II Timothy 1:9  “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

 

The phrase “hath saved” is translated from one word in the Greek language.  This word is in the Greek Aorist Tense; that is, the event has already been accomplished and remains unchanged now and will forever remain unchanged.  Furthermore, the grammar, used in this passage, tells us that the “Who” did the saving.  The “Who” is “our Lord”, “God” (II Timothy 1:8).  Our Eternal Salvation is not an offer and acceptance proposition; neither is it an offer that we must consummate by some act or speech on our part or anyone else’s.  Paul is making it very clear that the Children of God are and will always be saved “from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); this salvation was accomplished by the sole act of Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice.  They are saved “from their sins” to a state of perfect righteousness; thus, God has Judged them fit for Eternal Heaven.  Of these “saved” Children of God, Jesus Christ our Savior authoritatively declared, “of all which he [the Heavenly Father] hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)!  As we seek to understand and explain the Word of God, we must be careful to not alter or add to or diminish the Word of God in any way.  This passage gives us reason to jubilantly rejoice in worshipful praise to the Lord our God; for, He and He alone “hath saved us” from the penalty of our sins; He “hath saved us” to our Eternal Home; that is, “In whom [Jesus Christ] also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11)!  Even after death, we will be praising God for what He and He alone has done for us.  John saw in Heaven, “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;  10  And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9)!  Knowing this blessed truth ought to compel us to evermore sincere and committed service to the Lord our God, our Savior!

II Timothy 1:9  “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

 

The word “called” is used in various ways in the Bible; such as, named or known as, beckon, Command into service, and Command into spiritual life.  In this passage, it illustrates how we come to know that we are sinners, know the Lord, and to rejoice in Salvation by Grace.  Some of us are old enough to remember the “call” buttons on elevators.  In those days, you pressed the “call” button to “call” the elevator to you, then you pressed another button to take you to another floor.  Today, we have the same buttons, but most simply have an up or down arrow on them.  When you press the “call” button, the elevator has no choice but to come to your floor.  Similarly, when the Lord, through the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8), calls a person to spiritual life, that person has no choice but to come to lovingly know Him.  Jesus declared it this way, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me” (John 6:37) and “no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father” (John 6:65).  Furthermore, only the Lord Himself can press this allegorical call-button; for, “no man can” Effect this “call” but the Lord Himself.  This calling goes hand-in-hand with our Eternal Salvation (Romans 8:29-30); for, “whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified” (Romans 8:30) and “when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:5)!  To be “quickened” is to be “called” from a state of death in sin to a blessed state of life in Christ Jesus!  Thus, all that the Father gave to His Son (John 6:37) before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4) will certainly be “called” to spiritual life sometime between conception and death!  When the Lord Effects this call, the newly “born again” Child of God responds somewhat like Saul of Tarsus, when “he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6)!

II Timothy 1:9  “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

Probably, the greatest contrast between man’s power and wisdom and God’s power and wisdom is found in this phrase, “not according to our works”!  It is naturally printed in the minds of healthy minded people to work hard to obtain their objectives and financial goals.  We taught our children to prayerfully work hard, to make their own way in life, to provide for themselves and their families, and to be as successful as they possibly can.  But, there are at least two inseparable things that cannot be obtained by our works; these two things are our Eternal Salvation and our Calling to Spiritual Life.  Our Eternal Salvation and our Spiritual Calling are the result of the exclusive will and “work” of God.  The word “work” is translated from a word that means, “any product whatever, anything accomplished by hand, art, industry, or mind”.  The truth is so theologically critical, that it is repeated many times in the Bible (Matthew 7:22-23; Romans 3:20; Romans 9:32; Romans 11:6; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-5)!  The theological point behind this phrase is that man simply does not have the ability or worthiness to acquire or to consummate his Eternal Salvation or his Spiritual Calling.  A zealous and hard-working person may be offended by this blessed truth and some summarily reject it and mock those who cling to it.  Nevertheless, whether it is believed or not, it remains the Biblical truth and it moves believers too “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Peter 1:8); for, it gives all glory to our Beloved Lord!

II Timothy 1:9  “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

Our Eternal Salvation and Spiritual Calling was “not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace”!  Our Heavenly Father purposed, within Himself, to Eternally Save and to Spiritually Call His Children, without any external influences or considerations, not even from those that He Chose to Save and Call.  Within Himself, He Purposed that He would exclusively do it and that He alone would also enact the means of our Salvation and Calling.  The means of our Eternal Salvation was the Sacrificial Death of our Beloved Savior, Jesus Christ.  The means of our Spiritual Calling is the exclusive act of the Holy Spirit working within us to give us Spiritual Life.  Also, our Heavenly Father Saved us and Called us “according to his own … grace”; that is, our Salvation and Calling is “according to his own” goodness, kindness, and love; for, He graciously Saved and Called a people who were sinners by nature and by practice and were His “enemies” (Romans 3:23, 5:8-9).  Knowing and rejoicing in this blessed truth, Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to declare, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:” (Ephesians 1:11)!  When we are Called to Spiritual Life [“born again” (John 3:1-8, regenerated (Titus 3:5)], we immediately see ourselves as depraved sinners; but, the Lord also speaks in our mind’s heart; saying, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee” (Jeremiah 31:3).  Then is when the Gospel becomes more precious to us than gold, for it tells of our “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4)!  As we joyfully meditate upon this blessed truth, the things of this present world pale into insignificance when compared to it!

II Timothy 1:9  “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

Our Eternal Salvation and Spiritual Calling “was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began”!  The word “given” connotes that which was passed from one to another; thus, our Eternal Salvation and Spiritual Calling was passed from God to us “before the world began”.  The definition of the word and the timing, “before the world began”, makes it clear that this giving was not an offer and acceptance proposition.  It was passed from God to our possession without any participation at all on our part, it was entirely the purpose, will, and work of God.  However, our Eternal Salvation was consummated “in Christ Jesus” when He Sacrificed Himself to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21, John 19:30).  Our Spiritual calling was consummated when the Holy Spirit came upon us and gave us Spiritual Life (John 3:1-8).  Our participation in the consummation of our Eternal Salvation and our Spiritual Calling was passive reception; that is, we did and could do nothing to obtain this consummation.  Said another way, it was an endowment, freely “given” to us, even before we had the sense to desire it or ask for it.  This is why John tells us that “We love him, because he first loved us.” (I John 4:19)!  Knowing this blessed truth, we should wake each day worshipfully declaring, “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.” (Psalms 18:1)!

II Timothy 1:9  “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,”

It is a great struggle for our minds to grasp the acts of God “before the world began”; for, these acts occurred before Genesis Chapter One and before God “breathed into” Adam’s “nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Genesis 2:7).  Thus, it was impossible that man could participate in any way in the acts of God “before the world began”.  In this passage, God “purposed” to Eternally Save and Spiritually Call all His Children “before the world began”; these Saved and Called Children are “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9)!  The Bible speaks of numerous things that existed or occurred “before the world began”.  God Himself existed “before the world began”: “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Psalm 90:2)!  Being part of the Triune God (I John 5:7), “the Word”, our Lord Jesus Christ existed “before the world began”: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)!  It was “determined” “before the world began” that our Lord would Sacrifice Himself for our sins: “For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,  28  For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.” (Acts 4:27-28)!  God the Father Chose His Children in Christ Jesus “before the world began”: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:4); Peter calls these Chosen Children the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2)!  God determined to adopt all His chosen Children to Himself: “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,” (Ephesians 1:5).  God determined “before the world began” to give His Chosen Children an Eternal Inheritance with Him: “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:” (Ephesians 1:11).  God determined “before the world began” that all His Chosen Children would be “conformed to the image of his son”; that is, made perfectly righteous as He is perfectly righteous; thus, fit for Eternal Heaven: “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29).  God prepared a Heavenly Kingdom for His Chosen Children “before the world began”: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 25:34)!  God promised His Chosen Children “eternal life” “before the world began”: “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;  2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:1-2).  Knowing of these marvelous things ought to compel us to cry aloud, “Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.” (Psalm 106:48)!

II Timothy 1:10  “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

Through the approximately four thousand years of Old Testament history, there were certain things that God kept hidden within Himself, “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ”!  Through these years, the Lord chose to not reveal the full meaning of the prophecies of the coming Messiah and His Blessed Church-Kingdom.  Moses spoke of these hidden things this way, “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29:29)!  The Psalmist prophesied of this great revelation this way, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” (Psalms 25:14).  In explaining why the Lord taught in Parables, Matthew wrote, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:35).  Paul writes to affirm that these hidden things are revealed, “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:” (Ephesians 1:9) and “Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:” (Colossians 1:26).  The Old Testament prophecies are often referred to as types and shadows, because the Lord kept the full meaning of those prophecies secret, hidden within Himself, until He revealed them in the coming of His Beloved Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  There were certain aspects of His prophecy that remained hiddened, even forty days after His Resurrection (Acts 1:6-9); but, ten days later the “Holy Ghost” came upon them (Acts 2:4) and revealed the fullness of this blessed truth to the Apostles and they immediately began to preach it with great joy and power.  And, of the “born again” Children of God who heard it, they rejoiced in it, and about three thousand of them gladly received the word of the Gospel and “were baptized” and “added to the church” (Acts 2:41).  And even down to this very day, the greatest joy known to man is the Sweet Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9)!

II Timothy 1:10  “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

We naturally view “death” as the ominous conclusion, an end that we cannot prevent, and neither can we recover from it.  Yet, by “faith” (Hebrews 11:1) we know that “death” is not the ultimate end; for, it is only an intermediate state between this present life and eternal life.  “our Saviour Jesus Christ” proved this point when “God” “raised” “Him” “up the third day, and shewed him openly” (Acts 10:40)!  Paul tells us that, after His Resurrection, He was seen by all the Apostles and “he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once” (I Corinthians 15:6)!  In His Resurrection, Christ set the stage for that great and blessed day when the end of this present world has come and “the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (I Thessalonians 4:16), “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 25:34)!  For, the same Power that raised “our Saviour Jesus Christ”, will raise us up “to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17)!  Knowing this blessed truth, we can jubilantly sing with Jim Hill, “What A Day That Will Be”!

II Timothy 1:10  “But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:”

 

In this context, the phrase “brought … to light” means the truth of “life and immortality” has been revealed for our knowledge and understanding and joy.  This precious “gospel” is known as “the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1), “the gospel of God” (Romans 1:1), “the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16), and “the gospel of your salvation” (Ephesians 1:13).  This blessed “gospel” tells the Good News of who the Children of God are, how they became Children of God, how they came to be saved to Eternal Life, how they are cared for in this present life, and what lies ahead of them after this life!  This “gospel” “hath brought life … to light”; that is, the “gospel” message teaches us that there is “life” beyond this present life; for, in His Sacrificial Death, Jesus Christ has secured Eternal “life” for all His beloved Children.  “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ” (John 17:3); that is, lovingly “know” “God, and Jesus Christ”; not only in this present life; but, even more so, in Eternal “life” beyond death and the grave.  This “gospel” “hath brought … immortality to light”; that is, the “gospel” clearly teaches that “Jesus Christ” our Savior “hath” secured “immortality” for all His beloved Children.  The word “immortality”, points to an Eternal “life” in which there is no “mortality” (death), no mortuary, and no morticians; for, our Resurrected bodies will never again die or decompose in death!  I have heard the blessed “gospel” preached all my life and I still rejoice in it; for, it is the Good News that never becomes Old or Outdated News!

Jeremiah 9:1  “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!  2  Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.”

 

The corruption, ungodliness, and immorality of Judah was so grotesque that Jeremiah wished that he had “a fountain of tears” to weep for his people and he wished that he could flee away to some “wilderness” “lodging place” where he would not have to look upon the sinful behavior of the people in his Country.  This is a nation of people upon whom God had poured out greater and more abundant blessings that any other people in the world.  Yet, in the height of their prosperity, they forgot the source and cause of their wealth and comforts and they turned away from God to followed their own vain lusts.  Finally, because of their ungodliness, God declared “I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant” (Jeremiah 9:11)!  The Lord had told “Israel”, “thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help” (Hosea 13:9)!  Such passages as these often come to my mind as I watch the evening news!

Pslam 143:1  “Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.”

Once, many years ago, while sitting in an airport, I observed a little boy tugging and tapping on his mother’s arm, finally she reached down and put her arm around him and he quit tugging and tapping.  A few minutes later, the tugging and tapping began again, after a while the Mom reached down and took the little fellow in her lap and held him close, then there was no more tugging and tapping; for, he was perfectly satisfied.  –  In every generation, those who are faithful to the Lord and are committed to His service, often find themselves at odds with those around them.  Those who are jealously starved for power, position, and wealth tend to prey upon those who follow and obey the Lord.  That was the case with king David; other nations sought to conquer him, some of his fellow citizens wanted another king to their liking, and even some of his own family sought to overthrow him.  In such dreadful times, David, like the tugging and tapping little boy, knew where his help came from; so, he persistently prayed, “Hear my prayer, O LORD”; that is, let me know that You are hearing my “prayer” and “supplications”.  In the very instant when the Lord lets us know that He is hearing our prayer, a sense of calm and peace rushes over us, giving us a sense of wellbeing (like the little boy in his mother’s loving lap), knowing that the Almighty God Who “careth for” us (I Peter 5:7) has received our petition and He will do the right thing according to His Will and Grace!

Psalm 143:1  “Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.”

The ultimate and absolutely perfect Keeper Of Faith is the Lord God Almighty; for, He is perfectly reliable to keep every promise He makes, to fully carry out His Holy Will, and to never forsake His beloved Children.  The Psalmist is not making his petition based upon his own faith or his own “righteousness”; but, upon the “faithfulness” and “righteousness” of the “LORD”!  The Psalmist knew that, because of his human propensity to sin, he had no worthiness with which to obligate God to hear or to answer his plea.  Therefore, he made his prayer based upon the absolute “faithfulness” and “righteousness” of the “LORD”!  This is the “LORD” “God” that “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2), that will “not forsake” (I Samuel 12:22) His Children, that loves us with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), and the “LORD” that has promised to “hear” us when we call upon Him (Psalms 145:19).  Therefore, like the Psalmist, let us earnestly make our daily petition to the Lord based upon His perfect “faithfulness” and “righteousness”!

Genesis 8:1  “And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged;”

To remember doesn’t always mean that something had been forgotten, in the Bible it often means that an issue is brought to the forefront of the mind because the time is right for action.  In Genesis 8:1, when “God remembered Noah”, it was not that “God” had forgotten “Noah”; but, that it was God’s time for action.  When “God remembered Noah” “the waters asswaged”!  When “God remembered Abraham”, Lot (Abraham’s nephew) was delivered from Sodom just before it was destroyed (Genesis 19:29).  When “God remembered Rachel”, she conceived and gave birth to her son, “Joseph” (Genesis 30:22-24).  When “God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob”, He sent “Moses” to Egypt to lead the Children of Israel out of slavery (Exodus 2:24-3:1).  When “Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes”; God, blessed Samson, in his dying act, to slay more of the enemies of Israel than he had previously in his life (Judges 16:28-30).  When our Lord was Crucified, the thief on the Lord’s right hand asked, “Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom”, “Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43)!  What a great comfort to know that our Lord remembers us at critical times in our lives, especially when we come face to face with death!

Psalm 49:15  “But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.”

 

There are certain things that are said to be sure; for example, it is sure that the “low and high, rich and poor, together” (Psalm 49:2) are “Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them” (Psalm 49:14).  Furthermore, “None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him” (Psalm 49:7).  That is, death comes to us all; our wealth cannot prevent it or redeem us from it, our station in life cannot prevent it or redeem us from it; that is, there is nothing we can do to prevent or redeem ourselves or anyone else from it.  “But” the beauty of Sovereign Grace, is that “God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me”; that is, God and God alone has gotten the “victory” over “death” and the “grave” (I Corinthians 15:57).  And, Grace is even more precious to us when we remember that “he shall receive me”; that is, one blessed and holy day, “he shall receive me” alive from the “grave” to forever be with Him in His Glorious Eternal Heaven.  Thus, Paul jubilantly declared, “(O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?  56  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.  57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.)!” (I Corinthians 15:55-57)!  In this life, the best Day is always ahead of us; Jim Hill wrote, “What a day that will be”!

Revelation 7:9  “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

 

After viewing a scene of the relatively few that are obviously faithful to the Lord; John was blessed to look upon a magnificent scene of those otherwise described as the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2), those that God “did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29), the “Jerusalem which is above” (Galatians 4:26), “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16), those that God the Father “hath chosen” “in” Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), the  “fellowcitizens” and “the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19), and “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Revelation 21:9)!  In this blessed “household of God” there is such “a great multitude” that “no man could number” them!  This “great multitude” is comprised of people “of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues”!  Notice that this “great multitude” is comprised of people “OF all nations …”, not all the people in “all nations …”; the point is that God has chosen to love and to save “a great multitude” of people out “OF all nations …”; meaning both Jews and Gentiles!  Just think, one blessed and holy, eternal day, by the grace and mercy of our Lord, we will also gaze upon this glorious scene!

Revelation 7:9  “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

 

The Lord tells us that “heaven” “is God’s throne” (Matthew 5:34); that is, the very heart of Divine, Sovereign Power and Authority.  It is where the Children of God will be “caught up” (I Thessalonians 4:17) to after this present life; where they will worshipfully gaze upon the perfection, the beauty, and the majesty of “the throne” and “the Lamb” who gave His precious life for our sins.  It is the place Paul called “the third heaven” (II Corinthians 12:2) and “paradise” (II Corinthians 12:4)!  It is what Stephen saw just before he was stoned to death.  When he saw this magnificent scene, he declared “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.” (Acts 7:56)!  It is where Jesus Christ “sat down” when He had finished all the necessary work to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21): “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” (Hebrews 1:3).  It is the seat of the final Judgment; when John saw it, he declared, “I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away” (Revelation 20:11)!  The Lord illustrates the Judgment this way: “before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:32).  It is where Jesus Christ intercedes with God for us; for, He “is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).  In this present life, we often fall into great overwhelming tribulations, in such times we can flee to this great “throne” of the Sovereign God, Who loves us with a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4).  Because Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior has made us worthy by sacrificially paying our sin-debt, we can “therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)! 

Revelation 7:9  “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

 

This “great multitude” is seen standing “before the Lamb, clothed with white robes”; that is, “the faithful witness, … that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood” (Revelation 1:5).  The “white robes” signifies absolute purity and freedom from sin; thus, this “great multitude” is perfectly acceptable to God.  Though our “sins” were “as scarlet” our Lord has made them “as white as snow” (Isaiah 1:18).  Paul declares that “being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him” (Romans 5:9)!  To be “justified” is to be rendered into a state of perfection, “just” as if no sin had ever been committed.  It is important to note the this “great multitude” was “made righteous” (Romans 5:19, II Corinthians 5:21), exclusively by the sacrificial “blood” of “the Lamb”; “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)!  Surely, our Lord and Master and Savior is “worthy to be praised” by our every breath and deed!

Revelation 7:9  “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;”

 

The symbology of the Palm Tree appears throughout the Bible, it is generally used to symbolize victory and uprightness.  After the Lord had victoriously delivered Israel from their Egyptian bondage, the Lord instructed them to annually celebrate their victory using, among other things, “branches of palm trees” (Leviticus 23:40).  In the analogous relationship between the Lord and His Bride, the Church-Kingdom; the Lord tells His beloved Bride, “thy stature is like to a palm tree” (Song of Solomon 7:7); that is, she is strong, and she carries herself well, with honor.  As a Palm Tree often flourishes in regions where other trees will not grow, David declared, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree” (Psalms 92:12); that is, “The righteous shall flourish” in times and places that are often harsh and fraught with tribulations and trials!  Not long before our Lord Sacrificed Himself for our Sins, He entered Jerusalem in what is known as the Triumphant Entry; for, the people “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:13)!  Indeed, He is the Triumphant “King”; for, He came into this present world to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); and that He surely did, and when He had obtained the Victory over sin, he declared “It is finished” (John 19:30).  We ought to greatly rejoice and worshipfully declare “thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57); that is, “victory” over sin and death!  John saw the Redeemed in Heaven, rejoicing before the Lord’s great “throne” having “palms in their hands”; that is, worshiping and praising our Lord Who has eternally obtained the “victory” over sin and death for His people.  “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.” (Hebrews 4:14); that is, “hold fast our profession” of faith that He has, on our behalf, obtained the Victory over sin and death!

I Peter 4:12  “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:”

 

The “Elect” (I Peter 1:2), “born again” (I Peter 1:23) Children of God will suffer trials and troubles in this life.  We should “think it not strange” or be surprised that “fiery trial” (troubles and tribulations) comes upon us in our service to the Lord, “But”, we should “rejoice, inasmuch as” we “are partakers of Christ’s sufferings”.  Our “sufferings” are not in any way elevated to that of Christ’s Sacrificial “sufferings”; however, it should be a great joy for us to persevere in our faithfulness to God, even in the very face of our “trial”.  The adversary to anything to do with God first appeared in Genesis Chapter Three and, ever since then, he has made it his business to plague the Lord’s Church and His people with “fiery trial”.  It is his purpose to discourage the Church and to hinder the Lord’s people in their quest to live their lives according to the Word of God.  When these trials come, we should not think that “some strange thing happened unto” us, for while this earth stands “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8).  We should willingly face our “trial”, knowing that “Christ’s sufferings” purchased our freedom from sin’s eternal penalty; thus, He alone obtained our Eternal Home in Heaven.  Our willing endurance and faithfulness in times of our “fiery trial”, is a manifest testimony of our love and allegiance to our Lord (John 14:15).  The Lord has mercifully and graciously obtained our Eternal Salvation for us; therefore, we should “count it all joy when” we “fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2) that come upon us because we are faithful to Christ and His kingdom.

Romans 5:5  “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

 

This blessed “hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost”; that is, we are “not ashamed” to openly and plainly declare that Jehovah Is Our Salvation (Jesus); that is, Jesus “by himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:3)!  He did it “by himself” without any help from us!  Paul makes it very clear that our previous condition was pitiful; for, “we were yet without strength” to save ourselves, “we were yet sinners”, and “we were enemies” against God, (Romans 5:6-11).  The point is, we didn’t have the physical strength, mental strength, spiritual strength, strength of will, or the strength of purity by which we could secure our Eternal Salvation from the penalty of our sins.  Furthermore, before the “Holy Ghost” gave us Spiritual Birth, we fought against “God” as His “enemy” and we were active “sinners” and had no shame for it!  But our condition changed when “Christ died for the ungodly”, when “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”, “we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son”, “being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life”, and “we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have NOW received the atonement” (Romans 5:6-11).  NOW we rejoice; for, in the singular act of Christ’s Sacrifice, He forever changed our condition from “sinners”, “enemies”, and ungodly to Righteous; thus, we are NOW fit for Eternal Heaven.  Paul plainly declared our present condition this way, “There is therefore NOW no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  When the Holy Spirit gives us Spiritual Birth, this new condition is wonderfully evidenced in those “who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit” (Romans 8:1)!

Psalm 81:11  “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.  12  So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.”

 

The Psalmist wrote these words of the Lord when Israel had turned from Him!  The Lord had abundantly blessed, protected, defended, and delivered Israel from their foes; yet, they “would not hearken to” His “voice” and they “would” have nothing to do with God.  They refused to hear and obey His Commandments!  Therefore, God “gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust”; that is, the Lord gave them no Spiritual guidance, they made all their decisions based upon their own carnal lusts.  When He did, “they walked in their own counsels”, and “their own counsels” were to satisfy “their own hearts’ lust”!  James tells us that “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14-15).  Ultimately, our natural “death” is the result of “sin”; but, we can also die to (be separated from) the joys, blessings, peace, security, etc. in this present life.  Throughout history, Israel cyclically turned from God to lust after idols and immorality, when they would not hear the prophets warning them to “return unto” the Lord (Jeremiah 4:1), the Lord “gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust” and they destroyed themselves (Hosea 13:9); for, without the Lord, they had no strength to deliver themselves from their enemies, who ravaged them in their weakness.  Let us hear the Lord’s exhortation, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:7)!

Ruth 2:13  “Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.”

 

Hear is a young woman, in great need, who found Grace in the eyes of a wealthy Israelite farmer.  Normally, Israelites would have no familiar relationships with anyone that was not an Israelite.  This young woman, Ruth, deeply understood and felt her unworthiness; for, she was a Moabite, a widow, and very poor.  Gracious farmers would allow the poor to glean the left overs in the field after their gleaners had harvested the field; but, Boaz instructed his gleaners to “let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:  16  And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not” (Ruth 2:15-16); that is, let some “handfuls” of grain fall on “purpose” in her path.  Ultimately, “Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.” (Ruth 4:13).  When their son was born, “they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David” (Ruth 4:17).  Thus, this unworthy woman was, by the Grace of God, raised from her low estate to glory and honor in the service of her Lord and in the sight of the people.  Being King David’s grandmother, she was in the lineage that led to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior (Luke 3:32).  It is much the same with us; for, “in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God” (Romans 9:26).  This gracious relationship is given to us out of our Lord’s “great love” (Ephesians 2:4); for, as John declares, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God” (I John 3:1).  Knowing that our Lord has graciously reached down and raised us, from our unworthiness, to glory (Romans 8:29-30) by His sacrificial death; shouldn’t we begin each morning, on our knees, praying “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (Psalms 116:12)!

Judges 5:5  “The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai from before the LORD God of Israel.”

 

When “Deborah and Barak” led the Children of Israel out to battle with “Jabin king of Canaan”, the Canaanites were destroyed (Judge 4:24).  “Then sang Deborah and Barak” a song of praise to the Lord; saying, “the earth trembled, and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water” (Judge 5:4) and “The mountains melted from before the LORD”!  That is, our vilest and most powerful adversaries tremble and melt away at the very presence of our Lord.  Still, in our day, there are yet enemies and troubles that lurk about and would overwhelm us except that the Lord prevails on our behalf.  There is great comfort in knowing that we do not face the battles of life alone; for, when the Lord steps out upon the battle field, “The mountains” still tremble and melt before Him.  That is, the adversaries still quake and tremble at the very presence of the Lord; for, they cannot possibly stand against the Sovereign God.  Sometimes our enemies are other nations that rise up against us, sometimes our enemies are wicked people that dwell among us, sometimes our enemies are troubles in our families, sometimes our enemies are troubles in our own minds, sometimes our enemies are our own failing bodies, etc.  Whatever or whoever our enemies are, we must never forget that the same God that caused “the earth” to tremble and the “mountains” to melt is on His throne today and He loves us with an “everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3), a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4), and “the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake” (I Samuel 12:22)!  We, like Old Testament Israel, are often “Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;” (II Corinthians 4:9); for, “the earth” still trembles and “the mountains” still melt before our merciful God!  Therefore, let us not despair; but, jubilantly sing with “Deborah and Barak”, “Praise ye the LORD for” (Judge 5:2) He still prevails against our enemies!

Mark 16:8  “And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.”

 

The truth of Jesus Christ was unfolding right before their eyes, He had told them what would happen; but, they didn’t understand.  Now, the truth is laid bare for them to see.  Early in the morning on the first day of the week, “when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.” (Mark 16:1); that is, to “anoint” the Lord’s dead body.  They were mourning His death and they had come to the tomb to respectfully “anoint” His body.  Along the way, they wondered how they could get the great stone rolled away to open the tomb (Mark 16:3).  To their amazement, when they arrived, they found that “the stone was rolled away” and “a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment” (Mark 16:4-5).  The “young man” then told them the amazing news, “Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.” (Matthew 16:6).  The “young man” also gave the women a message for the Lord’s “disciples”: “go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.” (Mark 16:7).  In all probability, “Peter” was mentioned specifically, for the Lord knew that he had openly denied Him three times, even cursing and denying Him.  After denying Him, “Peter went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62), and probably continued in this heartbroken state for the three days and three nights that the Lord’s body was in the tomb.  The Lord knew that Peter’s heart was broken because of his sinful denial; so, He mentioned him by name to communicate His love for Him and that He had forgiven him.  After hearing the young man’s instruction, the women “went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed”!  At this very moment, I “tremble” in awe and am overwhelmingly “amazed” that God would do such a marvelous thing for such dreadful sinners!  Such power, such majesty, such glory, such grace, and such love can only abide in God Himself!  It is good for us, through the blessed eye of faith, to spend some time gazing into the empty tomb and being “amazed” that our Savior laid down His precious life to save us from our sins and then He took it up again (John 10:15-17) and ascended into Heaven where He ever “maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34)!

Psalm 71:5  “For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.”

 

As I watch corruption and dishonesty on full display in our Country, this passage reminds me that our peace and welfare is not dependent upon the truth and honesty of our public officials; but, upon the Sovereign Power and perfect Integrity of The Lord our God!  In king David’s day, he had enemies both without and within his Country.  In our day, we have enemies both without and within our Country!  But, all is not lost for the same God that taught David’s “hands to war, and” his “fingers to fight” (Psalms 144:1) is still on His throne today.  He still teaches our “hands to war, and” our “fingers to fight”!  With his God-taught “hands” and “fingers” David defeated the lion and the bear and Goliath and all the armies that attacked Israel.  This great war against our peace and welfare can likewise be won.  Our warfare begins on our knees worshiping and praying to the same God that David trusted in.  With our God-taught “hands” we drive to Church, we warmly clasp the “hands” of our Brethren and Sisters, we reach out to help and encourage others, and we take our seat to hear and rejoice in the Gospel of our Lord.  With our God-taught “fingers” we slowly turn the pages of His Holy Word as we daily search the Scriptures for truth, instruction, admonition, comfort, and peace.  And, at the ballot box, with our God-taught “fingers” we choose leaders that will lead our Country according to the morality and integrity taught in the Word of God.  As we “Fight the good fight of faith” (I Timothy 6:12), victory is assured; for, our King has never lost a battle.  As we “war a good warfare” (I Timothy 1:18); remember that our “war” begins and ends on our knees in worshipful prayer to the Lord our God!  David had reason to both “hope” and “trust” in the Lord, for the Lord had never failed him.  Like David, we sometimes fail the Lord, but He never fails us!  So, let us pray as king David prayed, “Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.  5  For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.” (Psalm 71:4-5)!

Jonah 1:12  “And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you.”

 

Storms, both in nature, and in life’s tribulations occur because we are still in this world; for, our Lord plainly told us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).  Storms are a part of this present world; and, we should expect to have storms until our soul departs to be with the Lord.  We must be careful and not assume that every storm is some great chastisement sent by God.  As in the case of Jonah, if God sends a storm to chasten or to affect the lives of His people, He always lets us know it, we don’t have to guess.  We don’t know the mind of the Lord and we must be careful and not assume that we do; for, if He sends some great storm into our lives, He will let us know why.  Good parents never chasten their children without telling them why they are being chastened; our Heavenly Father is a perfect Father and He is always perfect and just in the things He does.  If He is sending a storm to chasten us or to affect our lives; like Jonah, He’ll let us know about it.  Jonah told the mariners, “I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you”; that is, I disobeyed God and He sent this storm to stop my escape and to chasten me for my disobedience.  Furthermore, because of my disobedience, you are suffering this storm.  Also, we must never forget that when we disobey God, it affects the lives of those around us!

Psalms 27:14  “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

 

In this Psalm, David testifies of his faith in God.  He makes it clear that when troubles seemingly get as bad as they can get, “the LORD” will not forsake us.  He illustrates the faithfulness of “the LORD” this way, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” (Psalm 27:10)!  Sometimes our troubles come in waves and it seems that they’ll never stop; but, we must “be of good courage”!  Sometimes our troubles are like enormous sheer mountains that we must cross, but seemingly there is no way; but, we must “be of good courage”!  Sometimes our troubles break our heart and it seems we will drown in sadness; but, we must “be of good courage”!  Sometimes our troubles are fearsome, and we can find no peace and for days and sleep evades us; but, we must “be of good courage”!  Sometimes our trouble is loneliness and we wonder if anyone knows or even cares; but, we must “be of good courage”!  Sometimes our troubles are the shame and pains of some sin that we have committed; but, we must “be of good courage”!  Sometimes our trouble is some great decision that we must make, but confusion abounds because we cannot find an answer; but, we must “be of good courage”!  Sometimes our troubles are pains and sickness in our bodies and there seems to be no relief or help; but, we must “be of good courage”!  No matter what our troubles are, the bottom line answer to them is to “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”!  Knowing that from time to time we all have some great trouble; let it be said of us that “They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.” (Isaiah 41:6)!

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 

In summarizing Romans Chapter Six, Paul explains that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life”.  He emphasizes two great contrasts; one is the contrast between “wages” and the “gift” and the other is the contrast between “death” and “eternal life”.  This “sin” includes both the Original Sin (Romans 5:12) and the “sin” we commit in this present life.  We “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23; 5:12) and our “sin” earns our “death”.  Paul makes it clear, that while we earn “death” by our “sin”; we do not and cannot earn our “eternal life”!  Our “eternal life” is endowed unto us as “the gift of God”.  This “gift” is not earned or secured by some act on our part, otherwise it would not be a “gift”.  This “gift” is an endowment upon all the Children of God; that is, those who were “chosen” in Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).  This “gift” is obtained, not by any good deeds, obedience, or righteousness on our part, it is obtained “through Jesus Christ our Lord”; that is, “through” the sacrificial death of “Jesus Christ our Lord”!  So wonderful is this blessed “gift” that we should daily cry aloud, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.” (Psalms 103:1)!

Psalm 39:7  “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.”

