet is dispatched to announce God’s assessment of the situation. He repents, yet judgment still falls.

The prophet Gad is sent by God to address the king the next day. Surprising, and yet, not. This was how God communicated with the patriarchs. David must have known the news would not be good. He must have feared the approach of the prophet, as if he was bringing condemnation, just as the prophet Nathan had. Gad didn’t even explain the problem, but went straight to the punishment.

“Thus says the LORD, ‘I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.’”

Gulp. Would it be worse to choose your own punishment than to merely take whatever the LORD would send?

“Will three years of famine come to you in your land? Or will you flee three months before you are defeated by your foes, with the sword of your enemies overtaking you? Or will there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

Consider the terrible options brought by the prophet; famine, enemies, or plague. These three things have been the usual punishments for disobedience for their nation from the beginning. What an impossible choice! Any of those would result in so much death, again the result of David’s actions. How many would die as the result of his decisions?

“I am in great distress,” David says to Gad. “Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

So, that would mean David chose the first or last option. He must’ve been so overwhelmingly distressed at the thought of fleeing from his enemies again, after the years in the wilderness, running from Saul, and more recently, on the run from his own son, Absalom. Some commentators speculate that there was possibly some measure of selfishness in David’s choice, since the prophet said with the second option he would fall by the sword. (1 Chron. 21:12) Perhaps this old warrior-king liked the idea of dying in his bed after all.

Are those thoughts too harsh? Hadn’t David learned that the LORD’s mercies were indeed great, as he saw when He forgave his many sins?

The choice was made by God. The plague began that night.

The sound of anguish and loud wailing would have been heard behind almost every door. At first, people wouldn’t understand what was happening, or why. People would suddenly get sick and die. They didn’t know how many would die in this divine judgment. Even if their family members were fine on the first day, would it be a comfort, once they learned it would last three days? They were at the mercy of the LORD, as David had said.

It must have seemed so mystical; the way the LORD was working. They had witnessed God’s supernatural power over events in the life of David so many times, but in his favor. Yet now, to be witnessing God’s judgment, of this magnitude, on His own people… and they knew it would happen just as the prophet said. There would be a plague throughout the whole land. And it would last as long as God decreed. Thankfully, not a moment longer.

A plague. Like the judgments on ancient Egypt in the day of Moses, God was revealing His mighty arm. He would do as He wished in the affairs of men. He was a discerner of men’s hearts. He knew what was in David’s heart; what motivated him to number the people.

Yet they could be equally sure the plague would not extend beyond Israel’s borders, because this time Israel was the object of God’s wrath, just as the Israelites were spared when the LORD judged Egypt. This was a very specific plague; Israel only, three days only.

But why must the people suffer for the king’s folly? When he took Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, God didn’t strike the people. Why now? It must not have seemed fair. In his sin with Bathsheba, which was heinous, and affected many people, he was forgiven. Yet now, in this seemingly harmless incident, the judgment is severe. What’s the difference?

We don’t know for sure, but possibly because the incident with Bathsheba was a private sin, it resulted in private consequences, mostly within the king’s own family. But this was a public sin, therefore the consequences were public. If the king was motivated by pride in the number of his people, as if the strength of Israel was the result of his leadership, rather than the blessing of God, then, perhaps the LORD was taking away from their number to show him that He alone is the cause of blessing or cursing, mercy or judgment.

But what’s so wrong about a census? It’s been done many times without this type of response.

Often the sins we think are small, are more offensive to God because he knows our motives. Or it could have been because of the manner in which it was done, which we mentioned earlier.

But why can’t God just forgive David, if he repents, like before?

He did repent. He recognized his sin. His conscience was bothered. This was before he even knew the prophet would come to him. Perhaps there are times when we are repentant, and God forgives us, yet the consequences still come. David was forgiven for his sins against Bathsheba and Uriah, yet there were still grave consequences. Other soldiers died along with Uriah. Families were bereaved. Who can understand the judgments of God?

Couldn’t he just offer some kind of sacrifice, like the one for wilful sin, and hope that God would relent?

Doubtful. When the prophet announced the judgment, it didn’t come with options to avoid it. This time, the sacrifice would be the lives of his people. How many that would be, they didn’t know.

Imagine yourself in the midst of this divine judgment. You’d wonder if every family would lose someone, like in the plague in Egypt, with the death of the firstborn? Would the judgment be that comprehensive?

These were probably the longest, most dreadful three days of David’s life. He knew he couldn’t stop the judgment of God. He must have feared moment by moment that a messenger would arrive with terrible news about someone in his family.

This was no localized event. News would arrive of thousands of dead throughout all Israel, from Dan in the north, to Beersheba in the south, all beginning on the same day. Yet the greatest number of deaths seemed to be in Jerusalem, itself, the city that bore Yahweh’s name. When it was all over, seventy thousand men of Israel died. If it’s the case that only men died, again it would remind David of his desire to know how many men of fighting age where in the land. It’s also interesting that 1 Chon. 21:14 says not just that they died, but that these men ‘fell’, so the idea is that of falling in battle. The LORD was fighting, not for His people, but against them.

Their only consolation would be that the prophet said the plague would last only three days. Only three days!

All business would been suspended, as it often is in a national crisis. The whole country would be in a panic, probably hoping to flee from the plague; but they were kept in Israel, caring for the dead or dying. David and all the elders of Israel were clothed in the sackcloth of mourning.

