The Carpenter's Chapel (6)

Thursday, 30th June, 2005

Am I in the place of God?

“...Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?” - Genesis 30v2

There can be no doubt that Jacob's words were not spoken in the best spirit here. He had confused things by marrying the sisters Leah and Rachel. God had given Leah sons, but the wife who Jacob really loved had none. Rachel came to Jacob complaining and in anger he responded the words recorded above.

It is unfortunate that he did not heed his own words. Jacob's words might well be translated, “Can I act as if I am God?” There will be times when he will do just that, trying to do God's work for Him.

Sadly enough, at times we all do the same thing Jacob did. We may reflect on the past and say and think that things would have done better if we had done so and so. We may look at our present and think how things could be better “if.” We may contemplate the future and think that our plan is surely the best plan. In each of these situations, in a sense at least, we are putting ourselves in the place of God. God knows what is best for us, He is sovereign, He is love itself, and He loves us. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts because His ways and His thoughts are far above our ways and our thoughts.

When we say, “Can I act like God?” may our hearts and minds reflect that truth. In every situation may we let God be God and may we follow His perfect plan.

 

Well, when she did finally have a child, she had a good one-one of my favorite personalities in the Old Testament. Joseph was a man of faith and integrity.
No, I cannot be like God, but God help me (and us all) to reflect His Son Jesus to the world.
Thanks Roger.

 

Friday July 1, 2005

I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
(John 17:6-19)
The second part of His prayer deals with His intercession for His disciples (17: 6-19). He establishes their position in Christ, then He prays for them as their great High Priest. It is interesting to note that if you could lose your salvation, then Peter and the rest of these followers would soon be lost when they fled the garden at Jesus' arrest. But Jesus speaks of them in 17:6 as ones who were saved ("kept", "known", "received", "believed"). Jesus has already spoken of their denial in 16:32, yet He still speaks of them as being His own. It is based upon their adoption into God's family, not their works. 17:8 shows us the basis which Jesus speaks of their position in Him:
1. The disciples were given God's Word;
2. They received God’s Word into their hearts;
3. They accepted Jesus' testimony of being the Christ, sent from God. Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."
With that said, there are several other truths found in these verses. Dr. Ironside sees the phrase, "I have manifested thy name unto the men" as a change from the Old Testament period when Israel looked at Abraham as their "father." Now Jesus has revealed God, the Father unto them. (pg 743) Remember what Philip said in 14:8 "Lord, show us the Father." Soon they would grasp this new concept. Next we see in 17:9 that as Jesus prays, He makes a distinction between the "world" and His own. This becomes a hard verse to explain for those who believe that everyone will wind up in Heaven. Jesus died for all the world, and His offer is open to "whosoever will" yet He recognizes that not all will accept His gift of eternal life. Notice that 17:10 reveals the Lord is "glorified" by those who accept His plan of salvation. As we give testimony to His great love and we live as though we believe it, we are giving glory to God! To worship Him means more than singing a song or listening to a message; we honor Him as we walk as a child of the King!
Also in 17:12 He again claims to be the party responsible for the safe keeping of the saints. Jesus goes on to say that "none" were lost on His watch. Why should we think that God the Holy Ghost will do any less, when He is spoken of as our "Seal" and our "Earnest"?
17:13-19 speaks of His mission for the disciples and later the Church. First, He looks at their relationship to the world as a whole. These believers are in the world, but not of the world. We are not to live in isolation, hiding away from the world. But we also need to realize that we are not of the world and shouldn't try to act like the world. Before salvation we were considered "aliens" of God, so now that we have Christ we are aliens of the world.
Ephesians 2:12: That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world." Hebrews 11:13 calls us "strangers and pilgrims on the earth." (See also 1Peter 2:11) The Lord Jesus only asks for believers to be protected from evil. 1Cor. 10:13: "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye be able to bear it."
17:17 then gives us a foundation to stand upon - the truth of the Word of God. The thing that sets us apart from the world is our standing upon the truth of God's Word. If we don't have the Bible as a plumline, we have no salvation and no hope! The Word of God is the difference between the two houses of Matthew 7: 24-27. The one believes the Word is founded upon a rock, while those who reject the Bible build upon the sand. That's why Genesis 1-11 is so important because it is the foundation of the doctrines of the Bible.
How can we know God apart from His work as Creator? We don't fully understand sin until we look at Genesis 3 and see the perfect life in the garden of Eden before sin and then the consequences afterwards. We are first introduced to the promise of the coming Savior in Genesis 3:15. Please realize that a Bible teacher who doesn't accept the literal teaching of Genesis 1-11 (creation, the fall of man into sin, the flood, the dispersing of nations at Babel) is like the drowning man giving swimming lessons! He is trying to teach others, yet he is sinking under the waves. "Thy Word is truth" (17:17). Whenever scholars or scientists disagree with God's Word it will be just a matter of time till they are shown to be in error.
Because the Word of God is "Truth", we can be sanctified by it. We are cleansed by the blood of Jesus when we get saved, but we also need to be sanctified "by the washing of the water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26) To be sanctified is to be set apart for God, so when we follow the teachings of God's Word it sets us apart from the lifestyle of the World.
Then as we are set apart by God's truth, we are then sent out into the world (17:18) Here we have the first revealing of the great commission of Christ.