 

The Psalmist asks, “what wait I for?”; that is, am I waiting for earthly wealth, carnal power, high position, praise of men, etc.  He was not waiting on such vain things; his focus was upon the “Lord”!  In declaring, “my hope is in thee” (the “Lord”); the Psalmist makes it clear that the pleasant focus of his life was upon the “Lord”.  He explains that in the carnal world, “every man walketh in a vain shew: surely they are disquieted in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them” (Psalm 39:6); but, in contrast, he declares that “my hope is in thee”!  To have “hope” in the “Lord” is to have God-given “faith” (Hebrews 11:1; 12:2), to experience His “great love” (Ephesians 2:4), to show our love for Him by our obedience to Him (John 14:15), to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23), to “put” our “trust in” the “LORD” (Psalms 9:10), to take up our “cross” and “follow” Him (Luke 9:23), to know that He will never forsake us (Isaiah 42:16), and to know that one great Eternal Day we will see Him first hand (Job 19:27).  Sometimes it is good for us to pause and take stock of our focus!

I Peter 5:9  “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

 

Peter warns us to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (I Peter 5:8).  The “devil” is not omnipresent, as the Lord is; but, he has a great host of faithful minions that are anxious to walk “about” employing his wicked “devices” (II Corinthians 2:11).  The “devil” and his minions delight in destroying our peace, promoting immorality, denouncing integrity, discouraging the Children of God, and demeaning the Word of God and His Church.  They employ their wicked “devices” without any regard for decency, honesty, or the suffering they cause.  Peter exhorts the Children of God to “resist stedfast in the faith”; that is, do not get discouraged and give up, do not run away and cower in fear, and certainly do not compromise with the wicked.  To “resist stedfast in the faith” is to hold the moral ground, hold up as valid and necessary the Word of God and His Church, and plainly and openly declare the truth of God and His Commandments.  When “the devil” fires his “fiery darts” (Ephesians 6:16), we hold up the “shield of faith” (Ephesians 6:16) and counter attack with the righteous “sword”; that is, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).  That is, we defeat the devil’s “devices” and “darts” with the “truth” of the “word of God”.  Don’t be afraid or slow to quote applicable passages of Scripture to refute and nullify the devil’s “devices” and “darts”.  We must be bold to “resist stedfast in the faith”; that is, “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (I Corinthians 16:13).  Be like Paul, who marched right up to Mars’ Hill and plainly declared the truth of God and our Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 17).  To be “ashamed” is to hide away and cower before our “adversaries” (I Corinthians 16:9); but, we are charged to be “not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16); that is, boldly stand up and confidently declare the truth of God, even while “the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things” (Acts 4:25)!

Psalm 32:1  “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  2  Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.”

 

When Children of God are born of the Spirit, they are immediately overwhelmed by two things.  First, they stand in loving awe of the knowledge of God and His presence with them.  Second, their heart is devastatingly broken by the knowledge of their sin as they spiritually gaze upon the perfectly righteous and holy God.  But, when they hear the sweet Gospel of our Lord, they greatly rejoice; for, they learn and believe that their “transgression is forgiven”, their “sin is covered”, “the LORD imputeth not iniquity” to them, and “there is no guile” in their “spirit”!  Therefore, Paul exhorts us to “be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;  9  Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,  10  But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (II Timothy 1:8-10)!

Matthew 6:12  “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.  13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.  14  For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  15  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

 

There are many facets to the subject of Forgiveness; a thorough examination would fill a large book.  So, this note only touches the subject.  Forgiveness doesn’t mean that we condone or excuse ungodly behavior!  To “forgive” is to put away the debt created by someone’s offence that they have committed against us; so that it is no longer a factor in our mind or in our relationships.  Simply put, to forgive is to conclude within ourselves that a person owes us nothing for the offence they have committed against us.  Does God forgive everyone of everything?  Obviously, He does not, for if He did there would be no need for Judgement on the last day and there would be no “everlasting destruction” (II Thessalonians 1:9) for the wicked.  The Lord makes it very clear that, at the “end of the world”, He will “cast” “the wicked” “into a furnace of fire” (Matthew 13:38-42).  Furthermore, there are some people who are so wicked that they are “as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed” (II Peter 2:12).  Such “natural brute beasts” are like snakes, you expect snakes to attack you because it is their nature to do so.  An unrestrained person, without the indwelling Spirit of God, is like the “natural brute beasts”.  If at all possible we should avoid these “natural brute beasts”.  There are times when we simply cannot avoid them; but, thank the Lord; for, He has given us a government, legal system, and law enforcement folks to deal with such people.  Also, the Lord Himself established the death penalty for those who commit murder: “Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.” (Genesis 9:6).  We are Commanded to pray “for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (II Timothy 2:1-2)!  There is a sense in which we “forgive” for our own benefit; that is, just put the offence away and conclude that the person owes us nothing for what they have done to harm us, even if they don’t ask for forgiveness.  This internal forgiveness frees us from internal bitterness which will lead us to unseemly behavior and will eventually consume us if we don’t put it away.  We must avoid taking “vengeance”; for, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” (Romans 12:19) – I am certain that the Lord knows if “vengeance” is appropriate and He is far better at it than we are!  Then, there is the case of our “brother” (“brother” in Christ) who asks us to forgive him of some offence he committed against us; the Lord makes it clear that as often as the “brother” asks us to forgive him we are to sincerely grant him forgiveness (Matthew 18:21-22) as our Heavenly Father has forgiven us!  Such forgiveness is essential for our peace and happiness in this present world!

Psalm 92:1  “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:”

 

The Psalmist was obviously lifted up with joy as he was meditating upon the great and marvelous works of “the LORD”!  There are times when the blessedness of “the LORD” our God settles upon us much like the early morning dew upon the green grass.  It nourishes us, strengthens us, moves us to reflect His glory, and comforts us.  In just such a moment, when the Psalmist was rejoicing in awe of the majesty of God, he declared unto God, “It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:”!  He determined to “shew forth” the Lord’s “lovingkindness in the morning, and” His “faithfulness every night” (Psalm 92:2); that is, when I wake “in the morning”, I will praise Him because He is so loving and kind to me; when I lay down at night, I will praise Him for being so faithful; that is, everything “the LORD” promised, He has done, and He has never forsaken me.  The Psalmist gloried, not in his own works, but in the works of the Lord (Psalm 92:4).  He praised the Lord for protecting him from the wicked (Psalm 92:7).  He praised the Lord for making him strong (Psalm 92:10).  He praised the Lord because He prospered His beloved Children (Psalm 92:12).  He punctuates his moments of praise by declaring, “the LORD” “is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:15)!  “It is a good thing to”, morning and night, “give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto” the Holy “name” of our “most High” God.

I Thessalonians 5:18  “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

 

Hurricane Michael devasted our area and wreaked havoc in our lives.  This passage does NOT teach us to be thankful for this awful storm nor it’s destructions.  It does teach us to “IN every thing give thanks”; that is, prayerfully open our eyes and see the wonderful blessings that we can give thanks for, even in the very midst of our present tribulation.  We must “give thanks” that there are so few injuries and so few lives were lost.  We must “give thanks” that we are afforded the blessed opportunity to help others.  We must “give thanks” for the new acquaintances that we made in the days following the storm.  We must “give thanks” for the overwhelming love that we felt as food, water, supplies, and finances were generously given to us from caring people through out our Country.  We must “give thanks” for the presence of the Holy Spirit; for, He revealed Himself even as the storm was passing through us.  He brought comfort to our troubled hearts and minds.  He gave us a sense of peace, even as the storm was raging.  He reassured us that we were not in this storm alone, but in the blessed care of the Lord God Almighty.  He providentially moved to help us, when it seemed that we would not make it and that there was no help.  As we look upon the great destruction all around us, He says to our souls, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10)!  Truly, we have reason to “Pray without ceasing.” (I Thessalonians 5:17) and to “Rejoice evermore.” (I Thessalonians 5:16)!  This we can do as we are worshipfully “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)!

Psalms 112:4  “Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.”

 

On October 5-7, 2018 we were greatly blessed by Elder Jeff Winfrey’s and Elder Ben Cordis’ preaching and fellowship.  The next Wednesday, On October 10, 2018 Hurricane Michael began his awful devastation of our area.  Since then there has been one catastrophe after another, it appeared that each one would break us; but, at the very moment that we thought all was lost, “there” arose a “light in the darkness” and all was not lost.  I will not enumerate these events; for, several are personal in nature; but, there is no doubt that we have continued to go forward because we are held firmly and lovingly in the mighty hand of God!  In this case, “darkness” denotes periods of anguish, despair, confusion, and hopelessness.  The word, “light”, denotes the illuminating presence of the Lord God Almighty; Who loves us with a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) and grants us “mercy, and … grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)!  Indeed, the Lord our merciful God “is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous”!  Therefore, “Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.  2  Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.” (Psalm 113:1-2)!

Isaiah 40:1  “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.  2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.”

 

There are times when the Holy Spirit moves in the hearts of His preachers to admonish the Lord’s people, sometimes to rebuke them, sometimes to direct them, and sometimes to “comfort” them.  In that day, a lot of troubles lay ahead for Israel; but, the Lord instructed Isaiah to “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem”; that is, as the Lord comforted His disciples, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).  Old Testament “Jerusalem” would suffer many wars, famines, floods, and even captivity; but, ultimately, they would be Comforted under the merciful care of the Great “Comforter” (John 14:16), most especially when the forerunner of the Messiah began to preach, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2)!  Now, the New Testament “Jerusalem”, “Jerusalem which is above” (Galatians 4:26), is indeed comforted, for the Messiah has come, He has set up His Kingdom, He has provided us a blessed refuge in the times of trouble, He has opened His Throne Room so “that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16), He has fully and finally paid our sin-debt, and He has secured our home in Eternal Heaven!  Even in the face of great “tribulation”, let us “lift up” our “eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh” our “help” (Psalms 121:1) and be comforted!

II Corinthians 12:10  “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

 

The Apostle did not say that he enjoyed the “infirmities”, “reproaches”, “necessities”, “persecutions”, and “distresses” that he endured for  “Christ’s sake”; but, literally, “in” the times of these “infirmities”, “reproaches”, “necessities”, “persecutions”, and “distresses” he found “pleasure” in the Lord Jesus Christ; for, he was honored to suffer “for Christ’s sake”.  Like Paul, there are times when we are so weakened by the infirmities”, “reproaches”, “necessities”, “persecutions”, and “distresses” in our life that we simply do not have the innate strength to keep going.  In such times as these, we find that we can indeed go forward, not on our own strength; but, on the strength of our Lord Jesus Christ; for, “when” we are “weak, then” we are “strong” in our Lord!  It seems so strange to declare that he was in both a state of weakness and a state of strength at the same time.  Paul explained these opposing states this way, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13); that is, when my own strength is gone; then, the Lord endows me with strength to simply rise up and go forward in His service!  Later, we wonder, ‘how did I do that’; then, we realize that we did it by the Lord’s empowering strength!

Psalm 94:14  “For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.”

 

When, in the midst of tribulation, some may ask “Where is thy God?” (Psalms 42:3); implying that “There is no God” (Psalm 14:1).  Some may mockingly say, “the LORD” has “cast off his people”.  But, in truth, “God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.” (Romans 11:2)!  Whether they be Jews or Gentiles, “God hath not cast away his people which he” “hath chosen” in Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).  One of the high marks of true Christianity is to “be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58), even in the midst of fearsome tribulation.  We can be “stedfast, unmoveable” for we rest upon our God-given “faith” (Hebrews 12:2).  With our God-given “faith” we can remain “stedfast” for the Lord has promised that “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee” (Isaiah 43:2); that is, even in the midst of stormy trials the Lord “will be with” us to guide us, strengthen us, encourage us, and help us!  Even when the tribulations are at their worst, the Lord exhorts us to “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” (Isaiah 41:10)!  Now, we can “boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear” (Hebrews 13:6)!

Philippians 1:20  “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

 

A focused and positive thinking mind is essential in the face of great tribulation.  Oftentimes, when our troubles are great, if not careful, we can be drawn into a ‘woe is me’ attitude, which leads to despair, which is the main cause of hopelessness.  When hopelessness settles upon us, we become ineffective and a burden to ourselves and those around us.  When Paul wrote this Epistle, he was a prisoner in Rome and had no expectation of being released.  Yet, he confidently wrote of his “earnest expectation and” “hope”.  His purpose in life was to magnify “Christ”; that is, to clearly preach and teach the precious Gospel of our Lord and Savior no matter how miserable his life might be.  He was so confident in the things he preached, that he knew that he would not “be ashamed”; that is, he knew that what he preached could never be proven wrong, that the truth of Jesus Christ would stand against all opposition and obstacles.  He was so sure of it that he called it his “earnest expectation and” “hope”; so, he proclaimed it with “all boldness”; that is, without fear or hesitation; although, he was in prison for preaching this blessed Gospel.  He was so highly focused, that he plainly declared, “so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death”!  That is, as long as I live, I’m going to preach the Lord’s Gospel; but, if I die the Lord will be “magnified” “by” my “death”; that is, others will take courage in knowing that he was faithful to the cause of Christ, even in his death.  Let us keep our focus upon the Lord and His Gospel so that, whether in pleasant times or distressful times, we can boldly declare, “I know that my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25)!

Revelation 17:14  “These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.”

 

Those who “make war with the Lamb” are those who hatefully oppose and persecute the Children of God, for they are an inseparable part of Him.  But the Lamb’s victory is assured “for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings”; that is, He has all power and authority, even over the most vile and wicked adversaries.  In comforting His Disciples, He told them, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)!  It a time and manner pleasing to Him, “he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15-16)!  Those who stand with the “Lord of lords, and King of kings” “are called, and chosen, and faithful”.  The “chosen” are those who were “chosen in” Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).  The “called” are those who are “called” to Spiritual Life by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8); whereby, we know Him and love Him and desire to follow Him!  John saw these “called” and “chosen” as “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9)!  They “that are with him” are the “faithful”; the “faithful” are those of the “called” and “chosen” who endure great hardships and continue to stand with the Lord, even in the midst of the greatest tribulations and troubles.  The “Lord”, that we lovingly and worshipfully stand with, is “the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (I Peter 5:10)!  The “called” and “chosen” can stand with the Lord; for, He will “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Colossians 1:11)!  Let us pray for strength of “faith” to stand with our Lord.  As the Lord prayed for Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.” (Luke 22:31-32)!

John 12:12  “On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,”

 

From historical accounts, there was a very large crowd in “Jerusalem” for this Passover.  Many were there because they wanted to see “Jesus” and to see “Lazarus”, whom “Jesus” had recently raised from the dead (John 12:9); thus, removing all doubt that He is indeed the Son of God.  The word had gotten out “that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem”; so, they “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:13).  They cried “Hosanna” to Him; that is, “Save Us Now”!  They called Him “the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord”; that is, they declared that the Messiah has come, prophecy was being fulfilled right before their eyes!  These people were subjugated by the Roman army and mistreated by their own religious leaders.  Their hope for deliverance rested in this humble but mighty “King”, Who had proven that His power is so great that He could raise the dead to life again.  They would soon learn that He also came to give His life, to pay their sin-debt, and to raise it up again.  Signifying His Sovereign Power and Authority, John heard “great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15)!  No matter who sets in the seats of civil authority, we can still rejoice and proclaim that all the “kingdoms of this world are” the Lord’s, “and he shall reign for ever and ever”; for, He alone is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15)!  Again, John “heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth” (Revelation 19:6), all human powers and authorities being subject to Him!  Therefore, let us loudly and confidently proclaim, “Hosanna”, “The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.” (Psalms 93:1)!

Psalms 138:3  “In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”

 

The “soul” is the very essence of life, it departs our body when we die; we are told that, as Rachel’s “soul was in departing, (for she died)” (Genesis 35:18).  Spiritual life is given to us when we are “born again” by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8).  Because we have this spiritual life, we love the Lord and greatly desire to follow Him in obedience.  There are times when the Lord does not remove our troubles from our lives; but, He does strengthen us “with strength in” our “soul”!  The Lord would not remove the thorn from Paul’s flesh; but, the Lord told him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (II Corinthians 12:9)!  Paul prayed for the Church at Ephesus, “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;” (Ephesians 3:16).  The “inner man” refers to the spiritual life that is given to us when we are born again.  One of the devil’s most effective weapons against us is discouragement and he effectively deploys it.  Our Lord is well aware of the devil’s “devices” (II Corinthians 2:11); thus, when we prayerfully cry unto Him, He “strengthenedst” us “with strength in” our “soul”!  This God-given “strength” is the product of the “faith” that He gives us (Hebrews 12:2).  There is great inward strength in our God-given “faith”; the Lord told Peter, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  32  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not …” (Luke 22:31-32)!  The devil can take advantage of the bad situations in our lives and we can become discouraged by our own sense of unworthiness, by our human weaknesses, by the enormity of the task before us, by our feelings of loneliness, by the weakness and failings of those around us, etc.  But, Paul confidently declared that “when I am weak, then am I strong” (II Corinthians 12:10); that is, when I begin to fail because of my human weaknesses, the Lord “strengthenedst me with strength in my soul”.  With this blessed God-given “strength” in our souls, like Paul, we can simply rise up and keep going, jubilantly declaring, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)!  When we do, we are further encouraged and we encourage those around us!

Psalms 71:16  “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.”

 

In the very face of all his troubles, David declared “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD”; that is, I will not rely upon my own natural “strength” to go forward in service to the Lord.  The direct opposite of this declaration is; I am tired, I am frustrated, there is too much to be done, I cannot see a way out of this mess, and everyone is against me; so, I will just quit!  In truth, when we look at the enormous tasks before us, we must conclude, “Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.” (Psalms 94:17); therefore, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  2  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 121:1-2)!  Like David, no matter how ominous the tasks before us, let us resolve that “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD”; furthermore, I will take no credit unto myself; but, “I will make mention of” the Lord’s “righteousness, even of” His “only”!

Hebrews 13:1  “Let brotherly love continue.”

 

At the beginning of a list of godly behaviors, we are first exhorted (Commanded) to “Let brotherly love continue.”.  This exhortation reveals that the Disciples were, at the present, showing “brotherly love” toward each other.  But, knowing that troubles will arise, they and we are exhorted to “continue” to show “brotherly love” toward each other!  The real test of “brotherly love” comes when issues arise; when we allow our vain human nature to guide us, when we let vain pride influence our decisions, when we fail to forgive one another, and when we fail to put our brothers’ needs above our own.  Our Lord called it “A new commandment”, telling His Disciples, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34).  Our Lord demonstrated the gravity and strength of “brotherly love” on the very night before He was Crucified.  The Lord had told His Disciples that He was going away; so, “there was a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest” (Luke 22:24); that is, “which” one of us will be in charge when the Lord departs.  It was so important that they understand their error, that the Lord “riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.  5  After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.” (John 13:4-5).  This was not the traditional washing afforded to guests; for the traditional washing was done when guests first arrived.  On this evening, the Disciples had been together with the Lord all evening, they had eaten the Passover Feast and the Lord had administered the first Communion.  The Lord explained it this way, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.  14  If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.  15  For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.  16  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.  17  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.” (John 13:13-17).  Notice, He did not say, “ye also ought to” be willing to “wash one another’s feet”; but, that “ye also ought to wash one another’s feet”; the word “ought” means that we are indebted to Him “to wash one another’s feet”.  The physical washing of “one another’s feet” graphically reminds us of the Lord’s Commandment, “That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34)!  Paul explained it this way, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” (Romans 12:10) and “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” (Colossians 3:13)!  Let us whole heartedly obey this Commandment, that we may continue to enjoy sweet peace and fellowship among ourselves and those that our Lord puts in our path!

Isaiah 62:10  “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”

 

In view of the coming Savior (Isaiah 62:11), the Church is given Five Commandments.  The purpose of these Commandments is to make the Church warm and inviting to the “born again” (John 3:1-8) Children of God.  The imagery here is of a city beset with obstacles and difficulties that would discourage and turn away the “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13) who strongly desire the blessed refuge of the “strong city” (Isaiah 26:1).  Those already in the Church, especially the leadership, are Commanded to “Go through, go through the gates”; that is, into the “Jerusalem which is above”, the Church of Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:26).  The Commandment to “Go through” is repeated to emphasize how urgent it is for the membership to “go through the gates”.  To “go through the gates” is to “Not” forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another” (Hebrews 10:25).  That is, when the Church meets to worship, we should be there and encourage others to be there.  In his hymn, George Atkins illustrates our gathering this way: “Brethren, we have met to worship, And adore the Lord our God … Look and see poor mourners ‘round you, Fearing trembling as they go; Longing for a consolation; Will you comfort them or no?  Let us tell them of the Savior … Is there here a trembling jailor, Seeking peace and filled with tears?  Is there here a weeping Mary, Pouring forth a flood of tears?  Let us join our prayers to help them … Let us love our God supremely; Let us love each other too …”!  Let us prayerfully and joyfully, “Go through, go through the gates” into the blessed city called “Hephzibah” and “Beulah” (Isaiah 62:4); that is, the Lord delights in her and she is married to Him!

Isaiah 62:10  “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”

 

To “prepare ye the way of the people” is to lead by example; that is, no one should have to ask are we a Christian, do we know the Lord, etc.  “The way of the people” should be obvious in the “way” we talk, behave ourselves, and in the things we do and don’t do.  The word “prepare” is translated from a word that means to ‘turn to’; so as to “prepare” or show “the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:25) to the “born again” Children of God whose hearts are yearning and searching for the sweet fellowship of the Gospel and the Lord’s people.  Paul puts it this way, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;  2  And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.” (Ephesians 5:1)!  Our Lord put it this way, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)!  In further preparation of “the way”, Peter exhorts us to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15)!  The Lord gave us the ultimate instruction for preparing “the way of the people”; He lovingly Commands, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)!  Preparing “the way of the people” is living our lives in such a way that we are perpetually pointing to our beloved Lord and His blessed Church; as John directed the people’s attention away from himself and declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)!

Isaiah 62:10  “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”

 

To “cast up the highway” is to build it up higher than the surrounding area.  A “highway” that is “cast up” is built high enough that heavy rains and floods will not over wash it and the water will easily drain off to prevent potholes and washouts.  Highways that are not properly “cast up” can become dangerous and impassable in inclement weather.  Also, a “cast up” highway is easily recognized as a “highway”.  The well “cast up” “highway” to the city of “Hephzibah”-“Beulah” refers to our obvious commitment and faithfulness to the Lord and His beloved Church, even in the times of severe storms when the floods of troubles and trials try to wash over and ruin us.  Again, our Lord put it this way, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)!  That is, we are to be good examples to those who have God-given Spiritual Life; that we might be an encouragement to them in their life of service to the Lord.  If life’s storms succeed in ruining our “highway”, then others will discount our faith and even mock us.  To “cast up the highway” is to, during peaceful times, apply ourselves to prayer and to learning and to obeying the Word of God and faithfully attending Church so as to be strengthened; knowing that troubles are sure to come.  The phrase “cast up” is repeated to strongly emphasize the importance of applying ourselves to learning and obeying the Word of God!  As “Jesus” “said” “unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24); that is, expect to endure hardships as we faithfully “follow” Him!  The Lord also encourages us, telling us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)!  Therefore, let us faithfully apply ourselves to casting up the “highway” of our Spiritual lives so that we might be strengthened against troubled times and be an encouragement to others!

mandments To The Church

 

Isaiah 62:10  “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”

 

To “gather out the stones” is to remove obstacles from the “highway” to the city of “Hephzibah”-“Beulah” (Isaiah 62:4); that is, to the Lord’s beloved Church.  “stones” in the “highway” make travel difficult and perilous.  Those who seek to “worship the Father in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23) are discouraged and driven away by the “stones” of unbiblical doctrines and practices in the Church, by the “stones” of hardheartedness, by the “stones” of unforgiveness, by the “stones” of unintelligible preaching, by the “stones” of slothfulness, by the “stones” of murmuring, by the “stones” of bickering, by the “stones” of unfriendliness, by the “stones” of condescension, etc.  As Paul put it, “put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.  9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;” (Galatians 3:8-9)!  In removing these hindering “stones”, we are also Commanded to smoothly pave the “highway” by putting “on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;  13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.  14  And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.  15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.  16  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.” (Colossians 3:12-17)!

Isaiah 62:10  “Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.”

 

To “lift up a standard for the people”, literally, is to mark the rallying point and the direction of travel.  The same word that is translated “standard” is also translated banner, ensign, and sign.  Often, the insignia of the one in authority was fixed on the “standard”.  In the military, the “standard” is kept near the Commander at all times, when it is brought onto the field, the soldiers form into ranks behind it.  When the command to march is given, the “standard” is raised and moved in the direction of the march.  To the “born again” (John 3:1-8) “strangers and pilgrims on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13), the “standard” marks the rallying point to our great “blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15), and directs us in the “highway” to the city of “Hephzibah”-“Beulah” (Isaiah 62:4).  In pointing to the New Testament Church, Isaiah wrote concerning our Lord, “And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.” (Isaiah 11:10); that is, in this case, our incarnate Lord Jesus Christ is His own “ensign”, “standard”!  The Gospel message is like a trumpet that is blown to signal the King’s arrival, then the Preacher distracts any attention from himself and points to our “King” declaring, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36) and great multitudes follow Him (John 6:2)!  The Gospel message has been called the Gospel-Standard; for, it signifies and declares the Glory, Power, and Authority of our “King” Jesus and the beauty and majesty of His Church-Kingdom, His beloved “bride” (Revelation 21:9).  The Gospel-Standard doesn’t make people Children of God; but, it marks the rallying point and leads them on the “highway” to the city of “Hephzibah”-“Beulah”.  It is a beautiful and most blessed thing when the Gospel-Standard is raised, and the Children of God see it, they rally to it, they follow their Lord in baptism, and they obediently follow Him in a life of worshipful service!

Hebrews 13:15  “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

 

The Thanksgiving holiday is indeed a time of fellowship with family and friends and sharing a wonderful meal that reflects the bountiful blessings that the Lord has provided us.  But, “giving thanks to” the “name” of the Lord our God is much more than fellowship and eating.  It is expressed as “giving thanks to his name” to emphasize that our Lord is the exclusive source and cause of our bountiful blessings.  “giving thanks to his name” includes offering “the sacrifice of praise to God continually” and offering a blessed “sacrifice” with “the fruit of our lips”!  “fruit” grows outward from that which is planted and cultivated.  At the very instant of our Spiritual Birth (John 3:1-8), we are given the yearning and ability to “praise”, “bless his holy name” (Psalms 145:21) and to give “thanks to” Him.  Here, we are strongly exhorted to use this yearning and ability to “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name”!  The “fruit of our lips” is the songs of praise we sing, the prayers we offer, and the Word that is preached and proclaimed.  Among the endless flow of blessings that our Lord has graciously granted us; we give thanks that, in Hurricane Michael, not a single one of our people lost their lives or were injured, although their homes were severely damaged.  We give thanks for the great outpouring of love that has been shown to us.  We give thanks for those who came to help us, sent and brought supplies to us, sent financial support to us, and prayed for us.  From the “lips” of those who received these wonderful blessings, “how can we ever say thank you enough”; both to the Lord and to those who have helped us.  We have daily praised and given thanks to the Lord for our abundant blessings; but, on tomorrow, God being our helper, we will come together and sincerely “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name”!

II Corinthians 12:10  “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

 

Here is a blessed paradox, known and rejoiced in by those who have God-given “faith” (Hebrews 12:2).  The “born again” (John 3:1-8) Children of God soon learn that their natural strength and wisdom are entirely inadequate to overcome the wickedness that abounds all about them.  Furthermore, we also learn that, of ourselves, we cannot overcome the weaknesses in our own minds and flesh.  It may seem foolish to conclude that we are both “weak” and “strong” at the same time; yet, it is surely so!  The forces of the wicked are mighty and many; but, the little “sheep” of our Lord (John 10) are under the loving care of the Lord God Almighty and He is our deliverer.  We are often weakened by our own carnality; yet, our great and blessed Redeemer appears in our darkest hours to shine the gory of His presence upon us and to lift us up again.  Thus, like Paul, as we go about serving the Lord, we can “take pleasure in” (not for) our “infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses”.  Our “pleasure” is knowing that when our strength fails, and we realize our natural weakness; then, our “good Shepherd” (John 10) reveals His omnipotence as He kindly reaches down and lifts us up to victory over our weaknesses.  Thus, when times are hard, and we are too weak to overcome; then, our “faith” compels us to take our eyes off ourselves and “Look… unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2); for, “The LORD is my strength” (Psalms 28:7)!

James 1:27  “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

 

“Pure religion and undefiled” denotes a life of worship, fully and wholly dedicated to our Heavenly Father, not mixed with carnal lusts and motives; such as, intertangling our religious life with our natural lusts for the vain and immoral things of this world and our natural desire for attention, recognition, and power over others.  The quest for “Pure religion and undefiled” requires constant vigilance over our hearts, minds, and actions; for, we are all subject to sinful errors.  As Paul wrote, “the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do” (Romans 7:19) and “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27)!  Sometimes our carnal mind will make excuses and exceptions for sinful attitudes and behaviors; but, a life of worship is a life entirely and exclusively submitted to and lovingly guided by the authority and Command of “God and the Father”!  Understanding and professing the true “doctrine of God our Saviour” is essential to a life of “Pure religion”; but, we are Commanded to not stop there, but to “go on unto perfection” (Hebrews 6:1); that is, once we are well grounded in the “doctrine”, then we proceed on to “shew” our “faith by” our “works” (James 2:18)!  James illustrates the outward evidence of a true life of worship; he gives us a two-point criterion for living a life of “Pure religion and undefiled”; telling us “To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world”!  As Solomon declared, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Joel 3:16  “The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”

 

Joel Chapter Three prophesies that “the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel” during times of war and great distress that would severely affect the New Testament Church of Jesus Christ.  In this case, “the children of Israel” refers to “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16), the “Jerusalem which is above is free” (Galatians 4:26); that is, the New Testament Church which was in many ways prophetically typified by the Old Testament Israel.  As Prophesied, in the early years of the Christian Church, the faithful worshipers endured severe persecution and great hardship as they were driven about the world fighting and escaping persecution and war.  Yet, “the LORD” was their “hope” and “strength”.  It was prophesied that the enemies of the Church would gather against the Church and go to great lengths and efforts to destroy her (Joel 3:10-12); but, “The LORD” did “roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth” did “shake”; yet, in spite of the overwhelming odds, “the LORD” was victorious over His enemies; and even to our day, He remains “the hope of his people, and the strength of” His beloved “children”.  No matter how ominous the challenge before us, we have every reason to worshipfully declare, “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:” (Psalms 146:5) and “hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God” (Psalms 42:11)!

Psalms 71:16  “I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.”

 

The Psalmist declares, “I will go”; that is, “go” forward in the service to “the Lord God”, to worshipfully and faithfully serve Him in Church and in my daily walk in life.  He recognized that the obstacles and hinderances to such a life of worship and service were too great for him to overcome alone; so, he professed that he would “go in the strength of the Lord GOD”.  The mighty power of the devil and his wicked minions cannot possibly be overcome except by “the strength of the Lord GOD”!  They will use discouragements, troubles, disappointments, distractions, temptations, loneliness, heartbreak, pain, fear, etc. to hinder us; but, the Psalmist also plainly declared, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalms 28:7)!  Paul made it very clear when he declared, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13); that is, I can faithfully and surely “go” forward in my service to “the Lord God” no matter how severe my “tribulations” become!  The Lord Himself tells us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33); that is, expect “tribulation”; but, always remember that I have power over your “tribulation” and the cause of it!  Knowing this blessed truth, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)!

Psalms 71:16  “Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.”

 

The forgoing verses make it clear that these are the prophetic words of the Messiah Himself.  He addresses His message to those “that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light”.  Those “that feareth the LORD” are those who rejoice and stand in reverential awe of the Sovereign, Omnipotent God; for, He is the God “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (II Timothy 1:9) and the God “who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3).  He further identifies His addressees as those “that obeyeth the voice of his servant”; that is, those who lovingly hear and obey the Word of God; that is, those who are the “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).  Again, He further identifies His addressees as those “that walketh in darkness, and hath no light”; that is, those of the faithful Children of God who are in the midst of some “dark” and miserable trouble in which there seems to be no way out.  Even the most faithful Children of God experience these “dark” troubles; for, the Lord plainly told us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33)!  These troubles are described as those “that walketh in darkness, and hath no light”; because, sometimes our troubles are so severe that, from our natural view, there is no hope for a better day, no hope for peace, no hope for joy, no hope for comfort, etc.  Yet, we rejoice; for, those who “stay upon his God” will eventually see the Lord push back the deep “darkness” and fill us again with the blessed Light of His Holy Presence.  This is the joy of the truth of God and has been the experience of my life!

Jeremiah 31:2  “Thus saith the LORD, The people which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness; even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest.”

 

Jeremiah emphasizes the weight and value of his message by declaring, “Thus saith the LORD”; that is, pay close attention for “the LORD” has sent you a message.  In referring to “The people which were left of the sword”, He is telling us that Israel had been through some very trying times.  So difficult were those times, that some of the people didn’t make it, they were slain by “the sword”.  Those who survived those difficult times were still enduring the rugged and harsh “wilderness”; yet, they were highly blessed; for, they “found grace in the wilderness”!  They enjoyed this blessed “grace” “when” “the LORD” “went to cause him to rest”!  It remains so with us today.  We go through severe, even devastating, times in our lives; but, in His good time, the Lord reveals His blessed “grace” when He comes to give us “rest” from our troubles.  Knowing that we will pass through these awful times in our lives, the Lord left us reason to hope for a better day; telling us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)!  Much like the Children of Israel, who “found grace in the wilderness”, we find that there is no better “rest” than that which is experienced as we worshipfully bow before “the throne of Grace” (Hebrews 4:16); for, there also is the “mercy seat”!  The more often we resort there, the more peaceful “rest” we enjoy in this present life!

