There’s always a loneliness, an emptiness in the heart of man that can only be filled by a divine power. A higher power. Every religion, cult and spiritual organisation seeks to fill this void by introducing something supernatural.
In the bible, when Moses went for forty days and forty nights on the mountain, the emptiness descended upon the people and they lost faith in an ‘Invisible God’, the “UNKNOWN POWER” . They had waited upon this same God for more than four centuries yet this emptiness wont allow them to wait for forty days!!!! They desired a visible power and a familiar expression of faith. This might have been as a result of their stay in Egypt. Slavery had subconsciously taught them a “way” .
SLAVERY AND MONUMENTS
Slavery has a way of rubbing on us its filth. Man has been a slave…
Judges 9:1-3 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3 And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
The great Prophet Moses warned us all a long time ago:
Numbers 32:23 … be sure your sin will find you out.
Sin is nothing to wink at. When Cain sinned against God by offering the wrong sacrifice, God told Cain:
Genesis 4:7 (ESV) … sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it
Because Cain would not rule over his sin by repenting, and doing as God said, he ended up murdering his brother Abel. The stepbrother of Jesus said:
James 1:14-15 (ESV) … each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
The Bible describes sin as if it is a living thing. And it is. The Apostle Paul spoke of sin inside his own life, saying “it is no longer I who do it, but IT IS SIN LIVING IN ME THAT DOES IT”.
Sin unaddressed and unconfessed Leads to terrible distress
Word Study: In Judges Chapter 9 we come to the story of a false judge named Abimelech. The title Abimelech (Hebrew ăḇîmeleḵ) is found 67 times in the Bible. The name means “Moloch is my father”, Moloch being a false god of the Canaanites. The name is NOT one you would expect to find among the children of God. The first time Abimelech is found in the Scripture is when Abraham told Abimelech the King of Gerar that Sarah was his sister (Genesis 20:2) because he feared for his life. When there was famine in the land, Isaac went to Abimelech King of the Philistines (Genesis 26:1) for aid, also claiming his wife Rebekah was his sister in fear for his life. When David ran from Saul, he changed his behavior before Abimelech (Psalm 34:1) and acted as a madman out of fear.
Abimelech is Gideon’s unconfessed sin come to life!
Gideon did a wonderful job in leading Israel to victory over the Midianite forces. At the end of the battles, the people came to Gideon and said:
Judges 8:22 … Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian.
They wanted Gideon to be their King, claiming he was the source of the victory over the Midianites. But Gideon refused, and rightly so. It was God Who gave the victory. In refusing to share glory with God, Gideon honored the Lord. But then Gideon let sin come into his life. He asked for all the earrings collected from the dead Midianites, and had them made into an Ephod, a Trophy that the people began to worship.
Judges 8:27 … all Israel went thither a whoring after {the Ephod}: which thing became a snare unto Gideon, and to his house.
If you worship ANYTHING above God, this horrible sin will become a SNARE that will entrap you. Gideon – also known as Jerubbaal {killer of Baal} – set and baited his own trap. The people began to worship and serve the Ephod instead of God. Gideon then began to sexually wander from God. God designed marriage to be a covenant between man and woman. We read:
Judges 8:30-31 And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten: for he had many wives. 31 And his concubine that was in Shechem, she also bare him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.
Gideon not only had “many wives” (which gave him 70 children), Gideon had a girlfriend on the side, a “concubine that was in Shechem”. This is where “Abimelech” came from. In other places in the Scripture, Abimelech is a TITLE. But here we see Gideon NAMING this illegitimate child “Abimelech”. When Abimelech came of age he started a conspiracy. Again,
Judges 9:1-3 And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal {Gideon’s child by a concubine} went to SHECHEM unto his mother’s brethren, and communed with them, and with all the family of the house of his mother’s father, saying, 2 Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem, Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you? remember also that I am your bone and your flesh. 3 And his mother’s brethren spake of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words: and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech; for they said, He is our brother.
When Gideon sinned sexually, he did so in SHECHEM. Shechem is a very important place in the Scripture. It was at Shechem that God promised Abraham the land of Canaan. Shechem is where a Levitical city of refuge was given to the Kohathites (Joshua 21:20-21). It was in Shechem that Joseph’s bones were buried (Joshua 24:32). It was at Shechem that Abraham and his grandson Jacob built an altar to God (Genesis 12:7; 33:18-20). Gideon’s son Abimelech was from Shechem. Abimelech goes to his uncles, his mother’s brothers, and asks them to start a campaign to make him king of Israel. He did not do this because God raised him up. God raised up JUDGES once Israel repented, and the JUDGES led Israel to victory over those who had afflicted them.
Abimelech wanted what his father Gideon himself had turned down. He wanted to be king.
Abimelech did not believe in God, but in himself. His platform in gaining office was:
Judges 9:2 … Whether is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you?
What he suggested was that – if he were NOT made king – then the 70 sons of Gideon {Jerubbaal} would become kings. Abimelech hated his half brothers because he was the “non-inheritance” son of a concubine. One commentary notes:
“Among the early Arabians, a concubine or secondary ‘wife’ stayed with her own clan and was visited by her ‘husband’ from time to time. The children of the union belonged to the wife’s clan. Abimelech, the son of a concubine, had close relations with the family of his mother. He sought their help in supporting his claims to the throne.”
Judges 9:4 And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, wherewith Abimelech hired vain and light persons, which followed him.
Word Study: Abimelech had “threescore and ten” half brothers. He rejected them, and was given “threescore and ten” pieces of silver to “hire vain and light persons” that would follow him around and support him. The words “vain and light” is the Hebrew rêq pāḥaz, which means “worthless and wanton, absolutely useless”. The only purpose these people had was to follow Abimelech around like “yes” men and make him look good. This is the absolute opposite of what God ordered of those He chose for leadership. When Moses was overwhelmed with the leadership he had to give to the people, God told him:
Numbers 11:16-17 (ESV) … the LORD said to Moses, Gather for Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. 17 And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.
The Council of 70 that God had Moses gather would later be known as the “Sanhedrin”. The Great Sanhedrin was a type of Supreme Court in Israel, led by the High Priest. The Got Questions site notes,
“The Sanhedrin as a body claimed powers that lesser Jewish courts did not have. As such, they were the only ones who could try the king or extend the boundaries of the Temple and Jerusalem, and were the ones to whom all questions of law were finally put.”
The 70 assistants were not there to prop up a false king, but to guide God’s leadership in doing God’s work. Abimelech was not interested in God. This is shown in his murderous acts.
Judges 9:5-6 And he went unto his father’s house at Ophrah, and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone: notwithstanding yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left; for he hid himself. 6 And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Millo, and went, and made Abimelech king, by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.
All but “Jotham the youngest son” of Gideon was murdered by Abimelech. Before Jotham went into hiding, under the inspiration of God he prophesied the eventual disaster that would come about because those of Shechem chose to make Abimelech King. This is known as …
The First Parable In The Bible: Leadership Matters!
Word Study: The name “Jotham” (Hebrew yôṯām) means “Jehovah is perfect”. Jehovah – our God – is perfect. When we choose Him to be our King, we can only expect blessing. But when we choose people divorced from God to be our leaders, we get the leadership we deserve. As “Jehovah is perfect” recites what is called the first parable in the Bible, he stands “in the top of mount Gerizim”:
Judges 9:7 And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood in the top of mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice, and cried, and said unto them, Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.
“mount Gerizim” sits directly opposite Mount Ebal, with Shechem in their valleys. Mount Gerizim is about 30 miles from Jerusalem. When Israel entered the Promised Land, God had the Israelis build an altar to God on Mount Ebal. God had the tribes divide up:
Deuteronomy 27:12 (ESV) … these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Deuteronomy 27:13 (ESV) … these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
Gideon’s tribe was of Manasseh. It was Manasseh and Ephraim together which formed the Tribe of Joseph. So Jotham stood on Mount Gerizim where his ancestors stood, pronouncing the blessings of God on the obedience of His people.
As Jotham stood on Mount Gerizim, he cried out:
Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you
He is calling for the REPENTANCE of the men of Shechem. They have made a bad decision in calling for Abimelech, and their bad decision will end up hurting them badly. In the parable, the olives, fig trees, and grape vines represent GOOD leadership, the leaders that they should have chosen. The brambles represent Abimelech.
Judges 9:8-9 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. 9 But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
The “trees” decided that they wanted a King. So they went to the “olive tree”, and asked him to leave his God given assignment to become their King. But the “olive tree” was too wise. He said, “Should I leave my fatness” – for the tree was richly blessed. Why? Because when you do what God calls you to do with ALL your strength, God will bless you with FATNESS. You honor God when you live for Him.
Proverbs 3:9-10 (NLT) Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. 10 Then he will fill your barns with grain, and your vats will overflow with good wine.
Romans 14:8 (ESV) if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
Psalm 37:4 (ESV) Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The Olive Tree had better sense than to leave his God given calling to be elevated above the other trees. Then the trees went to the Fig Tree:
Judges 9:10-11 And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. 11 But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?
The TREES were emphatic. They wanted a King but did not want that King to be God. But the “fig tree” was equally smart. Why leave his God given calling to be “promoted over the trees”? The missionary Elisabeth Elliot said:
“I have one desire now – to live a life of reckless abandon for the Lord, putting all my energy and strength into it.”
Abimelech passionately hated his brothers, a hate they did not deserve. The fig tree loved its sweetness and its good fruit. No good leader ever hates God, nor is indifferent about God’s love. Solomon was such a great King because he said:
Song of Solomon 3:4 (ESV) … I found Him whom my soul loves.I held Him, and would not let Him go …
Oh, the joy of finding and serving the Lord! The Fig Tree would not give up one moment of that bliss for the fame of fallen man!
Judges 9:12-13 Then said the trees unto the vine, Come thou, and reign over us. 13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?
Again the trees sought a King outside of God. Though rebuffed by two great leaders, they turned to the “vine”. The fruit of the vine blesses both God and man. Why would the vine leave its calling to puff up itself with pride?
Proverbs 16:18 (CSB) Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.