 

I am not worthy

“I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant...” - Genesis 32v10

Jacob continues to grow in his relationship with the Lord. He has not “arrived” yet, but is making great strides. Here Jacob has been told that Esau is looking for him and he knows the feelings that are there. He is afraid and begins all kinds of machinations to sort things out with Esau. Yet, in the midst of his schemings he stops and acknowledges some things to God.

“I am not worthy,” he says;
1) of the least of your mercies
2) of all the truth which thou hast shown to thy servant.

In spite of his problem Jacob knew some things that we miss sometimes. They is a movement in Christian circles that that says we can demand anything we want from God and that He is bound to give it to us. Whether we go that far or not we can often think about how “bad” we have it and that God should do better for us.

The truth is that God owes us nothing. Because of our sin we were the enemies of God before salvation. Yet, God showed His love for us through the fact that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. We are not even worthy of salvation, yet God in His mercy provides it for us. It is only of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning! Great is His faithfulness! We are not worthy to receive the great truths of His Word, yet He sent the Holy Spirit to guide us into all truth.

We have so much to be thankful for simply in the mercy He shows and the truth He provides. That is why God can tell us in Philippians, “Be careful (full of cares) for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with THANKSGIVING, let you request be made known unto God.”

May we thank God today for His mercy and His truth, of which none of us are worthy!

 

Tuesday July 5, 2005

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.
(Joh 17:20-26)
We find the third section of the Lord's prayer in 17: 20-26. It looks beyond those disciples close beside the Savior and sees the future believers. Even though it has been 2,000 years since our Lord Jesus died on the cross, the promises of God's Word includes believers today! Within our inclusion into God's family, we see two things. First we see the unity of God's family. Jesus prayed three times that "they all may be one." This is explained later in the New Testament that all the saints of God will make up the body of Christ. The unity spoken of in 17: 21,22 is not an ecumenical, watered down version of Christianity that is based on man's popular opinions of that day. No, we need to be unified on the basis of God's Word. The Bible will divide truth from error and will also unify those who follow the truth. Many groups have joined together; yet to do so they have refrained from teaching some of the main doctrines of the Bible. That is why we should not get involved in city-wide crusades that have a mixture of Churches with varied beliefs. Now we might have some fellowship with others who claim to be saved, yet should we invite them to speak in our Church?
One day the saved will be unified together as the body of Christ. We will be one as He and the Father "are one."
Also in this third section we see the basis of our standing before God is that we have recognized that Jesus was the One sent from the Father, the Christ, the chosen One of God. Our salvation is based on our acceptance of the fact that Jesus is the Savior, Who died for our sins and rose again (Romans 10:9; 1Cor. 15:1-4) He ends His prayer with a reminder of His name and the sacrificial love for us that He shares with the Father (John 3:16).
What is it that He prays for us?

Preservation
"Holy Father, keep through Your own name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are."
(John 17:11)
Perhaps some of the confusion concerning eternal security has to do with the fact that we don't keep ourselves, but are kept by God.

Sanctification
"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17)
Our sanctification will come, therefore, not through some special experience, but through God's word.

Unification
"That they may be one, as You, Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent me."
(John 17:21)
Here He prays for true unity among His true disciples.

Glorification
"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with me where I am, that they may behold My glory which you have given Me; for you loved Me before the foundation of the world." (John 17:24)
We can be assured that the Father will grant these requests of His beloved Son.

 

Wednesday, 6th July, 2005

I have enough

“...Esau said 'I have enough' ... Jacob said, 'I have enough...'” Genesis 33v9,11

In this chapter we have a reunion of two long lost brothers after a 21 year separation. They had departed with less than brotherly love and Jacob was petrified to meet the brother he had wronged so horribly. All Jacob could see what retribution, which he knew he deserved.

