Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

A Christian View of Death

     As Christians, we will leave this world either by death or rapture. Excluding Enoch and Elijah (Gen 5:21-24; 2 Ki 2:11), human mortality is 100%. However, like Enoch and Elijah, we too may be spared the experience of death, if we are part of the generation of Christians that are caught up to meet the Lord in the air at the Rapture (1 Thess 4:13-18).
     Death is an uncomfortable subject, but for those who trust in the Lord, it need not be. God knows how frail we are, “He is mindful that we are but dust” (Psa 103:14). David courageously asked the Lord, “Make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days short in length, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath” (Psa 39:4-5). Job too perceived the brevity of his life and declared, “I will not live forever…for my days are but a breath” (Job 7:16), and James wrote, “you are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (Jam 4:14b). Leaving this world is inevitable; where we spend eternity is optional. God loves us and sent His Son into the world that He would provide eternal life for us. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17).
     Death was introduced into God’s creation when the first human, Adam, sinned against God. Adam’s sin immediately brought spiritual death (Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-7), and later, physical death (Gen 5:5). Though Adam was made spiritually alive again (Gen 3:21), his single sin introduced death, in every form, into the world (Rom 5:12-14; 1 Cor 15:21-22). Death means separation. Three major kinds of death are mentioned in Scripture:
Spiritual death, which is separation from God in time. Spiritually dead people continue to live until they die physically (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-7; 5:5; Eph 2:1-2; Col 2:13-14).
Physical death, which is the separation of the soul from the body (Eccl 12:7; 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23-24; 2 Tim 4:6). Though the body ceases to function, the soul moves to a new location, consciously awaiting the resurrection of the body.
Eternal death (aka the “second death”), which is the perpetuation of physical and spiritual separation from God for all eternity (Rev 20:11-15).
     All persons born into this world are physically alive, but spiritually dead, separated from God, because of Adam’s sin. The Bible reveals, “through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned [when Adam sinned]” (Rom 5:12), and “in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22). Though we are all dead in Adam, God offers new life when we turn to Christ as Savior, reconciling us to Himself through the death of His Son (Rom 5:1-2). Adam’s sin brought death, and Christ’s death brings life.  In Adam I am guilty, in Christ I am righteous. For the Christian, death is not the final victor in eternity. Every person, whether saved or unsaved, will receive a resurrection body that will live forever. Believers will enjoy eternal union with God, but unbelievers will suffer eternal separation from Him. Only those who are born again—by the Spirit of God—have eternal life and will spend forever in heaven (1 Pet 1:3, 23). Eternal life is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (John 3:16; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). It’s a free gift from God, paid in full by the Lord Jesus (John 19:30), who died for us on the cross and paid the penalty for all our sins, so that we don’t have to pay for them ourselves.
     Scripture reveals God is sovereign over all His creation, either causing or permitting whatsoever comes to pass. God is sovereign over all creation, which means there are no accidental people or events in history. God creates life (Gen 2:7; Job 1:21; Psa 100:3; Acts 17:24-25; Rev 11:11) and controls death (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-8; 6:17; 2 Ki 5:7; Luke 12:20; Rev 1:18). The Lord declares, “See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal” (Deut 32:39). And, “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up” (1 Sam 2:6). God holds final control over our lives, from beginning to end, and preordains our days on the earth. David wrote, “In Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them” (Psa 139:16). God’s sovereign control over life and death includes our choices and the choices of others. He desires that we think and act in conformity with His revealed will, but in many cases, He permits us to act, either good or bad, and to reap the consequences of our choices. At physical death, all of life’s decisions are fixed for eternity, and what we do with Christ determines our eternal destiny (John 3:16-18; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Eph 2:8-9). It has been said that procrastination is the thief of time and opportunity, and when one procrastinates about the gospel, it becomes the thief of souls. Please don’t delay. Trust Christ as Savior today and receive eternal life, believing the gospel that He “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). And, like the thief on the cross who trusted in Jesus, you can be assured your soul will immediately go into the presence of God at death (Luke 23:43; cf. 2 Cor 5:8).

Judges 2:1-23

     The Central Idea of the Text is that God judged Israel for their failure to take the land after Joshua’s death; and Israel then began a progressive cycle of downward decline as they served pagan gods.
     Judges 2:1-5 presents the angel of the Lord (theophany – bodily appearance of God the Son), who renders judgment upon Israel for their failure to perform His will.  The angel of the Lord speaks as God (Judg. 2:1-3; cf. Gen. 22:15-18), and is recognized as God (Ex. 3:2-6; Judg. 13:21-22). 
     Judges 2:6-10 is a retelling of Joshua’s death in order to show a spiritual contrast between the generation of Joshua and that which followed.  The generation that came after Joshua collectively ignored (passive rejection) God’s commands and promises and turned to spiritual idolatry.  Idolatry is the worship of an imaginary substitute in place of the Creator.  Pagan gods do not really exist, except in the minds of their worshippers.  Though a generation may work to provide a spiritual heritage, there are no guarantees the following generation will accept it.  Once people choose sin and turn to that which is worthless and self-serving, it eventually darkens any memory of God’s promises and works. 
     Israel served the Baals when life was going well, but turned to the Lord when He brought discipline.  This suggests a form of syncretism in which the Israelites served both God and pagan idols.  Today we see Christians who go to church on Sunday, pray and worship God, and then read their astrological horoscopes on Monday, believing their life is dictated by impersonal stars.
     Under the Mosaic Covenant, Israel was obligated to engage in military campaigns to defeat their enemies and claim the physical land promised to Abraham.  There was to be no tolerance.  In the Church age, the battle is not physical, but spiritual (Eph. 6:12).  The Christian has no authority to bear the sword, to put dissenters to death, as that is given to governments (Rom. 13:1-4).  Our responsibility is to keep ourselves unstained by the world (2 Cor. 6:14-18; Jam. 1:27), to pray for our enemies (Matt. 5:44), and witness for Christ that others might believe the gospel and be saved (1 Cor. 15:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:18-20).  The Bible is our sword by which we destroy spiritual and intellectual strongholds, within ourselves and others (2 Cor. 10:3-6).  The Christian is to get along with others, showing tolerance (Rom. 12:17-18), except when it comes to something that harms our walk with God, and then we are to be intolerant (Rom. 13:13-14; 1 John 2:15-17). 

The Life of Faith

     Living by faith is the Christian way. God expects us to trust Him at His word, which is plainly understood, believed, and applied. Studying the Bible and applying it to life are comparable to breathing in and breathing out, as both are necessary for living. Much of our mental and social stability depends on how well we know the Word of God and apply it to life. The Lord states, “My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him” (Heb 10:38).[1] And we know that “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). Scripture reveals that only God and His Word are absolutely true (Psa 119:160; John 17:17), and never fail (Matt 24:35; Tit 1:2; Heb 6:18). In contrast, we learn that people fail (Jer 17:5; cf. Pro 28:26), money fails (Psa 62:10), the government fails (Psa 146:3), and the creation fails (Matt 24:35). As we look at the Greek New Testament, we see how the word faith is used three ways:
Faith, as a verb (πιστεύω pisteuo),[2] means “to consider something to be true and therefore worthy of one’s trust.”[3] It means to believe, trust, or have confidence in God (Heb 11:6; cf. Rom 4:3), Jesus (Acts 16:31; 1 Pet 1:8), and Scripture (John 2:22). Unreliable people should not be trusted (Matt 24:23, 26; John 2:24).
Faith, as a noun (πίστις pistis), often refers to “that which evokes trust and faith…the state of being someone in whom confidence can be placed, faithfulness, reliability, fidelity.”[4] The word is used with reference to God who is trustworthy (Rom 3:3; 4:19-21), and of people who possess faith (Matt 9:2, 22; 21:21), which can be great (Matt 15:28; cf. Acts 6:5; 11:23-24), small (Matt 17:19-20), or absent (Mark 4:39-40; cf. Luke 8:25). It is also used of Scripture itself as a body of reliable teaching (i.e. Acts 14:22; 16:5; Rom 14:22; Gal 1:23; 2 Tim 4:7).
Faith, as an adjective (πιστός pistos), describes someone “pertaining to being worthy of belief or trust, trustworthy, faithful, dependable, inspiring trust/faith.”[5] The word is used both of man (Matt 25:23; 1 Cor 4:17; Col 1:7; 1 Tim 1:12; 2 Tim 2:2; Heb 3:5), and God (1 Cor 1:9; 10:13; 2 Tim 2:13; Heb 10:23; Rev 1:5).
Biblical facts about faith:
Faith demands an object (Acts 16:30-31).
Faith is exercised with a view to receiving a benefit (John 3:16).
The object of faith gets the credit (Rom 4:19-21).
Salvation comes by faith in Jesus (Acts 4:12; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Gal 3:26; Eph 2:8-9).
Faith is the only thing that pleases God (Heb 11:6).
God expects us to live by faith (Rom 1:17; Heb 10:38).
Faith is part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23).
By faith we apply the word of God (Matt 7:24-25; John 13:17; Jam 1:22).
By faith we claim promises (Heb 6:11-12; 2 Pet 1:4).
It is possible to have God’s promises and not benefit from them (Heb 4:2).
Our faith will be tested (1 Pet 1:6-7).
Our faith overcomes fear (Deut 31:6-8; Isa 41:10-13).
Trusting God produces mental stability (Isa 26:3; Phil 4:6-11).
Faith can be strengthened by others (Acts 14:21-22; 16:5; Rom 1:12)
     Faith in God results in a change of attitude and actions about everything. By faith, “we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible” (Heb 11:3). By faith we have confidence that God controls the circumstances of our lives, that He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). Even the trials we face help to produce humility (Dan 4:37; Matt 23:12), and develop the character of God in us (Rom 5:1-5). James wrote, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (Jam 1:2-4). Such a faith response makes us better rather than bitter. By faith we obey God’s commands to love and serve (Gal 5:13), be tolerant (Eph 4:2), kind, tenderhearted and forgiving (Eph 4:32), and to regard others as more important than ourselves (Phil 2:3-4).
     Satan, and his world-system, will strive to get the believer to rely upon anything and everything other than God and His Word. If the believer falls into this trap, he will experience worry, frustration, anxiety, and eventually a deep-rooted sense of despair. God wants us to have mental stability (Isa 26:3), love (1 John 4:16-17), contentment (Phil 4:11-13), and every other attitude that brings an abundant life (John 10:10). Only through a life of faith can we know the blessings that belong to every Christian.
 
[1] Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotes are from the New American Standard Bible.
[2] Though I’m looking at the Greek, it should be noted that the Hebrew אָמַן aman carries the same basic meaning as πιστεύω pisteuo. In fact, the LXX translates Genesis 15:6—a passage quoted by NT writers (Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6; Jam 2:23)—by using the Greek verb πιστεύω pisteuo.
[3] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 816.
[4] Ibid., 818.
[5] Ibid., 820.