None of the productive leaders would take the place of God as King. So finally the trees go to the “bramble”.
Judges 9:14-18 Then said all the trees unto the bramble, Come thou, and reign over us. 15 And the bramble said unto the trees, If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow: and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon. 16 Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely, in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands; 17 (For my father fought for you, and adventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian: 18 And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
“Brambles bore no fruit and offered no shelter or protection. They only injured those who got too close to them. Moreover, brambles sometimes spontaneously burst into flames in hot weather, and consequently caused much damage (v. 15). …
Even today when a good ruler comes into office, many folk say, ‘God raised him up.’ What about the wicked ruler? God permits him to come to the throne also [cf. Daniel 4:17]. Do you know why? Because the principle is ‘like priest, like people.’ That is, people get the ruler they deserve. The people of Israel wanted this boy Abimelech to rule over them; and they got the caliber of man they deserved. Friend, when we look around our world today, we find this principle is still true.”
God allows the wicked rulers to rise up to punish us when we reject Him as King. That “BRAMBLE” Abimelech would not only murder 69 of his brothers and shame the legacy of his father Gideon, but he would end up destroying those who so faithfully supported him. Jotham now pronounces:
Judges 9:19-21 If ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you: 20 But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and the house of Millo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem, and from the house of Millo, and devour Abimelech. 21 And Jotham ran away, and fled, and went to Beer, and dwelt there, for fear of Abimelech his brother.
Though Jotham went into hiding, it wasn’t long before the Parable came to pass. God allowed Abimelech to come to power and reign three years before problems came.
Vengeance Is Mine Saith The Lord
Judges 9:22-25 When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel, 23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech: 24 That the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, which slew them; and upon the men of Shechem, which aided him in the killing of his brethren. 25 And the men of Shechem set liers {sat in wait – ambushed} in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.
We are told that after three years “God sent an evil spirit” between Abimelech and his family. God is the ultimate Source of all things. Just as God would later send a harmful spirit to afflict King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14; 18:10; 19:9) and to entice King Ahab that he would be defeated at Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22:19-23), God sends an evil spirit on Abimelech and his family. His family begins to rob travelers, humiliating the King. It is on thing when strangers are lawless, and quite another when your family is lawless.
Judges 9:26-29 And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren, and went over to Shechem: and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him. 27 And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trode the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and did eat and drink, and cursed Abimelech. 28 And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him? 29 And would to God this people were under my hand! then would I remove Abimelech. And he said to Abimelech, Increase thine army, and come out.
“Gaal” was a Canaanite who hated Abimelech because he was Gideon’s son. So he conspires with the men of Shechem to go to war against Abimelech and his army. What happens next is a bloodbath! In Judges 9:30-45 Zebul the ruler of the city of Shechem tells Abimelech about the insurrection in the city, so Abimelech surrounds the city with four companies of soldiers. As Gaal and his men were defeated, we are told:
Judges 9:41 … Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.
As Gaal and his men were thrust out, Abimelech led three companies of men against them (Judges 9:43), and utterly destroyed the opposition. Abimelech then led his men to cruelly burn to death (Judges 9:48-52) a thousand men and women. Yet, as Abimelech ordered the burning of these people, a woman who was high up in the tower …
Judges 9:53-57 And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech’s head, and all to brake his skull. 54 Then he called hastily unto the young man his armourbearer, and said unto him, Draw thy sword, and slay me, that men say not of me, A women slew him. And his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place. 56 Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren: 57 And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
Be sure your sin will find you out! You can no more tame sin than you can a rabid dog. Turn away from evil, and follow God. REPENT! Choose Godly leadership while you can. May God touch your hearts with his Word! Amen and Amen.
1 John 5:6-7 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record ….
One of my favorite Christmas programs is “Miracle on 34th Street”. Not the modern “remakes” of the movie, but the original 1947 classic that won three Academy Awards. It starred Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood (when she was but 8 years old), and Edmund Gwenn (as Kris Kringle). If you remember the show, Kris Kringle was put on trial because he claimed to be the one and only Santa Claus. The movie climaxed when Kris’ lawyer (Payne) has about 18 sacks of mail brought in from the Post Office, all delivered to the Courthouse by the Post Office. Based on this final “witness” the Judge declared Kris to be sane – and the only Santa Claus.
It’s a cute story – and a fantasy. But it bears what our text is covering today.
Word Study: When our Lord Jesus walked the earth, the name “Jesus” (the Greek iēsous or the Hebrew yᵊhôšûaʿ) was a fairly common name. The name “Jesus” literally means “Jehovah is salvation”, which is also what the Hebrew Joshua means. There were many named “Jesus” who walked the earth at the same time our Jesus did. The well known successor of Moses, Joshua (Hebrew name) was called “Jesus” in the language of the New Testament (see Acts 7:45; Hebrews 4:8). The Apostle Paul ministered with a Jewish Christian named “Jesus, also called Justus” (Colossians 4:11). When Jesus stood before Pilate, Pilate asked the people if they would release Jesus or Barabbas. Some ancient manuscripts tells us that Barabbas was actually named Jesus Barabbas. If so, Pilate was asking the people in effect “Which “Jesus” do you want to release?” They executed our Lord.
Our Jesus told us:
Matthew 24:5, 24 (ESV) For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. … 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
How do we KNOW that OUR Jesus Christ – the One found in the New Testament – is the ONLY WAY to God? The Bible itself establishes the means by how we make this determination. God told His people:
Deuteronomy 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Had Jesus alone declared Himself to be the Messiah – the Christ – this alone would not be proof that He is Who He says He is. There must be “At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses”, that is, two or three people must declare that they saw and know that Jesus is the Messiah. They must verbally declare Him as Messiah. They must be authoritative. So now Scripture calls its Witnesses:
Jesus Christ Came By WATER And BLOOD
1 John 5:6 This is He that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood.
Word Study: What does it mean that Jesus “CAME by WATER and BLOOD”? Let’s deal with the word “CAME”, the Greek erchomai. This word means “to come from one place to another”. When the Wise men searched for Jesus “born King of the Jews” they told Jerusalem “we have seen His star in the east, and are COME to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2). The Wise Men came from the east – probably from Babylon – hundreds of miles to see Jesus. But Jesus came from much farther away than that. Jesus Christ came to us from Eternity. Jesus “CAME by WATER”, a phrase used in John 3 by Jesus to represent normal human birth. Jesus said:
John 3:5-6 … Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
To be “BORN OF WATER” is to be born of the flesh, of a human mother. Jesus was “BORN OF WATER” of a normal human female – but His birth is unique in that He is born of a virgin. It was prophesied that the Messiah – “God with us” – would be born of a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Only Jesus Christ fulfilled this prophesy. The Angel of God told Joseph, the husband of Mary:
Matthew 1:21 And {Mary} shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His Name JESUS {God our Savior}: for HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS 22 All this was done, THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED which was spoken of the Lord {in Isaiah 7:14}, BEHOLD, a virgin shall be with Child, and shall BRING FORTH A SON, and they shall call His Name EMMANUEL which being interpreted, GOD WITH US.
Only Jesus Christ is virgin born. Only Jesus Christ is “GOD WITH US”. Jesus was normally born of water, of woman. But Jesus Christ was conceived of God. The Angel told Mary His mother:
Luke 1:35 … The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
As Eternal God, Jesus was with God the Father and God the Spirit in eternity past. But Jesus “was made flesh, and dwelt amongst us” (John 1:14). Jesus did not COME INTO BEING through Mary, but CAME INTO HUMANITY through Mary. Jesus came of water.
Jesus coming of water not only refers to His supernatural and unique BIRTH, but He CAME INTO HIS MINISTRY through the witness of water baptism.
Jesus was sent by the Father to be the Savior of the world. As Eternal God the Son, Jesus had a Herald that went before Him, that Herald being John the Baptist. John’s ministry was prophesied through Isaiah, just as the virgin birth of Jesus was prophesied (see Isaiah 40:3). The Pharisees and Scribes asked John in he was the Messiah because of his following, and John told them “I am NOT the Messiah” (John 1:19). John was the Herald of the Messiah. Our Lord Jesus came to John, and commanded that he baptize Him in water. Though John initially refused (Matthew 3:14), he soon did so. As Jesus came up out of the water the Bible says:
Matthew 3:16-17 when {Jesus} was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
At Jesus’ baptism both God the Father as well as God the Spirit witnessed that He and He alone is the Messiah. Our Lord Jesus came by water. He was sent of God from glory to become flesh on this earth. He came by the water of baptism, receiving the witness of both Father and Spirit.
1 John 5:6 … not by water only, but by water and blood.
Jesus was uniquely born into this world to be our Savior. But Jesus did not come by WATER only, but “by water and blood”. Why is “BLOOD” important? Because when Adam sinned, God covered Adam’s sin with the blood of the innocent (Genesis 3:21). It is the blood of humans that contains our life force. The Bible says:
Leviticus 17:14 (NLT) … the life of every creature is in the BLOOD …
When Adam sinned, he brought the penalty of death on himself and his progeny. God told Adam “in the day you eat thereof, you shall surely die”. Adam was due death because of his sin, but God gave him an escape by the spilling of blood of the innocent.
God established animal sacrifices that would temporarily cover the sins of humans. These sacrifices were repeated over and over because they were only temporary. A Once and for All Innocent had to come to make payment for our sins. God told Israel under the Old Covenant:
Leviticus 17:11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life …
It is the BLOOD that covers sin – “makes atonement for one’s life”. The Blood of the guiltless substitute made payment for the sins and shortcomings of the people. Yet these were only temporary. The Bible says:
Hebrews 10:1 (NLT) The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship …
God sent His Son Jesus into the world to once and for all fulfill the Law of sacrifice. When Jesus was sent into the world, He told the Father:
Hebrews 10:5 (NLT) … You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer …
God the Father was never satisfied with the animal sacrifices, but winked at them until the Lord Jesus Christ came. The Bible says:
Hebrews 1010 (ESV) … we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
It is the Blood of Jesus Christ that “purified our consciences from sinful deeds so we can worship the Living God. Jesus Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” (Hebrews 9:14, my paraphrase). Jesus came by water so He could enter this life as the unique Messiah. Jesus came by BLOOD to die on Calvary for our sins. We who are saved have …
Revelation 7:14 … washed their robes and made them white in the BLOOD of the Lamb.