Jeremiah 31:3  “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

 

Jeremiah had been blessed with the feeling and knowledge of the LORD’s love for a very long time, probably all his life; for, the Lord had told him “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5).  This “everlasting love” is like the two arrows on a mathematical number line, it goes backward and forward infinitely; that is, “The Lord” has always and will always love His beloved Children.  God’s choice of His people, “before the foundation of the world” was rooted in His “love” (Ephesians 1:4) for them.  Paul called God’s love for His Children a “great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4) and tells us that absolutely nothing can “separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).  Some of the most awful things that we can hear is “I don’t love you any more”, “I’m not sure that I ever loved you”, “I like you, but I don’t love you”, “I actually hate you”, etc.  The Children of God will never hear or feel such things from the blessed “LORD” who has sovereignly chosen to “love” us “with an everlasting love”.  He loved us even before we knew Him to love Him, even before we could choose to love Him, even before we drew our first breath, even before we were formed in our mother’s “womb”, even before the “foundation of the world”!  This blessed truth is greater than my mind can comprehend; as David said, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.” (Psalms 139:6)!  Many things change in our lives; but, “the love of God” is like the mountain that never moves, the sun that always rises, and like the Spring that always comes.  Even in the midst of life’s many storms, the Sun of the LORD’s “love” is still shining bright.  Our troubles are often like a dark, ominous cloud; yet, just behind that awful cloud, the Sun of the LORD’s “love” is still shining bright.  Our heart might be breaking; but, the LORD’s love for us remains sure and steadfast!  John expressed it this way, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us” (I John 3:16)!  As the hymnist, F. M. Lehman, wrote, “The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell; It goes beyond the highest star, An reaches to the lowest hell; …”!  Such love exceeds my ability to comprehend or express, yet I rejoice to know that it is so!

Jeremiah 31:3  “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

 

God’s “love” is effectual; His “love” is cloaked in His Sovereign power to accomplish His will.  Our “love” for others is often unsatisfied and fruitless; for, our “love” is often rejected and even disdained; but, it is not so with God.  The word “drawn” means that the person being “drawn” is moved from their present state, solely by the power and will of God.  Those being “born again” (John 3:1-8) experience this drawing as they are moved from a state of ignorance of God to a blessed loving knowledge of God and desire for the things of God.  The Lord accomplishes this drawing with such “lovingkindness”; that the person never resents it or dislikes it; but, greatly rejoices to experience this wonderful loving fellowship with the Lord God Almighty.  Man cannot initiate, cause, or consummate this drawing; for, the Lord plainly declared, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44).  Furthermore, God’s drawing “love” is effectual; that is, it surely, without the possibility of failure, accomplishes His will to effect a loving relationship with each of His beloved Children.  Again, the Lord explained it this way, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)!  The Lord exclusively effects this blessed drawing with His “love” that is wonderfully “everlasting”; for, nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39)!  John put it this way, “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)!

Isaiah 40:1  “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.  2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.”

 

From the view of those who need to be comforted, this passage has two senses.  One, is that we have endured a lot of severe tribulations during our troubled times; but our Lord has mercifully delivered us so that we can joyfully worship and serve Him; such as the Lord did when He delivered His people from the Babylonian Captivity.  Second, our sin is great, but our Eternal Relationship with the Lord is perfectly and eternally secure; for, our Lord, in sacrificing Himself for us, has “pardoned” our “iniquity”, making us righteous, just, and holy; thus, perfectly fit for Eternal Life in Heaven with Him.  It is important to note that the word that is translated “Comfort” in this passage, is also translated “repent” in other passages; so, in this one word, we have both the sense of being sorrowful and rejoicing.  Thus, the meaning is that, in view of the mercy and grace of our Lord that He has bestowed upon unworthy sinners, we should, with great contrition, most-humbly rejoice, not in how we have delivered ourselves, but in “how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:19)!  We know for sure that this passage is prophesying of the work of Christ in the New Testament period; for, verse three was shown to be fulfilled when Matthew wrote concerning John the Baptists, “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Matthew 3:3)!  The “Jerusalem” here is the “Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26); that is, the whole “Elect” Family of Jesus Christ our Lord (I Peter 1:2).  So, we have reason to rejoice, even when we are “passing through the valley of” Weeping (Psalms 84:6); for, in such dreadful times, our Good Shepherd (John 10) tenderly takes us into His kind and merciful arms and carries us through.  And when our great adversary flings our sin before us to shame and discourage us, let us humbly rejoice; for, our Beloved Lord “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9)!  These are declarative words from the Lord God Almighty, that are to be often repeated for the comfort and joy of the Lord’s beloved Children.  Wherefore, let us proclaim, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.”!

Isaiah 40:1  “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.  2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.”

 

In the Lord’s message to His beloved “people”, He Commands the Cryer to powerfully and authoritatively deliver His words of “comfort” to them.  The Cryer is clearly identified as John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:3, Matthew 3:3).  The prophetic illustration for this comforting message is Judah/Jerusalem’s captivity by the Chaldeans and return seventy years later.  But, the ultimate application is the opening message for the New Testament Period.  As John the Baptist did, a Cryer positions himself in very prominent places in the city where his message can be heard by the most people.  There are two main points in God’s message to His people.  First, “her warfare is accomplished”; that is, the Battle is fought and is victoriously won.  Second, “her iniquity is pardoned”; that is, the guilt and penalty for “her iniquity” is lifted from “her”; in the Lord’s Divine Justice, she is no longer guilty of “her” iniquitous sin.  The basis for this “victory” and “pardon” is that “she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins”.  This passage doesn’t mean that she has “received” “double” punishment “for all her sins”; for, we are plainly told that “after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this” (Ezra 9:13).  Furthermore, this “victory” and “pardon” is “for all her sins”, not just the rebellion that led to Judah/Jerusalem’s destruction and captivity.  This prophecy points directly to the coming Messiah, Who fought the battle against sin and won; thus, we still cry, “thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57)!  Using the word “double” here, means all sufficient; thus, the Cryer’s message is that everything necessary for this blessed “victory” is accomplished.  It is accomplished by “the LORD’S hand” and His “hand” alone; for, “his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory” (Psalms 98:1) and “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).  Rejoicing in this blessed truth, we joyfully and strongly sing, “Victory In Jesus” (E.M. Bartlett)!

II Corinthians 1:24   “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.”

 

While Paul did indeed have Apostolic authority to command and instruct them and us in matters of Church Discipline and Doctrine; he did not have “dominion” (power and authority) over their “faith”.  Only our Lord has such “dominion over” our “faith”; for, “Jesus” is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2); that is, through the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8) He places “faith” in His Children’s heart-mind and exercises them in it to strengthen and establish them in “faith”.  Preachers, much like the Apostles, are “helpers of your joy”; that is, Pastors and Teachers (Ephesians 4:11-16) are Charged to live and be “among” those that they serve (II Peter 5:1) so that they can know their needs and be fellow laborers with them in all their struggles in life.  Pastors and Teachers labor alongside those they serve, applying the Word of God to their struggles; whether those struggles be the basic needs and distresses of life or the memory of and temptations of sin.  The God-Called Pastor-Teacher is constantly praying for those under his charge and feels a deep sense of pain and sorrow when they are in distress.  He not only prays for them, but rushes to their side, day or night, to apply the Word of God to their situation, to encourage and help them.  When the Word of God is ‘rightly divided’ (II Timothy 2:15) and applied to their present situation, the result is “joy”; that is, “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).  By the “grace” and “mercy” of our Beloved Lord (Hebrews 4:16), this blessed “joy”/“peace” mightily comes upon those who are in distress, even in the very midst of their greatest tribulations, when they are “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2)!  It is a marvelous thing to see “the peace of God” embrace the Lord’s Children like a warm blanket on a bitterly cold day!

II Corinthians 1:24  “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.”

 

By “faith” the Children of God “stand” against troubles, trials, tribulations, heartbreak, disappointment, …  Their God-given “faith” is the cause and means of their standing in the face of those things that would otherwise defeat and destroy them.  Faith is the cause of our standing; for, without it we would have no sense or desire to trust in our God.  To “stand” is to look tribulations in the face and give no ground and when we are knocked down, we simply get up, dust ourselves off, and resiliently face our tribulations; for, “by faith”, we refuse to accept defeat in the service of our God!  It is true that we should expect tribulations in our lives; but, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed” (II Corinthians 4:8-9)!  Essentially, “faith” is the power of God working in and through us; “faith” is the means of our standing; for, when our strength and ability are exhausted, the Lord mystically appears on the scene and mightily upholds us.  In the face of great tribulation, “by faith” we soon learn to “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5).  By “faith”, king David well knew the source and cause of his strength and success; for, he worshipfully declared, “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:” (Psalms 144:1)!  The Lord explained it this way, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).  Magnificent things are said about our “faith”:  “by it the elders obtained a good report”, “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God”, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice”, “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death”, “without faith it is impossible to please ” God, “Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age”, “By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac”, “By faith they passed through the Red sea as by dry land”, “By faith the walls of Jericho fell down”, “through faith” our ancestors in “faith” “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,  34  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens”, … (Hebrews 11)!  By “faith” Paul confidently declared, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)!  One of the greatest testimonies of our “faith” is that we do not swoon away in despair, but by “faith” working in us we “withstand” and “stand” (Ephesians 6:13) in “the good fight of faith” (I Timothy 6:12)!

II Corinthians 1:7  “And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.”

 

From the moment that the Lord “set up” His Church-Kingdom (Daniel 2:44), she has endured great “sufferings”.  At first, she was persecuted by the Jewish authorities, then by the Roman Authorities.  Even before the end of the first century after Christ, some Christian leaders were altering “the doctrine of Christ” (I John 1:9); intertangling some parts of the Old Testament Law Service and some Pagan Practices with the Lord’s “doctrine”.  Because those faithful to “the doctrine of Christ” would not submit to their corrupt doctrines and practices, the faithful suffered severe persecutions.  Their sufferings were so great that they were constantly moving to new regions, trying to escape their persecutors.  This persecution, by supposed Christians, continued even onto the American Continent and it continued until the Bill of Rights of our Constitution was put into force.  Since that time, those faithful to “the doctrine of Christ” have enjoyed considerable freedom from persecution.  But, in more recent years the Constitutional right to practice religion has been twisted to a corrupted freedom FROM religion.  This constitutional-corruption is allowing the practice of religion to be limited and, in some cases, prevented.  Another obstacle before us is the loud and massive noise of entertainment and media that tends to drown out the simple, sincere (II Corinthians 1:12) “doctrine of Christ”.  Much like our ancestors, who endured the sufferings of physical persecutions, the challenge before us is to steadfastly cling to the precious old “doctrine of Christ” and accurately and clearly proclaim it by any and every means the Lord affords us.  Furthermore, if we believe these old truths, we are duty bound to also live them in Church, at home, at school, at work, at social gatherings, at the department store, etc.  We must guard ourselves, so that we do not hide our faith in our pocket because it is not popular or accepted.  Paul said it this way, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16); that is, I will not tailor my faith to fit my present company; but, I will both declare and live what I believe no matter where I am.  That doesn’t mean that we should try to force religion on someone who doesn’t’ want it; but, it does mean that everyone we meet should see our faith in our actions and hear it in the things we say.  No one should ever have to ask if we are a Christian, they should see it in our behavior.  It is sometimes difficult to live our faith in the face of rejection and ridicule; but, that is nothing compared to what our ancestors endured.  They endured by keeping “the consolation” in view; knowing that one blessed and holy day they will hear the Savior’s voice Commanding, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34)!  Let us faithfully “take unto” us “the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13)!

Romans 9:11  “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)”

 

Many questions arise concerning the Doctrine of “election”; such as, who did the “election”, when was the “election” done, who does the election apply to, what was the criteria for the “election”, can the “election” be altered, can man influence the “election”, is the Doctrine of “election” fair, etc.  If Biblical Doctrine were a building, the Sovereignty of God would be the foundation, and the Doctrine of “election” would be the first floor.  Like any other Biblical subject, the best way to understand it, is to prayerfully take a deep breath, set back and let the Word of God explain it to us.  Great volumes have been written concerning the Doctrine of “election”; some trying to explain it away and some rejoicing in the Sovereign “purpose of God”!  So, as an introduction to the subject, Paul makes it clear that “the purpose of God according to election” applies to not only the Jews, but also to “the Gentiles”; he uses a question to illustrate his point: “Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:” (Romans 3:29).  As far as the number of the Elect, in one of the magnificent scenes in Heaven, John saw “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9).  Another introductory point is that the “election” occurred “before the foundation of the world”: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:4); that is, God made His choice of “a great multitude” before man had any opportunity to influence it!  Furthermore, it is not according to our “will”, but God’s: “So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.” (Romans 9:16)!  Neither is it according to our good works, but it is according to God’s “mercy”; that is, God Sovereignly chose to do for us what we could not possibly do for ourselves, He paid our sin-debt: “God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” (Romans 8:3)!  Considering the blessed Doctrine of “election”, we ought to faithfully serve the God that has so graciously blessed us; as we are Commanded, “let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Romans 13:12), “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.” (Romans 13:13), “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way.” (Romans 14:13), and “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” (Romans 14:19)!

Romans 9:11  “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)”

 

It is important to know Who did the “election”.  The Apostle Peter addressed his Epistle to the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2).  The word “foreknowledge” tells us that the “Elect” were “chosen” by “God the Father” at some previous time.  Using the word “chosen”, Paul makes it very clear Who made the choice: “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:4).  The pronouns in this sentence were identified in the previous verse (Ephesians 1:3): “he (“the God and Father”) hath chosen us (“the elect”) in him (“our Lord Jesus Christ”)”.  Thus, it is clear that God the Father made this blessed choice long before those who were “chosen” could have any say or influence in His decision.  This marvelous truth is evidence that our God has the Sovereign authority and power “to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour” (Romans 9:21) according to His own “purpose”.  He didn’t have to ask our opinion of His choice, seek our approval of His choice, or seek our advice.  Furthermore, His choice was final and sure when He made it; He didn’t weakly make His choice and then depend upon us to accept it or to consummate it.  Knowing that God is truly Sovereign, we rejoice to daily live “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:2)!

Luke 2:35  “(Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

 

The angel had told both Joseph and Mary that this Child’s name was to be “Jesus” (Mathew 1:21; Luke 1:31).  His name literally means, Jehovah Is Our Salvation.  His very name points directly to His Sacrifice, which was necessary to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  When Joseph and Mary took the Child, “Jesus” to the Temple, “Simeon”, who was “waiting for the consolation of Israel” (Luke 2:25), told Mary that “a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also”.  Simeon’s prophecy points directly to that dreadful day when she “stood by the cross” (John 19:25) where her Darling Son was Crucified and would suffer miserably until He finally gave His life.  A godly mother loves her precious child, from the very instant that the child is conceived within her.  Mary loved, cuddled, and cared for her Child all through his childhood.  No matter how old a child becomes, its mother can always see that precious baby that she so tenderly held in her arms.  That dreadful day finally came; when the awful “sword” pierced “through” her “own soul” as she watched the horrible scene of her beloved Son hanging on that miserable Cross.  Isaiah prophesied of that awful, yet blessed, day when he wrote, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).  The Lord Himself declared that “for this cause came I unto this hour” (John 12:27); that is, “I came” to Sacrifice Myself to “save” My “people from their sins”!  Thus, this Precious Child was Born To Die a sacrificial death!  And, just before He gave His life, He plainly declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30); that is, in giving His life, He alone “finished” everything necessary to “save his people from their sins”!  His sacrifice is so magnificent that He Commands the Church to celebrate it at the Communion Table (Luke 22:19-20)!  With all the celebratory activities of this time of year, let us never forget that this Child was Born To Die!

Romans 9:11  “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)”

 

The Doctrine of “election” teaches us that the “election” applies to those that God “hath chosen” “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).  The “election” does not apply to everyone; for, there are some that the Lord “hates” (Romans 9:13), some that the Lord “never knew” (Matthew 7:23), some who do “not” “have” “the love of God in” them (John 5:42), some who “are not of” the Lord’s “sheep” (John 10:26), and some who are “as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed” (II Peter 2:12).  But, the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2) are those that the Lord “did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29).  Concerning the “Elect”, the Lord declared that “this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39).  And, we greatly rejoice knowing that there is nothing that can separate the “Elect” from “the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39)!

Romans 9:11  “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)”

 

The truth of ‘free will’ is that God has the ‘free will’ to choose whomsoever He pleases and to reject whomsoever He pleases.  In this passage we are plainly told what the criteria for His choice was not.  Jacob and Esau are used to illustrate the Doctrine of Election; for, with respect to their works, as twin brothers, Jacob and Esau were on equal footing.  God made His choice “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), long before they had performed either good works or bad works.  The idea that God, in His foreknowledge, knew that one would be good and faithful to Him and the other would not, is simply not the criteria; for, God’s choice was “not of works”; that is, He did not base His choice on their good or bad works.  If it were based upon “works”; then, none would have been chosen; for, “The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.  3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:2-3).  Even if it were possible for a person to live without performing sin; they would still be guilty of sin; for, “as by one man” [Adam] “sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12); that is, our first guilt is the imputed sin of Adam!  God’s criteria were “the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5), “the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7), that “which he purposed in himself” (Ephesians 1:9), “the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11), and it is exclusively “of him that calleth”!  This is why we so strongly sing with John Newton, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me”!

Romans 9:11  “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)”

 

The words “might stand” signals the absolute surety of God’s “election”, in which He chose His people “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).  When our Lord declared that He came to do His Father’s “will”; He made it perfectly clear that it is His Father’s “will” that He “should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)!  To a “born again” (John 3:1-8) Child of God, there is no greater comfort found under the sun than knowing the blessed truth that the Sovereign God has made choice of a great multitude of people and everyone that He chose will finally be with Him in Heaven.  We well know that, of ourselves, we are not worthy to inherit such a Glorious Estate; but, we rejoice in the precious Gospel which wonderfully teaches us that “he hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6).  To have been “made” “accepted” is to have been “made” worthy, thus perfectly fit for our Heavenly Home.  Knowing this blessed truth, we anxiously take up our cross to follow Him in this present life as we await our “change” (I Corinthians 15:51) and raised up to our Eternal Home with Him!

Romans 9:11  “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)”

 

There are several flawed assumptions behind the belief that the Doctrine of Election is not fair.  One, is that the Doctrine of Election might exclude someone who really wanted to go to Heaven.  Second, there is a little good in everyone that needs to be stimulated so that a person can be enticed to do the necessary things to be saved.  Third, God would be entirely unfair if He didn’t give everyone a chance to go to Heaven; therefore, when the Bible mentions Election or God choosing a particular people it must be referring to something else.  Because the Doctrine of Election is a Biblical Doctrine, we must answer these objections with the Bible and not by personal opinion.  The Lord does not permit a chance system for salvation, He plainly declared that “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37) and that “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44).  Thus, it is impossible for anyone to want to go to Heaven unless “the Father” lovingly draws them by Spiritual Birth and of all those that He has drawn to Himself, He “will in no wise cast out”.  Furthermore, the Lord declared that “of all which” the Father “hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)!  With respect to our fitness for Heaven, “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10); but, by the Sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, He has “made” His people “righteous”; thus, fit for Heaven (Romans 5:19).  It is certain that Born Again Children of God are Commanded and heart-bound to behave worshipfully and lovingly toward the Lord; but, this behavior is the result of their Spiritual Birth not the cause of it for the Lord plainly declared that “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him”.  It is impossible for one person to entice another person to save themselves to Heaven; for, “they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest” (Hebrews 8:11) and the Lord tells us that “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:” (John 10:27).  Thus, we cannot introduce a person to the Lord, neither can we entice someone to say certain things or to perform certain actions to save themselves or to consummate their Eternal Salvation.  Furthermore, a person that is not Born Again by the Holy Spirit has no interest whatsoever in God or the things of God; for, “all men have not faith” (II Thessalonians 3:2) and these “believe not” for they “are not of” the Lord’s “sheep” (John 10:26).  But, the Elect, Born Again Children of God rejoice to declare, “I know that my redeemer liveth” “Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25-27)!

Romans 10:1  “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”

 

Any time we see the word “saved” in the Bible, we must prayerfully ask the Bible, “saved” from what.  Our “God is not the author of confusion” (I Corinthians 14:33).  If on one hand our Lord taught the Doctrine of Predestination as in Romans 8 and the Doctrine of Election as in Romans 9; and on the other hand, He began to teach a works system to obtain Eternal Salvation; there would be overwhelming confusion in the Word of God.  Therefore, we must be careful to “Study to shew” ourselves “approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15).  For example, if every time the word “saved” is used, it means Eternal Salvation; then, those who do not have a good memory will not make it (I Corinthians 15:2)!  Paul made it very clear that our Eternal Salvation is granted to the Lord’s Elect entirely “by grace” and “Not by works”:  “But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,  5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;  6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;  7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7)!  Paul’s “heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved”!  If Paul were referring to our Eternal Salvation, why would he use the praise “might be saved”?  Such a phrase is entirely inconsistent with how we obtained Eternal Salvation; for, Jesus candidly spoke of the surety of our Eternal Security; telling us that, “this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)!  And, Paul made it very clear that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39)!  Lord willing, we will continue to contextually examine what Paul was praying that Israel would be “saved” from!

Romans 10:1  “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.  …  5  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.”

 

Paul prayed for “Israel”, for they were following in the footsteps of their forefathers.  In the wilderness, the Lord had graciously led then, fed them, clothed them, instructed them, and protected them; but they disobeyed Him and He severely chastened them (I Corinthians 10:1-5).  Paul could see a great chastisement coming again upon his Israelite “Brethren”, in which they would be “broken off” from the Lord’s blessings and care because of their “unbelief” (Romans 11:20).  He also warns the Christian Church about making the very same mistake and suffering the consequences for it (Romans 11:16-22).  Paul was concerned, not about their Eternal Salvation, but about a great impending ruin that would come upon them because of their “unbelief”!  It wasn’t that they didn’t know God, for Paul explained; “For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.” (Romans 10:2)!  The problem was that their “zeal” was “not according to knowledge”; that is, they were doing a lot of religious things, but not things that recognized and glorified the Messiah as “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15) and as “the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 2:20).  Paul clearly explained it this way, “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” (Romans 1:21)!  Even more to the point, they were “ignorant of God’s righteousness, and” were “going about to establish their own righteousness,” and they had “not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3)!  Such ignorance denies that Jesus Christ “finished” the work of Eternal Salvation on the Cross (John 19:30).  To be “ignorant” is to ignore the plain and readily apparent truth that Jesus Christ did indeed fully and finally “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  Such ignorance as this is an abomination to God and it has severe consequences!

Romans 10:3  “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

 

The heart of the issue is that Israel was “ignorant of God’s righteousness, and” were “going about to establish their own righteousness,” and they had “not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God”.  They were “going about to establish their own righteousness”; that is, they believed that by rigidly keeping their version of the Law, which was their own works, they could make themselves “righteous”; thus, fit for Eternal Heaven.  Paul makes it very clear that it is “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (Titus 3:5)!  Furthermore, it is “by the righteousness of one (Jesus Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:18).  They ignored the simple truth that it is by “God’s righteousness” that the Children of God are saved to Eternal Heaven; for, even Jeremiah plainly referred to the Lord as “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS” (Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16).  And Isaiah exclaimed, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18)!  John explained that it is “Jesus Christ, … that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” (Revelation 1:5).  So, the bottom line is that it is Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone Who hath “saved his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); that is, He “washed us from our sins in his own blood”!  Those who take the position that their works either saved them to Eternal Heaven or contributed to their Eternal Salvation, “establish their own righteousness” which glorifies themselves and not the Lord.  To submit “unto the righteousness of God” is to believe, profess, and live the truth that God the Father sent His Only Begotten Son into this world the save His people from their sins and that Jesus Christ, by Himself, by the sacrifice of Himself, saved every one that His Father had given Him without the loss of a single one (John 6:40)!  To declare our “righteousness” is to declare that Jesus Christ didn’t fully finish what His Father Sent Him to do.  Such a position is in direct opposition to the Lord’s own words on the Cross; for He strongly and plainly declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30); that is, He had fully and finally saved all that the Father had given Him.  Denying “the righteousness of God” is an abomination to God and will eventually bring the wrath of God upon those who so defame the Lord.  This wrath is what Paul was praying that Israel would be saved from!  And, Paul warned his Christian Brethren about going down the same ruinous path: “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.  22  Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Romans 11:20-22).

Romans 10:3  “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

 

As we study Romans Chapters Nine, Ten, and Eleven in context, it becomes clear that Paul is praying for Israel that they would be saved from the peril of their ignorance.  Paul had reminded them of “the Lord of Sabaoth” (Romans 9:29); which is, the same as “the Lord of host” (Isaiah 1:9) that had sent great destruction upon Old Testament Israel and had only left them a small “remnant”, “a seed” because they had disobeyed and rejected Him.  This is why Paul exhorts both the Jews and Gentiles (Romans 10:12); telling them and us, “if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9) and “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13)!  Remember, “they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge” (Romans 3:2), they had rejected knowledge, the truth of Jesus Christ.  Similarly, Hosea quotes the Lord to the northern nation of Israel, telling them that “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.” (Hosea 4:6).  He called them “My people” and Paul said that “they have a zeal of God” and tells us that “As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes.” (Romans 11:28).  The issue here is not their Eternal Salvation; but, it is the impending peril of God’s wrath against their ignorance.  Let us never forget that Paul also warns us, not that God will throw His Elect (Romans 8:33; 9:11; I Peter 1:2) into Eternal Punishment, but that “because of unbelief they were broken off” and that we must “take heed lest he also spare not” us (Romans 11:20-21)!  He makes it perfectly plain: “Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Romans 11:22)!  Isaiah was likewise plain when he wrote, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20)!  They didn’t listen, and they were “devoured with the sword” (II Kings 25; II Chronicles 36)!  Again, in the New Testament the Lord told them that “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2; Mark 13:2, Luke 21:6); and secular history records that indeed the Roman army did utterly destroy Jerusalem!  We must never forget that God means what He says and that “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)!  Truth matters to God!

Romans 10:3  “For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”

 

Submitting ourselves “unto the righteousness of God” is contrary to our human nature; for, it is our nature to work to achieve and to claim credit for our accomplishments.  So, it is natural that man would seek to make himself “righteous” and then to claim credit for making himself “righteous”.  As with Abraham (Romans 4:2), we ought to strive to make ourselves as practically “righteous” as possible; so that we will be “good and faithful” (Matthew 25:21) servants of our Lord.  The first step in submitting “unto the righteousness of God” is to know and declare that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) and that “in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing” (Romans 7:18)!  Second, is to know and declare that solely by the Sacrificial Death of our Savior, all of His “Elect” (Romans 8:33) are “made righteous” (Romans 5:19; II Corinthians 5:21); thus, fit for Eternal Heaven!  Submitting “unto the righteousness of God” compels us to humility, brotherly kindness, and worshipful obedience to our Lord.  John Newton said it this way, “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me”!

 

Philippians 4:8  “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

 

Without Christianity’s high code of integrity and morality, our Representative Republic form of Government will fail!  In our Representative Republic, we choose leaders to represent us in Government.  If we do not filter our choices through the Bible’s code of integrity and morality, then we get corrupt leaders who are guided by greed and lusts for power.  Our form of Government affords us great personal liberty; yet, it requires us to be disciplined and honest and moral.  Our Government cannot and must not establish a national religion; neither can it legally restrict the practice of religion.  But, the leaders we choose must make and enforce laws through the Bible’s paradigm for honesty and morality.  True Biblical Christianity does not force itself on anyone; but, it does lovingly reach out to those to whom the Lord has given Spiritual Birth.  True Biblical Christianity insists that we live and behave as “brethren”, promoting things that are “true”, “honest”, “just”, “pure”, “lovely”, “of good report”, and of “virtue”!  Biblical wisdom clearly teaches us that “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” (Proverbs 29:2)!  Therefore, let us “put on” and “take unto” ourselves “the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13)!

I Corinthians 16:13  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  14  Let all your things be done with charity.”

 

Living in a hostile world that is beset with immorality, dishonesty, and lusts for power and carnal things is nothing unusual for Christianity.  Christianity rose up in the very midst of corruption and persecution; yet, being strengthened by the Lord, the faithful stood their ground and refused to compromise their “faith”; thus, these faithful Children of God maintained true Christianity and passed it down through the ages to our present generation.  So arduous is the Christian task that Paul often instructs us using military terms; such as, “Watch ye, stand fast”, “put on the whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:11), “be ye stedfast, unmoveable” (I Corinthians 15:58), “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:3), and “Fight the good fight of faith” (I Timothy 6:12).  An underlying military motif is that a “good soldier” knows why he is fighting and is faithful to the cause, knows who his Commander is, will not run away in the face of the enemy, is well trained, is well equipped, and will even fight on when wounded!  When young David was ridiculed and mocked, just before he fought and defeated the giant; he asked, “Is there not a cause?” (I Samuel 17:29).  The same question is applicable in our day, “Is there not a cause?” to commit ourselves and to “Fight the good fight of faith” as our ancestors did.  As Nehemiah told the Children of Israel, “Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (Nehemiah 4:14)!

I Corinthians 16:13  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  14  Let all your things be done with charity.”

 

Much like a soldier standing guard (“watch”), Christian soldiers are to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (I Peter 5:8)!  We must “watch” over ourselves; for, we are naturally prone to “sin”; as David declared, “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle …” (Psalms 39:1); and as the Lord instructs us, we are to “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)!  We are to “watch” over the Doctrine we preach and teach; for, some have erred “not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29).  We must be ever vigilant “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Mark 13:6) and we must “henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;” (Ephesians 4:14).  Those who stand “watch”, “watch” for unbiblical doctrines, practices, and behaviors within ourselves, our Church, our family, our community, and our nation; and, sadly, in our day it is even necessary to be watchful for those who would do physical harm to our Churches.  A watchman must be well studied in the Word of God (II Timothy 2:15); else he’ll not recognize the danger when he sees it.  The Lord calls and sets up His “watchmen”; saying, “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,” (Isaiah 62:6).  It is true that when the “watchmen” cry alarm, some will not listen: “Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken.” (Jeremiah 6:17)!  The Lord sent this message to “the angel of the church in Sardis”: “Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.  3  Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” (Revelation 3:1-3)!  A faithful “watchman” must sincerely and urgently “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;” (Colossians 4:2).

I Corinthians 16:13  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  14  Let all your things be done with charity.”

 

On the ancient battle fields, commanders would array their soldiers in long lines as the enemy advanced toward them.  The advancing army could look most dreadful; so, the commander would pass among his men telling them to “stand fast”, “Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” (Nehemiah 4:14)!  To “stand fast” is to hold your current position, do not shift to the right or the left and certainly do not flee away backwards.  In this context, “the faith” refers to the body of Biblical Doctrinal Truths that explain who Christ is, why He came to this earth, what He accomplished while on the earth, who His people are and how they came to be His people, and what the future holds for His people.  To “stand fast in the faith” is to not shift to the left; that is, do not dilute or ignore the Doctrine.  To “stand fast in the faith” is to not shift to the right; that is, do not over extend the Scripture and become so hard and harsh that the Children of God become discouraged and flee away.  To “stand fast in the faith” is to not become disheartened and flee away from the Lord’s Doctrine and His Church.  To “stand fast in the faith” requires that we first learn “the faith” (the Biblical Doctrine) by praying for understanding, reading and studying the Scripture, and attending Church services to avail ourselves of the preached Word.  Then, we are to “sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” (I Peter 3:15)!  When our time on earth is done, may it be said of us that they stood “fast in the faith”!

 

I Corinthians 16:13  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  14  Let all your things be done with charity.”

 

For Christian Soldiers, to “quit you like men” is to be humbly brave in the very face of our adversaries who seek to destroy Christianity, in the very face of our troubles that sometimes make our Christian duties arduous, in the very face of those who oppose sound Biblical Doctrine and Practices, and in the very face of the sacrifices we make in order to faithfully serve our blessed Lord and Master.  A brave Christian Soldier will not waste his time whimpering and complaining about his difficulties or publicly pouting that someone has hurt his feelings.  A brave Christian Soldier will endure temptation and press on in his Lord’s service.  A brave Christian Soldier will “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:3); that is, he will “endure” his disappointments and his disadvantages, he will “endure” mockery and disdain, he will “endure” his human fear of oppression and maltreatment, and he will “endure” rejection by those who oppose the “faith” he lives and professes; all the while maintaining a warm and pleasant temperament!  A brave Christian Soldier will never compromise Biblical Doctrine and Practice; but, will confidently and readily take up “the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Ephesians 6:16)!  These are the kind of “things” Paul had in mind when he declared, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13)!

I Corinthians 16:13  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  14  Let all your things be done with charity.”

 

Christian soldiers are Commanded to “be strong”; that is, to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10)!  Any time we see such Commandments as “be not afraid” and “be strong”; we should immediately recognize that there is something powerful before us that is going to challenge our strength and has the potential to overwhelm us and defeat us.  On the other hand, the Lord would not Command us to “be strong” if there was no strength to be had.  Daniel tells us that “the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32).  David declared that “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalms 28:7) and “Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:” (Psalms 144:1)!  Paul also Commands us to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Ephesians 6:10)!  This is not the kind of strength we get from working out at the gymnasium or from amassing a great band of militants.  This is the “strength” we get when we “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10) and “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day” (Exodus 14:13); that is, we pause for moment and remember that, no matter how ominous the task or adversary, we can go forward in the Lord’s “strength”!  When we “Be still, and know” and “stand still, and see”, we are immediately so encouraged that we worshipfully proclaim, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13) for we are “Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;” (Colossians 1:12).  Let us hear and heed Paul’s instruction to Timothy: “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus … endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:1-3)!

I Corinthians 16:13  “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.  14  Let all your things be done with charity.”