The Gospel We Share

     The apostle Paul made a clear presentation of the gospel message when he wrote to the church at Corinth. He stated, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel [εὐαγγέλιον euaggelion – good news message] which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain” (1 Cor 15:1-2).[1] The gospel is information that is communicable from one person to another, whether by spoken or written means. It is received as factual information that benefits the recipient who accepts it by faith. Paul then provided the content of 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).
     The gospel is best understood as the solution to a problem. There are two parts to the problem. First, God is holy (Ps. 99:9; Isa. 6:3), which means He is positively righteous and can have nothing to do with sin except to condemn it. The Scripture states, “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, and You cannot look on wickedness with favor” (Hab 1:13), and “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Second, all mankind is sinful and separated from God (Rom. 3:10-23). This separation occurred when Adam sinned and brought death into the world. Scripture informs us that “through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5:12; cf. 18-19; 1 Cor 15:21-22).[2] The idea is that Adam served as the federal and seminal head of the human race, and when he fell, we fell with him. Because of sin, every person is spiritually separated from God and helpless to change their situation (Rom 5:6-10; Eph 2:1), and good works have no saving merit before the Lord (Isa 64:6; Rom 4:1-5; Gal 2:16; 3:21; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5). We cannot save ourselves any more than we can jump across the Grand Canyon or throw rocks and hit the moon. But God, because of His mercy and love toward us (John 3:16; Eph 2:4-7), did for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He provided His own solution to the problem of sin, and this was worked out through His Son, Jesus, who became human and accomplished what we could not.
     Jesus solved both problems: 1) He lived the righteous life that God demands and committed no sin, and 2) He died for us on the cross, as our substitute, and paid the penalty for all our sins. God the Son—the second Person of the Trinity—came into the world by human birth (Luke 1:26-35), and lived a perfectly righteous life (Matt 5:17-21). Scripture informs us that Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21), “has been tempted in all things as we are, yet He did not sin” (Heb 4:15), and “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Being sinless qualified Him to go to the cross and die for us. No one forced Jesus to go to the cross; rather, He willingly laid down His life and died in our place, “the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God” (1 Pet 3:18). Jesus said, “the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). We are redeemed, not by anything this world can offer or by anything we can do, but His “precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ” (1 Pet 1:19). The blood of Christ is the coin of the heavenly realm that pays our sin debt and liberates us from the slave-market of sin. But we must trust in Jesus as our Savior. We must accept His good work on our behalf. Though Jesus’ atoning work on the cross is sufficient for all (John 1:29; Heb 2:9; 1 John 2:2; 4:10), it is effectual only for those who believe in Him (John 3:16-18; 20:31; Acts 4:12; 16:30-31). If we reject Christ as Savior, the result is that we will be forever separated from the Lord (Rev 20:11-15). For “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). At the cross, He judged my sin as His righteousness requires, and saves me, the sinner, as His love desires. He did this out of His own goodness and mercy, and not because of any worth found in me. To comprehend the cross of Christ is to understand the heart of God toward a fallen world He wants to save.
     Salvation is completely the work of God, comes to us as a free gift from God (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5), as we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). When we trust in Christ as our Savior, we are forgiven all our sins (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14), positionally identified with Him (Rom 5:14-18; 1 Cor 15:22), given eternal life (John 3:16; 10:27-28), given the gift of God’s righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and have the power to live righteously (Rom 6:1-13). God saves us from the penalty of sin (John 5:24; Rom 6:23; 8:1), the power of sin (Rom 6:11; 8:13; 2 Cor 5:17), and ultimately the presence of sin (Phil 3:21; 1 John 3:2). God has prepared good works to follow our salvation (Eph 2:10), but they are never the condition of it. The matter is simple: Salvation comes to us who believe in Christ as our Savior, believing He died for our sins, was buried, and rose again on the third.
 
[1] The word vain translates the Greek word εἰκῇ eike, which denotes, “being without careful thought, without due consideration, in a haphazard manner” (BDAG, p. 281). The main thrust of 1 Corinthians chapter 15 concerns the resurrection of Jesus, which is an essential part of the gospel message. Yet, there were some within the church who were saying “there is no resurrection of the dead” (1 Cor 15:12). Paul asserts, “if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain” (1 Cor 15:13-14). The point is, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; [and] you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17). Denying the resurrection of Jesus meant they had believed in a Jesus that could not save them, because the object of their faith was dead, and therefore powerless to help them. Getting the gospel message right matters.
[2] Being born in Adam, we also possess a sin nature which is the source of our rebellious heart (Rom 7:14-25; 13:12-14), and we produce personal sin each time we yield to temptation (Jam 1:14-15).

Judges 1:20-36

     The Central Idea of the Text is that Israel—as a nation—failed to obey God and drive out the inhabitants of the land.
     Caleb initially obeyed the Lord and drove out the sons of Anak, who had previously intimidated the sons of Israel (Num. 13:30-33).  He did by faith what all Israel should have done.  Israel—for the most part—operated from fear rather than faith, and this led to policies of appeasement with those who should have been driven out.  Their decisions of toleration sowed the seeds of their future destruction because they allowed themselves to be exposed to the religious and ethical values of people who were opposed to the Lord. 
     The Canaanite culture was marked by a pantheon of deities—El, Baal (son of El), Dagon, Anath, Astarte, and Ashera—to whom the Canaanites offered human sacrifice and engaged in sexual fertility rights with temple prostitutes.  Israel became influenced and corrupted by the depraved Canaanite culture for centuries to come (see Deut. 18:10; 2 Kings 17:16-17; 21:1-7). 
     God’s policy was that Israel was to destroy all the inhabitants of the land of Canaan (Deut. 7:1-5), offering negotiations of peace only with cities outside the land (Deut. 20:10-18).  God was in no way cruel by demanding the destruction of the Canaanites.  In fact, the Lord had been very patient with their extreme wickedness (Gen. 15:16; 2 Pet. 3:9), and the time had come for justice to prevail.  Israel failed to execute God’s will, and let the inhabitants of the land remain.  God rebukes them for their disobedience (Judg. 2:1-5).  “This series of tribal defeats was the first indication that Israel was no longer walking by faith and trusting God to give them victory”[1]
     God’s policy for the Christian today is to be a light in the world (Acts 13:47; Eph. 5:6-10) and to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43-45; Rom. 12:20; 1 Pet. 3:9).  The Christian today is defeated to the degree that he is friendly toward the world and allows himself to be influenced by the surrounding pagan culture.  The fact is, “bad associations corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33).  The Christian is to be in the world, but not of the world.  We are to love those who are lost, but never be accepting of worldly values (1 John 2:15-17).  Faith sees things in their proper place, from the divine perspective, from the light of eternity (2 Cor. 4:17; Rom. 8:18; 1 Pet. 1:3-7; 4:13).  Fear often magnifies situations and makes them appear larger than they really are.  May we all grow and learn to please God with a life of faith (Prov. 3:5-6; Heb. 11:16).
 
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Available, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1994), 13.

