Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

How to Advance Spiritually - Part 1

     God desires that we advance to spiritual maturity which glorifies Him and blesses us and others. This advance assumes one has believed in Christ as Savior and has spiritual life (John 3:16; 20:31; Acts 4:12; Rom 5:6-10; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 1:3, 23).[1] To be clear, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Only Christ’s atoning work at the cross is sufficient to save, and no works performed before, during, or after salvation are necessary. Though good works should follow our salvation, they are never the condition of it. The information taught in this lesson applies only to the Christian, for “The unbeliever does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. And he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor 2:14 NET; cf. John 8:43-44).
     The advance to spiritual maturity is a process that takes time as Christians learn and live God’s Word on a regular basis. There is always opposition, for we live in the devil’s world and are confronted with many obstacles and distractions that seek to push or pull us away from God. Though constant distractions are all around us, we move forward by “destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). Bringing our thoughts into captivity means focusing our minds on God and His Word (Isa 26:3; Pro 3:5-6; Col 3:1-2), and not allowing our thoughts to be bogged down and trapped with the cares of this world (Matt 6:25-34). This requires spiritual discipline to learn and live God’s Word on a regular basis. Biblically, several things are necessary for us to reach spiritual maturity, and these are as follows:
Be in submission to God. Scripture tells us to “Submit to God” (Jam 4:7), and “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). Submission is a will surrendered to the will of another. Being in submission to God is a sign of positive volition that we’ve prioritized our relationship with Him above all else, and that we trust Him to guide and provide in all things. Like a good friend, He is naturally in our thoughts, and we live every day conscious of Him, being sensitive to what may offend, and making every effort to please Him through a life of faith. When we yield to God, His Word opens up to us, as Jesus said, “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself” (John 7:17; cf. Luke 24:45; Acts 16:14; 1 John 5:20).
Continually study God’s Word. Ezra, the priest, was one who “had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezr 7:10). The growing believer is one whose “delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psa 1:2). As Christians, we understand that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). We cannot live what we do not know, and learning God’s Word necessarily precedes living His will. From regeneration onward, we study God’s Word in order to grow spiritually, that we might reach Christian maturity. God has helped the church by giving Pastors and Teachers (Eph 4:11), “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature person, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:12-13). Christians have the individual responsibility of studying God’s Word in order to live the best life and grow to maturity (Deut 8:3; Jer 15:16; 2 Tim 2:15; Heb 5:12-14; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18).
Live by faith. Living by faith means we trust God at His Word. The writer to the Hebrews states, “But my righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:38; cf. Heb 3:7—4:2), for “without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). It is possible to learn God’s Word and not believe it. For example, the Exodus generation heard God’s Word and understood it; however, “the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard” (Heb 4:2). Our faith is effective when God’s Word is more real than our experiences, feelings, or circumstances.
Restore broken fellowship with God through confession of personal sin. All believers sin, and there are none who attain perfection in this life (Pro 20:9; Eccl 7:20; 1 John 1:8-10). For this reason, familial forgiveness is necessary for a healthy relationship with God. David understood the folly of trying to conceal his sins, which resulted in psychological disequilibrium and pain; however, when he confessed his sin, God forgave him (Psa 32:2-5). John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God forgives because it is His nature to do so, for He “merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Psa 86:15; cf. Psa 103:8-14). And He is able to forgive because Christ has atoned for our sins at the cross, satisfying the Father’s righteous demands regarding our offenses (1 John 2:1-2). The challenge for many believers is to trust God at His word and accept His forgiveness and not operate on guilty feelings.
Be filled with the Spirit. Paul wrote to Christians, “don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless actions, but be filled by the Spirit” (Eph 5:18 CSB). If a believer consumes too much alcohol, it can lead to cognitive impairment and harmful behavior. But the believer who is filled with the Spirit will possess divine viewpoint and manifest the fruit of godliness, worship, and thankfulness to the Lord (Eph 5:19-20). Being filled with the Spirit means being guided by Him rather than our own desires or the desires of others. The Spirit’s guidance is always according to Scripture. Being filled with the Spirit does not mean we have more of Him, but that He has more of us, as we submit to His leading.
Walk in the Spirit. Paul wrote, “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). In this passage walking is a metaphor for daily living, which can be influenced by God (Deut 5:33; 10:12), other righteous persons (Pro 13:20), sinners (Psa 1:1; Pro 1:10-16; 1 Cor 15:33), or one’s own sin nature (Gal 5:17-21). To walk in the Spirit means we depend on His counsel to guide and power to sustain as we seek to do His will. The Spirit most often guides us directly by Scripture (John 14:26), but also uses mature believers whose thinking is saturated with God’s Word and who can provide sound advice.
Accept God’s trials (Deut 8:2-3). Paul wrote, “we exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope” (Rom 5:3-4). James said, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (Jam 1:2-4 CSB). The Lord uses the fire of trials to burn away the dross of our weak character and to refine those golden qualities consistent with His character. The growing believer learns to praise God for the trials, knowing He uses them to strengthen our faith and develop us into spiritually mature Christians.
Pray to God. Prayer is essential to spiritual growth as we need to have upward communication with God to express ourselves to Him. Prayer is the means by which we make requests to God, believing He has certain answers ready for us, and that we just need to ask (Jam 4:2). Scripture directs us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Th 5:17), and “pray at all times in the Spirit” (Eph 6:18; cf. Jude 1:20). To pray in the Spirit means we pray in the power of the Holy Spirit as He directs and energizes our prayer life.
Worship and give thanks to the Lord. The writer to the Hebrews stated, “let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name” (Heb 13:15). And Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica, saying, “in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Th 5:18). To give thanks (εὐχαριστέω eucharisteo) is to have a daily attitude of gratitude toward God for His goodness and mercy toward us. Part of this attitude comes from knowing God is working all things “together for good” (Rom 8:28), because “God is for us” (Rom 8:31).
Fellowship with other believers. The writer of Hebrews states, “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25). Spiritual growth ideally happens in community, for God expects us to exercise our spiritual gifts for the benefit of others (see Rom 12:10-13; 14:19; Eph 4:32; Phil 2:3-4; 1 Th 5:11-15).
Serve others in love. We are part of the body of Christ and God calls us to love and serve each other. Paul wrote, “you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another” (Gal 5:13), and “while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal 6:10). Peter states, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Pet 4:10). As Christians, we are told, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phi 2:3-4).
Take advantage of the time God gives. Time is a resource we should manage properly. Paul writes, “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Eph 5:15-16). Solomon wrote, “Whatever you find to do with your hands, do it with all your might, because there is neither work nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave, the place where you will eventually go” (Ecc 9:10 NET). God has determined the length of our days, as David wrote, “in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for my life when as yet there was not one of them” (Psa 139:16). Every moment is precious and we must make sure our days are not wasted on meaningless pursuits, but on learning God’s Word and living His will, and walking in love with those whom the Lord places in our path.
     As Christians, we will face ongoing worldly distractions in our lives which are designed by Satan to prevent spiritual growth. We have choices to make on a daily basis, for only we can choose to allow these distractions to stand between us and the Lord. As Christians, we experience our greatest blessings when we reach spiritual maturity and utilize the rich resources God has provided for us. However, learning takes time, as ignorance gives way to the light of God’s revelation. Frustration is often the handmaiden of ignorance, but spiritual success comes with knowledge of God and His Word.
 
[1] Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotes are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1995 version.

Deuteronomy 6:10-15

     The main point of this pericope is that God would bless His people when they entered the promised land, but He warns them to keep their priorities, remember His great deliverance from Egypt, and stay faithful to Him. Moses opens this section by informing Israel that God was about to bring them into the Promised Land and suddenly bless them with wealth they did not work for. Moses wrote, “Then it shall come about when the LORD your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you” (Deut 6:10a). Clearly this was something God was going to bring to pass, as the word bring translates the Hebrew verb בּוֹא bo, which is in the causative stem (hiphil). This means God would cause Israel to come into the Promised Land; however, this did not exclude Israel’s participation, for He’d previously given instruction concerning the importance of learning His commands and teaching them to their children that blessing might follow from one generation to the next (Deut 6:1-9). God’s blessing of the land was based on a previous pledge He’d made to Israel’s patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and to their descendants (Gen 17:7-8; 26:24; 28:13-14). Here, the Israelites would know sudden wealth, as God would give it to them.
     And Moses specified what they were about to receive, namely, “great and splendid cities which you did not build, and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and you eat and are satisfied” (Deut 6:10b-11). Up to this time, Israel had been living in tents and moving from one location to the next as they advanced toward the Promised Land. But things would change for them once they took the land, as they would instantly acquire cities, homes with fine possessions, wells that provided water for them and their animals, and orchards of olive trees and other plants producing fruit so they could eat and be satisfied. Moses made clear that Israel did not build, fill, dig, nor plant any of the things they were suddenly to possess. But there was a real danger Israel was about to face, and it would be in the land of prosperity, where God would bless them greatly. The danger was that Israel would become satisfied and forget the One who blessed them. To prevent them from forgetting the God who delivered them, Moses prescribed the following, saying, “then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name” (Deut 6:12-13). To watch (שָׁמַר shamar) connotes mental activity in which the Israelites were to guard their own thoughts and not let the blessings influence them to forget (שָׁכַח shakach) it was the Lord who delivered them from Egypt and slavery. For Israel to forget God was a danger Moses mentioned several times (cf. Deut 4:9, 23; 8:11-14, 19-20). To fear God meant having a holy reverence for the Lord. To worship God meant having an attitude of thankfulness and praise for His goodness. To swear by God’s name meant to vow loyalty to the Lord and no others (cf. Deut 10:20).
     Moses then gave the negative command, saying, “You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you” (Deut 6:14). To follow other gods meant to walk in devotion to them, thus breaking loyalty with God. This has been a real danger for believers in every dispensation; for though we are in the world, we are not to love the world or its ways. John wrote, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world” (1 John 2:15-16). Moses concludes this pericope with a serious warning, saying, “for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise, the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth” (Deut 6:15). God was constantly in their midst, securing their blessings and protecting them from harm. And He is a jealous God, which means he is zealous to protect His relationship with them, for their good. A mother who rightly protects her children from harm understands this kind of jealousy. Sinful jealousy is when we seek to protect was it not rightfully ours. God wanted to bless, but according to the covenant relationship, Israel needed to obey. If Israel turned away from the Lord, they would forfeit their blessings and incur God’s anger. And, if they persisted in turning away from Him and following other gods, He would eventually bring about their destruction. Daniel Block writes, “If Yahweh’s people behave like Canaanites, they may expect the fate of the Canaanites. The God in their midst prefers to act for their good, but by the terms of the covenant he is not obligated to those whose devotion is compromised.”[1] Warren Wiersbe writes:
"With privilege always comes responsibility, and Israel’s responsibility was to fear Jehovah and obey Him (Deut 6:13), the verse that Jesus quoted when He replied to Satan’s third temptation (Matt 4:10). When we cultivate a reverent and submissive heart, we will have an obedient will and won’t even want to mention the names of false gods. Israel needed to remember that the Lord owned the land (Lev 25:23) and that they were merely His “tenants.” Their inheritance in the land was God’s gift to His people, but if they disobeyed His covenant, they would forfeit the land and its blessings. The Lord is jealous over His people and will not share their love and worship with any false god (Deut 5:8–10; 32:16–26)."[2]
     As Christians, God wants us to walk with Him and enjoy His love and blessings. Our obedience is driven by love, as a response to His goodness, for “we love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Love is not an emotion, but a commitment to the One who has saved and blessed us, a commitment that is necessary for our wellbeing and marked by expressions of reverence, praise, and service to Him (Col 3:23-24; 1 Th 5:16-18; Heb 12:28). And, it is vitally important to our walk with God that we keep His Word flowing in the stream of our consciousness, as this helps us guard and maintain the health of our relationship with Him.
 
[1] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 193.
[2] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 48–49.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9

     The main point of this pericope is that Israel was to commit themselves to the Lord, learn His Word, live it, and communicate it to future generations so that God’s blessing would continue. Moses opens this section, saying, “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it” (Deut 6:1). The commandment, statutes, and judgments refer to all of the divine commands that follow in Deuteronomy. These commands did not originate with Moses, but with God, who “commanded” Moses “to teach” them to Israel. The purpose of the teaching was that Israel “might do them in the land” where they were going to live. The result was, “so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged” (Deut 6:2). The adults were to walk properly before the Lord so that their children might learn to do the same. If they would comply, their days in the land would “be prolonged.” Moses further states, “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey” (Deut 6:3). Again, Moses desired Israel’s best, so he exhorted them to be careful to learn and obey God’s Word. The benefit was that it would “be well” with them and they would “multiply greatly” as God had promised. And this would occur “in a land flowing with milk and honey.” Warren Wiersbe comments, “At least six times in this book, Moses called Canaan ‘a land of milk and honey’ (v. 3; 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20), a phrase that describes the richness and fruitfulness of the land. Milk was a staple food and honey a luxury, so ‘a land of milk and honey’ would provide all that the people needed.”[1]
     Moses then provides Israel’s pledge of allegiance, saying, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deut 6:4). This section opens with the Hebrew verb שָׁמַע shama, which connotes listening so as to obey. And who is the LORD? The answer is, “The LORD is our God,” which meant He is the God of Israel, their treasured possession. And, unlike the Gentile nations, which had many gods, Israel’s “LORD is one.” The Hebrew numeral, אֶחָד echad, here refers to God’s uniqueness as the only God who is (cf. Isa 45:5-6). Jack Deere comments:
"This verse has been called the Shema, from the Hebrew word translated Hear. The statement in this verse is the basic confession of faith in Judaism. The verse means that the Lord (Yahweh) is totally unique. He alone is God. The Israelites could therefore have a sense of security that was totally impossible for their polytheistic neighbors. The “gods” of the ancient Near East rarely were thought of as acting in harmony. Each god was unpredictable and morally capricious. So a pagan worshiper could never be sure that his loyalty to one god would serve to protect him from the capricious wrath of another. The monotheistic doctrine of the Israelites lifted them out of this insecurity since they had to deal with only one God, who dealt with them by a revealed consistent righteous standard. This confession of monotheism does not preclude the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. “God” is plural (’ělōhîm), possibly implying the Trinity, and one (’eḥāḏ) may suggest a unity of the Persons in the Godhead (cf. Gen. 2:24, where the same word for “one” is used of Adam and Eve)."[2]
     Moses then states, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deut 6:5). The word love translates the Hebrew verb אָהֵב aheb, which speaks of an act of the will in which Israelites were to commit themselves to the Lord wholeheartedly. Concerning the word love, Daniel Block writes:
"Speaking biblically “love” is not merely an emotion, a pleasant disposition toward another person, but covenant commitment demonstrated in actions that seek the interest of the next person…Just as in marriage true love is demonstrated not merely or even primarily by roses and verbal utterances of “I love you,” but in actions that seek the well-being and delight of one’s spouse."[3]
Warren Wiersbe adds:
"In the life of the believer, love is an act of the will: we choose to relate to God and to other persons in a loving way no matter how we may feel. Christian love simply means that we treat others the way God treats us. In His love, God is kind and forgiving toward us, so we seek to be kind and forgiving toward others (Eph. 4:32). God wills the very best for us, so we desire the very best for others, even if it demands sacrifice on our part."[4]
     Moses provided the extent to which they were to love God, “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” The word heart translates the Hebrew word לֵבָב lebab which refers to the inner person, will, or intellect. This means love starts in the mind with right understanding and includes the will. The word soul translates the Hebrew word נֶפֶשׁ nephesh, which refers to one’s life, passions, or personal desires. Setting our desires upon God means we structure our lives in such a way to give Him and His Word priority. And the word might translates the Hebrew word מְאֹד meod, which refers to one’s strength, force, abundance, or physical resources. Concerning the Hebrew word מְאֹד meod, Daniel Block states, “Here its meaning is best captured by a word like ‘resources,’ which includes physical strength, but also economic or social strength, and it may extend to the physical things an Israelite owned: tools, livestock, a house, and the like.’[5] Our might not only includes personal effort, but also the abundance of our effort, which includes our personal resources. Earl Kalland is correct when he states, “The exhortation to love ‘with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength’ is not a study in faculty psychology. It is rather a gathering of terms to indicate the totality of a person’s commitment of self in the purest and noblest intentions of trust and obedience toward God.”[6]
     Moses’ instruction starts with the individual adults, in which he states, “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart” (Deut 6:6). Here, each Israelite had the personal responsibility of learning God’s Word. By doing this, they could fulfill the next command, which states, “You shall teach them diligently to your sons” (Deut 6:7a). The phrase, teach them diligently, translates the Hebrew verb שָׁנָן shanan, which means to engrave or chisel on stone. The verb is in the Piel stem, which makes it intensive (i.e., teach diligently). Here, the tongue of the parents is likened to a chisel they keep applying to their children’s minds in order to engrave God’s Word into their thinking (cf. Pro 6:20-23). Where and when was this activity of training to take place? Moses says, you “shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deut 6:7b). Sitting suggests times of rest, and walking speaks of activity. When you lie down suggests evening time, and when you rise up suggests the morning hours. These form a double merism which encompass of all of life. In this way, Deuteronomy is aimed at subsequent generations, that they might learn God’s will and faithfully transmit it to their children, who will pass it along to their children, and so on.
     In the final verses of this pericope, Moses states, “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut 6:8-9). Some Israelites took this literally and made phylacteries which they wore on their hands and foreheads (Matt 23:5), as well as mezuzahs they placed on doorposts, all of which contained Scripture. Here, the meaning is symbolic, where God’s commands were to be wrapped up in their daily activities (hand), always to be in the forefront of their thinking (forehead), guarding their homes (doorposts of your house), and influencing the activities of the leaders who met to discuss social and legal matters at the entrance of the city (gates).
     As Christians, we know God desires to bless those with whom He is in a covenant relationship, but inheritance blessing is dependent on learning and living God’s Word carefully, which is an indicator that we have placed Him first in our lives above all others. Parents who love their children will naturally want the best for them; therefore, they will diligently teach their children how to have the best life with God, and this they will do in all places, activities, and times of the day. This way, God’s Word will govern all their activities, thoughts, and places of gathering.
 
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 44.
[2] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 274.
[3] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 189–190.
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series, 46.
[5] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 184.
[6] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 64.

The Call of Matthew (Matt 9:9-13)

"As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, 'Follow Me!' And he got up and followed Him. Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, 'Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?' But when Jesus heard this, He said, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. 'But go and learn what this means: ‘I DESIRE COMPASSION, AND NOT SACRIFICE,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.'" (Matt 9:9-13)
     The above passage is Matthew’s personal account of being called by Jesus to be His disciple. The location of the event was probably in or near the city of Capernaum. The event occurred shortly after Jesus had demonstrated His power to forgive sins and heal disease (Matt 9:1-12). Matthew opens his account by telling us, “As Jesus went on from there, He saw a man called Matthew, sitting in the tax collector’s booth; and He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’ And he got up and followed Him” (Matt 9:9). This Matthew is the author of the Gospel that bears his name. He is also called Levi by Mark and Luke (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27).
     Matthew was identified according to his occupation as a tax collector. Tax collectors sat in booths at the entry points of cities and cross sections of commerce, collecting taxes for the Roman government, and sometimes taking a little extra for themselves. Matthew would have been regarded by many as no better than a robber. Being a tax collector for the Romans would have made Matthew despised by his fellow Jews, who would have regarded him as a traitor, an enemy of the state who took Jewish money and gave it to their overlords. Donald Hagner comments:
"Tax collectors, or tax farmers, in that culture were despised as greedy, self-serving, and parasitic. They grew rich at the expense of the poor by extorting from them more than was required by their superiors in order to fill their own pockets. They furthermore often compromised regulations for purity in their handling of pagan money and their dealings with Gentiles. That Jesus should call a tax collector to be his disciple must have been in itself scandalous. We hear no objection to that here, but when in the following narrative Jesus fraternizes with tax collectors and sinners (the “lower” end of society), we do encounter a protest."[1]
     Jesus called Matthew while he was working, telling him, “Follow Me!” The word follow translates the Greek verb ἀκολουθέω akoloutheo, which means, “to move behind someone in the same direction, come after…to follow or accompany someone who takes the lead, accompany, go along with.”[2] In this context, the word connotes following Jesus as a disciple. This began Matthew’s journey as a disciple of Jesus, and Matthew would eventually be counted among the apostles (Matt 10:1-4). In an instant, Matthew walked away from a lucrative and secure job to follow Jesus. This was a radical move for sure. Though he forfeited earthly riches, he obtained new life, a greater sense of destiny, and a personal relationship with the King of kings and Lord of lords. He also secured for himself riches in heaven, which are far greater than anything this world could offer.
     Matthew recorded a big dinner he gave for Jesus, telling us, “Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples” (Matt 9:10). Luke reveals the dinner was actually a “big reception” (Luke 5:29), revealing Matthew was financially well off. The banquet included several of Matthew’s friends who were fellow tax collectors, and a group of people identified as “sinners” (Grk. ἁμαρτωλός hamartolos). Sinners were the irreligious, “who did not observe the Law in detail and therefore were shunned by observers of traditional precepts.”[3] These were the outsiders who did not play along with the religious hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and were condemned for it. Matthew did not care. He was once classified among them, and now he’d been transformed and was ready to move on with a new life as a disciple of the One who was truly righteous. Matthew’s dinner party for Jesus was, in itself, a form of public confession concerning his new life.
     But the antagonists soon arrived and, in typical fashion, began meddling in other people’s business. Matthew records the event, saying, “When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, ‘Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?’” (Matt 9:11). In the first century Jewish culture, when people fellowshipped at a table of food, it was regarded as a picture of friendship and acceptance. The Pharisees were befuddled when they saw Jesus and His disciples eating with the dregs of society. In addition, the Pharisees had a growing abhorrence toward Jesus, so their observations were filtered through a lens of hatred. This prompted them to bring a question; not for clarification, but to impugn His character. The question they asked implied guilt by association. But Jesus’ disciples did not answer the Pharisees; rather, “when Jesus heard this, He said, ‘It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick’” (Matt 9:12). There was a common image in Jewish culture that compared teachers with physicians. These were regarded as soul-doctors who helped bring about spiritual and mental wellbeing. Of course, to need healing, one must admit sickness, and this the Pharisees were not willing to do. William MacDonald writes:
"The Pharisees considered themselves healthy and were unwilling to confess their need for Jesus. The tax collectors and sinners, by contrast, were more willing to acknowledge their true condition and to seek Christ’s saving grace. So the charge was true! Jesus did eat with sinners. If He had eaten with the Pharisees, the charge would still have been true—perhaps even more so! If Jesus hadn’t eaten with sinners in a world like ours, He would always have eaten alone. But it is important to remember that when He ate with sinners, He never indulged in their evil ways or compromised His testimony. He used the occasion to call men to truth and holiness."[4]
     The Pharisees were correct that Jesus was a Teacher, and He promptly gave them something to learn. Jesus said, “But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners” (Matt 9:13). The phrase “go and learn” was a common expression used by rabbis when pointing them to a particular passage of Scripture to be considered. This was a poke at the Pharisees, for even though they regarded themselves as the experts of the Law, Jesus treated them as though they were novices. And the passage Jesus pointed them to was Hosea 6:6, which states, “I desire compassion, and not sacrifice.” Certainly, sacrifice was important to God, and there is much in the Mosaic Law that explains this, especially in the book of Leviticus. However, the activity of sacrifice, no matter how great the offering or sophisticated the occasion, meant nothing to God if the worshipper lacked the qualities of compassion, kindness, and mercy found in the One to whom the offering was brought. Hosea, and other OT prophets mentioned this repeatedly. Note the following examples:
"For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." (Psa 51:16-17)
"To do righteousness and justice is desired by the LORD more than sacrifice." (Pro 21:3)
"What are your multiplied sacrifices to Me? Says the LORD. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed cattle. And I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs, or goats. When you come to appear before Me, who requires of you this trampling of My courts? Bring your worthless offerings no longer, incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, they have become a burden to Me. I am weary of bearing them. So, when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you, yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, reprove the ruthless; defend the orphan, plead for the widow." (Isa 1:11-17)
"For I delight in mercy rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings." (Hos 6:6)
"With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? 7 Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what the LORD requires of you: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." (Mic 6:6-8)
     The Pharisees, like the religious apostates in Hosea’s day, performed the outward rituals of sacrifice at the temple, but their hearts were far from God. They were careful to keep the ceremonial practices, but failed to capture the greater heart qualities the Lord expected of those who claimed to know and walk with Him. How the Pharisees treated the tax collectors and sinners demonstrated this.
     In summary, Jesus called Matthew to be His disciple, and the tax collector left everything to begin a new life with Jesus. Matthew celebrated his new life as a disciple by hosting a dinner party for Jesus and inviting other tax collectors and irreligious sinners to come and meet his new Master. The Pharisees arrived and filtered the event through their hate filled heart, and then tried to trap Jesus with a question concerning His company, which question implied His guilt. But Jesus corrected the Pharisees by pointing out He’d come to heal the sick and therefore needed to be among them. Jesus then instructed the Pharisees to learn a lesson from the book of Hosea, that God desires compassion and not sacrifice. How Jesus treated the tax collectors and sinners demonstrated His compassion, and how the Pharisees treated them demonstrated their self-righteous pride and hatred.
 