On the evening of that third day, David goes up onto the rooftop, this time not as a restless king looking for a distraction, but as a distressed man at the mercy of God. Even from this height, the cries of mourning could be heard in the streets below. David looks out over Jerusalem, the city he loves and his heart must have ached.

1 Chron. 21:16 We don’t know how this angel appeared but it may have been as if the clouds had formed into the shape of a man; with his sword drawn and outstretched over Jerusalem. The elders of Israel seemed to see it as well, and fell on their faces.

David fell to his face and cried out, “I am the one who has done evil indeed,” he confessed. “Was it not I who commanded the people to be numbered? But these sheep,” he stretched his arm out over the city in entreaty to God, interceding for his people, “what have they done? Let your hand, I pray, O LORD my God, be against me and my father’s house, but not against your people.”

How different this evening walk on a rooftop was from that evening long ago! To be witness to such a prayer! Although the people could rightly be angry at David that this punishment had come upon them, could they imagine that if they were in David’s position, they’d wish curses on their own family in the place of others? David had already seen so much suffering in his own family as a result of his actions, and now he was willing to take on even more, to spare his people. He was truly a shepherd of the people.

Usually, in sacrifice, it was the life of an innocent animal in place of a guilty person; but now David, the guilty man, offered himself in place of his innocent sheep.

As if in a conversation with God, Himself, the prophet Gad arrived behind them on the roof. As was his usual direct approach, the prophet went straight to the message.

In response to David’s prayer, the prophet told him, “The LORD has relented of the disaster and has restrained the hand of the destroying angel. Now go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan, the Jebusite.”

It’s odd that the LORD directed David to a new place of worship, rather than the tabernacle in Gibeon, which was only six miles away from Jerusalem. But David did not question the command. Instead he hurried to observe the word of the LORD, perhaps thinking to spare even one more person if he obeyed quickly. Zadok, the priest and several other guards would have followed David as he entered his chariot and went in the direction of the vision he had seen in the sky over Jerusalem. As some citizens of Jerusalem saw the royal chariot pass by, he may have heard them exclaim, “The king! The king has come down to see our suffering!”

David must have turned away in anguish. Many would not yet know he was the cause of the plague. When they learned of it, they could well curse him instead.

When they arrived at the property of Ornan, the Jebusite, which was near Mount Moriah, the man would have looked up to see the king and his servants approaching. David wasted no time in going directly to the man. Ornan bowed before the king with his face to the ground.

“Are you Ornan, the Jebusite?” David asked.

The man nodded. “Why has my lord, the king, come to his servant?” Ornan must have asked, with trembling in his voice. The man must have feared for his life since the king came to him in person and asked for him by name.

“Grant that I might buy the threshing floor from you at full price, that I might build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

Ornan lifts his head, relief and surprise in his eyes, then he stands. “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him.” He motions to a yoke of oxen nearby. “Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. All these, O king, Ornan has given to the king,” then he adds with a bow, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

David must have paused at Ornan’s last comment.

“No, but I will surely buy it from you for full price; for I will not take what is yours for the LORD, nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.”

Isn’t that beautiful? He understood that true worship was costly. This time he would not abuse his power and take what did not belong to him.

David counted out a generous sum and paid Ornan, so it then became royal property. Their haggling was reminiscent of the purchase of Sarah’s burial site by Abraham, done in front of witnesses, to make it legal.

David then set about building the altar himself, brushing away the help offered by his servants. As the king place each rock, one by one, on the growing altar, we wonder if David remembered how he wanted his people counted?

When it was built, David offered burnt offerings; in acknowledgement of the righteous judgment of God, and peace offerings; in recognition of the mercy of God. This was accomplished through Zadok, the priest, whom he had brought with him.

When the oxen had been laid on the altar, David fell to his knees and called out to God. We don’t know what he prayed, but we know his prayer was heard. A moment passes. David instructs Zadok to proceed with lighting the burnt offering, but there is no need, as fire came from heaven, directly onto the altar. The guards standing nearby may have fallen backwards, some would have cried out in fear. What was happening?
David would have recognized what had happened, and it caused him to fall on his face. They would have felt the heat from the fire. When they looked up, the sacrifice had been completely consumed.

The LORD was pleased to answer David’s prayer and accept the sacrifice by fire. If the plague was a supernatural occurrence, this was more so.

As David inhaled the scent of the burnt offering, he must have marvelled that God had accepted the offering. Just as all of God’s judgments were just, so great was His mercy toward His people. Once His sword was sheathed, there would be no further deaths from this plague.

David was truly humbled by this event, perhaps even more so than after his sin with Bathsheba. In many ways, he had abused his power; taking another man’s wife, ordering this census because of his pride, not following God’s commands in how it should be done.

Now, he realized he was not greater than this poor farmer, whose land he purchased. He did not just come and demand the land and all he needed. He bought it for a generous price, and built the altar with his own hands, rather than merely ordering his servants to do it. He finally saw that true worship was costly, as his disobedience had been costly.

In spite of the horrible events of those three days, it must have been hard to feel any bitterness toward David. God’s anger had been spent. The avenging angel had sheathed its sword, near the same place where Abraham’s hand was stayed from killing Isaac, so long ago. It was over.