Improving Culture – A NT Example

     Culture represents the values, traditions and behaviors of a society, and though culture is improvable, it is not perfectible. And even where positive change occurs, it’s difficult to perpetuate, largely because the people needed to sustain the change are few, flawed and temporary. A society’s culture is no better or worse than its leaders and the citizenry who support them; and at the heart of every problem is the problem of the heart. Apart from regeneration and a transformed mind and will, people will default to selfishness and sin, and so social problems continue. Furthermore, if we did make great improvements, we cannot guarantee succeeding generations will follow the good pattern set for them. Below is a NT example in Acts 19 of how the city of Ephesus was improved culturally from the bottom up, as a result of the apostle Paul’s preaching the gospel and biblical teaching over several years.
     The apostle Paul came to the city of Ephesus, and as was his custom, “he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8). Paul’s normal ministry pattern was to preach to Jews first, then to Gentiles (Rom. 1:16; cf. Acts 13:46; 17:2; 18:4, 19). However, there were some Jews with negative volition who rejected Paul’s teaching, who “were becoming hardened and disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people” (Acts 19:9a). Paul did not argue with them, nor did he try to force his teaching on them. Rather, “he withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus” (Acts 19:9b). It’s very possible Paul was renting a room at the school in order to host his daily Bible classes. Luke tells us, “This took place for two years, so that all who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). Though Paul was teaching, he continued to work with his hands to support himself and his traveling companions (Acts 20:34), and it’s possible the seven churches of Asia were started as a result of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19:10; Rev. 2-3). In addition to Paul’s teaching, we learn “God was performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were even carried from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out” (Acts 19:11-12). In this way, God was authenticating Paul’s apostolic authority and validating him as a true servant of the Lord. Ephesus was a city known for its occult practices, and there were some unbelievers who thought they could borrow the name of Jesus and use it to advance their own agendas. We learn there were some “Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, [and] attempted to name over those who had the evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, ‘I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches’” (Acts 19:13). These men were identified as “Seven sons of one Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this” (Acts 19:14). But the results were not what they expected, as “the evil spirit answered and said to them, ‘I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’” (Acts 19:15). The question implied they had no authority, “And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded” (Acts 19:16). Though these exorcists tried to use the name of Jesus in the form of a verbal incantation to control evil spirits, it backfired on them and caused personal harm, and the event “became known to all, both Jews and Greeks, who lived in Ephesus; and fear fell upon them all and the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified” (Acts 19:17). The failure of these Jewish exorcists became widely publicized and began to draw people to hear the Christian message. Furthermore, many of “those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices” (Acts 19:18). Those who “had believed” were Christians who had not completely let go of some of their pagan practices, but now they were willing. Luke records, “And many of those who practiced magic brought their books together and began burning them in the sight of everyone; and they counted up the price of them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:19). Though it took nearly two years, these Christians were finally willing to let go of their past practices by burning their magic books and turning fully to the Lord. The value of these books totaled a large financial sum, as each piece of silver was probably equal to a day’s wage. “Ephesus was known for its magic, and apparently the Christians had not yet put away all such evil practices. So they brought their books and scrolls of magic and burned them as an open repudiation. Then—after the believers made their relationships with the Lord right—the Word of God grew and prevailed.”[1] The result was that people were being transformed from the inside out and Ephesian culture was positively impacted for Christ, as “the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing” (Acts 19:8-20). Here we see cultural improvement in the lives of those who were positive to gospel preaching and biblical teaching.
     These events marked the high point of Paul’s ministry in Asia. However, some pagan craftsmen who made their living selling statuettes of Artemis felt threatened by the cultural changes that were taking place (Acts 19:23-27). Acting out of rage and economic self-interest, they formed a mob and stormed the city theater, even dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, two of Paul’s traveling companions, who undoubtedly felt threatened by the uproar (Acts 19:28-29). Paganism has no real answers to Christianity, and when threatened, many will resort to violence to suppress the advance of truth. Though Paul wanted to address the mob, he was prevented by friends who were concerned about his safety (Acts 19:30-31). The riot lasted for several hours with great intensity (Acts 19:32-34), until eventually the crowd tired out, at which time a city official reasoned with them to bring their complaints to the courts, where matters could be handled lawfully and peacefully (Acts 19:35-41). These events likely occurred between 52-55 AD. We know Paul was marked by these events (2 Cor 1:8-9), and by the end of his ministry around 62-64 AD, everyone who once supported him in Ephesus turned away from him (2 Tim 1:15). By 95 AD the church in Ephesus had grown cold and lost its “first love” (Rev 2:4).
     In this pericope we observe that gospel preaching and biblical teaching can, over time, bring about positive cultural change. However, we must keep our focus on evangelism and biblical teaching, and not reducing Christianity to a methodological system merely for the purpose of effecting social change (i.e. a social gospel). We also observe in Acts 19 that when Christianity does bring about positive cultural change, it threatens those who love and live by their paganism, and when this happens, people may resort to violence to suppress the biblical teaching. Lastly, gospel preaching and biblical teaching does not always yield large or lasting results. Remember that Noah preached for 120 years, but only seven persons besides himself were saved (2 Pet 2:5), and Jeremiah preached for 23 years to the same group of leaders in Israel, but they refused to listen (Jer 25:3). Jesus came as the Light into the world, but the majority of those who heard and saw Him rejected His message, as they “loved the darkness rather than the Light” (John 3:19). Jesus informed us that “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it” (Matt 7:13), whereas “the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt 7:14). The result is that there will continually be believers and unbelievers in the world, as the wheat and tares will grow side by side until Jesus returns and establishes His earthly millennial kingdom (Matt 13:36-42). Even Paul did not always get the same results in each city where he preached, for though he had many disciples in Iconium, Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe (read Acts 14), there were only two positive responses in Philippi, namely Lydia (Acts 16:14-15), and the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:27-34). As Christians, we are more concerned about our godly output rather than the responsive outcomes of those we interact with; for though we can control our godly life and good message, we cannot control how others will respond to it.
     Lastly, we live in the reality that there will always be resistance to God’s work in every Christian ministry because the world is fallen and Satan desperately wants to keep everyone—both saved and lost—thinking and acting according to his world-system. New Christians will inevitably face many obstacles, because at the moment of salvation, their minds are not automatically filled with Scripture and their characters are not instantly changed to be like the character of Christ. The process of being transformed into the character of Christ and learning to think biblically involves many thousands of decisions over a lifetime, in which worldly viewpoint is driven from the mind as the believer’s thinking is renovated and brought into conformity with Scripture. Without regeneration and positive volition to God and His Word, biblical discussion is hindered and the appropriation of Christian values to culture is not possible. Christians who are learning God’s Word and growing spiritually will prove to be the moral fabric of any community, as they manifest the highest and best virtues within society, not the lowest and worst. And the Bible is our sword by which we destroy spiritual and intellectual strongholds, within ourselves and others (2 Cor 10:3-6), realizing true cultural change occurs through preaching the gospel and consistent biblical teaching. As Christians, we should always pray for our leaders (1 Tim 2:1-2), strive to be upstanding citizens (Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1; 1 Pet 2:13-14), help the needy in our communities (Acts 20:35; 1 Thess 5:14), and above all, share the gospel and preach God’s Word (1 Cor 15:3-4; 2 Tim 4:1-2). As we grow spiritually and walk with God, we stand in opposition to Satan’s world-system and sow the seeds of spiritual insurrection in the lives of those who live and walk in his kingdom of darkness. We disrupt Satan’s kingdom when we share the Gospel (1 Cor 15:3-4), and influence the thoughts and lives of others through biblical discussion (Matt 28:18-20); which we do in love and grace (Eph 4:14-15; Col 4:6), not by argumentation (2 Tim 2:24-26).
 
[1] Charles C. Ryrie, Acts of the Apostles, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1961), 102.

Improving Culture - An OT Example

     Culture represents the values, traditions and behaviors of a society, and though culture is improvable, it is not perfectible. And even where positive change occurs, it’s difficult to perpetuate, largely because the people needed to sustain the change are few, flawed and temporary. A society’s culture is no better or worse than its leaders and the citizenry who support them; and at the heart of every problem is the problem of the heart. Apart from regeneration and a transformed mind and will, people will default to selfishness and sin, and so social problems continue. Furthermore, if we did make great improvements, we cannot guarantee succeeding generations will follow the good pattern set for them. Below is an OT example from 2 Kings of how the nation of Judah was improved from the top down by King Josiah, a strong leader who obeyed the Lord and led his people to do the same.
     The historical account in 2 Kings informs us “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath” (2 Ki 22:1). The record of Josiah’s reign was that “He did right in the sight of the LORD and walked in all the way of his father David, nor did he turn aside to the right or to the left” (2 Ki 22:1-2). When Josiah began his reign as a young boy, both he and his advisors were ignorant of God’s Word because it had been lost to the nation and no one knew its content. In his eighteenth year (2 Ki 22:3), Josiah sent Shaphan the scribe to the temple, saying, “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest that he may count the money brought in to the house of the LORD which the doorkeepers have gathered from the people” (2 Ki 22:4). Apparently, there was money collected “from the people” of Judah to fund a renovation project at the temple (2 Ki 22:5-7). That there were citizens in Judah who did this thing would imply some positive volition toward God. It was during this renovation project that a copy of the Mosaic Law was found in the temple (2 Ki 22:8-9), and the book was brought to the king and read in his presence (2 Ki 22:10), and “When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes” (2 Ki 22:11). The Word of God that he heard touched his sensitive heart and he responded properly. Then the king commanded some of his servants to inquire of the Lord (2 Ki 22:12), saying, “Go, inquire of the LORD for me and the people and all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found, for great is the wrath of the LORD that burns against us, because our fathers have not listened to the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us” (2 Ki 22:13). Josiah understood that Judah was experiencing God’s judgment because they had been unfaithful to abide by the terms of the Mosaic contract. Josiah’s servants consulted with Huldah the prophetess (2 Ki 22:14-15), who said, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I bring evil on this place and on its inhabitants, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched’” (2 Ki 22:16-17). But then she had words for Josiah, the king, saying, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants that they should become a desolation and a curse, and you have torn your clothes and wept before Me, I truly have heard you,’ declares the LORD. ‘Therefore, behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place’” (2 Ki 22:18-20). Here we observe the axiom that “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet 5:5).
     As a good king, Josiah gathered the leaders and people of Judah at the temple (2 Ki 23:1-2a), and there, “read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD” (2 Ki 23:2b). This provided the divine viewpoint on their deplorable situation and why they were experience’s God’s judgment. A good leader hears God’s Word, responds positively to it, and leads others to know and walk with the Lord. Josiah acted publicly, as he “stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book” (2 Ki 23:3). This was likely a rededication to the Mosaic Covenant, to walk in obedience to the Mosaic Law. And the people responded to his leadership, “And all the people entered into the covenant” (2 Ki 23:3). The positive leadership of Josiah encouraged the people to follow him in his covenant renewal. Josiah then commanded the temple be purged of all the idols that had been placed in it and he removed the idolatrous priests who led pagan worship (2 Ki 23:4-9). Josiah destroyed the places of pagan worship which had been built by Solomon and Jeroboam, where Judahites had sacrificed their children (2 Ki 23:10-16; cf. Jer 7:31). But Josiah honored a monument that had been erected to a true prophet of the Lord (2 Ki 23:17-18). Josiah also destroyed the high places of pagan worship in the north region in Samaria and Bethel, killing the again priests who led the people into idolatry and child sacrifice (2 Ki 23:19-20). The king sought to restore the nation’s history to them by reinstating the Passover meal (2 Ki 23:21-23), which remembered God’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage at the time of the exodus under the leadership of Moses. Even people from Israel in the north came to participate in the holiday celebration (2 Chron 35:18). And so, “Josiah removed the mediums and the spiritists and the teraphim and the idols and all the abominations that were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might confirm the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD” (2 Ki 23:24). God’s Word gives Josiah a praise report, saying, “Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him” (2 Ki 23:25).
     However, though Josiah was a good king and made many good reforms and led God’s people into His will; yet, “the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him” (2 Ki 23:26). For the Lord declared, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there’” (2 Ki 23:27). Josiah was killed in battle in 608 BC and was buried in Jerusalem (2 Ki 23:28-30a). The four kings who came after Josiah wrecked all he had accomplished and led Judah toward destruction and Babylonian captivity.[1]
Summary:
     Josiah was a good king who reigned for 31 years (2 Ki 22:1-2; 23:24-25), and he committed himself to serve the Lord and to remove the deep-seated idolatry that had been implemented under the previous leadership of King Manasseh (2 Ki 21:1-6). Josiah was positive to God after hearing the Word of God, and his positive volition was marked by a commitment to God, a clear communication of Scripture to those under his charge, and decisive leadership to lead others to do God’s will. Josiah removed the idols in Judah, their pagan places of devotion and those who promoted their worship. He also honored godly persons and their memorials. Sadly, though Josiah worked diligently to lead spiritual and national reforms, he could not dislodge the idolatry from the people’s hearts, and they quickly returned to their evil ways after his death in 608 BC.[2] The four kings who followed Josiah did not imitate his faith, and Judah declined spiritually and morally for the next twenty-two years, until Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC and brought God’s people into Babylonian captivity for seventy years.  
     As Christians in leadership positions we too can respond positively when we hear God’s Word, commit ourselves to serve the Lord, communicate Scripture to others, and lead those under our charge to walk with God. We can remove those pagan impediments from our homes, businesses, schools, or wherever we have authority to act. And, we can seek to lead others into God’s will, respect other godly persons, and honor the memorials of those who have gone before us. This might be as a pastor to his church, a husband to a wife, parents to children, business owner to employees, coach to team, or governmental official to citizenry. But we should be aware that our actions will be met with opposition, and though we can control our godly output, the decision to follow must be freely made by those under our supervision. Furthermore, the faith of one generation does not guarantee the faith of the next, as each generation must to choose to accept or reject what’s been handed to them.
 