How surprised Jacob must have been when his brother ran to him, embraced him, fell on his neck, kissed him, and they wept.” Family introductions were made and a truly wonderful family reunion ensued.

Obviously, it was the work of God in these men's heart that made this all possible. Yet there is something else which is key here. How could all of the differences of the past be so easily forgotten? Both men speak three very rare words to each other. “I have enough” they both say while involved in something of a giving contest.

Why are these words so rare? They whole relationship with God and each other is based on the concept of contentment. I Hebrews lack of contentment is equated with idolatry. Discontentment always puts something else ahead of God. Contentment is able to say “I have enough” no matter what the situation. Discontentment never says, “I have enough.”

Their division was resolved when both men accepted that they had enough. May we strive to resolve our differences with the same spirit.

 

Thursday July 7, 2005

Chapter 18

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.
And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
(John 18:1-11)
As Judas leads a group of men to betray the Master, we now see the true nature of Jesus' friend. Judas had seen all of the miracles; heard the words that had changed the lives of others, yet his heart was hardened as a stone. J.C. Ryle of England declared: "The same fire that melts wax will harden clay." (p.456) As we hear the Word of God, it will either melt our heart or it will hardened it as Pharaohs heart was cold before Moses. We need to pray that God will break up our "fallow ground."
18:4 also gives reference to His Deity as "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him." It was not a shock to Jesus as He saw Judas leading the mob to arrest Him. Jesus, as God, knew every step in His future, yet He still came to the garden and made a free-will choice to suffer for us. Then in 18:6 we see His Deity displayed in the power of His voice. Then He stated the phrase, "I am He" John makes record of the mob as they "went backward, and fell to the ground." It was the same voice that spoke in the beginning and the world was brought into existence. It was the same voice that had cleansed lepers, and caused the blind to see. It was the same voice that had cried "Lazarus, come forth." The amazing thing is that after this display of His power, the mob was still willing to do the religious leaders bidding. Realize that they had just seen two miracles. The first was the power of the words of Christ which literally had knocked them backwards to the ground. While Jesus is requesting the release of the disciples, Peter springs forth and smote the ear of a man named Malchus. John focuses upon Jesus rebuke to Peter, but, according to Luke's account, Jesus healed the ear of the injured man (Luke 22:51). Yet this crowd is unchanged in its attitude toward Jesus and bound Him and led Him away. Truly unsaved man is "dead in trespasses and sins." (Ephesians 2:1)
Finally, before we leave the scene of the arrest in the garden, we see the Deity of Christ in His willingness to take the cup of suffering. Dr. John R. Rice refers to the following poem. (p.348)

Death and the curse were in our cup, O Christ, 'twas full for thee!
But thou hast drained the last dark drop; 'Tis empty now for me:
That bitter cup - love drank it up;
Now blessing's draught for me!

Notice that this cup of suffering was from the Father, not a temptation from Satan. Isa. 53:10: "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him..."
2Cor. 5:21: "For He hath made Him sin to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

 

Friday, 8th July, 2005

God has been with me

“...I will make an altar unto God, who answered me in the say of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.” - Genesis 35v3

It appears that Jacob finally has thing sorted out properly. The focus of Genesis is about the switch to one of his sons. We are going to see that he is not yet perfect, but he does finally have some major things sorted out in his life.

After all of his trickery and deception Jacob returned to Bethel, the house of God. When he got there he did a few things that let us know where he stands.


[li]He acknowledged that God was worthy of worship.[/li]
[li]He acknowledged that God had answered his prayers.[/li]
[li]He acknowledged that God had been with him. [/li]

He built an altar at Bethel as an act of worship to God. An altar always required a sacrifice and This was no different. Jacob had learned that there truly was One who was worthy of his worship.

He knew that God had answered him. There could be no questioning that he had what he had because God had heard his prayer and listened to him.

He knew that God had been with him. I think this became clear in his encounter with Esau. He knew what he deserved, but God intervened for him and was with him the whole time. Jacob's Bethel prayer had been this, “If God will be with me, if He will keep me, if He will give me food to eat and clothes to put on, if He will let me return in peace – then He will be my God.” In Jacob's mind God had kept His end of the bargain. Now, to Jacob's credit, he kept his end of the bargain.

While we should never put ourselves in the position of bargaining with God, we should have a heart which acknowledges when God is working in our lives. Jacob's view is finally God focused.

May we today acknowledge that God is truly worthy of our worship, that He has answered our prayers, and that He has always been with us.