Some of the Scarlet Threads we find are revealed as contrasts, like the blood of Abel crying out for justice, versus the blood of Christ crying out for forgiveness. How is Christ pictured in this event? He is the One Who intercedes for His sheep and offers to take their punishment. In David’s case, it was the guilty for the innocent; in Christ’s case it is the innocent for the guilty. Jesus stands between the just wrath of God and His people. He absorbs it in Himself as the sacrifice, and even now He intercedes for us based on what He has already accomplished.

“Let your hand be against me…but not against Your people.” 1 Chron. 21:17

His sacrifice was complete and accepted. We know this because God the Father put His stamp of approval on it by raising Jesus from the dead. Romans 4:25 says Jesus… “who was delivered up (to die) because of our offenses, and raised because of our justification.” His resurrection proved that the sacrifice was acceptable to God. Otherwise He would have stayed dead. It corroborated everything Jesus ever said and did.

It’s also interesting to note that even though there was already a set place of worship, in Gibeah, six miles northeast of Jerusalem, God directs David to a new place. He then prophesied that it would be the site of the soon-to-be-built temple. (2 Chron. 22:1)

This place is in the shadow of Mount Moriah, the place where Abraham almost sacrificed his son. It remained the place where David continued to go to worship, 1 Chron. 21:30 says, because of fear. It became the site that Solomon built his temple, (2 Chron. 3:1) and the same area where Christ was sacrificed a thousand years later.

Threshing floor of Ornan

Prayer: “Oh gracious, merciful LORD. This narrative shows us how You are involved in the affairs of men, and overrule them because You are Sovereign. When we read of things like a plague being sent by Your hand to punish Your people, we tremble. Yet with You there is mercy. We also see that You are holy and we could not stand in Your presence, let alone approach You if not for the finished work of Christ on our behalf. He intercedes for us, even now, and we thank You. If we are hidden in Christ, we are safe from Your righteous judgments. Thank You for accepting His sacrifice.”

Questions: How is your take on this narrative different from what you thought previously? Did you ever feel the plague was somehow an over-reaction to the census? Did you ever see Christ in this story before? Did you know about the change in location of worship? Do you ever feel you have to ‘defend’ God to unbelievers who would use this story to demonstrate how He appears harsh and uncaring? Did you notice that David never once complained about the judgment of God? He only ever claimed He was merciful and appealed to Him to transfer His judgment to Himself. Do you agree with the statement that many sins are committed when believers are more mature, than when they are less mature in the faith? Why do you think that is?

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Jesus as Jacob’s Ladder in Genesis

23 Dec

Jacobs-Ladder-Meditation
“Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven, and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” Gen. 28:12

“And He said to him, ‘Most assuredly I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’” John 1:51

Read Genesis 28: 10-22 and John 1:43-51

In Genesis we see that man was created with the intent of communication with his Creator. Adam walked with God in the cool of the day. There was nothing to hinder their relationship. What must that have been like? Yet, when sin entered the world, that communication was altered. Adam could not just approach God at any time and in any way.

Fast forward a few thousand years. God has made a covenant with Noah, with Abraham and with Isaac. Now He comes to Jacob in a dream. He dreams of a ladder between Heaven and earth, with angelic beings travelling up and down on it. The ladder was NOT symbolizing the commandments of God, that if we were able to keep them, we could get to Heaven. The tower of Babel was man’s attempt to reach God with their works. God put an end to that idea pretty quick.

It is a beautiful symbol of mediation and reconciliation. It re-establishes communication. Jacob is able to communicate with God. The messengers pass on errands of mercy. Martin Luther says, “The dear angels take our prayers to heaven and bring back the answers.”

This ladder was a means of communication between Heaven and earth. Heaven and earth have been separated by sin. The LORD is above, and Jacob, the object of His mercy, is beneath.

The ladder points to the God-Man who reunites Heaven and earth. Matthew Henry says, “We have no way of getting to Heaven but by Christ.” He also says that the ladder represents the two natures of Christ. The top of the ladder His divine nature, and the bottom rung, His human nature.

In John 1: 51 Jesus presents Himself as the reality to which the stairway pointed. Jacob saw the dream of a union between Heaven and earth; Christ made it a reality. He also compares Jacob the deceiver, also called Israel, to Nathaniel, “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit. “ What Nathaniel would witness in the fulfillment of this symbol would be far superior to Jacob’s vision. He would witness the true ladder, the true communication from Heaven, the true Mediator between God and man, and as a believer he would be part of the true Israel, the family of believers throughout history.

Through Christ, the only Mediator between God and men (1 Tim. 2:5) we have access to the Father (Eph.2:8). Matthew Henry says, “Christ is the Way all God’s favours come to us, and all our services go to Him.”

Prayer-“Lord, thank You for not leaving us as we were, unable to approach You, unable to communicate with You or hear what You had to say to us. Thank You for being the ladder between Heaven and earth, so that we could approach you by faith and be welcomed into the family of God; the true Israel.”

Questions-How did you understand Jacob’s ladder? Did you think it was works or representative of Christ?

Response-In prayer, we communicate with God. In reading and hearing God’s word, He communicates with us. How has your communication been lately? Do you avail yourself of this incredible privilege of communicating with the God of the Universe Who has loved you with an everlasting love? Spend time with Him today.

