God Works With a Few

Posted on March 28, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Hakan Erenler: https://www.pexels.com/photo/flaming-gray-candles-289770/

Last week we ended with Gideon being given a mission from God. He was to go to his father Joash’s Altar to Baal and, using a 7 year old bull, tear the altar down. Tearing it down he was then to kill the bullock, and offer a sacrifice to the God of Israel.

God’s Leaders Must Publicly Stand Up For God

Gideon’s action was a public profession of his faith in God. Those who claim to be children of God are to publicly stand up and affirm their faith in God, regardless as to what others think. Jesus said in

Luke 9:26 (ESV) For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Matthew 10:32-33 (ESV) So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

Luke 12:8-9 (ESV) And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

I have often heard people say, “I have faith, but my faith is a private matter”. It cannot be a “private thing” if you’re saved. John MacArthur rightly said in reference to Luke 12:8 …

“If you have a very private, personal faith of your own, you’ll take it to hell. …

We do not come together as people who have a personal, private faith. We come together as people who have made a public confession …”

After destroying the Altar to Baal, the people demanded Gideon’s death. Joash renamed Gideon “Jerubbaal” which means “The One Who Threw Down Baal”.

God demanded Gideon stand up for his faith before he become a Judge, just as God demanded that Moses circumcise his son (Exodus 4:24-26) before he could lead Israel.

Judges 6:33-35 Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the east were gathered together, and went over, and pitched in the valley of Jezreel. 34 But the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and Abiezer was gathered after him. 35 And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him: and he sent messengers unto Asher, and unto Zebulun, and unto Naphtali; and they came up to meet them.

As the Midianites (descendants of Abraham through his second wife Keturah) and Amalekites (descendants of Esau) gathered with the Children of the East, the Bible says:

the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon

Word Study: The Hebrew for “came upon” (lāḇaš) literally means “to clothe, to cover with clothing”. This phrase occurs only three times in the Bible – here, and in 1 Chronicles 12:18 and 2 Chronicles 24:20. As Gideon felt vulnerable and fearful, God “clothed” him and gave him the courage to blow the shofar, rallying Israel to prepare for war. We are told that Gideon – emboldened by the Spirit – SENT MESSENGERS to the Tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun, and unto Naphtali. Manasseh was Gideon’s Tribe, and the other three tribes were adjacent to Manasseh. As the troops began to show up, Gideon – like Simon Peter – started looking at the water rather than at Jesus.

So Gideon asks God for a sign.

God’s Leaders Must Call On God To Declare His Will

Judges 6:36-38 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said, 37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said. 38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

Though God had already promised to be with Gideon (see Judges 6:14, 16), he was still uncertain in his calling. So he asked the Lord to give him a sign. Gideon would “put a fleece of wool ON the {threshing} floor”, and leave it there overnight. When he woke up he asked that God make the threshing floor dry, but the fleece full of water. Yet Gideon was still uncertain.

Judges 6:39-40 And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew. 40 And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

Gideon asked that God reverse the miracle, and let the fleece stay dry while the ground be very wet. Gideon knew that he was treading on dangerous ground. He told the Lord, “Let not thine anger be hot against me”. Why did he ask for the second sign? The Keil and Delitzsch Commentary (pages 339-340) notes:

“The woollen [sic] fleece represented the nation of Israel in its condition at this time, when God had given power to the foe that was devastating its land, and had withdrawn His blessing from Israel. The moistening of the fleece with the dew of heaven whilst the land all round continued dry, was a sign that the Lord God would once more give strength to His people from on high, and withdraw it from the nations of the earth. Hence the second sign acquires the more general signification, ‘that the Lord manifested himself even in the weakness and forsaken condition of His people, while the nations were flourishing all around’ (O. v. Gerl.)…”

When people came after Jesus looking for a sign, He said:

Matthew 12:39 … An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign …

God gave the Pharisees sign after sign that Jesus was the Messiah. God had given Gideon sign after sign that He was going to bless his work. And yet, Gideon still asked for signs. People today talk about “putting a fleece before the Lord” as if that is a good thing. We live in a different age, under a New Covenant.

Gideon did not have the completed Scripture as we have.
Gideon did not have the Cross and empty Tomb to look back on.

God’s people today are to “let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Colossians 3:16) while we “do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). We rely upon a – as Peter wrote:

2 Peter 1:19-21 (ESV) we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Gideon did not have a full Scripture. He did not have a Temple to seek God’s face in. So Gideon called upon God, using the two fleeces to determine the will of God. God tells us in the Scripture that we are to call on God. We are told:

James 1:5-7 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

God did not “upbraid” or chastise Gideon for the asking. Gideon cried to God in his weaknesses and uncertainty, and God – without condemnation – answered his prayers.

God’s Leaders Must Understand It Is God Who Works

Judges 7:1-3 Then Jerubbaal, who is Gideon, and all the people that were with him, rose up early, and pitched beside the well of Harod: so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them, by the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. 3 Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand.

God knew the heart of His people. He knew that Israel would take the credit for defeating the Midianites if there were too many Israelites in battle. This s a common problem among humans. We love to take credit! God says:

Isaiah 42:8 (NASB) I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images

Very few people in America today worship graven images like Buddhas or Hindu gods, but we do worship ourselves. Even the most religious can fall into self worship. Jesus chastised the Pharisees because:

Matthew 23:5-8 (ESV) They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

The Pharisees loved to be seen of men. Their prayer, their giving, their attendance at Synagogue, whatever they were doing was for their own glory. This is idolatry, a violation of the 1st and 3rd commandments. Only God is to be glorified. The Lord says,

Isaiah 48:11 … How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another …

God will not give His glory to others because “all glory, honor, and praise belong to God alone” (1 Chronicles 29:11). One of the greatest defeats in the history of Israel was when King David wanted to “number” or take a census of his armies (1 Chronicles 21). Though his General Joab begged David not to do so, he commanded it anyway. What did God do in response?

1 Chronicles 21:7, 10-14 (NLV) God was not pleased that Israel was numbered so He punished Israel. … 10 “Go and tell David, ‘This is what the Lord says. “I give you three things to choose from. Choose one of them, that I may do it to you.”’” 11 So Gad came to David and said, “This is what the Lord says. ‘Choose one of these. 12 Three years of no food in the land; three months to be destroyed by the sword of those who hate you; or three days of the sword of the Lord. This would be a disease sent upon the land. The angel of the Lord would destroy with disease through all the land of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should give Him Who sent me.” 13 David said to Gad, “I am in much trouble. Let me fall into the hand of the Lord. For His loving-kindness is very great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 14 So the Lord sent a disease upon Israel. And 70,000 men of Israel died.

God will not be mocked by His people! He alone is to be glorified. He tells Gideon, “Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand” (7:3). Having lost over half the people, God tells Gideon:

Judges 7:4-7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go. 5 So he brought down the people unto the water: and the Lord said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. 6 And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water. 7 And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

What is interesting about this test is that God was examining the position of the warriors. There are two ways to get water out of a river. You can lower your head down to the water, and drink directly from the river. But here’s the thing: if you do this, your eyes will be on the river, and not on the things that are around you.

God wants to use people who are careful in how they do His work. He wants their focus on His instruction.

The other way to drink water from a river is to keep looking around, but dip your hand into the river and lap it like a dog. Of the 10,000 men that were there, only 300 used this method to drink. God told Gideon, “Those are the men I want – men focused on My will and My work!”. 9,700 men were sent home.

Judges 7:8-11 So the people took victuals (tsêydâh, provision, food) in their hand, and their trumpets: and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men: and the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley. 9 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Arise, get thee down unto the host; for I have delivered it into thine hand. 10 But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Phurah thy servant down to the host: 11 And thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host. Then went he down with Phurah his servant unto the outside of the armed men that were in the host.

After sending the 9,700 away, the Bible says that God told Gideon “the same night” to go down to the Midianites with his soldiers. God knew that Gideon was still frightened, so He told him to go down to the enemy camp with his armor bearer “Phurah”. God had given a dream to a Midianite Warrior, and He wanted Gideon to hear what this man would say. So Gideon and Phurah head down to the encampment.

Judges 7:12-14 And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the east lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the sea side for multitude. 13 And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. 14 And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

Though the Midianite forces were overwhelming, Gideon and Phurah heard one soldier tell another how he dreamed that Gideon would destroy their forces because “God delivered Midian, and all the host”. With this, Gideon stopped WORRYING and started WORSHIPING.

When We Do As God Says, the Enemy
Will Defeat Themselves

Judges 7:15-22 And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the Lord hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian. 16 And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. 17 And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. 18 When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. 19 So Gideon, and the hundred men that were with him, came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch; and they had but newly set the watch: and they blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers that were in their hands. 20 And the three companies blew the trumpets, and brake the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands to blow withal: and they cried, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon. 21 And they stood every man in his place round about the camp; and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. 22 And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the Lord set every man’s sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host: and the host fled to Bethshittah in Zererath, and to the border of Abelmeholah, unto Tabbath.

It was the “beginning of the middle watch” (vs 19), the darkest part of the night, when the Midianite watchmen changed their shifts. As they are changing the shift, Gideon blows his horn – and his 300 men that surround the caps blow their horns. Inside of empty food containers – clay jars – they have lamps. They shatter the clay jars, which causes the light of the lamps to pour out suddenly. They have the clay pitchers and lamps in one hand, and trumpets in the other.

They have no hands available to hold a sword – but they don’t need a sword. All of the flashes of light and crashes of pottery along with the trumpets and the shouts of “The Sword of the Lord and Gideon” convinces the enemy that they are overwhelmingly surrounded. They begin to strike out with their swords in a panic, killing whoever is closest. In a panic, the Midianites and their forces run home. As they run we read:

Judges 7:23-25 And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali, and out of Asher, and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites. 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. 25 And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the winepress of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side Jordan.

What is happening here? Of the 32,000 soldiers that were gathered at the beginning of this chapter, all but 300 were sent home. But once the Midianites and their forces began to run, the 31,700 who were sent home left their homes and started chasing Midianites. The Midianites were defeated by God Himself, not by Israel. The lesson we learn is that …

It is not our responsibility to understand how God is going to keep His Word and accomplish His work. It is our responsibility to obey Him and to do what He commands (Inrig)

May God grow our faith through his Word and His Spirit. Amen and Amen!

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Divine Love

Posted on March 26, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sphere-shaped-miniature-of-earth-with-googly-eyes-5217883/

Please turn with me in your Bibles to:

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

We Desperately Need To Understand What “Love” Is

One of the most misunderstood (but most popular) verses in the Bible is what our Lord Jesus Christ said to a Rabbi named Nicodemus. Yes, I’m talking about

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Children are taught this verse in Vacation Bible School and Sunday School It is well known and probably the most memorized of all scripture. But it is misunderstood, because people do not know what the word LOVED means. In our world the word “LOVED” refers to a positive emotional response that leads to happiness and satisfaction. Years ago it became popular to say in the pulpit:

God loves the sinner but hates the sin.

The Bible doesn’t say this. People are always quoting things from the Bible that are NOT in the Bible. For instance,

God helps those who help themselves.

Is not in the Bible. This actually comes from Aesop’s Fairytale “Hercules And The Wagoner”. Aesop was a Greek storyteller, and the actual quote is “The gods help them that help themselves”. Then I’ve heard,

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Our Lord Jesus told us to be more concerned about the sinfulness of our hearts than the dirt on our hands (see Matthew 15:16-20). “The evil which comes from the heart defiles a person, not to eat with unwashed hands”. The statement,

God loves the sinner but hates the sin.

Doesn’t come from the Bible is a loose quote of non-Christian (Hindu) Mahatma Gandhi, who said in 1929, “Hate the sin and not the sinner”. What does the Bible say?

Psalm 5:5 (ESV) The boastful shall not stand before your eyes {O Lord}; You HATE ALL EVILDOERS.

Psalm 11:5 (ESV) The Lord tests the righteous, but HIS SOUL HATES THE WICKED AND THE ONE WHO LOVES VIOLENCE.

Hosea 9:15 (ESV) Every EVIL of theirs is in Gilgal; THERE I BEGAN TO HATE THEM. Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house. I will love them no more …

Leviticus 20:23 (ESV) … You shall not walk in the customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, FOR THEY DID ALL THESE THINGS, AND THEREFORE I DETESTED THEM.

Matthew 7:23 (ESV) And then will I {Jesus} declare to them, I NEVER KNEW YOU; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WORKERS OF LAWLESSNESS

I could go on an on. God hates sin – and God regards the sinner an enemy of His. You then say to me, “Well, why does it say that “God so LOVED the world”. I’ll tell you why.

Because we misunderstand Biblical Divine Love. We confuse Biblical Divine Love with emotional love. Part of our problem is that the Bible speaks of four types of love.

Eros – Sexual or Romantic love. This is passion, and emotional.

Phileos – love between friends. This is emotional.

Storge – love within the family. This is emotional.

But then there is a FOURTH LOVE that God references and commands. This love is not tied to good feelings or happy desires. This love – AGAPE – is a Divine Love.

AGAPE is a love that DOES GOOD regardless as to how you feel.