[1] Immediately after Josiah’s death, the people of Judah returned to their old ways and selected Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, to reign over them (2 Ki 23:30b). Jehoahaz was an evil king who reigned for three months (2 Ki 23:31), and “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done” (2 Ki 23:32). But God brought Jehoahaz’ rule to an end in 608 BC, when God used Pharaoh Neco to imprison him in Riblah (2 Ki 23:33), before bringing him to Egypt where he died (2 Ki 23:34). Pharaoh Neco then appointed Jehoiakim as a vassal king in Judah, where he reigned for eleven years, until 597 BC. It is written about Jehoiakim, saying, “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done” (2 Ki 23:37). Toward the end of Jehoiakim’s reign, God raised up Nebuchadnezzar to destroy Judah (2 Ki 24:1-5), and Jehoiakim died (2 Ki 24:6a), “and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place” (2Ki 24:6b). Jehoiachin was eighteen when he became king and he reigned only three months (2 Ki 24:8). The record of his life was, “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done” (2 Ki 24:9). Nebuchadnezzar eventually laid siege against Judah, and Jehoiachin surrendered himself and went into Babylonian captivity (2 Ki 24:10-15). Nebuchadnezzar then made Zedekiah king in Judah, where he reigned for eleven years (2 Ki 24:17-18). The record of Zedekiah was, “He did evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done (2 Ki 24:19). Zedekiah was deposed in 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar laid siege against Jerusalem (2 Ki 25:1-6). After capturing Zedekiah, he was taken to Riblah, and there “They slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, then put out the eyes of Zedekiah and bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon” (2 Ki 25:7).
[2] Judah’s national instability continued for several years as the Babylonians rose to power under the leadership of Nabopolassar, who defeated the Assyrians in 612 BC, and then his son, Nebuchadnezzar, who defeated the Egyptians in 605 BC at the Battle of Carchemish. Judah became a vassal state under the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar, who took many captives to ensure their loyalty. Daniel was among the captives (Dan 1:1-6).

Where the Enemy is Attacking

     Where God directs mankind, it is always for good and not evil. Satan is a disrupter and destroyer, and his world-system is set up to attack God’s people, the gospel message, biblical truths and divine institutions that make for stable and productive individuals and societies. Because Christians are a minority, living in a fallen world that is under Satan’s control, it is normal that we will experience conflicts and temptations that seek to disrupt our walk with the Lord and derail our spiritual life. As Christians, we must realize there will be touchpoints where we are at odds with the culture around us, and there we must stand, with absolute clarity on biblical teaching. The purpose of this lesson is to set forth those areas where Satan is currently attacking, so that we can stand on the truth of God’s Word and know how we should respond when questioned or pressured to abandon them. In this way we will be a good influence on those whom God places in our path. The touchpoints are as follows:
The Bible as Divinely Authoritative. The Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of God, and is the basis for faith and conduct (1 Thess 2:13; cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17). It teaches us how to be saved, and how to live righteously through spiritual growth and obedience to His commands. Satan’s world is systemically hateful toward the Bible and seeks to suppress it, or pervert its meaning, to keep people enslaved in darkness.
Christian Identity. As those who have believed in Jesus as Savior (1 Cor 15:3-4), we are no longer “in Adam”, but are “in Christ” (1 Cor 15:22; cf. 2 Cor 5:17), and our new “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). This means our Christianity identity supersedes all other forms of identity; especially those that artificially manufactured on humanistic philosophies and values that are antithetical to biblical teaching.
Devotion to Learning God’s Word. God calls us to know His Word so that we will have the knowledge necessary to live His will (Deut 8:3; Ezra 7:10; 2 Tim 2:15). The world will throw up every pleasure or pressure to keep us ignorant of God’s Word, in order to keep us spiritually malnourished and ineffective in our spiritual influence.
The Pursuit of Spiritual Growth. God desires that we mature as Christians by living His Word in all aspects of our lives (Eph 4:11-15; 1 Pet 2:2). Spiritual growth takes time, as we make consistent choices to gather together as Christians, study the Bible, and encourage each other to godly living.
Sharing the Gospel. We are to share the gospel that others might believe in Christ as Savior (1 Cor 15:3-4). Satan seeks to blind the minds of the unbelieving (2 Cor 4:3-4), who regard the good news as foolishness (1 Cor 1:18). However, “the gospel…is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16).
Living Responsibly. As Christians, we are to live responsibility to the Lord (Gen 1:26-28; 2:15; 19-20; 1 Cor 4:7; Jam 1:17; 1 Pet 4:10). We observe in our culture a victim mentality that tells us we are the products of evolution, history, culture, nature and/or nurture, and that we are not responsible for our desires, values, or behaviors. Christian maturity begins when we accept full responsibility for our lives and begin to make good choices to learn and live God’s Word on consistent basis.
Marriage as a Divine Institution. Marriage is clearly defined in Scripture as being between one man and one woman (Gen 2:24; Matt 19:6). However, marriage is being redefined and modified as though it were merely a social construct to be tinkered with. This is why we see a rise in divorce, as well as the introduction of same-sex marriage and polyamorous relationships.
Family as a Divine Institution. The family is the smallest social unit intended to train succeeding generations for godliness and authority orientation (Deut 6:6-7; Eph 6:4). However, many states are undermining parental authority and responsibility for the training of children, by which values are transmitted.
Human Government as a Divine Institution. Human government is a divine institution with delegated authority to promote freedom, order, and to protect citizens from evil (Gen 9:5-6; Rom 13:1-5; Tit 3:1-2; 1 Pet 2:13-17). Human government is moving beyond its delegated authority to promote freedom, order, and to protect citizens from evil.
The Christian Church as a Divine Institution. The Christian Church is a divine institution consisting of born-again believers (Eph 1:22-23; 1 Pet 2:5), who assemble locally (Heb 10:25), have laws (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2), and leaders (1 Tim 5:17). The primary purpose of the church is to glorify God (Eph 1:12), evangelize the lost (Matt 28:18-20), edify believers through biblical teaching (Eph 4:11-16), and do good to others (Luke 6:35; Gal 6:10; 1 Tim 6:17-19). However, the Christian Church is increasingly coming under attack by individuals, organizations, and states who desire to render it uninfluential or inoperative.
God’s Creation of the Universe, Earth, and People in Six Literal Days. The Bible, plainly read and understood, teaches that God created the universe, earth, plants, animals, and people in six literal days (Gen 1:1—2:4; Ex 20: 9-11; Isa 45:12). Everything was created in a state of maturity.
God’s Testing. God prefers we mature as believers and sends trials to help expedite our spiritual and moral advancement as we live by faith (Deut 8:2-3; Jam 1:2-4). But the world would have us believe pleasure is to be pursued above character. However, God is more concerned with our Christian character than our creaturely comforts, and He uses trials to burn away the dross of weak character and purify those golden qualities that reflect His character.
People as Made in the Image of God. The Bible reveals we are special, made in the image of God (Gen 1:27; 9:6), with the ability to think, act, and feel in ways that place us above the rest of creation. Evolutionary teaching predominates in our culture, which promotes the idea that people are the product of matter, motion, time and chance.
One Human Race. Biblically, there is only one human race (Gen 1:27; 9:18-19; Acts 17:26). The idea of multiple races confuses and divides people in harmful ways, allowing for racism. However, we should see all people are part of one human race, and help them to understand that God loves them and Christ died for them.
God Created Two Genders. Biblically, there are only two genders, male and female (Gen 1:27). However, today there are teachings that gender is a matter of personal choice, and not a matter of divine design.
Life Begins in the Womb at Conception. The Bible teaches that human life begins at conception (Psa 139:13; Isa 44:24; Jer 1:5), not at a later time outside the womb. This means babies in the womb are full persons, and to abort a baby is a choice to end its human life prematurely.
Israel as the Covenant People of God. God created Israel when He called Abraham and entered into a unilateral covenant with him, promising him and his descendants the land of Canaan (Gen 12:1-3; Isa 43:1; cf. Gen 15:18; 17:8; Josh 1:2-4). Though Israel is currently under divine discipline (Matt 23:37-38), God has a future for His people and national Israel will be restored (Rom 9:1-5).
Freedom. God desires that we be free, both physically and spiritually, as this provides us the opportunity to exercise our volitions in godly ways (Gal 5:1, 13; 1 Pet 2:16). However, some people prefer servitude to freedom because they fear personal responsibility and like the idea of someone else making choices for them, watching over and caring for them.
Nationalism. God has separated the nations of the world in order to hinder the advancement of evil and human tyranny. He divided the nations by multiplying languages and confusing the efforts of defiant persons, as these tried to build the Tower of Babel by using His language and resources independently of His wishes (Gen 11:1-9). Today, many would like to see a one world government, but Christians should oppose it, realizing it’s God’s will that national boundaries exist (Acts 17:24).

Divine Institutions

     Last time we met we discussed the steps to spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is characterized in the believer whose thoughts, words and actions are governed by Scripture in matters of personal choice, interpersonal relationships, marriage, family, church, education, work, leisure, economics, social involvement, ecology, and government. This assumes the Christian is living in submission to God and has devoted the necessary time and effort to learning God’s Word in order to live His will.
     According to Scripture, God has created divine institutions that make for a stable and productive society. A divine institution is a custom or organization that God created to advance His purposes among people. The health of a society is directly related to its adherence or rejection of divine institutions. A city or nation will experience maximum freedom with blessing from God when the majority of its citizens are supportive of divine institutions. The purpose of this lesson is to address God’s divine institutions and understand how they make for stable persons and societies. As growing Christians, we desire to help promote these divine institutions for the good of all people.
Responsible Dominion. God created the human race to have responsible dominion over His creation. “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth’” (Gen 1:26; cf. Gen 1:27-28). “Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it” (Gen 2:15; cf. 2:19-20). Currently, because of sin, the creation is not operating properly (Gen 3:17-19; Rom 8:20-22), and is not entirely subject to man’s control (Heb 2:8). However, there are blessings God bestows on people, and He holds each person responsible for how they manage what He gives (1 Cor 4:7; Jam 1:17; 1 Pet 4:10).
Marriage. God created marriage as a divine institution to be enjoyed between one man and one woman. Moses wrote, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). Jesus, referencing this statement by Moses, said, “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matt 19:6). As the first humans, Adam and Eve were created in God’s image to live under His provision and authority, to walk in fellowship with Him, and to fulfill the specific purpose of ruling over His creation and multiplying and filling the earth (Gen 1:26-28). In this regard they were to complement each other. God intends the husband to lead his wife and children into God’s will, and the wife is to stand with him and help him.
Family. The family is the smallest social unit intended to train succeeding generations for godliness and authority orientation. God said to His people, Israel, “These words [i.e. divine instruction], which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your sons and 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” (Deu 6:6-7). Paul instructed Christian fathers at the Church in Ephesus, saying, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph 6:4). The family unit is to model godly stability and transmit biblical knowledge and values to succeeding generations. Ultimately, the parents are responsible for their godly output, encouraging their children to take up and live by the instruction and example set for them.
Human Government. Human government is a divine institution with delegated authority to promote freedom, order, and to protect citizens from evil. Paul wrote, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God…For it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil” (Rom 13:1, 4). As Christians we are to submit to governing authorities, unless they conflict with God’s authority, and then we have the duty to disobey human government, but only as we submit to God’s authority (see Dan 3:12-18; 6:1-10; Acts 4:19; 5:29). As obedient-to-the-Word Christians, it’s important we live out godly virtues, and in so doing, be peaceful and law-abiding citizens. Speaking to Christians, Paul stated, “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.” (Tit 3:1-2; cf. 1 Pet 2:13-17).
The Church. The Christian Church is a divine institution which consists of born-again believers who, “as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5). The church has a clearly defined body (both visible and invisible), laws (1 Cor 9:21; Gal 6:2), and leaders (1 Tim 5:17). The primary purpose of the church is to glorify God. Paul states, “we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory” (Eph 1:12), and “to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever” (Eph 3:21; cf. Rom 11:36; 16:27; 1 Pet 2:5). Other purposes of the church include evangelizing the lost (Matt 28:18-20), edifying believers through biblical teaching (Eph 4:11-16), and doing good to others (Luke 6:35; Gal 6:10; 1 Tim 6:17-19).