“Believers are cleansed, forgiven, and made right with God by the blood of the Lamb, God’s guiltless substitute. The life that Christ emptied of its blood now pumps everlasting life into our veins. Oh, how astounding it is that God would shed His own blood to pay the penalty for our sins!”
The Three Witnesses In Heaven Lead To The Indwelling Witness In You
1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record ….
There are “THREE THAT BEAR RECORD IN HEAVEN”. We spoke of these THREE before. The first Witness in Heaven is God the Father. God spoke from Heaven, saying not just at the Baptism of Christ, but also at the Mount of Transfiguration:
Matthew 17:5 … THIS is My BELOVED SON, in Whom I am well pleased; HEAR YE HIM
The Apostle Peter, the leader of the Apostles, declared that “{Jesus} received from God the Father honor and glory {when He spoke from the glory of Heaven, saying} THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, in Whom I am well pleased.” The Apostles Peter, Mark, and Matthew all heard and testified of this Voice from glory. But not only did the Father speak from Heaven to earth, The Scripture says that the Father said before the Angels:
Hebrews 1:8 … unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom.
Jesus was declared both the Son of God as well as equal to God by God the Father. The Holy Spirit declared Jesus to be the one and only Messiah. Before Jesus went to the Cross for our sins, He told His disciples:
John 16:7-15 (ESV) Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. 12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
The Holy Spirit witnesses of Christ in Heaven, and on the earth. It is the Holy Spirit that leads people to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
1 John 5:8-10 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
John now brings out an interesting point. Jesus came by “WATER and BLOOD”. He was uniquely born of the virgin into this life. Both the Father and the Spirit witnessed that Jesus is the Christ. Once you believe on Jesus, follow this,
1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath thewitness in himself
What is John talking about? Once you receive Christ’s birth and death as true, and receive Jesus as the ONE AND ONLY MESSIAH, then YOU HAVE THE WITNESS OF GOD WITHIN YOURSELF. God the Holy Spirit moves into the framework of your life.
The lost do not have the indwelling Spirit, nor do the lost care about the Word of God. Only those “Born Again” of Christ have the Spirit of God!
The world in its lostness follows after darkness and evil. People ask, “Why the Nashville shootings? Why all these shootings that we are seeing around America today?” The simple answer that liberals and progressives will give you is “let’s blame the guns and the bullets”. It’s not that the lost have guns and bullets that we have problems. It is that the lost have NOT the Spirit of God indwelling in them”. They are indwelt by darkness, by selfishness, by greed. The Christian proper, however, has the Witness of God within them. What does the Bible say?
Romans 8:13-16 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
It is not the DENOMINATION that makes the Christian, but that the DIVINE lives within you. The Spirit of God leads the Child of God, just as the Pillar of Fire led Israel from Egypt. “if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live”. The person who claims to be a Christian who continually “LIVES AFTER THE FLESH” is not a Christian. Our Lord Jesus said:
Matthew 7:16 … Ye shall know them BY THEIR FRUITS …
If you are constantly and apologetically living in darkness, then the Holy Spirit of God does not live in you. The Holy Spirit is not a Visitor to your life. Jesus said, “He lives WITH you and WILL BE IN YOU” (John 14:17). Even clearer and more applicable to the “American” Christian today is the warning from God about sexual sin:
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (ESV) Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Glorify God in YOUR BODY. Do not live selfishly and niggardly as the lost do. Because the Witness of the Spirit lives in you, Christ Jesus also lives in you (Colossians 1:27). Because the Holy Spirit lives within you, God the Father is also in you (1 John 4:15).
You Will Not Live Forever HERE – But Christian, You WILL Live Forever!
Who indwells you? The Spirit of God, or the spirit of darkness? Jesus said “if your focus is bad, your whole body will be filled with darkness (Matthew 6:23). Christians are NOT in darkness – but the lost are. In the last few years, a biological MALE …
has been named “Woman of the year” on several magazine covers is referenced as a “Top Ranking Female” in the White House is named the NCAA Women’s Swimmer of the year is making millions being the face of women for Nike, Tampax, and Bud took home the “Best Actress” award at the Golden Globes
This is no more than a mental health crisis brought on by the Antichrist and the spirit of darkness. The Christian does NOT walk in evil, but walks with GOD daily. We finish with this:
1 John 5:11-12 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Word Study: The word translated “record” is the Greek martyria, from which we get our word “Martyr”. The Witness or Martyr’s Testimony given to us at great cost is that “God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son”. If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, you have “eternal life”. That doesn’t mean you will live on this earth forever. These old bodies are breaking down daily. But Beloved, as Jesus is, so you shall be. You will one day pass from this place to glory because you have the Son – and having the Sn, you have LIFE. May God lead you to eternal life this very day! In Christ’s name I pray, and through His Spirit I ask. Amen and Amen.
Please turn with me in your Bibles to John 4:43. The Bible has quite a bit to say about “Faith”. In fact, the world has quite a bit to say about “Faith”. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines “Faith”as:
“Allegiance to duty or to a person. Belief and trust in and loyalty to God. Firm belief in something for which there is no proof. Something believed especially with strong conviction, especially a system of religious beliefs.”
Everyone has faith. The …
– Atheist has faith there is no God, and the – Humanist believes that people are gods. The – Evolutionist has faith in Darwinism and so called evolutionary science. The –Diseased often place their faith in medicines and medical science. The – Politician believes their party is perfect, whereas the – Progressive SJW has faith in one’s ability to reimagine oneself. The – Christian is called to have faith in Christ and His Word, the Bible.
Those who are not Christians put their faith in various pagan gods and goddesses, various processes, types of people or political parties. Everyone has faith. When you drove to Church tonight, you had faith that your fellow motorists do not want to forfeit their lives. When you pass a car on the highway, you are about 24” from death. Yet you continue to drive. Why? It’s FAITH. You have faith that the person hurling toward you at speed is not texting, or that the driver is not suicidal.
Faith in people and things can be misplaced. Faith in Jesus is NEVER wrong. Because the Samaritan woman had faith in Jesus, she went to Sychar and told her friends about Him. Because others expressed faith in Christ, He went to Sychar and stayed two more days.
God will come to you if you believe in His Word! God went to Sychar because they believed in His Word.
John 4:41-42 And many more believed because of Jesus’ own word; 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
Faith is something that YOU must have. We are saved by FAITH in Jesus. As I’ve often quoted:
Ephesians 2:8 For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH and that not of yourselves …
Because you placed FAITH in your CAR, you got here tonight. If you had no faith in your car, you would still be at home. Faith proves itself by action. Faith goes, and does. Faith in God draws God to us. We read:
John 4:43-44 Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. 44 For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in His own country.
Faith In God’s Word Brings God To Us, Whereas NO Faith In God’s Word Pushes Him Away
Jesus went to Nazareth to minister, but the people had no faith in the Son of God. The Scripture says:
Mark 6:2-6 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. 4 But Jesus, said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief.
When Jesus grew up in Nazareth, He grew up waiting on God the Father, waiting to reveal Himself as the Christ. Other than one brief time when Jesus taught the priests in the Temple the Law of God (Luke 2:42-49), Jesus grew up and worked with His stepfather Joseph as a carpenter. Because those in Nazareth grew up around Jesus and saw nothing particularly special in Him and His earthly family, they discounted Him when He revealed Himself as the Messiah. Because His hometown had no faith in Him “he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them”. Faithlessness binds the blessings of God away from us. Jesus left Nazareth, and went to Samaria and Galilee to do His work as Messiah. Why? Because there was NO FAITH in Him in His hometown. “a prophet hath no honor in His own country”.
John 4:45 THEN when He was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received Him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
Word Study: When Jesus came into Galilee the “Galilaeans received Him”. The word translated “received” is the Greek dechomai (pronounced dekh’-om-ahee), which means “to take hold of, to take up, to receive or grant access to as a VIP, to receive into intimate relationship with”. The Bible says:
John 1:11-12 {Jesus} came unto His own, and His own RECEIVED {paralambanō} Him not. 12 But as many as RECEIVED {lambanō} HIM, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His Name.
The word RECEIVED – which in the Greek can be dechomai, paralambanō or lambanō, are words that illustrate FAITH. FAITH receives. FAITH does. FAITH moves toward.
It matter what or who you have faith in. The Samaritans had faith in Jesus because they heard His Words. They said:
John 4:42 … we have HEARD HIM OURSELVES
They BELIEVED JESUS WAS THE MESSIAH “BECAUSE OF HIS OWN WORD” (John 4:41). They believed the Word of God. They believed the SCRIPTURE Jesus quoted as His own. They believed that Jesus is the LIVING BIBLE, the WORD OF GOD COME TO LIFE. But what of the Galileans, the Jews of Galilee? What did they believe in? We read:
John 4:45 …. the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast …
The Galileans did not focus on the Word of Christ, but the Works of Christ. They believed Him a Prophet because of what He DID, not because of what he SAID.
They were at Jerusalem, and saw the Lord overturn the tables of the moneychangers and chase away the buyers and sellers. The Bible tells us that “when {Jesus} was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in His name, when they saw the miracles which He did” (John 2:23). Yet the Bible tells us that “Jesus would not commit Himself to them” (John 2:24), because they believed the WORKS, but not the WORD. The Galileans believed Jesus to be a Great Prophet, or a Great Magi. But they believed based on the miracles He did, not based on the Word of God that He spoke. Their faith was a false faith. Henry Morris wrote in his commentary:
“The enthusiasm of the Galileans was not soundly based. It was dependent on the WONDERS arising from their sight of the signs, not on a realization that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. Their very acceptance of Him was thus in its way a rejection. They gave Him honor of a sort, but it was not the honor that was due to Him.”
Saving faith believes that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s Word, and a fulfillment of the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Saving faith believes that Jesus is the Christ because the Bible says so, not just because Jesus did miracles.