Divine LOVE Is To Do GOOD To Your Enemy Regardless Of Feeling

So let’s go back to …

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The word translated “loved” is the verbal form of AGAPE {agapaō}. AGAPE is not tied to emotional love. It is tied to doing the right thing. Since the world was doing the WRONG thing (chasing sin), GOD LOATHED THE WORLD. We were enemies of God. The Scripture tells us this:

Romans 5:6, 8-10 (ESV) Christ died for the ungodly. … 8 … God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Before God LOVED the world, God LOATHED the world. But even though God hates sin and is the ENEMY OF SINNERS (that is so clearly in our text just quoted), though we DESERVED WRATH (and rightfully so), God gave his Son for us.

So how do we PERCEIVE the love of God? How do we understand the statement:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Go back to today’s focal text.

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Even though God despises sin – even though everything in His nature says to eradicate it, to purge it from the face of the earth – God “laid down his life for us”. When people began to reinvent God in their own image, God was not pleased. When God looked down on the world in Noah’s day, did God say “I will hate the sin but not the sinner?” No. The Bible says:

Genesis 6:5-7 (ESV) … The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”

Emotionally God hated what mankind had become. And yet – there was Grace. The Bible says that (Genesis 6:8) … Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord. Grace is the undeserved LOVE (Agape) of God in action. God could have totally erased humanity from the face of the earth. Instead, “God so LOVED the world”.

God did GOOD to those Who do BAD to Him.
This is DIVINE LOVE. It is not emotion, but DOING.

God LAID HIS LIFE DOWN FOR US. Eternal God the Son became incarnate, that is, He took upon Himself human flesh. Why did He come to us? There are a myriad of reasons.

Jesus came to make God known. It is hard to understand God as a Person until we see Him. Jesus not only came from God, but came from the right hand of God to make Him KNOWN to us (John 1:18). Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen ME has seen the FATHER” (John 14:9).

Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament promises. Jesus is the “Seed of the Woman” prophesied in Genesis 3:15. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3. Jesus is the Son of David that reigns forever (2 Samuel 7:12). Jesus is the “Son of the Most High” God promised to Mary (Luke 1:31-33).

But the greatest reason that Jesus came was to bring peace between God and man. When man sins, he breaks the Law of God. Jesus came to pay the penalty for that breaking (Matthew 5:17-18). Because we sold ourselves to sin, Jesus came to be our Ransom for sin (Matthew 20:28). Whereas we were the enemies of God – and justly due His condemnation – Jesus came to put us in a right relationship with God.

We are reconciled to God because
God laid His life down for us!

2 Corinthians 5:19, 21 (ESV) God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation . . . he made him sin for us that we may be made the righteousness of God in him

We who are saved are no longer bound to Satan nor this world. We are bound to God by the LOVE DOING of God. We are bound to God by the Cross of Calvary.

What Does this Mean From A Practical Standpoint?

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

What should we PERCEIVE as a practical application of the Cross? Very simply, “because he laid down his life for us”, that is, while we were undesirable and sinful, Jesus died for us. Because he did that for us – and we are children of God – “we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren”.

Illustrate Every time I pick up the Southern Baptist Paper “The Baptist and Reflector”, I cringe a little. The most recent article came across was, “Johnny Hunt Sues SBC, EC, And Guidepost”. The article states in part:

“The suit seeks unspecified damages related to allegations of defamation and the invasion of privacy based on accusations made against Hunt in the 2022 Guidepost report stemming from an investigation into the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse by the SBC EC {Executive Committee}.

Hunt filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Nashville on March 17. Hunt is represented by Nashville-based Cole Law Group.

In the report, Guidepost stated, “During our investigation, an SBC pastor and his wife came forward to report that SBC President Johnny Hunt (2008-2010) had sexually assaulted the wife on July 25, 2010.”

I’ve heard Johnny Hunt preach. I’ve been to His Church. I was shocked to hear that not only he, but other well known pastors were accused of wrong doing and sexual misconduct. I’ve seen this more and more, not just within the Southern Baptists, but among numerous denominations and so called non-denominations. Ravi Zacharias, a preacher I well respected, was found guilty of sexual misconduct following his death. God used Johnny Hunt and Ravi Zacharias, even though deep flaws were found.

There but for the grace of God go you and I. Any of us can fall at anytime if we get our eyes off of Jesus! There is no need for you to tell me, “I’d never do that”. Pharisees are more likely to “do that”, because self righteousness blinds. Given the right circumstances, you can fail just as grievously!

But here’s the problem that I have with the article,“Johnny Hunt Sues SBC, EC, And Guidepost”. Even if Johnny did NOT sexually sin with another pastor’s wife, even if the allegations were totally false, Johnny has no right to sue Christians. The Bible is very specific on that. The Apostle Paul addresses this in:

1 Corinthians 6:1-8 (ESV) When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!

As Jesus laid His life down for us, we are to lay our lives down for others. Johnny Hunt has no scriptural right to sue the SBC, or any Christian. The lawsuit states, “[Hunt]’s life forever changed when the Defendants publicly released their report. He lost his job; he lost income from speaking engagements; and he lost income from publishing opportunities. His losses are substantial, and Defendants should be held liable.” Johnny’s focus should be on promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As Christians we are to “lay our lives down for our brothers”. We lay our lives down just as Jesus laid His life down. Even if Johnny was totally misrepresented, so was Jesus. We are told that when Jesus went on trial,

Mark 14:56 (GNT) … Many witnesses told lies against Jesus …

When Jesus cast out devils, the Pharisees spread the lie that

Matthew 12:24 (GNT) … “He drives out demons only because their ruler Beelzebub gives him power to do so.”

Jesus was often falsely …

– accused of breaking the Sabbath (Matthew 12:10; Mark 3:2, John 5:14; 9:14–16), and

– accused of blasphemy (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 2:1-12; Luke 5:17-26; John 10:30-33)

– accused of being insane (John 7:20; 10:20; Mark 3:21), and

– accused of being illegitimate (John 8:41)

As Jesus hung dying on the Cross, He did not rail against His accusers, but prayed,

Luke 23:34 … Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do …

As He laid His life down for us, we are to lay our lives down for Him. We do this by “doing good” to even our enemies.

When Jesus was establishing what He expects us to do as Children of God, He was very clear. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:43-48 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

If you are saved, you were saved because “while you were an active enemy of God, God laid His life down for you”. If you are a Child of God by faith in Christ, then you are to do good to those who do bad even to you. You are not to compromise with the world and its standard of “truth” whatsoever. You are to look unto Jesus, believing and following Him.

In Conclusion

I gave you a white stone today with 1 John 3:23 written on it. The white stone is a reminder as to who you are, if you are a Christian. One day you will – if you are a Christian – stand in the presence of Jesus. Jesus said:

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh 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.

In ancient Greece, if you were put on trial, at the end of the trial you were given a black stone if found guilty, but a white stone if found innocent. If you received the white stone your name was cleared. We who are saved are cleared of the barrier of sin because God laid down His life for us. The Scripture says:

1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

The text doesn’t say “this is his commandment(s)” {plural}, but “this is his commandment” {singular}. What is His commandment? That “we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ”, because there is no other way whereby we might be saved. He laid His life down for me that I might be redeemed, a Child of God by faith in Him and Him alone. But His Commandment s ALSO to “love one another, as he gave us commandment”. The two go hand in hand. This is a supernatural thing. We see this in the next verse

1 John 3:24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

If you believe in Jesus and have been saved by Him, then the Spirit of God indwells you. You MUST love your neighbor. You MUST love your brother or sister in Him. That is not a reference to emotion, BUT TO DOING. You are to do the right thing to others, regardless as to what others do to you.

This is the way of the Child of God. This is the “overcoming” expected of you. You don’t have to LIKE it, but you do have to DO IT. This is Divine love. May God draw you as His Church to Divine Love. Amen and Amen.

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The Two Lifting Ups Of Jesus

Posted on March 23, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Donald Tong: https://www.pexels.com/photo/grey-and-brown-snake-opening-mouth-23817/

John 3:10-15 Jesus answered and said unto {Nicodemus}, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Last week we saw Nicodemus – a Rabbi of the Pharisees – come to speak to Jesus at night. Jesus told Nicodemus,

“You MUST be BORN AGAIN”

Everyone that hears my voice has been born one time – born of the flesh. But to be right with God, you must be BORN AGAIN, that is, born a second time. As Jesus speaks to Nicodemus about being born again, He says:

John 3:11 … We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

Our Salvation Is Secured By God’s Partnership

When Nicodemus came to Jesus, he said “WE know you are a Teacher from God because of the miracles you have done!” (vs 2). The “WE” Nicodemus spoke of was himself and the Pharisees. But Jesus responded with His own “WE”. Jesus was referring to Himself and the Holy Spirit of God. Though Jesus Christ is fully God …

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Colossians 1:16-17 (ESV) For by {Jesus} all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

1 Corinthians 8:6 (ESV) … for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Though fully God and fully human, Jesus did all that He did on this earth in His first coming through the Spirit of God. When John the Baptist spoke of Jesus coming, he said:

Matthew 3:11 {Jesus} shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire …

The Apostle said of Jesus:

Acts 10:37-38 (ESV) you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Salvation is something that comes upon us when God the Holy Spirit moves in our lives, opening our eyes to the Gospel of salvation, a Gospel fund only in Christ. When Jesus spoke of the need to be “born again” this is a plan that came from the Throneroom of God. Both Jesus and the Spirit – with the Father – planned our salvation. This is not a figment of Jesus’ imagination, but the plan of God. Before the earth was ever made, the Father loved the Son (John 17:24). Salvation only comes to those who are “in Christ”

Ephesians 1:4 … the {Father} has chosen us in {Christ} BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD …

Jesus was FOREORDAINED BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (1 Peter 1:20) to be the means of salvation. Believing on Him, the Spirit moves on us to make us “born again”. Jesus alone of all of humanity has ascended into Heaven, and has face to face confirmation of our salvation through Him. Jesus said:

John 3:12-13 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

Only one Person has ascended to Heaven and returned to tell us about it, and this is Jesus Christ. Later on in the Scripture God will allow the Apostle John to look into Heaven and tell us what he sees. But of all the Rabbis – Moses included – only One has gone to Heaven, and returned to tell us what God has said. This is Jesus.

Enoch was translated that he not see death (Hebrews 11:5). Elijah went up to Heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). But only Jesus as God has Heaven as His home. He was INCARNATE – God made perfect Man – so that He could bring us to God. Of all the other Bible Teachers who have ever been, Only Jesus has sat at the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is uniquely suited to tell us of Heaven and how to get there.

The “Son Of Man” Must Be “Lifted Up”
Like The Serpent

Since only faith in Jesus is God’s method by which we may be saved, then you would expect there to be some Old Testament allusions to the Cross of Calvary. At this point Jesus tells Nicodemus:

John 3:14-15 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

Jesus Christ came from Heaven, and would one day return to Heaven. But He would also be lifted up in another way found in the Old Testament. Some have taken this “lifted up” out of context and thought that this means “Jesus must be EXALTED”. But this “lifted up” is tied to an event in Jewish history. Turn with me to Numbers chapter 21:

Numbers 21:1-3 And when king Arad the Canaanite, which dwelt in the south, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies; then he fought against Israel, and took some of them prisoners. 2 And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities. 3 And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel, and delivered up the Canaanites; and they utterly destroyed them and their cities: and He {the Lord} called the name of the place Hormah.

A new generation of Israel moves toward Canaan, “king Arad of the Canaanites” comes against Israel and defeats them. Israel does what she should do – Israel prayed and sought God’s Will.

Israel “lifted up” their voices to God in prayer, and God “lifted up” His people in power.

Word Study: Israel prayed and promised God that – if He gave the enemy into their hands – that they would totally destroy the pagan cities. The cities were “devoted” to destruction. God heard Israel’s prayer, and empowered them to do as they asked. The cities of King Arad were utterly destroyed. We are told that “He {the Lord} called the name of the place Hormah”. The Name “Hormah” (Hebrew ḥārmâ) literally means “Devotion”.

Someone asked Pastor John MacArthur, “If God is a God of love and mercy and compassion, and He knows people are going to go to hell, why does He continue to create them?” He replied, “This is the ultimate agnostic/ atheistic problem. We say God is all powerful, and all loving. If He’s all powerful why doesn’t He save everybody? And if He’s all loving, why would He send anyone to hell? The answer to that is simply this.

God is Who He is. And you can’t invent Him and you can’t change Him and you can’t alter Him. You can either believe in Him or not believe in Him.

You can’t accommodate Him to your own thinking. And that means if you don’t understand His perfect righteousness and perfect holiness, the problem’s with you and not with Him. I don’t expect to fully understand God because I have a jaded view point because of my own fallenness and my own sinfulness.”

When Israel destroyed the cities of King Arad, God named those desolate places filled with death “Devotion”. God was satisfied with what occurred. He was satisfied because His people called on Him and obeyed His Word. He was satisfied because evil – horrible evil – was eradicated from the earth. He and His people were in one accord. C.H. Spurgeon said:

“{Israel} did not depend upon their own prowess in war. God had enabled them to rout the Amalekites, and to defeat many other adversaries; but when this new foe appeared, they did not rely upon their own swords, or spears, or bows, but they went at once to the Lord, and spread their case before him. In humble, earnest prayer, they sought his aid.”