 

Tuesday, 12th July, 2005

And the Lord was with Joseph

“And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar bought him ... and the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man...” - Genesis 39v1-2

In the midst of all of the sin and depravity in these chapters we are returned to the life of Joseph. The last record of him was being sold to a bunch of slave traders as they passed by. In the minds of his brothers, as they went on in their own wicked ways Joseph was surely off the scene. Joseph was rejected and alone, sold as a slave in a foreign land.

Yet, we read some amazing words here - “The Lord was with Joseph!” This looks like a great oxymoron. Bought as a slave, but the Lord was with Him? How could this possibly be true?

The great truth is that God has purposes for us that we don't always understand. James makes it clear that we are to count it all joy when we fall into trials. As Joseph looked around he must have wondered what was going to happen to him. How could this be a good situation? Circumstances indicated that he was all alone, a slave in a foreign land. Humanly speaking he was all of this, but he had a greater Presence that he could have hoped for - the Lord was with Him!

When Jesus was born one of the titles given to Him was Emmanuel, God with us. When he left the earth He said, “Lo, I am with you always...” When we are going through struggles let us remember the wonderful truth that God is with us. In our prosperous times may we be reminded that God is with us. May our attitude bypass circumstances and dwell on the wonderful truth that as Christians God is with us as we face another day!

 

From prisoner to Prime Minister, what a story!
My apologies for missing my turn on Monday, I had worked Sunday night, into Monday morning. I cannot leave until relieved and, well, I was never relieved! When I finally did get off, I could do nothing but crash when I got home!
The Gospel according to John resumes Wednesday. It will be a rather difficult time for me, this 18th and 19th chapters of John; it speaks of the Lord's suffering and death. I have This Gospel on audio CD's, and I like to skip over the 18th and 19th chapters when it comes to these chapters. It is not that the "Old rugged cross" does NOT, "hold a wondrous attaction to me," but it is the fact that I deserve to suffer and die like He did, He did not. He took mine, and your place.
There is the saying, "Only Nixon could go to China." One could also say that only Joseph could go to Egypt, and only Jesus could go to the cross and pay our sin debt. Joseph suffered, but was elevated to a place to where he could save Israel. Jesus suffered, but is now elevated to a place where He can intercede for us as our Great High Priest. To Him be glory and honor!

 

Wednesday July 13, 2005

Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him, And led him away to Annas first; for he was father in law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. Now Caiaphas was he, which gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient that one man should die for the people. And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.
But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. Then saith the damsel that kept the door unto Peter, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? He saith, I am not. And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself. The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I have said unto them: behold, they know what I said. And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so? Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me? Now Annas had sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, Art not thou also one of his disciples? He denied it, and said, I am not.
One of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off, saith, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? Peter then denied again: and immediately the cock crew.
(John 18:12-27)
The trials of Jesus and of Peter
Two trials are beginning to happen. Inside the palace of the high priest, the first questioning of Jesus occurs while outside the house Peter is being challenged by those in the crowd.
Annas, we are told, is the Father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. Dr. Oliver B. Greene reminds us that the office of the high pries was a life-long position (See Ex. 29; 40:15; Num. 35:25) He goes on to say that "But in the days just preceding our Lord's ministry the high priest was elected sometimes for a year, sometimes for a longer period. At the time of his allotted term he was removed from office and another priest was elected. Lightfoot tells us that the second temple stood only four hundred twenty years, and during that time there were 300 different high priests." (Greene, p.217) Luke 3:2, which occurs at the beginning of Jesus' ministry speaks of "Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests" and after the resurrection of our Lord Jesus, Acts 4:6 lists Annas being the high priest, while all of the kin-folk being involved in the process. These religious leaders thought it was all right make changes in the Old Testament law (many volumes were written explaining all their additions and interpretations), yet they wanted to hold others to their interpretation of the law.
Today we have judges who are supposed to make decisions based upon our constitution, yet many are making their own laws based upon their own social agendas. Pray that America will be able to get godly leaders who will be able to nominate judges who will abide by and protect the constitution as they have sworn to follow.
The mockery of a midnight trial was completely unlawful for the Sanhedrin, but that didn't stop them as the writer John reminds us that Caiaphas had already given the command to condemn Jesus to death (see John 11:49-53). Furthermore, no man could be condemned to death unless there be two witnesses that agreed in their testimony. John's gospel will not focus on Jesus trial, only recording the opening questioning of the Savior. The other gospels record the only question the Master is willing to answer, "Art Thou the Christ?"
John's gospel gives us more insight into Peter's struggle. We are told that "another disciple" (probably John) also followed Jesus to the palace and "went in with Jesus into the palace." (18:15) Peter was not willing to go inside and be identified with Jesus so once mighty Peter is hiding outside the door. When the other disciple (John) came to encourage Peter to come inside, it was the young girl who kept the door who questioned Peter. Not a Roman soldier, but a young girl it was who causes Peter to deny the Lord. Peter then turns back to the open courtyard outside and mingles with the crowd around a fire. He wanted to be close to Jesus, yet he chose to mingle with the world.
Soon Peter would deny the Lord again and again, until he heard the cock crow and realized that even in the darkest hour, Jesus knew exactly what would happen! In a few short hours mighty Peter had fallen. Jesus had warned Peter of Satan's attack, yet Peter had neglected to pray in the garden, now he had denied and deserted his Lord! But before we get too upset at Peter, remember the words of 1Cor. 10:12: "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. 13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, Who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Let us also remember 1John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10: If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and His word is not in us."
This dark night for Peter would be the beginning of his greatest days yet!. In the same way, God can take our defeat and turn it to victory when we are willing to repent and trust God to help us and empower us.