Satan can make himself appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14. The Magi of Egypt were able to imitate Moses when his rod turned into a snake. During the Great Tribulation, the Antichrist will “by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders”(2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)deceive the people into following him. Jesus told us that “false prophets would come and perform great signs and wonders, deceiving many” (Matthew 24:24). There were many people who believed on Jesus, but NOT unto salvation.
We Are To Believe Jesus’ WORD
The Bible talked about different types of faith (faith in the WORD or faith in the WORKS), and now gives us a example of what Christ would have of us. We read:
John 4:46 So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
Jesus comes into “Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine”. This was His first miracle ever performed. As soon as Jesus enters Cana, a “certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum” comes to Jesus. Who was this nobleman? The word “NOBLEMAN” is the Greek basilikos, which means”a royal official”. He was a man who served the puppet King Herod Antipas (Mark 6:14) in a civil or military capacity. The “NOBLEMAN” had a son sick at Capernaum, some 20 miles from Cana.
John 4:47-49 When {the Nobleman} heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49 The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
The Nobleman wanted Jesus to travel from Cana to Capernaum to heal his son. A Jew, the Jews often rejected Jesus as Messiah, demanding that Jesus show them “SIGNS AND WONDERS”. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day – the Pharisees and Sadducees – constantly asked Jesus for “signs from Heaven” (Matthew 16:1). Jesus told them:
Matthew 16:4 (NIV) A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.
A person is not saved because of signs and wonders, but is saved by believing the Word of God.
Illustrate: Israel saw incredible signs at Sinai under Moses, and even heard the Voice of God (Exodus 19:16-20:1), but in just 40 days they forgot the signs and demanded Aaron create a golden calf for them to worship (Exodus 32:1-6). Faith in signs and wonders will never save. What saves is trust in God’s Word through God’s Messiah. The Apostle said:
1 Corinthians 1:18-24 … the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
When the Pharisees often demanded signs from Jesus (Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; Matthew 12:38-41), He told them “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” The proof that He is Messiah was given from the Word of God and through the resurrection and the empty tomb. God will fulfill His Word.
You Are Not Saved Unless You Believe Jesus. Believing Is To ACT On What He Commands.
Jesus tells the nobleman:
John 4:50 Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
The nobleman is at a crossroad. He was demanding that Jesus come to Capernaum and heal his son. But Jesus tells him to “GO THY WAY – go home”. The Christ has spoken. The son is not dying, but has been made whole. What will the man do? Will he continue to demand Jesus come with him? No, the Bible says “THE MAN BELIEVED THE WORD THAT JESUS HAD SPOKEN”. He believed the Word of God. The man quit pleading with Jesus, and headed home. We now he believed for he did what Jesus said do.
Jesus Christ is more than a miracle Man, more than a great Teacher. Jesus Christ is the Messiah. So many today are – as the Scripture says –
2 Timothy 3:7 (NASB) always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
– Some have a NAZARETHFAITH. They are so FAMILIAR with Jesus, that they can’t believe He is the Christ. – Some have a GALILEAN FAITH. They will believe Jesus, but only when they see a SIGN. – The saved, however, have a SAMARITAN SYCHAR FAITH. They believe the Word of Jesus, and act on what they believe.
The nobleman believed the Word of Jesus, and headed home to his son. We are told that “the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him”, and based on the Word of God headed home. He obeyed the Word of the Lord. What was the result?
John 4:51-53 And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52 Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.
If you are merely trusting in Jesus Christ as a good teacher (the Nazareth faith), or if your trust is based on the good things He can give you, then you have traded the best things for the merely good things. Jesus Christ came to seek and to save that which was lost. He came to adopt many children into God’s Kingdom. He came to destroy the power of death, and to redeem those who lived under the shadow of death. Sooner of later every one of us will stand before the Creator and give Him a reason as to why you should be allowed to enter into Glory with Him. The only answer that matters is that you know Jesus Christ as both Lord and Savior. I pray that you have made that choice. Your eternity depends on it! Amen and Amen!
1 John 5:1-5 KJV Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. (2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (4) For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. (5) Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
We’re always hearing bad news in the news, and many of us long for the time when there was less sexual perversion and more common sense in America. But surprisingly, a recent Barna Surveyreported:
“Recent data show that Americans are trending toward spiritual openness. As of October 2022, Barna data show three out of four U.S. adults (74%) say they want to grow spiritually. Additionally, the same proportion (77%) say they believe in a higher power. Nearly half (44%) say they are more open to God today than before the pandemic.”
The door is open to the growth of God’s Kingdom. How will God’s people respond. Sheldon Vanauken, the author of “A Severe Mercy” (a beautiful book) wrote:
“The best argument for Christianity is Christians: their joy, their certainty, their completeness. But the strongest argument against Christianity is also Christians—when they are somber and joyless, when they are self-righteous and smug in complacent consecration, when they are narrow and repressive, then Christianity dies a thousand deaths.”
Christians have always been attacked. People call us names. “Homophobic. Transphobic. Misogynistic.” Let them call us names. Regardless as to what the world feels, let us stand firm on God’s Word. The world called Jesus “Drunkard. Sinner. Illegitimate Son. Insane.” Jesus stuck with God’s Word. Over and over He declares,
“It is written.”
Let the world call you anything – but beware of the title “hypocrite”.
Jesus called the religious right of His day “hypocrites” because they departed from the Word of God in favor of human traditions.
Christianity is indelibly tied t the clear Word of God. And …
True Christianity Has “Strings” Attached To It
1 John 5:1 KJV Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of Him
Look at those first words.
1 John 5:1 KJV Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God
Salvation is a free gift from God. However, that free gift comes with consequences or strings attached. It is only in America that people believe that Christianity comes with no strings attached. I hear this nonsense all the time. Deceived people and deceiving preachers say,
“Christianity is a free gift from God. Just believe on Jesus, and you’ll go to Heaven. God expects nothing from you. He’ll accept you just the way you are – and you don’t need to change. He loves you as you are. It’s just a free gift.”
There’s a “church” down the street from us that has on their sign,
“Come as you are. Change if you will.”
That’s hogwash! That’s secular religion. That has nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity. Christianity is a free gift from God. It is necessarily free, because there is NOTHING you can do to earn or deserve it. One of my favorite Scriptures on salvation is not John 3:16 (which is a beautiful but often abused and misinterpreted text) but instead,
Ephesians 2:8-10 For by GRACE are ye saved THROUGH FAITH AND THAT NOT OF YOURSELVES, it is the GIFT OF GOD, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast. Here we pause before I quote VERSE 10. Salvation is a FREE GIFT not earned OF OURSELVES. The Scripture is clear on this. However, you need to now read VERSE 10. For WE ARE HIS {GOD’S} WORKMANSHIP, created in Christ Jesus UNTO {to DO} GOOD WORKS, which God hath BEFORE ORDAINED {ORDERED/ COMMANDED} that we should walk in them.
If you are SAVED, you are God’s WORKMANSHIP. God will work on you. God will change you. Entering the system is free – but once in the system God will begin to form Christ in your life. God has expectations of those whom He saves. Once you freely enter into the family of God by the Blood of Christ, you are
(1) subject to the Fatherhood of God, (2) indwelt by the Spirit of God, and (3) commanded to live according to the Word of God.
Illustrate: God gave us an illustration of this in His nation Israel. Saving them from enslavement to Egypt, God demanded they obey His rules. When Israel refused to do so, God punished them. This has not changed from Old to New Testament. We are told in
Hebrews 12:6-8 (ESV) For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” 7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
You cannot get away with sin! The giant string attached to Christianity is the loving Fatherhood of God. If you are saved, you are changed, and are being changed. Christians will behave differently. You will willingly obey His Word.
You Will Love Your Brother And Sister In Christ
1 John 5:1 KJV Whosoever (PAS) believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one (PAS) that loveth Him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him
Word Study: The words translated “Whosoever” and “every one” is the same Greek word pas, which simply means “ALL”. Salvation is offered to ALL. ALL who believe that “Jesus is the Christ”, the One and Only Messiah, they are “born of God”. When you are “born of God” your being changes. Your state changes. Your position changes. You become a Child of God, and you love God. Now as I’ve said before, the LOVE that God speaks of is not emotional, but it is to do the thing that God said do. So if you love God:
every one that loveth Him that begat (made you born again)
ALL who love Him that gave us life, that made us born again, we will
loveth him also that is begotten of him
Word Study: “loveth” is the Greek agapaō, which does not refer to emotional love, but to doing what God said the way God said it. If you love God, if you are born again, you will love others who are born again. You don’t have to like them – but you WILL LOVE them. You will do the right thing, the Godly thing, the thing that Jesus would have you do.
If you are begotten of God – born again – you will love and do the right thing toward others who are begotten of God, those born again and in His family.
But our love for those in the Family will not supersede the love we have for God our Father and His Word. We only KNOW that we love the Children of God WHEN WE LOVINGLY KEEP GOD’S COMMANDMENTS. Read it!
1 John 5:2-3 KJV By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. (3) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Word Study: The word translated “know” is the Greek ginōskō, which means “to perceive, to be aware that I am actually loving my brother or sister in Christ. To intimately or personally know”. How can I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am loving my brother or sister in Christ? Because I
love God, and keep his commandments
Illustrate: Let’s go back to God’s Israel. When God saved Israel from Egypt, He brought them through the Red Sea, gave them fresh water at Marah, and gave Israel manna from Heaven. God led Israel to the base of Mount Sinai, and told them to wait while Moses came up into the mountain to talk with God. Moses went up into the mountain, and for 40 days talked with God. We read:
Exodus 24:12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Come up to Me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
God showed His love to Israel by giving Moses His Commandments. Moses was to show his love for Israel by “teaching them”. As the 40 days ended, something extraordinarily evil happened. The Bible says:
Exodus 32:1 (ESV) … the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
This has happened in Churches all across America. The people have said,
“Pastors make us gods that shall go before us.” And the Pastors have said, “Give us your jewelry – your treasures – and we’ll cook them in the fire of desire. And out comes the golden calves!