[1] Donald A. Hagner, Matthew 1–13, vol. 33A, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1993), 238.
[2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 36.
[3] Ibid., 51.
[4] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1235.

Deuteronomy 5:28-33

     The main point of this pericope is that God granted the Israelite’s request to leave Mount Sinai because they were afraid of Him, and afterward to speak His laws through Moses, that His people would have an objective basis for right living and blessing. Moses opens this pericope, saying, “The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken’” (Deut 5:28). God, because He is omniscient, heard the words of His people to Moses and affirmed their comments. But honest and good words spoken in the moment may not carry into the future. God knew His people and He desired their best. However, He also hinted at their future failings when He said, “Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!” (Deut 5:29). As discussed from previous lessons, we realize that at the heart of every problem is the problem of the heart. A heart that respects God will manifest itself in obedience to His commands. But a heart that loves self, or the world, will not regard God or His will, but will turn away from Him. This is not only the basis for instability, but harm to self and others. Warren Wiersbe writes:
"Obedience is always a matter of the heart, and if we love the Lord, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15, 21–24). There’s no conflict between the greatness of God and the grace of God, His transcendence and His immanence; for we can love the Lord and fear the Lord with the same heart (Pss 2:10–12; 34:8–9). The fear of the Lord is a major theme in Deuteronomy (Deut 6:2, 13, 24; 10:20; 14:23; 17:19; 31:12), but so is the love of God for us (Deut 7:7; 10:15; 23:5) as well as our love for Him (Deut 6:5; 10:12; 11:1, 13, 22; 19:9; 30:6, 16, 20)."[1]
     God told Moses, “Go, say to them, ‘Return to your tents. But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess” (Deut 5:30-31). God did not force His people to stay at Mount Sinai. They were afraid they’d die if they remained, so the Lord granted their request. Though God wants to reveal Himself to us, sometimes in powerful ways, He will not force us to experience Him beyond what we’re willing to accept, even though it may mean we’re forfeiting the blessing that otherwise would come. The people had asked Moses to be their mediator, and God granted their request. All the remaining laws God had for His people would be given to Moses on Mount Sinai, and as Israel’s loving shepherd, he would write them down for their benefit. Moses then told his people, “So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess” (Deut 5:32-33). To “observe” God’s Law meant Israel was to know its content, and to “walk in the way” meant they were to live as God commanded. If they did this, it would “be well” with them and they would “prolong” their days in the land of Canaan. Blessing is associated with obedience. Though we are Christians living in a different dispensation under the “Law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2), there is much for us to learn here about God. Warren Wiersbe writes:
"Even though God’s children live under grace and not under the Mosaic Law (Rom 6:14; Gal 5:1), it’s important for us to know the Law of God so that we might better know the God of the Law and please Him. Christ has fulfilled the types and symbols found in the Law, so we no longer practice the Old Testament rituals as Israel did. Christ bore the curse of the Law on the cross (Gal 3:10–13) so that we need not fear judgment (Rom 8:1). But the moral law still stands and God still judges sin. It’s as wrong today to lie, steal, commit adultery, and murder as it was when Moses received the tables of the Law at Mount Sinai. In fact, it’s worse, because we have today the full revelation of God’s will through Jesus Christ, and we sin against a flood of light."[2]
 
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 40.
[2] Ibid., 40–41.

The Human Conscience

     The Ten Commandments are the beginning of the Mosaic Law code that was given specifically to Israel as a redeemed people (Lev 27:34), and they were not given in written form to anyone else. The Ten Commandments not only revealed the holy character of God, but gave the Israelites an objective standard for right living, both before God and others. Though the Law was given specifically to Israel, there is a sense in which God’s Laws are written on the hearts of all people, even those who are not saved. Paul wrote, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them” (Rom 2:14-15). Warren Wiersbe writes:
"God did not give the Law to the Gentiles, so they would not be judged by the Law. Actually, the Gentiles had “the work of the Law written in their hearts” (Rom 2:15). Wherever you go, you find people with an inner sense of right and wrong; and this inner judge, the Bible calls “conscience.” You find among all cultures a sense of sin, a fear of judgment, and an attempt to atone for sins and appease whatever gods are feared."[1]
     According to Paul, God has placed His Law within the heart of every person, which Law informs us concerning God’s standard of what is right; and, God has given every person a conscience. The word conscience translates the Greek word συνείδησις suneidesis, which refers to “the inward faculty of distinguishing right and wrong.”[2] Conscience does not instruct us concerning what is good or evil, for that is determined by God; rather, conscience is that inner voice that urges us to do right. However, because of sin’s corrupting influence, the human conscience it is not always a reliable gauge of right and wrong. It would seem that conscience functions cognitively in a judicial role, evaluating thoughts and actions and determining guilt or innocence based on moral laws. This would make sense, as Paul describes the conscience as “bearing witness” with regard to some behavior, and the mind serving as the courtroom, “accusing or defending” the action.
      Human conscience, when operating properly, serves as God’s moral compass placed within each person. People instinctively know that God exists (Rom 1:18-20), and that the Law of God is good (Rom 2:14-15). We don’t have to persuade anyone. It’s already written on their hearts. God placed it there. They know God exists, that He is good, and that actions such as murder, lying, stealing, and adultery are wrong.
     Those who have a relationship with God and pursue a life of faith will have a healthy conscience that operates as God intends. This starts when “the blood of Christ…cleanses our conscience” so that we may “serve the living God” (Heb 9:14).[3] In the New Testament Paul spoke of the “good conscience” that was connected with “genuine faith” (1 Tim 1:5, 19; cf. Acts 23:1; Heb 13:18), and he personally served God with a “clear conscience” (1 Tim 3:9; 2 Tim 1:3). Paul also described believers at Corinth whose “conscience is weak” (1 Cor 8:7, 10, 12). These were immature believers whose consciences had been corrupted by years of sinful living before their conversion and who had not fully restored their conscience to normal operation. Learning God’s Word recalibrates our conscience, and advancing spiritually strengthens it. In a negative way, there are some who progressively turn away from God and indulge in sin, and whose “conscience is defiled” (Tit 1:15), or who have “an evil conscience” (Heb 10:22). Paul wrote of some “whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron” (1 Tim 4:2). The word seared translates the Greek word καυστηριάζω kausteriazo, which means to burn or cauterize with a hot iron. Just as one’s flesh can be severely burned so that it becomes hard, without sensitivity, so the conscience can become hardened and without feeling. This is obvious in the person who lives in prolonged sin and no longer blushes at their wicked behavior. I once knew a man in prison who bore the moniker “Naughty.” I once heard this man boast, with smile and laughter, of having sexually abused a helpless woman whom he greatly degraded, and he did this without any remorse. I cringed as others laughed at his stories. Here were consciences that had become seared because of sinful behavior.
     The believer, though having a conscience damaged by years of sin, can have it cleansed by means of the cross-work of Christ, and then recalibrated by means of God’s Word, which provides an objective standard for righteousness. But this will not happen quickly. Just as we exposed ourselves to many years of worldly thinking, which corrupted our consciences, so it will take time to unseat the human viewpoint and restore the conscience to normal function as God intends.
 
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 520.
[2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 967.
[3] The “blood of Christ” refers to Jesus atoning work on the cross, in which He bore our sin and paid the penalty that rightfully belonged to us. This was in contrast to the OT sacrificial system which could never take away sin, only cover it for a short time. When we believe in Christ as Savior (1 Cor 15:3-4), we are forgiven all our sins (Eph 1:7), given new life (John 10:28), and gifted with God’s own righteousness (2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). At the moment of salvation, there is relational peace between us and God (Rom 5:1), and we have become part of His family (Eph 2:19), will never be condemned (Rom 8:1), and made free to serve Him in righteousness (Rom 6:11-14; Tit 2:11-14). In this way, the “blood of Christ” has cleansed our conscience from any notion that religious.

Deuteronomy 5:22-27

     The main point of this pericope is that Moses recalled that God wrote down the Ten Commandments and how the people expressed a healthy fear of the Lord. Moses opens this section, saying, “These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me” (Deut 5:22). This confirms the Ten Commandments were spoken directly by God, who then provided Moses two hard copies which were written on tablets of stone. The Ten Commandments, as given by God at Mount Sinai to Israel, should not be separated from the larger body of the Mosaic Law. It must be remembered, “These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the sons of Israel at Mount Sinai” (Lev 27:34). Moses is also clear the Lord did not provide anything more than the Ten Commandments. Earl Kalland writes;
"He 'added nothing more' (v.22) refers to these Ten Commandments that were spoken and then written by God on the two stone tablets. They constitute the basic behavioral code that was to determine not only their allegiance and life-style but also that of all succeeding generations as well. No other such short list of commands begins to compare with the effect that these have had in world history. In spite of being constantly broken, they stand as the moral code par excellence."[1]
     Moses records the response of the Israelites, saying, “And when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders” (Deut 5:23). Every one of the Israelites at Mount Sinai heard the voice of God, audibly, which came from the direction of the mountain that was burning with fire. Apparently, the audio was quite loud and connected with pyrotechnic effects. After approaching Moses, the elders said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives” (Deut 5:24). Here was a divine encounter with the God of the universe that was so powerful, they were surprised that they were still alive. Then, they spoke out of fear, saying, “Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we will die. For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deut 5:25-26). Being close to God meant, to some degree, feeling uncomfortable in His presence, because as they came near to Him, they became painfully aware that He is holy and they were sinful. However, they felt their lives were in danger if they continued to experience God’s presence as He had revealed Himself at the mountain. Healthy fear was a common experience among those who personally encountered God (Isa 6:5; Luke 5:8; Rev 1:17); and others too felt their lives had been spared after encountering the Lord (Gen 32:30; Judg 6:22-23; 13:22-23). Though the Israelites recognized it was God who spoke with them, and that they’d heard His voice and saw His glory, yet they did not want the experience to continue. Instead, they asked Moses to serve as mediator between them and God, saying, “Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it” (Deut 5:27).
     As Christians, the more we learn about God, the more we become aware of His holiness and our sinfulness. However, by faith, we also know He accepts us because of the work of Christ, and we can come humbly before His throne of grace, realizing there is no condemnation because we are in Christ.
 
[1] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 61.

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

     The main point of this pericope is that God personally spoke the Ten Commandments, giving them as the foundation for the whole of the Mosaic Law and the revelation of His holiness (Deut 5:6-21; cf. Ex 20:1-17). The Mosaic Law provided a framework for healthy relationships and worship within the theocracy of Israel. It gave every Israelite a basis for freedom within a sphere of righteous laws designed to protect God’s people. In the opening statement, God identifies Himself, saying, “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deut 5:6). The name of the LORD (~yhil{a// hwhy Yahweh Elohim) is His covenant name, and He is related to Israel as the One who liberated them from bondage. He is their Redeemer and has graciously entered into a covenant relationship with them. The first four commands refer to Israel’s relationship to Yahweh, their Redeemer, and the last six relate to their relationship to each other. Daniel Block states, “This document functions as an Israelite version of a bill of rights. However, unlike modern bills of rights, the document does not protect one’s own rights but the rights of the next person.”[1]
     The first commandment was, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Deut 5:7). Because there is only one true God (Isa 45:5-6), it is aberrant to worship anything other than Him. When people turn away from God, they must find something or someone to fill the God-place in their heart, so they manufacture a god that resembles something familiar.
     The second commandment was, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them” (Deut 5:8-9a). The Lord was married to Israel (Isa 54:5; Hos 2:19-20; cf. Ezek 16:32), and to worship an idol was tantamount to spiritual adultery (see Ezek 16:1-63). Eugene Merrill writes, “Israel had been redeemed from bondage or service in Egypt in order to serve Yahweh. To serve other gods, then, was to reverse the exodus and go back under bondage, thus betraying the grace and favor of Yahweh.”[2] Thomas Constable adds:
"By making and using images of Yahweh the worshipper would gain a sense of control over Him. God is the Creator, and we are His creatures. He is also sovereign over all. Rather than accepting his place as subject creature under the sovereign Creator, the person who makes an image of God puts himself in the position of creator. In effect he puts God in the place of a created thing. He usurps God’s sovereignty. Since God made man in His image it is inappropriate for us to try to make God in our image much less in the image of an animal."[3]
     God desired to protect His people, saying “for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments” (Deut 5:9b-10). God’s jealousy is a healthy desire to protect His relationship with His people. He informs them that if they turn away from Him, there are consequences that will come upon them as well as their children, to the third and fourth generation. Sin impacts the sinner as well as those in connection with him/her, and this is especially true in the family. Children may perpetuate the sin of their parents as they adopt their values and mimic their behavior. Though children may experience, to some degree, the punishment of their parents, the children are judged for their sins (Ezek 18:1-4). Alternatively, if they keep covenant and obey Him, He will bless to the thousandth generation. Thomas Constable states, “Apostasy has effects on succeeding generations. Rebellious, God-hating parents often produce several generations of descendants who also hate God (cf. Exod. 20:5; 34:6–7). Children normally follow the example of their parents. Note that God’s blessing exceeds his discipline a thousand-fold.”[4] Cleary God prefers to bless rather than curse. Warren Wiersbe states:
"The Lord doesn’t punish the children and grandchildren because of their ancestors’ sins (Ezek. 18), but He can permit the sad consequences of those sins to affect future generations, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Children are prone to imitate their parents, and Eastern peoples lived in extended families, with three and four generations often in the same home. It’s easy to see that the older members of the family had opportunities to influence the younger ones either for good or for evil. But the Lord also blesses successive generations of people who honor and obey Him. My great-grandfather prayed that there would be a preacher of the Gospel in every generation of our family, and there has been. I minister today because of godly ancestors who trusted the Lord."[5]
     The third commandment was, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain” (Deut 5:11). Taking the name of God in vain meant attaching it to something vain; such as when a person takes an oath they know they will not keep (Lev 19:12). Rather, God’s people were to honor His name, which meant they were to speak and act in such a way as to make God look good to others.
     The fourth commandment was, “Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you” (Deut 5:12). The word “sabbath” (שַׁבָּת shabbath) means rest. For Israel, this was specifically related to a day of physical rest from their labor and production, as God said, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God” (Deut 5:13-14a). Other ancient Eastern cultures took a day off from work, but it was usually reserved only for the upper classes and did not apply to the poor, slaves, and certainly not to animals. However, God’s commandment was all inclusive, saying, “in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you” (Deut 5:14). Here, the law pertained to everyone, regardless of their social status. And the commandment was to help Israel remember their heritage, as the Lord explained, “You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore, the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day” (Deut 5:15). Daniel Block comments, “In grounding the ‘holiday’ on Israel’s memory of their own experience in Egypt (v. 15), Moses calls for a sympathetic disposition toward those under one’s authority. In their treatment of children, servants, animals, and outsiders, the heads of households were to embody the superior righteousness of the revealed laws of Yahweh (Deut 4:8).”[6] The Sabbath was also a sign to Israel concerning their relationship to the Lord (Ex 31:16-17), for this reason it ceased when the Mosaic Law was rendered obsolete (Heb 8:13). The Christian is related to God by means of the New Covenant, and the sign of that covenant is the unleavened bread and red juice (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:23-26). Because we are not under the Mosaic Covenant (Rom 6:14), Christians are not required to observe the Sabbath. Thomas Constable states, “God did not command Christians to observe the sabbath (cf. Rom 10:4; 14:5–6; Gal 3:23–29; 4:10; Col 2:16–17). From the birth of the church on Christians have observed the first day of the week, not the seventh, as a memorial of Jesus Christ’s resurrection (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor 16:2).”[7] Warren Wiersbe adds:
"Many well-meaning people call Sunday “the Christian Sabbath,” but strictly speaking, this is a misnomer. Sunday is the first day of the week, the Lord’s Day, and the Sabbath is Saturday, the seventh day of the week. The Sabbath symbolizes the Old Covenant of Law: you labored for six days and then you rested. The Lord’s Day commemorates the New Covenant of grace: it opens the week with rest in Christ and the works follow. Both the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day emphasize the importance of devoting one day in seven to the Lord in worship and service. Every day belongs to the Lord and it’s unbiblical to make the observance of days a test of spirituality or orthodoxy (Col. 2:16–17; Rom. 14:1–15:7; Gal. 4:1–11)."[8]
     Though Christians are not obligated to keep the Sabbath, we may do so if we please; however, we may not require it of others. Furthermore, God designed the work week, and He also designed the human body to be at regular rest from labor, and it’s to our harm if we do not follow our Designer’s operating manual concerning time off from work.
     The fifth commandment was, “Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you” (Deut 5:16a). This commandment assumes a normal family, with father and mother, as God intends. The word “honor” translates the Hebrew word כָּבַד kabad, which means to be heavy, or weighty. The idea was to treat their parents as important. This command came with a promise of blessing, as the Lord said, “that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you” (Deut 5:16). Personally, this does not mean we approve of all our parents do, but that we respect them, privately and publicly, seeking to meet their needs. Even Samuel, though angry with Saul because of his foolish sin (1 Sam 15:1-29), still honored him when asked to do so (see 1 Sam 15:30-31).
     The sixth commandment was, “You shall not murder” (Deut 5:17). This commandment assumes the right to life. The word “murder” translates the Hebrew verb רָצַח ratsach, which is commonly used for homicide in general; however, capital punishment and killing during times of war were commanded by God (Deut 13:5, 9; 20:13, 16-17), so this must be distinguished as unjustified intentional homicide. Jesus revealed there is a mental murder we commit when we hate our brothers or sisters (Matt 5:21-22). Thomas Constable writes:
"There are several reasons for the sixth commandment (Gen 9:6). The first is the nature of man. Not only did God create man essentially different from other forms of animal life (Gen 2:7; cf. Matt 19:4), but He also created humans in His own image (Gen 1:28). Consequently, when someone murders a person, he or she obliterates a revelation of God. Second, murder usurps God’s authority. All life belongs to God, and He gives it to us on lease (cf. Ezek 18:4a). To take a human life without divine authorization is to arrogate to oneself authority that belongs only to God. Third, the consequences of murder, unlike the consequences of some other sins (e.g., lying, stealing, coveting), are fatal and irreversible."[9]
     The seventh commandment was, “You shall not commit adultery” (Deut 5:18). This commandment assumes the institution of marriage, which was created by God for happiness as well as the stability and perpetuation of a just society. The command was intended to protect the marriage union from unhindered passions. Under the Mosaic Law, adultery was punishable by death for both the man and woman (Lev 20:10). Jesus revealed there is a mental form of adultery that makes one guilty before God (Matt 5:27-28). Daniel Block writes:
"Adultery was considered a capital crime because it undermined the integrity and covenant of marriage, violated the sanctity of sexual union, defiled a human being as the image of God, and threatened the stability of the community. Like murder, adultery pollutes the land and ultimately causes it to spew out its inhabitants (Lev. 18:20, 24–25). And like murder, adultery is not only a crime against one’s spouse or children or parents; it is a crime against God (cf. Gen. 39:9). Whereas elsewhere instructions on adultery focus on the female adulteress, this regulation focuses on male adultery."[10]
     The eighth commandment was, “You shall not steal” (Deut 5:19). This commandment assumes the right to possess private property, which has been obtained either by the production of labor or family inheritance. Eugene Merrill comments, “There obviously is an inherent evil in the illegitimate appropriation of another’s property, but on an even higher covenantal and theological level theft betrays an essential dissatisfaction with one’s lot in life and an acquisitive desire to obtain more than the Lord, the Sovereign who dispenses to his vassals what seems best, has granted already.”[11]
     The ninth commandment was, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Deut 5:20). This command forbids lying about others, whether in a coffee shop or a court of law. If we’re not careful, what we say can ruin the lives of other people. Naboth was falsely accused by worthless men sent from King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, and the result was he was murdered and his property stolen (1 Ki 21:1-16). And, of course, Jesus was falsely accused and crucified by those who hated Him (Matt 26:59-61; John 19:15). Warren Wiersbe adds:
"Truth is the cement that holds society together, and things fall apart when people don’t keep their promises, whether contracts in business or vows at the marriage altar. This commandment also prohibits slander, which is lying about other people (Ex 23:1; Pro 10:18; 12:17; 19:9; 24:28; Tit 3:1–2; Jam 4:11; 1 Pet 2:1). God’s people should be known for speaking the truth in love (Eph 4:15)."[12]
     The tenth commandment was, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Deut 5:21). Nine of the Ten Commandments deal with outwardly observable behavior, but the tenth commandment is invisible until some action is taken that reveals it. Biblically, coveting is the unwarranted desire for other people’s possessions and the willingness to step over boundaries to get it. Eugene Merrill adds:
"As has been noted repeatedly by scholars, the tenth commandment differs greatly from the other nine in that it has to do with an inner disposition more than with an outward act. That is, it has to do with the desires and not the practical steps to satisfy those desires. What is less frequently observed is that this is in line with the progression of violence or disruption in a descending spiral from the shedding of blood to the ruin of personal reputation. What has been manifest empirically in acts and words is now hidden in thoughts and cravings."[13]
     The tenth commandment is what helped Paul understand his own sinfulness, as he said, “I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘you shall not covet’” (Rom 7:7). The command of God is holy and good, but Paul was a sinner, unable to keep the command. This is why he said, “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment, produced in me coveting of every kind” (Rom 7:8a). As regenerate people of God, we have the capacity to obey this command, and we do so when we learn to be content with what we have (Phil 4:11-13; 1 Tim 6:7-11).
     Though the Church is not under the Mosaic Law (Rom 6:14), we are under the “Law of Christ” and have an obligation to know His will and walk in it (Gal 6:2). God’s grace-system teaches us “to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” (Tit 2:12-14). The Christian does not obey God out of an obligatory sense of duty, but rather from an appreciative sense of thankfulness in response to God’s great love (1 John 4:10-11, 19). Biblical love motivates right behavior.
 