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Solomon’s Life as a Type of Christ in 1 Kings

17 Nov

Read 1 Kings 1-11

In the glory days of Israel, King Solomon stood out. Although his father, David was revered as the best king, unlike David’s reign, Solomon’s reign knew mostly peace. He was also the wealthiest king, and the wisest man who ever lived, apart from Christ. We will look at the ways that the whole life of Solomon pre-figured Christ, both by similarities and contrasts.

Solomon was the King of Israel. “ Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.” 1 Kings 2:12

Jesus Christ is the King of Kings. “And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” Rev. 19:16

Solomon’s kingdom knew a time of unprecedented peace. This peaceful reign foreshadowed the time of peace that will never end.1 Kings 4:24,25

This time of peace eventually ended. See 1 Kings 11:14,23,26 but Christ’s reign will know no end. Christ is the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6,7

Solomon was rich, with yearly tax revenue equalling 39,960 pounds of gold. 1 Kings 10:14 (See all of 1 Kings 10 ) He had an opulent palace and many building projects, the pinnacle of which was Solomon’s temple. Read 1 Kings 6:14-22

But Jesus Christ is rich, without taxing His people. “For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills.” Psalm 50:9-11 Psalm 50:11-13

He is the maker and owner of all things. Thus says the LORD: Isa. 66:1-3 And He owns the gold and silver in every mine.Hagg.2:8

Yet, Jesus laid aside His glory and riches for our sake. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Cor. 8:8-10 In what sense did He become poor? On earth, He was homeless, had only one piece of clothing worth anything, and had no possessions. He owned no property and carried no cash. He even paid His taxes in an unusual way.  “Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”Matthew 17:27

When the Queen of Sheba came to investigate the rumours about Solomon’s wisdom and wealth, she exclaimed,   “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard! 1 Kings 10:6,7” We cannot begin to imagine how amazing Heaven will be.

She said his servants were blessed to see his face and hear his righteous judgments. “Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the Lord your God, who delighted in you, setting you on the throne of Israel! Because the Lord has loved Israel forever, therefore He made you king, to do justice and righteousness.” 1 Kings 10:8,9

Even more so, the servants of Christ are blessed to read His words and serve Him. God is praised because He delighted in His Son and was pleased to set Him on the throne of the universe, to do justice and righteousness. One day, we will see Him face to face, hear His voice, and serve Him without weariness or sin.  “And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads.” Rev.22:3.4

Solomon received wisdom from God so that he could lead Israel. One case in particular stands out. Read 1 Kings 3:16-28 Two women and one live baby that they both claimed was theirs. Solomon’s decision revealed the true mother.  “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.” 1 Kings 3:28

Jesus teaching was unlike any other. He spoke with authority“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”Matt.7:28,29 He forgave sin. He passed judgment. “ When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her,’Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’She said, ‘No one, Lord.’And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’” Matt. 8:10,11

When questioned about paying taxes, “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they marveled at Him.” Mark 12:17

When Solomon ascended to the throne, he destroyed his enemies; Adonijah, Abiathar, Joab and Shimei.

Adonijah, his brother, for his attempted coup. 1 Kings 1:5 The King would not tolerate rivals.

Abiathar, the priest, was exiled, because he supported Adonijah’s grab for the throne. 1 Kings 1:7  1 Kings 2:26,27

Joab was executed for his support of Adonijah  (1 Kings 1:7) and for his peacetime murder of two generals.1 Kings 2:5,6 1 Kings 2:31-33

Shimei was exiled, and later executed for breaking the terms of his exile. His crime is found in 2 Samuel 16:5-131 Kings 2:44-46

In relation to Shimei, Solomon showed mercy by not destroying him right away and by warning him. Christ, in relation to sinners does not always punish right away, and shows mercy by warning them of coming punishment.

Thus Solomon’s kingdom was established when he put away his mortal enemies. Likewise, when we acknowledge the Kingship of Jesus Christ, we put him first. There is nothing we want more. We seek His kingdom first.“ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33

Christ also ascended to Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of Majesty on high, having destroyed the power of the grave and hell forever.

 “ ‘O Death, where is your sting?]O Hades, where is your victory?’[The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 15:55-57

“For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” 1 Cor. 15:25,26

“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.” 1 John 3:8

“I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Rev. 1:18

“ Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,  and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Heb. 2:14,15

By destroying his enemies, Solomon did not tolerate threats to his reign or false claims to his throne. Likewise, Our God is a jealous God and He will not give His glory to another. He is the Only One worthy to sit on the throne and judge the nations.

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ’Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” Rev.5:12,13

Solomon built a magnificent temple, seven years in the making, with many objects made of marble and overlaid with gold. It was one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Jesus Christ has been preparing a place for us in Heaven for 2,000 years! How awesome will that be? We will walk through gates of pearl, stroll on streets of gold, and live in a city whose foundations are made of precious stones.  Rev.21 and 22

“In My Father’s house are many mansions if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” John 14:2,3

After Solomon finished building the temple, during the dedication, God Himself came to dwell in it. “And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord,  so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” 1 Kings 8:10,11

Likewise, God ‘tabernacled’, or pitched His tent among us, when Christ took on flesh and lived among us. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

But even more glorious, will be the day when we will be in the presence of God in Heaven, seeing His face, enjoying unbroken fellowship with Him.“”And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’” Rev. 21:3, 4

In the book of Song of Solomon, the king is a lover. Christ is the lover of our souls. The king is the fairest of ten thousand. Jesus is the name above every name.

“Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 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,  and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

The lover sees his bride as perfect and beautiful. “You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot in you.” Song of Solomon 4:7 Christ sees His bride that way as well. “…that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27

Solomon had a legitimate claim to the throne as the son of David. Also, it is significant that he was a child conceived after David married Bathsheba, so no one could say Solomon was illegitimate. Adonijah was the eldest, so he assumed  he was next in line for the throne. However, God had promised that David’s son, Solomon would sit on the throne. “ ‘Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon,for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.  He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’” 1 Chronicles 22:9,10

Jesus Christ also has a legitimate claim to the throne of David and the throne of the universe. If you look at the genealogies you’ll see He is in the family line of David. But as the Son of God He has the right to sit on the throne of Heaven.“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:‘The Lord said to my Lord,‘Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.’” Acts 2:34,35

Solomon did not remain true to the end. “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. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David.Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.And he did likewise for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”1 Kings 11:4-8 A true tragedy. It started early with his political marriages to unbelievers. Spiritual change always happens little by little. Mark Dever says, “A small difference in trajectory can make a big difference in destination.”

Yet Christ is called “Faithful and True” Rev.19:11 He is also, “the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” John 14:6 He finished the work the Father gave him to do and did not shrink back from it.

Solomon’s house and temple were magnificent, but they were eventually ransacked, rebuilt and eventually destroyed. His glory was temporary. He reigned only 40 years, then went the way of all the earth. 1 Kings 11:42,43

But Christ’s glory is eternal and His reign will know no end. “And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: ‘Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne,
And to the Lamb, forever and ever!’” Rev.5:13

Epitaph

So what happened to Solomon? Can we expect to see him in Heaven one day?

I believe there is reason to be hopeful for several reasons.

First, God showed mercy in the midst of judgment. Divine judgement was deferred.“Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.Nevertheless I will not do it in your days, for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of the hand of your son.However I will not tear away the whole kingdom; I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen.” 1 Kings 11:11-13 “However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.” 1 Kings 11:34

God promised that He would discipline David’s son but not cast him off forever, as he did Saul.

 “’When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever.’”2 Sam 7:12-16

If the book of Ecclesiastes is any indication of his mindset, he seemed to “get it” in the end.

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man’s all.For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing,
Whether good or evil.” Ecc. 12:13,14

In the book, King Solomon: The Temptations of Money, Sex and Power, Phillip Graham Ryken concludes, “Solomon was one of the greatest men who ever lived. He came from noble birth, heir to the world’s most famous dynasty. He was the king of Israel. He had a powerful army and cavalry, but never needed to use it as he ruled during a golden age of peace. During Solomon’s reign the kingdom grew to its widest expanse.  He had riches beyond compare. He was a famous builder. His temple in Jerusalem was one of the wonders of the ancient world. He was an accomplished naturalist and a learned scholar, a brilliant poet and philosopher. He was a man of prayer. (See his prayer at the dedication of the temple in 1 Kings 8:22-53). Above all he was a man of wisdom. His kingdom reveals a pattern for the kingdom of Jesus Christ.”

“The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.” Luke 11:31

Prayer: “Thank  you, Lord, for the life of King Solomon. You blessed him beyond measure and gave us a glimpse of the future glory of your kingdom. You are wiser, more glorious, richer, more merciful than he was. We are blessed as your servants to hear Your words and learn from You. One day we will see you face to face in the home You’ve been preparing for two thousand years. We will serve and worship You forever.”

Questions: Solomon took seven years to build the temple of God and thirteen years to build his own house? What does that reveal about his heart? What is the ratio of time/money spent on kingdom work vs. our own homes? What does that reveal about the state of our hearts? What were some of the small choices that Solomon made that ended in tragedy? Do you feel more hopeful that we will see Solomon in Heaven, after this study?

Response: The Queen of Sheba gave full honour to Solomon, and he wasn’t half the king Jesus is. Do we honour Him as we ought?

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Jesus as the Judge of All the Earth in Revelation

20 Oct

Read Revelation 20:11-15

Maybe I have an overly sensitive conscience, but I feel nervous around police and judges. Once, when I was called for potential jury duty, I took the stand to be asked a simple question. My heart was racing. I was sooooo  nervous! If I tremble before a human judge even though I’m innocent, what would it be like to stand before the Judge of all the earth, guilty?

The images of the end of the age are awesome, with horrible judgments poured out on the earth, and a vision of God on His throne so terrible, it says the earth and heaven fled away, and there was no place for them. (Rev. 20:11) People will be so terrified, they will prefer to hide in caves and ask the mountains to fall on them and hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. “For the day of His wrath has come, and who can stand?” Rev.6:14-17

One doesn’t usually associate wrath with a lamb. Lambs are docile, sweet and helpless. But this Lamb, who “as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” Isa.53:7, was also, “Christ, our Passover, slain for us.” 1 Cor.5:7 The Lamb of God came to earth the first time to handle the sin problem. Now He is coming to Judge the earth.

In Matt. 25:31-46, Jesus tells a parable about the Sheep and the Goats. It is set at the Last Judgment. Jesus is on the throne. We know this because the One on the throne refers to His Father. Also, we know that all judgment has been committed to the Son. John 5:22, Rom.2:16, Eph. 5:10, john 5:22

The sheep and goats are separated, with the sheep on the right and the goats at His left hand. Jesus here rewards His people for doing things out of love for Him. They are so unaware of their actions being commendable, that they are surprised to hear that He likens their good works to His brethren as good works toward Him, personally.