If the Pastors, like Aaron, had loved God, they would have refused to do this. They would have reminded God’s people that God sets the standard. Even if ALL of Israel gathers together and demands that an idol be made, the Pastor is to show his love by KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDMENTS. We love God by doing what He says, regardless as to what others may like. Aaron complied, making a golden calf (Exodus 32:4). Too many Pastors today comply with the desires of the people. Is God pleased No, for He told Moses:
Exodus 32:8-10 (ESV) They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!’” 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people. 10 Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them …
Moses interceded for Israel, and God did not destroy that nation. That was a good thing. Moses came down the mountain bearing the tablets,
Exodus 32:16 (ESV) The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.
The tablets belonged to God. The commandments were God’s commandments. If Moses loved Israel, he would cherish the commandments of God, for:
God’s Commandments Are Not Grievous
1 John 5:3 KJV For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Word Study: God’s Commandments are “not grievous”, the Greek barýs which means “burdensome, heavy, overly stern”. The Pharisees were accused of Jesus of …
Matthew 23:4 … binding barýs, grievously heavy burdensome traditions on people’s shoulders … (my paraphrase)
Humans do that. People do that. They put their made up, unScriptural rules founded on tradition or customs on people. We as Christians are not to do that.
The Apostle Paul warned us all that,
Acts 20:29 … after my departing shall grievous {barýs} wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
What happened? The Pharisees came into the Churches and told Christians they must be circumcised and keep the feast days. They told Christians they must continue in the blood sacrifices – though Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Christians are to keep God’s commandments, not man’s traditions.
God’s commands are not weighty, not overwhelming. God’s commands are for our good. Had Aaron loved Israel, he would have refused to compromise with their worldly mental attitude, and refused to make an idol. Had Moses loved God, he would not have cast down the tablets of stone, God’s commandments, breaking them in his anger (Exodus 32:19).
We keep God’s Commandments regardless as to what the world thinks.
1 John 5:4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Word Study: In verse 1 we saw that the words translated “Whosoever” and “every one” were the same Greek word pas, which simply means “ALL”. Now in verse 4 we read:
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
Word Study: Again, “whatsoever” is the Greek pas, which means “ALL”. ALL who are born of God – born again believers – overcomes the world. The word “overcometh” is the Greek nikaō, which means “to conquer, to prevail, to get the victory or come away victorious”. When you are saved, and love God by keeping His commandments, you will NOT compromise with what the world says. There is no peace in living in worldliness. The Apostle said in
Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Those who are saved will not become ONE with the world, but will become ONE with Jesus.
We who are saved are Children of the New Covenant. We are God’s Workmanship. We are predestined to Heaven, not hell We will follow our God! He has promised:
Hebrews 8:10-12 … I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 11 And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
Saved from sin and the world, we do not go back into the world. Saved from Egypt, we keep our eyes not on Egypt, but on the Promised Land. The Christian, saved for Heaven, behaves saved on the earth. If we err, we correct, we repent, we return to the Blood of Christ and to our Great High Priest. We do not bind ourselves to the world.
This same John who – under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit – wrote the text we are reading today, wrote to the Churches in the Book of Revelation. He writes to us in this Book:
1 John 5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Five times in the Book of Revelation John speaks of OVERCOMING
Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh {nikaō} will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
OVERCOMERS go to Heaven.
Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh {nikaō} shall not be hurt of the second death.
OVERCOMERS will not go to the Lake of Fire, and burn eternally.
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh{nikaō} will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
OVERCOMERS will be forever in God’s family.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh{nikaō} and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
OVERCOMERS will rule and reign with Jesus.
Revelation 3:12 Him that overcometh{nikaō} will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.
OVERCOMERS will be possessed of God for all eternity.
Revelation 3:21 To him that overcometh{nikaō} will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcometh{nikaō} and am set down with my Father in his throne.
OVERCOMERS shall abide with Jesus forever.
As Christians in America, we are at a crossroad. We can choose to go the way of the world – which is certain destruction of both Church and country – or we can cling to God. I beg you, cling to God and His Word! Amen and Amen!
According tolearnreligions.com: “Good Friday is the most difficult day of Passion Week. Christ’s journey turned treacherous and acutely painful in these final hours leading to his death.” Other blogs reference theVia Dolorosa, translated as “the sorrowful way.” Also,Debra Pedrowoffers an insightful and inspirational obituary of Christ. You can also see A.M. Watson’s analysis of the traditional celebration of this day as either truth or myth in light of the Scriptures. Yet, the day of Holy Week where most focus upon Christ’s death and burial is referred to as Good Friday.
Please turn with me in your Bibles to John chapter 4.
Last week we saw that Jesus “must needs go through Samaria” (vs 4). Jesus had a divine appointment to share the Gospel with a Samaritan woman at the well of Jacob. As Jesus shared the Gospel with this woman, we read a parenthetical statement – John 4:8 – which said:
John 4:8 (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat).
What CITY had they gone to? It’s the city of Sychar. Now this Bible is written by God, through Holy Men who love the Lord. There are no coincidences in this Bible. Every word is important. So when it tells us that the “disciples were gone away unto the city”, we need to look at the city of Sychar. This city is only mentioned one time in the Scripture, in this chapter. The name “Sychar” has an interesting meaning. The Greek meaning is “to be drunken – a place of drunkenness”. Jesus is on a mission to save the soul of a woman a a well, but His disciples – Christians – are off doing what they think is more important. They are buying “MEAT”.
Are ALL the disciples off somewhere else buying meat? No. The Apostle John, who loves Jesus, is still with the Lord. We know this because John wrote down what happened with the woman at the well.
John stayed with Jesus – but the other disciples thought it was more important to go to Sychar – a place called “Drunken” – and buy “MEAT”.
It is so easy to drift away from God in your faith. The drifting is very subtle. You have important things to do. You want to spend some time with your family. There’s something you want to see on television. You need to go to the store. So you leave Jesus sitting beside a well with a Samaritan woman while you go and do something much more important.
When we follow these patterns – when we are distracted by the less important over the much more important (Jesus) – it isn’t long before we are no better than the lost world around us. If the devil can not keep us in our state of lostness from God, he will do the next best thing for hell – he will entice us to be no better than a lost person.
Illustrate: We often see the behavior of “professing” Christians in public – and are shamed by what they do. I pulled into my bank’s drive through yesterday to purchase a roll of quarters. Pulling in behind a lady who was at the teller’s window, I could hear this woman talking with the teller about opening a charge account with the bank. I thought such things should be done inside. As she asks about the “rewards” program, and the teller dutifully answers her questions, what should have taken me just a minute is running into time. I looked to back up and go around, but I was blocked by others behind me. Trapped, I had to wait. 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes pass. She and the teller are still having a leisurely discussion. I practiced praying, because I was tempted to lean on the horn. At 22 minutes she finally pulled away. When I got to the teller, she asked “How’s your day going?” I said, “a whole lot better 15 minutes ago”. As the rude woman pulled away I noticed she had a large CROSS hanging from her rear view mirror. More than likely she professed to be a Christian.
Too many who profess Christianity put the temporal and the silly above what is the most important. Our Lord Jesus traveled the distance between Judea and Sychar (a city of Samaria), some 24.85 miles. We are not told, but He was most likely on foot. This journey would have taken Him several hours, an exhausting trek, and Jesus went because the most important thing in the world to Him was that woman’s soul.
Christians, are the souls of those around you important? Or are you drifting from God, more impressed with “MEAT” than you are with the Kingdom of God? Let’s look at that word “MEAT”, what was so important to the other Disciples.
Word Study: The word translated “MEAT” in John 4:8 is an interesting Greek word. It is the word trophē (pronounced trof-ay’), and it does mean “meat, food, or nourishment”. The Disciples left Jesus to get nourishment. When they come back we read:
John 4:30-34 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him. 31 In the mean while his disciples prayed (erōtáō, [pronounced er-o-tah’-o]}, literally BEGGED) Him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
They went to Sychar to get trophē or “nourishment”, and literally beg Jesus to eat. But here Jesus uses a different word for “meat”. This time He uses the Greek word brōsis, {pronounced bro’-sis}. The word brōsis doesn’t refer to “MEAT”, but to the act of eating. What Jesus is saying is,
“I have eaten food that you have not eaten”
This puzzled the Disciples. We read:
John 4:33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
When they left Jesus at the well, the Lord had not eaten all day. But Jesus says that He is satisfied – that He is nourished. So they wonder if perhaps someone brought Him food. Perhaps John stepped away, or the woman of Samaria fed Jesus something. But Jesus tells them:
John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
What sustained Jesus? It was that He followed the will of God the Father. The Father sent the Son on a mission. We are told in:
1 John 4:14 (ESV) … the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
Jesus came to save “whosoever will” receive Him as Messiah. Jesus came to be the payment for our sins. Jesus came to invite the lost to follow Him. Jesus was not sent by rabbis. He was not sent by the Sanhedrin, the ruling elders of Israel. Jesus was not sent by Himself. There was no inner hunger or need for power that sent Him. Jesus – Himself God – is sent by God for the most important mission ever devised. He was sent by God to save the lost.
It is God’s Word that brings life. It is God’s Word that sustains life. Jesus told the Devil when he tempted the Lord to “make stones into bread”, that …
Matthew 4:4 … Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
The Disciples thought that the food they found was so very important. But Jesus told them …
John 4:34 … My {brōsis FOOD} is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish His work.
God sent Jesus to build the Kingdom of God on this earth. God sent Jesus to grow a Church, a collection of broken people redeemed by the Blood of the lamb. When Jesus preached His only sermon in His home town of Nazareth, He read from the scroll of Isaiah 61:1-2:
Luke 4:18-19 (ESV) …“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
When Jesus finished reading this scroll, He said
Luke 4:21 Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
God the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus “to proclaim good news to the poor … to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed”. This was the mission that He came on, a mission He has left for us to do.