Then Israel went against God. The going got tough and, instead of calling on God, they spoke against God!

Numbers 21:4-5 And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

God knows we get discouraged. But in our discouragement we must never speak against God. The Bible says “the people spake against God, and against Moses”. What was the nature of their blasphemy? They first of all accused God of hating them. “Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?” They said that God saved them to kill them – a horrible untruth. Then they declared God would not give them the least of necessities. They said they had no “BREAD” nor “WATER”. This was a lie. They came by the “WAY OF THE RED SEA” where there was plenty of drinkable water. As they were nomadic, they could raise no wheat, so they had no regular bread. They did, however, have what they called “LIGHT BREAD”, which was Manna from Heaven. David wrote:

Psalm 78:23-24 {God} commanded the clouds above, And opened the doors of heaven, 24 Had rained down manna on them to eat, And given them of the bread of heaven.

What a wonderful blessing this was. But instead of being grateful,

Israel “lifted up” themselves instead of God!

God’s response was immediate.

Numbers 21:6 And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Israel despised the BREAD from Heaven.
God gave them SERPENTS from earth.
Israel despised God’sGOODNESS.
God gave them burning poison.
Israel despised the life God gave them.
God gave them death.

We are reminded of the Scriptures “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23) and “It is a FEARFUL THING to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Hebrews 10:31). You never want to be on the wrong side of the Almighty! Suffering, the people do NOT go to God …..

Numbers 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord, and against thee; pray unto the Lord, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

Their mind was in the wrong place. No MAN can forgive sins against God. Only God can forgive sins. Had Israel went DIRECTLY to God, I suspect that He would have taken the serpents away immediately. However since they went to a mere man (though Moses was a good man), God uses this as a teachable moment. Moses prayed for the people – but God did not remove the death from Israel. Instead, God told Moses:

Numbers 21:8 And the Lord said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

Moses was NOT told to put a dead snake on a pole, but a bronze serpent, one that looked like a serpent. In order to pass from death to life, Israel would have to LOOK UP at the bronze serpent. Why not a LIVE or NEWLY DEAD serpent?

The serpent symbolized the sin of the people. A REAL serpent put on the pole would imply the people could pay for their sin. They cannot. A BRONZE Serpent implies that a Savior must be made, a Savior must be given. This is Jesus.

Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus repeatedly stated that He must “be LIFTED UP”.

John 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

John 12:32, 34 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 34 The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man?

Our Lord Jesus is the Bronze Serpent, affixed to the pole of crucifixion. God incarnate for us, Jesus Christ became Perfect Man to make payment for our sins. The Scripture says:

2 Corinthians 5:21 For {God} has made {Jesus} to be SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He was not a sinner dying for sinners. Jesus was a bronze serpent. He was MADE TO BE SIN FOR US. He died in your place. He died in my place. When we look on Him believing, just as Israel looked on the bronze serpent believing, death ceases to be. We live, because He paid the penalty.

We Do Not Lift Up The Cross – But The Son Of God!

After Israel was healed by looking at the bronze serpent, they kept it and years later began to worship it (2 Kings 18:4). People today worship the empty Cross, genuflecting and bowing to it. It is not the Cross that paid the penalty for our sin. It is JESUS and JESUS ALONE Who did this. We are not to worship the Cross, but to remember that the Cross is empty and the Tomb is empty. Jesus Christ alone paid the penalty for our sin!

After speaking of being “lifted up”, Jesus gives us the Gospel in a short summation:

John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

When we look to Jesus in faith, we do not see Him as a man like us who died unjustly on a Cross. Instead, we see God become Man, Perfect Man, to die in our place. He died for my sin, in my place. I believe on Him, receiving Him as both Lord and Savior.

In order for Israel to be saved, they had to REPENT and LOOK UPWARD to the bronze serpent. In order for a person to be saved, we must REPENT and LOOK UPWARD at Jesus, made of God for us. We must believe that – looking upon Him – we have everlasting life.

John 3:18-20 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Just as Israel had to repent of blasphemy, the Christian repents of our old way of life. We walk away from evil, and walk with God our Savior daily. Some refuse to be saved, because they wish to cling to their old way of life. This will not work Those whom God saves, He changes. God promises,

Isaiah 45:22 (NKJV) Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I [am] God, and [there is] no other.

Repentance is the necessary first step in salvation. We turn away from our sins, and turn toward Christ, receiving Him and Him alone as sin’s solution. Oh that all who read this would give themselves to Christ. Do not be confused. If you are not in Christ, that is, if you have not received Him as Lord and Savior, you are “condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God”. There is n purgatory. There are no other ways to God. Turn to Him this very day and live! May God the Holy Spirit move in your life today. Amen and Amen!

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Jerubbaal, Mighty Man Of Valor

Posted on March 21, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/5-soldiers-holding-rifle-running-on-white-sand-during-daytime-87772/

So far in Judges we have seen the judges, the Avengers of God:

Othniel, the nephew of Caleb (3:7-11) defeat Mesopotamia
Ehud defeat the fat Moabite King Eglon (3:12-30)
Shamgar defeat 600 Philistines (3:31), and
Deborah directing Barak as he defeats King Jabin of Canaan

We now come to the Judge Gideon. God spends more time discussing Gideon and Samson that He does any other judges. We will cover Gideon in at least two installments.

Before Gideon Comes, The Midianites
And A Prophet Comes

Judges 6:1-2 And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

Gideon’s calling by God is very similar to His calling of the other Judges. The phrase:

And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them …

is the same pattern we see in Judges 2:11; 3:7 and 3:12. The “children of Israel” forgot that they were Children of God. Instead of following God they “did evil in the sight of the Lord”. Our God watches us as His Children. He saved us so that we can serve Him. The Bible tells us:

Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV) Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:58 (ESV) Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

God watches our labor IN HIM, and will eventually bless us if we continue to serve Him. But the Bible is careful to remind us to “Do not be deceived – God is not mocked. What ever you sow, you will reap (Galatians 6:7)”. If you sow GOOD, you reap GOOD. If you sow NOTHING, you reap NOTHING. But if you sow EVIL, you reap EVIL. Some call it Karma. The Bible calls it Divine Justice. When Israel did evil we read:

the Lord delivered them

Word Study: The word “delivered” means “to give as a free gift”. God gives us the free gift of salvation, and calls us His own. But when we turn away from Him, He can “re-gift” us to our enemy. God gave Israel as a gift to Midian. Father Abraham had more sons than just Isaac and Ishmael. He had six sons by Keturah, the wife he married when Sarah died. The fourth of Keturah’s children by Abraham was Midian. Though the Midianites are descendants of Abraham, like Ishmael they did not come through Sarah as the child of promise.

During the time of Moses, when he fled Egypt after killing a taskmaster and traveled to the Desert of Midian. He married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro a priest of Midian (Exodus 2:15-16). At 80 years old God called Moses out of Midian, and had him lead Israel out of Egypt. Though the Midianites initially knew the God of Abraham and Moses, they drifted away from God and into idolatry. God directed Moses to “kill the Midianites” (Numbers 25:17-19) because of their evil.

God turned the fallen Israelites over to the fallen Midianites for punishment. The moral? Act like a pagan, God will treat you like a pagan!

Judges 6:2 And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

How far we as God’s people fall when we become one with the world! When God’s people follow Him, He becomes “the Rock of our salvation”. We live in power when we live in Christ. We sing with the Saints:

2 Samuel 22:47-48 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my Rock; and exalted be the God of the Rock of my salvation. 48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me.

Word Study: Israel should have been standing above the enemy on the Rock that is Christ (1 Corinthians 10:4). But instead, they are burrowing into the mountains, and hiding in caves to get away from their enemies. For “seven years” Israel is in this state. Seven is the number of REST in the Scripture, the number of completion. God created all in six days, and rested on the seventh day. Israel is not resting in God, but in their abilities, their subterfuge, their sneakiness. Why are they hiding in cages?

Charles Spurgeon said, “The Lord does not permit His children to sin successfully”.

Judges 6:3-5 And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; 4 And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass. 5 For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

The Midianites lead the Amalekites (the descendants of Esau) in pillaging Israel. When Israel sowed their crops, as the harvest came the enemy came like locusts, and stole their crop. Furthermore, the Midianites had vast herds of sheep, oxen, and donkeys along with cattle and camels without number. All these beasts ate the grass of the lands where Israel was, so much so that their own beasts starved. What was frightening about the Midianites was that “they entered into the land to destroy it”. God warned Israel when they entered the Promised Land to “dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. … But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them. (Numbers 33:53, 55-56)

The Midianites did not want to settle the land. They moved into an area like locusts, destroyed it, then moved on. This terrible suffering caused Israel to call out to God.

Judges 6:6-8 And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. 7 And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, 8 That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

The Children of Israel cried out to God because of the Midianites. Before God raised up Gideon, “the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel” to explain why they were being punished. This is different from all the Judges we have had up to this time. Though we do not know the name of the Prophet, he speaks for God. “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel”. The Lord speaks through this Prophet reminding Israel of His great grace given to them.

Judges 6:9-10 And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; 10 And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

The Israelites were not to fear the gods of the Amorites – but they were to have fear or respect for their own God. Though the Amorite “was like the height of cedars, and strong as the oaks (Amos 2:9), our God was greater. We do not fear God as you would a poisonous snake or a bear, but we fear God in the sense that we have reverence, respect, and awe for Him. The Scripture tells us:

Hebrews 12:5-6 (NASB) My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; (6) For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And he scourges every son whom He receives.

God wants Israel to know that their low estate with the Midianites is not because God has forgotten them, nor is it because God is a poor God unable to do right by His people. They are in the mess they are in because God is disciplining them – just as He does all His children. “As a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord Thy God chastens thee!” (Deuteronomy 8:5).

Enter Gideon

Judges 6:11-12 And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. 12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor.

God has an unnamed Prophet speak to Israel about their failure. Now an unnamed Angel speaks to Gideon. The Angel finds Gideon hiding near a winepress. The grapes are not near harvest, but Gideon has gathered a small harvest of wheat from the fields. He is threshing the wheat – separating the grain from the chaff – so he can feed his family.

Gideon’s name (giḏʿôn) means “One who hews down, that bruises or breaks”

Gideon hewed down wheat in the dead of night, and carted it over to a hiding place near a “winepress”. Here he is gathering little in his own power. The Angel of the Lord tells him that it is God’s plan that he not just hew down and “thresh wheat” while hiding from the enemy. God wants to use Gideon as He used the unnamed Prophet. God will one day judge this earth and “cast it into the great winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” (Revelation 14:19-20; 19:15). The Angel tells Gideon:

The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor

This is somewhat amusing, for Gideon is anything BUT a “mighty man of valor”. But the Angel speaks of what God INTENDS Gideon to be, if he will but allow God to work in his life. Instead of worshiping God, Gideon begins to whine:

Judges 6:13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Now what is interesting about Gideon’s whining is that the unnamed Prophet told Israel WHY they were being afflicted of the Midianites. Where was Gideon when the Prophet shared this news?

There are times when God clearly speaks to us, but we do not hear Him. Sometimes He gives us a clear message from the Pastor or Bible Teacher on Sunday – but we decided to stay home that day. Perhaps when the Prophet preached, Gideon skipped Synagogue. Or perhaps Gideon was there when the Prophet spoke, but he was preoccupied in fixing his own problems. Gideon was too busy worrying and too little praying. He missed the memo! Gideon blames God, just as Adam blamed God when he sinned in the Garden. Adam said, “The woman whom YOU, GOD gave to be with me, she gave me the fruit and I did eat” (Genesis 3:12). Gideon blames God. “YOU, GOD have forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites”. It’s all God’s fault!

The Lord does not argue with a fool! He merely replies:

Judges 6:14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

My commentary notes:

“The angel, in His greeting (“valiant warrior,” v. 12), was addressing Gideon as the man he would become, by God’s enablement, not the man he was then. In the same way, God had called Abraham the father of a multitude before he had any children. He called Peter a rock before he behaved like one. He also calls Christians saints, even though we are not yet as saintly as God will make us.”

The Bible says that when God chose Israel, that “The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people” (Deuteronomy 7:7). The Bible says of the Christian

1 Corinthians 1:26-28 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to naught things that are:

God calls the broken, the weak, the unable, and makes us whole, strong, and able. We cannot, but God can. “I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13), and yet Jesus said “apart from Me you can do NOTHING” (John 15:5). Gideon is God’s chosen Judge.

But Gideon is not sure.

Judges 6:15-16 And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house. 16 And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

Gideon is “the least” or the youngest in his family. Normally the firstborn child would be chosen to lead the family, and to lead the warriors. Yet God often uses the younger over the older. God chose …

Abel’s offering, but rejected the elder Cain’s (Genesis 4)
Jacob over Esau (Romans 9:13)
Moses to lead Israel, though Aaron was 3 years older (Exodus 7:7)
David over his brothers (1 Samuel 16:12-13) to be King
Solomon over his older brothers to be King (1 Chronicles 22:6-10)
Ephraim was greater than his older brother Manasseh (Genesis 48)

Judges 6:17-21 And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me. 18 Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again. 19 And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it. 20 And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so. 21 Then the angel of the Lord put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the Lord departed out of his sight.