Also notice, He rewards His people first, in order to vindicate them before the unbelieving world. It’s amazing to me that He would equip us for good works, Eph.2:10, and then reward us for them. 1 Cor. 3:14,15 Good reason to cast our crowns before Him. Rev.4:10

Then He assigns the unbelievers to eternal torment using almost the same words He uses to praise the sheep. They also protest, claiming innocence that it was Jesus they failed to care for when they failed to care for “the least of these”. They were looking to get off on a technicality, but God knows their hearts.

The images in the last few chapters of Revelation are sobering. Read Rev. 20:11-15 again. You see the awesomeness of the One on the Great white throne, the reanimation of the dead from the sea and the graves, all standing now before the Judge. Books will be opened, and people will be judged “from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.” Rev. 20:12

The most important book seems to be the Book of Life. “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Rev. 20:15

I know everyone has a different story to tell about how they were saved. Some see the beauty of the gospel, some see the reasonableness of it, some see the awesome sacrifice of Christ. I feared judgment. I recognized, even as a child, that I was guilty, and that God would be just in condemning me to hell. When I heard the good news, that He had also provided a way to escape the judgment, I ran for it.

That’s not a bad thing. It’s one approach to preaching the gospel. “…some save with fear…” Jude 1:23 The good news isn’t good news unless we first hear the bad news. How can we have assurance of our salvation and confidence that we can stand before the throne of this Awesome One without fear? The answer definitely doesn’t rest in us. I can’t “keep” myself in the faith, any more than I got myself into it. Salvation is God’s work from start to finish. He is the “Author and Finisher of our faith.”  Heb. 12:2 He chose me, so He keeps me. (Rom. 8:29). They are links of the salvation chain, we are secure because of Christ.

There are many theological terms we read in our Bibles, without really understanding them: justification, sanctification and propitiation come to mind. Most believers get the general idea of those words, but couldn’t give a clear definition.

We’ll focus on justification for a moment. I’ve heard that it means God looks on you “just-as-if-you-had-never-sinned”. While it might be a helpful way to remember, I think it’s a weak definition. Justification is actually a legal term. Since we’re dealing with the Supreme Court of the Universe, it’s helpful to speak legal-ease. Justification, as it is used in the Bible, primarily means to be declared righteous. That is exclusively the idea that the Apostle Paul means. James uses the term, but he uses it in reference to how our works validate our faith in the eyes of men, not how we stand or fall before God.

Justification differs from sanctification, which is the process by which God progressively makes us holy. The first thing we need is to have the death sentence removed from over our heads. When we believe in Jesus Christ; repenting of our sin and resting in the finished work of Christ as our Substitute, God declares us “NOT GUILTY”. We are free! “And Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Gen.  15:6 and Rom.5:1,2, Rom.8:1

As the Judge of the earth, He has the right to do that; to let a guilty person go free. But as a holy and just God, He could not do that without going contrary to His nature, which He cannot do. “He cannot deny Himself.” 2 Timothy 2:13 If only there was a way……….There is a way! His name is Jesus. Because Jesus was our Substitute, who paid in full for our sin, God can legitimately justify us.

So when we flee to Jesus for safety, we are hidden in Him, and in that sense, God now looks on us “just-as-if-we-had-never-sinned”. When God the Father sees us hidden in Christ, He sees only the perfect righteousness of His son. Col.3:3 A great exchange has taken place. Our sins on Christ, Christ’s righteousness imputed, or made over, to our account. O sweet exchange!

Justification by faith alone is a beautiful, life-changing, uplifting, soul-assuring doctrine. Never tire of praising God for justifying you. Because you are justified, you will not be condemned on that awful day. The worst words anyone will ever hear will be, “Depart from Me. I never knew you.” Matt.7:23

Yet, “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ…” Rom.8:1

“It is in the substitutionary death of Christ that sin is overcome and wrath is averted, so that God can look upon man with pleasure, and man can look upon God without fear. Sin is expiated and God’s wrath is propitiated.” John Stott

Prayer– “Lord, how awesome You are. You are our Creator and our Saviour. The truth of a future judgement would be terrifying, if we weren’t secure in Christ. ‘Thank you’ is so inadequate to express our feelings about saving us from hell and promising us Heaven. +Help us to share the gospel so that others won’t have to face the wrath of the Lamb.”

Questions– When we stand before Jesus, will He be our Saviour or our Judge? If you are unsure, spend some time in prayer, asking God to save you, or if you are saved, to give you assurance of your salvation, so you don’t need to fear death and judgement. –Was fear of judgement a factor in your conversion?

Response– How familiar are you with theological terms? Look up the meaning of the following terms: justification, sanctification, adoption, redemption, propitiation.

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Christ as the Kinsman-Redeemer in the Book of Ruth

15 Sep

Read Ruth 1-4.

The Bible has a bit of everything in it. There is history, biography, poetry, prose, apocalyptic, and even romance. The book of Ruth is a romance novella which plays an important part in redemptive history. God could have just thrown a couple together in an arranged marriage and the family line of Christ would have continued on. Yet he chose to give us a glimpse into the character of a young Gentile woman, in order to give hope to those of us outside of the nation of Israel.