 

Thursday, 14th July, 2005

Running Shoes

“...he ...fled, and got him out” - Genesis 39v12

There is a children's song that says “When sin comes knocking at your door ... put on your running shoes.” Surely Joseph is our best example of fulfilling that axiom.

Mrs Potiphar still persisted in pursuing Joseph. Day after day she enticed him. Finally, a day came when there was no one else in the house. She must have though, “now is my chance.” As Joseph passed by she grabbed him by his cloak and drew him to herself - “Lie with me” she calls.

Now, what would the average man do in a situation like that? But we are not dealing with an average man. The Bible says that Joseph's response was simple and swift. He twisted out of his cloak, ran, and got out of the house.

Although there is not of theological depth there when it comes to sin we don't need much theological depth. Joseph did not debate the rights and wrongs, the implications of offending Mrs Potiphar, or anything else. He simply got out of the situation as fast as he could. He “put on his running shoes.”

What is our normal response to temptation? Is it a few moments of indecision? Is it a lingering, longing look considering what we might have? It doesn't have to be sex. It can be any situation where temptation to sin comes. May we have the kind of character that Joseph. The allure of sin is there, don’t even think, just run!!

 

Friday July 15, 2005

Then led they Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat the passover. Pilate then went out unto them, and said, What accusation bring ye against this man? They answered and said unto him, If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee. Then said Pilate unto them, Take ye him, and judge him according to your law. The Jews therefore said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death:
That the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying what death he should die. Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me? Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all. But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.
(John 18:28-40)
Jesus before Pilate
Now we find that the scene has changed as it is now early morning as they bring Jesus to Pilate's judgement hall. John's gospel doesn't mention Jesus' declaration of being the Son of God. Nor does it mention the beating of Jesus at Caiaphas' home. But only John will give more details about the encounter of Jesus and Pilate. The Jews enter not into the hall of a gentile as it would soon be the Passover and they did not want to be defiled before the Passover (see the discussion about the time of the Passover on the noes on John 13:1).
Pilate, the Roman governor for the region containing Jerusalem, comes out to meet with the Jewish leaders outside the judgement hall. Here he hears that the penalty of death is requested, yet the crime for which so severe a charge is not given. John reminds us that the Jews are fulfilling the prophecy of how Jesus said He would die. Even more amazing is that it will fulfill Psalms 22:1, 6-8, 13-18) which describes the Roman crucifixion before it was invented! It even speaks of the words which will be spoken by those mocking Him.
Now the governor comes inside to speak to Jesus. Notice the question of Pilate (Art thou the king of the Jews?") is different than the charge of "blasphemy" by the Jewish leaders. Notice that the Lord Jesus does not answer Pilate's question yet, but He questions its sincerity. Jesus question could be stated as "Are you asking this question because of a sincere desire to know the truth, or is it simply a rumor that has come to you and you want to trace it down?" (Ironside, p.809)
Pilate brings the discussion back to determining Jesus' "crime". He know asks, "What hast thou done?" Jesus though, steers the conversation back to the original question of His kingdom. In doing so, Jesus infers that He is a king, though he has no desire to lead a rebellion against Rome. It is a spiritual kingdom, not of this world. Then Pilate clarifies this statement by asking again "Art thou a king then?" to which the Lord affirms "Thou sayest that I am a king." But this second question of Jesus being king is different than the first. The first asked if Jesus was king of the Jews, to which presently Jesus was not. The Jews had rejected Him and declared that He had a devil. And Jesus had not come the first time to be King, but to fulfil Isa. 53 as the suffering servant. So now Pilate asks "Art thou a king then?" Jesus can now respond that He is a King. Jesus goes on to say that it has been the plan of God that He should be "born" and "bear witness unto the truth." This is too much for middle-of-the-road Pilate and he responds "What is truth?" Notice that as Pilate asks this question he immediately leaves not waiting for a response. Little did Pilate realize that he has stated one of the greatest questions of all time. The fact that this conversation concludes at this point infers that Pilate was not sincere in knowing truth. No one who has ever been sincere before God has been turned away. He was so close to salvation, standing before the Savior, yet he is blind.
Pilate, during this time he was dealing with Jesus, asks another question that is not mentioned in John. Matthew 27:22 quotes him as asking: "What shall I do then with Jesus Who is called Christ?" Every individual must ask and answer that question to themselves. How each person answers that has eternal implications.
This was probably Pilate's first personal encounter with Jesus, though he assuredly had heard testimony from soldiers (the Centurion Mt. 8:5-13; officers john 7:32-46) as well as reports of the great miracles. He had dismissed the accusations of the Jews (Luke 23:2) and had gotten down to the heart of the matter. Bu as Pilate returns outside to the waiting mob, he declares unto the Jews, "I find in him no fault at all." Jesus was not guilty, but not released. Now we begin to see the vacillating character of the governor. It was clear to Pilate that Jesus was not a political threat to Rome. Whether or not the governor comprehended Jesus kingdom could be debated, but it's interesting to contrast his personal statements with his official declarations. Later Pilate will strongly insist on identifying Jesus as the king of the Jews, yet the governor never understood his need for a Savior! Pilate seemed to understand that Jesus was a king, but he wasn't willing to submit. Oliver B. Greene comments on Pilate: "He examined Jesus as a king, he sentenced Him as a king, and he crucified Him as a king." (p. 243-244)
Now Pilate begins to focus upon ways to release Jesus, yet keep political favor with the people. He first appeals to a custom of releasing a prisoner during the Passover feast. He sets Jesus against Barabbas, "a notable prisoner." (Mt. 27:16) one who had led a rebellion and "who had committed murder in the insurrection." (Mk. 15:7). John tells us he was also a "robber" (18:40). But the mob, led by the chief priests, cried for the release of Barabbas.