Gideon asks for a sign from God that the Lord was really talking to him. This is the first of three signs that Gideon will ask of God in this chapter.

Gideon first asked that God stay there while he prepared a meal, just as he would do for any honored guest. This is time consuming. There are no refrigerators, nor cook tops or microwaves. The flour was already ground, but had to be mixed and cooked on a flat rock. The goat had to be killed and the meat prepared for eating. The “angel of God” waited patiently until the meal was served. The Angel had Gideon put the food on a rock. The Angel extended a staff that he held in his hands, and “touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes”. The fire came up OUT OF THE ROCK, not from some man made source. Gideon believed that this was of God. We read:

Judges 6:22-24 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the Lord, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord God! for because I have seen an angel of the Lord face to face. 23 And the Lord said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die. 24 Then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Gideon was at first frightened when he was assured that this Angel spoke for God. But when God assured him that he would not die, Gideon “built an altar there unto the Lord, and called it Jehovahshalom”, which means “The Lord is Peace”. God commands Gideon – the younger son – to destroy his father’s false altar to Baal. Before Gideon can lead Israel into battle, he must put God above his own family. Our Lord Jesus said:

Luke 14:26-27 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

God must be greater in our lives than anyone or anything. He demands our number 1 treatment – not second place. God told Gideon:

Judges 6:25-27 And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto him, Take thy father’s young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it: 26 And build an altar unto the Lord thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down. 27 Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the Lord had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father’s household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

We see some interesting parallels here. Israel has been in bondage to Midian for 7 years. Now God demands Gideon take a “bullock of seven years old” and tear down his family’s altar to Baal. An altar to the True Jehovah is to be built over top of this false altar, and a sacrifice made to Jehovah. Gideon does as God says, but “he did it by night” because he was afraid of what his family would do to him. Sadly, doing it by night didn’t protect him. We read:

Judges 6:28-30 And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built. 29 And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they inquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing. 30 Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

The people of the city called out for the death of Gideon. But “Joash”, Gideon’s father, refused to do so. He told them:

Judges 6:31-32 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar. 32 Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

Gideon was given the nickname “Jerubbaal” (the Hebrew yᵊrubaʿal), which means “Let Baal fight him”. If Baal was indeed a true god, he himself could take care of Gideon. From that day forth Gideon would also be known as “Jerubbaal” – mocking the gods of the Midianites. In God we have nothing to fear! Next week we’ll study the fleece of Gideon. May God bless you as you grow in Him. Amen and Amen!

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Doing Righteousness

Posted on March 21, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Duané Viljoen: https://www.pexels.com/photo/couple-hugging-and-holding-sing-with-enough-is-enough-inscription-5097418/

1 John 3:10-11 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the “Harry Potter” series of books (something I’ve never read, nor am I interested in reading) spoke up about transgender issues. Her statements were quite mild. She rejects the popular phrase, “people who menstruate” in favor of the word “woman”, as only biological women do this. Popular comedian and talk show host Bill Maher said:

“{Rowling} doesn’t hate trans people. Everybody has to stop saying they hate the thing that they don’t hate. Like pro-life women don’t hate women. … They think it’s murder. And it kind of is. I’m just okay with it. (emphasis mine) I’m totally okay with that kind of murder. But it is kind of, it’s becoming a life. But they don’t hate women. That’s not why pro-life people are against abortion. They think it’s murder.”

I’ve never heard anyone in Hollywood admit what we all know, that abortion is “kind of murder”, nor say they were okay with murder. The reason I quoted this to you today is because this is where the devil as taken the world. When we disagree in America today, and do not go along with whatever is the vocal majority – then we are branded as “haters”. Yet Jesus said this would happen. Jesus calls on His people to be attached to Him. He said:

John 15:5 (ESV) I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

Since the believer in Christ is attached to Christ, then Jesus told us to expect the same kind of treatment He got. He said in the same chapter:

John 15:18-20 (ESV) If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. … 25 They hated me without a cause.

They had no cause to hate Jesus – but hated Jesus anyway. Why? Because Jesus came teaching us that we are to love God the Father and one another. Beloved, according to the Bible,

What we are seeing in the world today is NOT love,
but hatred. All sin is at heart HATRED.

John brings this out in our text today. We read:

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

John asks, “How do we spot a Christian?”, and then gives us TWO criteria to determine what a Christian looks like. The Christian,

1. DOES Righteousness, and
2. Loves his or her brother

The Christian DOES Righteousness Because The Christian Loves God

Jesus said that the very first commandment of God is that:

Matthew 22:37 (ESV) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

God is to be put FIRST in your love and adoration. When our God gave the Ten Commandments from Sinai, He wrote with His finger:

Exodus 20:2-7 (ESV) I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 You shall have no other gods before me. 4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. 7 You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Since God saved Israel from enslavement to Egypt, since God elevated these people to be His, God demanded that they love Him exclusively. This meant that they were to worship no other gods or goddesses. They were to put away their past experience in Egypt, and follow where God led. They were to honor God with their life, and serve God with their hands, feet, and lips.

God hates sin, but loves righteousness. Why does God hate sin but love righteousness? Because sin is the very basis of lovelessness. Sin is lovelessness of God. When God put Adam in the Garden of Eden, He told Adam to love Him. God told Adam,

Genesis 2:16-17 (ESV) … You may SURELY eat of EVERY TREE of the Garden. But the Tree of the Knowledge of good and Evil you SHALL NOT EAT, for in the day you eat of it YOU SHALL SURELY DIE

God in his love gave Adam a parameter. God said, in effect, “I establish good and evil. I love you. I gave you life. I gave you a great job. I will give you a great wife. You have paid for none of these things. You work a job you never sweat at, and do something you can never fail at. JUST LEAVE THE GOD DECISIONS TO ME.”

When the serpent came into the Garden to tempt Adam, Adam had a choice. Would he love God and do as God said? Or would he follow his wife and the serpent, placing both above God.

You know what he did. “By one Man SIN ENTERED THE WORLD, and DEATH BY SIN, and so death passed upon ALL MEN, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).

Adam did not DO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Adam loved his wife and himself more than he loved the Lord. Adam ate what was forbidden because he put himself first above God. His bad decision brought death into the world.

Righteousness is what God has said is RIGHT. God is always right. The Bible defines what is righteous, and what is unrighteous.

You cannot say “I love God” if you do not DO RIGHTEOUSNESS. The two are tied together. The Scripture says:

Psalm 89:14-16 (ESV) Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 15 Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face, 16 who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.

Because God is RIGHTeous and because god is JUSTice, God is both STEADFAST in His love for us, and FAITHFUL in keeping His promises to us. You cannot divorce RIGHT from LOVE. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalm 33:5 {God} loves RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE, the earth is FULL O THE STEADFAST LOVE of the Lord.

If you love God, you love what God says is right. If you love God, you hate what God says is wrong. Sin is bound to a loveless attitude toward God. When God reached out to save Israel from Egypt, why did He do it? Because it was the RIGHTeous thing to do. God told Israel:

Deuteronomy 7:7-8 (ESV) It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

God told Israel that He freed them because (1) He LOVES them, and (2) He is DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS, that is, KEEPING THE OATH He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God’s love is tied to doing what is right.

The Devil And The World Will Demand
We Do As They Say

1 John 3:11-12 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

In our world today if we do not agree with whatever trend is currently fashionable, then we are despised as haters. But it is not loving to do that which God says NOT to do. God must be loved FIRST above all else. The Bible says:

Amos 5:15 Hate evil, love good

Psalm 97:10 You who love the LORD, hate evil

God does not look the other way on sin. Sin is anything that God has said is bad, and sin destroys God’s creation. The Scripture says:

Psalm 5:4-6 … You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You hate all workers of iniquity. You shall destroy those who speak falsehood; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man

God HATES those who reject Him, who pursue evil. Why? The Biblical story of Cain and Abel tells us why. Just before God sent a banished Adam and Eve from Eden, the Bible says:

Genesis 3:21 (ESV) … the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.

God COVERED their sin – their nakedness – with the skins of animals. In order for this to happen, God had to kill some animals, and shedding their blood use what was the innocent’s flesh to cover them. The Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). It was from this first sacrifice in the Garden that God showed mankind that sin is no trifle. Sin caused Adam and Eve to be cast from Eden. Sin caused pain to enter the world. Sin caused the death of animals.

Cast from the Garden, Adam and Eve knew that the shed blood of the innocent would cover sin. They taught this principle to their children. This brings us to Cain and Abel. Abel was a herder of animals, and Cain a farmer. We are told in:

Genesis 4:3-5 (ESV) In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

Two brothers bring an offering – a sacrifice to God. Abel brings a sacrifice of “the firstborn of his flock”, but Cain brings to God “the fruit of the ground”. God rejects Cain’s offering, but receives Abel’s offering. And this makes Cain very angry at both God and his brother! Cain’s attitude is much like those in the world today who say,

“God, if YOU love ME, then YOU will change what YOU say in order to make ME happy!”

This s very prevalent in the world today. But God rejected Cain’s offering, though He received Abel’s. Why? There’s a few reasons why? First, God’s example in the Garden of Eden was that “without the shedding of blood, there is NO FORGIVENESS OF SINS” (Hebrews 9:22, ESV). God covered Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden by the shedding of blood. Cain as the firstborn child of Adam would know what was expected. God would establish this much clearer later on to the Priests of Israel, saying:

Leviticus 17:11 (ESV) For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement {a covering} by the life.

Sin is no trifle, but it is a bold act of lovelessness toward God. Sin is covered only by the shedding of blood. Abel shed the blood of a lamb but Cain did not. Therefore God would not receive Cain’s offering. But there’s another reason.

Genesis 4:3 (ESV) In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground…

The Bible tells us that God would accept an offering from the ground, but it had to be the FIRST FRUIT of the field (Deuteronomy 26:5-10). Cain did not bring God the FIRST FRUIT or First Harvest of his field. Cain satisfied his own needs and the needs of his family FIRST – then and only then did he bring God an offering. Charles Pope notes:

“Abel gives of the firstlings (first fruits) of his flock. There is no mention that Cain gave of the first fruits of his crop. In biblical legislation, God commanded that the tithe be given. But it was not any tenth that was to be given, rather it was the first tenth that was to be given (see Exodus 23:16,19; 34:26; Leviticus 23:10 to name just a few). Thus Cain erred by not presenting first fruits, and God did not regard his offering. We are not to give God leftovers.”

Cain brought God the leftovers. When Cain got angry, God spoke to him, saying:

Genesis 4:6-7 (ESV) …. Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.

If you DO WELL, that is DO RIGHTEOUSNESS, then God will accept it. But God does not want your leftovers. God does not want what YOU think is best. God wants you to love Him more than anyone or anything, and then He will receive you as sons and daughters.

Cain refused to DO RIGHTEOUSNESS. Since Cain could not kill God, he killed his brother Abel. Why did Cain kill Abel, the first murder in human history?

1 John 3:12 …Because {Cain’s} own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous

The evil will always want to kill the good. Cain should have REPENTED, and turned from his error, doing what God said do. He would not, and bore the consequence of his sin.

Love Always Follows God

1 John 3:13-14 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

We love others – especially “the brethren”, that is, other believers. But we love all people. We love God first and foremost. But we love our brothers and sisters by DOING RIGHTEOUSNESS toward them. “we love the brethren” by “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). God establishes what is or is not truth in his Word. We affirm His Word because we love Him. We share His Word with others – even when it is difficult.

As believers, we are commanded to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). When a brother or sister moves into worldliness and sinfulness, we are to do as the Scripture says:

James 5:19-20 (ESV) My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

If a brother or sister “wanders from the truth” as God has established it, we are not to support their wandering. We are love them enough to counsel them – privately – in what the Word of God says. We are to tell them what God has said:

2 Corinthians 6:16-18 … ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We who are saved by faith in Christ are saved to love God and do what God says. We are saved to hate sin and love righteousness AS GOD DEFINES IT. We are to be like Jesus! We are to share Jesus with the lost world. We are to share Jesus with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

1 John 3:15-16 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

As Jesus laid His life down for us, we are to lay our lives down for or brethren. We are not to compromise with sin and evil. We are to stand strong in the Word of our Lord, the Holy Scripture.

Jesus Christ is God! God laid down His life for us to save us from sin. If we would be saved, we must repent. If we would be blessed as His Children, we must love God with our all. God does not save us by the Blood of Christ so that we might follow after this world. We give no quarter to the world, but as Ambassadors of Christ tell the world to REPENT and TURN TO JESUS. We tell people that – once they are saved – they are no longer sons of Adam, but sons of God. You have His promise:

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

May God through His Spirit draw you into the arms of Christ. Amen and Amen!