 

While military analogies are often used to emphasize the nature of our faithful allegiance to the Lord; as Christian Soldiers, we are to “Let all your things be done with charity”!  We often think of Soldiers as very tough and capable men who fight violence with violence to keep us safe from those exceedingly wicked people who are “as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed” (II Peter 2:12).  But, in matters of the Church and society, it is not so for the Christian Soldier.  For example, “the servant of the Lord” is Commanded to “be gentle unto all men” and “patient” (II Timothy 2:24).  The word that is translated “charity”, literally means ‘love that is shown by actions’.  After the Lord had administered the last valid Passover and the first Communion and had washed His disciples’ feet; He plainly told them that “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35)!  In his exposition on “charity” (I Corinthians 13), Paul makes it clear that if we “have not charity”, we are “nothing” (I Corinthians 13:2).  Furthermore, the “greatest” of all Christian attributes “is charity” (I Corinthians 13:13).  If I were going to impose a memorized recitation upon the Lord’s people (especially ministers), it would be I Corinthians 13!

Psalms 94:16  “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?”

 

This Psalm is one of the most comforting Practical Prophecies found in the Old Testament.  It is a Practical Prophecy; for, it is clear that there were great troubles in the days of the writer, troubles that were so overwhelming that the writer anxiously asked, “Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?”; but, it also illustrates and prophesies of the Lord’s care for His people in our New Testament age.  Like the writer, we should not be surprised when bad things happen to us, when the wicked seek to oppress us, and when vain leaders wrests their glory at the expense of the people!  The conditions were so bad that the writer boldly proclaimed, “Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.” (Psalm 94:17).  “But” when it seems that conditions are so bad that we cannot go on, “the LORD” reveals Himself and shows that He “is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge” (Psalm 94:22)!  By faith, we know that the Lord “shall bring upon” the wicked “their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off” (Psalm 94:23) and He will make “his own people to go forth like sheep, and” will guide “them in the wilderness like a flock” (Psalms 78:52)!  So, “who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity”; the answer is, “When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up” (Psalm 94:18).  Therefore, let us “go forward” (Exodus 14:15) in obedient service to our Lord no matter how austere the conditions may be!

 

Hosea 10:12  “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”

 

The condition of our Government is appalling!  Similarly, the nation of Israel had turned from God to a life of vanity and greed.  The charge against them is plain: “O Israel, thou hast sinned” (Hosea 10:9) and “Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” (Hosea 10:13)!  They had turned from faithful worship toward God to a life guided and motivated by their own “way”; that is, their own carnal “way” of thinking.  Their “way” was to live in “wickedness”, in “iniquity”, in “lies”, and in believing that their own human wisdom and strength had established them and was sustaining them.  It was “time to seek the LORD” because great ruin and suffering was about to come upon them because of their evil ways.  To avoid the impending destruction, they were Commanded to do “righteous” things, behave with “mercy”, and to return to faithful worship and obedience to the Lord.  They didn’t believe that this destruction would happen to them; but, because of their rebellious wickedness; “a tumult” did “arise among the people”, “all” their “fortresses” were “spoiled”, and the people suffered greatly (Hosea 10:14).  It is easy for us to discount these warnings and to assume that they do not apply to us; but, Paul plainly tells us that “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Romans 15:4)!  Our “hope” rests in the sure promises of our Lord; such as, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:” (Isaiah 1:19)!  “But”, let us never forget that, “if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:20)!  Let us hear and take to heart the Lord’s words, “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.” (Hosea 13:9)!

Psalms 46:1  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

 

When, in the midst of some great “trouble”, there is no better way to start a conversation than to say, “God is our refuge and strength”!  While this Psalm surely had a practical application in the time that it was written, it is clear that it is also a prophetic consolation for the New Testament Church.  In our day the Church Of Jesus Christ has many great troubles on her doorstep.  The many flawed interpretations of the Bible (II Peter 1:20), that rise from some personal bent, serve to confuse and discourage the Children of God.  The Bible’s code of decency, morality, integrity, and faithful allegiance to the Lord is under assault by those who place carnal gratification over obedience to the Lord, many of whom are leaders of our Country.  It is true that there are some who simply “have not the love of God in” them (John 5:42); thus, they are only motivated and guided by their carnal lust.  But, the good news is that “God is our refuge and strength”!  As “our refuge”, He is our secure “hiding place” (Psalms 32:7; 119:114).  He is “our refuge”; even in the midst of the most severe storms.  Even while the storms are raging, He gives us a place of comfort, peace, and joy.  As “our” “strength”, He often lifts us up and carries us when our personal strength of mind and body is expended.  This is the “God” “Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” (II Corinthians 1:10).  So, let us hear and apply Moses’ words of encouragement to Israel, “Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)!

Psalms 46:1  “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

 

By the phrase “God is … a very present help in trouble”; the Psalmist is telling us that he has found that God is already on scene with us when our “trouble” begins and that He has power over anything that is troubling us.  It is most comforting to hear from someone who has experienced troubles like ours and can testify that God was right there with them the whole time.  The 911 system has proven very beneficial to us; but, it is no match for our “very present” “God”.  Because we live in a world plagued with sin, we should expect to have “trouble” as long as we live.  The Lord even tells us, “In the world ye shall have tribulation”; but, we must not despair for He also tells us that He has “overcome the world” (John 16:33).  No matter if our “trouble” is some great adversary, some awful natural disaster, or some anguish within our mind and heart; our “God is” “a very present help in trouble”!  He does not always remove every “temptation” or trial in our lives; but, if He doesn’t, He will “make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Corinthians 10:13); He often opens His mighty arms so that we can “escape” directly to His merciful embrace for “refuge”!  Furthermore, His blessed on-scene “grace” is “sufficient” to our needs (II Corinthians 12:9).  There are times when we fall into overwhelming despair and feel so very alone; but, our “God” kindly tells us that if it so bad that even our “father and” “mother forsake” us “, then the LORD will take” us “up.” (Psalms 27:10)!  Like the Psalmist, in my personal life, I have repeatedly found that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”!

Psalms 46:2-3  “Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;  3  Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.”

 

It is our nature to have confidence in things that do not move, things that are so mighty and strong that they simply do not move or change.  It is possible for natural things to become unsettled and be taken away; such as, “the earth be removed”, “the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea”, “the waters thereof roar and be troubled”, and “the mountains shake with the swelling thereof”!  But, when all these natural things begin to tremble and go away, “will not we fear” (we will not fear); because, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1).  Stalwart things around us may be destroyed or taken away from us; but, we will not fear.  Great institutions may be broken up and brought down; but, we will not fear.  Great and mighty leaders may be taken from their positions of authority and power; but, we will not fear.  Our homes may be destroyed in a powerful hurricane; but, we will not fear.  An awful ice storm may freeze and bring great destruction to our community; but, we will not fear.  Ungodly leaders may destroy our government and do severe harm to our country; but, we will not fear.  Death may take someone most dear to us; but, we will not fear.  We will not fear; for our God will not change (Malachi 3:6); He cannot be moved from His position of infinite power and authority, and His love for us will never change (Romans 8:35-39).  When the mighty things around us begin to tremble and go away; let us hear our merciful Father’s words, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalms 46:10)!

Psalms 46:4-5  “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.  5  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”

 

The “city of God” is a prophetic reference to the “Jerusalem which is above” (Galatians 4:26), “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16), “the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33), and “the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood” (Acts 20:28).  The “tabernacles of the most High” are the individual Churches which are made “glad” and allegorically fed by “the streams” that branch off from the “river”; these Churches are where the Lord so wonderfully meets with His People who assemble to worship Him.  “There is a river” somewhat like the “river” which “went out of Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads” (Genesis 2:10) and somewhat like when the Lord “opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river” (Psalms 105:41) and somewhat like the Lord promised to “extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees” (Isaiah 66:12)!  The word-picture is a glorious scene of the Children of God obeying the Word of God; as Paul instructed us, “come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (II Corinthians 6:17)!  That is, “come out from among” the vain and corrupt things of this world which is like a dry and parched desert where there is no joy and no peace.  We are to leave behind “the unclean thing” (the immoral and ungodly things of this world) and come to the “tabernacles of the most High” which are by the great “river” and her tributaries, where the sweet Gospel of our Lord issues forth to refresh and strengthen our souls and to nourish us with all the care and promises of the Lord that loves us with such a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4), a “love” so “great” that He gave His Precious Life to cleanse us of our sins!  From this great “river” and her “streams” our Great God nourishes us with love, wisdom, instruction, comfort, and joy!  Now, we joyfully declare with David, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.” (Psalms 122:1)!

Psalms 46:4-5  “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.  5  God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.”

 

In a world that is seething with ungodliness and wickedness, we are greatly comforted, knowing that “God is in the midst of her”; that is, “in the midst of” “the city of God”, the Church-Kingdom “of God”!  The “city of God” “shall not be moved”; for, “God shall help her, and that right early”!  Because “God is in the midst of her” “she shall not be moved” from the blessed truths of Salvation By Grace (Ephesians 2:8), from her God-given “faith” (Hebrews 11:1; 12:2), from the “hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:2), or from “her” position on earth until the Lord comes to take “her” to “her” Eternal Home (I Corinthians 15, I Thessalonians 4)!  When troubled times comes, “God shall help her, and that right early.”; that is, “God shall” reveal His almighty power as He protects and sustains “her”, even in the midst of the most severe tribulations and storms of life!  Said another way, “The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” (Isaiah 52:10); that is, when “the city of God” thinks that she is about to be overrun; “The LORD”, again and again, steps forth in His almighty power and defeats “her” adversaries.  Knowing these things, we can jubilantly sing this song, “We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.” (Isaiah 26:1)!

Psalms 46:6  “The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.”

 

“the city of God”, the Church-Kingdom “of God”, is often assaulted and bantered about by “The heathen” and “the kingdoms” that are “moved” against “her” to ruin “her”!  “The heathen” are those people who have no moral foundation, no sense of integrity or decency, no respect for dignity, no loving concern for their fellowman, and no love for God and His Commandments.  “The heathen” are guided and motivated by their own lust for power and carnal things.  Paul describes such people as; “lawless and disobedient … ungodly … sinners  … unholy and profane … murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers … manslayers … whoremongers … defile themselves with mankind … menstealers … liars … perjured persons” (I Timothy 1:9)!  In this context, “the kingdoms” are the ungodly nations that seek to harm and ruin the beloved “city of God”.  These “kingdoms” are led by wicked and murderous leaders who hate God and anything that is good and godly; they are “moved” by their hatred and vitriol against “the city of God” to destroy “her”.  It is sadly horrific; but, it is quite clear that, by much deceit, such people are rising to positions of leadership in our own Country.  In just such times as these we are commanded to “be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58).  This we do, knowing that God will do as He has done in the past when “he uttered his voice” and “the earth melted”; that is, at His Sovereign Command the enemies of “the city of God” were utterly defeated and simply “melted” away.  In just such times as these, Peter tells us “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” (I Peter 1:7)!  “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.” (I Thessalonians 5:6) and “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.” (Hebrews 13:15)!

Psalms 46:7  “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

 

Knowing that we shall live through periods of time when the “heathen” will “rage” and the seemingly strong “kingdoms” of this world are “moved” to ruin by those motivated by wicked lusts for power and authority; our Lord sends us words of Comfort.  First, that “The LORD of hosts is with us” and then “the God of Jacob is our refuge”!  The word picture behind the phrase, “The LORD of hosts”, is that of a great King-Commander who commands a very large army.  In this case our “LORD” commands “an innumerable company of angels” and He “is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15); that is, He can command any human leader to accomplish His will at any time He pleases.  As “the God of Jacob”, our Lord is the true promise keeper, the “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2).  He promised “Jacob”, “I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give this land to thy seed” (Genesis 48:4); similarly, to us the Lord says, “upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).  Furthermore, He encourages us individually, telling us, “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” (James 1:12)!  The same “LORD of hosts”, “God of Jacob” that watched over, guided, provisioned, and protected Israel in olden times, is even today our “refuge” from the stormy trials of this life!  While natural governments and manmade structures may fail us, the “refuge” of “the God of Jacob” will never fail us!

Psalms 46:8  “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.  9  He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.”

 

To further encourage us in the blessed truth that “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalm 46:7); the Psalmist exhorts us to “Come, behold the works of the LORD”; that is, “behold” the mighty providential workings of God “in the earth”!  He points to the “desolations” that God “hath made in the earth”; that is, in the defense of His Church and People, “The LORD” can both raise up and destroy great kingdoms/nations.  To secure the blessed “refuge” for His Church and people, “The LORD of hosts” (Psalm 46:7), “maketh wars to cease”; that is, He steps onto the battle field and immediately gets the victory and His victory is so complete that the enemy is never again a threat.  In times of distress and trouble, we pray and then we confidently get up and “press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14); for, we indeed can remember how the Lord has providentially moved “in the earth” to provide for and protect His beloved Church and to provide us a blessed “refuge” till the present storm is past.  So, as “David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.” (I Samuel 30:6), let us daily, “Come, behold the works of the LORD”!

Psalms 46:10  “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.  11  The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”

 

The Lord continues to encourage His beloved Church-Kingdom and His people; telling us to, “Be still, and know that I am God”; that is, just relax, don’t be so worried and stressed.  To “know”, in this context, is to bring our born-again, spiritual minds to focus upon the truth that “God” is indeed “God”.  The more we “know” that “God” is indeed “God”, the more we can push aside the anxieties and stresses of this present life.  It is true that the heathen rage and great kingdoms/nations are moved with vitriol against the Church-Kingdom of God and other dreadful things happen to take away our peace (Psalm 46:1-6); yet, we can “Be still, and know that” our Lord is “God” and He “will be exalted among the heathen” and He “will be exalted in the earth”!  To be “exalted among the heathen” is to be far above the wicked in every respect; greater in power, greater in wisdom, greater in righteousness, greater in glory, and greater in victory; thus, we can “Be still”, be at ease no matter how great the force is against us.  Being “exalted in the earth”, our God has infinite power over all natural elements and over all trying situations and over all human institutions “in the earth”.  He is “exalted” over Hurricanes, tornados, floods, ice storms, etc.  He is “exalted” over fear, loneliness, despair, heartbreak; so much so, that he moved the Psalmist to tenderly write, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.” (Psalms 27:10).  He is even “exalted” over death; for Paul wrote, “I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope” (I Thessalonians 4:13); we are not totally broken when someone dear to us passes away because we trust in our God’s power over death, that He takes the departing spirit to be with Him, and that one day He will raise the dead to life again.  Even in the midst of a troubling world we have peace and joy; for, “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.”!

Ephesians 6:10  “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

 

The United States Military revolves around the Threat Assessment.  All branches of the military go to great lengths to know who is a Threat to us and what that Threat is.  Training is designed to defeat the Threat.  Force size is established to defeat the Threat.  New equipment and weapons are designed and purchased to defeat the Threat.  Congress appropriates and allocates funds to defeat the Threat.  Similarly, the Word of God gives us a thorough Spiritual Threat Assessment.  The Threat against us includes “the wiles of the devil”, wicked “principalities”, wicked “powers”, “the rulers of the darkness of this world”, “spiritual wickedness in high places”, “the fiery darts of the wicked”, (Ephesians 6:11-16), “the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14),  “false Christs and false prophets” (Mark 13:22), satan’s “devices” (II Corinthians 2:11), “the god of this world” (II Corinthians 4:4), “the serpent” that “beguiled Eve” (II Corinthians 11:3), “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ” (II Corinthians 11:13), “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (II Corinthians 11:14), satan’s “ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (II Corinthians 11:15), “Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders” (II Thessalonians 2:9), “your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (I Peter 5:8), “false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them” (II Peter 2:1), “through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you” (II Peter 2:3), “Satan, which deceiveth the whole world” (Revelation 12:9), and the devil that “doeth great wonders” to deceive and lead away the Children of God (Revelation 13:13)!  Thus, we are Commanded to “Put on the whole armour of God” to meet and defeat the Threat!

Hebrews 6:18  “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

 

The word “consolation” engenders a tender image of a frightened child fleeing to the loving arms of its father, where there is immediate peace and security, a comforting sense of wellbeing.  Similarly, we find a blessed “refuge” in the loving arms of our Heavenly Father.  In this world, troubles rage about us and in our minds and hearts with such ferocity that we often feel helpless to escape them.  But, we have a sure “refuge”, promised by the “God” Who will not and cannot “lie”!  Our Lord’s “consolation” is so “strong” and so sure that, no matter how awful our troubles are, when we flee to Him for “refuge”, we immediately “lay hold upon the hope set before us”!  When we truthfully examine ourselves, we are moved to cry out to our Heavenly Father, “God be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13) and “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24); but, before our Lord we find forgiveness and relief from our burdens, for the same arms that were stretched forth on the Cross to pay our sin-debt are stretched forth to embrace and comfort us in this life.  In His own words, the Lord exhorts us to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)!  This blessed “consolation”, “refuge”, “rest” is more sure and more precious than any sense of security that this present world or anyone in this world could give us.  So, when we are troubled, let us flee to the loving arms of our Heavenly Father, for in His arms is a “consolation” so “strong” that the tribulations of this present world cannot possibly break through!

Ecclesiastes 7:29  “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”

 

When God had finished the Creation (including man), He “saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31); that is, there were no flaws anywhere, nothing bad, and certainly no sin; for, “God created man in his own image” (Genesis 1:27).  With his God-given wisdom, Solomon “found” “that God hath made man upright”; that is, when God made man, He made him perfectly righteous.  In such an “upright” state there was no shame for sin, no need for repentance, no broken hearts, no fear, and no chastisement.  There was perfect peace and happiness and abundant provision to satisfy their every need and pleasant things to give them joy.  Best of all, there was a blessed close fellowship with God that was not hindered by sin.  Man died to this innocent and blissful state when Adam sinned (Genesis 2:17)!  For this reason, God sent His beloved Son in this world to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); so, we joyfully meet on the Lord’s Day to worshipfully proclaim that our Lord did indeed fully and finally “save his people from their sins” (John 19:30)!

Ecclesiastes 7:29  “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.”

 

While “God” did indeed make “man upright”; “they” (Adam and Eve and their posterity) “have sought out many inventions” to satisfy their carnal lusts.  An integral part of the “upright” “man” is wisdom; that is, the God-given ability to think; that is, to accumulate knowledge, to analyze that knowledge, and to make effective use of that knowledge.  Also, “man” has an inherent desire to improve upon and to increase what he has.  We are to use our God-given wisdom to do good and God honoring things such as “grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” (II Peter 3:18).  But, our growth is to be to God’s “glory both now and for ever”, not to satisfy our carnal lusts.  Also, it is a righteous thing to grow and improve ourselves naturally; that is, in our occupations and businesses; for, the Lord used our natural ability to grow and improve to illustrate His spiritual point (Matthew 25:14-30).  While “God” does not cause “man” to sin or tempt him to sin (James 1:13), we do have the ability to use our wisdom and skills to seek “out many inventions” to sin.  For example, in the name of religion, man invents the “tradition of men” (Mark 7:8) to supplement and expand the Word of God; that is, religious leaders alter the Word of God and write supplements and additions to the Word of God which allows them to exact greater control over the people for their own vain glory.  Many of these supplements and additions actually contradict the Word of God.  The Children of Israel became dissatisfied with God’s leadership and care for them, so they told “Aaron, Make us gods to go before us” (Acts 7:40).  Paul tells us that “when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  22  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,  23  And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (Romans 1:21-23).  They also “changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever” (Romans 1:25).  Furthermore, “also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.  28  And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,”; so, eventually “God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans 1:28).  The point is that man must always be on guard to keep his focus upon the Lord and His Church and His Word “lest at any time we should let them slip” (Hebrews 2:1) and begin to make our own ungodly “inventions”.  King David “let them slip” and then he committed adultery and then murder to cover it up (II Samuel 11).  Solomon “let them slip” and let “strange women” lead him into grotesque idolatry (I Kings 11).  Even the Apostle Paul tells us that “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway” (I Corinthians 9:27)!  Let us, like Paul, be careful to avoid ungodly “inventions”!

Ephesians 6:10  “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

 

It is our human nature to want to go forward on our own strength and in our own wisdom.  But, there are times when we have come to the end of our strength and our human reasoning fails to reveal a way forward.  In recalling how they made it through some extraordinarily difficult event, some may say such things as, “as luck would have it this or that appeared or happened to help me”.  But, my soul relies, not on luck or fate; but, on Devine Providence; that is, we rely upon our Lord to give us doors of opportunity, lift us up when we are weak, reveal a way when there seems to be none, and to give us comfort when distress and suffering sits upon us like a discouraging dark cloud.  Thus, the born-again Child of God is equipped by God with strength to endure and wisdom to go forward no matter how severe the situation may be.  It is amazing how hopeless our situations can seem, then suddenly a way forward appears.  We often receive phone calls from those who are in some great distress or hear that someone is experiencing a great trial or setback; then, after much prayer, a few days later we learn that something happened so that they could go forward.  But, more specific to this passage, in our day we are coming face to face with “the wiles of the devil”, “the rulers of the darkness of this world”, and “spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:11-12).  But, we must not despair, for we are lovingly exhorted to “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”; that is, when we are weak, the Lord is strong for us and when we have no power to go forward, He conveys us forward “in the power of his might”!  As in the case of the “unjust judge” (Luke 18), the Lord can even use faithless people to assist His praying Children.  In the next few verses, Paul explains in great detail how the Children of God can “be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might”!

Ephesians 6:10  “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

 

We are exhorted to “Put on the whole armour of God” because the Threat against the faithful Children of God and the Lord’s beloved Church is ominous and immediate.  The word “whole” makes it clear that we must not take the Threat lightly; for, if we are going “to stand against the wiles of the devil” and “to withstand in the evil day” (Ephesians 6:13) we must be fully equipped with “the whole armour of God”, not just part of it.  It would be absolutely devastating for the United States Army to send soldiers into battle with the latest and most effective bullet proof vests, but not also equip them with sufficient weapons and ammunition.  Similarly, we will not be able “to stand against the wiles of the devil” or “to withstand in the evil day” if we put on “the breastplate of righteousness” and neglect to put on the “girt” of “truth”, “the shield of faith”, the shodding of “the gospel”, “the helmet of salvation” or “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:14-17)!  It is called the “armour of God” because the Lord Himself thoroughly equips us and trains us to “stand” against the onslaught of evil and wickedness and to “withstand” the assaults of our arch-enemy and his minions.  In addition to putting on “the whole armour of God”, Christians soldiers are to persevere in “prayer” (Ephesians 6:18) for our “God” is the “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation 19:16) and He loves us with a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) and He is totally victorious against all enemies!

Ephesians 6:10  “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.  11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  …  13  … that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

 

Children of God are moved by the Holy Spirit and Commanded by God to be kind, gentle, and humble; but, we are also Commanded to “be strong in the Lord”, “to stand against the wiles of the devil”, and “to withstand in the evil day”.  Our great adversary, “the devil” and his minions are cold hearted, dishonest, deceitful, immoral, and hateful toward anything that is of God and godly.  To profess and live the truth of God is to be the devil’s target.  By the grace and mercy of our God, in the United States of America, adversaries of Christianity are prevented by our Constitution from hindering our religion.  But, “the devil” has many “wiles” and “devices” that he uses to get around the law.  He uses our wealth and prosperity to entice us away from the Lord’s Church.  He uses carnal reasoning to dissuade belief in the true word of God.  He uses carnal attractions to distract us from true worship and Church attendance.  Thus, we are Commanded to “be strong in the Lord”, “to stand against the wiles of the devil”, and “to withstand in the evil day”.  To “stand” is to first know the truth of God and then to never compromise the truth no matter how strong the devil’s enticements are or how much doubt he casts upon the word of God.  To “withstand” is to strongly endure whatever “the devil” throws at us; whether his assaults be hinderances in our lives, ridicule and mockery of our faith, confronting us with his portrayal of a majority, confusing us with carnal reasoning, or casting doubt upon and twisting the Word of God.  To “stand” and “withstand” requires us to “be strong in the Lord”; that is, to “Put on the whole armour of God”.  The summation of the “whole armour of God” is to prayerfully equip ourselves with the Word of God and to worshipfully adhere ourselves to its blessed truths.  Preachers have a major responsibility in putting “on the whole armour of God”.  They are charged to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15), to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (II Timothy 4:2), and to be “pastors and teachers” (Ephesians 4:11).  To “Study”, “Preach the word”, and to be “pastors and teachers” often requires great personal sacrifice so that many hours may be spent in dedicated prayer and “Study” of “the word” and being close to those in the Church so as to minister the Word to them (Acts 6:4) daily as well as on the Lord’s Day!  [A faithful and understanding wife and family is a great blessing!] Sincere “Study” requires prayerfully seeking to understand the Word of God in the context in which it is written.  To sincerely “Study” the Word of God, the preacher must prayerfully seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit and read and study the Word of God book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, phrase by phrase, and word by word.  To sincerely “Study” the Word of God is not to cherry pick and change passages so as to support some popular doctrinal bent.  Then, the preacher must be brave enough to preach and teach what the Word of God teaches and not what some would like it to say or have distorted it to say.  In guiding and encouraging me as a young minister, Elder Kenneth Cadle, once told me to “Preach the Word of God in all situations”!  This simple instruction has served me well in many difficult situations!  Similarly, the Children of God in the pew are charged to learn the Word of God and to tenaciously “stand” upon its truths and to “withstand” whatever is thrown at them to discourage and dissuade them.

Ephesians 6:14  “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”

 

Being led of the Holy Spirit, Paul used an allegory that was right before his eyes, a Roman soldier was constantly guarding him because he was imprisoned in Rome (Ephesians 6:20).  To “girt about” was to fasten the soldier’s girdle (belt) around the middle part of his body, over his clothing.  This girdle was much like the equipment of our modern soldiers who put on a belt that they use to carry a canteen, ammunition, weapons, etc.  But, the Roman soldier’s girdle was usually highly decorated to give a glorious appearance and it was fixed with pouches for supplies and attachments from which they carried their swords, smaller knives, and other weapons.  On this girdle, they carried equipment and supplies so that they could travel great distances at good speed and be prepared to go into battle at any moment.  Paul uses this basic piece of the soldier’s armour to illustrate the Christian Soldier’s basic need, the “truth”!  A soldier without his girdle, would be utterly unprepared for battle; similarly, a Christian Soldier without the “truth” of God will be utterly unprepared “to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).  So, considering that the “truth” is essential, what is the “truth”?  Well, Paul gave us the “armour” illustration as a summation for this Epistle.  He began this Epistle with a most candid and pointed listing of the essential points of “truth”.  He tells us that God the Father “hath chosen us in” Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:3-4); that He “predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5), that He “hath made us accepted in the beloved” (Ephesians 1:6), that “we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7), that “in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ” (Ephesians 1:10), that in Christ “we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11), and that the blessed “gospel” “is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13)!  Like the soldier’s girdle, without a good understanding of these basic truths, we will not be prepared for battle, not be prepared to serve, not be prepared to “withstand” the adversaries’ onslaught of hatred and vitriol, or not be prepared to “stand against the wiles of the devil”.  You know that you are in a Spiritual battle when you see people and institutions fighting to hinder and destroy that which is godly; that which is God honoring, Biblical, good, moral, peaceable, gentle, and kind.  In our day, the battle is raging; so, let us be a “good soldier” (II Timothy 2:3) and prepare ourselves, “having your loins girt about with truth”.  To do so is to daily read and study the Word of God, attend Church and be an active listener, and to earnestly pray for understanding and wisdom!

Ephesians 6:14  “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;”

 

The soldier’s “breastplate” was a covering for the upper body, made of interconnected pieces of metal; it was designed to protect the soldier from such weapons as arrows, spears, and swords.  This “righteousness” that we put on; in context, is the “truth” concerning our “righteousness” before our Heavenly Father, the LORD God Almighty.  To put on this blessed “righteousness”, is to prayerfully learn of it then to wear it; that is, let others see it in our Biblical behavior and in our profession of “how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mark 5:19).  Paul declared his unrighteous state in nature when he proclaimed, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24); that is, he found that it was not possible for him to make himself sufficiently “righteous”, before God, to be worthy of Eternal Heaven.  Then he answered his question, “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 7:25); that is, “Jesus Christ” alone gave His precious life to pay my sin-debt; and in doing so, He alone made me “righteous” before God!  Paul, very clearly, explained it this way, God the Father “hath made” His Son “to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Corinthians 5:21)!  Again, Paul explained that “the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe” (Romans 3:22); that is, “Jesus Christ” came to this earth and faithfully offered Himself a worthy Sacrifice for our sins to make us “righteous” before God the Father; thus, fit for Eternal Heaven.  The “truth” concerning our “righteousness” is that Jesus Christ our Lord alone has “made” us “righteous” by His Sacrifice on our behalf.  The “fruit”, what others see of our “righteousness”, is “the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:9).  John explains it this way, “let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous” (I John 3:7); that is, those who “believe” and are striving to live a life of “righteousness” are those that God our Father has “made” to be “righteous” by His Son’s death.  Paul also explains it another way; telling us, “let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love” (I Thessalonians 5:8); that is, the outward appearance of those “made” to be “righteous” is a steady outpouring of “faith and love”.  Thus, born-again Children of God are Commanded to put “on the breastplate of righteousness”; that is, to learn the truth of it, then live it outwardly by our attitude our demeanor and our behavior, taking no glory unto themselves, but glorifying God in word and in deed.  In doing so, we faithfully and truthfully defend the “truth” of our “righteousness”; as the “breastplate” does, we deflect untruths; for, there are many who “have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3)!  Finally, we demonstrate our God-given “righteousness” by the way we live our lives.

Ephesians 6:15  “And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;”

 

The soldiers’ shodding (boots) protects his feet during travel and in combat situations.  Without adequate shodding, the soldiers’ feet would soon be injured, and he would be ineffective in battle.  Similarly, Christian soldiers would soon become discouraged and rendered ineffective without “the gospel of peace”.  The “gospel of peace” is not what it may seem at the first glance.  Jeremiah prophesied that “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:14)!  Our Lord declared, “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34), “I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, if it be already kindled?” (Luke 12:49), and “Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:” (Luke 12:51)!  And Paul tells us that, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (I Thessalonians 5:3)!  Just hours before He was Crucified, our Lord spoke to His Disciples of a great contrast between “peace” and “tribulation”; He told them, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27) and “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)!  So, on one hand there is “no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14), on the other hand there is the “peace of God, which passeth all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) which is indeed “on earth”.  There are two senses to “peace on earth”!  There is “a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isaiah 4:6) and “a refuge from the storm” (Isaiah 25:4); but, outside the “place of refuge”, “the storm” continues to rage!  Paul explains the other aspect of our “peace” this way, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1)!  Man’s “peace with God” was ruined when Adam disobeyed God (Romans 5:12); but, our Lord and Savior restored that “peace” when “he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever” (Hebrews 10:12) and “the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Romans 5:15).  Thus, “the gospel of peace” heralds the blessed truth that by our Lord’s Sacrifice, our “peace with God” is so great that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39)!  We can, “therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)!  Christian Soldiers should be careful to always have their “feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace”!

Ephesians 6:16  “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

 

This “shield” (thureos) was very large, approximately four feet tall and two and a half feet wide; it was large enough that when the soldier crouched behind it, it would protect his entire body from the enemies’ arrows and spears, even the ones tipped with burning tar.  All the Christian soldier’s armament is important, but without this “shield” the soldier is left exposed to “the fiery darts of the wicked”.  The “fiery darts” will stick to us and burn; that is, when the wicked fires their temptations, tribulations, confusions, discouragements, hindrances, etc. at us our “shield of faith” deflects them and they do us no harm.  Without “the shield of faith”, these “fiery darts” stick to us and burn us with pain, discouragement, confusion, and despair for days at a time.  But, with “the shield of faith” we take great courage knowing that our merciful Lord will either remove whatever is troubling us or “make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (I Corinthians 10:13).  Thus, we are to, “Above all”, take “the shield of faith” onto the battle fields of life; for, “the wicked” have a great arsenal of “fiery darts”! 

Ephesians 6:17  “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

 

The “helmet” was designed to protect the head; for, our adversaries will aggressively assault our minds with false doctrines, doubts, confusions, discouragements, guilts, fears, and anxieties.  In modern warfare, it is known as Psychological Warfare.  Therefore, Christian Soldiers need the protection of “the helmet of salvation” or as Paul also described it, “an helmet, the hope of salvation” (I Thessalonians 5:8).  Thus, when we are in the heat of life’s frequent struggles (battles), we must confidently remember our “hope of salvation”; that is, that the Lord will not forsake us and He will not cast us away; but, He will surely come to us and save us from our tribulation.  Also, when we are attacked by false doctrines, we must never forget that our Lord “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9).  Furthermore, one blessed and holy day, He will surely save (deliver) us to Eternal Heaven itself.  This blessed “hope of salvation” is not a “hope” of doubt or uncertainty; this “hope” is the sure anticipation of our Lord’s promises to us; that is, we are joyfully secure “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” (Titus 1:2)!

Ephesians 6:17  “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

 

While the “girt”, “breastplate”, shodding, “shield”, and “helmet” are primarily designed for the soldier’s defense; “the sword” is primarily an offensive weapon.  The ancient soldiers constantly practiced using their “sword” and daily exercised to make themselves as skilled and strong as possible.  A weak and untrained soldier did not last long in battle.  It is called “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” because “the word of God” is communicated to us by “the Spirit”.  Peter puts it this way, “For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (II Peter 1:21).  As the ancient soldiers trained daily in the use of their sword, the ancient Christian Soldiers “searched the scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11); we must do likewise!  Furthermore, the Lord’s Ministers are charged to “Study [“the word of God”] to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15).  As victorious military soldiers are highly trained; similarly, the Christian Soldiers must be so well skilled in the word of God that we can, on a moment’s notice, prayerfully call to mind or locate passages of Scripture that apply to whatever situation arises.  Christian Soldiers use “the sword of the Spirit” to defeat false doctrines, false prophets/preachers, confusions, discouragements, heartbreaks, loneliness, hopelessness, and even the devil himself.  Victory, using “the sword of the Spirit”, is “the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7); and, by the grace and mercy of our Lord, victory is assured no matter what sort of adversary we face! 