Jesus Wants Us To Not Wander Off To Sychar For Food, But To Look For Opportunities To Spread His Kingdom
John 4:35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
The devil is very busy sowing seed, spreading misinformation and confusion, and drawing people away from God. The Soniclight Commentarynotes:
“Jesus’ reference to four months was probably proverbial. That was the approximate time between the last sowing and the earliest harvest reaping. His point was that between the spiritual task of sowing the gospel and reaping belief, the intervening time may be very brief.
The disciples needed spiritual vision. They could obtain it by lifting their eyes and looking on the fields of lost people, which are white for harvest, rather than being completely absorbed in their physical needs. As with physical grain, the opportunity for harvesting spiritually is relatively brief. If left unreached, like unreaped grain, people die in their sins.”
The devil does not pause in his sowing. This is why transgenderism, transhumanism, and the LGBTQ+ movement has taken such hold. Those who follow Christ need to stay with Christ, to stay true to Him. If we drift away, and start to put other things above the Father’s calling, then Satan will triumph in America.
John 4:36-38 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor: other men labored, and ye are entered into their labors.
The conversion of Samaria was thousands of years in the making. The prophets sowed the seed f the Gospel in the Old Testament era. In sowing and reaping, there is often a long period of time between the two. There are crops I love to grow that take months to sprout, so I often sow in trays, and use heat lamps to try and coax the seed out of the soil. Hopefully I will have a sprout I can transplant, and get an early harvest.
But human souls are different. With human souls, “One soweth, and another reapeth”. We plant the seed of the Gospel, but we may never see the fruit bear. But every one of us must be as faithful as we can be to stay with Jesus, and keep doing what He has called us to do. The Bible tells us in another place:
2 Corinthians 9:6 … He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
What others have sowed, you can reap. What you sow, you can sometimes reap. If you sow much, you can reap much. But if you sow nothing, you reap nothing. The Apostle wrote:
Galatians 6:7-10 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
You ask the question, “What harm am I doing if I do nothing for my Lord?” The answer is simple. If you are not sowing, nor serving, Satan is. And there will be a harvest! There will be a harvest!
Who Can Tell What One Seed Will Do?
The Disciples saw Sychar as a SUPPLY depot for their needs, and a SAMARITAN problem without a solution. God saw Sychar as a valuable area. Jesus took the time to sow ONE SEED at a well. What happened? We read:
John 4:39-42 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. 40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them: and He abode there two days. 41 And many more believed because of His own word; 42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard Him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
The ONE SEED that Jesus planted at Jacob’s well sprouted, and went out sowing throughout Sychar or “the drunken place”. Many Samaritans came to receive Jesus as Messiah, and “besought Him that He would tarry with them”. They wanted to walk with and talk with Jesus. They were able to profess, “this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world”.
My question to each and every one of you is, what are YOU sowing? Are you as professing Christians living your lives to glorify God your Savior? Or are you only following Jesus when it is convenient? God expects those whom He has saved to live in love with Jesus. The work of God is to believe on Jesus. To share Jesus with others. To share the great love of God with this present world. What filled Jesus’ so that He was not hungry was doing the will of God. He said:
John 6:38-40 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
We desperately need Christians walking WITH Christ, not apart from Him, in America today. John Stonestreet noted in a recent Breakpointarticle:
“In his book, The Way Of The Modern World, author and theologian Craig Gay wrote … The most common thing we encounter (in America today) is ‘practical atheism’. In other words, what shapes our world is not so much a proliferation of people who believe that God does not exist; rather, it is that so many people live as if God does not exist, as if God is irrelevant to most of life.”
We as Christians cannot afford to be “practical atheists”. We must live as if Christ matters to us and to those around us. We must walk through our lives following Jesus. We cannot afford to be off to Sychar, looking to feed our own bellies. Oh, that God would set our souls on fire, to share Christ and His love as we are given opportunity to do so! May God the Holy Spirit and this precious Scripture move on all our hearts, and bring us back to Him, our Hope and our Lord, this very day. Amen and Amen.
Luke 24:1-12 Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words …
The Bible Is God’s Book!
People ask me why I believe that this Bible is God’s Book, written through the Prophets and Apostles. Why do I believe that “no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21, CSB)? It is because I have experienced the power of this magnificent Book. God has given us – you and I – a Book written by His Spirit, and taught by His Spirit(John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13).
Every time I come to the Bible, if open to the Holy Spirit, I nearly always find something new.
For instance, as I read this story of the resurrection of Jesus, a message I have preached before, I thought “what could be new in this text?” then God answered.
Angels Preached The Gospel The Day Jesus Rose
I was reading a commentary the other day when I came across this statement:
“During the current dispensation in which we live – the church age – angels are not permitted to preach or share the Gospel (the message of Jesus) with people. They are, however, involved in the process of people being saved or born again”.
Christian, there are lots of good commentaries out there, and I’m sure this isn’t a bad commentary. But never take the word of man above that of God. Men and women make mistakes. I make mistakes. “Try the Spirits, whether they be of God or not”(1 John 4:1). Is it true that “angels do not preach the Gospel”? Let’s look at what the Bible says. The Apostle Paul wrote:
Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. [9] As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
The Apostle suggested that an Angel could preach the Gospel – and called the curse of God on any Angel that preached a contrary Gospel to that which is presented in the Scripture. I do not believe that Angels normally preach the Gospel, as the Great Commission was given to the Church by Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20). However, on the Sunday that Mary Magdalene and Mary the wife of Cleopas we are told an angel rolled the stone from the tomb of Christ, and said:
Matthew 28:5-7 … Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
An Angel preached the Gospel! In our Sunday School lesson today (I wish you would attend Sunday School – you’d be blessed!) we’ll see the resurrection account in John chapter 20. When Mary Magdalene gets to the tomb of Jesus, she sees the stone rolled away. The Bible says:
John 20:11-13 Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. 13 And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.
Mary thought that someone had stolen the body of Jesus. As she and the other women came to the tomb, they came to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial.
When they took Jesus down from the Cross to bury Him, He was hastily buried because the next day was the High Sabbath, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Leviticus 23:6-7 …. on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation (Hebrew miqrā’, a special time where Israel was called together to worship) ; you shall not do any ordinary work.
Had Jesus’ body been stolen, He would have been defiled by Jewish law. His preparation was not complete! Mary was devastated. We’ll see in Sunday School that Mary will look into the Tomb and see …
John 20:12 … two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain
There are two angels there. In our text today we read in Luke that, when they looked into the tomb perplexed …
Luke 24:4 … behold, two men stood by them in shining garments…
These “TWO MEN” in “SHINING GARMENTS” were angels. Though angels do not normally carry the Gospel, God used the angels to remind the disciples to get busy and spread the Gospel.
Sadly, we as humans are fickle. Sometimes we need an angel to get us moving in the right direction. The disciples did not need to waste time wondering where Jesus is. Jesus is where He is supposed to be. Let’s get busy!
The Great Physician Luke was used to God to write both the Gospel of Luke, as well as Acts. At the empty tomb Luke tells us that “two men in shining garments” share the Gospel. After Jesus is reunited with His disciples and gives us the Great Commission, Jesus ascends into Heaven. The Bible tells us that:
Acts 1:10-11 And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
I believe that this is the same “TWO MEN – ANGELS – IN SHINING APPAREL” that were at the empty Tomb. Stop staring where Jesus went up to Heaven. He is coming again. Get busy, and tell others that He has risen just as He said.
The Gospel Is That Jesus Died, But Rose Again
The Gospel that Jesus gave us – a Gospel first preached by Angels – is very simple. We read:
Luke 24:5-7 … Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
The Angels redirected the gaze of the disciples, reminding us that death has no hold on Jesus. Jesus repeated told His disciples that He had to die on the Cross. In this same Gospel we read:
Luke 9:22 {Jesus said} The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and BE RAISED THE THIRD DAY.
Jesus often used the title “Son of Man” for Himself. In the Old Testament the term “son of man” was used to describe fallen man. The Prophet compared man to God, saying …
Job 25:6 How much less man, that is a worm (rimmâ, that which causes decay)? and the son of man, which is a worm?
Though God put man on a perfect earth, and gave us all that we needed for a great life, man chose to try and be like a god (Genesis 3:5). It came to my attention the other day that some of these television preachers are saying that we as humans can be gods This is hogwash! God has said,
Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me …
There is NO GOD beside our God. We cannot be gods. We are sons of men. But Jesus Christ – Eternal God in the flesh – became the Son of Man so that He might bring us to God. Jesus Christ – the Only Begotten Son of God – became the Virgin Born Son of Man. “What is man, that God would remember us? What are the sons of men, that God would come down to visit us?” (Psalm 8:4).
Jesus is the Son of Man prophesied in Daniel, the Messiah come to bring us to God (Daniel 7:13).
Jesus told His disciples …
Luke 9:44-45 .. Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men. 45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
Jesus would be “DELIVERED” over to judgment to make payment for our sinfulness. Jesus is the Messiah prophesied in Scripture. Just three days before the empty Tomb, Jesus told His disciples:
Luke 18:31-33 … Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. 32 For he shall be DELIVERED unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: AND THE THIRD DAY HE SHALL RISE AGAIN.
“DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus was beaten and bruised. “DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus was stripped and mocked. “DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus was spitted on and scourged. “DELIVERED unto the Gentiles” Jesus as nailed to the cross, and died.
Pierced with a spear, Jesus’s dead body yielded blood and serum (John 19:34). Hastily buried, the Disciples came looking for His body. Three days and three nights Jesus did as He said:
Matthew 12:4 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of a great fish because of his disobedience to God. Jess, however, stayed three days and three nights among the dead. He has paid the penalty for our sin, fulfilling the promise of God in the Scripture. The Scripture says:
Galatians 3:13-14 Christ (the Son of Man) hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Jesus died to make PAYMENT to God for our sins. Jesus rose from the grave to give us CONTINUING REDEMPTION from sin.
Titus 2:13-14 … Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
He lives, so we live. He died, so that we will never die. Jesus defeated sin and Satan, death and destruction. The Angels preached:
“Why seek ye the living among the dead?”, the Angels preached. He is not here – He is risen, just as He said!
The Resurrection Is A Key Part Of The Gospel
When the women ran to tell the disciples what the Angels preached, we are told:
Luke 24:11-12 … And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulcher; and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass.