[1] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 161.
[2] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 147–148.
[3] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 5:8.
[4] Ibid., Dt 5:8.
[5] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 36.
[6] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 164.
[7] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible, Dt 5:12.
[8] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series, 37.
[9] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible, Dt 5:17.
[10] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 166.
[11] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary, 155.
[12] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series, 38–39.
[13] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary, 155–156.

Introduction to the Mosaic Law

     God gives law to humans living in every age. He gave commands to Adam and Eve living in the sinless environment of the Garden of Eden (Gen 1:26-30; 2:15-17). He gave commands to Noah (Gen 6-9). He gave commands to Abraham (Gen 12:1; 17:10-14). He gave commands to the Israelites—known as the Mosaic Law—after delivering them from their bondage in Egypt (Ex 20 - Deut 34). He has given commands to Christians (Romans 1 to Revelation 3). These biblical distinctions are important, for though all Scripture is written for the benefit of Christians, only some portions of it speak specifically to us and command our walk with the Lord. Just as Christians would not try to obey the commands God gave to Adam in Genesis 1-2, or the commands God gave to Noah in Genesis 6-9, so they should not try to obey the commands God gave to Israel in Exodus through Deuteronomy. Romans chapter 1 through Revelation chapter 3 roughly mark the body of Scripture that directs the Christian. Charles Ryrie states:
"Adam lived under laws, the sum of which may be called the code of Adam or the code of Eden. Noah was expected to obey the laws of God, so there was a Noahic code. We know that God revealed many commands and laws to Abraham (Gen 26:5). They may be called the Abrahamic code. The Mosaic code contained all the laws of the Law. And today we live under the law of Christ (Gal 6:2) or the law of the Spirit of life in Christ (Rom 8:2). This code contains the hundreds of specific commandments recorded in the New Testament."[1]
     The Mosaic Law refers to “the statutes and ordinances and laws which the LORD established between Himself and the sons of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai” (Lev 26:46). The Mosaic Law revealed the holy character of God (Lev 11:45; cf. Rom 7:12), was given specifically to Israel circa 1445 BC (Lev 26:46), was regarded as a unit of laws (613 total), and had to be taken as a whole (Gal 3:10; 5:3; Jam 2:10), and existed for nearly 1500 years before being rendered inoperative (Heb 7:18; 8:13; cf. Rom 7:1-4). 
     The Mosaic Law is typically viewed in three parts: 1) The moral law consisting of the Ten Commandments (Ex 20:2-17; Deut 5:6-21), 2) The civil law which addressed slavery, marriage, property rights, economics, etc., (Ex 21:1–24:18), and 3) The ceremonial law which addressed the tabernacle, priests, worship and the sacrificial system as a whole (Ex 25:1–40:38). Paul Enns states, “It should be noted that these categories are intermingled in the text of Exodus–Deuteronomy; within a given context, all three aspects of the law may be described. Nor is it always a simple matter to distinguish between the three aspects of the law. In any case, the law was Israel’s constitution with the Lord, the King.”[2]
     The Mosaic Law was never a means of justification before God, as that has always been by faith alone in God and His promises (Gal 2:16). Over time, the Mosaic Law became perverted into a system of works whereby men sought to earn their salvation before God (Luke 18:9-14). Regarding the fact that the Mosaic Law never justifies anyone, Merrill F. Unger comments:
"By nature the Law is not grace (Rom 10:5; Gal 3:10; Heb 10:28). It is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual (Rom 7:12, 14). In its ministry it declares and proves all men guilty (Rom 3:19). Yet it justifies no one (Rom 3:20). It cannot impart righteousness or life (Gal 3:21). It causes offenses to abound (Rom 5:20; 7:7-13; 1 Cor 15:56). It served as an instructor until Christ appeared (Gal 3:24). In relationship to the believer, the Law emphatically does not save anyone (Gal 2:21). A believer does not live under the Law (Rom 6:14; 8:4), but he stands and grows in grace (Rom 5:2; 2 Pet 3:18). The nation, Israel, alone was the recipient of the Law (Ex 20:2)."[3]
     The New Testament reveals the Mosaic Law was regarded as a “yoke” which Israel had not “been able to bear” because their sinful flesh was weak (Acts 15:1-11; cf. Rom 8:2-3). There is no fault with the Mosaic Law, for it “is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom 7:12). The Mosaic Law is holy because it comes from God who is holy. Because the Mosaic Law is holy, it exposes the faults of people and shows them to be sinful (Rom 3:20). More so, because people are inherently sinful and bent toward sin, when they come into contact with God’s holy Law, it actually stimulates their sinful nature and influences them to sin even more (Rom 5:20; 7:7-8). 
     Paul made clear that the Mosaic Law was not the rule of life for the Christian. He even referred to it as a ministry of “death” and “condemnation” (2 Cor 3:5-11). Paul stated that it was intended to be temporary (Gal 3:19), that it was never the basis for justification (Gal 2:16, 21; 3:21; cf. Rom 4:1-5), but was intended to lead people to Christ that they may be justified by faith (Gal 3:24). Now that Christ has come and fulfilled every aspect of the Law and died on the cross, the Mosaic Law, in its entirety, has been rendered inoperative as a rule of life (Matt 5:17-18; Rom 8:2-4; 10:4; 2 Cor 3:7, 11; Heb 8:13). “As a rule of life, the Law of Moses was temporary … [and] came to an end with the death of the Messiah.”[4]
     God is the Author of both the Mosaic Law as well as the Law of Christ; therefore, it is not surprising that He chose to incorporate some of the laws He gave to Israel into the law-code which He has given to the Church. When trying to understand which laws have carried over and which have not, the general rule to follow is: what God has not restated, has been altogether abrogated.  Charles Ryrie states, “The Mosaic Law was done away in its entirety as a code. It has been replaced by the law of Christ. The law of Christ contains some new commands (1 Tim 4:4), some old ones (Rom 13:9), and some revised ones (Rom 13:4, with reference to capital punishment).”[5] The Church is no more under the Mosaic Law than a Canadian is under US law, as laws only have authority to its citizenry. Thomas Constable states:
"The law of Christ is the code of commandments under which Christians live. Some of the commandments Christ and His apostles gave us are the same as those that Moses gave the Israelites. However, this does not mean that we are under the Mosaic Code. Residents of the United States live under a code of laws that is similar to, but different from, the code of laws that govern residents of England. Some of our laws are the same as theirs, and others are different. Because some laws are the same we should not conclude that the codes are the same. Christians no longer live under the Mosaic Law; we live under a new code, the law of Christ (cf. 5:1)."[6]
     Though rendered inoperative as a rule of life, the Mosaic Law can be used to teach such things as God’s holiness, people’s sinfulness, the need for atonement, and the ultimate need for people to trust in Christ for salvation (Rom 3:10-25; 5:20; 10:1-4). All Scripture is for us, though not all Scripture is to us (1 Cor 10:11). And, being under the grace-system does not mean believers are without law and can therefore sin as they please (Rom 6:14-16; Tit 2:11-12). The New Testament speaks of “the perfect law of liberty” (Jam 1:25), “the royal law” (Jam 2:8), the “Law of Christ” (Gal 6:2), and “the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:2). Henry Thiessen states:
"The believer has been made free from the law, but liberty does not mean license. To offset this danger of antinomianism, the Scriptures teach that we have not only been delivered from the law, but also “joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God” (Rom 7:4). We are thus not “without the law of God but under the law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:21; cf. Gal 6:2). Freedom from law should not result in license, but love (Gal 5:13; cf. 1 Pet 2:16). The believer is, consequently, to keep his eyes on Christ as his example and teacher, and by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his law (Rom 8:4; Gal 5:18)."[7]
Arnold Fruchtenbaum adds:
"The Law of Moses has been disannulled and we are now under a new law. This new law is called the Law of Christ in Galatians 6:2 and the Law of the Spirit of Life in Romans 8:2. This is a brand new law, totally separate from the Law of Moses. The Law of Christ contains all the individual commandments from Christ and the Apostles applicable to a New Testament believer. A simple comparison of the details will show that it is not and cannot be the same as the Law of Moses. Four observations are worth noting. First, many commandments are the same as those of the Law of Moses. For example, nine of the Ten Commandments are also in the Law of Christ. But, second, many are different from the Law of Moses. For example, there is no Sabbath law now (Rom 14:5; Col 2:16) and no dietary code (Mark 7:19; Rom 14:20). Third, some commandments in the Law of Moses are intensified by the Law of Christ. The Law of Moses said: love thy neighbor as thyself (Lev 19:18). This made man the standard. The Law of Christ said: love one another, even as I have loved you (John 15:12). This makes the Messiah the standard and He loved us enough to die for us. Fourth, the Law of the Messiah provides a new motivation. The Law of Moses was based on the conditional Mosaic Covenant and so the motivation was: do, in order to be blessed. The Law of Christ is based on the unconditional New Covenant and so the motivation is: you have been and are blessed, therefore, do. The reason there is so much confusion over the relationship of the Law of Moses and the Law of Christ is that many commandments are similar to those found in the Mosaic Law, and many have concluded that certain sections of the law have, therefore, been retained."[8]
     The Church is not Israel, and is not under the Mosaic Law as the rule for life. Just as OT saints had a clear body of Scripture which guided their walk with the Lord (Exodus 20 through Deuteronomy 34), so NT saints have a body of Scripture that guides us (Romans 1 through Revelation 3). “The rule of life for the saint today is found in the epistles of the New Testament. As with the Law of Moses, instructions and commandments of the New Testament are not the means of salvation but they are a ‘heavenly rule of life’ for those who are heavenly citizens through the power of God.”[9] Some of the distinctions between Israel and the Church are as follows:
     Christians living under the Law of Christ have both positive and negative commands that direct their lives. Where the Scripture does not provide specific commands, it gives divine principles that guide the Christian’s walk (i.e., to walk in love, to glorify God in all things, etc.).
 
[1] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 351.
[2] Paul P. Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology (Chicago, Ill.; Moody Press, 2008), 59.
[3] Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN., AMG Publishers, 2002), 125.
[4] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Rev. ed. (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994), 373.
[5] Charles Ryrie, Basic Theology, 351-52.
[6] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Gal. 6:2.
[7] Henry Clarence Thiessen and Vernon D. Doerksen, Lectures in Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979), 171.
[8] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, 650-51.
[9] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, 379.

Deuteronomy 5:1-5

     The main point of this pericope is that Moses called the second generation of Israelites to hear the statutes and ordinances that were part of the bilateral covenant agreement between them and Yahweh, their God. The Israelites were camped east of the Jordan River and poised to enter the land of Canaan. Moses “summoned all Israel and said to them: ‘Hear O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully’” (Deut 5:1). The word “hear” translates the Hebrew verb שָׁמַע shama, which means to listen to instructions for the purpose of following them. Specifically, Israel was to learn “the statutes and the ordinances” that they might “observe them carefully.” Moses specifies the covenant, saying, “The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb” (Deut 5:2). This reveals both parties involved, and follows the pattern of a bilateral covenant between a suzerain and vassal; between a superior and an inferior. Moses went on to say, “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today” (Deut 5:3). The “covenant” referred to here is the bilateral Mosaic covenant, in which stipulations had to be met for blessing to occur. The Mosaic covenant is different than the unilateral covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, which covenant had no stipulations (Gen 17:7-8; 26:24; 28:13-14). Thomas Constable states, “The covenant to which Moses referred (v. 2) is not the Abrahamic but the Mosaic Covenant. What follows is an upgrade of the Mosaic Covenant for the new generation about to enter the Promised Land.”[1] Eugene H. Merrill adds:
"Not only is the covenant referred to here the same as that at Horeb, but it is only that and not anything anterior to it. “It was not with our fathers,” Moses said, “that the Lord made this covenant, but with us” (v. 3). This rules out the identification of the Deuteronomic covenant with the patriarchal and, in fact, draws a clear line of demarcation between the two. This is in line with the generally recognized theological fact that the Horeb-Deuteronomy covenant is by both form and function different from the so-called Abrahamic. The latter [Abrahamic covenant] is in the nature of an irrevocable and unconditional grant made by the Lord to the patriarchs, one containing promises of land, seed, and blessing. The former [Mosaic covenant] is a suzerain-vassal arrangement between the Lord and Israel designed to regulate Israel’s life as the promised nation within the framework of the Abrahamic covenant. The existence of Israel is unconditional, but its enjoyment of the blessing of God and its successful accomplishment of the purposes of God are dependent on its faithful obedience to the covenant made at Horeb. Thus the covenant in view here is not the same as that made with the fathers (i.e., the patriarchal ancestors), but it finds its roots there and is related to it in a subsidiary way."[2]
     And, this covenant, once made, was binding upon all subsequent generations, either to bless or curse.[3] Warren Wiersbe writes:
"When God made this covenant, it included every generation of the nation of Israel from that day on and not just with the generation that gathered at Sinai. Moses was addressing a new generation and yet he said, “The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb” (v. 2). Just as God’s covenant with Abraham included the Jewish people of future generations, so did His covenant at Sinai."[4]
     Moses, speaking to the second generation of Israelites since the exodus, addressed them as if they were standing directly before God, saying “The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire” (Deut 5:4). Some of Moses’ audience would have been at the mountain, but would have been younger and may not have understood what was happening. The phrase “face to face” is a figure of speech that means directly, one person to another. Biblically, God has revealed Himself generally through all creation (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18-20), but this was special revelation provided directly by God to His people. God speaks, and He does so in language people can understand (e.g., Jer 4:28; 30:2; Ezek 5:13-17). This is what sets Him apart from stupid idols who do not speak (cf. Psa 135:16). This revelation was also personal, to Israel, which marked them as His special people. Moses also mentioned his role in the covenant arrangement, as the mediator between God and Israel, saying, “I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain” (Deut 5:5). Remember, God spoke the Ten Commandments directly to Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex 20:1-17). However, the experience frightened them, for “All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance” (Ex 20:18). Such fear is common among those who encounter God (see Gen 32:30; Ex 33:20; Judg 6:22-23; 13:22; Isa 6:5; Dan 8:17-18; Luke 5:8; Rev 1:17). Rather than listen to the voice of God directly, the people said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die” (Ex 20:19). Afterward, God spoke mediately through Moses, who faithfully communicated “the word of the LORD.”
     A theological extrapolation of Israel’s personal relationship with God—based on understandable language and expectations—would have provided them a personal sense of destiny, for the God who chose and spoke to them, who entered into a special contract relationship with them, was able also to direct their future and secure their blessings if they would obey Him. As Christians, we too have a special relationship with God as participants of the New Covenant (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6; Heb 9:15), which was instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ by means of His sinless life (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5) and shed blood on the cross (1 Cor 10:16; Eph 2:13; Heb 12:24; 1 Pet 1:19). Additionally, we have special revelation in the Bible, which is God’s written word for us and to us, which tells us all we need to know to be saved (1 Cor 15:3-4), and to live a life of faith and godliness. Our relationship with God through Christ means we are children of God, brothers and sisters to the King of kings and Lord of lords, and we too enjoy a personal sense of destiny, knowing God is directing our lives toward the eternal state, toward which He is moving us. 
 
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 5:1.
[2] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 142.
[3] An example of this can be found in 2 Kings 17:1-18, where God judged the ten northern tribes for violating the terms of the covenant made with the exodus generation. The result was their being destroyed by the Assyrians and sent into captivity.
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 35.

Deuteronomy 4:41-49

     In the first part of this pericope, Moses legislates three cities east of Jordan to be reserved as places of refuge, to which a manslayer could flee for safety (Deut 4:41-43). In the second part of this pericope (Deut 4:44-49), it is revealed that Moses is the one who gave Israel the law (תּוֹרָה torah), which law was given at the time when Israel was poised to enter the land of Canaan, just east of the Jordan River. The main body of the Mosaic law is recorded in Deuteronomy chapters 5-26. Prior to this section, Moses had explained it was God’s love for His people that motivated Him to choose them for Himself (Deut 4:37-38), and if Israel would walk according to His commands, it would go well with them and they would enjoy long life in the Promised Land (Deut 4:39-40). The cities of refuge were evidence of God’s love and mercy, which allowed people who accidentally killed another person to find protection until their case could be heard (Num 35:9-12, 20-25; Deut 19:1-13). It could be Moses legislated these cities of refuge early in his sermon because it met a pressing need. We know from other passages that a manslayer could seek refuge until his case could be heard and judged properly (Num 35:9-12, 20-25; Deut 19:1-13). Additionally, guilt and punishment depended on two or more witnesses (Num 35:30; Deut 19:15), which would help prevent secondary victims from being unjustly persecuted by a close relative (גָּאַל gaal) who typically executed family justice. Daniel Block states, “This policy illustrates the need for all judicial systems to take into account the lives of potential secondary victims. Even as it grieves over accidental loss of life, a just society will guard against unwarranted violent responses to innocent acts.”[1]
     The text shifts in Deuteronomy 4:44-49, where a narrator—under divine inspiration—reveals Moses as Israel’s lawgiver. He writes, “Now this is the law which Moses set before the sons of Israel” (Deut 4:44). The word “law” is a translation of the Hebrew word תּוֹרָה torah, which commonly means law, instruction, or direction. The “law” refers to what follows in chapters 5-26. The Mosaic Law was operative until the death of Christ, at which time it was fulfilled by Christ (Matt 5:17-18), and rendered “obsolete” (Heb. 8:13; cf. John 1:17; Rom 10:4), having been replaced by the “law of Christ” which is now operational for the church (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2). Thomas Constable writes, “God gave the law to regulate the life of the Israelites religiously, governmentally, and domestically. This regulatory purpose is what ended with the death of Jesus Christ. The law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) has replaced the Old (Mosaic) Covenant by specifying new regulations for believers since Jesus Christ died.”[2] What Moses describes in Deuteronomy 4:45-49 is important, because it shows that what was revealed to Israel took place in time-space history. God had already revealed His love for Israel by choosing them as His special people, liberating them from Egyptian slavery, entering into a covenant with them at Mount Sinai, and providing all their needs as He directed them to the Promised Land. The blessings promised under the Mosaic Covenant were conditioned on obedience, and God now begins to provide clear expectation of His people so they understand their role in the relationship. Many of the laws presented in Deuteronomy had already been given in Exodus; so, it must be remembered that what Moses is providing in Deuteronomy is a restatement of many of those laws in sermon form, which includes exhortation to obedience. Jack Deere writes:
"Moses set before the people God’s instruction (tôrâh, the word rendered Law, means instruction) in how to walk with Him. If the Israelites were to prosper individually and nationally they had to obey the stipulations of the covenant expressed in the form of decrees and laws. These were originally given three months after the Israelites came out of Egypt (cf. Ex. 20:1–17; 21–23). Thus Deuteronomy is not a new covenant but the renewal of a covenant previously made. But it was repeated east of the Jordan River near Beth Peor."[3]
     In Deuteronomy, Moses is presented as a pastor teaching his flock what they need for a healthy relationship with the Lord and each other. Daniel Block writes, “As Moses had declared in 4:1 and will reiterate in 5:1 and 6:1, he stands before the people as a pastor-teacher, seeking to inspire his audience with a particular vision of God and to convince them to order their lives accordingly.”[4]
 
 
[1] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 152.
[2] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 4:44.
[3] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 272.
[4] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 152–153.

Judges 21:1-25

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Israel grieved over the depleted condition of Benjamin, but then acted with a human solution that harmed innocent persons.
     The eleven tribes of Israel had made a self-induced vow that none of their daughters should be given to the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 21:1, 5, 7, 18); subsequently, the eleven tribes grieved the near-destruction of Benjamin (Judg. 21:2, 6), and sought to resolve the problem of how to restore them.  Though they offered sacrifice to God (Judg. 21:3-4), they did not consult Him concerning Benjamin’s restoration (Judg. 21:5-7).  The human solution was to attack Israelites from Jabesh-gilead—who had not participated in the battle—and to destroy all its inhabitants (men, women, and children), and then take the remaining 400 virgin girls and give them as wives to the Benjamites (Judg. 21:8-12), thus reconciling and restoring the tribe (Judg. 21:13-15).  The elders of Israel then considered how to provide wives for the remaining 200 Benjamites who had not been given a wife, while not violating their self-induced vow that they should not give them wives from their children (Judg. 21:16-18).  The human solution was that the Benjamites should kidnap wives for themselves during the time of the annual feast at Shiloh (Judg. 21:19-22), and so they did (Judg. 21:23-24).  The conclusion to the account, as well as the book as a whole, is that “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 21:25). 
     Sin will always rise—personally and nationally—when God’s word is ignored and His will disobeyed.  The divine solution is always to fear God (Prov. 1:7; 8:13), and this means learning His word and obeying it (Ps. 34:11-14; 119:9-11).  To fear God also means seeking God’s will in every aspect of our lives and not compartmentalizing (Prov. 3:5-7).  The life of faith is often challenging, but the good choices bring stability and blessing. 

Judges 20:1-48

     The Central Idea of the Text is that eleven tribes of Israel go to war against the tribe of Benjamin in order to exact justice for the Levite’s concubine who was raped and murdered in Gibeah.
     The tribes of Israel—minus Benjamin—gathered to hear the Levite’s account of the rape and killing of his concubine (Judg. 20:1-7), and then decided to take action (Judg. 20:8-11), giving Benjamin the opportunity  give up the offenders, which they refused to do (Judg. 20:12-13).  The result was civil war between eleven tribes of Israel and the Benjamites.  Three times God directed the eleven tribes to fight against Benjamin (Judg. 20:18, 23, 26-28); however, He permitted the Israelites to taste defeat on the first two occasions (40,000 men died), perhaps to discipline them for their pride—because they had excluded God from their lives for many years—and to prompt them to look to Him alone for victory.  Each defeat led the tribes to seek God more humbly and earnestly, to know His will and to have His blessing.  God finally defeated Benjamin for the wickedness of the men they were defending (Judg. 20:35).  25,100 Benjamites were killed (Judg. 20:35), and their city was destroyed (Judg. 20:48).  600 Benjamites survived the battle and hid themselves in the wilderness of Rimmon (Judg. 20:47).
     Sometimes God lets us experience defeat in order to break down our pride and to condition us to look to Him in all things and to cast ourselves upon His sustaining grace (Ps. 55:22; 2 Cor. 12:7-10).  Whatever the defeat, we must look to the Lord (Prov. 3:5-6) and accept that He is in sovereign control (Ps. 135:6; Dan. 4:35) and that He is working all things for our benefit (Rom. 8:28; cf. Gen. 50:20).