Advancing Toward Spiritual Maturity

     The purpose of this lesson is to help us realize we’re not neutral nor helpless concerning the culture in which we live, and that right-living not only helps to curb divine judgment, but can also bring blessing to others. Our objective as Christians is to advance to spiritual maturity which glorifies God and blesses those around us.
     The advance to spiritual maturity is a process that takes time as Christians learn and live God’s Word on a regular basis. But this is not an easy process, 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 are “destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we 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 as we advance to spiritual maturity. 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). Being in submission to God means we desire the Lord’s will above all else. When this happens, God’s Word opens up to us (John 7:17).
Continually study God’s Word (Psa 1:1-2; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18). As Christians, we cannot live what we do not know, and learning God’s Word necessarily precedes living His will. Therefore, from regeneration onward, we study God’s Word in order to replace a lifetime of worldly viewpoint with divine viewpoint.
Live by faith (Rom 10:17; Heb 10:38; 11:6). Learning God’s Word becomes effective when mixed with our faith as we apply it to all aspects of our lives. Our faith is effective when God’s Word is more real than our experiences, feelings, or circumstances. 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), 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).
Accept God’s trials (Deut 8:2-3, 16; 1 Pet 1:6-7; 3:17; 4:12-13). God uses trials to strengthen our faith and develop us spiritually. Often, we don’t like hardship, but we must learn to accept it as necessary. For the Lord uses it 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 advance us spiritually (Rom 5:3-5; 2 Cor 12:7-10; Heb 12:11; Jam 1:2-4; 1 Pet 4:12-13).
Be filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:18). Being filled with the Holy Spirit means being controlled by Him. It means we follow where He guides, and His 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 guidance.
Walk in the Spirit (Gal 5:16-21). Walking in the Spirit means we depend on Him to sustain us as we seek to do His will according to Scripture.
Restore broken fellowship with God through confession of personal sin (1 John 1:5-9). The confessed sin is directed to God, who faithfully forgives every time (1 John 1:9).
Fellowship with other believers (Acts 2:42; Heb 10:24-25). Spiritual growth does not happen in isolation, as 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 Thess 5:11-15).
Serve others in love (Gal 5:13). We are part of the body of Christ and God calls us to love and serve each other. 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).
Take advantage of the time God gives (Eph 5:15-17; cf. 1 Pet 1:17; 4:1-2). 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). The believer does not reach spiritual maturity overnight, and since we have only a measure of time allotted to us by God (Psa 139:16), we must make sure our days are not wasted on meaningless pursuits, but on learning God’s Word and living His will.
     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.

Positive and Negative Volition

     The purpose of this lesson is to reveal that people operate either on positive or negative volition toward God. Those who are positive to God respond favorably in two ways: 1) believe God’s gospel and trust Jesus as Savior, and 2) advance to spiritual maturity by learning and living God’s Word. Those who are negative to God are: 1) hostile to God’s gospel, and 2) orient their thinking and life to Satan’s world-system.
     Volition is the ability to act within a sphere of freedom and in accordance with one’s desires. There are three categories of volition in existence: God’s volition (Isa 46:8-11; cf. Gen 1:1-31), angelic volition (Psa 103:20), and human volition (Gen 1:26-28). God’s volition is absolute, immutable, and always operates in concert with His divine attributes. And, according to His sovereignty, He created intelligent and moral beings—angels and people—with the ability to obey or resist His directive will. In fact, Lucifer and a third of the angels exercised their volition against God and caused a bifurcation in the angelic realm (Isa 14:12-14; Rev 12:7; cf. Matt 25:41). Two thirds of the angels exercised their volition to stay with God, and these continue as holy angels to do His will (Matt 16:27; 26:53; 1 Tim 5:21; Heb 1:14). As Scripture reveals, Satan persuaded Adam and Eve to disobey God, and this brought sin and death into the creation (Gen 3:1-8; Rom 5:12; 8:20-22), with the result that every person is born with a sinful nature and proclivity to sin (Jer 17:9; Matt 7:11; Rom 7:18-21; Gal 5:16-17; Eph 2:1-3). However, God has dealt with the sin problem through the life, death, burial and resurrection of His Son, Jesus (John 3:16; 1 Cor 15:3-4), who paid our sin debt (Col 2:13-14), and liberates us who have trusted in Jesus as Savior (Rom 8:1-4), so that we might not be controlled by sin, but will pursue righteousness (Rom 6:5-13; 1 Pet 2:24).
     The tendency of people who operate on negative volition is to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), and to operate by a worldly wisdom that is not “from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic” (Jam 3:15). The vast majority of humanity will not choose a relationship with God nor a walk with Him (Matt 7:13-14).
     When God’s Word is dethroned from the mind of the believer, other forces will dominate for the worse. God’s desire for the Christian is to develop his/her character so that righteousness, goodness, grace and love flow easily and with continuity of expression. If the character is good then the behavior will be good, for it follows that a person with an honest character will easily and consistently behave in an honest manner, and a person with a loving character will easily and consistently behave in a loving manner. But good character does not automatically occur in the life of the Christian, nor does it happen overnight; rather, it matures over a lifetime as we make many good choices to walk in step with God and let His good Word transform us from the inside out. But we should be aware that it is possible to abuse our liberty and make bad choices with the result that we weaken the will and forfeit our freedoms (the addict knows this to be true). Not only that, but bad choices and abuses of freedom bring harm to others within our periphery; for this reason, Scripture states, “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).
     Unbelievers who love their moral depravity will naturally stand against those who are children of God and who love righteousness. This is why Scripture states, “Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:13). Those who set their wills against God will not listen to the Christian who comes with His message; however, they will listen to their own. The apostle John tells us about those who walk in darkness, saying, “They are from the world; therefore, they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them” (1 John 4:5). That is, there are those who operate from presuppositions and values that are cosmocentric, which exclude or pervert serious consideration and discussion about God, refusing to give Him any say over their lives. When confronted with divine revelation, the person who is negative to God either denies His existence (Psa 14:1), or reduces Him to the status of a creature (Rom 1:22-25). And the person who is negative to God can be simultaneously immoral and religious (2 Tim 3:1-5).
Four categories of positive and negative volition in Scripture.
Those who are positive to God and His gospel and advance to spiritual maturity by learning and living Scripture and staying the course until the end of their life (David & Paul – 1 Ki 15:5; 1 2 Tim 4:7-8). These are not sinless believers; but rather, those who handle their sin in a biblical manner.
Those who are positive to God and His gospel, but then turn negative, preferring to follow Satan’s world-system (Solomon – 1 Ki 11:1-10; 1 Tim 1:19-20; 6:10). Some of these will fail to have a positive public influence because of external pressure from a Satanic hostile environment (John 12:42-43; 19:38).
Those who are negative to God and His gospel, but are favorable to the Bible as a moral system by which they seek to live their lives (i.e. following the Ten Commandments; Luke 18:18-27).
Those who are negative to God and His gospel and who vigorously pursue Satan’s world-system and are hostile toward believers who are advancing toward spiritual maturity (John 8:47; Acts 7:51-58; 1 John 4:6).
Examples of negative volition include:
The antediluvian generation (Gen 6:5-13; 2 Pet 2:5)
The city of Sodom (Gen 13:13)
The first generation of Israelites after the Exodus (Num 32:10-13; Deut 1:35)
Israel during the Judges (Judg 17:6; 21:25)
Solomon when he turned away from God and worshipped idols (1 Ki 11:1-10)
Israel under the leadership of Jeroboam (1 Ki 12:26-33)
Israel under the leadership of Ahab (1 Ki 16:29-33)
Judah’s pre-exilic leaders (Jer 25:3)
Jesus’ generation who rejected Him (John 3:19; 12:37; cf. Matt 23:37-38)
The last generation of the church (2 Tim 3:1-5)
The last generation of the millennial kingdom (Rev 20:7-9).
Examples of positive volition include:
Enoch, who walked with God (Gen 5:21-24)
Noah, who obeyed the Lord (Gen 6:22)
Moses, who led Israel out of Egypt (Ex 3:1—14:31)
Joshua, who lead Israel into the Promised Land (Josh 1:1-18)
The Ninevites who responded positively to Jonah’s preaching (Jon 3:1-10)
Elijah, who turned Israel back to the Lord (1 Ki 18:17-40)
King Josiah, who delayed God’s judgment against Judah (2 Ki 22:1-20)
The apostles (Matt 19:27-28)
Saul, who believed in Jesus and spread the gospel (Acts 9:1-20).
Conclusion:
     Every person we meet is either positive or negative to God and His Word. Though we are not neutral and try to persuade people to believe the gospel (John 3:16; 20:31; Acts 4:12; 1 Cor 15:3-4; Eph 2:8-9), and live righteously (Rom 6:11-14; Tit 2:11-14), each person must choose to accept or reject the offer. Those who believe in Jesus will be forgiven all their sins (Eph 1:7), given eternal life (John 10:28), and will spend forever in heaven (John 14:1-4); and believers who pursue righteousness will be rewarded in eternity (1 Cor 3:10-15). Those who reject the gospel have no other way to be saved and will forever be separated from God in the Lake of Fire (John 3:18; Rev 20:11-15).