Ephesians 6:18  “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”

 

Prayer is essential to the Christian Soldier, for in “prayer” God lovingly opens His Heavenly Throne Room to hear our prayers and to reassure and comfort us.  This direct access to God was obtained for us by our “great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14) Who is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15).  Because we have this Blessed High Priest; Paul exhorts us to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)!  To pray “always with all prayer and supplication” is to pray constantly: sometimes on our knees, sometimes out loud, sometimes in our mind, when we lay down at night, when we rise in the morning, when we sit down to a meal, when we are in Church, etc.  To pray “always with all prayer and supplication” is to honor our Heavenly Father in our prayers, praying for all kinds of things in the service of our Lord: for wisdom and skill and strength to serve, for how and where and when we are to serve, for the decisions we make, for the sick, for the needy, for our families, for understanding of His Holy Word, for the welfare of the Lord’s Church, for the ministry, for our leaders, for our military, for our law enforcement and emergency personnel, for our medical providers, etc.  To pray “in the Spirit” is to pray that the Holy Spirit will come to us and guide and help us in our prayers; for, “the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).  To pray “watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication” is to not get discouraged if our Lord doesn’t answer our prayers immediately or in the manner that we might expect; but, like a soldier faithfully standing his watch, we are to keep right on praying, honoring our God in prayer and “praying” that He will answer our “prayer” according to His Holy will!  To pray “for all saints” is to pray for all the Children of God and all the Lord’s Churches everywhere, in all nationalities, in all places, and in all situations.  Prayer is a blessed communion with the Almighty, Gracious, and Merciful God.  Let us pray!

Ephesians 6:19  “And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,  20  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

 

It ought to be the greatest desire of all Gospel Ministers to “boldly” preach and teach “the mystery of the gospel”.  Paul asked the Church at Ephesus to, while they were praying for others, to also pray for him “that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel”.  Even while “in bonds” in Rome, his greatest desire was to be empowered to “boldly” proclaim “the gospel”.  In petitioning for “utterance”, he was praying that he would be able to preach and teach “the gospel” with such clarity and power that those who heard him would clearly understand it and rejoice in it.  To “speak boldly” is to have the courage and elocution to preach and teach all aspects of the “gospel” with great clarity and strong emphasis; even in the very face of opposition, doubt, mockery, and even persecution.  In our day, “the mystery of the gospel” is being pushed aside to make room for political correctness, emphasis on wealth and prosperity, entertainment, and personal glory.  As Paul requested, let us daily pray for the ministry that they will be moved and empowered by the Holy Spirit to “boldly” declare “the mystery of the gospel” to the glory of God and the beneficial instruction of those who hear it!

 

Psalms 42:5  “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”

 

Biblical Introspection lifts us from total despair to the pinnacle of joy and peace.  This Psalm illustrates the contrast between faith in self and faith in God.  If our faith is in ourselves we will ultimately fail ourselves because “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12) and “even now are there many antichrists” (I John 2:18) and “there” are times when “a storm” comes down and we are “in jeopardy” (Luke 8:23); that is, in this present life there are tribulations greater and more powerful than our intellect and strength can overcome!  When we face such times, we must pause for a moment to prayerfully examine ourselves, to find out if our faith is in ourselves or in the Lord our God.  The Psalmist did just that, and asked himself, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me?”!  Said another way, ‘Why am I so discouraged and so worried, thinking that my situation cannot improve?’.  In his introspection, the Psalmist exhorts himself to “hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance”!  This doesn’t mean that we are to slothfully sit down and do nothing.  What it does mean is that when we are faced with consuming tribulations, we are Commanded to “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10) and “stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13) and “stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God” (Job 37:14).  That is, in introspection, the Children of God are to “Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead” (I Timothy 2:8); thus, He is more powerful than our worst possible tribulation.  When things seemed as bad as they could get, Jonathan, king Saul’s son, didn’t sit down and ring his hands and cry woe is me, he said to his armor bearer, “Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.” (I Samuel 14:6)!  And “the LORD” did, He highly blessed him in battle; for, “that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow” (I Samuel 14:14) and then the entire Philistine army was defeated!  Let us cast aside fear and doubt; for, our “hope” is “in God” and not in ourselves!

I Samuel 17:32  “And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

 

In our service to God, there are many Goliath-obstacles that, at first glance, seem impossible to overcome.  The word ‘Goliath’ has become synonymous with ‘very large’; but, it actually means ‘that which is of great splendor’, of course Goliath was indeed a giant that looked most dreadful on the battlefield.  Our Goliaths often appear very ominous and discouraging; but, actually, when we rely upon our Lord to teach our hands to war and our fingers to fight (I Samuel 22:35), we soon learn that our Goliaths are nothing but magnificent facades before our Lord.  By “faith” the young shepherd, “David”, was able to see past the façade and to know that the battle was as good as won, for he often “encouraged himself in the LORD his God” (I Samuel 30:6).  It is certain that without the Lord, “David” would have been quickly disposed of by the giant, “Goliath”.  But, he had learned by experience that he could “do all things through Christ which strengtheneth” him (Philippians 4:13).  He knew that when the Lord was on the battlefield with him, the larger the giants, the harder they fell!  So, while speaking with king “Saul”, he gives us this timeless exhortation, “Let no man’s heart fail because” of the giants before us!  Our hearts “fail” when we fall into discouragement and despair thinking that all is lost and that there is no way forward.  So, let us follow the young shepherd’s and the Apostle’s counsel, let us “Put on the whole armour of God” (Ephesians 6:11) and “go and fight” “the good fight of faith” (I Timothy 6:12), always “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and “Casting all” our “care upon him” remembering that “he careth for” us” (I Peter 5:7)!

Romans 6:4  “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

 

As each successive generation moves further away from the Word of God, the more corrupt our society will become.  There was a time when most everyone could reference Biblical instruction for civil behavior, morality, and integrity and could see examples of it all around them.  As our society began to move away from the Word of God, fewer and fewer “fathers” were bringing up their “children” “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”.  For a while, there remained an older generation that was setting a good example, from which the younger generation could reference their lives.  Now, we’ve reached a time in which the good examples are radically declining, and our younger generation is left to learn their civil behavior from corrupt music, movies, video games, and social media.  Now, even the children that are brought up in Biblical homes are often overwhelmed by the enticements of the corruption around them.  For those who take the position that “born again” Children of God cannot be enticed into sinful-corrupt behavior, I encourage you to study the lives of both king David and his son king Solomon!  It is true that our Nation’s government and society has never been perfect; but, in our Country there has always been a strong guiding current of Biblical teaching for moral behavior.  Much greater minds than mine have affirmed that the success of our democracy (Representative Republic) depends upon a good foundation of Biblical instruction, in which the citizens take moral responsibility for their own lives and behavior.  In our present day, Socialism and Communism looks enticing to many because it can forcibly impose a code of behavior upon the citizens to keep them under control.  This code is developed and imposed by a centralized government in which a few will decide what is morally right for the whole population.  The further we move away from Biblical instruction; the more people will court Socialism and Communism as an answer to corruption and crime.  But, the dark side of Socialism and Communism is that eventually corrupt leaders rise to the top and then impose their corruption upon the whole nation.  In warning the nation that was turning away from God, Isaiah wrote, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20).  When the nation of Israel moved away from God, they received this admonition from the Lord: “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.” (Jeremiah 4:1)!  The sad truth is, they didn’t “return” and they lost their nation and their freedom!  The answer to the problem begins in the home with “fathers” who “provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord”; which includes, teaching them the Word of God, taking them to Church and being a part of it, and setting a Biblical example for them!

John 8:32-36  “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. …  36  If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”

 

Born-again Children of God are in bondage to sin when they can find no relief from the pain, the shame, and the guilt of it.  When those who are bound under sin hear “the truth” of the sweet Gospel of Salvation by Grace, the shackles of sin’s bondage fall away, and they rejoice in the knowledge that they are “free indeed”!  Those who are under some form of “the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:3) remain under bondage to sin; for, if they are under a system of teaching that requires an act from themselves to save themselves from their sin, they remain under bondage to “the law of sin and death”; for, deep in their heart’s mind, they know that they cannot really save themselves because “the law of sin and death” depends upon our “weak” “flesh” (Romans 8:3)!  But, “the truth” is that “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made” us “free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2)!  Jesus Christ Himself is the very essence of “truth”; for, He declared that He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).  Thus, we can say that “the truth” Himself “hath saved” us from the bondage of our sins (Matthew 1:21) and that when we hear “the truth” we are “free indeed”; that is, our heart’s mind is freed from sin’s bondage.  To help a Child of God, broken and bound by sin, is to teach them that Jesus Christ “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” (II Timothy 1:9).  It is when we “know the truth” that we “Rejoice evermore.” (I Thessalonians 5:16)!

Hebrews 2:9  “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

 

To “see Jesus” in this context is to perceive the truth of Him with joy and hope!  Many men have been named Jesus; but, only one ‘is’ “Jesus”.  For, to be “Jesus” is to be the Eternal Salvation of all that His Father “hath given” Him (John 6:39).  To “see Jesus” is to joyfully understand that His very name means ‘Jehovah Is My Salvation’.  To “see Jesus” is to know that, while He is man, He is also “God with us” (“Emmanuel”) (Matthew 1:23).  And, to “see Jesus” is to knowingly believe what He declared of Himself: “this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39).  To “see Jesus” is to declare with Job, “that my redeemer liveth” and though after I may have been dead for a very long time, “yet in my flesh shall I see God:  27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.” (Job 19:25-26)!

Hebrews 2:9  “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

 

It is absolutely amazing that our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, who is “Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23), entered this world “a little lower than the angels” so that He could die.  It seems that there is also a time element in the phrase “a little”; meaning, for “a little” while, only for a period of time.  So, for “a little” while “Jesus” “was made a little lower than the angels”; so that, He could give His precious life in Sacrificial Death.  He was not diminished in His power or His deity or in His sovereign position in the God-Head.  But, He “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:  8  And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.  9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, 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.” (Philippians 2:7-11).  We are plainly told that “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” and “much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many” (Romans 5:12-19); thus, “one man” (Adam) made his entire posterity sinners; but, “one man” (Jesus Christ) made all the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2) righteously fit for Eternal Heaven!  Man, being sinful by nature, could not offer a worthy sacrifice, neither animals nor himself, to appease “the wrath of God” against sin (Romans 1:18); therefore, our Savior “was made a little lower than the angels” so that He could die, to offer His precious, sinless body as a Substitutionary Sacrifice to God the Father.  Our Lord’s Sacrifice was given “in love” so that His beloved Children could “be holy and without blame” (Ephesians 1:4); thus, fit for Eternal Heaven.  I stand in awe of “his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4)!

Hebrews 2:9  “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

 

For “a little” while our Lord Jesus Christ was upon the earth to give His precious life to pay our sin debt.  Much like victorious athletes who are “crowned with glory and honour” at the end of their competition; so was our Lord “crowned with glory and honour”; for, He was totally victorious.  In giving His life in Sacrifice, our Lord, Himself obtained the “victory” over sin and death (I Corinthians 15:54-57) and made His Elect the beneficiaries of His indescribably great and wonderful “victory”.  By His singular sacrificial act, our Lord obtained the “victory” over “death”.  Because He arose from the dead, one blessed and holy day He will raise us from the dead and convey us, by His power and authority, to our Eternal Heavenly Home!  This is possible because He also obtained the “victory” over sin; for, because of His Sacrificial Death, “sin shall not have dominion over” us (Romans 6:14)!  Thus, all the “glory and honour” belongs to our Beloved Lord for he alone obtained the “victory” for us!

Hebrews 2:9  “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.”

 

The Lord’s death was administered by His loving “grace”; that is, He willingly and freely gave His Precious Life to pay the sin-debt of all that the Father had given to Him (Hebrews 2:13) before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).  Paul calls this “love” “his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4) and clearly explains the “grace” of His “love” this way, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.  8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” (Romans 5:6-9)!  Our Lord graciously tasted “death” for all that the Father had given Him; that is, He personally and fully experienced it Himself; there was no one to “taste” it for Him; but, He fully tasted (experienced) it for all of His Children.  The phrase “every man” means all of mankind that are His “many sons” (Hebrews 2:10), that are His “brethren” (Hebrews 2:11-12), and are “the children which God hath given” to Him (Hebrews 2:13).  The Lord explained the “every man” this way, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  39  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:37-39).  The point is that “before the foundation of the world” God the Father gave His Son, Jesus Christ, a “great multitude” of people (Revelation 7:9); when Adam sinned all his posterity fell in sin with him (Romans 5:12); God the Father knowing that all would fall into sin, determined before the foundation of the world to send His Beloved son into the world to pay the sin-debt for all that He had given Him (Acts 4:28).  Christ did indeed accomplish the will of His Father (John 19:3); therefore, when those He sacrificed for die, their spirit is immediately taken to Paradise (Ecclesiastes 12:7, Luke 23:43), and one blessed and holy day He will raise our bodies to life again and take us all (body, soul, and spirit) to Eternal Heaven (I Corinthians 15; I Thessalonians 4:13-18)!  Peter calls the “every man” the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2)!  No wonder John Newton wrote “Amazing Grace” and Philip Doddridge wrote “Grace Tis A Charming Sound”!

Matthew 10:38  “And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.”

 

In this context, to be “worthy of” Christ in this present life, is to take up our “cross” and follow Him; that is, to be faithfully committed to Him and obedient to Him no matter what course our life takes or what obstacles we may encounter.  To take up our “cross” is to be willing and ready, if necessary, to sacrifice our carnal peace, joy, comfort, and prosperity so that we can live faithfully obedient to Him.  The “cross” symbolizes suffering; thus, being “worthy of” Christ is to faithfully serve Him no matter how severely it may disadvantage us or how painfully we are disdained by society or even if it imperils us.  To take up our “cross” does not mean that we should create opportunities to suffer or put on a façade of suffering; but it does mean that we must cheerfully endure whatever sufferings are necessary to follow our Lord.  To follow “after” Christ is to follow His example of kindness and love toward God and each other, to live a Biblically moral life, to have sound integrity, to faithfully attend and participate in His beloved Church, and to learn His “doctrine” (II John 1:9) and never compromise it.  In this same vein, Paul exhorts us to, “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2)!

Psalm 142:1  “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say;”

 

Israel of old was charged to worshipfully declare, “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side” then our adversaries and troubles would have “swallowed us up quick” (Psalm 142:1-3)!  No matter how strong and secure we think we are, if “the LORD” is not “on our side” our adversaries and troubles will indeed overwhelm and destroy us.  I’m concerned that much of our nation has complacently settled into the perilous attitude that we are too strong to fall; but, Paul warns us, “let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12)!  Moses warned Israel, “because ye are turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you” (Numbers 14:43).  Let all who have the love of God within them boldly declare, “Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.  7  Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.  8  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 124:6-8)!

Deuteronomy 4:25  “When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:”

 

Our Country seems to be plunging headlong into ruin; abandoning the founding principles that our blessings and liberties are granted by “Nature’s God”, our “Creator” (Declaration of Independence) and leaving behind the Truth of God.  Through Moses, the Lord told Israel that, after they had lived in the Promised Land for a while and they had become very prosperous, they would turn from God to idols and “do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger”!  The Lord also told them that when they did, they would “utterly perish from off the land” and they could not prevent it happening and that they would “utterly be destroyed” (Deuteronomy 4:26) and that “the LORD shall scatter you among the nations” (Deuteronomy 4:27)!  Even so, the Lord never quits loving His “Elect” (I Peter 1:2); for, He tells them that when they are in their destroyed and disbursed state, “When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;  31  (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.” (Deuteronomy 4:30-31)!  The record of Israel from Joshua through Malachi shows that the Lord’s prophecy was surely fulfilled.  And in the New Testament, the Lord prophesied that it would happen again; “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2); and post-Biblical history records that the Lord’s prophecy was fulfilled.  Now, the emphasis is upon the New Testament Church-Kingdom and the Lord tells us “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, …” (I Corinthians 10:11) and “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  20  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” (Romans 11:20-21).  The Lord also told Old Testament Israel, “Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;” (Amos 6:3); that is, they didn’t believe it would happen and they continued in their ungodly behavior; thus, their rebellious and ungodly behavior caused “the seat of violence to come near”!  Now is the time for the Children of God to pick up the Word of God, read it, learn from it, teach it to their children, and “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:2)!  Let us hear the Lord’s words to the New Testament Churches, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Revelation 2:5) and “Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.” (Revelation 2:16).

Titus 1:1  “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;”

 

“Paul” declared that he was “a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect”; that is, his ministry as “a servant of God” and “apostle of Jesus Christ” was in agreement with “the faith of God’s elect”.  The “elect”, in this case, are the “elect” of God who show forth the evidence of their Election by the things that they believe and acknowledge as “the truth which is after godliness”.  It is a good thing to declare our “faith” in God; but, it is altogether a much better thing to live in such a way that our “faith” is evident in the things we do and profess.  As others view our lives, it should be clear to them that we are the Children of God.  It should never be necessary for someone to ask us are we a Christian.  “Paul” makes it clear that “godliness” and “the truth” are bound together; that is, where you see the “the truth” being preached, you can expect to see “God’s elect” behaving in a godly manner.  Thus, ministers of the Gospel are clearly charged to “preach the word” (II Timothy 4:2); that is, “the word of truth” (II Timothy 2:15); not “the truth” as it is defined by men, but “the truth” as God has declared it in His Holy Word!  The “truth” is so necessary that preachers of the Gospel are charged to “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (II Timothy 2:15).  This “Study” requires hours and hours of prayerful reading and comparing Scripture with Scripture to glean out the Lord’s interpretation, so that we do not fall into the trap of summary, or even popular, interpretations of the Word of God.  For, it is “the truth” that thrills the heart of “God’s elect” and encourages them in “godliness” and strengthens them in the face of opposition and lifts them up in times of discouragement and puts a smile on their face when they sit at death’s door!

Titus 1:1  “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;”

 

Paul’s apostleship was all about “the acknowledging of the truth”; not only by himself personally, but also by those among whom he labored.  This “truth”, that Paul preached and taught, and others also declared, “is after godliness”; that is, this blessed “truth” descends from “godliness”.  To have this “godliness” is to have been “born again” by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8), and then to hear the Gospel preached, to read and learn the Word of God, and then to conform our lives and teachings to the Word of God.  This phrase is translated from words that actually mean truthfully declaring the “truth”; that is, prayerfully learn it correctly and then enthusiastically profess it correctly as the Lord has declared what is correct.  As a “first” principal of learning the Word of God, Peter tells us to begin our studies knowing and believing and adhering to the truth that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” (II Peter 1:20); that is, no one has the authority or right to lift passages from the Word of God and to apply them in any way that the context of the Scripture does not apply them; neither does anyone have the authority to add to or to alter the Word of God.  Therefore, let us resolve to acknowledge “the truth”; that is, “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2)!

Titus 1:1  “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;  2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

 

The “faith of God’s elect” is keenly focused upon the “hope of eternal life”.  It is said to be “hope”, not because there is any doubt of it, but simply because it is in the future.  This blessed “hope” is sure; for, it securely rests upon “the truth” of “God, that cannot lie”, and He “promised” it “before the world began”!  That is, He “promised” it “before the world began” to His “Elect” (I Peter 1:2) Children who are “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9).  The Great “God, that cannot lie” “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9).  Paul’s Apostleship was focused upon “the acknowledging of the truth” to the “Elect”, “born again” (John 3:1-8) Children of God “through preaching” the Glorious Gospel.  Hearing the preached Gospel doesn’t make the hearers Children of God, neither does it give them Spiritual Life, but it surely brings joy and peace to those who are “born again” Children of God!  So, we all ought to live our lives “acknowledging” “the truth which is after godliness”; that is, live and speak in such a way that those who see and hear us can clearly see and hear “the truth” by the manner in which we live our lives!

Titus 1:1  “Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;  2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

 

Why do we need to know that “God, that cannot lie” “promised” “eternal life” to His people “before the world began”?  Our heart’s mind needs to know this blessed truth because, when we critically examine ourselves; we discover that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) and that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)!  Furthermore, when “God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.” He found that “Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” (Psalms 53:2-3).  And, Paul explains how Adam’s Original Sin affected all of mankind: “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12).  Knowing our natural state of depravity, Job asked this question: “How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?” (Job 25:4)!  The point is that God chose His people in Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4); that is, even before anyone had either sinned or done good, even before we had the sense to think upon God.  Paul put it this way, “(For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)” (Romans 9:11).  The blessed point is that our Eternal relationship with God is His Choice, not ours, and that our Eternal Salvation was exclusively obtained and secured by our Lord’s Sacrifice.  Simply put, we are the joyful beneficiaries of our Heavenly Father’s Loving Grace!

Psalms 3:3  “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

 

To ‘lift up a person’s head’ is to come to their side when all their strength is gone, when there seems to be no hope for them, when all seems to be lost, and when folks mournfully fall into deep despair.  In this case, king David’s son, Absalom, had turned against him and was in the process of taking the kingdom away from him.  Absalom was talking to the people and was convincing them that he would be a better king than David, that he would give them all kinds of benefits, and that they would be much happier if he were the king.  David was old and his son, Absalom was a young good-looking man and a very attractive politician; thus, much of the kingdom was following him.  It looked like David would be dethroned and cast aside; for, there were many that rose up against him (Psalm 3:1) and they proclaimed that “There is no help for him in God.” (Psalm 3:2); that is, David is no longer receiving God’s blessings, God has cast him aside, and God will not help him.  When it seemed that Absalom and his followers were going to succeed in over throwing him, David turned to the Lord and prayed, “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”!  That is, my trust is in the “LORD”, the Self Existing One, the Sovereign, Almighty God.  David prayerfully declared that my “LORD” is “a shield for me”; that is, He will mercifully stand between me and my adversaries and troubles.  And, my “LORD” is “the lifter up of mine head”; that is, it is true that all seems to be lost, but my “LORD” will come to me and comfort me, He will give me joy in place of my despair, and He will resolve my troubles and defeat my enemies.  David’s faith was not in vain, for the “LORD” did in deed defeat his enemies and sustain him.  Let us remember, that the same “LORD” that lifted up David’s head is still on His throne and He will also lift up our head!

Psalms 57:1  “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”

 

What do we do when it seems that the “calamities” of this life are going to utterly consume us?  In this context, “calamities” are vicious assaults by those who hate God, His Word, His Church, and His faithful believers.  What do we do, in our day, when it seems that more and more people have no faith and seem to even hate those who do?  There have always been those who are not the Children of God, who have no faith and do not and will not believe and many have physically fought against the Word of God and His Church.  Such wicked people have always been among us, since Cain slew his brother Abel (Genesis 4); but, in our day, under the guise of ‘freedom’, they are becoming more obvious and are ascending to positions of power.  Those who cling to the Word of God are often mocked and ridiculed for their belief that the Word of God is just as valid and necessary today as it was when God inspired His writers.  In the face of these “calamities”, many believers are beginning to compromise the Word of God in order to pacify those who want a little (or a lot of) worldliness mixed with their religion.  With respect to the Word of God, we are Commanded to “be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58); that is, don’t compromise!  We are to be, “stedfast, unmoveable” no matter how severe the opposition may become.  So, what do we do “until these calamities be overpast”?  Simply put, we do as the Psalmist did, he strongly declared that “in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge”!  In a prophecy of our New Testament era, the Lord Commands us to “Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.” (Isaiah 26:20)!  Thus, in times of these “calamities” and “indignation” we are to take our “refuge” in the Word of God, in His Church, in His Truth, and in His Sovereign Power.  Our Lord put it this way, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)!

Psalms 57:1  “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.”

 

We all tend to repeat ourselves in times of deep distress; so, the Psalmist cries out “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me”!  This plea is exclusively to “God”; not to family, to friends, or to the generals; but, to “God” Who is our best Friend, our Savior, our Creator, and our Lord who is the Good Shepherd of His sheep (John 10)!  This repetition emphasizes the gravity of his burden and how helpless he would be without “God”.  It also declares his faith in his “God”; for, he goes on to confidently say, “yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge”!  It strongly suggests that he had previously experienced the blessed “refuge” “in the shadow of” God’s “wings”; so, he knew were to go for help, comfort, protection, and peace even while the “calamities” raged nearby.  It is good to worshipfully take note of these blessed “wings”; for, they are broad enough to also securely shelter us!

Psalms 130:1  “Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.”

 

This Psalm illustrates the mournful prayers of the Children of God when they come to realize that they are indeed sinners (Psalm 130:3,8) and have no means with which to recover themselves from their sinful state.  Before Christ came, they were anticipating that the Lord would come and “redeem” them “from all their iniquities” (Psalm 130:8).  Now, we rejoice in the blessed Gospel; for, it teaches us that our Lord has come and “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2 Timothy 1:9)!

Exodus 15:2  “The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.”

 

After “The LORD” had saved Israel from the Egyptian army and delivered them through the Red Sea; they worshipfully sang this song of victory.  They declared that “The LORD” “is become my salvation”; that is, when it seemed that all was lost and that we would surely be destroyed, “The LORD” revealed His mighty power and miraculously saved us.  They heralded Him as “my father’s God”; that is, He is the “God” that our forefathers worshiped and served, and He was also their “salvation”.  More than 3600 years have passed, and this same “LORD” is our “salvation”; He is still delivering us from tribulations that would surely ruin us.  He is the “LORD” that has “delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;” (II Corinthians 1:10).  Furthermore, He “hath” eternally “saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9).  And, we are still worshipfully singing of our Savior God; we sing “Victory In Jesus” (E. M. Bartlett)!

Acts 17:28  “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”

 

Paul is explaining, to the philosophers on Mars Hill, that it is unreasonable to worship things like “gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device” (Acts 17:29); for, man derives no benefit at all by worshiping things that he has made with his own hands.  But, the true God gave man life and sustains him by His Almighty Power.  Furthermore, those who know and love Him are those to whom He has given Spiritual Life (John 3:1-8) and has animated them in His service.  Just as He breathed life into Adam (Genesis 2:7), He breathes Spiritual Life into His Children; thus, “in him we live, and move, and have our being”; and because we are His “lively stones” (I Peter 2:5), He has given us knowledge of Him and the strength, the wisdom, and the will to lovingly serve Him and to rely upon Him in this present life.  We are “his offspring” because He made the first man, Adam; similarly, we are “his” Spiritual “offspring” because, just like Adam would have had no natural life if God had not given it to him, we would have no Spiritual life if God hadn’t given it to us.  Furthermore, such a God has not left us to rely upon our own limited wisdom and strength; for, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13) and the Lord lovingly tells us that “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)!  So, what ever our “temptation” or “tribulation” might be; the God who made us is the same God Who gives us “grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  As He told Israel, “the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake” (I Samuel 12:22)!

Jude 1:5  “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.”

 

The great peril in letting the Word of God slip away from our memory, is that we are prone to the same failings and subject to the same chastisements as the Children of God were in Biblical times.  It is true that things have changed since Biblical times; but, God hasn’t changed and the same Word that He gave to His Biblical writers is just as true and valid today as it was when He spoke it.  Paul often used such phrases as, “I would not that ye should be ignorant” (I Corinthians 10:1); that is, ‘you really need to know this’!  Jude’s warning is that, even after the Lord had delivered His people out of the Egyptian bondage, He “destroyed them that believed not”; that is, He “destroyed them” because they didn’t believe what he said and the warnings He gave to them.  The Lord often warned His people using such language as “Ye that put far away the evil day, and cause the seat of violence to come near;” (Amos 6:3); that is, you don’t believe that God would really do it!  They didn’t believe that the Lord would “destroy… them” for their unbelief and bad behavior, but there came a day when He did; they were in good “remembrance” then!

Psalm 78:1  “Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.  2  I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:”

 

These words are a prophecy of the parables that the Lord ultimately gave in the New Testament era: “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 13:35).  The design of the parables was to give understanding to those to whom the Lord had given “ears to hear” (Matthew 11:15).  The “dark sayings of old” are the same as the “things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world”.  These “sayings” and “things” are, in particular, the full truth of the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior, our Jesus Christ, and His Church-Kingdom!  Even as late as Acts Chapter One, the Apostles themselves didn’t fully understand these “sayings” and “things”; but, in Acts Chapter Two, the Holy Spirit came upon them and opened their understanding and they preached mightily to thousands whose understanding was also opened by the Holy Spirit.  The Psalmist goes on the declare that these blessed truths will be told and revealed to subsequent generations and are to be taught to the “children” (Psalm 78:4).  These “sayings” and “things” are contrasted to human philosophy and conjecture.  We are often warned to “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15).  The Christians of old were exhorted to “with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord” (Acts 11:23); that is, prayerfully learn and conform our lives to His Word and not try to make the Word of God fit our carnal desires and lusts (Romans 12:2).  Modern Christians are often like the Children of Israel, they tired of the Lord’s “manna” and wanted something else and the something else ultimately made them sick (Numbers 11:6)!

Psalm 78:5  “For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:”

 

Our Lord has provided us a way out of the evils, corruptions, and ungodliness that has beset our generation; which is not a new thing, but seems to cyclically occur in history.  The Lord “established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel” which was to lift Israel’s hearts and minds above their present state and cause them to look toward the coming Messiah, “The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).  Our Lord makes it very clear that these things all pointed to Him; telling us to, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39).  Now, we rejoice that the Messiah has come and has set up His Church-Kingdom and has saved His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).  This “testimony” and “law” was so vital to their (and our) peace of mind and welfare, that the Lord “commanded” the “fathers” to “make them known to their children”; that is, “thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up” (Deuteronomy 6:7).  This was/is not a suggestion, it was/is a commandment issued by the Lord God, our Creator!  These teachings are to be perpetuated in every generation (Psalm 78:6).  The purpose of these teachings is “That” each new generation “might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:  8  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.” (Psalm 78:7-8)!  Each “stubborn and rebellious generation” ultimately comes face to face with the wrath of God; as Ezekiel was commanded to warn Israel, “An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.” (Ezekiel 7:2)!  Let each and every one of us “Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” (Mark 5:19) and “diligently” “bring … up” our children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4); for, therein lies our peace in troubled times and hope for a better day!

John 10:16  “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”

 

Our Lord, our “Good Shepherd”, was naturally born of Jewish lineage and first established His Church among the Jewish people.  But, He also has a people among the Gentiles; and in the mind and purpose of God they are “one fold” and have “one shepherd”.  John saw that this “one fold” is comprised of people out of “every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people” (Revelation 14:6) and this “one fold” is “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9)!  This “one fold” is comprised of those that God the Father chose in Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) and our Lord will not lose a single one of those that His Father “hath given” Him, He will raise everyone of them up to Glory on the Last day of this Earth (John 6:39).  While this world remains, it is our duty to “worship” Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24); however, among Christian believers, there are many ideas and philosophies about Christ, who the “one fold” is, how they got to be “one fold”, and whether or not all of that “one fold” will make it to Eternal Heaven.  It is good and proper for us Christians to reason (Acts 18:4) with one another about the things that we disagree on and to worship separately when our differences are significant; but, the world that hates us (I John 3:13) needs to know that we will stand unified against their aggression!

Micah 7:7  “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.”

 

What do we do when it seems that the whole world around us has fallen into the pit of depravity and corruption?  In Micah’s day, “The good man is perished out of the earth”, they “do evil with both hands earnestly”, “The best of them is as a brier”, you could not “Trust” “in a friend”, “the son dishonoureth the father” [the family had ceased to be a family], and “a man’s enemies are the men of his own house” (Micah 7:2-7)!  What do we do in such times!?  Micah declared “Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation”; that is, “I” may be part of a very small minority; but “I will” remain faithful to “the LORD” and depend upon Him; using New Testament language, “I will” spend my time “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).  The more time we spend “Looking unto Jesus”, the more confident we will become that our “God will hear” us and that “when” we “fall,” we “shall arise; when” we “sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto” us (Micah 7:8).  Thus, we are exhorted to “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” (Psalms 31:24)!

Psalm 34:4  “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

 

The Psalmist observed first hand the contrast between the enormity of his troubles and the mighty power of his loving “LORD”!  Our human mind becomes overwhelmed with fear when we compare our troubles to our natural ability to overcome them.  We often lament that ‘I just don’t know what to do’, ‘I simply cannot fix it’, ‘my heart is broken and I’ll never be happy again’, and ‘this one is going to ruin me’!  To overcome “all” his “fears”, the Psalmist declared, “I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears”!  We are blessed find sweet peace, even in the midst of the most stormy troubles of our lives when we seek “the LORD” in prayer and in faithfulness to Him.

II Chronicles 15:4  “But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.”

 

Here is a doleful cycle, the Children of Israel had drifted further and further away from “the LORD”.  Consequently, they had deteriorated into great misery and despair.  The prophet explained, that “for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law” (II Chronicles 15:3)!  When they were at their lowest point, they remembered from whence they had fallen, and “when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them”!  Our God is indeed gracious and merciful to His people!  If he were a carnal man, He would have already destroyed the whole lot of us; but, He is “the LORD God” and He loves His people with a “great love” (Ephesians 1:4) and with a perfectly enduring love (Romans 8:35-39).  It is certainly true that “whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth” (Hebrews 12:6); but, He chastens us to correct our behavior and to strengthen us in His service, not to totally destroy us.  In our day, it seems that great multitudes are again drifting further and further away from “the LORD”, headed down the same ruinous path that many of our ancestors followed.  Let us earnestly pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of His people to hear Jeremiah’s message, “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.” (Jeremiah 4:1) and hear the LORD’s own words, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14)!  Lest we think that these warnings do not apply to us, Paul wrote, “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” (I Corinthians 10:11).  Here is a commanding challenge to us; “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24)!