 

Monday, 18th July, 2005

Trusting God from the prison to the palace

“And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.” – Genesis 41v51-52

Joseph is a perfect example of trusting God no matter what his circumstances. Some people forget all about God when their times are tough. Others forget him when things are going well because they feel like they don’t need Him. Joseph had gone from favoured son, to slave, to prisoner, to prime minister and his faith in the Lord never wavered.

He gives the best evidence of that when he named his sons. It can be argued that Joseph was now the second most powerful man on earth. Nothing got by him. It appears that even Pharaoh took a back seat in the day to day administration of the kingdom. Too many men in this situation would have begun to “think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. Yet Joseph shows our relationship to God in the naming of his sons. His firstborn he named Manasseh, meaning, “making forget.” His reason was that God had delivered him from his mistreatment and captivity so he could forget about his past. His second son was named Ephraim. This names means “fruitful” for Joseph knew that all he had gained was from the Lord.

What a wonderful example for us. Living like a prisoner today? Trust God. Living like a prince today? Don’t forget about God. May we always maintain a “God focus” in our lives.

 

Thursday July 21, 2005

Chapter 19

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.
And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
(John 19:1-16)
Pilate stands before Christ
Now Pilate tries a second trick to appease the crowd. He orders Jesus to be scourged. Remember, the governor had just declared Jesus to be innocent! Surely the scourging at the hands of Roman soldiers would satisfy the mob. But it was foretold by Jesus back when they began their journey to Jerusalem (Mt. 20:18,19).
Scourging was a terrible torture as they tied a person down, then beat him with a whip tipped with sharp objects (metal, glass, etc.). The whip was brought over the same area time and time again ripping the flesh. This also was predicted years before in Psa. 129:3: "The plowers plowed upon my back: they made long their furrows."
A crown of thorns was placed upon His head causing swelling and excruciating pain. Then the soldiers placed on His bloody back a purple robe.
They mocked Him and beat Him.
As Pilate brought Him forth to the crowd, the governor again states his verdict: "I find no fault in Him." Pilate wants to bring attention to how Jesus had suffered. He cries out "Behold, the man!" But the crowd, led by the chief priests, cries "Crucify Him, crucify Him." Pilate is now ready to deliver Jesus over to the Jews as he states Jesus' innocence for the third time. But as Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, Pilate became "more" fearful. (Mt. 27:19)
He examines Jesus again, but the question isn't of kingdoms or rebellions, but "Whence art thou?" To this Jesus question Jesus is silent. As Jesus stands before Pilate, He is fulfilling the picture of the lamb led to the slaughter, as He speaks no word in His own defense. This silence seems to irritate Pilate as he tries to rebuke our Lord Jesus. He speaks of his power to crucify or release Jesus, yet the Lord responds that Pilate would have "no power at all against Me, except it were given thee from above." Then Jesus adds, "therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin." Notice who is now on trial! It is Jesus as Judge stating that Pilate was an accomplice to the crime of the Jewish leaders, and that he therefore, would then have a lesser penalty than they. (Here's another text, 19:11, showing that there will be degrees of punishment. Se also Mt. 23:14; Mk. 12:40; Jas. 3;1; Rev. 20:12-15)