The Effects of Sin

     The purpose of this lesson is to show how the historic fall of Adam and Eve fundamentally changed the human race and the world, resulting in disease, decay and death among all living things, and that the tendency of humanity is to behave in a spiritually and morally corrupt manner, suppressing God’s truth and rejecting His solutions to life’s problems.
     Sin is a dominant theme from Genesis chapter three to the end of the Bible, at which time God will do away with sin and its effects, creating a “new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13; cf. Rev 21:1). The word sin is found throughout Scripture, and both the Hebrew and Greek share the same basic meaning. The Hebrew word חָטָא chata means “to miss the target, or to lose the way,”[1] and the Greek ἁμαρτάνω hamartano is defined as “miss the mark, err, or do wrong.”[2] Sin is when we transgress God’s law and depart from His intended path.[3] The apostle John states, “Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). “The underlying idea of sin is that of law and of a lawgiver. The lawgiver is God. Hence sin is everything in the disposition and purpose and conduct of God’s moral creatures that is contrary to the expressed will of God (Rom 3:20; 4:15; 7:7; Jam 4:12, 17).”[4]
     Sin impacts all things including family life, nature, economics, society, law, politics, science, education, etc. All sin and evil exist in connection with the willful creatures who manufacture it, and its effects can be short or long-lasting. Even the creation is cursed because of Adam’s sin, as the Lord told him, “Cursed is the ground because of you” (Gen 3:17), to which Paul added, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now” (Rom 8:20-22). Sin negatively impacts everyone and everything, and no one was impacted or hurt more by sin than God. On several occasions we read, “The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart” (Gen 6:6), and though God loved Israel, their ongoing sin “grieved His Holy Spirit” (Isa 63:10). As Christians, we are commanded, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). Sin ultimately cost God His Son, who came into the world and died on a cross in order to atone for it (Mark 10:45; John 3:16; 10:14-18; Rom 8:32; 1 John 4:10), and to set us free from spiritual slavery (Rom 6:6; Gal 5:1; Heb 2:14-15).
     The Bible reveals we are sinners in Adam, sinners by nature, and sinners by choice. To be a sinner in Adam means we sinned when he sinned, that his fallen position is our fallen position, and his guilt is our guilt (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-24; Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:21-22). This is commonly referred to as original sin. Since the fall of Adam, every person is born with a sin nature (except Jesus),[5] and it is this nature that internally motivates people to rebel against all legitimate forms of authority, both human and divine. More so, the sin nature is not eradicated from the believer during his time on earth, nor is it ever reformed, as though it can be made to love God. To be a sinner by nature means it’s our innate tendency to sin (Jer 17:9; Matt 7:11; Rom 7:18-21; Eph 2:1-3). To be a sinner by choice means we personally choose to act contrary to God and His revealed will (1 Ki 8:46; Prov 20:9; Ecc 7:20; Isa 53:6; Rom 3:10-12; 1 John 1:10). Cumulatively these reveal that we are totally depraved, which means sin permeates and corrupts every aspect of our being, including our mind, will, sensibilities and flesh. Though we may be moral to the best of our ability and others may applaud us for our good deeds, our best efforts are tainted by sin and have no saving merit before God (Isa 64:6; Rom 4:1-5; 5:6-10; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5).
     One of the major areas sin impacts us is in the mind, which theologians refer to as the noetic effects of sin. This means sin impacts our ability to think rationally, especially about God, who has made Himself known through general revelation (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18-20) and special revelation (1 Cor 14:37; 1 Tim 5:18; 1 Thess 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16-17). The majority of people throughout history think evil thoughts and are consumed with themselves and their own agendas rather than God’s will. Of Noah’s generation it is said, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). Later, Solomon declared, “the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives” (Eccl 9:3). And Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). And Jesus Himself spoke of the human condition, saying, “for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, [and] slanders” (Matt 15:19). One would think that when Jesus came into the world that mankind would rejoice in His light; however, Scripture provides a different picture, telling us, “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19; cf. 1:4-5). When talking to religious Pharisees, Jesus declared, “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word” (John 8:43). This is true of all unbelievers, for “the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised” (1 Cor 2:14). Even something as simple as the Gospel message is “foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor 1:18), in whose case “the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Cor 4:3-4). The tendency of fallen people who operate on negative volition is to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18), and to operate by a worldly wisdom that is not “from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic” (Jam 3:15).
     At the moment of salvation, God the Holy Spirit indwells us and gives us a new nature that, for the first time in our lives, has the desire and capacity to obey God; however, the sin nature is not removed, and so we experience ongoing internal conflict between these opposing natures (Gal 5:17; Rom 7:14-23). As Christians, we are directed to “lay aside the old self…and put on the new self which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Eph 4:22, 24). Since we have been “born again” and given new life (1 Pet 1:3, 23), the sin nature no longer has domineering power over us, and we can choose a life of righteousness (Rom 6:5-13). As we grow spiritually, we will be transformed from the inside out and gradually become more and more righteous as we walk with God. Sinless perfection will not be attained until we leave this world, by death or by Rapture, and are “conformed to the image of His Son” (Rom 8:29), who will “transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phi 3:21). Until then, we are commanded to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts” (Rom 13:14). We do this by choosing to live according to the Spirit’s guiding, and starving the monster that is our sin nature. To “make no provision for the flesh” means we stop exposing ourselves to the things of the world that excite the flesh and lead to sinful behavior. The positive action is to grow spiritually with biblical teaching (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17; 1 Pet 2:2; 2 Pet 3:18), Christian fellowship (Heb 10:23-25), selfless living (Phil 2:3-4), prayer (1 Thess 5:17), worship (Heb 13:15), and doing good (Gal 6:10; Heb 13:16). It is only by spiritual growth and drawing closer to God that we learn to glorify the Lord and live in righteousness.
 
[1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 305.
[2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 49.
[3] In Judges 20:16 the Hebrew word is used of skilled soldiers who do not miss their target, and in Proverbs 19:2 of a man who hurries and misses his way.
[4] Merrill F. Unger and E. McChesney, “Sin,” ed. R.K. Harrison, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988), 1198.
[5] According to Scripture, Jesus “knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21), was “without sin” (Heb 4:15), and “in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). His sinless life qualified Him as a perfect sacrifice to go to the cross and die as a substitute for others (Rom 5:6-10; Heb 10:1-14; 1 Pet 3:18).

The Historic Fall of Mankind

     The purpose of this lesson is to reveal that mankind is fallen, corrupted by sin, and that our natural proclivity is to think and act in conformity with Satan’s world-system, which is everywhere and always at odds with God and His plan.
     As we’ve already considered, sin and rebellion already existed in the angelic realm prior to the fall of Adam and Eve (Ezek 28:12-17; Isa 14:12-14). God created Adam to have responsible dominion over His creation (Gen 1:26-30; 2:7-8, 15-17), and Eve was created to help Adam, to stand with him to do God’s will (Gen 2:18-25). But Satan, possessing a serpent—a subordinate creature that would have posed little threat to Adam and Eve—tempted them to act contrary to God and His commands. “Demonic spirits evidently have the ability, under certain conditions, to indwell or ‘possess’ either human bodies or animal bodies (Luke 8:33); and Satan on this occasion chose the serpent as the one most suitable for his purposes.”[1] The serpent here is identified as “the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9; cf. Rev 20:2).
     Satan was shrewd and intentional in his attack as he approached the woman and questioned her understanding of God’s command, asking, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’” (Gen 3:1). And Eve answered, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” (Gen 3:2-3). In her reply, “Eve disparaged the privileges, added to the prohibition, and weakened the penalty—all seen by contrasting her words (Gen. 3:3) with God’s original commands (2:16-17).”[2]
     When Satan heard Eve misrepresent God’s instructions (Gen 2:16-17), he boldly advanced his argument, saying, “You surely will not die!” (Gen 3:4), calling God a liar, stating, “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:4-5). Satan’s argument was that God was withholding divinity from Adam and Eve, and if they were willing to eat the fruit, they could be like God, which was the same mental attitude sin committed by Lucifer at his fall (Isa 14:12-14). Here, Eve was confronted with an antithetical claim to what the Lord had told her, but rather than seek the Lord about the matter, she let Satan convince her to abandon faith in God and operate independently of Him. The influence of Satan brought an epistemological shift in Eve’s thinking, and rather than seeing the tree from the divine perspective as harmful, she saw it as attractive, that is “was good for food…a delight to the eyes…[and] desirable to make one wise” (Gen 3:6a). Being deceived by Satan’s argument, “she took from its fruit and ate” (Gen 3:6b; 1 Tim 2:14). Eve then “gave also to her husband with her, and he ate” (Gen 3:6c), and so Satan’s strategy to advance his kingdom of darkness and take possession of the world and humanity was complete.
Sin and its judgment immediately after the fall:
Adam and Eve sought to fix the sin-problem themselves. Adam and Eve became aware of their failure, as “the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings” (Gen 3:7). Remembering they were to “multiply and fill the earth” (Gen 1:28), Adam and Eve “realized that the very fountainhead of human life had now become corrupted by their disobedience and they became acutely aware of their nakedness. Their children would all be contaminated with the seed of rebellion, so that their feeling of guilt centered especially on their own procreative organs.”[3]
Heterodoxy and heteropraxy dominated their thinking and behavior.[4] Spiritual death (i.e. separation from God) brought an irrational shift in their theology as well as their behavior as they sought to hide from the Lord (Gen 3:8-9), saying, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself” (Gen 3:10; cf. Jer 23:24).
Adam and Eve blamed others for their failure. When confronted about their sin (Gen 3:11), Adam blamed his wife as well as God, saying, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate” (Gen 3:12), and Eve blamed the creature, saying, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Gen 3:13). Hiding from God and shifting blame for sin are common characteristics of mankind’s fallenness.
God pronounced judgment upon the serpent. The serpent would be changed to crawl on its belly as a perpetual reminder to mankind about the fall (Gen 3:14). Here, the curse was actually against Satan, who possessed the serpent, as the Lord declared, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Gen 3:15). Having brought Adam and Eve under his control, it is possible Satan thought he would gain total control over all their children, but the Lord had other plans and made it known to Satan there would be “enmity” between him and the woman, as well as his “seed and her seed; [and] he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” This verse is commonly referred to as the protoevangelium—the first gospel—because God promises there would come a “seed” from the woman’s line who would defeat Satan and disrupt his kingdom.[5]
God pronounced judgment upon Adam, Eve and the creation. Eve’s judgment was that she would have increased “pain in childbirth” and that her husband would “rule over her” (Gen 3:16), and the ground that Adam was to cultivate would be cursed, and “in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” (Gen 3:17-19).
     Lastly, we should understand the biblical view of people and the universe is under attack by atheists and liberal theologians who treat the book of Genesis—especially chapters 1-11—as myth. However, the NT writers treat Adam and Eve as historical persons and the fall as literal. Luke traces Jesus’ genealogy back to Adam (Luke 3:38), and Jesus based His argument on marriage on the first human couple (Matt 19:4-6). Paul also states, “I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:3). And, “it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Tim 2:14). Paul argued that through Adam “sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom 5:12; cf. 1 Cor 15:21). And all humanity is said either to be in Adam or in Christ, and this determines whether we are alive or dead, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (1 Cor 15:22). Adam’s sin brought corruption and decay into the whole universe, “For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now” (Rom 8:20-22). We now live in a very flawed world with sinful people and all sorts of problems.
"Things are not “very good” in the world now! In the physical realm, everything tends to run down and wear out. In the living world, each animal is engaged in a perpetual struggle against other animals and against disease, as well as the universal process of aging and death. Culturally, one civilization after another seems to rise for a time, then decline and die. In the spiritual and moral realm, each individual invariably finds it easier to do wrong than right, easier to drift downward than to struggle upward. The world is full of hatred, crime, war, pollution, selfishness, corruption—evil of all kinds. Something has gone wrong with God’s perfect creation."[6]
 
[1] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1976), 108.
[2] Allen P. Ross, “Genesis,” 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), 32.
[3] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record, 115.
[4] Orthodoxy and orthopraxy refer to correct theology and living; whereas heterodoxy and heteropraxy refer to incorrect theology and faulty living.
[5] Of course, we know this to be Jesus, the Messiah (Luke 1:26-33), and His victory occurred at the cross, where “the ruler of this world has been judged” and defeated (John 16:11; cf. Col 2:15; Heb 2:14; 1 John 3:8). Satan and his angels will eventually be cast into the Lake of Fire (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10).
[6] Henry M. Morris, The Genesis Record, 105.