I Timothy 5:17  “Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.”

 

It is clear that “elders” (Pastors, Preachers) are to spend the greatest portion of their time in prayerful study of “the word and doctrine” and then to preach and teach it (Ephesians 4:11) to “the flock” that God has given them “oversight” of (I Peter 5:1-2).  In this context, “the word” refers to the entire Word of God; while the “doctrine” refers to those fundamental teachings upon which the whole Word of God rests.  Teaching the “doctrine” is vitally important because it establishes the validity and authority for “instruction in righteousness” (II Timothy 3:16).  When preachers misrepresent or fail to teach the fundamental “doctrine”, they fail to lay a necessary foundation for teaching moral behavior and faithful obedience to God.  Without this necessary foundation, the whole Word of God is brought into question, doubt rises about the validity of the Word and folks soon drift away into devastating error.  This is why seasoned Preachers listen carefully to upcoming ministers to make sure that they have a solid understanding of “the word and doctrine” and that they have an “apt to teach” it (I Timothy 3:2; II Timothy 2:24).  To be “apt to teach” is to have a God-given gift to understand and to clearly explain “the word and doctrine”, both in preaching and teaching.

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

 

The author does not identify himself neither does he date the epistle.  Even without knowing the human author and date, the message to us is clear.  However, I accept the majority view that, in all probability, the Apostle Paul wrote this Epistle.  And, because the message of this Epistle fits the errors rising up among the Churches at that time, it could have been written around Sixty AD. 

This Epistle overwhelmingly emphasizes the supremacy of Christ over all the angels, Moses, the Levite priests, and all the Hebrew ancestry.  Early in Chapter One we are told that Christ “by himself purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:2).  Throughout the Epistle it is made clear that He “purged our sins” as our High Priest and our sacrifice.  The Old Testament priests and sacrifices prophetically typified our Lord’s office and sacrifice, but they could not and did not purge “our sins”.  Furthermore, Christ eternally reigns as our King having absolute authority and power over us and the Church, His Bride.

In the first century Church, even to this present day, Christians tend to migrate toward ceremonialism and legalism.  This Epistle warns us against such unnecessary and harmful digressions.  Our Lord has designed His Church without complication, He commands us to worship him in simplicity and truth without the great burdens that were placed upon Old Testament Israel.

The first century Hebrew Christians seemed to have been most vulnerable to lapses into various forms of ceremonialism, legalism, and genealogical supremacy; thus, it appears that this Epistle was primarily addressed to them.  History, since the first century, clearly reveals that tendencies toward such lapses are common to us all; therefore, this warning is just as applicable to us as it was to the first century Hebrew Christians.  The great peril is that, by nature, man will begin to worship the ceremony, the law, and his genealogy more than God!

As a kindly and well-seasoned old Minister of the Gospel, the Lord’s writer, being Divinely inspired, explains the meaning of our Lord’s High Priestly sacrifice on our behalf.  He exhorts us to take this knowledge and to remain faithful to the Lord in our life of worship and he encourages us in times of tribulation.

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

 

The overall message of the Hebrew Epistle is illustrated in the frequent use of such words and phrases as “better”, “sat down”, “priest”, and “let us”.  The word “better” refers to the blessedness of our God’s sovereign grace and judgment.  The desire for better things is woven into our mind and very being; we always want to find a better way of doing things, being more comfortable, becoming more efficient, etc.  In the Hebrew Epistle the Lord makes it clear; that in Christ Jesus, we have better things than in the Old Testament Law Service, better than man’s carnal philosophies on worship, and better than the idols that many worship.  For example; Christ “Being made so much better than the angels” (Hebrews 1:4), we have “a better hope” (Hebrews 7:19), “Jesus made a surety of a better testament” (Hebrews 7:22), Christ “is the mediator of a better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6), in Christ we have “better sacrifices than” in the Law Service (Hebrews 9:23), “ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance” (Hebrews 10:34), by “faith” the descendants of Abraham and Sarah “desire a better country” (Hebrews 11:16), and now, we rejoice because we have a “better resurrection” (Hebrews 11:35)!  We have good reason to worshipfully rejoice, for the Gospel of Jesus Christ heralds “a better hope” than the Law Service or any other works system for salvation that man might contrive!

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

 

The overall message of the Hebrew Epistle is illustrated in the frequent use of such words and phrases as “better”, “sat down”, “priest”, and “let us”.  The imagery of Jesus Christ having “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” is rich with doctrinal meanings.  It is a declaration of Christ’s finished work, of His position of glory and power in the Godhead, of His perpetual attention to His Elect, and of His authority to execute the will of God.  This powerful image is declared three times in the Hebrew Epistle.  It signifies that He had fully and finally purged the sins of His Elect: “when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:3).  It signifies that our Eternal Salvation was forever secured by His singular sacrifice: “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12).  And, it signifies that He willingly suffered to pay our sin-debt: He “endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).  The message of this imagery is perfectly consistent with our Lord’s declaration of His purpose in coming into this world: “this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39).  It is also in perfect harmony with His declaration, on the Cross, that He had “finished” the work that His Father sent him to do: “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).  Paul summarized the Lord’s completed work this way: “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9).  Let us take good courage and have good hope in knowing that our Lord has “sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high”!

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

 

The overall message of the Hebrew Epistle is illustrated in the frequent use of such words and phrases as “better”, “sat down”, “priest”, and “let us”.  In the Old Testament, human priests offered sacrifices daily for the sins of Israel and once every year the high priest went into the Most Holy Place to offer sacrifices for his sins and the sins of Israel.  In the New Testament, human priest are not needed in the New Testament Church; for, God the Father made His Only Begotten Son our High Priest.  As our High Priest, our Lord Jesus Christ sacrificially offered Himself to God the Father to pay our sin debt and to reconcile us to God.  God the Father accepted our High Priest’s sacrifice and our Lord declared that He had finished the sacrificial work.  It is sacrilege to claim that any further sacrifice or offering is required to secure our Eternal Salvation; for our High Priest offered Himself as the full and final Sacrifice.  Jesus Christ, our High Priest is the final authoritative administrator and sole cause of our Eternal Salvation; for, He offered one sacrifice one time for all His Children, and His Sacrifice is forever sufficient.  The Hebrew Epistle plainly declares that our Lord Jesus Christ is “a merciful and faithful high priest” (Hebrews 2:17), our Lord is “the Apostle and High Priest of our profession” (Hebrews 3:1), our Lord is the “great high priest, that is passed into the heavens” (Hebrews 4:14), our High Priest is “touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Hebrews 4:15), God the Father “made” His Beloved Son our “high priest” (Hebrews 5:5), our Lord was “made” “a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 5:6; 6:20), our Lord was “Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec” (Hebrews 5:10), our Lord “hath an unchangeable priesthood” (Hebrews 7:24), our “high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens” (Hebrews 7:26), our High Priest “needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself” (Hebrews 7:27), our High Priest is “the Son, who is consecrated for evermore” (Hebrews 7:28), our High Priest “is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Hebrews 8:1), and “Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building” (Hebrews 9:11).  We have a High Priest, and His name is Jesus Christ the Son of God!

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

 

The overall message of the Hebrew Epistle is illustrated in the frequent use of such words and phrases as “better”, “sat down”, “priest”, and “let us”.  Using the phrase, “let us”, the Hebrews Epistle wonderfully intertwines behavioral exhortations with doctrinal expositions.  These exhortations carry the weight of Divine Commandments, they are not mere suggestions.  The phrase, “let us” also denotes a unified, common behavior among the Children of God; that is, there are not separate rules for different classes or nations of people.  These exhortations to godly behavior are rooted in the truth of Who Jesus Christ is and what He has done and is doing for “us”; it is as if He is telling us, “let us” behave in certain ways because of the wonderful grace and mercy that our Lord gives to us.  We are lovingly exhorted to “Let us therefore fear” (Hebrews 4:1), “Let us labour” (Hebrews 4:11), “let us hold fast our profession” (Hebrews 4:14), “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16), “let us go on unto perfection” (Hebrews 6:1), “Let us draw near with a true heart” (Hebrews 10:22), “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23), “let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:24), “let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us” (Hebrews 12:1), “let us have grace” (Hebrews 12:28), “Let us go forth therefore unto him” (Hebrews 13:13), and “therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually” (Hebrews 13:15).  The phrase, “let us”, embodies the truth that our Lord is “worthy” (Revelation 4:11) of our obedient behavior, of our totally dedicated service to Him, and of our worship and praise of Him!

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

 

Hebrews Chapter One clearly distinguishes Christ as superior to the prophets and angels.  He is superior in His being, His offices, His relationship to the Father, and His sovereign authority and power.  The Jewish authorities highly revered their prophets, priests, kings, and the Mosaic Law; but, they openly and violently rejected Christ and His Doctrine and His Church.  They rejected Christ as their King, rejected Him as their Priest, and rejected Him as their Savior.  Even the Jewish Christians also tended to slip back into certain aspects of the legalistic Mosaic Law Service.  The Hebrew Epistle opens with a powerful persuasion that Jesus Christ is the prophesied Messiah and that the Old Testament prophets and priests testified of Him but were not to be revered.  Now that He has come, Christ has entirely fulfilled the requirements of the sacrificial and ceremonial Law Service and now sets as our victorious King and Priest.

 

Almost immediately the Jewish Christians began to reach back and pull certain aspects of the Law Service into the New Testament Church.  In some cases, they tried to press choice elements of the Law Service upon the Gentile Christians and some of Gentile Churches incorporated these elements into their system of worship.  The glamour of ceremonial rigor continues to be a major part of many Christian Churches in our day; in many cases ceremony has replaced true worship.  The excitement of ceremony and entertainment draws great crowds, but has little value in worship.  Ceremony and entertainment feed our carnality, but does little for our hungry soul.  In contrast to the ceremony and entertainment, Paul described a true Christian life of worship as “the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God” (II Corinthians 1:12) we serve and worship God.

 

The Hebrews Epistle emphasizes that Christ is superior in every respect and, as King and Priest, He has ordered Christian worship according to His will and purpose.  And, it is our duty to serve and worship Him “in simplicity and godly sincerity”.

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,”

 

It is with profound purpose that the Hebrews Epistle opens with “God,”!  Our English word “God” is translated from the Greek word “Theos” which means, the Sovereign.  It includes the Triune nature of God (I John 5:7).  The truths of Christ as our King, Priest, and Savior securely rests upon the foundational truth of “God”; that is, “God” is entirely Sovereign.  Furthermore, as God, only His doctrine is to be taught and practiced in His Church.  This foundational truth of Christ is our reason for living, our means of life and daily living, and our hope of His future blessings.  Moses declared His Sovereignty this way, “Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.” (Deuteronomy 4:39).  Why is it important for us to pause and consider the Sovereignty of “God”?  In our present day “God” is openly rejected; consequently, our Children are killing each other, immorality is pasted all around us, possession and self-glory are primary motivations and objectives, union between religion and decadent worldliness is rapidly spreading, marriage is no longer respected, open fornication is common and promoted as an acceptable way of life, troubles in the Church abound, Creation is denied even by many so-called Christians, daily abortions are one of the most horrific genocides to ever appear in this corrupt world, Christianity is openly rejected and opposed, a moment of silence has vainly replaced public prayer, sodomy is embraced and forcibly imposed, prayer in the name of Christ is often forbidden, drug and alcohol addictions are now epidemic, and during troubles people routinely fall into overwhelming despair.  In times of such spiritual decay, there are things that we should know about The Sovereign “God”: He has no beginning, He has no ending, He is everywhere, He has unlimited knowledge, He has unlimited wisdom, He has unlimited authority, He has unlimited power, He created all things, He owns all things, He has power over all things, He cannot be questioned, He cannot be totally understood, He concedes no power, His judgments are final, His choices are self-determined, His commands are enforced, His love is eternal, and His Word is the final authority.  Probably, the most comforting thing you could ever learn about “God”, is that He is sovereign.  To believe it, is to believe that He is able to perform all that He promised.

Hebrews 1:1  “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,  2  Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;”

 

In Old Testament times, “God” spoke to His people through His prophets at various “times” and in various “manners”.  “God” sent or personally gave his Word to His Prophets, who then delivered His Word to the people and the Prophets wrote His Word in books for the instruction of later generations.  Paul said it this way: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” (Romans 15:4) and “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (II Timothy 3:16).  Much of the Old Testament prophesied that the Messiah would come.  The New Testament provides evidentiary accounts that the Messiah has come, and it records His Acts and His Words.  The angel declared the primary reason why Christ (the Messiah) came: “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins  …  they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:21-23).  And, Paul declared that Christ “hath” finished what He came to do:  Christ “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9).  Also, Daniel prophesied that Christ would set up His Church-Kingdom: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44).  Christ declared that He did set it up: “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18).  The “rock” “upon” which the Lord built His “church” is the “rock” of truth that “Peter” had just spoken: “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16).  Our English word for “Peter” is translated from the Greek word “petros” which means a stone, like a stone that could be picked up and thrown.  The word “rock” that the Lord used in this passage is translated from the Greek word “petra” which means a very large rock like the side of a mountain or the face of a cliff.  By using the word “petra”, the Lord is communicating the blessed Gospel that His Church-Kingdom is indeed set up and, like the side of a mountain, it cannot and will not be removed or destroyed; thus, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”; for, “the Christ, the Son of the living God” has come and has set it up!  Now we rejoice and are greatly comforted; for, Isaiah’s prophecy has come to pass: “there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain” (Isaiah 4:6)!

Hebrews 1:3  “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

 

Zacharias (John the Baptist’s father) declared that Jesus Christ came into this world “To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:79).  The word “brightness” means a very bright light emanating from God that is directed to His Children.  The message to us is that Jesus Christ came into this present world to shine the magnificence of God’s glory to His Children.  When the Children of God are blessed to behold “the brightness of his glory”, they rejoice to see that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and their Savior!  Furthermore, Jesus Christ gives “light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death”; that is, He lifts up, comforts, and delivers those who are in great distress in this present life.  While our Lord was on the earth, He indeed shined “the brightness of his glory”; for, He healed the sick, comforted the broken hearted, raised the dead to life again, communicated the “glory” of God to His Children, and He “saved his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  On one occasion, Christ literally shined out a brilliant light from Himself (Matthew 17:2).  But, whether “the brightness of his glory” literally appears to us or it appears inwardly by an act of the Holy Spirit, it yet reveals the “glory” of God to His Children.  When preachers are guided by the Holy Spirit to preach our Lord’s glorious “gospel”, they are declaring “the brightness of his glory”; which, brings the light of understanding to the “born again” Children of God affording them great joy and comfort.  Although our Lord has ascended into Heaven, He wonderfully promised His Apostles and us; saying, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:18)!  We have reason to greatly rejoice; for, as we wade through the troubles of this present life, our Lord will, even now, lift us up, help us, forgive us, and comfort us with “the brightness of his glory”!

Hebrews 1:3  “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

 

As God and man, Christ faithfully revealed God to His people.  The words, “express image” literally means that which is impressed, somewhat like a king’s mark of power and authority that is stamped upon his correspondence, his buildings, his money, his military equipment, etc.  Our Lord permanently impressed the “image” of Himself in the hearts and minds of each of His Children and upon His beloved Church.  As “the express image” of God, though He was also a man, Jesus Christ was God having all the features and sovereign attributes of God and He communicated the will, power, and authority of God to His Children.  He was perfect in every way!  He was entirely omnipotent; for example, He demonstrated several times that He had the sovereign power to even raise the dead to life.  Ultimately, He gave His own life and then raised it to life again.  We can only imagine how awe-struck the people were as they watched our Lord speak to the dead and the dead responded to His voice and rose to life again.  It is no wonder that people thronged Him when He entered their cities.  It is also easy to understand why the authorities envied and even hated Him.  In their view, this simple Man was robbing them of the glory they so coveted.  Now we greatly rejoice; for, such an almighty God is able to “save” us “to the uttermost” (Hebrews 7:25) and to deliver us through the perilous trials of this present life.  In giving His precious life, our merciful and gracious Lord paid our sin-debt and saved us to Eternal Glory in Heaven.  Because our Lord Jesus Christ came to this world as the “express image” of God, we worshipfully sing “Victory In Jesus” (E. M. Bartlett).

Nehemiah 8:10  “Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

 

The Children of Israel had recently returned to Jerusalem after seventy years of captivity in Babylon.  Their city had been totally ruined by Nebuchadnezzar’s army; but, they had returned and just finished rebuilding the wall around the city.  After the wall was completed, they set aside a day of worship and when the Word of God was read, they learned of there sins and errors and they began to weep with sorrow!  Their ministers then encouraged them; telling them to, “neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength”.  It is the same with us today, when our minds turn to our sins and errors and failings and weaknesses, it grieves our hearts and severely saddens us; but, we are wonderfully encouraged when we hear our Lord commanding us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28); for, our inward demeaner begins to improve and our sadness turns to good cheer.  We greatly rejoice, when we are reminded that our “God” “is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4) and that He “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (II Timothy 1:9) and “that of all which” God the Father “hath given” to Jesus Christ, He “should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39).  The message to us is that the more often we prayerfully attend Church to worship, the greater our “joy”, and as our “joy” increases, so does our “strength” in the Lord.  The more “strength” we have in the Lord, the better we endure and overcome those things that sadden and distress us in this present life.

Hebrews 1:3  “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign, and He is omnipotent; therefore, His “word” (the things He speaks, commands, and inspired in His Holy Bible) is sovereignly uttered and enforced by His almighty “power”.  He cannot possibly fail; for, He is  the “blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15).  Thus, He is even now “upholding all things by the word of his power”.  When the phrase “all things” is used in the Bible, we must be careful to consider the context that it is used in.  In this case it refers to our Lord, in perpetuity, “upholding” His created universe, His Church that He established, and the eternal security of His Children who were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).  In the Hebrew Epistle, we are specifically told that His “throne” is “for ever” (Hebrews 1:8), He is our “high priest for ever” (Hebrews 6:20), He “offered one sacrifice for sins for ever” (Hebrews 10:12), “he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14), He is “the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8), and He is in a state of “glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:21).  Surely, our Lord is worthy of our faithful, worshipful service to Him!

Hebrews 1:3  “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

 

Every born-again Child of God ought to wrap their mind around this phrase and engrave it as a daily banner in their memory; and as they gaze upon it, bow down before our Lord in sincere thanksgiving!  For, Christ has finally and entirely “purged our sins”; that is, before God our Father, He has removed every “sin” from us; He, by His Sacrificial Death, has removed the gilt of sin, the pain of sin, the shame of sin, and the stigma of sin.  In purging “our sins”, He rendered us fully fit for Eternal Heaven.  Now, God the Father sees His Elect Children washed and cleaned of their sins (Isaiah 1:18).  The Children of God are NOT rendered purgeable, they are NOT offered a purging, they are NOT invited to purge themselves; but, our Lord “by himself purged our sins”!  He “purged our sins” “by himself”; that is, He didn’t need or ask for our help, He didn’t leave it to us to finish, He didn’t leave it to a minister to finish or consummate, and He certainly does not plead with us to obtain it by some act on our part; but, He alone by the one-singular act of His Sacrifice “purged our sins”.  The Hebrew Epistle shows Christ to be our High Priest, Who sacrificed Himself to God the Father to pay our sin-debt; thus, He “by himself purged our sins”!  This does not mean that the Children of God can “sin” with impunity in this present world, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6).  But, while we are indeed chastened to correct our behavior; before God our Father, we are not eternally charged or condemned for our sin (Romans 8:32-34) because our beloved Lord has “by himself purged our sins”!  The angel told Joseph, “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) and “JESUS” on the Cross plainly declared “It is finished” (John 19:30); that is, He had “by himself purged our sins”!  Let us greatly rejoice and humbly worship and serve our God for the great grace and mercy He has shown to us!

Hebrews 1:3  “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”

 

This glorious phrase gives us a mental image of grandeur, so magnificent, that it is unmatched by that of any human royalty or statesman.  The message of this phrase should compel us to our knees in worshipful adoration.  Our Lord Jesus Christ, having “sat down”, signals to us that He has fully and finally finished the work that Saved His Elect to Eternal Heaven!  Furthermore, Christ having “sat down” denotes His royal position of Sovereign Power and Authority alongside God the Father.  He is unmatched in His glorious position; for, He alone is “the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15).  He is not “sat down” to retire, neither is His reign in the past tense; for, “he ever liveth to make intercession for” us (Hebrews 7:25).  His position “on the right hand of the Majesty on high” is the position of great honor; for, even today the “right hand” position is reserved for those who are highly honored.  It is the position of the Great Victor; and, our Lord Jesus Christ is that Great Victor; for, He “hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory” (Psalms 98:1).  He “hath gotten him the victory” over “sin”, “death”, and the “grave” (I Corinthians 15:54-56); also, He “giveth us the victory” (I Corinthians 15:57)!  This comforting image also communicates to us that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God is effectually reigning today and when we pray to the Father (Hebrews 4:16) in His blessed name, His glorious position affirms that He has secured our right to petition and to be heard.  Thus, we sing “O worship the King, all glorious above, O gratefully sing His power and His love; Our shield and defender, the Ancient of days, Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.” (Robert Grant)!

Hebrews 1:4  “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

 

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is shown to be infinitely “better” than anything or anyone.  He is “better” than “the angels” (Hebrews 1:4), better than “Moses” (Hebrews 3:3), better than the “priests” (Hebrews 5:1), and He “is the mediator of a better covenant” (Hebrews 8:6).  This is why we are plainly told that “holy and reverend is his name” (Psalms 111:9); that is, the Reverend Title belongs exclusively to God and not man.  Furthermore, with respect to religion, Jesus Christ charges us to “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.  11  But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:9-11)!  It seems that some of the Jews, as well as others, in that day had an inordinate reverence for “the angels” while they openly rejected Jesus as the Messiah.  Thus, it is clearly declared that Christ is “so much better than the angels”!  Christ is both inherently and practically “better than the angels”.  Christ is “the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25; Matthew 14:33; Matthew 27:54; Mark 1:1); thus, He is truly God while the angels are servants and messengers of God.  The “angels” are not to be worshiped (Revelation 19:10; 22:9); but, Christ is to be lovingly reverenced and worshipped (Luke 24:52).  The Lord made it very simple: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)!

Colossians 2:13  “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

 

At the very instant that we are “born again” of the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-8), we both rejoice in the knowledge of the Lord and mourn because of our sin and sinfulness.  When we hear that sweet Gospel, declaring to us that when we were “dead in” our “sins and the uncircumcision of” our “flesh, hath” our Lord “quickened” us “together with him, having forgiven” us “all trespasses”!  When this blessed truth settles into our regenerated hearts and minds, we “rejoice with joy unspeakable” (I Peter 1:8); and, with tears of joy we cry out, “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (Psalms 116:12)!  Surely, such a gracious and merciful “LORD” is worthy of our total commitment to His service and worship!

Colossians 2:13  “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”

 

To trespass is to fall away from obedience to God; that is, to fall away into sin.  And, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (I John 1:8).  Those who are yet “dead in” their “sins” have no concern for their “sins” or who they hurt by their “sins”.  But, those whom the Lord “hath” “quickened together with him” (given Spiritual Birth) not only are concerned for their “sins”; but, they are shamed and dreadfully grieved because of them.  The good news is that the Lord has “forgiven” us “all trespasses”; that is, He has paid our sin-debt for us and washed our sins away.  Now, our Heavenly Father sees us through the Sacrificial Death of His Son; thus, He sees us without any “trespasses”, so that we are now perfectly fit for Eternal Heaven.  Those “quickened together with” our Lord have great reason to worshipfully rejoice for; Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled: “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18)!

Hebrews 1:4  “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

 

In contrast to the “angels”, Jesus Christ has “a more excellent name than they”; His name is “Emmanuel” (Matthew 1:23), the “Son of God” (Matthew 14:33).  His name is “Emanuel” because He is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23)!  His name is the “Son of God” because He is of God and He is God!  His very name is glorious; for, “God also hath highly exalted him, 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” (Philippians 2:9-10).  His “name”, “Jesus”, means, Jehovah Is Our Salvation!  Therefore, “every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11)!  Of Him only, God the Father declared, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 17:5).  Angels are not to be worshiped (Revelation 19:10; 22:9).  Men are not to be bowed down to and worshiped, not even the Apostles (Acts 10:25-26).  But, our Lord Jesus Christ is grand and glorious beyond our comprehension; therefore, when the name “Jesus” is declared, let “every knee” worshipfully “bow”; for, “there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12)!

Hebrews 1:4  “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.  5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

 

God the Father never referred to any angel as “the Son” or “my Son”.  The “angels” are referred to as “the sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7) to denote their subordinate place in the great Kingdom of God.  It is the angels’ duty to receive and carry out the Lord’s commandments and at certain times to deliver messages to His people.  The “angels” are created beings; but, our Lord Jesus Christ is the “only begotten Son” (John 3:16) of God the Father.  Our Lord Jesus Christ was conceived in Mary’s womb by God the Father; thus, the “only begotten Son” of God the Father was born with a perfect body, unspotted by sin and corruption.  In the righteous judgment of God, our Lord Jesus Christ took upon Himself a human body so that He could offer Himself to God the Father as a perfect sacrifice to pay the sin-debt of all that were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4).  Being the “only begotten” “Son of God” the “Father”, Jesus Christ is as His Father, He is God the Son having the full sovereign power and authority of God, for He is One in the “Godhead” (Acts 17:29; Romans 1:20; Colossians 2:9; I John 5:7).  Yet, He offered His perfect body in Sacrifice for our sins and then raised His body from the dead and then ascended His resurrected body to Heaven.  Thus, in the same pattern and because of His death, burial, and resurrection; one blessed and holy day, He will raise all His Elect Children (Romans 9:11, Ephesians 1:4; I Peter 1:2) to Eternal Life and take them to Eternal Heaven to be forever with Him in Glory (I Corinthians 15; I Thessalonians 4).  Thus, we worship and serve the “Son of God”, not “angels”!

Hebrews 1:4  “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.  5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

 

Only the Lord Jesus Christ is said to be the “begotten” of God the Father; thus, He is directly from God the Father and is one in the “Godhead”.  The “angels” are individually created beings and we humans are genealogical descendants of Adam who was a created being.  The Elect Children of God are adopted into the family of God (Ephesians 1:5) by the exclusive choice and act of God.  We are said to be adopted because Jesus Christ is the “only begotten son” of God the Father.  God the Father declared, “I will be to him a Father”; that is, He will Sovereignly own Him as His Son and love Him and be at one with Him.  Furthermore, Christ the Son of God “will be” “a Son” to God the Father; that is, being at one with God the Father, He will act in unison with God the Father and will perfectly carry out the will of God the Father and God the Father will be well pleased with His Son.  No other human being or angel holds such a distinction or position.  Thus, the Son of God is to be worshipfully revered and obeyed in His Church and in every part of our lives.  No other human being or angel is to be worshiped or revered!

Hebrews 1:4  “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.  5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

 

As messengers of God, the “angels” are to carry out God’s will and, like us, they are to worship and serve our Lord and Him only.  While God gives His “angels” powers that are extraordinary to us, yet they are servants of God and they worship Him.  The point is, it makes no sense to worship the worshipers, either man or “angels”; for, all are servants of God!  As the Lord Commanded, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.  4  Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:  5  Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;” (Exodus 20:3-5)!  God is serious about this, those who worship anything (“angels”, men, images, etc.) other than “God” can expect Him to visit “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation”.  That is, those who worship anything other than God, often teach their idolatry to their children; thus, God’s chastisement will extend for several generations!  The Lord makes it very plain, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”!

Hebrews 1:4  “Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.  5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?  6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.  7  And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

 

Psalm 104 is a wonderful declaration of the Sovereign Power of God!  One of the great proofs and illustrations of His Sovereign Power, is that it is He “Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire” (Psalms 104:4).  It is explained this way, “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire”.  It is God who “maketh his angels spirits” and “his angels” are “his ministers” and as “his ministers”, He has given them power that is like “a flame of fire”.  The “angels” are “his ministers”; that is, they are His servants who carry out His will.  As “spirits” “the angels” often move and work among God’s creation like the wind, usually unseen by men; nevertheless, they move and work like the power of “a flame of fire”, uncontrolled and unhindered by man.  Sometimes they can be seen, as with Gideon when “there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak” (Judges 6:11) and when “David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem.” (I Chronicles 21:16).  Our Lord issues a severe warning to those who would harm His Children; “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10); that is, the “angels” that watch over us have direct access to God our Heavenly “Father”.  I surely do not know the full meaning of this passage; but, just knowing that our “angels do always behold the face of” God the “Father” is of great comfort to me!  All this is said to again emphasize that God made “his angels” and they are His servants and are not to be worshiped!  As the Psalmist exhorted, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6); nowhere are men or angels or things to be worshiped, only “the LORD our maker”!

Hebrews 1:8  “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

 

In contrast to “the angels”, “God” the Father declared “unto” His “Son”, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever” (Psalm 45:6-7)!  The phrase, “for ever and ever” is an expression of eternity; that is, His “throne” has no beginning and has no ending and He has no limit in power and authority.  Our political experience does not include a “throne”; for, the power and authority in our government is divided between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.  But, our “God” is His own Executive, Legislator, and Judge.  He makes His own laws, judges according to His own will, and executes His laws in a manner pleasing to Him.  His “throne” signifies His infinite power and authority to carry out His Sovereign Will.  Furthermore, He is “God” (Theos); He (“the Word”) is “one” in the Godhead; “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” (I John 5:7)!  Concerning “God”, Nebuchadnezzar wisely declared “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?” (Daniel 4:35).  Neither “angels” nor men hold such a glorious position and status; thus, they are not to be worshiped.  But concerning our Lord, we are wonderfully exhorted: “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6)!

Hebrews 1:8  “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.”

 

Usually, “a sceptre” was a very ornate staff, five or six feet long which symbolized the majesty, power, and authority of a king.  The king often signified his approval or judgment by extending his “sceptre” in front of him, toward his subjects that were before him.  The “sceptre” was often regarded as the very essence of the king himself, having his full power and authority.  With respect to the Messiah, Who is our King; “Balaam said unto Balak”, “I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.” (Numbers 24:17).  While carnal kings often reign to satisfy their own lusts for power and glory; our King reigns over His “kingdom” with “a sceptre of righteousness”; that is, all His judgments and commandments are good and right.  With respect to His Children in His Kingdom, He treats them with perfect kindness and love.  Our King’s “sceptre of righteousness” is emblazoned with “his great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4).  So “great” is our King’s “love”; that, He kindly extended forth His “sceptre of righteousness” and personally gave His life to pay our sin-debt, a debt that we could not possibly pay.  Furthermore, one blessed and holy day, the last day, we will see Him appear in the heavens and hear His glorious voice as He lovingly again extends forth His “sceptre” and declares, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34)!  Then, we “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17)!  As the Lord Commanded the devil himself, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10); not men and not “angels”; but, only “the Lord” our “God”!

Hebrews 1:9  “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

 

In contrast to both “angels” and men, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God is perfect and holy in every way.  Our Lord “hast loved righteousness”; that is, He “hast loved” everything that God has declared to be right, and there is no unrighteousness about Him (Psalm 45:7).  Furthermore, He “hath” “hated iniquity”; that is, He “hath” “hated” everything that is contrary to “the law” of God.  Because of His righteous love and hatred, He was moved to embrace the thing He “loved” and to defeat the thing He “hated”.  Thus, He willingly came into this world and Sacrificed Himself to God our Father; in doing so, He forever satisfied God’s righteous Law and forever defeated the “iniquities” which had “separated between” us and our “God,” (Isaiah 59:2)!  No angel or man could possibly do this; but, our loving Lord Jesus Christ could, and He did.  Now, we worshipfully herald Him our Lord and Savior!

Hebrews 1:9  “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”

 

The Sovereign Power and Authority and Majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ is expressed in human terms for our understanding.  In Old Testament times, both kings and priests were anointed with oil to signify that the power and authority of their position was conveyed unto them.  Jesus Christ was “anointed” King and Priest by God the Father; denoting that He did not derive His position, power, and authority from men, organizations, or institutions.  He reigns as the “only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15).  Specific to Hebrews 1:9, He sovereignly reigns “above” His “fellows”; that is, “above” those who have part in His Eternal Kingdom.  Said another way, He reigns “above” the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2), “above” those who were “chosen” in him “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), and “above” those that God the Father “hath given” Him (John 6:39).  He is “anointed” “with the oil of gladness”; that is, our Great King and Priest was pleased to come into this present world to do “glad” things for those who were “chosen” in him “before the foundation of the world”.  It makes us “glad” to know that He plainly declared, “of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)!  It makes us “glad” to hear our Shepherd-King declare “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28).  Our Lord also made His people “glad” while He was in the world; for, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him” (Acts 10:38)!  Thus, we declare and sing of Him, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power” (Revelation 4:11)!

Hebrews 1:10  “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:  11  They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;  12  And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

 

Giving further proof that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, is “better than the angels” (Hebrews 1:4), He is addressed as “Lord”.  As “Lord”, He is one with God, having the full power and authority of God.  As “Lord”, He is the Creator, He owns all things, and He has full and final power over all things.  As “Lord”, He is the Great Decider, His decisions and choices are sure and final, they cannot be questioned or countermanded.  As “Lord”, He is to be highly revered and worshiped; angels and men are created to serve and worship Him.  Under Divine inspiration, the Apostle Peter declared of Him, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16); thus, He is God, “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)!  As the Psalmist exhorted, “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6)!