After hearing this, Pilate is more determined than ever to release Jesus, but his political future is at stake. The Jews hit a nerve when they reply: "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar." Pilate must make a choice. (Compare Pilate to many a modern politician - he in one sense knows that Jesus is not worthy of death, and maybe he perceives that there is something to the words and miracles of Jesus, yet he follows the will of the mob and goes against everything he knows to be true.) Will Pilate stand for what is right, or will he succumb to the pressure? Realize that by his appointment as governor Pilate enjoyed all the pleasures the world could offer. He only stayed in Jerusalem occasionally as he spent most of his time on the seacoast in Caesarea. Would it be Christ or Caesar? Dr. Rice identifies the "pavement" in 19:13 as the fortress of Antonia. "It has the ruts made by chariot wheel; the stones are scored by horses that pulled the chariots; and it seems to be one of the few authentic remnants of the Old Jerusalem of Christ's time." (Rice, p. 353, 367) After one more futile attempt when Pilate presents Jesus unto the Jews, "Behold, your King!, he delivers Jesus to be crucified.
Ryle: The suffering of "the Just for the unjust (1Peter 3:18)
"To suffer for those whom we love, and who in some sense worthy of our affections, is suffering that we can understand. To submit to ill-treatment quietly, when we have no power to resist, is submission that is both graceful and wise. But to suffer voluntarily, when we have the power to prevent it, and to suffer for a world of unbelieving and ungodly sinners, unasked and unthanked - this is a line of conduct which passes man's understanding. He was led away captive, and dragged before the high priest's bar, not because He could not help Himself, but because He had set His whole heart on saving sinners - by bearing their sins, by being treated as a sinner, and by being punished in their stead. (Ryle, p. 475-6)

 

Friday, 22nd July, 2005

Holy Ground

“…draw not nigh hither; put off thy shoes from off thy feet., for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” – Genesis 3v5

As Moses tended sheep he saw an unusual sight. He noticed a bush that was burning, but not being consumed by the fire. Of course that attracted his attention and he drew near to see what was happening. He heard God’s voice, and replied “Here I am.”

God’s next words remind of a vital aspect of His nature. “Put off your shoes, for you are on holy ground.” The presence of God is a holy place. The ground was so holy that Moses could not defile it by even entering with his shoes on. Holiness is not a matter to be trifled with.

Sadly, true holiness is seemingly a forgotten concept. As Christians we live our lives constantly in His holy presence. Yet too often we ignore the fact that we live in the presence of our holy God. Our actions more often resemble the vile world than our holy God.

Remember today that we are living our lives before a God of absolute holiness. May our lives, are actions, our dress, our attitudes, and our speech reflect His holiness.

We are indeed on holy ground. Let us live accordingly.

 

The people bowed down and worshipped

“And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.” – Exodus 4v31

Moses and family travelled back to Egypt along with Aaron. The first thing they did was to go to the Israelites. Aaron spoke the words and God to the people letting them know that they had come back to deliver them from the Egyptians.

The Bible says next that they believed, bowed their heads, and worshipped God. They remembered their cries to God back in chapter two and knew that God had heard and answered their prayers. They did the right thing my immediately giving God the worship He was due.

It is easy enough to cry out to God when things are tough or when we are in affliction. Sometimes we do no do near as well when God responds, almost acting like that is just what He is supposed to do. These folks were still slaves; they had not seen any indication of their coming freedom other than the signs that they had seen.

Even more trustworthy than those signs is the written word of God. God has promised that He will be with us, meet our needs, and carry us through our afflictions. Is He not worthy of us believing, bowing down our heads, and worshipping Him? And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

 

Who is the Lord?

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” – Exodus 5v2

Moses and Aaron were admitted into Pharaoh’s court. There request to let the people of Israel go was pretty simple, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?