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The Great Need Of Our Age

Posted on March 17, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Sunvani Hoàng: https://www.pexels.com/photo/happy-little-baby-lying-on-bed-in-morning-7973662/

John 3:1-2 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

We recently moved our clocks forward to observe “Daylight Saving Time”. It was NOT implemented to help the farmers (they have lobbied against it since its inception), but was started During World War I to conserve energy sources. In 1966 the Uniform Time Act standardized Daylight Saving Time. The same Act keeps states from going to a permanent Daylight Saving Time, though states are free to return to standard time. States cannot go to a permanent DST (which Tennessee wants to do) until the U.S. Congress passes the “Sunshine Protection Act”. The Senate passed this March 15, 2022, but it died in the House. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a change!

The ancient Jews and Gentiles didn’t move the clock around like we do. In Jewish tradition, the day began when night fell. When three stars could be seen in the night sky, this was the start of their day. The reason for this is that the Jews believed in the Genesis account of creation. In Genesis chapter 1 we are told that:

Genesis 1:3 (ESV) … there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

God’s day – it was believed – began with “evening”, and days were reckoned from evening to evening. It was considered “night” when there were three stars visible in the sky.

Nicodemus Came To See Jesus At Night

When the sun set for the Jews, it was a “new day”. Nicodemus meets Jesus, and this meeting will bring “a new day” to his life. We find out some things about Nicodemus. First of all, his name. The name Nicodemus (Greek nikodēmos) means “Conqueror, One Victorious among his people”. Nicodemus is a man who is successful, who pursues victory, and seeks excellence. He is not a run of the mill man. He wants to win, wants to succeed. We read that:

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

There were around 6000 Pharisees, very devout keepers of God’s Law. We are told that Nicodemus is “a ruler of the Jews”. The Phrase “the Jews” used in the New Testament is usually a reference to THE Jews, that is THE Jews who were particular about keeping the Law. In short, “THE Jews” is another term for the “Pharisees”. Nicodemus has studied the Bible, and excelled in learning its truths. As a result he has risen to the top tier. He is a “ruler” of these people, people who called themselves “Pharisee” or “Separated unto God”.

John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night

Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus “by night”? Some have suggested that this was just when Nicodemus came, that there was nothing significant about him coming at night. I don’t believe this. Nicodemus is mentioned three times in the Book of John, in John 3 (where we are tonight), and again in John chapter 7 when the Pharisees plotted against Jesus. They sent men to take Jesus by force, but the men refused to grab Jesus when they met Him. They asked, “Why didn’t you bring Jesus to us?” The hired men replied,

John 7:46 … No one has ever spoken like this Man.

The Pharisees told them, “You have been deceived. The Pharisees do not believe on Jesus. Only those ignorant of the Law believe on Him”. It is then we read that Nicodemus speaks up for Jesus:

John 7:50-51 Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,) 51 Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

Nicodemus, though a Ruler of the Pharisees, spoke up for Jesus by reminding them that the Law forbids judging a person without first hearing them out. The fact that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night is mentioned once more, and again in John 19:39. The Law required that an accused man be given an opportunity to speak and clear His name. The Law required that the man’s accusers – in this case those who accused Jesus – hear him out before passing judgment.

Three times in Scripture it notes that Nicodemus comes to Jesus BY NIGHT. This is because – of all the Pharisees – the only one who ever heard Jesus’ was Nicodemus!

Nicodemus wanted to hear Jesus explain Himself. During the daylight hours Jesus was busy healing, blessing, resurrecting, teaching. Jesus had crowds around Him during the day – and Nicodemus wanted a quiet time to sit down and access Who Jesus is. When do not exactly know where Jesus is. We know that Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Passover feast, and has cast the money changers and sellers of sacrifices out of the Temple. The Chief Priests and Pharisees were in partnership with these people. Perhaps this is part of the reason Nicodemus is here. But the greatest reason why Nicodemus is here because he has been watching Jesus

John 3:2 … Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

Jesus Is More Than A Rabbi

Nicodemus has seen Jesus doing miracles, and believes that God was with Him. Nicodemus is like many people. They think that God is WITH Jesus – but that Jesus is just a mere mortal man. Nicodemus calls Jesus “Rabbi” or rhabbi, which means “Teacher” or “honorable One”. The Pharisees called one another Rhabbi, but Jesus condemned them for that. He said:

Matthew 23:8-10 be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren. 9 And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. 10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

The only One Who can truly be called “Rabbi” or “Honorable One” is The Christ sent from God, just as the only One Who can truly be called “Father” is God the Father. The Only “Master” (Greek kathēgētēs) or Superior Teacher is THE Christ. As humans, we all fall short.

Nicodemus is calling Jesus “Rabbi” to tell the Lord “You’re just as good as we Pharisees are”. He was sadly mistaken. Those who are lost think themselves good. They classify themselves by comparing their own self made rules, and how they live in comparison with others. They are like many of the “woke” crowd today who believe themselves to be morally superior because their color is more acceptable, or because they have the elite stamp of approval from some liberal arts college.

We are all fallen creatures. Nicodemus, Jesus isn’t as good as we are. We aren’t worthy to tie His shoe laces!

People who are spiritually blind cannot see this. Jesus, Who is THE Christ, now speaks to Nicodemus, one of THE Jews, and says:

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Word Study: Jesus begins with “Verily, verily” which is literally “amēn amēn”. The word means “this is absolute truth”. As Jesus speaks, He ties what He says to Himself. He doesn’t say “This is absolute truth per the Scripture”, though Jesus often quoted Scripture and said “It is written”. Nicodemus has already said that God was WITH Jesus. Based on his own words, Jesus is going to make a judgment on Nicodemus. His judgment is “Nicodemus, you are spiritually blind. You have come to Me in darkness, and I am now going to open your spiritual eyes. You must be born again!”

The Bible teaches us that people are all born into this world separated from God both physically as well as spiritually. Those who are without Christ walk through this life …

Ephesians 4:17-19 (ESV) … in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

The Bible does not tell us that all people are born basically GOOD, and then over time they drift toward evil. The Bible tells us that when Adam sinned, he brought spiritual death on all his progeny. The Scripture declares:

Romans 3:9-18 … (ESV) … all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” 13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

People are not good until they are bad. People enter this life physically bereft of God. The Prophet said:

Micah 7:2-4 … there is no one upright among mankind; they all lie in wait for blood, and each hunts the other with a net. Their hands are on what is evil, to do it well; the prince and the judge ask for a bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; thus they weave it together. The best of them is like a brier, the most upright of them a thorn hedge.

Jesus looked at Nicodemus and said, “Unless you are BORN AGAIN – born not just of flesh but spiritually born – you CANNOT SEE the Kingdom of God”. The Pharisees relied on their schooling, on their position in society, in their elitism to make themselves right with God. And yet Jesus would later tell the Pharisees:

Matthew 23:27-28 (ESV) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

The Pharisees – as do we all – needed to be “born again”. Nicodemus is blind to his spiritual need. He asks:

John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

What Must I Do To Be Saved?

Nicodemus response is like the rich young ruler who asked Jesus, “What must I DO to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17, ESV). Jesus told the young man to keep the Law of God. Affirming that he had done this “from my youth upward”, Jesus told him, “Sell everything you have, give it to the poor, and follow Me”. The man refused to do that …. and yet, this is the only way to eternal life. You must receive eternal life through Jesus. It is a free gift that He grants to those who REPENT and GIVE THEMSELVES TO HIM. Jesus tells us:

John 3:5-7 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, 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. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

Who can enter into the Kingdom of God? Not the fallen angels. There is no provision made for their salvation. Then who? Only the sons of men. Only those who have been “born of water”, that is, born as a son of Adam, can enter Heaven. But those born of water must ALSO be born of the Spirit. The Bible says:

1 Peter 1:22-23 (ESV) Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God

When a person hears the Gospel and God opens their spiritual eyes to its truth, they are given the opportunity to receive or reject that Gospel. If they receive that Gospel truth the Holy Spirit moves upon them, and they are spiritually washed, born into the Kingdom of God.

Some believe that the washing of the “water” is a reference to the Prophecy of

Ezekiel 36:25-28 (ESV) I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.

God cleanses His people with the Word of God rightly applied (see Ephesians 5:25-27). Salvation is a gift of God – not of works, lest any boast. When we come to Christ He and He alone has the power to save us. Believing on Him, the Spirit of God is sent to our lives – and we are “born again”.

John 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Jesus compares the New Birth (you must be born again) of the Spirit with the wind or the breeze. The word translated “wind” is the Greek pneuma, whereas the word for the “Spirit” is the Greek πνεύματος, pneumatos. The words are very similar to one another. Why did Jesus compare the Holy Spirit to the wind? Is the Holy Spirit just a force of God, as the wind is?

The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is not a power, but a Person. A Person has their own identity or individuality, and are able to make conscious decisions. The Bible tells us that God the Spirit knows God’s thoughts (1 Corinthians 2:10). No human is able to do this, but God the Spirit does. The Holy Spirit has a mind:

Romans 8:27 (ESV) He who searches hearts {God} knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

God the Holy Spirit intercedes for the believer, praying for us as we live within God’s Kingdom. The Holy Spirit has a mind, and volition, the ability to choose. The Spirit not only has a mind, but the Spirit has feelings like a Person. We are warned,

Ephesians 4:30 (NIV) … do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

You cannot “grieve” a power or a force. You cannot grieve electricity or the wind. You grieve God when you as believers live in sin. Kurt Selles, the Director of Reframe Ministries, stated:

“Paul reminds his readers—and that includes us—that they should no longer live like unbelievers in the darkness and “futility of their thinking.” All who believe have been purchased with the precious blood of Jesus, and now they are called to live in his light. Living in Jesus’ light means following him in our thoughts, words, and deeds.”

The Holy Spirit is a Person – the Holy Spirit is actually God. In the early Church the Apostle Peter told Ananias and Sapphira:

Acts 5:3-4 (NASB) “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”

You cannot “lie” to a power or a force – but Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit, they lied to God. The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity. He is God.

The Holy Spirit is the One Who causes a person to become “born again”. When the Gospel is shared, the Scripture is quoted, God the Holy Spirit will move to open eyes and, if that person is willing, the Spirit will cause him or her to be “born again”. The Spirit is lie the wind in that:

1 Both the Spirit and the Wind are INVISIBLE. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

2 Though both the Spirit and the Wind are invisible, their WORK can be seen. When the Spirit moves on a person’s life, the change is very visible.

3 The work of the Holy Spirit and Wind are both POWERFUL. When the Holy Spirit “moved over the face of the water” (Genesis 1:2) during creation, He brought order to chaos. Where the Spirit is, order is brought from chaos.

4 The work of the Holy Spirit and the Wind is AMAZING. Why would God love us so? The Bible says, “Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed Him as His counselor?” (Isaiah 40:13).

5 Just as the Wind blows where it blows, the Spirit moves where He wishes. The Scripture tells us that “all the gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11) … God sets the members in the Body of Christ {the Church} as it pleases Him (1 Corinthians 12:18)” {author’s paraphrase}. We are warned not to

1 Thessalonians 5:19 Quench not the Spirit …

When you hear the Gospel of salvation, and hear that Jesus Christ is God’s Messiah, the Only Way to salvation (John 14:6), you have a choice. You can heed the call of the Spirit and turn your life over to Jesus. Or you can reject Him. Yet I would warn all, reject the Gospel call with caution. Quenching the Spirit may cause Him to depart – and none can come to Jesus except the Father which sent Him draw him (John 6:44). It is the “Spirit that makes alive” (John 6:63). It is the Spirit that bids the lost come to Christ.

Revelation 22:16-17 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Do you know Jesus? Have you believed on Him Who gave His life for you? Have you received Him as lord and Savior of your life? If not, today is a great day to do so. My prayer is that God would reach out to everyone who reads these words. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:10, 13 – ESV). Amen and Amen!

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God Uses Both Men And Women

Posted on March 15, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Ali Arapoğlu: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-inside-dome-tent-on-cliff-2193527/

Judges 3:30 {Because of Ehud} … Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years. 31 And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel. Judges 4:1 And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead.

Last week we studied about Ehud, the left handed Judge who saved Israel from the fat king of Moab. We also talked about Shamgar, a man who’s name meant “sword”, but who had no sword. Shamgar killed 600 Philistines with an ox goad, what is a hardened pointy stick. The similarity between Ehud and Shamgar is that both Judges lived at the same time, and both killed the enemy with something pointy and sharp. The Book of Judges has been known as a bloody book, for it shows in graphic detail the horrifying effects of sin. One commentary notes:

“Altogether, roughly a quarter of a million people perish in Judges!”

Both Shamgar and Ehud were Judges at the same time. Shamgar’s death is not mentioned in Scripture, but as Ehud dies, Israel returns to their apostasy.

Judges 4:2-3 And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. 3 And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

Israel began to worship the fertility gods of Canaan, and to move into sexual sin. Since they chose to walk away from God the Lord “gave them over” to what they wanted. The same language is used in the New Testament to describe how idolatry leads into destructive sexual sin. The Scripture says:

Romans 1:24-28 (ESV) Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

God is the REDEEMER of His people. When Israel rejected His rightful leadership, God “sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan”. Jabin worked from the capital city of “Hazor”, a chief Canaanite stronghold of the north. Though Joshua destroyed this city in Joshua 11, it was repopulated, probably because of Israel’s sin. We lose ground when we do not follow our God!