Peter went to the Tomb to inspect it for himself. When he got to that tomb, he found something interesting. If Jesus’ body had been stolen from that tomb, the grave robbers would not have taken the time to take off His linen burial cloths, laying them neatly to the side. When a person was buried, the Jews would tightly bind a NAPKIN, the Greek soudarion. The soudarion is a larger version of what I carry in my pocket, a handkerchief or a veil, also equated to an apron (Acts 19:12). When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the Bible says:
John 11:44 … he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin (soudarion). …
The “soudarion” was not laid on the head, but bound AROUND the head. Lazarus had to be released from his “soudarion” (also John 11:44). When Peter saw the “soudarion” the Bible says:
John 20:7 … the napkin (soudarion) that was about {Jesus’} head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
This was not the act of grave robbing. Grave robbers would have taken the body of Christ along with all His coverings. Instead, the body was carefully unwrapped, the grave cloths neatly folded. Jesus’ death was carefully planned by God to save us. Jesus rose from the grave to walk with those whom He saved.
The Apostle Paul puts it this way:
1 Corinthians 15:3-5 I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen …
The actual death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very foundation of the Gospel of salvation. You cannot be saved unless you believe Christ both DIED then ROSE AGAIN. Jesus walked on this earth for forty days following His death and resurrection. He was SEEN by many who, in turn, were willing to die affirming that they saw a Living Savior. The Apostle Paul said:
1 Corinthians 15:17 … if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
In order to be “saved” a person must “confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that GOD HAS RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD” (Romans 10:9-10). Without the resurrection death is still man’s greatest enemy. But since Christ has conquered death we can say with the Apostle: 1 Corinthians 15:55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
One day, dear soul, physical death will come to each and every one of us. If you have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, death will have no hold on you. Where Jesus is, we who love him will someday be. But to those of you who have resisted the Gospel, rejecting Christ as the Son of Man – you will not only die PHYSICALLY, but you will remain in SPIRITUAL death. Your ending will be never ending. You will be relegated to a place where the Son of Man says,
Matthew 7:23; 25:41 … depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. I never knew you, you who work at iniquity.
The choice is yours. Believe He died for you, and rose again for you Receive Him as SAVIOR in His death, and SOVEREIGN in His resurrection. May God the Holy Spirit guide you to give yourself to Him today. Amen and Amen.
Mark 16:1-4 And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.
2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.
3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James (the mother of the Son of God), and Salome (perhaps one of Jesus’ sisters – Matthew 13:56) went to the Tomb following the end of the weekly Sabbath. It was their intention to finish preparing Jesus’ body for burial. The question foremost in their minds was,
“Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?”
A large stone covered the entrance to Christ’s grave, a cave borrowed from Joseph of Arimathaea. When the stone was put in place three days before,
Matthew 27:65-66 Pilate said to {the Pharisees and chief Priests}, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the Tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.
When the Tomb was sealed, it was done by the King to prevent anything happening to the contents. When Daniel was cast into the lion’s den we are told,
Daniel 6:17 And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
By sealing the stone, it became an act of treason to open the door. This is much like the police tape put on a crime scene that says, “Do not enter, on penalty of law”. Jesus was laid to rest, but He was also effectively locked up. To insure that the seal was not broken, Pilate put his guards – Roman soldiers – on the door to guard it. The stone was in place, and it “was very great”. Who would move the stone for the women? Or would their trip be all in vain.
As they got to the sepulcher they found out:
Mark 6:4 … they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
The seal of the Law was broken. The immense Rock was already moved. The Roman guards – seasoned and worldly soldiers – were no where to be found.
Jesus was not in the Tomb!
Entering the Tomb, we read:
Mark 16:5-11 entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.
8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulcher; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
9 Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.
10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
Leaving the empty Tomb, the two Mary’s and Salome were frightened and ran away – but Mary Magdalene came back to the Tomb. It was when she returned to that empty Tomb that Jesus came to her. Telling her “touch Me not, for I have no yet ascended to the Father” (John 20:17), Jesus tells Mary to return an tell the disciples what she has seen. Jesus has risen!
What are the three great truths we get from the empty Tomb of Christ?
1 The Lawful Seal on the Tomb was removed.
Pilate as Governor lawfully sealed the Tomb of Christ, sealing His dead body away from the Living. The Bible tells us that our God is “the Living God”. And yet the Scripture says that
We are ALL dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13).
God is LIVING, but we are naturally spiritually DEAD.
Romans 3:23 … all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God…
Romans 5:12 … by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned …
The seal of the Law stands between us and God. He is perfectly righteous, but we are NOT. He is perfectly HOLY, but we are not. Like David, we cry out for God.
Psalm 42:2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
How can we stand before the Living, when we are dead? As the Prophet said in Deuteronomy 5:26, “For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?”. The answer is, no one can of themselves approach God.
But Christ died for our sins! Our Jesus came “not to abolish the Law or the Prophets, but to FULFILL them” (Matthew 5:17, ESV). By believing on Christ, He takes away the seal of the Law that keeps us from God. Just as the Tomb cannot hold Jesus as the seal of the Law is removed, the seal of the Law does not keep us from the Living God. God has “quickened us” given us life, because Christ fulfilled the requirements of the Law once and for all.
Romans 10:4 (ESV) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Romans 7:12 (ESV) So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Romans 8:3-4 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
The Law no longer holds Jesus in the Tomb, nor does the Law hold the Christian in spiritual death. Jesus broke the seal of the Law.
2 The stone was rolled away.
The two Mary’s and Salome, though they had every intention of serving Jesus, could not do so unless the stone was rolled away. There are many people today who believe that they can “get on God’s good side” by doing “good works”. Yet the Scripture says:
Isaiah 64:6-7 (ESV) We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 7 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.
Though we may want to work our way to God – and are as sincere as the Marys and Salome were – yet we cannot. Like Paul we cry out, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Romans 7:24, ESV). We are not strong enough to roll the stone away. But Jesus rolled the stone away. As the Apostle said:
Titus 3:3-7 (ESV) For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Jesus did what was impossible for us, so that we can be children of God.
3The soldiers were chased away.
The world, the flesh, and the devil did all that they could to keep us in the Tomb, just as the Roman guards tried to keep Jesus in the Tomb. They could not keep Jesus in death, and cannot hold the believer in death. Those who belong to Jesus by faith will not continue to walk in darkness. The seal is broken. The stone is rolled away. The soldiers are gone. Jesus promised:
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
There is a lot of nonsense spouted off today about “I was made this way, so I can – guilt free – stay this way”. Hogwash! The Scripture tells us that
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
You who are saved by faith in Christ do not belong in the grave no more than Jesus belongs in the grave. The Tomb is empty. Blessed be the name of the Lord. May God lead you to Christ’s side this very day.
He is not in the Tomb. He is risen, just as He said!
Turn with me in your Bibles to Judges chapter 8. When we ended last week, Gideon or Jerubbaal (Judges 7:1) at the direction of God led 300 men to utterly destroy the Midianites, the Amalekites, and the men of the east (other Canaanites). God only wanted 300 men with trumpets, clay jars, and lamps to come to the enemy. On smashing the clay pots and blowing their trumpets, the forces of Midian ended up killing one another with their own swords (Judges 7:22).
The Enemy Within
When you have a mountaintop experience with God, it doesn’t take long before the enemy will attack. The enemy doesn’t normally come at us from the outside, but the greatest enemy is the one who comes from the inside. When you serve God – Jesus said – “a person’s enemies will be those of his own household” (Matthew 10:36). It was prophesied that the Messiah – our Jesus – would be betrayed by “My close friend in whom I trusted, who ate My bread – he lifted up his heel against Me” (Psalm 41:9). Though Jesus chose Judas Iscariot to be an Apostle, and even gave him a trusted position as treasurer of the Apostles, Jesus did so knowing that Judas would betray Him with a kiss (John 13:18) for just 30 pieces of silver – the price of a slave.
The worst evil comes at us not from the outside, but from within the house!
Judges 8:1 And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.
Gideon and his 300 warriors are still chasing the enemy, fleeing for their lives, when they cross the boundary of the land of “Ephraim”. Gideon had previously sent messengers throughout Mount Ephraim …
Judges 7:24 And Gideon sent messengers throughout all mount Ephraim, saying, come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan. Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and Jordan.
Gideon is from the Tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh and Ephraim were the two sons of Joseph (of the coat of many colors, right hand to the King of Egypt) that together shared in the blessing of Jacob (see Genesis 48:5). Ephraim was therefore very close to Manasseh, and felt as if their brothers had betrayed them. Furthermore, Ephraim is the largest and most powerful tribe of Israel – the Tribe of Joshua and Samuel.
Ephraim felt that they had been disrespected, discounted, and discarded. They felt they should have been with Gideon and the 300 at the outset of the battle.
Word Study: Ephraim “did chide with him {Gideon and Manasseh} sharply”. This is the Hebrew rîyb ḥāzqâ, which literally means “pushed to fight him with all their strength”. Ephraim wanted to make war with Gideon! Their pride was hurt. The Bible tells us that:
Proverbs 6:16-18 (NKJV) These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
God despises pride. It is pride that led to the fall of man. Pride is the king of all other sins! The Bible says that “when PRIDE cometh, then COMETH SHAME” (Proverbs 11:2) and “only by PRIDE cometh CONTENTION” (Proverbs 13:10). How does Gideon respond to this attack?
Gideon lets fear rather than faith lead him. It was God’s decision as to who to use in the initial battle. It was God’s decision to choose the 300 men who Gideon used. Gideon was following God’s orders. Gideon should have said, “I was following Gods orders”. God had already promised to protect Gideon if he would just be obedient. But Gideon allowed his eyes to get off of God and focus on Ephraim.
Judges 8:2-3 And {Gideon} said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
Instead of glorifying God in the battle, Gideon minimized the great victory of the 300. Gideon told them, “What have I done now in comparison of you”? He made the victory of God a small thing, and made out that Ephraim’s part in the battle – the cleanup – was much greater. He said that the “gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim {is} better than the vintage of Abiezer”. Ephraim’s “gleaning” or harvest of the running Midianites was “BETTER THAN THE VINTAGE or WINE of ABIEZER {Gideon’s Family}”. Gideon went on to say that Ephraim’s capture of the warlords “Oreb and Zeeb” made the victory of the 300 insignificant.