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

     In this pericope it is revealed that Yahweh is unique in all history, having been motivated by love, He chose to deliver His enslaved people from Egyptian bondage and bring them to the Promised Land, and Israel was to take it to heart and obey His commands so it would go well with them. The pericope is presented as a history lesson (Deut 4:32-34), followed by a theological lesson (Deut 4:35), then another history lesson (Deut 4:36-38), a second theological lesson (Deut 4:39), concluding with a practical lesson (Deut 4:40).[1] Moses calls his audience to think back on their history “concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?” (Deut 4:32). Moses asks them to consider several things. First, “Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived?” (Deut 4:33). The answer, after consideration, was a resounding “no.” The second question was, “Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?” (Deut 4:34). Again, the clear answer was “no.” In fact, a study of pagan deities shows they operated out of self-interest, attacking other nations merely to expand their territory, not for the interest of their worshippers. But Yahweh is different. He is the only true God; there are no others (see Isa 45:5-6). And, He invaded Egypt, the superpower of the day, demanding His people be set free from their slavery to worship Him, and humbling Egypt when Pharaoh refused, and bringing Israel out to Himself to be a special people. Moses provides a theological lesson from these facts, saying, “To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, He is God; there is no other besides Him” (Deut 4:35). What Israel was “shown” was to lead them to what “they might know”, namely, the Lord is God is unique, with no other like Him (sui generis). God’s acts were self-revelatory, for the purpose of making Himself known to a specific group of people, Israel, that they “might know” His special uniqueness in all history, and especially toward them as His chosen people. Moses provides a second history lesson, saying, “Out of the heavens He let you hear His voice to discipline you; and on earth He let you see His great fire, and you heard His words from the midst of the fire” (Deut 4:36). The phrase, “out of the heavens”, means God condescended to the earth to let His people “hear His voice” and to “see His great fire” at Mount Sinai. The “discipline" mentioned here is not punitive, but didactic for training purposes, that they might know and obey Him. And what was God’s motivation for His deliverance and self-disclosure? Moses states, “Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power, driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in and to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today” (Deut 4:37-38). Love and choice belong together. “In this brief motive clause occur two of the most covenantally significant words in the Old Testament, ‘love’ and ‘choose.’ As technical terms they are virtually synonymous as a great many scholars have put beyond doubt. In other words, ‘to love’ is to choose, and ‘to choose” is to love.’[2] God’s love (אָהֵב aheb) is an important theological motif that runs throughout Deuteronomy (See Deut 7:7-8, 13; 10:15, 18; 23:5). Although love has a wide semantic range in the Old Testament, “in Deuteronomy ‘love’ denotes ‘covenant commitment demonstrated in actions that serve the interests of the other person.’ This statement is revolutionary, since the notion of love is virtually absent from the vocabulary of divine-human relationships in the ancient orient.”[3] The idea of commitment-love carries into the New Testament where Jesus tells His disciples, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Love for Jesus means we are committed to Him above all else, and this commitment is manifest in a life of obedience to Him and service to others. Biblical love is not an emotion; rather, it’s a choice to commit ourselves to another person, a choice to seek God’s best in their lives. Love is manifest by prayer, sharing the Gospel with the lost, sharing biblical truth to edify believers, open handed giving to the needy, and supporting Christian ministries that do God’s work, just to name a few. From God’s past acts of self-revelation and deliverance, Israel was to “Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the LORD, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other” (Deut 4:39). Here, for the second time, Moses drives the point that God is unique, in a class all by Himself (sui generis), for there are no other gods that exist. And what was Israel to do with this knowledge? They were to take it to heart and live as God intended. Moses draws a practical lesson, saying, “So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today” (Deut 4:40a). Here is the often-repeated pattern throughout Scripture that knowledge precedes application. We cannot live what we do not know, for learning His Word necessarily precedes living in His will. And what’s the benefit? Moses tells Israel, “that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time” (Deut 4:40b). Not only would God bless His people for their obedience, but would also bless their children. Godliness results in benefits, both to the person who walks with the Lord, and to those connected to her/him.
"Moses appeals to his people to obey the will of Yahweh for their own good and for the good of their descendants. If they will keep alive the memory of Yahweh’s gracious actions, if their theology remains pure, and if their response is right, God’s mission for them will be fulfilled. The land has indeed been promised them as an eternal possession, but enjoyment of the promise is conditional. Each generation must commit itself anew to being the people of God in God’s land for God’s glory."[4]
     Israel was blessed by God’s loving choice of them as a special people; which love was manifest in His great acts of deliverance in their past. Such a record of God’s greatness was intended to help motivate them to obedience. “The best way to motivate people to obey God is to expound His character and conduct, as Moses did here. Note too that Moses appealed to the self-interest of the Israelites: ‘. . . that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land . . .’ (v. 40; cf. 5:16; 6:3, 18; 12:25, 28; 19:13; 22:7; Prov. 3:1–2, 16; 10:27).”[5]
     As the Church, there is similarity between God’s deliverance of Israel and us. Like Israel, we were once enslaved in a kingdom, the kingdom of darkness over which Satan rules (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; 1 John 5:19), and we were helpless to liberate ourselves (Rom 5:6). But God reached into Satan’s kingdom and disrupted his domain, calling out a people for Himself from among those who were enslaved, and this disruption occurred at the cross, where having “disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him [Christ]” (Col 2:15). Our freedom came when we responded positively to the message of the cross, believing “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4). The result was God “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col 1:13-14). Our deliverance is complete, “For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7), and we have been redeemed by the precious “blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:19). And now we are “children of God” (John 1:12), brothers and sisters to the King of kings and Lord of lords, and as such, we are encouraged “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” (Eph 4:1). And we look forward to future rewards for our life of faithfulness, knowing we do our work “for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Col 3:23-24).
 
[1] This observation is taken from Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 142.
[2] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 132.
[3] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 144.
[4] Ibid., 144.
[5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 4:32.

Deuteronomy 4:25-31

     In this pericope Moses warns Israel they will experience exile-punishment if they turn away from the Lord and pursue idols (Deut 4:25-28), but also restoration and blessing if they humble themselves afterward and return to the Lord in obedience (Deut 4:29-31). Moses knows it’s possible for God’s people to be seduced by the culture around them and to turn away from the Lord and serve idols for selfish reasons. He anticipates a time when they will be in the land long enough to have children and grandchildren (Deut 4:25a), and realizes the possibility they will “act corruptly, and make an idol in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD your God so as to provoke Him to anger” (Deut 4:25b). The word evil (רָע ra) has the definite article (הָרַע ha-ra) and refers to a specific kind of evil, the worst kind of evil, namely, idolatry. “That this idiom commonly occurs with the article (“the evil”) suggests a particular kind of evil; violating the Supreme Command (“You shall have no other gods before me,” 5:7) by manufacturing competing images of worship, which “provoke” Yahweh’s ire.”[1] Moses warns his people that if they commit this most egregious sin, God will summon them before His heavenly court and call the whole creation to witness against them (Deut 4:26a), specifying the judgment, saying, “you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed” (Deut 4:26b). As the supreme Judge of all the earth (Gen 18:25), God will execute His punishment, and “will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD drives you” (Deut 4:27). The punishment will consist of giving them what they want, saying, “there you will serve gods, the work of man's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell” (Deut 4:28).
"In our text idolatry involves reverential acts of homage and submission to objects other than God—objects made either by human hands or by God’s own hands. While modern Westerners tend not to create concrete objects to be worshiped, we are constantly crafting new substitutes for God. Indeed an idol may be defined as anything (whether concrete or abstract) that rivals God—anything to which we submit and which we serve in place of God himself. The stuff of idols is not necessarily bad. The sun, moon, and stars are good; they govern the universe. Wood and stones are good and useful for limitless projects and tasks. But when we pervert their function and treat them as ultimate things on which our well-being and destiny depend, they rival God—and that makes them an idol… Idols are not necessarily physical. Many have identified money, sex, and power as pervasive idols in our day. However, the same may be true of our spouses, our children, our hobbies, our books. If we are unwilling to give them up for the sake of the kingdom, they have become idols and God is robbed of the exclusive worship he deserves."[2]
     Sadly, Moses knew God’s people would do this (Deut 31:29), and by their own choice, bring upon themselves God’s judgment. As centuries passed and Israel repeatedly turned away from God and worshipped idols and engaged in all forms of corruption (even child sacrifice), the Lord eventually removed them from the land and sent them into captivity. First, the ten northern tribes of Israel were destroyed in 722 BC by the Assyrians, then the two southern tribes of Judah were taken into captivity in 586 BC by the Babylonians. But God, who righteously judges His arrogant people, will also be merciful to them if/when they humble themselves and return to Him in obedience. Moses said, “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul. When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice” (Deut 4:29-30). If Israelites were to find themselves living in captivity in a pagan land and humble themselves and return to the Lord, seeking Yahweh alone, He promises they would be restored to the place of blessing. The reason for God’s promise of restored blessing was twofold. First, because “the LORD your God is a compassionate God” Deut 4:31a). Compassion is a chief characteristic of the Lord, as revealed in Scripture (Ex 34:6; 2 Ch 30:9; Neh 9:17, 31; Psa 78:38; 103:8; 111:4; 116:5; Joel 2:13; Jon 4:2). Second, “He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them” (Deut 4:31). The Lord has integrity and will keep His covenant promises to bless His people if they abide by the terms of the contract-relationship. The phrase, “the covenant with your fathers,” refers to the bilateral covenant made with the exodus generation (Lev 26:44-46), not the unilateral covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Gen 17:7-8). This understanding is reinforced by the language of the chapter, specifically when Moses mentions Israel entering into covenant with God at Mount Horeb/Sinai (see Deut 4:10-13; cf. Jer 34:13). “When God established His covenant with Israel at Mount Sinai, Moses and the Jewish elders ate before God on the mountain (Ex. 24:11). The terms of the covenant were simple: if Israel obeyed God’s laws, He would bless them; it they disobeyed, He would chasten them.”[3]
     A unilateral covenant is an unconditional contract in which one party promises to do something for another without any stipulations. A bilateral covenant is a conditional contract in which one party promises to bless or curse based on obedience or disobedience to specific commands. With the bilateral covenant, blessings and cursings were built into it, so the Israelites would know with certainty what to expect from God depending on how they treated their relationship with Him. This does not mean the Israelites could manipulate God to do their bidding; rather, it simply meant He was predictable and would do what He promised. A healthy relationship relies on predictable behavior.
 
[1] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 132.
[2] Ibid., 139–140.
[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 33.

Judges 19:1-30 Part 2

     The Central Idea of the Text is that a Levite—in order to save himself—sacrificed his concubine to worthless men who gang raped and killed her.
     A Levite left Ephraim to persuade his runaway concubine to return home (Judg. 19:1-3).  His father-in-law was glad to see him and entertained him for three days (Judg. 19:4-7).  The Levite eventually left and traveled homeward with his wife, servant, and two donkeys (Judg. 19:8-10).  They could have stayed in Jebus, but traveled on to Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 19:11-14).  The only display of hospitality in Gibeah was by an old man who brought them into his home and cared for them (Judg. 19:15-21).  Like the story of Sodom, several wicked men came searching for the visitor to sexually assault him, and the old man sought to protect his visitor (Judg. 19:22-23).  However, the old man was willing to throw his daughter and the concubine out to the attackers to save himself and the Levite (Judg. 19:24; cf. Gen. 19:4-8).  The wicked men refused, so the cowardly Levite forced his wife out of the house and into their hands to be raped and abused all night (Judg. 19:25-26).  The next morning the callous Levite gathered his concubine’s body and took her home, then cut her into twelve pieces and sent a portion to the twelve tribes of Israel (Judg. 19:27-29).  “Clearly he did not really love this woman or he would have defended her and even offered himself in her place. His actions speak volumes about his views of women, himself, and God’s will.”[1]  The final verse is a question posed by the Israelites concerning how they would respond to this evil act (Judg. 19:30).
     A husband’s love is to be based on the character of God.  For the Christian, he is to love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her (Eph. 5:23-29).  The husband is to provide for his wife physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  He is to protect her at all costs, even with his own life if necessary.  The husband is to build his wife up in the Lord, seeking her best at all times.  He is to make his wife feel safe so that she can love him without fear (1 John 4:18).  These values and actions do not guarantee the wife will respond positively.  However, there can be no healthy marital relationship if the husband is not leading with these values and actions. 
 
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible, Jdg 19:22.

Judges 19:1-30 Part 1

     The Central Idea of the Text is that a Levite—in order to save himself—sacrificed his concubine to worthless men who gang raped and killed her.
     A Levite left Ephraim to persuade his runaway concubine to return home (Judg. 19:1-3).  His father-in-law was glad to see him and entertained him for three days (Judg. 19:4-7).  The Levite eventually left and traveled homeward with his wife, servant, and two donkeys (Judg. 19:8-10).  They could have stayed in Jebus, but traveled on to Gibeah in the tribe of Benjamin (Judg. 19:11-14).  The only display of hospitality in Gibeah was by an old man who brought them into his home and cared for them (Judg. 19:15-21).  Like the story of Sodom, several wicked men came searching for the visitor to sexually assault him, and the old man sought to protect his visitor (Judg. 19:22-23).  However, the old man was willing to throw his daughter and the concubine out to the attackers to save himself and the Levite (Judg. 19:24; cf. Gen. 19:4-8).  The wicked men refused, so the cowardly Levite forced his wife out of the house and into their hands to be raped and abused all night (Judg. 19:25-26).  The next morning the callous Levite gathered his concubine’s body and took her home, then cut her into twelve pieces and sent a portion to the twelve tribes of Israel (Judg. 19:27-29).  “Clearly he did not really love this woman or he would have defended her and even offered himself in her place. His actions speak volumes about his views of women, himself, and God’s will.”[1]  The final verse is a question posed by the Israelites concerning how they would respond to this evil act (Judg. 19:30).
     A husband’s love is to be based on the character of God.  For the Christian, he is to love his wife as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her (Eph. 5:23-29).  The husband is to provide for his wife physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  He is to protect her at all costs, even with his own life if necessary.  The husband is to build his wife up in the Lord, seeking her best at all times.  He is to make his wife feel safe so that she can love him without fear (1 John 4:18).  These values and actions do not guarantee the wife will respond positively.  However, there can be no healthy marital relationship if the husband is not leading with these values and actions. 
 
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible, Jdg 19:22.

Judges 18:1-31 Part 2

     The Central Idea of the Text is that the tribe of Dan desired land beyond what God had allotted to them, and by force stole Micah’s idols and priest, and violently attacked the people of Laish and renamed their city Dan. 
     The tribe of Dan sent five spies to search for new territory (Judg. 18:1-2) beyond the choice land allotted to them (Josh. 19:40-48) because they had failed to drive out the Amorites who lived there (Judg. 1:34).  The spies encountered Micah’s Levite-priest and asked for divine guidance and received a false blessing (Judg. 18:3-6).  The five men came to the peaceful town of Laish and saw they were ungoverned and unprotected (Judg. 8:7).  After returning home they informed their brethren about their findings and counseled them to attack the city and take possession of the land (Judg. 18:8-12).  Six hundred Danites marched toward Laish, stopping at Micah’s house along the way and stealing his idols (Judg. 18:13-18), and convincing his priest to serve the tribe of Dan (Judg. 18:19-21).  Micah pursued them in protest, but abandoned his efforts when they threatened his life (Judg. 18:22-26).  The six hundred Danite warriors killed the people of Laish and renamed the city Dan (Judg. 18:27-29).  The Danites then set up Micah’s idol and appointed Jonathan as their priest; and so the Danites continued in idolatry until the time of their captivity (Judg. 18:30-31).
     Moses had led Israel into a covenant relationship with God which included promised blessing for obedience.  However, Moses’ grandson—Jonathan—led many away from God and into empty idolatry.  Idolatry is the sin of substitution in which we devote ourselves to something or someone in place of God.  Biblically, there is only one God, and He demands that His people worship Him (Ex. 20:3-4).  The exclusive worship of God is for His glory and our benefit.  A physical idol is merely the work of a craftsman (see Isa. 44:9-20).  There is no life in it (Ps. 115:1-8; Jer. 51:17; Hab. 2:18-20), nor can it deliver in times of trouble (Isa. 46:5-7).  From the human perspective, ancient people did not necessarily see the idol as the god itself, but rather as a representation of the god who might reside in, or become attached to the idol.  Micah’s gods were vulnerable to attack and could not protect him (Judg. 18:17-26); later, those same gods would fail the Danites (Judg. 18:30).  From the divine perspective, the worship of idols is the worship of demons (Deut. 32:17), and Israelites who led others into idolatry were to be stoned because they promoted spiritual rebellion among God’s people (Deut. 13:6-11).  “The Danites were the first tribe to establish idolatry publicly in Israel. Perhaps this is why their tribe does not appear in the list of 12 tribes that will each produce 12,000 godly Israelite witnesses during the tribulation period (Rev. 7:5–8).”[1]
 
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Jdg 18:27.

Judges 18:1-31 Part 1

     The Central Idea of the Text is that the tribe of Dan desired land beyond what God had allotted to them, and by force stole Micah’s idols and priest, and violently attacked the people of Laish and renamed their city Dan. 
     The tribe of Dan sent five spies to search for new territory (Judg. 18:1-2) beyond the choice land allotted to them (Josh. 19:40-48) because they had failed to drive out the Amorites who lived there (Judg. 1:34).  The spies encountered Micah’s Levite-priest and asked for divine guidance and received a false blessing (Judg. 18:3-6).  The five men came to the peaceful town of Laish and saw they were ungoverned and unprotected (Judg. 8:7).  After returning home they informed their brethren about their findings and counseled them to attack the city and take possession of the land (Judg. 18:8-12).  Six hundred Danites marched toward Laish, stopping at Micah’s house along the way and stealing his idols (Judg. 18:13-18), and convincing his priest to serve the tribe of Dan (Judg. 18:19-21).  Micah pursued them in protest, but abandoned his efforts when they threatened his life (Judg. 18:22-26).  The six hundred Danite warriors killed the people of Laish and renamed the city Dan (Judg. 18:27-29).  The Danites then set up Micah’s idol and appointed Jonathan as their priest; and so the Danites continued in idolatry until the time of their captivity (Judg. 18:30-31).
     Moses had led Israel into a covenant relationship with God which included promised blessing for obedience.  However, Moses’ grandson—Jonathan—led many away from God and into empty idolatry.  Idolatry is the sin of substitution in which we devote ourselves to something or someone in place of God.  Biblically, there is only one God, and He demands that His people worship Him (Ex. 20:3-4).  The exclusive worship of God is for His glory and our benefit.  A physical idol is merely the work of a craftsman (see Isa. 44:9-20).  There is no life in it (Ps. 115:1-8; Jer. 51:17; Hab. 2:18-20), nor can it deliver in times of trouble (Isa. 46:5-7).  From the human perspective, ancient people did not necessarily see the idol as the god itself, but rather as a representation of the god who might reside in, or become attached to the idol.  Micah’s gods were vulnerable to attack and could not protect him (Judg. 18:17-26); later, those same gods would fail the Danites (Judg. 18:30).  From the divine perspective, the worship of idols is the worship of demons (Deut. 32:17), and Israelites who led others into idolatry were to be stoned because they promoted spiritual rebellion among God’s people (Deut. 13:6-11).  “The Danites were the first tribe to establish idolatry publicly in Israel. Perhaps this is why their tribe does not appear in the list of 12 tribes that will each produce 12,000 godly Israelite witnesses during the tribulation period (Rev. 7:5–8).”[1]
 
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Jdg 18:27.

Judges 17:1-13

     The Central Idea of the Text is that an Israelite named Micah engaged in religious syncretism by blending the worship of Yahweh with the religious cultic practices of the Canaanites. 
     Micah is introduced as a son who stole a great amount of wealth from his mother.  He returned the wealth fearing the curse she’d uttered on the thief, and was subsequently blessed in the name of Yahweh (Judg. 17:1-2).  Micah’s mother then—in the name of Yahweh—used some of the silver to create a molten image and graven image, which she gave to her son (Judg. 17:3-4).  Micah took the images from his mother and put them in his shrine and made an ephod (perhaps to worship; see Judg. 8:24-27) and more household idols and then ordained his son to be the family priest (Judg. 17:5).  Micah’s house was a type of Israel in his day, in which “every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg. 17:6), and all of this was contrary to God’s commands (Exodus 20:4-5; Deut. 27:15).  Micah then welcomed a wandering Levite (Judg. 17:7-10), whom he consecrated to serve as his family priest (Judg. 17:11-12).  This was contrary to Scripture, for only descendants of Aaron could serve as priests, whereas Levites were to serve as priestly assistants (Num. 8:19; 18:1-7).  Micah falsely believed he would have God’s blessing by having a Levitical priest as the leader of his new religion (Judg. 17:13).  This would later prove untrue (see Judg. 18). 
     Religious syncretism is the blending of the doctrines and practices of two or more religions in order to come up with something new.  In Judges 17 we have the record of a man named Micah who blended the idolatrous practices of the Canaanites with the worship of Yahweh and the end result was a monstrous self-serving religion that promoted spiritual anarchy among God’s people (see Judg. 18).  Under the Mosaic Covenant, the priests and Levites were to instruct and guide God’s people to walk with and serve Him at the tabernacle/temple (Lev. 10:8-11; Deut. 17:9-10; 33:8-10; 2 Chron. 17:7-9; 35:3; Mal. 2:1-7).  Under the New Covenant, pastors & teachers are to instruct and guide Christians to spiritual maturity (Eph. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 3:16-17), that believers may walk with and serve God in the home (Eph. 5:22-6:9), the local church (Gal. 6:10; Heb. 10:23-25), and to behave godly toward outsiders (Col. 4:5-6; 1 Thess. 4:9-12).  God’s revelation in the Bible makes it clear that there is no room for religious syncretism (Exodus 20:4-5; Deut. 27:15; Matt. 7:13-14; John 14:6; Acts 4:12).  There will always be false teachers among God’s people, and only those who know and live God’s Word will find protection against their false teachings and practices (Deut. 13:1-4; 18:18-22; Acts 20:28-30; 2 Pet. 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Rev. 2:2).