Satan's World System

     The purpose of this lesson is to reveal what the Bible says about Satan’s world-system, by which he influences those who reside in, or participate in his kingdom of darkness.
     The Bible recognizes Satan’s world-system and warns us not to love it (1 John 2:15-16). When John writes and tells the Christian “do not love the world”, he’s not talking about the physical planet. The Greek word κόσμος kosmos as it is used by the apostle John and others most often refers to “that which is hostile to God…lost in sin, wholly at odds with anything divine, ruined and depraved.”[1] Satan’s world-system consists of those philosophies and values that perpetually influence humanity to think and behave contrary to God and His Word. This operating apart from God is first and foremost a way of thinking that is antithetical to God and His Word, a way of thinking motivated by a desire to be free from God and the authority of Scripture, a freedom most will accept, even though it is accompanied by all sorts of inconsistencies and absurdities.
"The kosmos is a vast order or system that Satan has promoted which conforms to his ideals, aims, and methods. It is civilization now functioning apart from God-a civilization in which none of its promoters really expect God to share; who assign to God no consideration in respect to their projects, nor do they ascribe any causality to Him. This system embraces its godless governments, conflicts, armaments, jealousies; its education, culture, religions of morality, and pride. It is that sphere in which man lives. It is what he sees, what he employs. To the uncounted multitude it is all they ever know so long as they live on this earth. It is properly styled “The Satanic System” which phrase is in many instances a justified interpretation of the so-meaningful word, kosmos."[2]
     People who live in Satan’s world-system exclude God and Scripture from their daily conversations. This is true in news, politics, academic communities, work and home life. God is nowhere in their thoughts, and therefore, nowhere in their discussions (Psa 10:4; 14:1). The growing Christian thinks about God and His Word all the time, as “his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psa 1:2). The contrast between the growing Christian and the worldly person is stark, as their thoughts and words take them in completely different directions.
     At the core of Satan’s world-system is a directive for mankind to function apart from God, and when obeyed, people produce all forms of evil, both moral and immoral. We should understand that Satan’s system is a buffet that offers something for everyone who rejects God, whether that person is moral or immoral, religious or irreligious, educated or simple, rich or poor. Satan is careful to make sure there’s even something for the Christian in his world-system, which is why the Bible repeatedly warns the believer not to love the world or the things in the world. We are to be set apart (Col 2:8; Jam 1:27; 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16). “The world is the Christian’s enemy because it represents an anti-God system, a philosophy that is diametrically opposed to the will and plan of God. It is a system headed by the devil and therefore at odds with God (2 Cor 4:4).…It is in this wicked world we must rear our families and earn our livelihoods. We are in it, yet are not to be a part of it.”[3] It is important to understand that we cannot change Satan or his evil program; however, we must be on guard, for it can and will change us if we’re not careful to learn and live God’s Word.
     At the moment of salvation, God the Father “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13), and “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20). This transference is permanent and cannot be undone. Once this happens, we are hated by those who remain in Satan’s kingdom of darkness. For this reason, Jesus said to His disciples, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you” (John 15:18-19; cf. John 16:33; 1 John 3:13). Love and hate in this context should be understood as accept or reject, which can be mild or severe in expression. When praying to the Father, Jesus said, “they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world” (John 17:14b), and went on to say, “I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one” (John 17:15). It is not God’s will that we be immediately removed from this world at the moment of salvation, but left here to serve as His representatives to the lost, that we “may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9). We are not to participate in worldly affairs that exclude God, but are to “walk as children of Light” (Eph 5:8), manifesting the fruit of the Light “in all goodness and righteousness and truth, trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord” (Eph 5:9-10), and we are told, “do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them” (Eph 5:11).
     The growing Christian faces real struggles as Satan’s world system seeks to press him into its mold, demanding conformity, and persecuting him when he does not bend to its values. The world-system not only has human support, but is backed by demonic forces that operate in collaboration with Satan. Scripture tells us “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). The battlefront is more than what is seen with the human eye and is driven by unseen spiritual forces. As Christians living in the world we are to be careful not to be taken “captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Col 2:8). Realizing the battleground is the mind, we are to think biblically in everything, which is our only safeguard against the enemy (2 Cor 10:3-5).
     Christians face situations every day in which they are pressured to compromise God’s Word. They face difficulties at work, school, home, or other places, in which they are confronted by worldly-minded persons, both saved and unsaved, who demand and pressure them to abandon their biblical values. There is room for personal compromise where Scripture is silent on a matter; however, where Scripture speaks with absolute authority, there the believer must never compromise! “The world, or world-system, puts pressure on each person to try to get him to conform (Rom 12:2). Jesus Christ was not “of this world” and neither are His people (John 8:23; 17:14). But the unsaved person, either consciously or unconsciously, is controlled by the values and attitudes of this world.”[4]
     By promoting the gospel and biblical teaching, the church disrupts Satan’s domain of darkness by calling out of it a people for God. By learning God’s Word, Christians can identify worldly conversations and activities and either avoid them or seek to redirect them by interjecting biblical truth, which should never be done in hostility. When sharing God’s Word with others it’s proper to know that not everyone wants to hear God’s truth, and even though we may not agree with them, their personal choices should be respected (Matt 11:14; Acts 13:50-51). We should never try to force the gospel or Bible teaching on anyone, but be willing to share when opportunity presents itself. At times this will bring peace, and other times cause disruption and may even offend. In this interaction, the growing Christian must be careful not to fall into the exclusion trap, in which the worldly person (whether saved or lost) controls the content of every conversation, demanding the Christian only talk about worldly issues, as Scripture threatens his pagan presuppositions. Having the biblical worldview, the Christian should insert himself into daily conversations with others, and in so doing, be a light in a dark place. He should always be respectful, conversational, and never have a fist-in-your-face attitude, as arrogance never helps advance biblical truth (2 Tim 2:24-26). The worldly-minded person may not want to hear what the Christian has to say, but he should never be under the false impression that he has the right to quiet the Christian and thereby exclude him from the conversation.
     As we grow spiritually and walk with God, learning and living His Word (2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17), we stand in opposition to Satan’s world-system and sow the seeds of spiritual insurrection in the lives of those who live and walk in his kingdom of darkness. We disrupt Satan’s kingdom when we share 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). When anyone places their faith in Christ, trusting solely in Him as Savior, they are forgiven all their sins (Eph 1:7), and gifted with eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28), and the righteousness of God (Rom 4:1-5; 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9). They are rescued from Satan’s enslaving power, as God rescues them from the “domain of darkness” and transfers them into “the kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col 1:13). The gospel is the only thing that will deliver a person from spiritual slavery; “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Rom 1:16). Once saved, we seek to influence the thoughts and lives of other Christians through fellowship (Heb 10:23-25), prayer (Jam 5:16), edification (Eph 4:29), encouragement (1 Thess 5:11), love (1 Thess 4:9; cf. Eph 4:14-15), and words of grace (Col 4:6).
 
[1] Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 562.
[2] Lewis S. Chafer, “Angelology Part 4” Bibliotheca Sacra 99 (1942): 282-283.
[3] Robert P. Lightner, Handbook of Evangelical Theology, p. 206.
[4] Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Vol. 2, p. 18.