What else would we really expect from Pharaoh? He had plenty of gods in his kingdom. People worshipped frogs, cats, the Nile, and any number of things. The god above all gods in Egypt was considered to be Pharaoh himself, so why would he consider listening to this God of the Hebrews? He would soon find out just who Yahweh was.

What happens, however, when God’s people act like Pharaoh? We might think, “I would never say what Pharaoh said. That was awful!” However, there are times when we may very well act like Pharaoh while not saying those same words. We read our Bibles, do our devotions, and listen to preaching or teaching. The Holy Spirit deals with our heart, and yet we walk away and choose to ignore His leadership. In essence we are saying the same thing that Pharaoh did – “Who is God that I should obey Him?” God says to walk by faith, nit by sight, yet we too often are guided by what we see. God tells us not to be full of cares, yet we choose to worry. God says to keep our hearts, yet we devour the filth of the world.

Who are the gods that we obey instead of the LORD? The god of convenience and expediency? The god of the flesh? The god of self? May we live our lives so that we never reflect Pharaoh’s attitude. May we recognise Who the Lord is and obey Him. – Exodus 5v2

Moses and Aaron were admitted into Pharaoh’s court. There request to let the people of Israel go was pretty simple, “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?

What else would we really expect from Pharaoh? He had plenty of gods in his kingdom. People worshipped frogs, cats, the Nile, and any number of things. The god above all gods in Egypt was considered to be Pharaoh himself, so why would he consider listening to this God of the Hebrews? He would soon find out just who Yahweh was.

What happens, however, when God’s people act like Pharaoh? We might think, “I would never say what Pharaoh said. That was awful!” However, there are times when we may very well act like Pharaoh while not saying those same words. We read our Bibles, do our devotions, and listen to preaching or teaching. The Holy Spirit deals with our heart, and yet we walk away and choose to ignore His leadership. In essence we are saying the same thing that Pharaoh did – “Who is God that I should obey Him?” God says to walk by faith, nit by sight, yet we too often are guided by what we see. God tells us not to be full of cares, yet we choose to worry. God says to keep our hearts, yet we devour the filth of the world.

Who are the gods that we obey instead of the LORD? The god of convenience and expediency? The god of the flesh? The god of self? May we live our lives so that we never reflect Pharaoh’s attitude. May we recognise Who the Lord is and obey Him.

 

Now you will see

“Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.” – Exodus 6v1

The ever-present problem of walking by sight instead of by faith is not a new one. Men have always found it much easier to look at the seen instead of the unseen instead of looking at the unseen. Obviously it is much easier to look at what you can see than what you can’t see.

Moses had two chooses as to what he could look at. He could look at God’s promises (the unseen) or he could look at the seen (Israel’s affliction). It was hard to miss Israel’s affliction. Things went from bad to worse. After Moses and Aaron’s demand to let the people go Pharaoh increased the workload by removing the required straw from their brick making and did not reduce the quota of bricks. Of course they could not keep up and were punished. The Hebrews chose to blame Moses and Aaron for their problems.

When Moses took the matter back to God he blamed God for sending the evil. “What are you doing such evil God? Why did you send me here?” We can find ourselves in the same dilemma at times. We can look at our efforts to serve God and wonder why God is doing the things He is doing, because we tend to look at only what we can see.

God had an answer though – “Now you will see what I will do.” God knew exactly when to work, something Moses and us do not always see. God always has a purpose in what He does. We may not see it until we get to heaven, but one day it will be all clear, one day we will see what God is doing. May we have the faith Jesus talked to Peter about that does not require seeing to believe.

 

Friday, 29th July, 2005

I am the LORD

“And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:” – Exodus 6v2
When Moses came to god perplexed about his situation and the increased burden on his people God began his words to Moses with a simple statement. This reminder, standing alone, should be enough to make us forget about our own perception of a situation. In His words to Moses God repeats these words several time. They are simple in their profundity.

“I am the Lord”

These words ought to be in some mega-sized font and in flashing lights. If we would ever grasp the impact of these words we could never doubt Him again. Our personal views would fall aside and we could learn to rest only in Him. These words are packed with meaning. In them are these thoughts – “I am the eternal, immutable, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent One. Nothing escapes My view for I AM. No matter where you are or what you are experiencing, one thing has not changed – I AM.”

How sad that we so easily forget that. No matter what comes across our path today we can be assured that one thing has not changed. God still is the great I AM. May we grasp just a glimmer of that amazing truth – we serve the great I AM and therefore we never need fear or doubt.

Whenever doubts or fears come our way let us remember God’s words to Moses.

“I am the Lord!”