Matthew 2:1-11 - The Visit of the Magi

     Matthew 2:1-11 reveals the appearance of the Magi, godly Gentiles from the east, who came to worship Jesus as the newborn King of the Jews. This chapter opens with the report concerning Magi who arrived in Jerusalem from the east and were asking for directions to find “He who has been born King of the Jews” (Matt 2:1-2). Herod was not the rightful king, but had been appointed ruler over Judea by the Romans. The Magi were first mentioned in the OT book of Daniel and were called “magicians” (Dan 2:2, 4-5, 10). They were most likely astronomers, but some practiced astrology. It appears throughout history they were a mixed group, with some being believers and some unbelievers. The Magi mentioned by Matthew had traveled a long distance to meet the newborn King of Israel and to give Him gifts and worship Him. Concerning the identity of the Magi, Thomas Constable states:
"It is not easy to identify the Magi (from the Gr. magoi) precisely. The Greek word from which we get “magi” comes from a Persian word that means experts regarding the stars. Centuries before Christ’s time they were a priestly caste of Medes who could interpret dreams (cf. Dan 1:20; 2:2; 4:7; 5:7). Later the term broadened to include men interested in dreams, magic, astrology, and the future. Some of these were honest inquirers after the truth, but others were charlatans (cf. Acts 8:9; 13:6, 8). The Magi who came to Jerusalem came from the East. Probably they came from Babylon that had been for centuries a center for the study of the stars."[1]
     Matthew records no specific number of Magi, and it’s possible there were many, maybe a hundred or more. It is common to mention three Magi mainly because of the three gifts that were given to Jesus at His birth (Matt 2:11). Scripture is silent about the names of the Magi or any noble offices they might have held. By the end of the 6th century AD, some in the church had assigned kingly offices to at least three of the Magi and given them the three names: Melchior, Balthasar, and Gasper.[2] When Herod heard the news about the birth of the King of the Jews, he and all Jerusalem were troubled (Matt 2:3).
"These tidings, when reported to King Herod, troubled him, for he knew all too well the Jewish aspiration of throwing off the Roman yoke and his own rule over them. Herod was an Edomite, a people hated by the Jews, and there was always the possibility that Jewish hope, aroused by the arrival of a supposed Messiah, could inflame them to rise up against him. The tidings of the Magi are reported by Matthew as troubling Herod and all Jerusalem with him."[3]
     Herod called the chief priests and scribes to ask where Messiah would be born (Matt 2:4), and learned it was Bethlehem (Matt 2:5), according to the prophecy given in Micah (Matt 2:6; Mic 5:2). Having the location of the birth of Messiah, Herod tried to ascertain the age of the child, so he secretly called the Magi to determine when they saw the star (Matt 2:7). Herod sent the Magi out to find the child, asking them to return afterwards, with the false report that he too wanted to worship the newborn king (Matt 2:8). The Magi, not knowing Herod’s evil intent, innocently went on their way, being guided supernaturally by the star which they’d seen in the east, which “went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was” (Matt 2:9). The Magi rejoiced when they saw star at its final destination (Matt 2:10). Entering the house, the Magi fell to the ground and worshipped Jesus (Matt 2:11a), “Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matt 2:11b). These were treasures worthy of a king. It is noteworthy that by the time the Magi arrived to visit Jesus, Mary and Joseph were living in a “house” (Grk οἰκία oikia – house, permanent dwelling) and Jesus was called a “Child” (Grk παιδίον paidion – young child), and was no longer a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes (Matt 2:11). According to the Gospel of Luke, it was perhaps a year earlier that the Jewish shepherds came and expressed joy at the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8-20). The Magi recognized Jesus with gifts that honored Him as King and gave the worship that is due Him.
"These were gifts worthy of a king and this act by Gentile leaders pictures the wealth of the nations which will someday be completely given to the Messiah (Isa 60:5, 11; 61:6; 66:20). Some believe the gifts had further significance by reflecting on the character of this Child’s life. Gold might represent His deity or purity, incense the fragrance of His life, and myrrh His sacrifice and death (myrrh was used for embalming). These gifts were obviously the means by which Joseph took his family to Egypt and sustained them there until Herod died."[4]
     Like the Magi, we can offer Jesus the worship that is due to Him. After all, He is “the King of kings and Lord of lords” (1 Tim 6:15; Rev 19:16). As Christians, it helps to see the birth of Jesus within the larger theological context of Scripture, which reveals His righteous life, compassion for the lost, substitutionary death on the cross, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Christmas is significant for at least three reasons:
Christmas represents the gift of God to a fallen world. Nearly 2,000 years ago, God the Son added true humanity to Himself (hypostatic union; John 1:1, 14), was supernaturally conceived in the virgin Mary (parthenogenesis; see Luke 1:26-38), the mother of His humanity (christotokos – bearer of Christ), and was born a Son of Abraham, in the line David (Matt. 1:1). As the God-Man, Jesus lived a sinless and righteous life before God and man (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5).
Christmas represents love and sacrifice. On April 3, AD 33, Jesus willingly laid down His life and died a substitutionary atoning death on a cross (Mark 10:45; John 3:16; 10:11, 17-18). He died a death He did not deserve, “the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). Jesus’ death forever satisfied every righteous demand God had toward our sin (Rom 3:24-25; Heb 10:10-14; 1 John 2:2; 4:10), and is the basis for forgiveness and reconciliation to God (Rom 5:1-2; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 1:7; Col 1:13-14; 20-22). God freely offers the gift of eternal life and the imputation of His righteousness (John 3:16; 10:28; Rom 5:17; Eph 2:8-9; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9; 1 Pet 3:18), to those who believe the gospel, “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Cor 15:3-4).
Christmas represents a future hope. After His crucifixion, Jesus was buried and resurrected bodily on the third day (Matt 20:18-19; Acts 10:39-41; 1 Cor 15:3-8), never to die again (Rom 6:9), ascending to heaven (Acts 1:9-10), with a promise of a physical return for His own (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Tit 2:13). Following His return, the King of kings and Lord of lords will reign in righteousness for a thousand years (Rev 19:11-16; 20:1-6), and afterward, will create a “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13; cf. Rev 21:1).
     As we think about the reasons for celebrating Christmas, let us also consider how to live a life that models the One we worship. Like Jesus, may we be willing to accept the Father’s will for us to go where He wants and do what He asks, no matter how difficult the task or great the price. And, may our hearts be motivated by love for others as we give sacrificially for their edification. Lastly, may we learn to keep our eyes on heaven and the future hope that is ours in Christ and not the cares of this world.
 
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Mt 2:1.
[2] D. A. Carson, “Matthew” In , in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Volume 8: Matthew, Mark, Luke, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1984), 85.
[3] John F. Walvoord, Thy Kingdom Come (Grand Rapids, Mich., Kregel Publications, 1974), 21-22.
[4]Louis A Barbieri, Jr., “Mathew”, in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 22.

Luke 2:1-20 - The Birth of the Savior

Manger images used in presentation
     Throughout the New Testament, at least five chapters mention the birth of Jesus,[1] whereas no less than sixty-six mention His death.[2] This shows the writers of New Testament Scripture, under the guidance of God the holy Spirit, placed an emphasis on Jesus’ crucifixion and death, which was an atoning sacrifice for our sins, for He “died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). However, the importance of Jesus’ birth cannot be understated, for it was His incarnation as the God-Man that made His perfect life and atoning sacrifice a possibility. Luke tells us about the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, and Matthew informs us about an attack on Jesus while He was a child.
"Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child." (Luke 2:1-5)
     Luke treats the birth of Jesus as occurring in time and space. That is, Jesus was born into a real world, with real people, living in real places, and engaging in real activities. The Bible treats the events and birth of Jesus as historical fact, not myth. God used the decree by Caesar Augustus (Luke 2:1-3) to bring the young couple to the city of Bethlehem in order to fulfill the prophecy given by Micah the prophet (Mic 5:2). This reveals that God was controlling the events of Jesus’ birth, and that none of this was happening by chance. Remember, prophecy is not God looking down the corridor of history and telling us what will come to pass; but rather, what He causes to happen because He is controlling the events of history to direct it to the place He desires. 
"Augustus Caesar was ruling, but God was in charge, for He used Caesar’s edict to move Mary and Joseph eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem to fulfill His Word…God had promised that the Savior would be a human, not an angel (Gen 3:15; Heb 2:16), and a Jew, not a Gentile (Gen 12:1–3; Num 24:17). He would be from the tribe of Judah (Gen 49:10), and the family of David (2 Sam 7:1–17), born of a virgin (Isa 7:14) in Bethlehem, the city of David (Mic 5:2)."[3]
     The question is raised as to why Mary was traveling with Joseph at a time when she was advanced in her pregnancy? Perhaps because she knew the baby would be born soon, and did not want to be away from her husband, or because she knew they were traveling to Bethlehem and she knew about the prophecy given in Micah that foretold the birthplace of the Messiah, or simply because she wanted to get away from the wagging tongues of those who knew she was pregnant while still claiming to be a virgin. Whatever her motivation, ultimately it was the hand of God that brought her Bethlehem, which in the Hebrew means “the house of bread” a fitting place for the One who referred to himself as the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35).
"While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:6-7)
     Mary gave birth to her “firstborn son,” implying there were others (Matt 12:46). The place of Jesus’ birth could not have been more lowly and humble; yet, it was like the holy of holies because Messiah was there. The Son of God, born of a virgin, lay that night in a manger. As a baby He was helpless, relying on His mother to feed and clothe Him, and yet as God He was holding the universe together by His power. Here was the God-Man, Jesus the Christ. Luke informs us Mary wrapped the baby in strips of cloth to keep Him warm and placed him in a manger. “Many scholars believe that our Lord was born in a cave where animals were sheltered and not in a wooden shed such as you see in modern manger scenes.”[4] The image of a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and placed in a feeding trough might well have symbolized the death and burial of Jesus. 
"In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”  And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.” (Luke 2:8-14)
     The shepherds were low on the social order of Jewish life and would have been rejected by those who were higher in society. Yet, it was these lowly shepherds that God called to witness the coming of the Savior into a world of darkness. It is no small thing to note that God did not call kings, nobles, priests, or mighty men, but rather the shepherds in the fields surrounding Bethlehem, who spent their days caring for the animals used in the sacrificial worship of Israel, which lambs symbolized Messiah Himself. The shepherds who watched over the sacrificial lambs night after night would soon gaze upon the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Today God is still calling those who are insignificant by worldly standards (1 Cor 1:26-29).
"The shepherds were afraid at the first sight of the angels (Luke 2:8-9); however, their fear abated when the angel said, “"Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). The shepherds were given the sign that they would “find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12). With this news, there suddenly appeared “a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’” (Luke 2:13-14).
     When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.” So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. (Luke 2:15-20)
     Today people rush around seeking gifts to give each other, whereas the shepherds rushed to find the gift of God lying in a lowly manger. The shepherds accepted the message and by faith went to visit the baby Jesus. The shepherds had perhaps checked several animal stables before they found the one which housed the Messiah. Their motivation was to “see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known” (Luke 2:15). Without revelation from God, man can know nothing about God or His workings in history.
     Upon finding Jesus in the place where the angels had said He would be, the shepherds shared their experiences with Joseph and Mary, and then went back to their place of work praising God “for all that they had heard and seen” (Luke 2:20). The Holy Spirit tells us that Mary “treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). I suspect she went her entire life thinking about the night she gave birth to the Savior, recalling the sounds and smells of the nearby animals, and hearing the report by the shepherds. 
     It is a wonderful thing that God sent His only Son into a world of darkness, born miraculously of a virgin, in the line of David, according to the promise of Abraham, in the prophesied place of Bethlehem, at the time of history when God chose. The birth of Messiah meant God was executing His plan to bring the perfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world so that sinners could have salvation and hope for a future. Praise be to God for His wonderful promises and provisions!
 
[1] Two in the Gospels (Matt 1:25; Luke 2:7), twice in the epistles (Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4), and once in Revelation (Rev 12:5).
[2] Twenty-four times in the Gospels (Matt 16:21; 17:9; 20:18-18; 24:6-7; 26:2; 27:1-2; 28:4-5; Mark 8:31; 9:9; 10:32-34; 14:27-28; 15:39; 16:6; Luke 18:31-33; 23:33; 24:20; John 2:22; 10:17-18; 12:32-33; 18:14; 19:18, 23, 33; 20:9; 21:14), nine times in Acts (Acts 2:23; 3:15; 4:2; 5:30; 10:41; 13:29-30; 17:2-3; 25:18-19; 26:23), thirty times in the epistles (Rom 1:4; 4:25; 5:6-10; 7:4; 8:11; 10:9; 14:9; 1 Cor 1:23; 2:2; 8:11; 11:26; 15:1-4; 2 Cor 4:10; 5:14-15; 13:4; Gal 1:1; 2:20-21; 3:1; 6:14; Eph 1:20; Phil 2:8; Col 2:12; 1 Th 1:10; 4:14; 5:10; 2 Tim 2:8; Heb 2:9; 13:20; 1 Pet 1:21; 3:18; 1 John 3:16), and three times in Revelation (Rev 1:18; 2:8; 11:8).
[3] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 175.
[4] Ibid., 175.

Judges 16:1-31

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Samson fell into sin that ultimately led to divine discipline—defeat by the Philistines, gouging out of his eyes, public humiliation, and death—but God used Samson one last time to attack the Philistines, and so God’s will was accomplished through His servant. 
     It’s not clear why Samson went to Gaza; but once there, he fell into sin and slept with a prostitute.  It was there that the Philistines tried to capture him; but Samson supernaturally tore the gates from the city wall and transported them to an adjacent hill, showing that neither guards nor gates could restrain him (Judg. 16:2-3).  Samson then fell in love with Delilah, but it was a selfish relationship for both of them, born out of lust.  Samson loved games and being promiscuous, and Delilah loved money.  Biblical love is consistent with God and is born out of a virtuous relationship with Him (reflecting His loyalty, goodness, and grace).  Samson was defeated by the woman he loved and was betrayed by her to his enemies.  His spiritual blindness and slavery to immorality preceded his physical blindness and slavery to the Philistines.  Though it was Samson’s failures that resulted in divine discipline (his loss of strength, eyesight, capture and humiliation), it was his turning back to God and crying out to Him that resulted in one final heroic act.  In the end, Samson wanted to die, and God enabled him to end his life while also giving him one last opportunity to serve as a judge and defeat Israel’s enemy.
     Samson is a complex character who simultaneously displays the characteristics of a righteous person (in judging Israel) as well as a sinner (pursuing fleshly desires).  However, God sovereignly worked through Samson’s strengths and weaknesses to accomplish His will.  Samson served the Lord and did His will (Heb. 11:32), but his poor choices of worldly companions and lifestyle (1 Cor. 15:33) led to divine discipline and eventual death (Heb. 12:5-11).  Throughout his life Samson appears to be a type of Israel in that he had a special calling from God (Judg. 13:7; Deut. 7:6-8), was blessed by God (Judg. 13:24; Deut. 2:7), had godly supervision (Judg. 14:3; Deut. 6:1-2), and was led by the Lord to defeat the enemy (Judg. 13:25; 14:6, 19; Deut. 20:3-4), yet he squandered his calling by following his sinful passions and turning away from God (Judg. 14:3; 16:1, 4; cf. Judg. 2:11; 3:12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1). 
     God uses us, even with all our imperfections and failings, and should we fail terribly and suffer divine discipline, there is still hope for ministry if we’ll humble ourselves and seek the Lord (Judg. 16:26-30; cf. Ps. 51:6-13).  Christian ministry is always hindered to the degree we choose to operate by fleshly desires and worldly values.  God is very gracious and tolerant, but does not leave unpunished those who repeatedly defy Him (Heb. 12:5-11).  Effective Christians are those who learn God’s Word (2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Pet. 2:2), live God’s will (Jam. 1:22), and advance to spiritual maturity (2 Tim. 3:16-17). 

Judges 15:1-20

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God continued to work through Samson to cause disruption between the Philistines and Israelites. 
     After the conflict with the Philistines during the wedding feast (Judg. 14:12-20), Samson returned to claim his wife, only to find her father had given her to another man (Judg. 15:1-2).  Samson was so outraged that he felt revenge was justified (Judg. 15:3), so he burned the crops of the Philistines (Judg. 15:4-5).  The Philistines then killed Samson’s wife and her father, perhaps because they were easier targets (Judg. 15:6).  Samson retaliated again and killed an untold number (Judg. 15:7-8).  The Philistines prepared for war and camped in Judah, and this caused great alarm among the Israelites (Judg. 15:9-10).  3000 Judahites came to Samson upset that he had caused disruption between them and the Philistines and sought to deliver him over to death (Judg. 15:11-13).  When the Philistines saw Samson bound, they shouted a victory cry over him, but the Spirit of the Lord empowered Samson, and with a fresh jawbone of a donkey he killed a thousand men (Judg. 15:14-16).  Afterward he named the battlefield Jawbone Hill (Judg. 15:17).  God then provided Samson with the natural resources he needed to restore his physical and mental health (Judg. 15:18-19).
     God had originally called the Israelites to take the land by force (Deut. 7:1-6), yet the Israelites in Samson’s day had disobeyed the Lord and turned to idols, so God was punishing them for forty years (Judg. 13:1).  The Lord brought about Samson’s birth to begin Israel’s deliverance (Judg. 13:5), but the task would later be completed by Samuel and David (1 Sam. 7:10-14; 2 Sam. 5:17-25).  The sinful state of the Israelites kept them from seeing Samson as God’s deliverer, and their spiritual darkness produced in them a misplaced anger at Samson for upsetting the Philistines.  They sided with the enemy rather than God’s judge, preferring wrong-slavery to freedom. 
     Christians should strive for peace with everyone (Rom. 12:18; 14:19; Heb. 12:14), but never when it means forfeiting God’s will (Dan. 3:16-18; 6:1-10; Acts 5:27-29; 1 Pet. 4:14-16).  The believer with spiritual integrity will stand with God, even when other believers choose friendship with the world.  Having spiritual integrity means being consistent with God; it means knowing and choosing His will above self-interest, and calling wayward believers to do the same.  We need Christians with integrity.

Deuteronomy 4:15-24

     The main point of this pericope is Moses’ warning to Israel to watch themselves carefully and stay committed to the Lord, lest, through idolatry, they forfeit God’s blessing and experience His judgment. Moses opens this section with a warning for Israel to be very careful to maintain their relationship with the Lord, reminding them, “you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire” (Deut 4:15). Israel’s experience at Mount Sinai was to be instructive, for they had not seen God, and were told not to make an image of anything they thought represented Him, for this would be a false representation and would diminish His attribute of transcendence. The Bible is very clear that “God is Spirit” and does not have physical form (John 4:24). To reduce God to an idol would be to think like the pagans around them, who sought to encapsulate their deities in the form of a physical image. The danger for Israel was that they would adopt the pagan mindset and “act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure” (Deut 4:16a), whether that of a person (Deut 4:16b), or “the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, [or] the likeness of any fish that is in the water below the earth.” (Deut 4:17-18). There was also a danger they would lift up their eyes “to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven” (Deut 4:19). These were activities prevalent in the culture of Egypt, from which they’d come, as well as activities of the culture of Canaan, to which they were going. Moses reminded them the Lord had taken them “out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today” (Deut 4:20). As a means of inculcation, Moses mentions God’s deliverance of Israel out of Egypt at least seventeen times in his messages to Israel (Deut 1:27; 4:20, 37; 5:6; 6:12, 21; 7:8; 8:14; 9:12; 9:26; 13:5, 10; 15:15; 16:1; 20:1; 26:8; 29:25). This was to reinforce their prior liberation from slavery, suffering, and idolatry. Moses’ desire was to entrench God’s past deliverance from Egypt into their consciousness and firmly establish their new identity as His special people, who bear a special responsibility before Him and others to live holy lives consistent with His character. Sadly, the first generation of Israelites kept wanting to return to Egypt, and future generations persisted in forgetting God’s deliverance and pursuing idols to worship. Sharing from his personal experience, Moses mentions for the third time his failure to obey the Lord and the consequences that followed, which included God’s refusal to let him enter the land (Deut 4:21-22; cf. Deut 1:37; 3:26-27).
"The inheritance could be obtained by faith plus obedience, but it could also be lost by disobedience. Even Moses was excluded from the land of Canaan (i.e., the inheritance) because of his disobedience (Deuteronomy 4:21-22). Clearly Moses will be in heaven, but he forfeited his earthly inheritance. Failure to enter Canaan did not necessarily equate with failure to have eternal life; if so, Canaan provides a poor type of heaven. Even though Israel had become God’s firstborn son (Exodus 4:22-23), the entire wilderness generation, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua, forfeited the inheritance due to the firstborn. God disinherited them, and they wandered in the wilderness for forty years, and most of them died there."[1]
     For a second time in this pericope, Moses cautions them, saying, “So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you” (Deut 4:23). The command for Israel to “watch yourselves” had to do with idolatry in both places (vs. 15 and 23), which Moses reveals is synonymous with forgetting the covenant. “This connection is almost self-evident, for the very essence of the covenant is the truth that there is only one God, the Lord, and the recognition and worship of any other is nothing other than high treason, covenant violation of the grossest kind (cf. Deut 6:4–5).”[2] Idolatry is a sin that degrades God by reducing Him to the form of a creature and brings His judgment upon those who practice it. The reason God judges is because He “is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deut 4:24), who does not share His glory with others (Deut 5:9; 32:16, 21; Isa 42:8; 48:11). “God’s jealousy is His zeal for righteousness that springs from His holiness. He would not tolerate Israel’s allegiance to any other god. The connotation of pettiness that is present in the English word ‘jealousy’ is totally absent from the Hebrew idea.”[3] Healthy jealousy seeks to protect what is properly loved, such as when a husband seeks to protect his wife from harm, or a mother to protect her children from what may injure them. God’s people can know His blessing and avoid His judgments if we live holy lives as He prescribes.
"We’re called to be a separated people who are not conformed to this world (2 Cor 6:14–7:1; Rom 12:1–2), and yet the trend today is for churches to pattern ministry after what the world is doing. The philosophy is that the church will attract more people if the lost feel more comfortable with the services. The tragedy is that the sanctuary becomes a theater and “ministry” becomes entertainment. But Scripture and church history make it clear that what Campbell Morgan said is true: “The church did the most for the world when the church was the least like the world.” Jesus didn’t compromise with the world and yet He attracted sinners and ministered effectively to them (Luke 15:1–2). Unless we are a separated people, devoted wholly to the Lord, we can never follow His example."[4]
 
[1] Joseph C. Dillow, Final Destiny: The Future Reign of the Servant Kings, 4th Edition (Houston, TX: Grace Theology Press, 2018).
[2] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 125.
[3] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 4:15.
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 32.

Deuteronomy 4:1-14

     The main point of this pericope is that Israel was to listen to God’s statutes and judgments, obey them, and teach them to their children and grandchildren so the covenant people could take possession of the land and live prosperous lives. This section marks a literary turning point from historical review to giving instruction for living, drawing from Israel’s historical failings up to this point. Moses now focuses of the statutes and judgments so that they would “live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you” (Deut 4:1b). Statutes likely refers to written laws, and judgments to case laws. Israel was not to modify these statues and judgments in any way (Deut 4:2). Moses recalled to their memory a recent event in which some of the second-generation Israelites had already been disobedient at Baal-peor and worshipped idols (Deut 4:3; cf. Num 25:1-9), and God judged them for their rebellion (Deut 4:4). In contrast, Israel was to learn and keep God’s statutes and judgements which God transmitted through Moses so the people would possess the land of Canaan and not forfeit it as their parents had done (Deut 4:5). Israel will show their wisdom and understanding when they keep and follow God’s laws, which others will see and acknowledge (Deut 4:6). Speaking rhetorically, Moses asks if any nation has a god who is as near to its people as Yahweh was to Israel, who answers when they call (Deut 4:7). Or if there was a nation with statutes and judgments as wise as those transmitted from Yahweh through Moses (Deut 4:8)? The implied answer is no! Moses then warns them, saying, “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life” (Deut 4:9a). Israel had an obligation in the relationship which was not to forget what they had seen and learned. The word forget translates the Hebrew verb שָׁכַח shakach, and is used by Moses to refer to the danger that one invites to oneself when God’s commands are ignored (Deut 8:11); a danger that is most likely to occur when His people become prosperous (Deut 8:12-14), and turn to idolatry (Deut 8:19). Not only was Israel to preserve and obey God’s commands, but they were to model and teach them to their children (Deut 4:9b). Though Israel’s priests had a special responsibility to teach God’s Word, the parents were called to teach it to their children (cf. Deut 6:6-7; 20-25; 11:19). Passing on God’s Word was very important, for Israel was always only one generation away from forfeiting God’s blessings if they failed to obey and transmit God’s Word to the next generation. Moses reminds his audience that they had personally witnessed God’s presence and heard His voice at Mount Sinai (Deut 4:10-11), and it was at that place where “He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone” (Deut 4:13). The Ten Commandments refer to the objective laws that reflect God’s moral character, and what He expected from His people if they were to walk with Him and know His blessings. Moses informed them, “The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it” (Deut 4:14). Success and blessing for Israel meant learning and living God’s Word. Of course, this assumes positive volition on the part of His people and the transmission of His laws from one generation to the next through the institution of the family.