Boaz was a wealthy businessman in Bethlehem; he was powerful and important in society. He was older than Ruth by at least twenty years. He is impressed by Ruth as she works in the field, hearing a good report of her by his foreman. He has heard of her actions in following Naomi to a strange country. He may have thought of his ancestor, Rahab, who was also a stranger in Israel.
Although he is impressed by her and may even be attracted to her, he doesn’t pursue her as, undoubtedly, he feels their age difference is too great. If it were not for Naomi’s meddling and Ruth’s willingness to do as Naomi instructed her, Boaz may never have made a move. When Ruth approaches him the night on the threshing floor and basically proposes to him, he is very humble, not even acknowledging that he is quite an eligible bachelor. Instead, he commends her for not running after the young men. He guards her reputation the night on the threshing floor by sending her away while it is still dark, lest someone assume something happened between them, and then he gives her grain to take with her in case someone was to inquire where she was at that hour.

The Scarlet Thread in this story is Boaz as a kinsman-redeemer. The idea of the Kinsman-Redeemer is that a near relative can redeem, or buy back the property of a relative who had been forced to sell their land for some reason, and now they cannot buy it back themselves because they are impoverished . These laws were in place to ensure that family members are looked after and the land stays in the family. See Deut. 25:5-10 and Mark 12:18-25

The two main requirements of a Kinsman-Redeemer are that he must be 1) qualified to redeem, (a close relative who could afford to buy the land) and 2) willing/able to redeem (not already married). It was voluntary. There was a way out, although it was frowned upon. (See Deut. 25:7-10) He was spit upon and lost his sandal. It was scandalous/he was sandal-less!
Boaz is a wonderful example of a Kinsman-Redeemer who is both qualified and willing. He has a nature that is unselfish and nurturing. He comes to the rescue. He shows great kindness to Ruth. He protects her and provides for her.

He remembers there is another relative who was closer than he who could end up married to Ruth instead of him, was qualified to be a kinsman-redeemer. This is the conflict, or complicating factor you see in all great romances. How will they overcome it? Will our hero and heroine find true love? Thankfully, he was unwilling. He was too selfish. He didn’t mind inheriting Elimelech’s property, he just hadn’t counted on a wife in the deal. As well, their first son would not bear his name. He would also share the inheritance. It was all too much trouble. Boaz tells Ruth he’ll approach the other relative, so she doesn’t have to humble herself by proposing to someone else. He also indirectly promises to care for Naomi as well.
This transaction, done at the “city gates” where all business was transacted before witnesses, was done properly, so there would be no question as to the legitimacy of Boaz’s claim to Ruth and the inheritance of Elimelech. Although it sounds like Ruth is ‘purchased’ in a business transaction, you see from the interaction between them, that Ruth and Boaz do really love each other.

When he first met Ruth one of the things he said to her was, “The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:12 When she approaches him about marriage, she uses his own words and images back to him to show how he can help her practically and bless her and be the answer to her prayer. “Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.” Ruth 3:9

This reminds us of the idea of Eve being made from Adam’s rib. Matthew Henry has a great quote that’s nice for weddings.

“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam;
not made out of his head, to rule over him;
nor out of his feet, to be trampled upon by him;
but out of his side to be equal with him;
under his arm to be protected,
and near his heart, to be beloved.”

To draw out the Scarlet Thread in this narrative, we see Christ as our Kinsman-Redeemer. He is like Boaz because he “owns the field” and marries one who was formerly a stranger and foreigner who puts her trust in Him and becomes His bride. Christ is even better than Boaz as a Kinsman-Redeemer. We are destitute spiritually, with no way to get out of debt and no way to provide for our eternal well-being. Christ steps up. He is our kinsman, one who is like us, who is our friend, who sticks closer than a brother. He is qualified. He is able to redeem.

He sees our situation and is moved with compassion. Compassion has the idea of suffering together. But he did more than that. He doesn’t merely feel a sad situation and feel pity for us. He does something about it. This is AGAPE love; love in action.

He set aside His royal robes and willingly condescended to become one of us. Then He lived a perfect life that we could not, died a sacrificial death to pay a debt He did not owe and we could never repay. Having accomplished our Redemption, our ‘purchase’, He ratified it by rising from the dead. He has purchased His people. Like Boaz’s official transaction at the gates of the city, so Christ purchased His bride publicly when He died on the cross. “This thing was not done in a corner.” Acts 26:26 By purchasing us and bringing us into His family, He saved us from destruction.

We are no longer destitute. We are heirs, co-heirs with Christ, and He owns all things. He is our Bridegroom. He has purchased His Bride, “…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Pet. 1:18,19

“Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
For your Maker is your husband,
The LORD of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth.” Isaiah 54:4,5
This story is another example of a situation where we wonder if people are going to mess up the plan of God, like Judah could have by going to Canaan and marrying a Canaanite woman, or like Elimelech and Naomi could have by moving to Moab for an extended length of time and having their sons marry Moabite women. Yet, in both cases God overruled the situation and brought them back to Israel, both times with foreign women.
The characters in this story take turns blessing each other. For a short book, there’s a whole lot of blessing going on, nine in fact.
First Naomi blesses Ruth following the death of her husband and sons, “And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go, return each to her mother’s house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.’” Ruth 1:8,9
Boaz and his reapers exchange blessings with each other. “Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, ‘The LORD be with you!’ And they answered him, ‘The LORD bless you!’” Ruth 2:4
Naomi blesses Boaz. “And her mother-in-law said to her, ‘Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you.’ So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, ‘The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.’ Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!’ And Naomi said to her, ‘This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.’” Ruth 2:10-20
Then Boaz blesses Ruth in response to her self-sacrificing care of her mother-in-law, “And Boaz answered and said to her, ‘It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.’” Ruth 2:11,12
Boaz blesses Ruth after her ‘proposal.’ “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.’” Ruth 3:10
Then the leadership of Bethlehem bless them on their marriage. “And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, ‘We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman.’” Ruth 4:11-12
Then finally, the women of the town bless the LORD on behalf of Naomi on the birth of Obed. They also bless Obed. “Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.’” Ruth 4:14-15

Prayer-“Thank you for seeing me in my distress and rising up to do something to relieve it. Thank you for being qualified to save by being rich so that you could redeem me, and yet becoming poor, so you could be like me, and a human, so you could be related to me. Thank you for being able to  save and willing to save. Thank you for your tender care and loving kindness.” Amen.

Questions-How do you feel about the poor? Do you have poor relatives who need help? Did you ever feel stigmatized because of a relative? How did you deal with it? Have you ever felt like an outsider?

Response-Sometimes we can be kinder to strangers than we are to our own relatives. I know that to be the case with me. Pray that God would show you a way to minister to the needs of a near relative. Show them love in a tangible way because you are willing and able and because you care about them as family members.

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Christ as the Mediator in Job

8 Sep

Read Job Chapter 9

“For He is not a man, as I am, that I may answer Him, and that we should go to court together. Nor is there any mediator between us, who may lay his hand on us both.” Job 9:32, 33.

Disputes can quickly turn ugly.  It can happen in labour talks, on the baseball diamond, or in a marriage.  When you have two parties, each with legitimate “beefs”, or at an impasse because neither side will compromise, you need outside help.

The form this outside help takes is important.  You don’t want someone who is vulnerable to accepting a bribe, one who can be threatened or coerced, or one who starts out with a bias toward one side or the other.

He must be trustworthy, fair and blameless.  Moreover, he must have a clear understanding of both sides in order to bring them together in reconciliation.  How difficult to find such a peacemaker!

In this passage, Job laments his situation.  He has some serious questions for God; namely, ‘Why am I suffering?’  Yet he knows he is dealing with the God of the universe, and one does not just saunter into His presence and demand answers.

Job knows he needs an advocate.  An umpire.  A mediator.  Someone who will put one hand on him, and one on God, and find a peaceful solution.  Oh Job, if you only knew that such a One would come!

“For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.” 1 Tim. 2:5

As sinners, we are in such a predicament, as well.  We are rebels against the King of the universe.  R.C. Sproul says we have committed “cosmic treason”. We are guilty before the Judge of all the earth.  There is nothing we can do to fix our situation.  Moreover, we have no right to even approach this Holy God to appeal for mercy.

Enter: the God-Man, Jesus.  He is the Eternal Son of God, and yet He took on flesh.  As a man, He could understand our predicament; as God He could do something about it.  While it’s nice that someone understands our trouble, unless they can do something about it, we’re still in peril.

If I was drowning and someone jumped into the water beside me, started flailing their arms and swallowing  water, it wouldn’t mean much to me for them to say, “I know just how you feel!”  I don’t need sympathy alone, I need help!  I need a hero to save me!

That’s why Jesus is the best Mediator.  As a man, He understands how sin has ruined us, although He Himself was sinless.  He knew pain, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, rejection and oppression.  But as God, He could also do something to relieve our situation.

That situation was our broken relationship with God.  We stood condemned.  He took the punishment, satisfying the wrath of a holy God.  Because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross, we can now approach this Holy God, and appeal for mercy based on the finished work of Christ.

Christ is the mediator that Job could only dream about.  We who live after the Cross can see how our sympathetic High Priest is also our Deliverer.

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:15

“…and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.” 1 Thess. 1:10

As a mediator between two opponents, he brings about reconciliation.

“Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” 2 Cor. 5:18   

He doesn’t just say, “Why can’t we all just get along?” or “Let’s let bygones be bygones,” or “Boys will be boys.”  He provides a real solution, not just platitudes.  He truly solves our sin problem.  A Holy God will not just overlook our offences.  At the cross, Mercy and Peace have kissed each other.

“knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Pet. 1: 18, 19

Hallelujah! What a Saviour!

Prayer– “Lord you know how obstinate and unforgiving I can be. You know I’m not the first to apologize after an argument. Break down my pride. Make me willing to humble myself in order to bring about reconciliation in my relationships. Thank you most of all for reconciling me to God through the sacrifice of Yourself.”

Questions– How do you deal with disputes? Are you an instigator, an agitator, or a peacemaker? Do you realize that before you were saved, you were an enemy of God?

“Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement. He is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realizing you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor—that is the only way out of a hole. This process of surrender—this movement full speed astern—is repentance.”  C.S. Lewis

“I’m glad at the way it came out, but at the conversion moment, what I heard was God saying, ‘Put down your gun and we’ll talk’.” C.S. Lewis

Response– Do you need to make peace with someone? Do it before the day is over.

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