4:3 {Jabin} had nine hundred chariots of iron

The Israelites did not possess the skill to work iron as did the Canaanites and the Philistines. For “twenty years” Jabin oppressed Israel, until they cried out to God for relief. Again, we see Israel becoming harder and harder in their hearts. God does something different.

Judges 4:4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.

God raises up “Deborah, a prophetess” to be a Judge of Israel.

God Uses Both Men And Women To Bless Nations

In Scripture wives are commanded by God to follow the leadership of their husbands:

Ephesians 5:22-24 (ESV) Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

This does not mean that God cannot use a wife to lead and deliver a nation. There are many women in places of leadership in the Bible. When God used Moses to lead Israel out of Egypt, he did so with his elder brother Aaron and younger sister Miriam by his side (Numbers 26:59). Miriam is a prophetess (Exodus 15:20).

When the boy-King Josiah reigned in Israel, in his 18th year of ruling (he would have been 26 years old) the Book of the Law was discovered in the Temple. When Josiah read the Book, he grieved, for he knew that he and his people were not following the Lord. Josiah sent Hilkiah the Priest to find “Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah” (2 Kings 22:14) to find out what God thought of all this. God spoke to the King through Huldah, and said, “Thus says the Lord: Because Israel turned away from My Command and followed other gods, I will punish her – and My wrath will not be quenched. But because Josiah humbled himself, because he repented and turned to Me, he will never see Israel’s desolation” (paraphrase of 2 Kings 22:17-20).

On the day that Jesus was circumcised, Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:36-38) was waiting to see Him in His mother’s arms. In the early Church one of the Deacons named Philip (the evangelist) had four unmarried daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:8-09). God uses women throughout Scripture. God used Deborah as a Judge of Israel.

Judges 4:5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Word Study: The name “Deborah” (Hebrew dᵊḇôrâ) means “a bee”. Bees collect what God gives, and hovering over it, provide sweet honey. God’s Word is sweeter than honey! The Psalmist said:

Psalm 119:102-103 I do not turn aside from your rules, for you have taught me. 103 How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Deborah is open to the Word of God – and God speaks to her.

Though Men And Women Are Of Equal Priesthood And Equal Value, We Are Designed By God
With Different Roles In Mind

Let’s pause and discuss Divine Design. When God created the earth and put humanity on it, God put Adam into the Garden first. It was Adam that God “put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it”. It was Adam’s job to “dress” (Hebrew ʿāḇaḏ) and “keep” (šāmar)the Garden (Genesis 2:15). The word ʿāḇaḏ means to “labor over, to work in, to till, to serve as a servant to”. God gave Adam the muscle structure to work the soil, to lift burdens, and the bone structure to endure heavy loads. He was given a methodical mind, one that paid attention to detail, and had focus. Adam was also created to šāmar or to act as a watchman over, to guard and preserve the Garden. It was to Adam God said:

Genesis 2:16-17 … Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Adam was the direct representative of God, entrusted with the care and preservation of the Garden of Eden.

After this commission, we read:

Genesis 2:18 … the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

God made a “help meet” (Hebrew ʿēzer) for Adam, which literally means “One Who helps or assists, one who lifts up”. The woman, unlike man, was made from the rib of Adam, NOT from the dust of the ground. Adam was made from what he was to serve. Eve was made from what she was to help. Her muscle structure is lighter, as is her bone structure. Eve was not designed for the heavy lifting and for war, but to assist Adam. This has not changed from the beginning of time. Though in the New Testament we are told:

Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Women as well as men are equally believer-priests through faith in Christ Jesus.

God speaks to women, through women, and uses women. However, the same Apostle Who wrote what I just quoted – that women and men are of equal spiritual value in the eyes of God – this same Apostle wrote:

1 Timothy 2:11-14 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.

Word Study: Does this mean that women cannot teach men? No, it doesn’t. But it does mean that women are not to “usurp authority over the man”. The phrase “usurp authority” is the Hebrewauthenteō, which means “to act on your own authority, to exercise dominion over”. Neither man nor woman has leave to violate God’s design.

Once we begin to modify what we believe to be true based on feelings or what culture says apart from what God has written in His Bible, we begin to lose our walk with God.

Illustrate: February of this year the Southern Baptist Convention withdrew fellowship from Saddleback Church in Southern California. Why? Because Pastor Rick Warren and the leadership of that Church decided to ordain women as pastors. The Southern Baptist Faith and Message states in section VI. The Church”:

“While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture”.

This is based on what the Scripture says is the qualification of a Pastor:

1 Timothy 3:1-2 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife

The man is called to be the leader of the Church. This is according to the Scripture. God has a design in creation, and has directed the man to lead. So the question before us now is,

If This Is True, Then What About Deborah?

Let’s go back to Deborah, the “Bee” of God.

Judges 4:5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

Deborah did not “USURP AUTHORITY” from anyone. God spoke to Deborah as a Judge, but her leadership was distinctly different from all the other Judges we’ll see in this Book. The Bible says: “the children of Israel came up to her for judgment”. It is God Who “raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them” (Judges 2:16). God raised up Deborah. But instead of sending Deborah out, God allowed the people to come to Deborah.

God used Deborah within her divine design.

When God raised up OTHNIEL (Judges 3:10),
Othniel went out to war.
When God raised up EHUD (Judges 3:15),
Ehud went to kill the evil king of Moab.
When God raised up SHAMGAR (Judges 3:31),
Shamgar went after and killed 600 Philistines.

But Deborah judged from the “palm tree of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim” (Judges 4:5). Deborah acted as a mother and a helper to Israel. Deborah’s heart was open to God, and she served Him without denying His design for her life.

Judges 4:6 And {Deborah} sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?

Word Study: Some versions mistranslate this. The word translated “commanded” is the Piel Perfect 3rd Person of the Hebrew ṣāvâ, which refers to a completed action. God had already commanded “Barak” to move ten thousand warriors from Naphtali and Zebulun to Mount Tabor. What is interesting is that “Barak” (whose name means “a flash of lightening”) is dragging his feet! Why? I suspect fear had much to do with it. Israel had been in bondage 20 years, and Barak has lost hope. Since Barak would not listen to God, God used Deborah to speak to him. Deborah acted as a helper – a help meet! God through Deborah told Barak:

Judges 4:7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.

God tells Barak that when he does as he is commanded (by God, not by Deborah), that God will draw the enemy forces led by “Sisera” the Captain of the Canaanite Army, and God would defeat them. God said, “I will deliver him into thine hand”.

Barak is willing to go, but tells Deborah:

Judges 4:8-9 … If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go. 9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor; for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

God is speaking through Deborah, so Barak asks her to go with him. There is no usurption of authority when the man asks you to accompany him!

But because Barak will not go forward on his own faith, he will not gain honor for what happens. Since he is dependent upon the faith of Deborah, God said,

“the Lord shall sell Sisera
into the hand of a woman”

The “woman” God is speaking of is not Deborah, as we will soon find out. Let’s continue.

Judges 4:10-15 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet: and Deborah went up with him. 11 Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh. 12 And they shewed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam was gone up to mount Tabor. 13 And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people that were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon. 14 And Deborah said unto Barak, Up; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera into thine hand: is not the Lord gone out before thee? So Barak went down from mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him. 15 And the Lord discomfited Sisera, and all his chariots, and all his host, with the edge of the sword before Barak; so that Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet.

God did exactly what He said He would do. When Barak led his troops to Tabor, he met with Sisera and his 900 iron chariots – and cleaned their clock! We read that the battle went so badly that “{General} Sisera lighted down off his chariot, and fled away on his feet”. Barak and his troops won the battle, but Sisera got away. Or did he? Here’s what Paul Harvey used to call “The Rest Of The Story”.

We read in verse 11 “Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab the father in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh”. So Sisera leaves the battle, and begins to run. Where do you think he runs?

Judges 4:16-17 But Barak pursued after the chariots, and after the host, unto Harosheth of the Gentiles: and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword; and there was not a man left. 17 Howbeit Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite: for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

Sisera knew that the Canaanite King Jabin and Heber the Kenite were friendly. So General Sisera ran to “the tent of Jael the wife of Heber”, thinking it a place to hide.

Judges 4:18-20 And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 19 And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 20 Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No.

“Jael the wife of Heber” tells Sisera to come in and rest. He lays down, and she “covered him with a mantle”, and gave him milk to drink. Sisera asked her to stand guard, to protect him while he slept.

In the ancient world, it was the WOMEN who put up the tents each time a caravan would stop.
The women had no swords – but they had tent pegs.

Judge 4:21-22 Then Jael Heber’s wife took a nail of the tent, and took an hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died. 22 And, behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him, and said unto him, Come, and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest. And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

Sisera was given an “Excedrin™ Headache”! Barak gained no honor for his weak faith, though God used him to defeat the enemy that day. It was “Jael Heber’s wife” who killed Sisera. But Who ultimately gets the glory? We read:

Judges 4:23-24 So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel. 24 And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

We serve an awesome God! Let us serve Him, and honor Him by living according to His Word, within His design, for His glory. May God the Holy Spirit bless and keep you. Next week, praising God for His goodness.

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Why Did Jesus Come?

Posted on March 15, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Noe De Angelis : https://www.pexels.com/photo/wave-on-sea-coast-at-sunset-15784095/

1 John 3:4-6 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

The world has always demanded that Christians do what it says. This has never changed. Sometimes the world creeps into the Church. When the world infiltrates the Church, it twists what believers should do.

You’ve probably never heard of Thomas von Imbroek. Thomas was a Christian who believed in his Bible. The “Established Church” at that time was the Catholic Church. Backed by the German state, the Catholic Church began what they called “The Inquisition”, a religious court that examined and executed those they deemed “heretics”. Thomas was considered a “heretic” What was his crime? He refused to have his young infant children baptized. Thomas rightly believed that only believers in the Lord Jesus Christ should be baptized, and he cited Scripture as his proof texts. Catholics teach that water baptism is a SACRAMENT that frees a person (even an infant) from original sin, and brings the child into the Catholic Church to be saved. Catholics equate water baptism to the Old Testament practice of circumcision. The Catholic Catechism states, “1250. … The Church and the parents would deny a child the priceless grace of becoming a child of God were they not to confer Baptism shortly after birth”.

Though there is no instance in Scripture that infants were ever baptized in water, Thomas was brought before the Inquisition. Thomas was tortured for days, and pressured to have his children baptized. While imprisoned, his wife wrote him letters, encouraging him to stand firm in his faith. Thomas replied, “the Lord refreshes the afflicted souls that thirst for Him. He is a shadow from the heat of the sun. Tell the brethren to take care of the novices (young believers) and to pray earnestly for me. I will also pray for them, as much as is in my power. Remember my bonds. The Lord be with your spirit. Amen.” Thomas told his persecutors,

““I am willing and ready, both to live or to die. I do not care what happens to me. God will not let me down. I am comforted and in good spirits while yet on the earth. God gives me friendly assurance, and my heart is encouraged through my brothers. Sword, water, fire…cannot frighten me…All the persecution in this world shall not be able to separate me from God.”

At just 25 years old Thomas was sent to the execution for the crime of being “Anabaptist”. His head was chopped off on March 5, 1558 – about 465 years ago.

Thank God that we have religious freedom in America. However, if we as Christians don’t stand up for the Lord, and stand up for righteousness, we will lose our freedoms. A virulent form of religion has taken over in America – and we as believers need to stand up against it. This secularized religion called “Humanism” has taken over state governments. Recently Governor Gavin Newsom has canceled the renewal of Walgreens Contract because Walgreens will not dispense the abortion medication Mifepristone in 21 states that restrict its use. Humanism in California believes that women should be allowed to abort the child within them – period.

Another Governor Ron DeSantis is battling Humanism in Florida. The Governor said “In Florida, pornographic and inappropriate materials that have been snuck into our classrooms and libraries to sexualize our students violate our state education standards. Florida is the education state and that means providing students with a quality education free from sexualization and harmful materials that are not age appropriate”. Some material that was found in school libraries was so pornographic, that it was not even allowed on television. Of the 175 books removed from libraries across the state, “153 (87%) were clearly pornographic, violent, or inappropriate for their grade level”.

Humanism is the great secular religion in America today. And Christians, we need to lovingly call out the heresy – and stand with our God!

Sin Is The Transgression Of The Law

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

What is “SIN” and what does God think about “SIN”? To put it in Southern terms,

God is agin sin! He ain’t fer it!

God hates sin so much that He has LAWS against it. When Israel went into the Promised Land God told them:

Deuteronomy 12:31 (ESV) You shall NOT WORSHIP the Lord your God as {the Canaanites do}, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for THEY EVEN BURN THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN THE FIRE TO THEIR GODS …

God hates sin because sin always leads to DEATH. Sincere and well meaning people ignore the Word of God in order to pursue Humanism. Yet in the end result, they BURN THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS IN THE FIRE. Some children are never born, forcibly aborted through chemical burning or drug induced horrors. Some children are raised without the love of father AND mother. A little girl told me the other day “Mama has a new boyfriend”. Years ago a little girl I know was raped by one of her mother’s special friends. Sin is a horror!