Judges 14:1-20

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God used Samson’s fleshly desires as an occasion to provoke the Philistines. 
     Samson appears as one who desires to satisfy his flesh with women (Judg. 14:1-4; cf. 16:1, 4), food (vss. 14:8-9), games (vs. 14:12), and clothing (vs. 14:13).  He sought to marry an unbelieving Philistine woman (Judg. 14:3), and this was contrary to Scripture (Deut. 7:1-4; cf. 2 Cor. 6:14-16).  Samson was a strong-willed child who pushed to get his way, little did he know his new Philistine wife would prove pushy too (Judg. 14:16-17).  God used Samson’s strong will and sinful choices as an occasion to cause disruption between the Philistines and Israelites (Judg. 13:4-5; 14:6, 19).  Samson probably felt emboldened when the Spirit of God gave him superhuman strength to kill a lion that attacked him at a vineyard (Judg. 14:5-6).  It is possible Samson broke two parts of his Nazarite vow by touching a dead carcass and drinking wine (Judg. 14:8-10).  Scripture reveals it was the cutting his hair that caused the Spirit of the Lord to depart from him (Judg. 16:17-20; cf. 13:5).  At the wedding feast Samson gave a riddle and promised a payment of clothes to thirty of his wedding guests (Judg. 14:12-14).  When the guests could not answer the riddle, they threatened Samson’s wife and family (Judg. 14:15).  Rather than go to her new husband about the problem, she sought to handle it herself, believing the threat of her countrymen was greater than Samson’s ability to protect.  Samson’s wife wore him down through repeated weeping and accusations of hating her (Judg. 14:16-17).  Samson broke and gave her the answer to his riddle, which she then revealed to her people, who demanded payment (Judg. 14:18).  Samson—in anger—killed thirty Philistines in the city of Ashkelon in order to pay his debt (Judg. 14:19).  Samson lost his wife when he left Timnah and returned home to his family (Judg. 14:20). 
     God desires we walk with Him and obey His will (Prov. 3:5-6); however, His sovereign plans are never threatened or defeated by human failures, as He can providentially include sinful actions to accomplish His plans (see Acts 2:22-24; 4:27-28).  Human desires are not wrong, as long as we don’t become like beasts which live only by their desires (Ps. 32:8-9; 73:21-22).

Judges 13:1-25

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God revealed to Manoah and his wife that they would have a son who would help to begin the defeat the Philistines (Judg. 13:5).
     Manoah’s wife was barren and could not have children (like Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth).  God intervened to provide a son—Samson—that He would use to accomplish His will among His people.  Samson had a divine calling from birth (Judg. 13:2-25), as did Jeremiah (Jer. 1:5), John the Baptist (Luke 1:13-17), and the apostle Paul (Gal. 1:15-16).  Samson fought against the Philistines, who were later defeated by Samuel (1 Sam. 7:10-14), and David (2 Sam. 5:17-25).  Samson was a contemporary with Jephthah and Samuel.
     Samson was called to be a Nazarite from birth until death (Judg. 13:7).  The Nazarite vow was normally a voluntary consecration to God which required abstaining from wine, cutting one’s hair, and not touching a dead body (Num. 6:2-6).  Abstaining from wine would have cleared the mind for biblical thinking, leaving the hair uncut was a public declaration that one had taken the Nazarite vow, and not touching a corpse would have kept one ceremonially clean for worship. 
     Manoah requested to know his son’s future vocation, perhaps to prepare Samson for his future work (Judg. 13:12).  God refused Manoah’s request, but restated the original instruction concerning his wife’s diet during her time of pregnancy (Judg. 13:4, 7, 13-14).  Manoah and his wife both came to realize they’d had a personal encounter with God (Judg. 13:20-21); however, their responses were different.  Manoah responded with irrational fear, believing they would die (Judg. 13:22), but his wife corrected his thinking with a biblical-rational response in order to allay his fears (Judg. 13:23). 
     Though much of Samson’s life is marked by carnality, he also obeyed God, and this resulted in his being recorded among God’s faithful (Heb. 11:32).  We learn from Scripture that God often calls the weak to accomplish His will in the world (1 Cor. 1:26-29); however, a divine call does not guarantee spiritual success (Jam. 4:17), as each believer must choose to walk with God (Gal. 5:16-17), and to obey His will (Rom. 6:11-13).  Spiritual success depends on biblical obedience.

Deuteronomy 3:23-29

     In this pericope, Moses explains why he was not permitted to enter the land of Canaan (Deut 3:23-27), and how Joshua was selected by God as Israel’s new theocratic administrator (Deut 3:28-29). The military victories of Sihon and Og were objective measures of God’s working in and through His people as they advanced toward Canaan (Deut 2:16—3:22). Moses was undoubtedly excited to see God moving His people toward Canaan. Knowing that God is characteristically gracious and merciful (Ex 34:6; cf. Neh 9:17; Psa 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13; Jer 3:12-13), it is likely Moses thought there was some hope that God would change His mind about letting Moses enter the land. Moses revealed his prayer, saying, “I also pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, ‘O Lord GOD, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours?’” (Deut 3:23-24). Moses then asked God, “Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon” (Deut 3:25). But God’s answer was not what Moses wanted to hear, as he explains God’s answer, saying, “But the LORD was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the LORD said to me, ‘Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter’” (Deut 3:26). The reason God was angry with Moses was because he let Israel’s constant complaining upset him, and in his anger, he disobeyed the Lord’s command (see Num 20:1-13).
"God would not listen to Moses, that is, He would not grant his request. In fact the Hebrew sentence implies that Moses had kept on asking God for permission, and that God became “furious” (an intensive form of ‘āḇar) with him. This conversation reveals something of the intimacy of Moses’ relationship with God."[1]
"The lawgiver’s urgent appeal was to no avail, however, for the Lord was angry with Moses “because of” (lĕmaʿan; cf. 1:37) the people. He does not (and cannot) shirk responsibility for his intemperate smiting of the rock in the desert (Num 20:9–11), but he was insistent that what he did was motivated by their incessant complaining and by his desire to meet their demands for water. In sharp words of rebuke (“enough of this!”), the Lord forbade further discussion (v. 26). The matter was settled."[2]
     Though God could have granted Moses’ request and allowed him to enter the land, He chose not to, telling Moses not to ask again.[3] The Lord is free to be gracious to whomever He pleases, saying, “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion” (Ex 33:19). But God is also a righteous Judge, dispensing judgment according to omniscience, wisdom, and sovereignty. God then told Moses, “Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan” (Deut 3:27). Though the Lord refused Moses’ request to enter the land of Canaan, the Lord allowed him to taste some of Israel’s military conquest. He also allowed Moses to see the land from the top of Mount Pisgah, with the reassurance that his leadership efforts would not die with him. The Lord’s people would go forward.
     God then instructed Moses, saying, “But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see” (Deut 3:28). God had selected Joshua as Moses’ successor. As Israel’s new theocratic administrator, Joshua would need encouragement to do God’s will, and Moses would be the one to do it (cf. Deut 1:38; 31:1-8, 23). Moses concludes, saying, “So we remained in the valley opposite Beth-peor” (Deut 3:29). Though not what he wanted, Moses accepted God’s answer and remained near that place until his death (cf. Deut 4:22; 34:1-6). But Moses was not idle; rather, he preached messages to Israel, which provide the content of the book of Deuteronomy. With the closing of this first part of his address, Moses then exposited the laws he’d given to the first generation of Israelites. Warren Wiersbe comments: 
"All that Moses said in the first part of his farewell address prepared the way for his exposition and application of God’s law, for history and responsibility go together. God had done mighty things for the people, both in blessing them and in chastening them, and the people of Israel had a responsibility to love God and obey His Word. Throughout this address, Moses will frequently remind the Jews that they were a privileged people, the people of God, separated unto the Lord from all the nations of the earth. It’s when we forget our high calling that we descend into low living. The church today needs to catch up on the past and be reminded of all that the Lord has done for His people—and all that His people have done and not done in return for His blessings. If a new generation of believers is to march into the future in victory, they need to get back to their roots and learn again the basics of what it means to be the people of God."[4]
 
[1] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 268.
[2] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 111–112.
[3] On another occasion, God instructed Jeremiah not to pray (Jer 7:16; 11:14; 14:11).
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 24.

Deuteronomy 3:1-22

     In this pericope, Moses recounts the historical defeat of Og (Deut 3:1-3), reveals the territory obtained by their victory (Deut 3:4-11), and explains how the land east of the Jordan was allotted to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh (Deut 3:12-22). As Moses and the Israelites advanced northward, they were met by Og, king of Bashan and his people who came out against them for war (Deut 3:1). This was a display of hostility toward God and His people. But the Lord instructed Moses to look to Him and to reflect on His past faithfulness in which He had delivered them in a similar situation, when He defeated Sihon, king of the Amorites (Deut 3:2). By looking to God and reflecting on His past deliverances, Moses’ faith was strengthened and he could move forward in confidence rather than fear. Confidence is not necessarily the absence of fear, but the overcoming of fear to do God’s will. As Moses and Israel went forward, God delivered Og and his people into their hand and all their cities were taken as spoils of military conquest (Deut 3:3-4, 7-8). There was no fortification nor human resistance that could stop the advance of God’s people (Deut 3:5-6). We then have a description of the territory that was taken (Deut 3:9-10), as well as a comment about Og’s bed, that was apparently kept as an historical attraction to demonstrate his physical size (Deut 3:11). Having taken possession of the land of the Amorites east of the Jordan River, Moses then divided the land north of the Valley of Arnon to the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Deut 3:12-13, 16-17). Reuben and Gad were two of the sons of Jacob (Gen 29:32; 30:11), and the tribe of Joseph had split into two groups that were named after his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen 48:8-16). Special mention is given to Jair, a son of Manasseh, and Machir, a subtribe of Manasseh, because of their great courage in battle (Deut. 3:14-15; cf. Num 32:39-41). Though all Israel were faithful to the Lord, apparently some fought harder than others and they were blessed in a special way with more land. The tribes of Manasseh, Reuben and Gad requested to live east of the Jordan River, and Moses granted their request, but only on the condition they would help their brothers complete the military conquest into Canaan beyond the Jordan River (Deut 3:18). They would help their fellow Israelites by leaving their wives, children, and livestock behind (Deut 3:19). After victory was obtained, they could return to their own land (Deut 3:20). We know from the book of Joshua that they were faithful to help their brothers (Josh 22:1-6). Moses then encouraged Joshua, his theocratic successor, to contemplate God’s past faithfulness and draw strength from it as they moved forward into Canaan (Deut 3:21). By thinking divine viewpoint, Joshua would “not fear them” (Deut 3:22a), as he would realize “the LORD your God is the one fighting for you” (Deut 3:22b). The defeat of Sihon and Og would have sent a message to the residents of Canaan that would have instilled fear in them, which is what God intended (Deut 11:25; Josh 2:8-11). In addition, these victories over Sihon and Og were designed to prepare Israel for what lay ahead and to give them confidence that God was with them to defeat their enemies. What was required of Moses and the Israelites was to obey God’s commands, trust Him at His Word, and face the enemy with courage.

Judges 12:1-15

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Jephthah and the Gileadites fought against the Ephraimites and killed 42,000 men.  Subsequent to Jephthah, God raised Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon as judges in Israel.  
     The Ephraimites possessed a strange jealousy that influenced them to quarrel with others.  They had previously argued with Gideon after he had defeated the Midianites (Judg. 8:1-2), and now they contended with Jephthah after he had defeated the Ammonites (Judg. 11:32-33), claiming they had not been called to help fight in the battle and threatening to destroy Jephthah’s home (Judg. 12:1).  Jephthah reports he had called them for help, but they refused (Judg. 12:2-3).  The Ephraimites then spoke condescendingly to the Gileadites, accusing them of being fugitives from the tribe of Ephraim (Judg. 12:4).  Jephthah could have overlooked the personal insults hurled at him by the Ephraimites (Prov. 19:11), but the threat of attack against his family necessitated self-defense.  The jealous and hostile Ephraimites picked a fight with Jephthah and the Gileadites and the conflict cost Ephraim 42,000 lives (Judg. 12:4-6).  Arrogant people often refuse to recognize their faults and will resort to violence—either physical or verbal—rather than admit their failings.
     After the death of Jephthah, three minor judges are listed: Ibzan (Judg. 12:8-10), Elon (Judg. 12:11-12), and Abdon (Judg. 12:13-15).  These are classified as minor judges because we know so little about them.  The other minor judges listed in the book of Judges are Tola (10:1-2), Jair (10:3-5), and Shamgar (3:31). 
     The judges were successful in many ways because they were obedient to the task that the Lord assigned to them.  Though the judges were successful and worthy of praise (see Heb. 11:32-34), they were also sinful men who were susceptible to the pagan values and lifestyles promoted by their surrounding culture (i.e. idolatry, polygamy, dynastic ambitions, etc.). 
     Among God’s people we observe both righteous and sinful behavior.  This is because we have two natures that simultaneously pull us in antithetical directions (Rom. 7:15-21; Rom. 13:14; Gal. 5:16-17; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:8-10).  We are born with a sinful nature which has a natural affinity for Satan’s values and world-system and which is never eradicated during our time on earth (Prov. 20:9; Jer. 17:9; Ps. 130:3; 1 John 1:8).  All believers sin (1 Ki. 8:46; Eccl. 7:20; Isa. 53:6; Jam. 3:2; 1 John 1:10).  However, as born-again believers (John 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:3, 23), we also have a new nature that desires to serve God and to walk with Him (Ps. 1:2; 40:8; Rom. 7:21-23; 2 Cor. 4:16; 1 John 2:29; 3:9).  Walking with God means He is regularly in our thoughts (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:16-17), that His Word saturates our thinking (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18), that we apply His Word (Matt. 7:24-27; Jam. 1:22; 4:17), that we are open and honest with Him (1 Jo. 1:5-7), and that we make every effort to please Him through a life of faith (2 Cor. 5:9; Heb. 11:6).  Over time, His qualities become our qualities, and the fruit of the Spirit is manifest in us (Gal. 5:22-23).

Judges 11:29-40

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God empowered Jephthah to defeat the Ammonites; however, before the battle, Jephthah made an unnecessary and thoughtless vow which his daughter had to fulfill.
     Jephthah may have felt he had to barter with God as an act of diplomacy in order to secure his victory over the Ammonites, and he did this by making a vow (Judg. 11:30-31).  Making a vow was a serious matter that required forethought and commitment (Deut. 23:21-23).  There are two major views about Jephthah’s vow to sacrifice:
Jephthah actually offered his daughter as a human sacrifice, and the statement “a burnt offering” should be taken at face value.  If this is the case, then Jephthah probably derived this strange understanding and commitment from the Canaanite culture, for human sacrifice was forbidden under the Mosaic Law (Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5).  This would also explain Jephthah’s grief when he said his daughter, “You have brought me very low, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the LORD, and I cannot take it back” (Judg. 11:35).
Jephthah only dedicated his daughter for service to the Lord and did not kill her (cf. 1 Sam. 1:9-11; 26-28). This understanding is derived from an alternate reading of Judges 11:31 in which the word “and” might also be rendered “or”, so that Jephthah’s vow was to dedicate for service whoever came through the door of his home, “or” to sacrifice an animal if it appeared.  This view is favorable also because of other clues in the text, namely, Jephthah knew Scripture well enough not to make such a blunder (Judg. 11:15-27), previous Scripture views him as a thoughtful man, the text seems to emphasizes dedication when it reads that his daughter “had no relations with a man” (Judg. 11:39), and future generations honored her faithfulness (Judg. 11:40).
Whatever the view, the overall lesson is that we should never make hasty vows to God.
     The work of the Holy Spirit in the OT is different than in the NT.  In the OT, the Holy Spirit empowered only a few believers such as Artisans (Ex. 31:1-5), Judges (Num. 11:25-29; Judg. 3:9-10), Prophets (Ezek. 2:2), and Kings (1 Sam. 10:6; 16:13).  In the NT, the Holy Spirit baptizes each believer into union with Christ (1 Cor. 12:13), indwells us (John 14:16-17; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19), seals us (Eph. 1:13; 4:30), gives us spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:7-11), glorifies Jesus (John 16:13-15), fills us (Eph. 5:18), and sustains our spiritual walk (Gal. 5:16-18, 25).  The spiritual walk is what God expects of His children.  Walking with God means we are rightly related to Him by faith (John 3:16), and that we continue in faith (2 Cor. 5:7), trusting Him in all things (Prov. 3:5-6).  Walking with God does not mean a life of sinless perfection; rather, it means we handle our sin in a biblical manner with humility and confession (e.g. 2 Sam. 12:1-23; cf. 1 Kings 11:4; 1 John 1:8-10).  Walking with God means we go in the same direction He is going, and like a friend, we are glad to share in His fellowship (1 John 1:1-10).  It means God is regularly in our thoughts, and we live every day conscious of Him and His will for our lives (Rom. 12:1-2; Col. 3:16-17).  It means we are open and honest with Him about everything, and agree to let His light shine in our lives, not fearing what it exposes (1 John 1:5-7).  It means being sensitive to what may offend Him, and making every effort to please Him through a life of faith (2 Cor. 5:9; Heb. 11:6). 

Judges 11:1-28

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God elected Jephthah—a man of unjust suffering—to lead as Israel’s judge during a time of conflict with the Ammonites.
     Jephthah was a great warrior, but he was born the son of a prostitute (Judg. 11:1), and was rejected by his brothers for something he could not control (Judg. 11:2).  Jephthah’s destiny as a leader in Israel was partly shaped by the abuse of his brothers.  Like David (1 Sam. 22:2), Jephthah became the leader of social outcasts like himself (Judg. 11:3). When Israel was attacked by the Ammonites, they needed a great warrior, so they called for Jephthah (Judg. 11:4-6).  Jephthah accepted the offer to be leader in Gilead and to fight and save the people who originally rejected him (Judg. 11:7-11), displaying himself as more righteous than those who called him.  After accepting Israel’s offer to be the leader in Gilead, Jephthah sought a peaceful solution to the problem through diplomacy (Judg. 11:12, 14).  Jephthah was a man of faith (Heb. 11:32), and the moral authority of his diplomacy rested upon the acts of God as revealed in Scripture (Judg. 11: 9, 21, 23–24).  However, the Ammonites rejected Jephthah’s diplomacy (Judg. 11:28), and the biblical basis for his authority, and chose war (Judg. 11:32-33).  The king of Ammon did not care about truth or justice, because it did not serve his agenda.
     God is aware of the abuse and suffering of all people, and He uses hardships to humble and exalt those whom He elects for greater purposes (1 Sam. 2:6-8; 2 Sam. 7:8; Ps. 75:6-7; Dan. 2:21; 4:37; cf. Rom. 5:3-5).  Many who are rejected by worldly standards are the very ones the Lord elevates to be His servants (1 Sam. 16:1-13; 1 Cor. 1:26-31; Jam. 2:5).  It is our connection with God and His purposes that elevates us to a place of divine service and gives value to our daily walk.

Holy War Against the Canaanites

Deuteronomy 2:34 mentions, for the first time in this book, the subject of holy war. The words “utterly destroyed” translate the Hebrew חָרָם charam, which in this passage connotes something “devoted to destruction.”[1] Leon Wood states, “Usually ḥāram means a ban for utter destruction, the compulsory dedication of something which impedes or resists God’s work, which is considered to be accursed before God.”[2] Eugene Merrill comments:
"Nothing is more integral to the waging of holy war than the placing of conquered lands and their peoples under ḥērem. This noun, derived from the verb ḥāram, “to exterminate,” refers to a condition in which persons and things became the personal possession of the Lord by virtue of his inherent sovereignty and his appropriation of them by conquest. They could either be left alive and intact (Lev 27:21, 28; Josh 6:19) or eradicated (as here; cf. Num 21:2–3; Josh 6:21). In the passage at hand, it seems that the physical structures of the cities themselves were spared and that only the populations were decimated."[3]
     Though the idea of holy war can be difficult for us to digest (which in this context includes putting children to death), several things should be considered. First, the command was from the Lord Himself (Deut 2:34; 7:1-2; 20:17). Because God is omniscient (Psa 139:1-6), He knew the situation completely. Because the Lord is perfectly righteous (Gen 18:25; Psa 7:11), His command was just and fair. And, because God is gracious and patient (Psa 103:8), His command to execute the Canaanites was not reckless. Divine judgment meant God had determined the Canaanite culture was not reformable. Second, the Canaanites were by no means innocent. Rather, they were antitheocratic and hostile to God and His people and comprised the most corrupt culture in the world at that time. For hundreds of years the Canaanites practiced gross sexual immorality, which included all forms of incest (Lev 18:1-20; 20:10-12, 14, 17, 19-21), homosexuality (Lev 18:22; 20:13), and sex with animals (Lev 18:23; 20:15-16). They also engaged in the occult (Lev 20:6), were hostile toward parents (Lev 20:9), and offered their children as sacrifices to Molech (Lev 18:21; 20:1-5; cf. Deut 12:31; 18:10). Third, God had been gracious to the Canaanite people for four hundred years (Gen 15:14-16), giving them ample time to turn from their sin. Though God is very gracious and slow to anger (Psa 145:8-9), this does not last forever and eventually His righteous judgment falls upon those who deserve it (Deut 9:4-5). Fourth, Moses offered Sihon, King of Heshbon, peaceful terms if he would let the Israelites pass through his land, even offering to pay for whatever food and water they consumed, but Sihon rejected Moses’ offer and therefore brought judgment upon himself and his people. Fifth, the Amorites could have moved out and avoided the conflict by settling in another area. Sixth, God could have destroyed the people Himself, like He’d done in the global flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Egypt; however, it was His will the Canaanites be removed by military means and as a test of obedience to His people. Seventh, those who turned to God would have been spared, like Rahab and her family (Josh 2:1-14). Eighth, the killing of the Canaanite children may have spared them from growing up in a corrupt and hostile culture, “For if the child died before reaching the age of accountability it is likely that his or her eternal destiny would have been made secure in heaven.”[4] Ninth, this is the only time in the Bible and history that this command was given and was never repeated to other generations. Tenth, God’s command for holy war is not applicable for Christians, for God is not working to establish a theocratic kingdom on earth as He was through Israel.
     God warned Israel that if they failed to execute His judgment upon the Canaanites, they would become a corrupting cancer that would infect them (Deut 20:17-18; cf. Ex 23:33; Josh 23:12-13). Israel’s actions would have a direct impact on future generations. We know historically that Israel failed to obey the Lord (see the book of Judges), and the corrupt culture spread among God’s people, who themselves began to practice all the evil things God hates (Deut 12:31). Because Israel eventually became corrupt, He then destroyed and expelled them from the land by means of military defeat from their enemies. This happened when the ten northern tribes of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC and when the two southern tribes of Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC.
 
[1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 354.
[2] Leon J. Wood, “744 חָרַם,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 324.
[3] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, 102.
[4] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 276.