Psalms 33:12  “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.”

 

To be “Blessed” is to be happy, contented, safe, free, and well provisioned.  After plainly declaring the Sovereign Power of God (Psalm 33:1-11), the Psalmist joyfully declares, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD”!  That is, in contrast to “the nation” whose god is an idol or themselves; in those nations the people are miserable, unsafe, not happy, and they often suffer greatly at the hand of their own government.  But, in a “nation” whose laws are rooted in the Word of God and those laws are morally enforced; that is a “Blessed” “nation”.  In “the nation whose God is the LORD”, “the people” are kind and gracious and helpful to others; both within and without their own “nation”!  In “the nation whose God is the LORD”, “the people” go to Church to worship the “God” Who “is the LORD”, “the people” are honest and moral, “the people” lift up those who are downtrodden, and “the people” are bold to declare “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  18  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18)!  Isaiah admonished those that had “forgotten the God of thy salvation”: “Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength” (Isaiah 17:10) their labors would not prosper, they would be exposed to attack from other nations, and they would be generally miserable.  Today is the day we celebrate the anniversary of the United States of America.  Let us today, earnestly pray that our leaders will humble themselves before the “God” Who is our “LORD” and seek wisdom and direction from Him.  Let us pray that “the people” of our “nation” will joyfully and worshipfully sing “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6)!

Hebrews 1:10  “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands:  11  They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;  12  And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”

 

Here is another illustration that Jesus Christ, our “Lord” is “better than the angels” (Hebrews 1:4).  Our “Lord” is the Creator; for, it is plainly declared of Him, “Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands”!  Our “Lord” is eternal, His creation “shall perish; but thou remainest”; that is, “the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat” (II Peter 3:12); but, after the “earth” and the “heavens” “perish”, our “Lord” “remainest” in Eternity.  The “earth” and the “heavens” “shall wax old”; but, our “Lord” “remainest” unaffected by the ravages of age and wear.  At a time pleasing to Him, our “Lord” will, allegorically, “fold” “up” the “earth” and the “heavens”; that is, He is the Creator and He will cause His creation to “perish”.  As the “earth” and “heavens” “wax old” and are finally made to “perish”, our “Lord” “remainest” “the same” and His “years shall not fail”!  No angel or man has such a Sovereign Distinction; but, our “Lord” reigns eternal and “is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him” (I Peter 3:22)!  Furthermore, when His Children are taken in death, their “spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7); that is, they will be taken from their body and carried in to “paradise” (Luke 23:43) to be with our “Lord”!  And then, one blessed and holy day, just before He folds “up” the “earth” and the “heavens”, our “Lord” will raise our bodies to Eternal Life, reunite our bodies and spirits, and then take us bodily to be forever with Him in Heaven’s Paradise (I Corinthians 15; I Thessalonians 4)!  Furthermore, not a single one of His Elect Children will be left behind or lost (John 6:39)!  Therefore, our “Lord” is to be worshiped and served, not “angels” or men!

Hebrews 1:13  “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  14  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

 

This last proof shows that Jesus Christ is God and that He is to be entirely worshiped, but that “the angels” are not gods and are not to be worshiped.  Nowhere in any of God’s Messages, Decrees, or Commandments is there any hint that God has elevated one of “the angels” to the high honor of sitting on the “right hand” of God the Father.  This passage is taken from Psalm 110:1 and is referred to throughout the New Testament to show the exalted and most powerful position of Jesus Christ our Savior.  The “right hand” position, in every venue in every nation, is a position of both honor and power.  Jesus Christ left this earth in His resurrected body (Acts 1:9); it is not angels, but Jesus Christ our Lord “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.” (I Peter 3:22)!  Jesus Christ is not just an ornamental or symbolic place holder, He is even now our reigning King: shortly before Stephen was stoned to death, he “said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56)!  Thus, our Lord and Master is actively ruling now; nothing happens without His knowledge, there is nothing or no one that exceeds His power and authority, and He is perpetually Shepherding His beloved “sheep” (John 10).  When we appeal to the Father in our Lord’s name, grace and mercy (Hebrews 4:16) are dispatched to us at His Command.  It is “Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,” (Revelation 1:5); as “the faithful witness”, His presence on the throne of God, in His resurrected body, is perpetual evidence that He fully and finally paid the sin-debt for His Elect; thus, making those “chosen” “in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) righteously fit for Eternal Heaven!  Paul points our attention to the last day; telling us that, “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.” (I Corinthians 15:24); that is, all human powers and authorities will cease, all the sinful acts of man will cease, and death will be eternally defeated as we are raised up to Eternal Life “so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17)!  It is no wonder that Paul declared, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8)!

Hebrews 1:13  “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  14  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

 

In summary to the exposition on “angels”, in a telling question we are asked, “Are they not all ministering spirits”!  The “angels” are “all ministering spirits”; that is, everyone of them is entirely and perpetually engaged in service to God, not even one “angel” is elevated to the high office of Master and Lord.  As “ministering spirits”, they are “sent forth” by God to execute His will in the care of His “heirs of salvation”.  The word that is translated “ministering” connotes one that serves without remuneration; that is, the “angels” simply serve for the sake of service, to execute the will of God for His Elect.  In the Biblical record, in every case, “angels” are sent forth to execute some action under God’s Command or to deliver a message from God to His Elect.  The “angels” are charged to watch over the “heirs of salvation”; for, those who would mistreat a Child of God is warned to “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:10)!  As “ministering spirits”, they move about us, usually unseen and unheard; but, always beholding “the face of” the Heavenly “Father”; thus, as dedicated servants, they are perpetually waiting for and executing the will of God for His Children.  Those who mistreat God’s Children, need to beware, for in an instant they could experience the wrath of God executed by His “ministering spirits”.  Thus, “the angels” are never seated with the authority and power of God, but they faithfully carry out the will of God.  As servants, they are not to be worshiped as gods; but, we must understand that they are “sent forth” by God and given power by God to execute His will.

Hebrews 2:2  “For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;  3  How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;  4  God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?”

 

The Children of God have a long history of not listening to and not obeying the Word of God, bringing great peril upon themselves.  Old Testament Israel was cyclically and severely chastened for neglecting the Word of God when the Lord sent other nations to conquer them and subjugate them.  When their oppression became severe, they would cry out to the Lord and He would eventually hear and deliver them.  But, it wouldn’t be long before they would fall in to sinful error again.  God would send them warnings, but they usually ignored them and continued to “neglect” His “word”, so they would again be chastened until they repented and turned to the Lord.  We are similarly warned of the peril of letting the word of God “slip” (Hebrews 2:1) away from us.  The peril of us neglecting the truth of Jesus Christ is contrasted to the peril that Old Testament Israel endured when they neglected “the word” (Commandments and Laws) that God sent to Israel, oftentimes by His “angels”.  That is, if Israel was severely chastened for what may seem to be such minor infractions, we are certain to be even more severely chastened for neglecting the true Word of Christ, our Savior.  So, here is the key question, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation”; that is, if God severely chastened Old Testament Israel for relatively minor infractions; how much more severe will our chastening be if we neglect to believe and obey “the word” of God concerning Jesus Christ our Savior.  As the Lord warned Old Testament Israel, “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  20  But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 1:19-20); similarly, we are warned, “Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” (Romans 11:20-21).  Like Old Testament Israel, we are not being threatened with “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46); but, we are being warned that we are subject to the same temporal chastening as Old Testament Israel was.  To “neglect” the truth concerning our “great salvation” that our Lord and Savior fully and finally secured for us on the Cross, is to subject ourselves to the chastening “sword” of God’s wrath in this present life! 

Psalm 34:18  “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”

 

“The LORD” is indeed omnipresent and omniscient; but, He kindly and lovingly reveals His Holy Presence to His Children who are suffering the pain of “a broken heart”.  The “heart” of God’s Children can be “broken” under the shameful weight of their own sin, some miserable condition in our life, the death of someone dear, an unfaithful companion, the troubles of those close, those who reject the true Gospel, the falling away from the Church, etc.  When “The LORD” reveals that He “is nigh”, “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.” (Psalms 147:3)!  Our “LORD” lovingly exhorts us to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)!  The Psalmist declares a question to us, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” (Psalms 42:5).  Paul reminds us that “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;  9  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”.  We are not “distressed”, “not in despair”, “not forsaken”, and “not destroyed” because our faith is “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.” (II Corinthians 4:8-10); that is, by our God-given faith, we lift our eyes above our present trouble and “broken heart” to our Beloved Lord who gave His precious life to save us from our sins and is our daily Intercessor for forgiveness (Hebrews 7:25) and for “grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16)!  Our Lord is kindly near to save us from the ravages of a “broken heart” when we “be of a contrite spirit” before Him.  Therefore, let us confidently come before our Lord’s Holy Throne and lay our “broken heart” at His Feet; for, there we will find sure and lasting comfort!

Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

 

The opening word, “Therefore”, refers us to Hebrews Chapter One, where we are clearly taught that Jesus Christ, being the Son of God, is “better” than the “angels” and the prophets, who are not to be worshiped; but, our Lord is to be lovingly worshipped, served, and obeyed. Considering that our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was “made so much better than the angels” (Hebrews 1:4), “we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip”. Even more so; for, He was also “made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death” (Hebrews 2:9). The word “ought” means that we owe our Lord our fullest attention to His Holy Word and our loving obedience to Him. We owe it to Him; for He, being the Son of God, is the Lord God Almighty, our Master, our King, our Savior, and our High Priest; furthermore, He is our strength and help in this present life and our only hope of Eternal life!

Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

 

To “slip” is to leak away. The word that is translated “slip”, was the word used in olden times to describe a leaking clay pot or wooden bucket. When a crack appears in the clay or wood, the liquid will slowly leak out. If the joints of a wooden bucket are not fitted or seasoned properly, its contents will slowly leak out. In our day, we often hear folks say, that “just slipped my mind”; meaning, it just leaked away; that is, I simply forgot it. To let the Word slip is to gradually let it drip away from our memory and knowledge. The Word of God slips away from us when: it is altered to accommodate a modern bent; we fail to read and study it; we fail to study it in its context; we fail to listen to the Word and then obey it; and we fail to attend Church where the Word is preached and taught. We are Commanded to “take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Letting the Word “slip” is like a soldier that never trains to use his “sword”; he will not last long on the battlefield!

Hebrews 2:3  “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

 

Our “salvation” is “great” because our Savior is “great”, because we are saved from devastating depravity, because we are saved from everlasting destruction, because we are saved to Everlasting Joy and Peace in Heaven’s Paradise, because of the great cost to our Heavenly Father and our Savior, because we had no power at all to save ourselves, and because of the irreversible surety of our Eternal Salvation.  The blessed Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ lifts us up from sin’s pain and misery in this present life, it points our minds to our Eternal Home, it declares that our inheritance in Heaven is reserved for us, it assures us that our Salvation is entirely by God’s Grace, it proclaims that our Savior is our Best Friend in this present life.  Our Heavenly Father lovingly sent His Only Begotten and Beloved Son into this present world to indescribably suffer and to sacrificially bear our sins away from us.  I cannot imagine standing by and allowing one of my dear children to be sacrificed for wretched sinners, but our Heavenly Father did.  I cannot imagine sacrificing myself for awful sinners, for my enemies, and for those who are crucifying me, but our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ did just that.  Can you imagine the wrath of the “Lord of Sabaoth” against those who deny, diminish, and distort the gravity and effect of our Lord’s “great” Sacrifice?  Indeed, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation”!

Hebrews 2:3  “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

 

The greatest possible weight is added to validate and authenticate the truth of our “great salvation”; Jesus Christ our “Lord” spoke it Himself!  He plainly declared it “at the first” when He quoted Isaiah 61, then said:  “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” (Luke 4:18-21).  Then, in Matthew 5-7, He preached the introductory sermon for His Church-Kingdom.  In John 6, our Lord spoke of the surety of our Spiritual Birth (Regeneration) and of our Eternal Salvation.  Concerning our Spiritual Birth, He said: “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37); but, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44).  Then He concisely announced the Eternal Salvation of His Elect: “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:39).  He also spoke this concerning His Sacrifice to pay our sin debt: “Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.” (Luke 9:22).  Speaking of the events of the last day of this earth, He greatly comforts His beloved “sheep” (His Elect), telling them, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:” (Matthew 25:34).  Again, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation”?!

Hebrews 2:3  “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;”

 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is somewhat like a musical quartet, singing in four-part harmony, under direction of the Holy Spirit.  What the Old Testament Prophets prophesied of, what our Lord did and said, what the New Testament writers reported, and what the Holy Spirit has wrought in our spiritual hearts – is all in perfect harmony!  This passage tells us that the Sweet Gospel of Jesus Christ “was confirmed unto us by them that heard him”; that is, what they reported is in perfect harmony with the prophets, with what our Lord did and said, and with our spiritual hearts.  The word “confirmed” has a connotation of bolstering, strengthening, making more sure, and making it even more clear to us; for, “they delivered them unto us,”; that is, things concerning our Lord, for “they” “which from the beginning were eyewitnesses, and ministers of the word” (Luke 1:2).  They plainly reported that “God raised up” Jesus Christ “the third day, and shewed him openly;  41  Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:40).  Paul makes it very clear that He did not get the Gospel truth of Jesus Christ from any man, but from the Lord Himself: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.  12  For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12); “To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:  17  Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.  …  19  But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.” (Galatians 16-19)!  We are made to greatly rejoice, “Even as the testimony of Christ” is “confirmed in” us (I Corinthians 1:6)!  Again, “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation”!

Hebrews 2:4  “God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?”

 

Who would ever believe such a thing; that a Man without a human father gave His own life, His body laid in a tomb for three days, then He rose from the dead, and forty days later He ascended into Heaven!  Furthermore, by His sacrificial death He, by the singular act of His death, saved all His people from the penalty of their sins and will one day take them all to Heaven in a resurrected body!  These truths of Jesus Christ and the God-given authority of His Apostles was often affirmed and validated by “signs and wonders”, “divers miracles”, “and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will”!  The sick and lame were healed and the dead were raised to life; all to affirm that these men were indeed the Apostles of Jesus Christ and to validate their message that Jesus Christ is, without doubt, the promised Messiah and that He did indeed save His people from their sin (Matthew 1:21).  The Children of God were often torn between their traditional religious teaching and what their born-again heart was telling them.  When they saw the Apostles’ “signs and wonders”, “divers miracles”, “and gifts of the Holy Ghost” they wonderfully acknowledged that the Apostles’ Gospel was in perfect harmony with the spiritual longings of their born-again heart.  The Apostle Thomas did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead until he saw Him for himself.  When the Lord revealed Himself to Thomas, He said this to him: “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed” (John 20:29).  Peter speaks of us this way: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Peter 1:8).  We have not seen such “wonders”, “miracles”, and “gifts”; yet we believe!  We believe because our Savior, our Good Shepherd speaks the truth of himself in our born-again hearts (John 10:16); thus, when we hear the blessed Gospel of our Lord and Savior, we cry aloud, AMEN, THAT IS WHAT I BELIEVE!

II Samuel 12:23 “But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

 

When king David’s infant son was very sick, he humbly and sincerely fasted and prayed before the Lord God Almighty, yet the child died. When David knew that the child was “dead”, to the amazement of those around him, he rose up and ceased from his mournful fasting and prayers. David explained, “now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me”! He knew that he would not see his child again in this life; but, he joyfully knew that one blessed day, he would blissfully join that child in Heaven’s Paradise. David then comforted his wife; I am sure that David comforted her with the same truth that comforted him. This life is temporary, it is short for some and long for others; yet, whether it is short or long, when the Lord takes us to be with Him, it is forever! It is forever, in Heaven’s Paradise where there is indescribable peace and joy and contentment in the very presence of the Lord God Almighty; where troubles, trials, disappointments, heartbreaks, pain, suffering, and sin are not found. Knowing this to be so, Paul declared, “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21) and “to be with Christ … is far better” (Philippians 1:23); that is, “far better” than anything that we could possibly experience in this present life. David’s broken heart was soothed when, through faith’s hope, he looked forward to being with his child “before the throne, and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9)! May the Lord now likewise comfort us!

Hebrews 2:1 “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

 

A recurring theme in the Hebrew Epistle, is warnings that we must not let the Word of God slip away from us. As the title shows, this Epistle was written with the Christian Jews in mind; their ancestors had habitually neglected and forgotten the Word of God. Sometimes they would persist in their negligence for several generations; but, eventually their sinful neglect of the Word of God would bring great trouble upon them. In the New Testament period, many had so severely let the Word “slip” that they simply could not see the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus Christ being fulfilled right before their eyes. Every generation is plagued with this problem. In our day, people neglect Bible reading, Parents fail to teach and demonstrate it to their children, public officials fail to read and adhere to it for political correctness, and preachers fail to teach it when they corrupt it and cherry pick passages to be societally palatable. This problem is very much alive and well in our generation, but we must not waste time wringing our hands and crying woe is me. The Lord expects us to “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (I Corinthians 16:13), to “endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:3), and to “be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,” (I Corinthians 15:58)!

Hebrews 2:5  “For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.”

 

While “the angels” are glorious and powerful servant-messengers of God, they are not to be worshiped as God, neither did God put them in Charge of His Church-Kingdom.  Hebrews 2:6 begins a quote from Psalm 8:1-9, which is a clear prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Thus, speaking from prophecy, “the world to come” is “the world” of the Church-Kingdom of God that came when the Son of God entered this world as a man, yet He was and is God.  This Church-Kingdom is “the world to come, whereof we speak”; that is, it is the major subject of this Epistle.  The message here is, that God did not put the angels in charge of the Church-Kingdom!  The Church-Kingdom is not “in subjection” to “the angels”, not to any man, not to any organization or institution or government; but, it is entirely “in subjection” to Jesus Christ, the King, the High Priest, the Savior.  We Primitive Baptist are sometimes asked, where is your Church Headquarters?  The answer is very simple, our Headquarters is in Heaven were our Lords sits as our King and High Priest.  The Lord makes it very clear: “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.” (Isaiah 42:8).  The phrase, “to another”, includes “angels” and men.  The point is that our Lord has built His Church-Kingdom and He reigns over it even now and forever!  The Holy Bible is the Lord’s Word of instruction for the Church-Kingdom’s doctrine, practice, and behavior; and, we go directly to our Lord where we find wisdom, grace, mercy, strength, love, and direction for what we do in His blessed Church-Kingdom.  As the Psalmist repeatedly declared, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalms 107:8); that is, “praise the LORD”, not angels or men!

Psalm 61:1  “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.  2  From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

 

The Psalmist is writing of a time when he was far away from his home and his “heart” was “overwhelmed” with his troubles, so he cried out to his merciful God; “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.”!  An “overwhelmed” ship at sea, is a ship that has become filled with water from the stormy sea and has begun to sink.  We are likewise “overwhelmed” when this life’s stormy troubles begin to weight us down, and we begin to sink under the pressure of those things that are troubling us.  This Psalmist knew exactly what to do when his “heart” became “overwhelmed”; he immediately began to pray to his God.  He prayed, “attend unto my prayer”; that is, “O God” hear my prayer and give me the comfort of knowing that You are hearing me.  He prayed, “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee”; that is, no matter where I am, how far from home I am, or how far out I am in the stormy seas of my troubles; I will “cry unto thee”!  He prayed, “when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I”; that is, “when” I begin to sink under the weight of my troubles, “lead me” away from my troubles “to the rock that is higher than I”, “to” the Lord my God, “to” the comfort and peace of His mighty arms, “to” the shadow of His wings; for, I am weak, but my Lord is like a great mountainous “rock”, He “is higher than I”, “higher than” my troubles.  He remembered how the Lord had delivered him in times past; “For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.” (Psalm 61:3).  So, he had great confidence that his Lord would deliver him again; saying, “I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings.” (Psalm 61:4).  Having great faith in his Faithful God, he declared that he would “abide before God for ever”; and he joyfully exclaimed, “So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.” (Psalm 61:7-8).  So, when our troubles are about to overwhelm us, let us flee “to the rock that is higher than I”; for, there we find our most blessed help, protection, joy, comfort, and peace!

Hebrews 2:6  “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?”

 

The contrast between “wretched man” (Romans 7:24) and Jesus Christ the Man-God is stark and blessed.  Hebrews 2:6-9 is taken from Psalm 8 and is applied to show that man, in his “wretched” state, is weakened by sin’s depravity.  Yet, such things as “All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;  8  The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.” (Psalm 8:7-8) are put “under” man’s “feet” (Psalm 8:6) to take and use for his benefit in life.  But somewhat like the “angels”, natural man is limited in his power, authority, and control.  Man, in his sinful state, could not, cannot, and would not redeem himself from his state in sin and save himself from the ultimate penalty for sin and sinfulness.  “But”, the good news is that “we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” (Hebrews 2:9)!  The good news is that “for the suffering of death”, our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ “hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” and “hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (II Timothy 1:9-10)!  Before His birth, it was said of Him, “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); then our Lord Himself, just before He gave His precious life, declared to us, “It is finished” (John 19:30); that is, He alone had, by His sacrificial death, “finished” everything necessary to “save his people from their sins”!  Knowing these things to be so, let us daily worshipfully cry aloud, “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!” (Psalm 8:9)!

Hebrews 2:10  “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

 

The phrase, “For it became him”, declares the sovereign goodness, greatness, righteousness, grace, faithfulness, and glory of God.  His every act becomes Him; that is, everything He does declares His blessed glory.  He does nothing that would reflect badly upon His Holy Person.  He is the Sovereign Eternal Holy God; “for whom are all things”; that is, “all things” belong to Him and are under His Divine authority and power.  Furthermore, He is omnificent; that is, He and He alone created “all things”; thus, “all things” belong to Him!  It is certain that “by” Him “are all things”; for, “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:3)!  Specific to this passage; because of His “great love wherewith he loved us” (Ephesians 2:4), “it became” our merciful and gracious God to send His only begotten and beloved Son into this world to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  Thus, we sing and declare, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)!  [As I sit here this morning, I am overwhelmed by the sense of my Gods greatness and glory; and I feel so small, so weak, and so insufficient in my efforts to speak of and to write of His great glory and majesty.  Yet, the greatest joy of my life is to speak and write of the things that “became” my Lord!]

Hebrews 2:10  “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

 

God our Heavenly Father sent His Beloved Son to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  Saving His people was a glorious thing; “For it became him, … in bringing many sons unto glory”.  The phrase, “in bringing” refers to what our Lord had already done at the time this Epistle was written; now we can worshipfully rejoice as we herald the great truth that our Lord has brought “many sons unto glory”.  The word “many” is explained this way: “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9), “of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39), “he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love” (Ephesians 1:4), and as the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ” (I Peter 1:2).  The “sons” are the “great multitude” of His Children by “adoption”; for, “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will” (Ephesians 1:5)!  The reason we are said to be adopted, is that Jesus Christ is “the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).  By the singular act of His Sacrificial Death, our Lord Jesus Christ has brought “many sons unto glory”; that is to the glorious state of justification, righteousness, holiness, and godliness; thus, perfectly fit for Eternal Heaven.  It “became him” to bring His “many sons unto glory”; that is, in human terms, we would say “The singular act of Jesus Christ, in sacrificing Himself to save His people from their sins, reflects great honor upon Himself and the God-Head”!  Knowing these things to be so, we declare and sing, “O come, let us worship before our great Lord; Come, kneel down before Him in reverence and fear; With thanksgiving, praise, and in hearing His word; O worship with singing, the Master is here!” (John J Overholt).

Hebrews 2:10  “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

 

The word that is translated “captain” connotes one who is in Command, one who originates, and one who makes it happen.  Thus, “the captain of” our “salvation” is the author (originator) (Ephesians 1:4, Romans 9:29) of our “salvation” and the finisher of it (John 19:30).  As “the captain”, he had absolute authority and power in choosing His people, in setting their eternal destiny, and in obtaining and securing their Eternal Salvation (Ephesians 1:1-14).  Furthermore, as “the captain” He had the exclusive Sovereign Power to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21); “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  As “the captain”, He is “the Prince of life” (Acts 3:15); that is, He has full authority and power over both “life” and death; for, He laid down His life and then took it up again (John 10:15, 17).  Our “captain” also has full and exclusive power over our life and death as He illustrated when He raised Lazarus to life (John 11:43).  And one blessed and holy day, we will hear our Captain Command, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34); then, in our resurrected bodies, we “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17)!  Surely, surely we should show our love to our Captain by keeping His Commandments (John 14:15)!

Hebrews 2:10  “For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

 

At no time was Jesus Christ, The Son of God, “the captain of” our “salvation” ever imperfect in His person as God, in His person as man, in His power, in His authority, or in His position.  The meaning of the word that is translated “perfect” allows us to explain it as a completed purpose, a completed mission, and to have reached a desired outcome.  A main object of this passage is our “salvation”; thus, we can joyfully and worshipfully declare, our “captain” has fully and finally accomplished His mission; He has saved “his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21; John 19:30).  He came into this present world to accomplish the “will” of His “Father” (John 6:38-39); and He perfectly accomplished what His Father sent Him to do.  Thus, when our “captain” declared on the cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30), He was declaring to His Father and to us, MISSION COMPLETE!  He had willingly endured grotesque sufferings to accomplish His purpose; that is, “through” His “sufferings” He paid the sin-debt for all His “Elect” (I Peter 1:2) and rendered them eternally fit for their blessed Home in Heaven!  Now we worshipfully cry, “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me?” (Psalms 116:12)!

Hebrews 2:11  “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,”

 

Jesus Christ our Savior is “he that sanctifieth”.  The tense of the word “sanctifieth” is that; at every moment in the past, present, and future those that He has sanctified are sanctified.  The word “sanctifieth” literally means to make saints; which means to choose and designate for a specific purpose and to make properly fit to be saints.  Jude explains it this way, “them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called” (Jude 1:1).  Paul refers to the “sanctified” as those who are “called to be saints” (Romans 1:7) and “them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints” (I Corinthians 1:2).  To be “sanctified” is to have been “chosen in” Christ “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), “preserved in Jesus Christ”, and “called to be saints”.  Thus, those “sanctified”, “are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10) and “by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).  The sanctifier is God, and “them that are sanctified” are Eternally Sanctified and we greatly rejoice; for, it is impossible for the “sanctified” to lose their sanctification. 

Hebrews 2:11  “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,”

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ is “he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one”; that is, the Sanctifier and those He “sanctified” “are all of” God the Father.  To be “of” God is to have been originated by God from Himself.  Those that “are all of” God the Father are described as “many sons” (Hebrews 2:10), they are the same as those “he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29), those who cannot be eternally charged with sin (Romans 8:31-34, those who cannot be separated from God’s love (Romans 8:35-39), those who were “chosen in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), those that God the Father had given to His Son (John 6:39), and those who are the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2).  Our Lord punctuated the fact that, like Him, we “are all of” our Heavenly Father, when He instructed us to pray “our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9) in the model prayer.  Furthermore, Solomon explains that when we die, “the spirit shall return unto God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7); thus, if God gave us our “spirit” then we must necessarily be “of” Him!  John saw the departed spirits of these “many sons” in Heaven as a “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9)!  It is most pleasing to note that on the great Resurrection Day, the Lord will bring the deceased’s spirits of these “many sons” with Him, He will resurrect their bodies and reunite their spirits with their resurrected bodies, and then He will take all of them (those who are “of” God) to be forever with Him in Heaven (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)!  What a blessing that we can know and meditate upon these things!

Hebrews 2:11  “For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,”

 

Those who have lofty positions of power, authority, society, and wealth are often dismissive and condescending to those who have a lower station in life than theirs.  But, the “only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (I Timothy 6:15) and our “great high priest” (Hebrews 4:14) is “not ashamed to call them brethren”; that is, “they who are sanctified”.  A brotherly bond is one of the strongest bonds known to man.  True brothers will rush to aid their siblings, no matter how severe the sacrifice to themselves.  Military personnel are often referred to as “brothers in arms” because, no matter their ethnicity or station in life, they work closely together and defend each other, even to their own peril.  Biblically, this blessed “bond” is referred to as “brotherly love” (Romans 12:10; I Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 13:1) because this bond is as sure as if we were genetically related.  This blessed brotherly bond of love is outward evidence that we are the Children of God; for, our Lord plainly tells us that “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35).  Our human brothers may fail us due to human weaknesses and even death; but, the One Who “sanctified” us “sticketh closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24); that is, He will never forsake us, and He will always be there when we need Him!  Furthermore, “when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6) and “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8) and “when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son” (Romans 5:10).  He alone sacrificed Himself to pay our sin debt and to bare our sins away from us; thus, He forever secured our Home in Heaven.  We love and support our natural brethren; but, our Lord is the best of all!  Let us daily, worshipfully rejoice and give thanks; for, our Elder Brother “is not ashamed to call” us “brethren”!

Hebrews 2:12  “Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.”

 

As recorded in Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-25, and Luke 22:19-20; the Church-Kingdom of Jesus Christ the Son of God began to function as we know it after the Lord had presided over the last valid Passover Feast; and then He administered the first Communion and the first Feet-Washing (John 13:4-17).  In this Meeting our Lord also delivered a Powerful Message (John 14-16) and Prayer (John 17).  There was also singing (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26).  Quoting Psalm 22, we learn that our Lord, Himself set the pattern of Worship in His “church”; showing us that the object of Church worship is to “declare” the blessed “name” of our Lord “unto” the Lord’s “brethren”; that is, “unto” the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God” (I Peter 1:2) who are “born again” (John 3:1-8) by the Holy Spirit.  We still adhere to our Lord’s pattern of worship; we sing, we pray, and we preach.  True Biblical preaching is focused upon the Lord our gracious and merciful God.  In the singing, praying, and preaching, His “Elect” are shown to be worshiping beneficiaries of his grace and mercy; and we are exhorted to lovingly obey Him.  When the Lord prophesied, “I will declare thy name unto my brethren”, in the Old Testament, He was prophesying that He would actuate His “church” Himself and He set the pattern for worship that is to be followed until His return to take His “Elect” Home (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).  Although our Lord Bodily departed this world in Acts Chapter One, He yet “for ever” abides with us in the Person of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16).  This world has many wonderful sights and sounds and things to do; but, when the Holy Spirit directs the singing, praying, and preaching “in the midst of the Church” there is not a better or more pleasing place on this earth to be than “in the midst of the Church” of Jesus Christ!  Therefore, let us not forsake “the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25)!

Hebrews 2:13  “And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.”

 

In this passage, a practical prophecy is taken from Isaiah 8:17-18 and applied to Christ and the Children of God.  As a practical prophecy, it had application to certain events occurring in the day that it was spoken and written; but, ultimately, it refers to the words and acts of our Lord Jesus Christ.  The writer repeatedly quotes the Old Testament to unequivocally show that it testified of Christ (John 5:39); in particular, so that the Hebrews could clearly see that Jesus Christ is indeed the prophesied Messiah.  Also, the frequent application of the Old Testament helps us Non-Hebrews better understand the significance of Jesus Christ being our King, High Priest, Savior, Shepherd, and His Sacrificial Offering of Himself.  The words “And again”, “And again” emphasize to us that he is making more very weighty points that we should carefully consider.  In setting the example for us, Jesus Christ had perfect “trust” in God His Father, that He would “not leave” His “soul in hell, neither” would He “suffer” His “Holy One to see corruption” (Acts 2:27, Psalms 16:10)!  He goes on to apply His example to us, telling us, “Behold I and the children which God hath given me”; that is, as the Lord trusted in God the Father so should we!  Our Lord focused our trust when He plainly declared, “And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:39)!  While we are blessed to find “grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) in this present life, the greatest joy of all is knowing that one blessed and holy day, our Lord will “raise” us from the dead and take us to our Heavenly Father’s House (John 14:1), “and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thessalonians 4:17)!

Hebrews 2:14  “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”

 

The “children” of God are those “chosen in” Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), who are the same as the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2).  As “partakers of flesh and blood”, “the children” of God are “made subject to vanity” (Romans 8:20) and “subject to bondage” (Hebrews 2:15) and sin’s consequential death.  God does NOT make us sin; but, we all have a “flesh and blood” tendency to sin.  To live a life of worship is to firmly reject sin and to show our love to our Lord by our obedience to Him (John 14:15).  As hard as we try not to sin, from Adam until this very moment, “the children” of God come face to face with the dreadful truth “that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not” (Romans 7:18), that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and that “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (I John 1:8).  Paul also explained our “flesh and blood” condition this way, “I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.” (Romans 7:21) and “I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23).  Knowing that we are but “flesh and blood”, we worshipfully declare with Job “I know that my redeemer liveth” (Job 19:25) and with the Psalmist “And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee.” (Psalms 39:7)!

Hebrews 2:14  “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”

 

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entered this world with a human body; thus, he was all God and all Man!  Speaking of God the Father, Jesus Christ declared it this way, “a body hast thou prepared me” (Hebrews 10:5); for, “it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren” (Hebrews 2:17).  It is most clear that our merciful and gracious Lord was born to die a sacrificial death.  God, our Heavenly Father, sent our Lord into this world and “prepared” Him a perfect “body” “for to do” whatsoever His “counsel determined before to be done” (Acts 4:28); that is, that cruel and hateful hands would sacrificially crucify Him.  God made man “very good” (Genesis 1:31); but man became very bad when he sinned; that is, he disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6).  Thus, “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12).  However, God knowing, before the foundation of the world, that man would fall into sin; He determined to send His perfect Son to pay the sin-debt that His “Elect” Children (I Peter 1:2) could not possibly pay and to fully and finally justify them, making them wonderfully fit for Eternal Life in Heaven with Him.  Such great love for such dreadful sinners is beyond my comprehension, yet by faith knowing it to be so, we “rejoice with joy unspeakable” (I Peter 1:8) and look forward to the blessed day when we will join that wonderful scene that John saw in Heaven; He saw “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9)!