Sin is contrary to the nature of God. Humanism and Christianity are absolutely NOT compatible. God is HOLY (Isaiah 6:3). All three Members of the Godhead are holy. The Bible tells us that (1 John 1:5) “God is LIGHT; in Him there is NO DARKNESS at all”. The Bible speaks of those who …

Proverbs 30:12 (NIV) … are PURE IN THEIR OWN EYES, and yet are NOT CLEANED OF THEIR FILTH (see also Ezekiel 24:13)

The stepbrother of Jesus warned the Children of God to (James 1:21, ESV)

“Put away ALL FILTHINESS and RAMPANT WICKEDNESS and receive with meekness the IMPLANTED WORD (of God), which is able to save your souls …

Sin is a killer. It kills children, it kills families, and it kills YOU. Sin is subtle. The Pharisees rejected Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior because Humanism told them they were good enough. Jesus told them:

Matthew 23:27 (ESV) Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.

What a horrible statement that is! God looks at the heart of a person. Are you loving HIM, or are you loving YOURSELF? Humanism promotes love of self regardless as to what God’s Word says.

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Word Study: Sin is something you have to “commit”, the Greek poieō which means “to do, to act out, to produce or cause”. It starts in the heart. Jesus said,

Matthew 5:28 (ESV) … I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This is why Humanism is pushing pornography among our schoolchildren. If you can get a child to look at a woman or a man with “lustful intent”, this is the seed planted that will bring about the violation of the Law called “adultery”. What is it Jesus said?

Mark 7:20-23 (ESV) … What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

Why are there school shootings? Is it the guns? No, the source goes back to the heart. The child raised on violent television shows, bloody movies, vicious killer video games, that child begins to devalue life.

Humanism elevates self love and minimizes respect for others. Humanism shouts down the Law of God and the Laws of Nature.

Sin Is Transgression Of The Law.
What Is Sin’s Solution?

1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

Why did God send His Son Jesus to this world? John tells us that Jesus was “manifested” to “take away our sins”. Let’s look at “manifested”, the Greek phaneroō which means “to make visible, to become known”. The Bible tells us that “God was MANIFEST in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16) in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus was “MANIFEST as our Savior” (2 Timothy 1:10). Jesus Christ came to be our Savior. Does the text say that …

This is what some would have us believe. Some say that they can be a practicing _____ (you fill in the blank) and be a Christian. The Bible doesn’t say that. You cannot be comfortable with what God calls sin – the transgression of the Law – and be saved. The Scripture is quite clear:

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (ESV) Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Jesus Christ was MANIFEST not to enable sin, but to eradicate it. Jesus Christ died for our sins so that He can FREE us from our sins, and bring us into a right relationship with God.

2 Corinthians 5:19-21 (ESV) …. in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

When a person comes to Christ, calling on Him as both Lord and Savior, God enters that person’s life. God made Jesus Christ to be SIN on our behalf, so that we might “become the righteousness of God”.

Jesus did not come to this earth to ERASE or ERADICATE the Law – but to “FULFILL IT”
(Matthew 5:17-20)

As “the Lamb of God” Jesus took the penalty for our failures before God (John 1:29). As the “Good Shepherd” Jesus daily walks with His people, guiding them away from sin and into a right relationship with God (John 10:11-14). The Scripture says:

1 Peter 2:24-25 (ESV) {Jesus} himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

No Christian is saved to follow Humanism’s god. We are saved FROM sin to follow Jesus. We are saved FROM death to follow life. We are saved FROM darkness to follow God’s light.

1 John 3:6-7 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. 7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

The proof of your salvation is in the life you live. If you live following Humanism, making light of sin, then Beloved you have neither “seen him, neither known him”. Your faith is a pretense! You who are Christians indeed are called to “do righteousness”. Now what does that mean? Are you to “do righteousness” as I or someone like me defines it? No! You are to “do righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous”. You are called to imitate Christ. You are called to DO as Jesus said.

The world will call on you to compromise, to go along to get along. But God tells us:

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.

Those who lightly sin are not of Christ, but of the Devil. The Scripture commands us to “be IMITATORS OF GOD, as Beloved Children” (Ephesians 5:1). We are to be “IMITATORS OF THOSE who, through faith and patience, inherit the promises” (Hebrews 6:12). Our Lord Jesus “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

Jesus Christ came to destroy the works
of the devil – not to enable them.

The Pharisees were religious, but not saved. The Romans were militant, but not saved. What saves a person? The Holy Spirit of God. You must hear the Gospel of salvation. You must hear that Jesus Christ came to give Himself for your sins. You must hear that sin is no trifle, but a horrible thing that enslaves, keeping you from the life of God through Christ.

But God so loved YOU, that He gave His Only Begotten Son for YOU. If you receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, God will literally change your life!

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Those who are “born of God” have the indwelling Holy Spirit of God within them. Those people will not long live in sin. God despises sin! Other versions render verse 9 as:

1 John 3:9 (ESV) No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.

1 John 3:9 (NLT) Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.

There is a Governor on the life of each and every Christian, and that Governor is the Holy Spirit of God. Is it possible for a Christian to fall into sin? Yes. The Scripture says,

Romans 6:11-18 (ESV) So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Christian, you do not belong to Humanism, the Devil, or this Dark World. You belong to God! Your works are to reflect to allegiance.

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

The Christian DOES RIGHTEOUSNESS, and the Christian LOVES HIS BROTHER. These are the twin marks of the genuine Christian. The Christian does not behead a brother or sister because we do not agree. But a Christian DOES righteousness, and LOVES – even our enemies.

Sin is incompatible with the Christian walk – as is lovelessness. Do you know Jesus? If not, today would be a wonderful day to call on Him. Humanism cannot fix what ails us. But Christ can. God’s Holy Spirit can. Believe on Him, and receive Him as Lord and Savior. In Christ’s name I pray. Amen and Amen.

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When Jesus Was Angry

Posted on March 10, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/human-fist-163431/

John 2:12-16 After this {Jesus} went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. 13 And the Jews’ Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

The first two words we see in our text today is “After this”. Last week we saw Jesus turn dirty wash water into wine. The wine He made was the very best wine anyone had ever tasted. Just as Jesus can take a dirty water and make it clean wine, He can take a broken life and make it complete. Jesus loves to fix the broken. If you’re broken, you need Jesus!

The Jewish Passover Shows The Love Of God

Tonight we’re going to see one of the times in Scripture “when Jesus gets angry”. Jesus has just done His first miracle, and now He goes to Jerusalem for “the Jews’ Passover”. The “Passover” is a fantastic time in the life of the nation of Israel.

The first Passover was in Egypt in the Spring of 1446 BC.

Israel had been enslaved by Egypt for many years, and they cried out to God to be released. God raised up a man named Moses, a man from the Tribe of Levi, to stand up for Israel. Moses went to Pharaoh and said, as God told him, “Let My people go” (Exodus 5:1; 7:16; 8:1; 8:20-21; 9:1, 13; 10:3-4). Each time the evil King Pharaoh refused to let Israel go. It was then that God told Israel:

“I am coming to strike down the enemy. Take a lamb without spot or blemish, bring it in your home for 4 days, then kill that lamb. Put it’s blood on the house where you are. Where I see the blood, I will not destroy in that family, but will PASS OVER that home” (author’s summary of Exodus 12:1-14, 21-27)

The home that did not have the blood of the lamb would experience death – God would kill the first born in that family. That night, God did as He said. He passed through Egypt, and where He did not see the blood of the lamb, He took the life of the firstborn child (Exodus 12:29).

Egypt let Israel go. God told His people:

Exodus 12:24-27 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. 25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshiped.

Israel was supposed to keep the Passover every year, FOREVER. The Passover was used to teach God’s Israel to celebrate the salvation they had through Him. It was to be a time of worship. Every Jew was required to celebrate the Passover, to go to the Temple and make a sacrifice to God, to worship the Lord for His salvation.

As Jews were scattered throughout the land, many were far away from the Temple during the time of Passover. The Jews did not have cars and trucks and planes like we have. They had to walk to Jerusalem, or else ride a donkey or a mule all that way. If you’re going a long way to the Temple, that makes it hard to bring a lamb with you. So over time those who worked in the Temple, the Priests, began to open up the courtyards to people who were selling animals for sacrifice.

John 2:12 … {Jesus} went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

Jesus lived in Nazareth, but once He started preaching those in Nazareth did not believe He was the Son of God.

Jesus moved to Capernaum (Matthew 4:13-16), a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-3.

Capernaum became His home, which is why His “his mother, and his brethren” along with those who followed Him went to the same place. Capernaum is around a four day walk from Jerusalem, moving at normal speed and taking breaks as you go. Since Jesus is a Jew, He is required to go to the Passover, so He and His family take that trip.

When Jesus gets there, we read:

John 2:14 {Jesus} found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

What has Jesus found? Since people had to sacrifice animals on the Passover, shrewd businesses sold “oxen and sheep and doves”. Rich people would sacrifice OXEN, middle class people SHEEP, and the poorest people DOVES. These merchants were not selling these sacrificial animals at cost, but were marking the prices up. On top of this there were changers of money there. The Jewish Businesses that were selling sacrifices would not accept Roman money. So the money changers would convert your money from non-Jewish to Jewish currency (of course, at a mark up).

Now some have said that God is against making money, against capitalism. I don’t think that is what made Jesus upset. What has upset Jesus is these three words:

found in the temple

In the ancient world, most businesses operated in the gates of the city. The city of Jerusalem had eight gates, and business was often conducted outside those gates. The Temple itself had twelve gates. The gates (1) controlled access and provided defense. The gates also (2) marked the boundary, from the secular to the holy. And finally, (3) the gates were economic centers. A scholarly paper written by Talitha Hart notes:

“Like the city, the temple seems to have had a market in or near its gates where those seeking to offer sacrifice to Jehovah could purchase the animals they needed to offer. (E.P.) Sanders (in his book Judaism: Practice and Belief”, page 87)finds serious problems with the idea of animals being sold actually within the temple{emphasis mine}precincts, based on the requirements of holiness described in both Leviticus and Philo’s On the Special Laws”.

The merchants could have sold their sacrifices in the gates of the Temple, but instead carried the sacrifices into the Outer Court of the Gentiles. Here they sold their goods. How did Jesus respond?

Jesus Was Angered Because God’s Love Was Hidden

John 2:15-16 And when {Jesus} had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

As animals were sold for sacrifice, their leads or ropes used to lead them into the Temple grounds were removed. I believe Jesus went toward the altar, where He found ropes and leads that had been removed and tossed on the ground. Using these ropes as a scourge or a small whip, the Bible says that Jesus:

Matthew 21:12 (ESV) Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Mark 11:15 (ESV) {Jesus} … entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.

Luke 19:45-46 {Jesus} entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, 46 saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

Some have said that Jesus drove out only the animals from the market, but this isn’t what the Scripture says. Jesus drove out not just the sacrifices, but “those who sold and those who bought in the temple”. “Those who bought” probably refers to the money changers, as they were purchasing money for exchange rates. “Those who sold” refers to those who were selling sacrificial animals. Why was Jesus doing this?

Because they were at the Temple for the wrong reasons. Jesus said, “make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise”. The Temple existed to draw people closer to God. It was not there to make money on. Jesus said:

Luke 19:46 It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.

Our Lord was quoting from

Isaiah 56:5-7 (ESV) … I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. 6 “And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it, and holds fast my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Jesus was angry because the Israelites – and in particular the priests – had forgotten that the purpose of the Temple was to bring people into a right relationship with God. By their actions they were hiding the love of God. They were hiding the Gospel of God.

The Temple itself stood for God reaching out to the lost in love. It was in the Temple that God promised:

Isaiah 56:5 I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off…

It is within the Temple that God will first reveal His Son Jesus to those who would worship Him. It is Jesus Christ that …

Philippians 2:9-11 …. God also hath highly exalted {Jesus}, and given Him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Christ is the “Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29, 36). Jesus Christ is the “Good Shepherd Who gives His life for His sheep” (John 10:11). It is Jesus Who will “give His life for the world” (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus chased out those who would hide the love and mercy of God.

By What Right Do You Do This, Jesus?

After Jesus chases out the buyers and the sellers, we read:

John 2:17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

The followers of Christ remembered a Messianic Psalm, a prophecy of the Coming Messiah:

Psalm 69:9 For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

The Messiah when He came would be zealous – almost fanatical about honoring the House of God. Jesus Christ, a lone Man, chased people away from their money! But not only would the Messiah be zealous of God’s House, but “the reproaches of those who reproached God would fall on Him”. The Messiah would take the penalty of our sin against God on Himself.

The Pharisees were upset with Jesus for breaking up their business! We read:

John 2:18-19 Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 19 Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

Word Study: They wanted to know what Jesus’ authority was in breaking up their little enterprise. This is not the first time the Pharisees and Priests asked for a “sign” (Greek sēmeion), meaning “a miraculous or God ordained event, something supernatural”. If Jesus were the Messiah, they expected Him to manifest some Messianic “sign” to prove Who He was. Jesus told them:

Destroy this temple, and in three
days I will raise it up

They heard this, and thought that Jesus was speaking of the Temple of Herod. Herod’s Temple took 46 years to build. The Jews said:

John 2:20-21 … Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou rear it up in three days? 21 But he spake of the temple of his body.