Gideon’s sin in excluding God from the victory in order to pacify Ephraim would not just hurt him but it will hurt Ephraim.
What would have happened in the early Church if, when the Pharisees and Chief Priests commanded the Apostles not to reach Christ – they had submitted in order to “keep the peace”? Had they done so, the Gospel would have never went into the world. But when commanded to stop preaching, the Bible says ….
Acts 5:29-32 (ESV) … Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
The Devil will often suggest we “compromise” our faith – just go along to get along. This is an ancient trick that he has often used.
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were commanded by the King to bow down to the golden idol, or be cast into a fiery furnace, they said:
Daniel 3:16-18 … O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Jesus protected the Hebrew Children from that furnace – but there have been many times when believers have been martyred for the faith. There is always a temptation to go with the flow, to go along to get along, to submit to what is politically correct in order to find peace. Yes, the Bible says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9, NIV), we are never to make peace at God’s expense. The Apostle Paul said:
Galatians 1:10 (NLT) … I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
Is God Who “sets the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased Him” (1 Corinthians 12:18). As God’s people we have a stewardship “with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts” (1 Thessalonians 2:4, ESV; Colossians 3:23).
Gideon Drifts From God’s Glory
Judges 8:4-9 And Gideon came to Jordan, and passed over, he, and the three hundred men that were with him, faint, yet pursuing them. 5 And he said unto the men of Succoth, Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people that follow me; for they be faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian. 6 And the princes of Succoth said, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army? 7 And Gideon said, Therefore when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers. 8 And he went up thence to Penuel, and spake unto them likewise: and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him. 9 And he spake also unto the men of Penuel, saying, When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower.
When God found Gideon, he was hiding in a winepress while he gleaned his wheat. Fearful, God called him from the winepress to lead 300 to defeat a much greater Midianite army. Now Gideon’s faith burns! He knows that God is with him. Gideon leads his men to pursue the fleeing Midianites, moving south along the Jordan River.
Word Study: Gideon comes to the town of SUCCOTH (Hebrew Çukkôwth, [pronounced sook-kohth’], which means “booths”). Succoth is a place rich in history. It was where Jacob put up booths for his cattle (Genesis 33:17), as well as the first stopping place of Israel when they were freed from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12:37). When Moses prepared the people to go into the Promised Land under Joshua’s leadership, two of Israel’s Tribes came to Moses – the Tribes of Reuben and Gad – came to him with a request. The land they were on was just before the Promised Land. Reuben and Gad said:
Numbers 32:5 (ESV) … If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession. Do not take us across the Jordan.
Reuben and Gad wanted to stay in the safe place, to take the easy ground of faith. They are much like the “easy believism” we see so frequently in our Churches today. Faith is a battle – not a party! Moses told them:
Numbers 32:6-12 (ESV) “Shall your brothers go to the war while you sit here? 7 Why will you discourage the heart of the people of Israel from going over into the land that the Lord has given them? 8 Your fathers did this, when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. 9 For when they went up to the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the people of Israel from going into the land that the Lord had given them. 10 And the Lord’s anger was kindled on that day, and he swore, saying, 11 ‘Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, because they have not wholly followed me, 12 none except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have wholly followed the Lord.’
God caused Israel to wander in the wilderness 40 years until the rebellious were destroyed. Moses warned Reuben and Gad, “if you turn away from following him, he will again abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all this people”. That very day the Tribes of Reuben and Gad promised God:
Numbers 32:16-18 “We will build sheepfolds here for our livestock, and cities for our little ones, 17 but we will take up arms, ready to go before the people of Israel, until we have brought them to their place. And our little ones shall live in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land. 18 We will not return to our homes until each of the people of Israel has gained his inheritance.
What does this have to do with Succoth? Succoth was the place given the Tribe of Gad – along with Penuel – when they promised to support the other the tribes.
Gideon stops at Succoth not asking that they participate in the battle, but asking for “loaves of bread” to support God’s work. The men of Succoth – the Tribe of Gad – decided that they would take the low ground. They in effect told Gideon, “When you’ve captured Zebah and Zalmunna, then and only then will we give you bread!”. Gideon makes them a promise:
Judges 8:7 when the Lord hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, THEN I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers
Gideon doesn’t say IF I capture these kings, but WHEN the LORD DELIVERS THEM to me. After he is done with God’s work, Gideon will complete God’s work by punishing their faithlessness. Gideon next goes to “Penuel” – inhabited by the Tribe of Gad – and once more they refuse to assist. Penuel had a tower that they thought made them invincible. Gideon told them …
Judges 8:9 When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower
When we put our faith in anything but our God and His Promises, we deserve the thorns and thistles of Succoth and the false towers of Penuel to fall.
Judges 8:10-12 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. 11 And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure. 12 And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them, and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.
Of the 135,000 Midianite warriors Gideon battled, only 15,000 remained – and Gideon still had his 300 original men. Not one person who followed God was lost. The enemy thought they were in a safe place. There was more of them than there was of Gideon’s – but with God there is a majority. God told us:
Malachi 3:11 (ESV) I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the LORD of hosts.
Though Midian was like a plague of locusts, they could not stand against one man focused on God. When the Apostle spoke of our calling and adoption as God’s sons, he wrote:
2 Corinthians 4:7-10 (ESV) we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
God’s will will be fulfilled! Before the day was over, Gideon destroyed the last of Midian’s forces, and conquered their warlords. But he hasn’t forgotten the promise he made to Succoth and Punuel.
Sin Is Punished Righteously – Those Who Knew Better Are First Punished
Judges 8:13-16 And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up, 14 And caught a young man of the men of Succoth, and inquired of him: and he described unto him the princes of Succoth, and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men. 15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary? 16 And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.
Our Lord Jesus said in
Luke 12:47-48 (ESV) … that servant who knew his master’s will but did not get ready or act according to his will, will receive a severe beating. 48 But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating, will receive a light beating. Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.
Word Study: God reserves His greatest punishments for those who knew better, but would not do. When Gideon goes to Succoth after finding out who are the PRINCES (Hebrew śar, “rulers” or “governors”) and ELDERS (Hebrew zāqēn, “those who were sage or older in the faith”). God expects those whom He has placed in positions of authority to do the right thing.
If the leadership fails to follow God, the people will fail to follow God.
The Leadership knew that Gad promised to support their brothers and sisters in the battle for the Promised Land. When they refused to assist Gideon, they refused to obey God. Gideon took “threescore and seventeen men”, or 77 men who should have known better. We are told that Gideon “took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth”. The 77 elders were publicly punished for disobeying the Covenant that Gad made with God. Public punishment taught the other men of that city that obedience to God is not optional – but MANDATORY. God expects those whom He saves to follow Him. Beating the men with THORNS AND BRIERS very possibly brought death, and certainly produced scarring that would long remind the survivors the dangers of sin against God.
Judges 8:17 And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.
It seems that Gideon only killed to 77 leaders of Succoth, but destroyed all the men of Penuel. Why is this? Perhaps because they stood behind the “high tower” of their human works rather than the High Tower of God.
2 Samuel 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; thou savest me from violence.
Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Did Gideon destroy the whole city? Matthew Henry’s Commentary notes:
“He slew some of the men of the city that were most insolent and abusive, for terror to the rest, and so he taught the men of Penuel”.
Judges 8:18-21 Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor? And they answered, As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king. 19 And he said, They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother: as the Lord liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you. 20 And he said unto Jether his firstborn, Up, and slay them. But the youth drew not his sword: for he feared, because he was yet a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, Rise thou, and fall upon us: for as the man is, so is his strength. And Gideon arose, and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks.
As Gideon prepared to kill the Midianite warlords, he first asked his son “Jether” to kill them. This would not only give the honor of the kill to his son, but it would also humiliate the warlords to be killed by a youth. Gideon killed the warlords, and “took away the ornaments that were on their camels’ necks”. Professor Herbert M. Wolf (Wheaton College) notes:
“The crescent-shaped ornaments (lit. “little moons”) on the camels’ necks are still in common use among the Arabs. Made of silver or gold, they are mentioned again in Isaiah 3:18 among articles highly prized by women. The Midianites, along with many other Semite people, probably worshiped the moon-god.”
Gideon Honors God – Almost
Having defeated the enemy, the people come to Gideon and ask him to rule over them as King:
Judges 8:22-23 Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son also: for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian. 23 And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the Lord shall rule over you.
Gideon refused to be made king. He told Israel, “the Lord shall rule over you”. He had the right attitude. Only God shall reign. It was God Who gave Gideon and the 300 their victory, so only God should be honored. Gideon only had one request. As Gideon’s troops killed the Midianites, they took their gold earrings as trophies of their kill. Gideon asked that …
Judges 8:24-26 And Gideon said unto them, I would desire a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings of his prey. (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.) 25 And they answered, We will willingly give them. And they spread a garment, and did cast therein every man the earrings of his prey. 26 And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold; beside ornaments, and collars, and purple raiment that was on the kings of Midian, and beside the chains that were about their camels’ necks.
Here Gideon failed God. He took all the earrings – 1700 shekels of gold – about 71 pounds – and melted it down into an EPHOD (verse 27), a free standing idol (Judges 17:5; 18:14, 18; 1 Samuel 2:28; 14:3; 21:9). This became a thing that Israel began to worship. Gideon meant to show honor to God, but God forbade that any image be made of Him (Exodus 20:4-5). Though the land rested for 40 years while Gideon lived, as soon as he died we read:
Judges 8:33-35 And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again, and went a whoring after Baalim, and made Baalberith their god. 34 And the children of Israel remembered not the Lord their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side: 35 Neither shewed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal, namely, Gideon, according to all the goodness which he had shewed unto Israel.
If we will be blessed, we must stay the course in following the Lord our God. Amen and Amen.
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