Deuteronomy 2:24-37

     The main point of this pericope is that God began to deliver Israel’s enemies into their hands to defeat them as they advanced toward the Promised Land. In this section God directed His people to begin to take the land and drive out the residents north of the valley of Arnon, saying, “Look! I have given Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land into your hand; begin to take possession and contend with him in battle” (Deut 2:24). And God would go ahead of His people, informing them, “This day I will begin to put the dread and fear of you upon the peoples everywhere under the heavens, who, when they hear the report of you, will tremble and be in anguish because of you” (Deu 2:25). Originally, Moses offered to travel through the land of Kedemoth peacefully, telling Sihon king of Heshbon, the Israelites would stay on the highway and pay for any food or water his people were willing to sell (Deut 2:26-29), but the text informs us that “Sihon king of Heshbon was not willing for us to pass through his land” (Deut 2:30a). Sihon’s rejection of peace meant he brought judgment upon himself. Moses then provides the divine side of the reason, saying, “for the LORD your God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, in order to deliver him into your hand, as he is today” (Deut 2:30b). God, in His omniscience, knew Sihon and his people were hostile and hopelessly unrepentant, and He decided to dispense judgment, first by hardening the king’s already hostile heart, and then by military defeat. Before the military fighting began, the Lord told Moses, “See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land” (Deut 2:31). The Amorites were enemies of God and His people and were “a nation of hopelessly unrepentant squatters who had to be removed from the lands promised to Israel’s forefathers (cf. Gen 15:16; Ex 3:8). Thus, the command was to engage Sihon, king of the Amorites, in battle and liberate the land that he illegitimately occupied.”[1] Moses then reveals what follows, saying, “Then Sihon with all his people came out to meet us in battle at Jahaz. The LORD our God delivered him over to us, and we defeated him with his sons and all his people” (Deut 2:32-33). After defeating them, Moses states, “So we captured all his cities at that time and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor” (Deut 2:34). The Israelites took the cities and animals that remained after the conflict (Deut 2:35). From Aroer to Gilead, “there was no city that was too high for us; the LORD our God delivered all over to us” (Deut 2:36). Victory was considered a sign of God’s blessing. But they could not take land that God had not approved, as Moses said, “Only you did not go near to the land of the sons of Ammon, all along the river Jabbok and the cities of the hill country, and wherever the LORD our God had commanded us” (Deut 2:37).
A Brief Consideration of Holy War:
     Deuteronomy 2:34 mentions, for the first time in this book, the subject of holy war. The words “utterly destroyed” translate the Hebrew חָרָם charam, which in this passage connotes something “devoted to destruction.”[2] Leon Wood states, “Usually ḥāram means a ban for utter destruction, the compulsory dedication of something which impedes or resists God’s work, which is considered to be accursed before God.”[3] Eugene Merrill comments:
"Nothing is more integral to the waging of holy war than the placing of conquered lands and their peoples under ḥērem. This noun, derived from the verb ḥāram, “to exterminate,” refers to a condition in which persons and things became the personal possession of the Lord by virtue of his inherent sovereignty and his appropriation of them by conquest. They could either be left alive and intact (Lev 27:21, 28; Josh 6:19) or eradicated (as here; cf. Num 21:2–3; Josh 6:21). In the passage at hand, it seems that the physical structures of the cities themselves were spared and that only the populations were decimated."[4]
     Though the idea of holy war can be difficult for us to digest (which in this context includes putting children to death), several things should be considered. First, the command was from the Lord Himself (Deut 2:34; 7:1-2; 20:17). Because God is omniscient (Psa 139:1-6), He knew the situation completely. Because the Lord is perfectly righteous (Gen 18:25; Psa 7:11), His command was just and fair. And, because God is gracious and patient (Psa 103:8), His command to execute the Canaanites was not reckless. Divine judgment meant God had determined the Canaanite culture was not reformable. Second, the Canaanites were by no means innocent. Rather, they were antitheocratic and hostile to God and His people and comprised the most corrupt culture in the world at that time. For hundreds of years the Canaanites practiced gross sexual immorality, which included all forms of incest (Lev 18:1-20; 20:10-12, 14, 17, 19-21), homosexuality (Lev 18:22; 20:13), and sex with animals (Lev 18:23; 20:15-16). They also engaged in the occult (Lev 20:6), were hostile toward parents (Lev 20:9), and offered their children as sacrifices to Molech (Lev 18:21; 20:1-5; cf. Deut 12:31; 18:10). Third, God had been gracious to the Canaanite people for four hundred years (Gen 15:14-16), giving them ample time to turn from their sin. Though God is very gracious and slow to anger (Psa 145:8-9), this does not last forever and eventually His righteous judgment falls upon those who deserve it (Deut 9:4-5). Fourth, Moses offered Sihon, King of Heshbon, peaceful terms if he would let the Israelites pass through his land, even offering to pay for whatever food and water they consumed, but Sihon rejected Moses’ offer and therefore brought judgment upon himself and his people. Fifth, the Amorites could have moved out and avoided the conflict by settling in another area. Sixth, God could have destroyed the people Himself, like He’d done in the global flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Egypt; however, it was His will the Canaanites be removed by military means and as a test of obedience to His people. Seventh, those who turned to God would have been spared, like Rahab and her family (Josh 2:1-14). Eighth, the killing of the Canaanite children may have spared them from growing up in a corrupt and hostile culture, “For if the child died before reaching the age of accountability it is likely that his or her eternal destiny would have been made secure in heaven.”[5] Ninth, this is the only time in the Bible and history that this command was given and was never repeated to other generations. Tenth, God’s command for holy war is not applicable for Christians, for God is not working to establish a theocratic kingdom on earth as He was through Israel.
     God warned Israel that if they failed to execute His judgment upon the Canaanites, they would become a corrupting cancer that would infect them (Deut 20:17-18; cf. Ex 23:33; Josh 23:12-13). Israel’s actions would have a direct impact on future generations. We know historically that Israel failed to obey the Lord (see the book of Judges), and the corrupt culture spread among God’s people, who themselves began to practice all the evil things God hates (Deut 12:31). Because Israel eventually became corrupt, He then destroyed and expelled them from the land by means of military defeat from their enemies. This happened when the ten northern tribes of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC and when the two southern tribes of Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC.
 
[1] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 98–99.
[2] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 354.
[3] Leon J. Wood, “744 חָרַם,” ed. R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), 324.
[4] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, 102.
[5] Jack S. Deere, “Deuteronomy,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 276.

Deuteronomy 2:1-23

     The main point of this pericope details Israel’s departure from Kadesh-barnea and the journey through the Transjordan which they conquered and partly settled. After the rebellion and defeat of the Israelites (Deut 1:1-46), the nation “circled Mount Seir for many days” (Deu 2:1b). This included the thirty-eight years of wilderness wandering which was God’s judgment upon the exodus generation of Israelites who rebelled against the Lord. God then ordered His people to “turn north” and begin to head toward the land of Canaan (Deut 2:3). This would have required them to pass through the territory of Edom to the east of Kadesh-barnea, and then north through the region of the Moabites and Ammonites. However, God did not permit the Israelites to harass the Edomites, Moabites, nor Ammonites, who were all descendants of Abraham and Lot, and therefore related to Israel physically and by covenant. Edom would be afraid of Israel (Deut 2:4), and God told His people not to consider their land for conquest, saying, “I will not give you any of their land, even as little as a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession” (Deut 2:5). Israel was to treat them kindly, paying for any food or water they consumed in their territory (Deut 2:6). God had taken care of His people, Israel, saying, “For the LORD your God has blessed you in all that you have done; He has known your wanderings through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD your God has been with you; you have not lacked a thing” (Deut 2:7). This was a continued sign of God’s logistical grace to meet their needs (cf. Deut 29:5). Three times God had declared “I have given” land to people other than Israel (Deut 2:5, 9, 19), and this demonstrates His sovereign control over the earth and His delegation of property to whoever He wishes (cf. Deut 32:8; 1 Ch 29:11-12; 2 Ch 20:5-7; Psa 24:1; 89:11; Dan 4:35; Acts 17:26). Israel passed through the land of Edom by circling around it “by the way of the wilderness of Moab” (Deut 2:8). Israel passed through Moab (Deut 2:9), a land once dominated by fierce people who were defeated by the Edomites (Deut 2:10-12). Moving further north, God told the Israelites to “arise and cross over the brook Zered yourselves” (Deut 2:13), which moved them into Ammonite territory. Moses then records the death of the first generation of Israelites since the exodus, and this marks a turning point in their history and advancement into the land of Canaan. This occurred after they had received their judgment of wandering for thirty-eight years, “until all the generation of the men of war perished from within the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them” (Deut 2:14). Those who died off were under God’s judgment, for “the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from within the camp until they all perished” (Deut 2:15). After these people died (Deut 2:16), God instructed Moses to lead the people into the region of Ammon (Deut 2:17-18). Just like with the Edomites and Moabites, God instructed His people, saying, “When you come opposite the sons of Ammon, do not harass them nor provoke them, for I will not give you any of the land of the sons of Ammon as a possession, because I have given it to the sons of Lot as a possession” (Deut 2:19). The Moabites and Ammonites were not necessarily wonderful people; yet, God blessed them because of their relationship with Lot. We then learn about another people who formerly lived in that land and were called Rephaim, but the Ammonites called them Zamzummim (Deut 2:20), who were tall like the Anakim (Deut 2:21a). But great people are no match for the Lord, as we are told, “but the LORD destroyed them before them. And they dispossessed them and settled in their place, just as He did for the sons of Esau, who live in Seir, when He destroyed the Horites from before them; they dispossessed them and settled in their place even to this day” (Deut 2:21b-22). Lastly, we learn about another people called the Avvim, who were displaced by the Caphtorim, who were likely Philistines who migrated from Crete (Deut 2:23a), who “destroyed them and lived in their place” (Deut 2:23b). In all this, we see God’s sovereign hand of control to move people geographically and elevate some and destroy others, for the Lord owns and controls all land, and He determines who shall possess it as well as the means by which it is possessed.[1]
 
[1] Divinely approved acquisition of land may come as a gift, a purchase, or through military victory. When God’s people became corrupt, He expelled them by means of military defeat from their enemies. This happened when the ten northern tribes of Israel fell to the Assyrians in 722 BC and when the two southern tribes of Judah fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC.

Judges 10:1-18

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God delivered Israel through Tola and Jair, but after they died, Israel again chose idolatry rather than service to God, and the Lord punished them according to His covenant promises, and delivered them according to His mercy.
     Both Tola and Jair were judges in Israel, and it appears their leadership produced stability and blessing for 45 years (Judg. 10:1-5).  During the time of peace, Israel failed to grow spiritually, and eventually turned away from the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtaroth, which were the pagan deities of Aram, Sidon, Moab, the sons of Ammon, and the Philistines (Judg. 10:6).  God punished Israel for their idolatry (Judg. 10:7-9).  But Israel cried out to the Lord for deliverance (Judg. 10:10; 15), and though He initially answered them with a rebuke, citing many past deliverances (Judg. 10:11-14), eventually their misery moved Him to act (Judg. 10:16).  “It was not their repentance that he found impossible to ignore, but their misery. Only the Lord’s pity stood between the Israelites and utter ruin. They deserved to be abandoned, but (such is his mercy) he could not give them up (cf. 2:18; Ho. 11:8–9).”[1]
     After Israel repented and God relented concerning His anger, Israel then gathered their military forces to battle the Ammonites (Judg. 10:17-18).  In the next chapter Jephthah is chosen to fight against the Ammonites (Judg. 11:1-11), and he judged Israel six years until his death (Judg. 12:7).  It seems Samson was a contemporaneous judge with Jephthah and was used by God to fight against the Philistines (see Judges Chapters 13-16). 
     We learn from Scripture that God is very patient with people, both unbelievers and believers (Ex 34:6; Num. 14:18; Ps. 86:15; Neh. 9:17; Jonah 4:2).  God is patient with the unbeliever that he/she might come to know Him through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:1-2; Col. 1:19-20; 1 Tim. 1:15-16).  God is also patient with us as believers and gives us time and opportunity to advance to spiritual maturity, which can be hastened by trials (Rom. 5:3-5; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Jam. 1:2-4).  We tend to desire a life of comfort, but such a life often produces weak character.  God desires that we have a godly character, and this occurs when we have biblical values and consistently make good choices that are pleasing to Him (Eph. 4:1-3; Col. 1:9-10; Heb. 11:6).
 
[1] D. A. Carson et al., eds., New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, 4th ed. (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 277.

Deuteronomy 1:19-46

     The main point of this pericope is that the exodus generation of Israelites failed to obey God’s command to take possession of the land, and because of their unbelief, God withheld the blessing. Originally, God called His people to have faith and take possession of the land (Deut 1:19-21). The Israelites wanted to spy out the land (Ex 3:8; Lev 20:24), which was not wrong in itself; however, God had already done that, even describing the evil residents and the land itself (Lev 18:1-30; 20:1-27). Where God leads, His grace and power will sustain. However, negative volition, irrational fear, and grumbling caused them to distrust the Lord and perceive His love as hatred, even accusing God of desiring their destruction (Deut 1:26-27). The human-viewpoint report from ten of the spies spread among the people and the result was that they saw the land as unconquerable (Deut 1:28). Moses had the same facts as the Israelites, yet he interpreted them from faith, and this gave him strength in his soul. From a position of strength, Moses sought to dislodge their irrational fear by getting them to think historically and theologically, considering God’s past deliverances (Deut 1:29-31). But the Israelites did not trust the Lord, and their sin blinded them to the obvious provisions of God all around them (Deut 1:32-33), and the Lord became angry at their unbelief (Deut 1:34). Collective and self-induced amnesia dominated the people, as they forgot about God’s past acts of deliverance by means of plagues on Egypt, as well as the parting of the Red Sea (Psa 78:11, 42), and they ignored the current evidences of the cloud of smoke and fire, as well the daily provision of manna. They welcomed God’s gifts, but failed to recognize, praise, and serve the Giver. The result was a generation of believers who developed a sinful mindset and were called an “evil generation” (Deut 1:35). The two exceptions were Caleb and Joshua, who maintained their faith in God (Deut 1:36, 38). Moses’ act of unbelief meant he too would not enter the land (Deut 1:37); however, God promised to bring the second generation into the land (Deut 1:39). By their unbelief, the Israelites had forfeited the land, and God commanded them to turn around and head back into the wilderness (Deut 1:40). Though God’s decision was fixed, the people rebelled against Him again, presuming they could take the land (Deut 1:41). God warned them, saying, “Do not go up nor fight, for I am not among you; otherwise you will be defeated before your enemies” (Deut 1:42). But they “would not listen” (Deut 1:43a), and “rebelled against the command of the LORD, and acted presumptuously and went up into the hill country” (Deut 1:43). Their disobedience resulted in military defeat (Deut 1:44). Because they would not listen to the Lord, He would not listen to them (Deut 1:45; cf. Psa 66:18; Pro 28:9; Mic 3:4). God was not sympathetic to their self-induced pain which was caused by unbelief and rebellion against His commands. The result was that they remained in Kadesh for thirty-eight years, until that generation died off (Deut 1:46).

Deuteronomy 1:1-18

     In Deuteronomy 1:1-18 Moses addressed the second generation of Israelites who were camping east of the Jordan River (Deut 1:1-5 - see map), recounting the events forty years earlier when God entered into a contract relationship with their parents at Mount Horeb/Sinai (Deut 1:6-8), after which Moses appointed military and judicial leaders to help bear the burden of leadership (Deut 1:9-18). After the exodus, God had offered the chosen land to His chosen people, Israel, which was theirs by divine right (Deut 1:1-8), for the Owner of the land promised it to them as part of the Abrahamic contract (Gen 12:1-3; 15:18; 17:7-8; 26:3-4; 28:13-14). Moses also mentions how he could not bear the responsibility of leadership alone (Deut 1:9; cf. Ex 18:13-26). If the exodus generation had walked by faith and obeyed the Lord, they would have entered the land forty years earlier; however, they forfeited their inheritance through disobedience (See Num 14:1-12; 20-24; 14:34). Now, Moses speaks to the second generation and offers them the land of Canaan which their parents had forfeited; thus, what he expounded was a covenant renewal. Moses saw how the Lord had blessed His people by making them numerous (Deut 1:10-11), and twice recognized his human inability to lead them by himself (Deut 1:9, 12). Realizing he needed the help of others, Moses said, “Choose wise and discerning and experienced men from your tribes, and I will appoint them as your heads” (Deut 1:13). The Israelites agreed with his wise request (Deut 1:14), and he took the heads of their tribes, “wise and experienced men, and appointed them heads over” them to rule (Deut 1:15a). The leadership consisted of military commanders (Deut 1:15b) and judges (Deut 1:16a). He charged Israel’s judges, saying, “Hear the cases between your fellow countrymen, and judge righteously between a man and his fellow countryman, or the alien who is with him. You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not fear man, for the judgment is God’s”. (Deut 1:16b-17a). The judges were to hear each case on its own merits and not be influenced to partiality by the social standing of those who stood before them, whether small or great. Recognizing “the judgment is God’s” meant each judge was himself being judged by “the Judge of all the earth” (Gen 18:25). This shows that judgment among God’s people is both a legal and theological matter. God is the ultimate Judge of all matters, and the judges in Israel were accountable to Him. The legal cases that were too difficult, Moses would personally handle (Deut 1:17b). Moses wanted them to be involved in the outcome of their future, so he “commanded” concerning all they “should do” (Deut 1:18). This recounting of historical events revealed, in part, God’s leading His chosen people to the chosen land He’d promised to their fathers. After the exodus from Egypt and the covenant at Mount Horeb, God worked through Moses to establish leadership among the people who would help guide them into the land.

Judges 9:26-57

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God exacted justice upon Abimelech and the men of Shechem for unjustly killing the seventy sons of Gideon.
     God caused division between Abimelech and the Shechemites (see Judg. 9:23) so that they warred against and killed each other.  God is not the author of evil, but He does use evil spirits and wicked men to accomplish His divine purposes.  Abimelech killed his brothers on a stone (Judg. 9:5), and God used a stone to crush his head (Judg. 9:53; cf. 2 Sam. 11:21).  God controls the affairs of mankind and brings justice in the time and manner He determines best. 
     According to Scripture, God sovereignly creates and controls all life (Gen. 2:17; Job. 1:21; Ps. 104:29–30; Eccl. 12:7; Dan. 5:23), our birth and calling (Ps. 139:13-16; Jer. 1:4-5; Gal. 1:15), nature (Ps. 147:8; Jonah 1:4; Mark 4:39-41), small circumstances (Prov. 16:33; cf. Ps. 22:18; Matt. 27:35), sickness and health (Ex. 4:11; 2 Chron. 21:12-20; Matt. 4:24), prosperity and adversity (1 Sam. 2:7; Job 2:10; Isa. 45:5-7), suffering (Ps. 119:71; Heb. 12:5-11), and the development of godly character (Rom. 5:2-5; Phil. 1:6; Jam. 1:2-4). 

Judges 9:23 - The Question of Evil

     Evil cannot exist by itself, as though it were something to be captured and put in a container. Evil exists only in connection with the willful creatures who manufacture it—which includes both fallen angels and people.  Evil sometimes refers to the mental attitude of a person that leads to sinful actions (Matt. 15:19), but when used by God, it refers to the calamity or destruction He brings upon men for His own purposes (Job 2:10; Isa. 45:5-7; Lam. 3:38; Amos 3:6).  God uses evil men to accomplish His plans (Jer. 25:8-11; 27:6-7; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28), and evil spirits to chastise the wicked (Judg. 9:23; 1 Sam. 16:14; 1 Kings 22:19-23), and to reveal the good character of godly men (Job 1:12; 2:6; 2 Cor. 12:7).  God will eventually banish all the wicked (Rev. 20:11-15).

Introduction to Deuteronomy

Introduction to Deuteronomy
Dr. Steven R. Cook
Title:
     Deuteronomy means “second law” and is derived from the Septuagint (LXX), a Greek translation of the Hebrew OT (ca. 250 BC). The Greek word (δευτερονόμιον) appears in the LXX in Deuteronomy 17:18, where the anticipated future king of Israel would be required to “write for himself a copy of this law[1] on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests” (Deut 17:18b).[2] The book of Deuteronomy is not a second copy of the Law itself, “but an amplification and advancement of the covenant text first articulated to Moses and Israel at Sinai nearly forty years earlier.”[3] The Hebrew title is derived from the first words of the book which are translated from the Hebrew (אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים) “these are the words.”
Author:
     The author is Moses (Deut 1:1, 5; 4:44-45; 31:9, 24; cf. Josh 1:7-8; 2 Ki 14:6; Matt 19:7; Acts 7:37-38; Rom 10:19; 1 Cor 9:9), excluding his death (Deut 34:1-12). “Deuteronomy is quoted in the New Testament nearly one hundred times; and Jesus quoted more from Deuteronomy than from any other Old Testament book.”[4]
Audience:
     The second generation of Israelites who were living just east of the Jordan River (Deut 1:1), whose parents rebelled against the Lord and wandered in the wilderness for forty years until they perished (Num 14:33-34; Deut 1:3; 2:7, 14; Josh 5:6).
Date of Writing:
     Circa 1405 BC (Deut 1:3). This assumes an early date for the exodus in 1445 BC.
Occasion for Writing:
     Moses is about to die. Deuteronomy is his farewell message to the Israelites who are about to enter the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. Deuteronomy is not merely a recapitulation of Moses’ previous writings; rather, “It is a selective digest of matters most important to the average Israelite in his or her relationship with God. Moses spoke as an aged father to his children. These are the parting words of the man who communed with God face to face.”[5]
Structure:
     The book of Deuteronomy is structured after an ancient Hittite suzerain-vassal treaty. “More than forty years of scholarship has reached a near consensus about the essential elements of standard Hittite treaty texts. These consist of (1) preamble, (2) historical prologue, (3) general stipulations, (4) specific stipulations, (5) blessings and curses, and (6) witnesses.”[6]
"In line with the general correspondence of the form of a thing to its function, it is safe to say that one cannot understand the theology of Deuteronomy without reference to its covenant form and structure … That is, the very fact that the book is in the shape and style of a covenant text presupposes that the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel is a major concern. It follows then that the theology of Deuteronomy must be sensitive to this state of affairs and that, in fact, it must be informed from beginning to end by covenant concerns. It is no exaggeration to maintain that the concept of covenant lies at the very heart of the book and may be said to be the center of its theology. Covenant by its very definition demands at least three elements—the two contracting parties and the document that describes and outlines the purpose, nature, and requirements of the relationship. Thus, the three major rubrics of the theology of Deuteronomy are (1) Yahweh, the Great King and covenant initiator; (2) Israel, the vassal and covenant recipient; and (3) the book itself, the covenant organ, complete with the essentials of standard treaty documents. This means, moreover, that all the revelation of the book must be seen through the prism of covenant and not abstractly removed from the peculiar historical and ideological context in which it originated."[7]
     Deuteronomy was to be read and taught within the family (Deut 6:4-7). A copy of the book was to be in the possession of the Levitical priests (Deut 31:9; cf. 31:24-26), and they were to read the book publicly every seven years (Deut 31:10-11). This instruction was intended to produce respect and obedience among God’s people (Deut 31:12-13). Deuteronomy helps us understand all that occurs throughout Israel’s history which follows, as the blessing and cursing is applied to subsequent Israelites.
Moses’ Message:
     The central message of Deuteronomy is: serve the Lord from your heart (Deut 6:4-9). The book of Deuteronomy is a reiteration of the covenant God instituted at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:1-6). The book of Deuteronomy consists of three messages Moses preached over a period of forty days (Deut 1:5-6; 5:1; 29:1). It was Moses’ counsel to the Israelites who were about to enter a land dominated by a polytheistic pagan people who would tempt them away from their unique God, who alone is the God of the universe. Moses informed them, “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!” (Deut 6:4). If Israel would listen to the commands given in Moses’ message, it would result in blessing, which is what God preferred. However, if they disobeyed, God would bring cursing (Deut 11:13-17).
     The major theme of the book is love. God’s love for His people is what motivated Him to govern the way He did (Deut 5:9-10; 7:7-9, 12-13; 10:15-19). And in response, God’s people were to love and obey Him (Deut 6:4-5;10:12-13, 18-19; 11:1, 13-14, 22-23; 13:3; 19:8-9; 30:15-16). Love starts with understanding (Deut 6:4-5; 11:18) and flows into action (Deut 10:18-19). Loving obedience to God would result in His blessing upon them, and cursing if they hated and disobeyed (Deut 11:26-28; 30:15-20). Similarly, God’s love for us motivates us to love Him and others (1 John 4:19; cf. John 14:15, 21, 23).
"This emphasis on love appears even more striking in comparison with other ancient Near Eastern suzerain-vassal treaties. The ancient Near Eastern kings delineated clearly the rights of the ruler and the responsibilities of the subjects in these documents. However, the motivation was self-interest, the opposite of love. Concern for others was present, but self-interest predominated."[8]
     The Church would do well to learn the lessons of righteous living. “To love God supremely and our neighbors as ourselves, and to seek to glorify God in all that we do, is the essence of the message of Deuteronomy; and it’s a message we need to return to as we face the challenges of the future.”[9]
Outline:
Moses’ introduction to Deuteronomy (Deut 1:1-5)
Moses reviews God’s faithfulness to Israel since the Exodus (Deut 1:6—4:43)
Moses’ exposition of God’s laws to Israel (Deut 4:44—28:68)
Moses’ appeal to faithfulness and commitment (Deut 29:1—30:20)
Moses’ final words, song, and death are recorded (Deut 31:1—34:12)
 
[1] The Hebrew phrase in Deuteronomy 17:18 (מִשְׁנֶה הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת – a copy of this law) likely refers only the book of Deuteronomy itself which the king was to reproduce and carry with him all the days of his life.
[2] Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotes are from the New American Standard Bible.
[3] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 22.
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor Pub., 1999), 8.
[5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Introduction to Deuteronomy.
[6] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, 29–30.
[7] Ibid., 47–48.
[8] Tom Constable, Introduction to Deuteronomy.
[9] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Equipped, 8.