Jesus was foretelling His death and resurrection. At the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus will be betrayed in to the hands of His enemies, crucified, and will die on the Cross of Calvary. Jesus will be buried in a borrowed Tomb – but will rise again on the third day. The death and resurrection of Christ are the only proofs He would give to the Pharisees and Priests that He is the Messiah. Though they repeatedly asked Jesus:

Matthew 12:38 … Master, we would see a SIGN {sēmeion} from Thee

Yet Jesus told them:

Matthew 12:39-40 … An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: 40 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.

Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Luke 11:29-30 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonah. the prophet. 30 For as Jonah. was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

Jesus Christ proved Himself by rising from the Grave. He died for our sins, and rose again for our salvation. We read:

John 2:22-25 When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. 24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

Though Jesus did many miracles in Jerusalem at this first Passover, the miracles themselves are not mentioned. Many believed Jesus to be a Prophet because of the miracles, but did not believe on Him unto salvation. Jesus knew their hearts – “he knew what was in man”. He did not trust those who followed Him, but knowing the human heart, placed all His trust in the Father.

May God draw us all closer to Jesus every day. Amen and Amen.

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A Left Handed Assassin And A Man With A Pointy Stick

Posted on March 7, 2023 by bibleteacherorg
Photo by Bakr Magrabi: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-portrait-of-a-soldier-holding-a-spear-5353141/

Last week we looked at the first Judge of Israel, Othniel. Othniel was a representative of the Tribe of Judah, and a man who was filled with faith for the Lord. As we turn to Judges 3:12-13, we’re going to see that Israel was obedient to God as long as Othniel ruled. Once he died, we see there is no godly leadership. Without godly leadership, Israel once more drifts away from the Lord. We read:

Judges 3:12-13 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord. 13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

The Devil Destroys By Demolishing Divine Design

With all the weirdness and “wokeness” in America today – the Black Lives Matter movement, the Radical Left, the LGBTQ2S+ movements, the “Use My Preferred Pronoun” madness, the Radical Feminism and push for Abortion, the Transgender Modification of young children, and on and on – you might wonder what in the world is happening to our country. What is happening is that Satan has mounted an all out offensive against the Divine Design of Civilization. Satan is attacking the FAMILY.

When FAMILY as God designed it is attacked, modified, twisted, renamed, chaos ensues. When people pull away from God, God “gives them over to a reprobate {adokimos, a false or fake, a pretense, a counterfeit} mind, to do those things that are not convenient {kathēkō, fitting or proper}” (Romans 1:28). God says,

“I am your Father. I am your Savior. I gave you the gifts you have. You live in the land I gave you by grace. You want to reject Me, and my commanded Design. Fine! Then I will back up and let you do do.”

Now God has both a sense of humor as well as a sense of what is right. Israel backed away from the Fatherhood of God. So what did God do?

Judges 3:12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord…

Word Study: God could have used ANY nation to attack Israel. But He chose to use the Moabites, led by “Eglon”. The Hebrew ʿeḡlôn means “Calf Like”. When Israel first rejected God’s leadership at Mount Sinai (right after He had saved them from Egypt) they demanded that the High Priest Aaron make them a golden calf (Exodus 32:4) to worship. Israel refused to follow God, so they followed a golden calf. Now Israel refuses to follow God, and God causes a FAT CALF LIKE King lead them .

But here’s the other truth we see here. Eglon was the King of “Moab”. Where did the Moabites come from? Back when God called Abraham to follow Him, Abraham left his homeland with his nephew Lot. At one point Lot and Abraham had to separate because their flocks and herds had gotten so large that the land would not sustain them. Abraham allowed Lot to choose which direction he wanted to go with his family.

Lot chose Sodom.

The land of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so devoid of righteousness that the traditional Biblical family was no longer the norm. God decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, but sent two angels down to Sodom to rescue Lot and his family from destruction. The angels took Lot, his two daughters, and his wife out of Sodom. Lot’s wife looked backward (Genesis 19:26), turning to a pillar of salt. Jesus warned His Church to stay true to Him, especially as His Coming is ever near. Jesus said:

Luke 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife.

Lot found himself in a cave with his two daughters as God rained fire and brimstone from Heaven on Sodom (Luke 17:29). The Bible tells us that:

Genesis 19:35-37 … {Lot’s daughters} made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. 36 Thus both the daughters of Lot became pregnant by their father. 37 The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab. He is the father of the Moabites to this day.

The lie the devil tells us is that sin doesn’t matter, or sin matters so little that it is inconsequential. The truth is, sin is a horrible decision to walk away from God’s best for us. The Bible says “be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23). Lot’s sin with his eldest daughter – a violation of the Divine Design of the family – created a nation called Moab, and that nation would afflict Israel.

Israel walks away from God’s design – and is punished by an aberration of that hideous sin!

But not only this, we read:

Judges 3:13 And {Eglon the king of Moab} gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

Eglon is descended from Lot’s bad decision with his elder daughter. Eglon gathers “the children of Ammon” or the Ammonites to help him afflict Israel. Where did the Ammonites come from? Return back to Lot’s two daughters. We read:

Genesis 19:38 The younger {daughter} also bore a son and called his name Ben-ammi. He is the father of the Ammonites to this day.

The Ammonites came from the dysfunctional family of Lot, just as the Moabites did. From these two roots great and mighty trees were formed, trees that would rain down poisoned fruit on Israel. Then there is yet one more nation mentioned, “the children of Amalek” or the Amalekites. Where did these these people come from?

Abraham’s son Isaac had two children, Esau the older and Jacob the younger. It was God’s will that the younger Jacob receive the blessing of the elder (Romans 9:13). Rather than wait for God to resolve what God Himself desired, the mother of the children (Rebekah) conspired with Jacob to deceive Isaac and Esau, thus securing the blessing. The fallout from this deception made Esau an enemy of his brother Jacob.

When Esau moved into manhood, he became the father of a mountain people called the Edomites. Esau had a son Eliphaz (Genesis 36:4) who had a concubine Timna who bore him a son named Amalek. None of these things I just mentioned are part of God’s design for the family.

God does not want family internally plotting against one another.
God does not want wives dishonoring husbands.
God does not want husbands keeping concubines.
God does want children dishonored.

Out of this dysfunction came the Amalekites. The Amalekites, the Ammonites, and the Moabites were all dysfunctional families that departed from God’s Divine Design. God used these aberrations to punish Israel. Do not believe that anyone – and I’m speaking to YOU, AMERICAN CHURCH – can depart from God’s Design and go unsullied.

Judges 3:13 {the Amalekites, Moabites, and Ammonites} went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

The “city of palm trees” is another name for Jericho, the place where Israel fought her first battle under the leadership of Joshua. Jericho was:

“a heavily fortified city that stood between God’s people, the Israelites, and the “Promised Land.” Jericho had a massive, impenetrable wall around it that the Israelite army had no hope of getting past, and even if they did, they would have to face an enemy army.”

God knocked down the walls of Jericho when Israel did as He said (Joshua 6:15-20), and the city was easily defeated. “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days (Hebrews 11:30, ESV)”. Faith in God tore down walls and defeated the enemy. Faithlessness in God caused Israel to lose that which she was given.

You cannot expect to retain God’s blessing if you will not follow God’s commandment.

Sin Is Like A Cancer That Grows And Hardens

Judges 3:14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

The Bible says:

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

And our Lord Jesus said:

John 8:34-36 … Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. 35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. 36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

You will serve either sin or the Sovereign Savior. When you serve sin, it becomes your master, and will draw you into death. Sin is sneaky. But notice also this:

When Israel sinned against God in Judges the first time, they were in bondage 8 years until they repented and God raised up Othniel (Judges 3:8). When Israel sins against God the second time, they are in bondage 18 years – over twice as long – until they repent and God raises up a second Judge.

Over time, sin hardens the conscience (Titus 1:15; 2 Peter 1:9).

Judges 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man left handed: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

Word Study: As soon as God’s people repented, God raised up a “deliverer” (Hebrew yāšaʿ, Savior) named “Ehud”. His name is interesting, for it means “I will be praised”. I do not think that Ehud wants to be praised. I think that God uses him because GOD wants to be praised, to be glorified. Ehud is a “Benjamite”, from the Tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe of Israel. Judge Ehud, the Prophet Jeremiah, and Paul the Apostle are all from the Tribe of Benjamin. What else do we see about Ehud? He is “a man left handed”. Why is this significant?

Among humans, less than 10% of us are left handed. When we meet one another, we shake hands with the right hand. Why? Because the right hand is where most people would hold are a sword or spear. You shake your right hand to show no weapons are hidden in the sleeves. If people wore a sword, it was worn on the LEFT side of the body to facilitate easy drawing. During the middle ages, knights on greeting one another would raise their right hand, and open their helmet face shield to show they meant no harm. I am told that this is where the original salute came from.

Ehud was left handed. We are told “by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon”. Now Eglon’s body guards would not have allowed Ehud to enter into his presence without first searching him.

Judges 3:16-17 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh. 17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.

Ehud made a dagger – pointy and sharp on both edges – about 18 inches long (the length of a standard cubit). When Ehud came in, the guards searched his left side, the side that a right hand person would conceal a sword. But since Ehud was left handed, the sword was under his clothes on his right side. They just didn’t see a sword here!

Judges 3:18-20 And when {Ehud} had made an end to offer the present, {Eglon} sent away the people that bare the present. 19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him. 20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.

After delivering the tribute money, Ehud and those who were with him headed out of the King’s Palace. They all got to Gilgal (Joshua 4:19-24) where Joshua had Israel set up twelve memorial stones commemorating their passage through the Jordan on dry land. At Gilgal, Ehud returned to King Eglon’s Summer Palace, telling him “I have a secret message for your ears alone!” King Eglon sends all his people out. Ehud says:

I have a message from God unto thee

King Eglon rises from his throne, and Ehud strikes. He pulls the double edged dagger – 18 inches long – from under his clothes, and strikes with his left hand.

Judges 3:21-23 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: 22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. 23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.

Driving the blade into Eglon, he was so fat that the rolls of his flesh encompassed the handle and the haft of the blade. The Bible says “the dirt came out”, that is, it penetrated his bowels and that which was in the bowels gushed out. The length of the blade would have made it come out his back – a horrible death! One commentary notes:

“Although God will often use other nations to discipline His people, after the discipline is over, God has a tendency to destroy the nation that was used to oppress His people. Even though they had been chosen by God as a rod of discipline, God keeps His Word – those that bless Israel are blessed, and those that curse Israel are cursed.”

Judges 3:24-26 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber. 25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth. 26 And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath.

Locking the doors behind him, Ehud uses this time to escape. The smell of Eglon’s “dirt” causes the servants to believe their King is relieving himself. The phrase “covereth his feet” is an idiom for going to the restroom.

Judges 3:27-30 And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them. 28 And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand. And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. 29 And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man. 30 So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

Following Ehud, Israel destroyed the enemy that had afflicted them for 18 years. God was in the battle, and Ehud was careful not to take credit for killing the King, or defeating the enemy. Ehud said “the Lord hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand”. This was proven when Israel went against the Moabite Army, battle hardened men – and destroyed the entire army.

Our God is an awesome God!

God Used A Left Handed Man –
And A Man With A Pointy Stick

Judges 3:31 And after {Ehud} was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and he also delivered Israel.

The third Judge of Israel has very little said about him, a man named “Shamgar”. His name means “a Sword”, but Shamgar did not use a sword. Shamgar battles the Philistines – ancient enemies of Israel – with an “ox goad”. What’s an “ox goad”? It’s a pointy stick that you use to poke an ox when it doesn’t want to move.

Shamgar used an ox goad to fight the Philistines. Why did he use an ox goad? Because he didn’t have a sword. Shamgar used what God allowed him to have. What else do we learn about Shamgar? He is,

Shamgar the son of Anath

Now “Anath” is the Canaanite goddess of war. Shamgar isn’t Jewish – he’s Gentile. Shamgar wasn’t born a follower of God, but came from an unbelieving family. We don’t know how Shamgar became a champion of Israel, nor do we know who led him to the Lord. But Shamgar met God and, believing in God, began to follow God. The Bible tells us later in:

Judges 5:6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath,…. the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.

The people were frightened of the Philistines, and avoided the highways and normal routes. They hid their travel for fear of being harmed. Not Shamgar. Shamgar took the highways. He went looking for Philistines, he and his pointy stick. He made no excuses as to why he couldn’t do what God called him to do. Shamgar trusted God, stepped out in faith, and started poking holes in Philistines.

Shamgar did what he could with what he had
where he was every day of his life.

It is time that we as Christians and we, the Church of Christ, follow the example of Shamgar. The late Dr. R.G. Lee said before he went to be with Jesus:

“The Church needs more action and less faction. More workers and fewer shirkers. More backers and fewer slackers. More praying and less straying. More burden bearers and fewer tale bearers. More tongues of fire and fewer fiery tongues. More zealous effort and less jealous thoughts. More love for the Word and less love for the world. More seeking for grace and less seeking for place.”

May God the Holy Spirit move on our hearts to do as Shamgar did while there is time. Let us let our light shine for God’s glory and Satan’s destruction. In Christ’s name I pray this. Amen and Amen!

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