Isaiah 25:4  “For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.”

 

A “refuge” is a secure and safe place where the raging “storm” can do us no harm.  At this very moment, Hurricane Dorian is raging off the east coast of Florida.  Many are fleeing away to find “refuge” beyond the reach of “the storm”.  Some will stay in their homes; and when “the storm” arrives and “the blast of the terrible ones” begins to tear their houses apart; they will flee to the most secure room in their house (usually a bathroom), where they will pray and hunker down until “the blast of the terrible one” subsides.  Also, at this very moment there are families that have storms raging in their personal lives, the allegorical “blast of the terrible ones” is trying to tear their lives apart, trying to ruin them with discouragement, and convince them that there is no hope for better times.  Also, at this very moment there are Churches that are being torn apart by the allegorical “blast of the terrible ones” and many will flee away in anguish and discouragement.  Also, at this very moment there are those who are being ravaged by illnesses as the allegorical “blast of the terrible ones” tear at the bodies and minds.  Also, at this very moment there are those whose lives and minds are being destroyed by drugs and alcohol as the allegorical “blast of the terrible ones” rips all hope and peace from them.  Also, at this very moment there are those who have come face to face with their own sin and lusts and “the blast of the terrible ones” is tearing their hearts apart.  No matter the name of “the storm” or the type of “storm” or the severity of “the storm” that is raging in our lives, there is “help”; for, we have a God-given blessed hope in “our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace” (II Thessalonians 2:16).  Even in the midst of our storms, let us “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exodus 14:13) and “Be still, and know that” our Lord is “God” (Psalms 46:10); for, He Commanded “Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39)!  Our merciful and gracious Lord is indeed our “refuge from the storm”; for, when we flee to Him, even while we are hearing the raging winds, “the blast of the terrible ones”, that are tearing things apart around us, our Lord’s “Peace” embraces and cuddles us like a soft warm blanket on a bitterly cold day.  Sometimes our troubles are awful beyond expression, but whatever our trouble (our “storm”), let us “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16) and humbly wait out “the storm” “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2)!  And, let us “pray one for another” (James 5:16) that our Lord will still the storms that are raging in the lives of others!  Let us sincerely pray, and do NOT listen as the devil tells us that there is no hope for a better day!

Nehemiah 9:5  “Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

 

Now is the time for believing Children of God to “Stand up and bless the LORD your God”!  The Children of God had just held a very large meeting (Nehemiah 8) where the Word of God was read for all to hear.  When the Word of God was read, they learned of their errors in worship and immediately set out to correct their errors.  In Chapter Nine, they came together again to worship.  They were most humble and sincere in their worship (Nehemiah 9:1) and separated themselves from their wicked adversaries and “confessed their sins” before the Lord and they again read the Word of God and “worshipped the LORD their God”.  Then, their ministers “stood up” and “cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God”; that is, they sincerely and unashamedly prayed to “their God”!  Then, the ministers exhorted the people to “Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever” (Nehemiah 9:5)!  In their worship, they declared, “Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” (Nehemiah 9:5); that is, they worshipfully heralded the truth that the “LORD” our “God” is the only Sovereign, Eternal, Holy, Almighty God.  Such a worshipful proclamation is exclusionary; that is, there are “none other gods before me” (Genesis 28:17) and I will worship the True and Living God and none other.  To “Stand up” is to make a physical declaration of “Amen” and it signifies a firm resolve to worshipfully obey and serve the “LORD” our “God” Who sent His “only begotten” (John 3:16) and “beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17) into this world to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21) – we should do no less in our day; “for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).  Even as those who oppose and fight against the Word of God, His Church, and His people do everything in their power to stamp out our Lord and His Word; let us firmly, with sincere and worshipful resolve, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever” and plainly declare “that Jesus is the Lord” (I Corinthians 12:3) and that we will worship and serve Him and “none other”!

Hebrews 2:14  “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”

 

The Lord our Merciful God, Jesus Christ, the Son of God physically came into this world and took upon Himself a human body; thus, He became man as well as God.  He took upon Himself a human body “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil”; in doing so, He saved “his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  In the mind and purpose of God, in His sense of Divine Justice, it was necessary that a great and final sacrifice would be offered to “save his people from their sins”.  No human being, except the Lord Himself, is a worthy sacrifice to the Lord because, “by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12); that is, because Adam sinned, all his posterity were rendered into a state of sin; thus, no human being could be a fit sacrifice.  Adam sinned when “the devil” tempted Eve and she enticed Adam to disobey God (Genesis 3:1-6).  When Adam disobeyed God (sinned), he immediately died to his innocence, the blessings of the Garden, and his unfettered peace with God (Genesis 3:7-24) and years later, he died a natural death (Genesis 5:5).  Because “the devil”, through temptation, induced Adam to sin, which resulted in his death, he is said to have “the power of death”; not, that he took Adam’s life directly; but, he took his life indirectly through temptation.  James describes it this way, “every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14-15).  There is not a human, from Adam to the last human conceived on this earth, that is worthy or a fit subject to overcome this temptation induced sin and death; only the Man-God, the Son of God is worthy.  When our greatly loved and most blessed Lord and Savior took upon Himself a human body, He came into this world to “In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:” (Colossians 1:22)!  In rendering each of His “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” (I Peter 1:2) “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight”; He essentially destroyed “the devil”; that is, He destroyed the devil’s “power of death”.  In nature, we are still sinners, but our Heavenly Father, as the Righteous Judge, sees His beloved Children through the purifying blood of His Son; thus, He sees us without sin, and because He sees us without sin, our home in Eternal Heaven is perfectly secure.  It is so secure that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, plainly declared, “of all which he [His Heavenly Father] hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39).  Because our Lord has destroyed the devil’s power of death; let us daily cry aloud, “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.” (Psalms 95:1) and “O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.” (Psalms 95:6)!

Hebrews 2:15  “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

 

To live in “fear of death” is to be in “bondage” to that “fear”.  The “fear of death” will enslave people and strip them of their joy and peace in this life.  Under the Jew’s distorted view of the Mosaic Law, the “fear of death” compelled the people to sacrifice their livelihood and their freedom and to bind themselves to extreme religious rigors that their leaders imposed upon them.  Such “bondage” robs people of their happiness and contentment in this present life.  In todays religious world, many religious leaders use the “fear of death” to bind their followers to themselves and to their theological bent.  But, the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ is that He was given a human body (Hebrews 2:14), and in His human body, he alone has conquered both “sin” and “death”.  Paul explained it this way: “That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 5:21); “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23); and “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).  That is, “Christ Jesus”, in His human body, paid the sin-debt for all His “Elect” (I Peter 1:2) and demonstrated that He has conquered “death” when He rose from the dead after His body had lain in the tomb for three days.  Furthermore, forty days later He ascended into Heaven in His resurrected body.  Therefore, we know that at the instant Children of God die, their spirit immediately returns to our Heavenly Father (Ecclesiastes 12:7; Luke 23:43).  And then, one blessed and holy day, the Lord will raise our bodies from the dead, reunite our spirits with our resurrected bodies, and take us alive to our Eternal Home in Heaven (I Corinthians 15; I Thessalonians 4:13-18).  To believe and know these things is to be freed from the “fear of death” and its “bondage”.  We obediently worship and serve our God, not to earn our way to Heaven; but, we worship and serve our Lord because He alone has paid our sin-debt and eternally secured our Home in Heaven.  We joyfully obey our Lord to show our love to Him (John 14:15).  Thus, when we come face to face with “death”; we rejoice as we near that instant in which our spirit will join that great multitude around the Throne of God (Revelation 7:9).  Job authoritatively declared, “I know that my redeemer liveth … yet in my flesh shall I see God … Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25-27).  In considering “death”; Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. … I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:21-23).  Thus, one of the great joyous blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is that He has delivered us from the “fear of death” and its “bondage”!

Hebrews 2:16  “merciful and faithful high priest”  “For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.  17  Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.”

 

Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior is described as “a merciful and faithful high priest”.  When we think of Him, we should think of Him as wonderfully “merciful and faithful”.  For, while on this earth, He was “merciful” in that He did for sinners what they could not do for themselves.  He was “faithful” in that He fully accomplished the will of His Father.  As the “high priest”, He offered the only acceptable sacrifice “to make reconciliation for the sins of the people”; that sacrifice was Himself!  When He, through His perfect sacrifice, made “reconciliation for the sins”, He reconciled His people before God the Father.  In the “reconciliation”, our Lord fully and finally paid the sin-debt created by Adam, when he disobeyed God, and this sin-debt is perpetuated by our disobedience.  When our Lord had made “reconciliation for the sins”, He had rendered those that He died for into a state of just-perfection before God the Father, making them fit subjects for eternal Heaven.  Surely such “a merciful and faithful high priest” is worthy of our dedicated service and worship.

Hebrews 2:18  “For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.”

 

Our Lord, our “merciful and faithful high priest” (Hebrews 2:17), took upon Himself a human body and subjected Himself to the same troubles, trials, and temptations that we so often endure.  Our “merciful and faithful high priest” was “in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan” (Mark 1:13); yet, He never capitulated, He never sinned, He simply endured the temptations and trials.  Thus, when we are sorely “tempted”, He personally knows the anguish we endure.  When we are greatly troubled by the awful things that happen to us in this life, He personally knows the despair that engulfs us.  When we are in pain, He knows the misery that we suffer.  When our hearts are broken, He knows the gloomy dark cloud of agony that sets upon us.  He knows; therefore, “he is able to succour them that are tempted”; that is, He knows just what we need when it seems that we are drowning in temptations and trials!  He is indeed our perfect and “good shepherd” (John 10:11), and He lovingly exhorts us to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)!  In the Almighty Arms of our “merciful and faithful high priest”, our “good shepherd”, we find relief, comfort, peace, forgiveness, and a blessed refuge from the temptations and trials of this present world!

Hebrews 3:1  “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

 

To “consider” “Christ Jesus” is to exclusively fix our mind upon Him, to evaluate what we know and can learn of Him, and to compare what we know and learn to what our Lord wrote in our hearts (Hebrews 8:10) when he gave us Spiritual Birth (John 3:1-8).  We are to perpetually “consider” “Christ Jesus”; for, He Commanded us to “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me” (Matthew 11:29).  To “Take” His “yoke upon” us is to willingly and joyfully submit to His authority and power over us.  To “learn of” Him is to take full advantage of the Word of God to read and study it, to faithfully attend His Church and actively listen as the Word of God is Preached and Taught, and to spend much time in prayer that the Lord will open our understanding of Him and His will for us in this present life and His promises of Eternal Life.  When we begin to “consider” Him we will find that considering Him yields great joy and peace and is most pleasant; for, when we begin to “Take” His “yoke upon” us and to “learn of” Him, we find that He is “meek and lowly in heart”; that is, He is easy to approach and is very kind and gracious to us; furthermore, we also “find rest unto” our “souls”!  It is amazing how pleasant our life becomes when we turn our minds from the temptations and tribulations and confusions of this present world to “consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself” (Hebrews 12:3) for our benefit!

Hebrews 3:1  “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

 

Two of our Lord’s numerous offices are emphasized here, “Apostle and High Priest”.  The word “Apostle” means ‘a delegate or messenger; that is sent forth to deliver a message from another authority and to perform acts assigned by another authority’.  As “the Apostle … of our profession”, “Christ Jesus” was sent from God with authority and power to carry out the will of God and to deliver God’s message.  In this case, “Christ Jesus” was God representing God the Father to His Elect.  Our Lord explain His Apostolic duties this way; “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17), “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (Matthew 10:34). “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32), “I am come in my Father’s name” (John 5:43), “because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30), “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  39  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:38-39), and “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” (John 18:37).  I confess; while I know it to be so and rejoice in its blessed truth, God sending God as an “Apostle” challenges my understanding.  Each time I “consider” this blessed truth, I always feel like there is much more to it than what I am seeing.  But, it is wonderful beyond expression to know what we, by the grace of God, do know!

Hebrews 3:1  “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

 

“Christ Jesus” is the only Christian “Priest” mentioned in the New Testament; that is, He is the only “Priest” in the Christian Church, God only established one office of Christian priesthood, and “Christ Jesus” perpetually fills that office.  Some have amalgamated the Old and New Testaments and have brought forward the Old Testament’s office of priesthood into the Christian Church.  In the Old Testament, it was the priest’s duty to continuously offer sacrifices for the sins of the people.  The Old Testament high priest went into the Most Holy Place, were the ark of the covenant and mercy seat was kept, one time each year to appear before the Lord to offer sacrifices for the sins of Israel.  These offices, of priests and high priests, all prophetically point to “Christ Jesus”, our “High Priest”.  The Good News is that “Christ Jesus”, our “High Priest”, “after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God” (Hebrews 10:12)!  He is said to have “sat down”, signifying that He, as our “High Priest”, has “offered” the “one” and only “sacrifice” that was necessary to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  And, to make it even more clear, we are told that “by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” (Hebrews 10:14).  This is why, at about the ninth hour, while hanging on the Cross, our Lord declared for all to hear, for all eternity, “It is finished” (John 19:30); that is, He and He alone had “finished” saving “his people from their sins”!  To emphasize this blessed truth, our Lord also, very plainly declared, “that of all which he [God the Father] hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39); that is, He came into this world to, as our “High Priest”, offer the “one” and only “sacrifice” for our sins, and He forever “finished” the offering!  It is most Amazing, but our “High Priest” was Himself the only “sacrifice” for our sins.  Our “High Priest” sacrificed Himself to God the Father to pay our sin-debt and God the Father accepted that Holy “sacrifice”; thus, all that God the Father had “chosen in him before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4) are Eternally Secure in the Holy Bosom of our Gracious and Merciful Lord!  Now “Christ Jesus” our King and “High Priest” is seated “on the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1), signifying that the work of our Eternal Salvation is forever “finished” (John 19:30)!  It is true that God “hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Revelation 1:6, I Peter 2:5,0); which means that we can “therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).  It is in this “blessed throne of grace”, in Heaven, where the Christian “temple” and “the ark of his testament” [ark of the covenant] (Revelation 11:19) is today!  And, because of our High Priest’s Blessed Sacrifice, we are, individually and personally, permitted, in Spirit-led prayer, to “come boldly unto the throne of grace”; and, it is before this blessed “throne” that we “obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”!

Hebrews 3:1  “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

 

Our Lord is named “Christ Jesus” to identify Him as the prophesied Messiah and to show His reason for coming into the world.  His name “Christ” means ‘The Anointed’, which has the same meaning as Messiah in the Old Testament.  His name “Jesus” means ‘Jehovah Is Salvation’, signifying His purpose in coming to this world; that is, “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  His name “Christ” (Messiah) is illustrated in Hebrews 1:9 (quoted from Psalm 45:7), “God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows”.  Our Lord is “anointed” “with the oil of gladness”, signifying that, by His Sacrificial Death, He would make “his people” “glad”!  He made “his people” “glad” when He declared on the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30); that is, He had finished everything necessary to “save his people from their sins”.  Furthermore, when we learn that He “hath saved us” (II Timothy 1:9), the news of our Salvation is like the sweet aroma and most soothing feeling of His “oil of gladness” being poured over us.  Because our Lord is “Christ Jesus”, we can gladly declare with Paul, “to live is Christ, and to die is gain … having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better” (Philippians 1:21-23)!

Isaiah 4:6  “And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.”

 

It is quite obvious that this world is not Heaven’s Paradise; because, in this world we often endure great “tribulations” (John 16:33)!  We often experience and hear of bad and discouraging things!  But, what do we do when we experience and hear of dreadful things?  Our great adversary would be pleased to see us get discouraged and fall away from our faithfulness.  A “good soldier of Jesus Christ” will readily “endure hardness” (I Timothy 2:3) and remain faithful to the Lord no matter how painful our “tribulations” become.  A “good soldier of Jesus Christ” will not flee in the face of the enemy and will not wring his hands and cry woe is me.  Our Lord has provided us “a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat”; that is, we have a “hiding place” when “the heat” of our “tribulations” would cause us to swoon under the dreadful weight of painful discouragement.  Our “tabernacle” is “a place of refuge” when we are being overwhelmed by our “tribulations”.  Our “tabernacle” is “a covert from storm” when our “tribulations” are beating upon us like a mighty wind; sometimes the stormy winds are so great that we simply can no longer stand, yet we have a blessed “covert from the storm”.  Our “tabernacle” is “a covert … from rain”; that is, when our “tribulations” are like the wind driven “rain”; bringing great floods of “tribulations” that are carrying us away and drowning us in discouragement and heartbreak; we have a peaceful “hiding place” in our “tabernacle”.  In our “tabernacle”, our merciful and gracious Lord is “as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land” (Isaiah 32:2)!  Moses told the Children of Israel, “When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;  31  (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, …” (Deuteronomy 4:30-31).  The Psalmist declared, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.” (Psalms 121:1); that is, when my “tribulations” are great, “I will lift up mine eyes” above even my most severe “tribulations” and look “unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).  In our blessed Tabernacle Refuge, we meet to sing, pray, preach, and fellowship and we are greatly encouraged as we together lift our eyes above our “tribulations” and look unto our gracious and merciful Lord where we find a most pleasant and peaceful calm, even while the storms are raging outside!

Hebrews 3:2  “Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.”

 

“Christ Jesus” (Hebrews 3:1) “was faithful to” God the Father “that appointed him” “Apostle and High Priest of our profession” (Hebrews 3:1).  In this context, to be “faithful” is to fully and completely carry out the “will” of His Heavenly “Father”.  The “angel”, speaking to “Joseph” before “Christ Jesus” was born, declared the “will” of the Heavenly Father and why He sent “Christ Jesus” into the world; he told him that “thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  “Christ Jesus” explains the “will” of His “Father” this way: “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me” (John 5:30) and “I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  39  And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.” (John 6:38-39).  Then, “Christ Jesus” certified that He had accomplished the “will” of His “Father” when, just before He gave his life, He declared “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost” (John 19:30).  One of the meanings of the word “faith” is to have perfect fidelity; with respect to “Christ Jesus” the word “faith” means that what He did is exactly (fully and completely) what His Heavenly “Father” “sent” Him to do; He didn’t fail in even the most minute detail of His “Father’s will”.  For example; the Elect of God were made righteous “by faith of Jesus Christ” (Romans 3:22), the Elect of God are “justified” “by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16), we “live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20), we have the great “promise by faith of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 3:22), and “we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him” (Ephesians 3:12).  The essence of our “faith” “is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27); which “is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).  Because this is so, we can joyfully face life’s tribulations “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)!  “Christ Jesus” was and remains “faithful” to God the “Father” (Revelation 1:5) on our behalf; thus, we can joyfully and worshipfully declare, “I know that my redeemer liveth … in my flesh shall I see God:  27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another” (Job 19:25-27).

Hebrews 3:2  “Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.”

 

It is true that “Moses was faithful in all his house”; but, “Christ Jesus” “was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house” (Hebrews 3:3).  “Moses” was a faithful servant of the Lord in the “house” of Israel in his day; but, “Christ Jesus” was not only obediently “faithful” to His Father in “his house”, but He faithfully built “his house” and He Sovereignly keeps “his house” through Divine leadership, protection, and provision.  Moses was faithful to communicate the Law and Prophecy of God and to lead and teach “his house”; but, the things that Moses said and did were a prophecy of “Christ Jesus” (Hebrews 3:5) Who built “all things” and He is of God and He is God (Hebrews 3:4).  Moses, like the “angels” and the “priests”, was great in that he was a “faithful” “servant” of God “in” his own “house”; but, “Christ Jesus” is even greater; for, he is “God” and the builder of “all things”.  “Abraham” “looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10)!  “Christ Jesus” clearly declared, “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).  Moses even pointed to “Christ Jesus” when he told Israel, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken” (Deuteronomy 18:15).  Men have the tendency to highly reverence men in high positions, as Israel often did with the Old Testament leaders.  The “devil” knows of our human weakness; for, “he disputed about the body of Moses” (Jude 1:9); that is, he wanted to know where Moses was buried.  If the “devil” could locate “the body of Moses”, he would entice men to exhume it and then worship it!  In speaking of Himself, the Lord tells us, “a greater than Jonas is here” (Matthew 12:41) and “a greater than Solomon is here” (Matthew 12:42).  Some men are even referred to as “reverend”; but, speaking of God, we are clearly told, “holy and reverend is his name” (Psalms 111:9); that is, the title of “reverend” is only for God, not men!  To worship men, is to give men the honor and glory that is due only to God, and “Christ Jesus” is the Son of God and He is God (I John 5:7)!  We would do well to remember what the Lord told Peter, “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve” (Matthew 4:10). 

Hebrews 3:5  “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;  6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

 

The Lord reached down and particularly called “Moses” into His service.  Through “Moses”, the Lord delivered the Children of Israel from Egypt, guided and sustained them in the wilderness, gave them manna from Heaven, gave them drink from the Rock, and gave them the Law Service.  All these things, including “Moses” himself, pointed to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ the Son of God!  The Lord plainly declared that “the scriptures … testify of me” (John 5:39), and “the scriptures” include the account of Moses’ life and his service.  “Moses” specifically pointed to the Lord when he told Israel, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;” (Deuteronomy 18:15).  The Lord admonished the people who professed to believe the Old Testament but didn’t believe Him: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.” (John 5:46).  The Lord manifested His great power, authority, and glory through His servant, “Moses”.  When Jesus Christ arrived in this world, He did even greater things than “Moses” and He fulfilled every prophetic type and prophecy that pointed to Him.  “Moses” gave Israel the sacrificial Law Service which ordered and disciplined their service to the Lord, but the Law Service never took away anybody’s sin.  But, when the Lord came, He perfectly and completely satisfied the prophecy of the sacrificial Law Service when He submitted Himself to be Crucified and gave His Precious Life to Eternally Pay Our Sin Debt!  So accurate where those prophecies concerning Jesus Christ that students of the Old Testament knew when and where He would be born, what He would do, and that He would finally be “cut off” [Crucified] (Isaiah 53:8) to pay our sin debt.  So now, by the grace and mercy of our Lord, we can joyfully “walk ye in him: 7  Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)!

Hebrews 3:5  “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;  6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

 

While “Moses” was a “faithful” “servant” of God in “his house”, “Christ” the Son of God is “over his own house”; that is, “Moses” was a “servant” in “his house”; but, “Christ” owns “his own house”; He is the Lord, the Master, the King, the Builder, the Sustainer, and the Eternal Surety of “his own house”!  While “Moses” is to be recognized for his “faithful” service to the Lord, “Christ” is to be faithfully served and worshiped with great commitment and zeal.  He is to be Thankfully Worshiped; for, He Is One With God; thus, He is God (I John 5:7).  While angels, Old Testament servants and prophets and priests, Apostles, and even some modern-day servants of God are to be recognized as good and faithful servants of God; none but Jesus Christ the Son of God is to be reverenced and worshipped! 

Hebrews 3:5  “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;  6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

 

Just as “Christ” is contrasted with the Old Testament leaders and the angels, so is “his house” also contrasted to Old Testament Israel and the Law Service.  In this case, “his house” refers to the Church-Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Our Lord’s “house” is comprised of both Jews and Gentiles and heralds the fulfillment of the Law Service and the sure Eternal Salvation of the Children of God.  He is not suggesting that it is possible for Children of God to lose their Eternal Salvation; but, it is possible for our Lord to remove “his” Church-“house” from us and from our community if we do not faithfully worship and serve the Lord our God in “his” Church-“house”.  If we do not adhere ourselves to the Word of God and faithfully worship and serve our Lord, He has plainly declared, “I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:5); that is, “I will” “remove” my Church-“house” from you.  When the Lord removes the “candlestick”, the light of joy and understanding given to us by the Holy Spirit, a dark and gloomy cloud of troubles and despair and anguish settles upon the people as they lose the blessedness of the Gospel message.  Because of his ungodly behavior king David prayed, “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.” (Psalms 51:8) and “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.” (Psalms 51:12), the “candlestick” had been removed from him for a season and he was in a most miserable state.  Paul instructs preachers to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (II Timothy 4:2); that is, confine yourselves to “the word” of God.  This is “the word” given to us by “the Word” (John 1:1); for, only in His “word” is great joy and peace and comfort even in the midst of a troubled world.

Hebrews 3:5  “And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;  6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”

 

Care must be taken to not confuse this passage with the Eternal State of the Children of God; for our Lord plainly declared, “of all which” God The Father “hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39); that is, “the elect of God” (Colossians 3:12) are Eternally Secure and were made righteously (2 Corinthians 5:21) fit for Eternal Heaven when Jesus Christ declared on the Cross, “It is finished” (John 19:30).  This passage has to do with our part and behavior in the “house” of God, the Church-Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord, “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (I Timothy 3:15).  To have part in our Lord’s “house” we must do two things, “hold fast the confidence and” “hold fast … the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end”.  To “hold fast” is to tenaciously and boldly hold our ground, much like a “good soldier” (II Timothy 2:3) will “hold fast” his assigned ground no matter how severe the battle becomes.  To “hold fast the confidence” is to not waver in declaring and obeying the truth of Jesus Christ and His great Sacrifice on our behalf; that is, we “should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3) and “continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:23).  To “hold fast … the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end”; is to “hold fast” in joyfully worshiping our Lord, worshipfully “rejoicing in” “the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel” (Colossians 1:5), and to spend our time on this earth joyfully “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:13).  Men destroy their part in our Lord’s “house” on this earth, when they fail to “hold fast” these things to “the end” of their lives.  We are to “hold fast” these things whether our lives be short or long and whether our lives be pleasant or troubled.  There is a peril that lurks in every generation; men begin to replace Biblical truth with human intellect and pride, alter the Word of God to fit some carnal bent, seek carnal gain and glory over humble sincerity, and bring unbiblical doctrines and practices into our Lord’s Church-Kingdom.  Let it not be said of our generation that we were unfaithful to the Doctrine of Christ and His Church-Kingdom but that we held “fast” the Bible’s doctrinal ground and the faithful allegiance and obedience to our Lord.

Hebrews 3:7-12  “Wherefore …  12  Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”

 

The word “Wherefore” connects “whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end” (Hebrews 3:6) with “Take heed, brethren”!  In Hebrews 3:7-11 there is a parenthetical quote from Psalm 95:7-11 in which the Lord warned Israel, in the period of the Kings, to not behave as their rebellious fathers did in the wilderness after being delivered from their Egyptian Bondage.  Because the Children of Israel did not believe the Word of God, those from twenty years of age and older (Numbers 14:29) were not permitted to “enter into” the Lord’s “rest” (Hebrews 3:11); that is, they were not permitted to “enter into” the Promised Land, the Land of Canaan.  In the same manner, we are warned to “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.”.  Under Divine Inspiration, the Apostle Paul issued another similar warning; telling us, “because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:  21  For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.” (Romans 11:20-21)!  A person believes in and knows God in a loving way at the instant they are “born again” (John 3:1-8); but here, we are being Commanded to obediently believe the Word of God, for there can be severe consequences if we do not.  We fail to believe the Word of God when fear, discouragements, human weaknesses, worldly enticements, etc. hinder our worshipful obedience to the Lord.  Thus, we are issued such Commandments as, “be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (I Corinthians 15:58); that is, no matter how severe our circumstances may be we must remain “stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord”!

Psalm 102:1-2  “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.  2  Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.”

 

This Psalm is rightly entitled, “The Prayer Of The Afflicted”; for, it begins with a petition to the “LORD” to “let my cry come unto thee” and “Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble”!  This blessed Psalm has many applications; but, those who are in the midst of some great afflicting trouble in their lives can surely say, ‘this one is for me’!  Furthermore, those who have ever experienced some great afflicting trouble in their lives, tremble as they recall their trouble; but, they can also say, ‘this Psalm fits my case’!  The Psalmist describes the miserable condition of those who are greatly troubled and can find no help or comfort from any human being and fully recognizes that he cannot help himself and that he is mortal, and that death lingers near his door.  “But”, when his trouble was like a dark consuming cloud, the “LORD” burst through his darkness as the “Sun of Righteousness” (Malachi 4:2) shined the light of a new day upon him “with healing in his wings” and he joyfully declared “thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations” (Psalm 102:12)!  While we endure the devastating weight of great troubles as weak mortals, our “LORD”, who loves us with a “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) will not forget us, will not cast us away, and at a moment pleasing to Him, He will lift us up out of our troubles!  Therefore, whether our days are miserable or pleasant, let us spend our time “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)!

II Timothy 2:10  “Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

 

The phrase “for the elect’s sakes” reflects, not only the Apostle’s love and care for “the elect”; but even more so, the loving care of our merciful and gracious God.  The “elect” is that “great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Revelation 7:9) who were “chosen in” Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4).  These are the same as “of all which” My Father “hath given me I [Jesus Christ] should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day” (John 6:39)!  In foretelling the destruction of Jerusalem, our Lord made His most tender love for His “elect” clear when He said, “except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20)!  Each day, we should worshipfully rejoice and stand in reverential awe of our Lord’s “great love” (Ephesians 2:4) for us and unashamedly declare His Majesty and Glory.  In this passage, Paul declared that he willingly endured great persecutions, trials, troubles, disadvantages, and sufferings “for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”; that is, that he might have the opportunity to declare to them the great Gospel of “the salvation which is in Christ Jesus” which points to our “eternal glory”!  It is certain that “In the world ye shall have tribulation” and it is also true that “for the elect’s sake” our Lord has “overcome the world” (John 16:33); that is, we are certain to have great troubles in this present life; but, let us never forget that our Lord has and exercises His Sovereign Power to deliver us either through or out of our troubles! 

Hebrews 10:38  “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

 

In this present life (“Now”), “the just shall live by faith”.  The “just” are the “elect of God” (Colossians 3:12) who were “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24).  Furthermore, “the just”, being called to Spiritual Life by the Holy Spirit, give evidence of their justification by their behavior in this present life.  To “live by faith” is to faithfully obey the Lord, worship the Lord, and serve the Lord no matter what disadvantages, tribulations, obstacles, persecutions, and sufferings may lay in our path.  Some may get discouraged and fall away into error, give in to worldly enticements, and some may even follow false doctrines; but, “the just” give evidence of their justification by declaring, “as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15)!

Hebrews 10:38  “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

 

To “draw back” is to move away from the simple and sincere doctrine and practice that our Lord has Commanded for His Church, they “draw back” from living “by faith”.  We are highly blessed in our Country at this time, for we suffer very little physical persecution for our practice of religion.  Yet, many “draw back” because they are not satisfied with the simple truths of Salvation By Grace.  Many “draw back” because the Lord’s design for simple worship in His Church does not satisfy their carnal desires for entertainment and activities.  Some “draw back” when they are scoffed at and not accepted in social circles when they declare the simplicity and sincerity that our Lord Commanded for His Church.  Some “draw back” because the Lord’s simple Church does not have the carnal grandeur that they crave.  Some “draw back” because they love the legalistic controls of human authorities.  Some “draw back” simply because they want to follow the majority, they want to be a part of society.  Some “draw back” because the sweet and simple Gospel is not intellectually satisfying to them.  Some “draw back” because they want to hear how great they are instead of hearing how great our Lord is.  The Lord’s response to those who “draw back” is clear, “my soul shall have no pleasure in him”!  When the Lord has “no pleasure in” us; at some point, He will withhold His blessings and provisions in this present life; then is when we learn that this life’s carnal joys and pleasures cannot protect and sustain us in times of great distress.

 

Hebrews 10:38  “Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.  39  But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.”

 

There are many ways to “draw back” from the truth of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  It seems that the Christian Hebrews had a tendency to “draw back” into a perversion of the Old Testament’s legalistic system which required some form of sacrifice or work to secure their salvation.  Many believed that circumcision was absolutely required.  In our day there are many types of works systems professed as necessary to either obtain or to secure one’s Eternal Salvation, most notable is baptism.  In His final words on the Cross, the Lord denied all these works systems when He plainly and strongly declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30); that is, He alone had finished everything necessary to “save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).  To “draw back unto perdition” is to have drawn back to the point that the Lord withdraws His Divine provision and protection, resulting in “perdition”; that is, the destruction of one’s life.  This “perdition” is much like what the Lord told the northern nation of Israel, “O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.”  (Hosea 13:9).  To be so “destroyed” is to have been stripped of all joy and peace and happiness and reduced to a miserable state.  Those who faithfully cling to the Lord, no matter what strange doctrines and practices are introduced to them, “believe to the saving of the soul”; that is, to save themselves from a living death of misery and anguish.  It is a pitiful thing to look upon those who have destroyed their lives by their unfaithfulness.  Paul described it this way, “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.  2  For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.  3  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.” (Romans 10:1-3)!  There is a salvation from misery and anguish, in this present life, for the Children of God who remain faithful to the simple and sincere truth of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God!

Hebrews 1:13  “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?  14  Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”

 

The objects of the angels’ ministry are those “who shall be heirs of salvation”; that is, those “who shall” one blessed and holy day “be” delivered up, in their resurrected bodies, from this present world to our “Father’s house”, in Heaven, where there are “many mansions” (John 14:1).  For those who were “chosen in” Christ Jesus “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4), this heritage is as sure as God Himself.  Paul declares that “In” Christ Jesus “we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Ephesians 1:11); that is, “we” “obtained an inheritance” when our Beloved Lord gave His precious life on the cross; furthermore, it was “predestinated” “before the foundation of the world” that all who were “chosen in” Christ Jesus would receive this glorious “inheritance”.  Peter tells us that the inheritors are the “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father” and that He “hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  4  To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,”.  Furthermore, it is not possible for the “Elect” to lose their “inheritance” for they “are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:2-5).  Knowing and rejoicing in this blessed truth, we live “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began” (Titus 1:2)!