Brief Review of Ancient Israel

     The history of Israel starts with God who chose the nation to be His representatives upon the earth. Israel was created by God (Isa 43:1, 15), and He loves them with an everlasting love (Jer 31:1-3). God chose them because of who He is, not because of any greatness or goodness in them (Deut 7:6-8). Israel began with a unilateral covenant which God made with Abraham, promising “I will make you a great nation” (Gen 12:2). The Abrahamic covenant was later expanded with the Land Covenant (Deut 29:1-29; 30:1-10), the Davidic Covenant (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 34-37), and the New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34). Though Abraham had children by different women (Sarah, Hagar and Keturah), the Abrahamic promises were restated only through Isaac (Gen 17:19-21) and Jacob (Gen 28:10-15). Because of a crippling encounter with God, Jacob’s name was changed to Israel, which means “he who wrestles with God” (Gen 32:24-30). The sons of Israel (i.e. Jacob) went into captivity in Egypt for four hundred years as God had foretold (Gen 15:13), and remained there until He called them out through His servants Moses and Aaron (Ex 3:1-10). God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage through a series of ten plagues that destroyed Pharaoh and the nation (Exodus chapters 5-14). The exodus generation were believers who followed God’s servant, Moses, out of captivity (Ex 4:31; 14:31; 1 Cor 10:1-4). After the exodus, God entered into a bilateral covenant relationship with Israel at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:1-8), and gave them 613 commands—which comprise the Mosaic Law—and these commands are commonly divided into moral, civil, and ceremonial codes. The exodus generation—though they witnessed God’s miraculous deliverance against the Egyptians—rebelled and complained against the Lord during the forty years they were in the wilderness. Because of their rebellion, God eventually disciplined them by prohibiting them from entering the promised land (Num 14:1-23; cf. Heb 3:15—4:1-2). This was a generation of believers who failed to live by faith, and so God withheld their inheritance of the land. The two exceptions were Joshua and Caleb, who lived by faith (Num 14:30). God then promised the second generation of Israelites would inherit the promised land, but only after their parents died in the wilderness (Num 14:31-33). The book of Numbers differentiates between a generation possessed of negative volition and their children who were positive to God. When the last person of the exodus generation died, God then delivered a message through Moses to their children, reiterating many of the commands given to the first generation. The message Moses gave is known as the book of Deuteronomy, which restates many of the laws of the covenant. Under the Mosaic Law, Israel would know blessing if they obeyed God’s commands (Deut 28:1-15), and cursing if they did not (Deut 28:16-68). After Moses died, God brought the Israelites into the land of Canaan (i.e. the land promised to Abraham) under the leadership of Joshua (Deut 31:23; Josh 1:1-9), and there the land was divided, giving a portion to each of the descendants of Jacob. After Joshua died (Josh 24:29-31), Israel repeatedly fell into idolatry and suffered divine discipline for their rebellion (read Judges). This went on for roughly 300 years as Israel fell into a pattern of idolatry, after which God would send punishment, then the people would cry out to God, Who would relent of His judgment and send a judge to deliver them, then the people would serve God for a time, and then fall back into idolatry. The period of the Judges was marked by people who did not obey the Lord, but “did what was right in their own eyes” (Judg 17:6; 21:25). Samuel was the last of Israel’s judges, and then the people cried for a king because they wanted to be like the other nations (1 Sam 8:4-5). God gave them their request (1 Sam 8:22), and Saul became the first king in Israel (1 Sam 10:1). Though Saul started well, he quickly turned away from the Lord and would not obey God’s commands. Saul reigned for approximately 40 years and his leadership was basically a failure (1 Sam 13:1; cf. Acts 13:21). Later, God raised up David to be king in Israel (1 Sam 16:1-13), and David reigned for 40 years and was an ideal king who followed God and encouraged others to do the same (1 Ki 2:10-11). God decreed David’s throne would be established forever through one of his descendants (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4), and this is Jesus (Luke 1:31-33). Solomon reigned for 40 years after David (1 Ki 2:12; 11:42-43), and though He was wise and did many good things (ruled well, built the temple, wrote Scripture, etc.), he eventually turned away from God and worshiped idols (1 Ki 11:1-10), and the kingdom was divided afterward (1 Ki 11:11-41). The nation was united under Saul, David, and Solomon.
     Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, ruled over the two southern tribes (Judah) and Jeroboam ruled over the ten northern tribes (Israel). Israel—the northern kingdom—had 19 kings throughout its history and all were bad, as they led God’s people into idolatry (i.e. the “sins of Jeroboam” 1 Ki 16:31; 2 Ki 3:3; 10:31; 13:2). The ten northern tribes came under divine discipline because of their idolatry and were destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 BC. Judah—the southern kingdom—had 20 kings throughout its history and 8 were good (some more than others), as they obeyed God and led others to do the same (they were committed to the Lord like David, 1 Ki 15:11). However, Judah repeatedly fell into idolatry—as the 10 northern tribes had done—and were eventually destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. The dispersion of Israel was promised by God if they turned away from Him and served other gods (Deut 28:63-68). Since the destruction by Babylon, Israel has been under Gentile dominance (Luke 21:24; Rom 11:25). After a temporary regathering under Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel continued under Gentile dominance with the Medes & Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Because of their rejection of Jesus as Messiah, God disciplined Israel again in AD 70, and the Jews were scattered all over the world (Jam 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1). Israel’s current state is one of judgment (Matt 23:37-39), and a “partial hardening” (Rom 11:25). Israel will be restored when Messiah returns to establish His kingdom on earth (Rev 19:11-21; 20:4-6).

Judges 9:1-25

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Abimelech rose to power in Israel by evil means; but the true King of Israel caused trouble for Abimelech.
     Abimelech was not eligible to be king in Israel since he was the son of a Canaanite concubine.  However, his ambition to be king led him to murder his half-brothers in order to remove any rivalry.  Abimelech’s evil plan was funded by the Shechemites who used pagan temple resources.  After killing his brothers (with the exception of Jotham), the Shechemites then rewarded Abimelech as their king.
     Jotham was a believer who introduced divine viewpoint and pronounced judgment upon both Abimelech and the men of Shechem.  The trees in Jotham’s parable (perhaps Gideon’s legitimate sons) preferred a place of productivity over a lesser place of leadership.  By doing God’s will, Gideon had brought blessing upon Israel, but Abimelech and the men of Shechem returned his goodness with evil by murdering his sons.  God, in turn, brought justice for the sons of Gideon by sending an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem, so that they would destroy each other.  The mountain robbers probably deprived Abimelech of resources he needed to rule.  
     Evil cannot exist by itself, as though it were something to be captured and put in a container. Evil exists only in connection with the willful creatures who manufacture it—which includes both fallen angels and people.  Evil sometimes refers to the mental attitude of a person that leads to sinful actions (Matt. 15:19), but when used by God, it refers to the calamity or destruction He brings upon men for His own purposes (Job 2:10; Isa. 45:5-7; Lam. 3:38; Amos 3:6).  God uses evil men to accomplish His plans (Jer. 25:8-11; 27:6-7; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28), and evil spirits to chastise the wicked (Judg. 9:23; 1 Sam. 16:14; 1 Kings 22:19-23), and to reveal the good character of godly men (Job 1:12; 2:6; 2 Cor. 12:7).  God will eventually banish all the wicked (Rev. 20:11-15).

Judges 8:22-35

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Israel tried to make Gideon king (Judg. 8:22-23), then they worshipped the ephod he’d created (Judg. 8:27), and they eventually returned to idolatry after his death (Judg. 8:33-34). 
     Gideon took some of the gold he’d acquired from the Midianites and created an ephod (Judg. 8:25-27). The ephod was originally part of the clothing worn by the high priest (Ex. 28:1-6).  It is possible Gideon made the ephod for himself, and like the priests of Israel, sought to consult the Lord directly, as did others in Israel (see Judg. 17:5; 18:14-20).  Or, it could be that Gideon made the ephod as a memorial to remind Israel that it was the Lord who delivered them (Judg. 8:34).  The end result was that the ephod became an object of worship as the men of his city followed the natural inclinations of their depraved heart. 
     It was valid for Gideon to be recognized and rewarded for his obedience to the Lord.  However, Gideon seems to have desired and requested more than was due him when he multiplied wives and sons (Judg. 8:30), even naming one Abimelech, which means “my father the king” (Judg. 8:31).  Gideon’s success over the Midianites was followed by spiritual failure when he succumbed to the cultural landmines that plagued his culture.
     Israel had a pattern of crying out to the Lord when faced with a crisis (Judg. 3:9, 15; 4:3; 6:6-7; 10:10), but then did as they pleased and worshipped false gods when everything was going well (Judg. 2:11; 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).  However weak, it seems Gideon had a restraining influence upon Israel, which restraint was removed after his death, as Israel quickly turned to Baal worship (Judg. 8:33-35).  
     Israel’s return to idolatry exposes the depravity of the human condition which is naturally bent toward sin, the exclusion of God, and the substitution of a manufactured god.  We are all born with a sin nature that leads us to sin and evil (Ps. 51:5; Jer. 17:9; Matt. 7:11; 15:19; John 3:19; Rom. 3:10-20; 7:18; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19; 1 John 1:8-10).  Individuals may be denoted as given over to evil (Matt. 5:39), and so may a generation (Matt. 16:4), as well as an age (Gal. 1:4; 5:15-16).  Satan’s world system seeks to silence the Christian either through temptation and absorption, or through oppression and exclusion.  The Christian is victorious over the world when his mind (the control center for his thoughts, feelings, and actions) is saturated with God’s Word (Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17), and he continues in prayer (Eph. 6:18; Col. 4:2), and godly Christian fellowship (Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:23-25), under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16).

Judges 8:1-21

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Gideon defeats Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of the Midianite army, and exacts justice on those Israelites who refused to stand with him. 
     When called to battle, the tribe of Ephraim fought with Gideon and captured and killed two chief Midianite commanders (Judg. 7:24-25).  Afterward, they spoke harshly to Gideon, asking why they’d not been considered among those originally called (Judg. 8:1).  Gideon spoke graciously to the tribe of Ephraim, acknowledging their efforts to help defeat the Midianites, stating that God had used them to capture and defeat two Midianite commanders.  Gideon’s selfless response preserved unity with the tribe of Ephraim. 
     In contrast to the tribe of Ephraim, the Israelite men of Succoth and Penuel refused to help Gideon in his battle against the Midianites and were therefore regarded as traitors.  It’s possible the men of Succoth and Penuel were afraid of Midianite retaliation if Gideon failed to defeat his enemies.  However, their refusal to help was actually a display of unbelief.  “Theirs was the sin of hardness of heart toward their brethren and treason against the God of heaven.”[1]  Gideon could tolerate the personal insults of Ephraim who had helped him fight God’s enemies, but he could not tolerate the rebellion of the men of Succoth and Penuel.  The protection that the men of Succoth and Penuel tried to secure was ultimately forfeited because of their choice to side with Israel’s enemies. 
     There are times when God’s obedient people will face opposition, both from believers and unbelievers.  There is a time to speak softly and graciously in order to preserve peace (Ps. 34:14; Prov. 15:1, 18; 16:32; 17:14; Rom. 12:18; 14:19; Heb. 12:14); however, there is also a time for strong language to correct those who need it (Matt. 16:21-23; 23:13-39; Acts 13:9-11; 1 Cor. 3:1-3; Gal. 2:11-14; Heb. 5:11-14).  It becomes characteristic of a maturing believer to discern how to respond to others according to God’s will.
 
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Available, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1994), 72.

Judges 7:1-25

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God defeated the Midianite army of 135,000 using Gideon and 300 Israelite men. 
     God greatly reduced Gideon’s army so that Gideon would trust in Him and Israel would not become boastful.  Gideon and his 300 men were a brave group, warriors who looked to God for victory.  God controlled the minds of the Midianites and made them fearful by means of a troubling dream, which dream strengthened Gideon’s faith and increased his courage.  God’s promise of victory included Gideon’s wise tactics on the battlefield.  It was common for Israelite commanders to lead their troops into battle with a torch and horn, so when the Midianites saw the hundreds of torch bearers blowing their horns and shouting, they imagined a great Israelite army was upon them, and in a state of panic attacked each other and fled. 
     God often uses unlikely persons to accomplish His will (1 Cor. 1:26-29), and sometimes brings us to a place of helplessness so that His salvation is more pronounced (2 Cor. 12:7-10), with the result that His people will boast in God and not themselves (Jer. 9:23-24).  For the Christian, the lesson of trust is more valuable than the victory itself. 

Judges 6:25-40

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Gideon obeyed God and tore down the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole that stood beside it.
     Israel was suffering oppression from the Midianites because of their spiritual infidelity (Judg. 6:1).  God’s deliverance necessitated that Israel obey Him by destroying their idols and return to worshipping Him.  God called Gideon to judge and lead Israel back to Him, and this meant that Gideon had to deal with the idolatry within his own family.  By destroying the altar of Baal and the Asherah pole, Gideon was committing himself to God and preparing himself to do His will.  Gideon was obedient to God, but he was also fearful of the reaction of his father and the men of the city.  In many cases fear is neither unreasonable nor sinful, unless it impedes us from doing God’s will.  Courage is not the absence of fear, but the overcoming of fear to do the right thing.
     Gideon’s actions were met with hostility by the men of the city who sought his death.  Those who pronounced death upon Gideon for tearing down the altar of Baal, were in fact guilty of death because they supported idolatry in Israel and led others away from God (Deut. 13:6-10).  Gideon’s father was encouraged by Gideon’s act of faith and supported his son against his detractors who sought to kill him.  Sometimes it takes the faith of only one person to bring a family and others back to a walk with God.  Once Gideon had committed himself to the Lord, the Spirit of Yahweh empowered him to do His will. 
     The fleece-test reveals a lack of faith on the part of Gideon who already knew God’s will for Him (Judg. 6:14, 16), and had already received a sign from the Lord (Judg. 6:17, 21).  Operation “fleece” revealed Gideon’s internal struggle to accept God’s call upon His life as a judge and leader in Israel.  Gideon felt he needed God’s assurance that He was with him.  Gideon had weak faith, but he was open about it before the Lord, and God graciously accommodated him.  At times, God graciously responds to our weaknesses as well. 
     Our walk with God should be our highest priority and all else should support that endeavor.  Walking with God means we learn His word and seek to live His will (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet. 3:18).  It sometimes means we make choices contrary to family values (when they are worldly), as well as choices that go against cultural values and practices.  We live in a world that is heavily influenced by demonic forces which are hostile to God (Acts 26:17-18; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2-3; 6:12; Col. 1:13) and our daily actions either help or hinder the spiritual lives of others.  All we think, say and do (i.e. a move, new job, financial pursuit, etc.) should be weighed against the impact it will have upon the spiritual lives of others with whom we interact.  God sustains those who walk with Him. 

Judges 6:1-24

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God punishes Israel for their disobedience, but when they cried to the Lord, He called Gideon to be their deliverer. 
     Israel cried to the Lord, but rather than immediately sending a deliverer as before, God rebuked Israel through an unnamed prophet who cited God’s historical deliverance and His covenant agreement with them.  God states plainly that Israel is being punished for their disobedience (Judg. 6:8-10; cf. Judg. 2:1-2).
     After His rebuke, God called Gideon to deliver Israel.  Like Moses and Jeremiah, Gideon hesitated at God’s call, seeing himself as inadequate to do God’s will (see Ex. 3-4; Jer. 1:4-8).  God’s call and presence would make Gideon into the warrior He needed.  It was probably Gideon’s insecurity that prompted him to ask the angel of the Lord for a sign; the Lord agreed.  To Gideon’s credit, he demonstrated hospitality to the angel of the Lord, and when the Lord accepted it as a worship offering, Gideon then knew he’d been visited by God.  The Lord’s acceptance of Gideon’s offering was an acceptance of Gideon himself.  Gideon became frightened after realizing he’d been visited by the angel of the Lord, but the Lord reassured him with comforting words.  Afterward, Gideon built an altar of worship and named it, “The LORD is peace” (Judg. 6:24).
     God graciously involves us in His plans, and He equips those whom He calls.   God sees us not for what we are or possess, but for what He can accomplish through us by means of His guidance and enablement (Phil. 1:6; 2:13).  The believer is automatically crippled when he tries to understand how to accomplish God’s will by means of human resources.  To succeed, the believer must learn to rise above human viewpoint and live within the divine perspective, for God’s estimation is always correct.  This requires faith.  It is a truth of Scripture that God often chooses the weak of this world to achieve His will (1 Cor. 1:26-29).

The Coming Kingdom of Christ

Scriptures used during this study.
     The Bible reveals two major aspects of God’s rule over His creation. The first is His universal rule in which He sovereignly decrees whatsoever comes to pass and “works all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11). There are times when God accomplishes His will immediately without the assistance of others (such as in the creation), and other times He chooses to work mediately through creatures, both intelligent (angels and people), and simple (Balaam’s donkey). Concerning God’s universal rule, Scripture reveals, “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psa 103:19), and “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psa 135:6). Daniel writes, “His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth” (Dan 4:34b-35a; cf. 5:21; 1 Ch 29:11-12).
     The second is God’s earthly rule in which He governs through a theocratic administrator. The first account of such a rule is found in Genesis where the Lord assigned Adam and Eve to rule over the whole world (Gen 1:26-28). Theirs was a mediatorial rulership, which may be defined as “the rule of God through a divinely chosen representative who not only speaks and acts for God but also represents the people before God; a rule which has special reference to the earth; and having as its mediatorial ruler one who is always a member of the human race.”[1] However, through an act of disobedience (Gen 3:1-7), Adam and Eve forfeited their rulership to Satan, a fallen angelic creature, who rules through deception (2 Cor 11:3, 14; Rev 12:9; 20:3, 8), blindness (2 Cor 4:3-4), and enslavement (Acts 26:18; Col 1:13). Since the fall of Adam and Eve, Satan has had dominion over this world and is called “the ruler of this world” (John 14:30; 16:1), “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), and “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4). When tempting Jesus, Satan offered Him “the kingdoms of the world” (Matt 4:8-9), and they were his to give, saying, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish” (Luke 4:6). However, the Bible also reveals that Satan has been judged (Gen 3:15; John 16:11), and in the future will be cast out of heaven (Rev 12:7-9), confined for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-3), and eventually cast into the Lake of Fire forever (Rev 20:10). It must always be remembered that God sovereignly permits Satan a limited form of rulership for a limited period of time, always restraining him and his demonic forces, if they seek to transgress the boundaries He’s established for them (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-6; Mark 15:1-13; 2 Pet 2:4).
     In spite of Satan’s influence in the world, God is sovereignly directing history toward the establishment of a divinely appointed theocratic administrator who will rule on earth. The Lord focused specifically on David, promising that one of his descendants would rule forever (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 34-37; Jer 23:5-6; 33:14-15). This descendant would be a righteous king (Isa 9:6-7; 11:1-9; Jer 23:5-6; 33:14-18), and his kingdom will last forever (Dan 2:44; 7:13-14; 1 Cor. 15:24). Jesus is identified as that king (Luke 1:30-33). When Jesus came, He repeatedly offered the earthly kingdom to Israel (Matt 3:1-2; 4:17; 10:5-7), a literal kingdom that was future (Matt 6:10; Luke 19:11; Acts 1:3-6). But they rejected Him and His offer (Matt 11:20; 12:14; Mark 15:12-15; John 19:15); therefore, the earthly kingdom was postponed for a future time (Matt 21:43; cf. Matt 19:28; 25:31; Luke 22:28-30; Acts 1:3-6; Rev 20:4-6).
     We are currently living in the church age, which will come to an end when the church is raptured to heaven (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Afterward, there will be a period of time known as the Tribulation, which will begin when the Antichrist signs a seven-year peace treaty with Israel (Dan 9:24-27). The time of Tribulation will come to an end when Jesus returns to earth to put down rebellion (Rev 19:11-21) and establish His millennial kingdom (Matt 25:31; Rev 11:15; 20:1-6). The word millennium is derived from the Latin words mille which means “thousand” and annum which means “year”. The word millennium translates the Greek word χίλιοι chilioi, which occurs six times in Revelation 20:2-7. After His second coming, Jesus will rule the whole earth, from Jerusalem, on the throne of David (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 34-37; Luke 1:30-33; cf. Mark 11:9-10), He will rule absolutely with “a rod of iron” (Psa 2:9; Rev 19:15), and afterward His kingdom will become an eternal kingdom (Dan 2:44; 7:27; 1 Cor. 15:24). King David himself will be resurrected to rule with Christ (Jer 30:9; Ezek 34:23-24). Jesus will rule the nations in righteousness, advocating for the poor and weak, as well as suppressing wickedness and rebellion (Isa 9:6-7; 11:1-9; Jer 23:5-6; 33:14-18). People will have good health (Isa 35:5-6), live long lives, and experience improvements in social and economic life (Isa 65:19-25; Amos 9:13-14), and a new worship system will be implemented (see Ezekiel chapters 40-46). There will be no more war (Isa 2:2-4; 32:17-18; Mic 4:1-4), and harmful animals will no longer be a threat (Isa 11:6-9; Ezek 34:25). Israel will possess all the Promised Land (Ezek 36:24; 39:25-29; Amos 9:15; cf. Gen 15:18-21), and will be exalted over the Gentiles (Isa 14:1-2; 49:22-23; 60:14-17; 61:6-7). The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord (Isa 11:9; Jer 31:33-34), and the Holy Spirit will indwell all believers (Ezek 36:27; 37:14; cf. Jer 31:33). The Gentiles will participate in the Jewish feasts and sacrificial system (Zec 14:16). Satan will be bound during the reign of Christ (Rev 20:1-3), but sadly, this will not change his rebellious nature, or the nature of those who follow him (Rev 20:7-10).
 
[1] Alva McClain, The Greatness of the Kingdom (Winona Lake, Ind. BMH Books, 2009), 41.