Satan as the Ruler of this World

     The purpose of this lesson is to show that Satan has a certain amount of control over this world and relies on numerous fallen angels and sinful people to help him accomplish his agenda. This knowledge will help us make sense of the current state of policies and practices we see and experience.
     The Bible reveals Satan was originally created a holy angel of the class of cherubim; however, because of pride (Ezek 28:11-18), he rebelled against God (Isa 14:12-14), and convinced many angels to follow him (Rev 12:4, 7). The name Satan is derived from the Hebrew שָׂטָן Satan which means “adversary, opponent…accuser, opposing party…[or] the one who hinders a purpose”[1] The Greek Σατανᾶς Satanas carries the same meaning and is used “in a very special sense of the enemy of God and all of those who belong to God.”[2] Other names for Satan include the shining one, or Lucifer (Isa 14:12), the evil one (1 John 5:19), the tempter (1 Thess 3:5), the devil (Matt 4:1), the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4), the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:10), the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2), the serpent (Rev 12:9), and the great red dragon (Rev 12:3). Further, Satan is a murderer and liar (John 8:44), is compared to a lion that prowls about, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet 5:8), and one who disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14).
     Lucifer became Satan at the time of his rebellion when he declared, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”  (Isa 14:13-14). “The desire of Satan was to move in and occupy the throne of God, exercise absolute independent authority over the angelic creation, bring the earth and all the universe under his authority, cover himself with the glory that belongs to God alone, and then be responsible to no one but himself.”[3] Satan seeks to operate independently of God’s plan for him, and he leads others, both saved and unsaved, to do the same. Lucifer introduced sin and death to the first humans when he convinced them to turn from God and eat the forbidden fruit (Gen 2:16-17; 3:1-7). At the time of the fall, Adam handed his kingdom over to Satan, who has been ruling this world since (Luke 4:5-6; Rev 11:15).
     Satan is permitted, for a time, to rule over the majority in this world. At the time when Jesus began His public ministry, He faced a series of tests from Satan, one of which was an offer to receive the kingdoms of the world without going to the cross. Satan told Jesus, “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). Satan took possession of “this domain and its glory” by God’s permission and man’s sin, presumably, when Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and follow Satan (Gen 3:1-8). Satan said to Jesus, “Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours” (Luke 4:7). Satan’s offer had to be true in order for the temptation to be real. At some time in the future, Satan will share his authority with the Antichrist, because he advances his agenda (Rev 13:1-2). Three times Jesus referred to Satan as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). Other passages of Scripture call Satan “the god of this world” (2 Cor 4:4), and “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2), informing us “that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Satan rules as a tyrant who has “weakened the nations” (Isa 14:12), and currently “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9). He personally attacked Adam and Eve (Gen 3:1-7), Job (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-13), David, (1 Chr 21:1), Joshua the high priest (Zec 3:1-2), Jesus (Matt 4:1-11), Judas (John 13:27), and Peter (Luke 22:31-32). He continues to attack God’s people today (1 Pet 5:8), practices deception (2 Cor 11:13-15), and has well developed strategies of warfare (Eph 6:10-12). Furthermore, humanity is living in an “evil age” (Gal 1:4), under “the dominion of Satan” (Acts 26:18), whose sphere of influence is called “the domain of darkness” (Col 1:13).
     As Christians, we have victory in Christ. At the moment we trusted Christ as Savior, 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). As Christians, we have been gifted with God’s own righteousness (Rom 5:17; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9), and will never face condemnation (Rom 8:1). Furthermore, God “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3), and called us to serve as “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20), sharing the gospel message with others.
     God the Father has promised to give Jesus the kingdoms of this world, saying, “I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession” (Psa 2:8; cf. Isa 2:1-5; Dan 2:44; 7:14). This will occur after the seven-year Tribulation; at which time it will be said, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15; cf. 20:1-3). Satan was judged at the cross (John 12:31; 16:11; Col 2:14-15), and awaits future punishment. His judgment is very near when he is cast out of heaven during the Tribulation (Rev 12:7-12); at which time his wrath is greatest against Israel. After the return of Christ (Rev 19:11-16) and the establishment of His kingdom (Rev 20:1-6), Satan will be confined to the abyss for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-3). Afterwards, he is released for a brief time and will again deceive the nations and lead a rebellion against God (Rev 20:7-8), but will be quickly defeated (Rev 20:9), and cast into the Lake of Fire, where he will remain, with his demons and all unbelievers forever (Matt 25:41; Rev 20:10-15).
 
[1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1317.
[2] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 916.
[3] J. Dwight Pentecost, Your Adversary the Devil (Grand Rapids, Mich., Zondervan Publishing, 1969), 25-26.

Demons and How They Influence Mankind

     Angels are basically classified as either righteous or evil. The former retain their holy state and service to God and are called elect angels (1 Tim 5:21), whereas the latter have defected from their original state and continue in constant rebellion against God. Satan is the leader of all fallen angels (Matt 25:41; cf. Rev 12:7, 9), which Scripture designates as evil spirits (1 Sam 16:14; Luke 7:21), demons (Matt 8:31), and unclean spirits (Mark 5:1-4). These have been operating for millennia trying to frustrate the purposes of God.
 
     All angels, whether good or bad, are organized for service and effectiveness. Michael is called an archangel (Jude 1:9), a chief prince (Dan 10:13), and is assigned the task of guarding Israel (Dan 12:1). Gabriel is a messenger angel who was sent to deliver important messages to God’s people (Dan 8:16; 9:21-22; Luke 1:19; 26-38). Both Michael and Gabriel are recorded in Scripture as battling fallen angels who appear as commanders of regions of the world (Dan 10:12-13, 21). One fallen angel is called “the prince of Persia” and the other “the prince of Greece” (Dan 10:20). These no doubt function as Satan’s emissaries to promote his purposes, and are part of a larger group that Paul called the forces of darkness (Eph 6:12). Demons can possess the bodies of men (Luke 11:24-26), animals (Gen 3:1-5; Mark 5:11-13; 2 Cor 11:3), and sometimes cause physical and mental illness (Matt 9:32-33; Luke 8:27).
 
     Demons have some freedom, but not beyond the boundaries God has established (Job 1:1-21). God sometimes uses fallen angels to accomplish His sovereign purposes (1 Sam 16:14-16; 2 Cor 12:7-10), just as He sometimes uses sinful people to bring about His will (Acts 2:23-24; 4:27-28). The final destiny of Satan and demons will be the Lake of Fire, which God created as a special place of punishment for them (Matt 25:41). Those who reject Christ as Savior will join Satan in the Lake of Fire (Rev 20:11-15). Those who accept Jesus as Savior are forgiven all their sins (Eph 1:7; Heb 10:10-14), given eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28), and will spend forever in heaven (John 14:1-3).
 
     Fallen angels are involved in the affairs of mankind. The person who operates by negative volition aligns himself with Satan and his forces. Negative volition leads to idolatry, and idolatry leads to immorality (Rom 1:18-32), both individually and nationally. The worship of idols is the worship of demons (Lev 17:7; Deut 32:17; 1 Cor 10:19-21). Demons generally led the pagan nations into idolatry, which God’s people were not to practice (Deut 18:9-14). However, when God’s people mingled with them, they learned their idolatrous practices (1 Ki 11:1-8), and even created their own idols (1 Ki 12:26-33), which eventuated in human sacrifice (2 Ki 17:7-23; Psa 106:35-38; cf. 2 Ki 16:1-4; 21:1-9; Jer 32:30-35; Ezek 16:20-21; 20:31; 23:37).
 
     When rulers turned away from God, He would use evil spirits to discipline them (Judg 9:23; 1 Sam 16:14-15). This resulted in the disciplined person experiencing mental madness and murderous behavior (1 Sam 18:10-12; cf. 1 Sam 19:9-10). God used an evil spirit to bring about the military defeat and death of King Ahab (2 Chron 18:18-22).
 
     Some angels who were once free, are now kept in “eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day” and appear to have forfeited their freedom altogether due to some unnamed sinful violation (Jude 1:6), perhaps the account described in Genesis 6:1-5. And some very destructive angels (described as metal-like locusts) are now kept in the Abyss—a temporary spiritual prison—and will be released and led by a powerful angel whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek Apollyon (Rev 9:1-12). Four unnamed, but very dangerous angels, are said to be bound under the River Euphrates (Rev 9:13-16). These four angels will kill one third of mankind during the Great Tribulation. Other evil spirits will be used to gather world rulers and their armies together for the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 16:13-14; cf. Rev 19:11-21).
 
     As Christians, we face social, political and religious attacks in our day, and there are dark spiritual forces at work driving much of what we see. Scripture is very clear when it says, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:12). These demonic forces are behind every act of terror the world has ever known, and their activity is tireless. Thankfully, God has given us armor and a weapon to protect us, which also serve to aid in the rescue and defense of others who face spiritual attacks. This is described in Ephesians 6:13-18.
 
Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day [i.e. the day in which evil forces attack], and having done everything [in preparation], to stand firm [in a prepared state]. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth [i.e. living truthfully according to the truth of God’s Word], and having put on the breastplate of righteousness [i.e. living righteously as one who has received imputed righteousness], and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace [i.e. sharing the gospel that brings peace with God; cf. Rom 5:1-2]; in addition to all [i.e. all the armor previously mentioned], taking up the shield of faith [i.e. the shield which is faith] with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation [i.e. the confidence of present and future salvation; cf. John 10:28; 1 Thess 5:8-9], and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [the spoken word of Scripture we use to fight back; see Matt 4:4, 7, 10]. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit [i.e. in the power of the Spirit], and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints [praying for God’s people, who are also under spiritual attack]” (Eph 6:13-18).

Holy Angels and How They Influence Mankind

     The purpose of this lesson is to understand what the Scriptures state about the reality of angels and to consider how they impact the world in which we live. Angels are basically classified as either righteous or evil. The former retain their holy state and service to God and are called elect angels (1 Tim 5:21), whereas the latter have defected from their original state and continue in constant rebellion against God. The existence and impact of angels is real, influencing individuals and groups in matters pertaining to social, political and moral life. Holy angels continue to serve God and advance His agenda for human history.
 
     Thirty-four books of the Bible teach the existence of angels. The word angel occurs approximately 275 times throughout Scripture. The word angel translates the Hebrew word מַלְאָךְ malak and the Greek word ἄγγελος aggelos, and both words mean messenger. Angels are created beings (Psa 148:2-5; Col 1:16), were present at the creation of the world (Job 38:4-7), have volition (Matt 8:28-32), emotion (Mark 1:23-26), and intelligence (1 Pet 1:12). Angels are spirit beings who help advance the gospel (Heb 1:14), are distinct from humans (Luke 8:27), have great power (Psa 103:20-21; 2 Pet 2:11), are innumerable (Heb 12:22; Rev 5:11), cannot die (Luke 20:36), and do not reproduce after their kind (Mark 12:25), which means there are no baby angels. As creatures, angels are not to be worshipped (Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 22:8-9). Seraphim—angels with six wings—are devoted to the worship of God (Isa 6:1-3), and Cherubim—angels with four wings—are devoted to protecting the Lord’s holiness (Ezek 28:14).
 
     As spirit beings, angels function in an invisible realm and were only observable to people when God chose to reveal them (in theology, this is called an angelophany). For example, Elisha’s servant saw the angelic chariots of fire only when God opened his eyes (2 Ki 6:15-17), and John was permitted to see myriads of angels around God’s throne (Rev 5:11). The vast majority of us are never given the opportunity of direct observation, but rather, we learn about angels through the revelation of God’s Word.
 
     God used holy angels to minister to His people. For example, angels were instrumental in protecting Lot and his family before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 19:1-25). When Israel was in Egyptian captivity, God judged Egypt by means of “a band of destroying angels” (Psa 78:49), who were apparently involved in administering the plagues (Psa 78:43-49). When Israel was fleeing Egypt and being pursued by Pharaoh and his army, God sent His angel to protect them (Exo 14:19-20; Num 20:16). When Elijah was fearful, depressed, and running for his life, God sent an angel to provide for him and encourage him until he came to the end of his journey (1 Ki 19:1-8). When a powerful Assyrian army came against Jerusalem to destroy it, (2 Chron 32:1-19), King Hezekiah and Isaiah the prophet “prayed about this and cried out to heaven” (2 Chron 32:20), and the Lord rescued them by sending “an angel who destroyed every mighty warrior, commander and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria” (2 Chron 32:21). When three of God’s servants refused to submit to the tyranny of the king of Babylon and were thrown alive into a furnace of fire, God honored their faith and “sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him” (Dan 3:28). Later, when Daniel was persecuted and thrown into a den of lions for not following a foolish edict, God protected His servant and “sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths” (Dan 6:22). God also used an angel named Gabriel, who told Daniel, “In the first year of Darius the Mede, I [Gabriel] arose to be an encouragement and a protection for him” (Dan 11:1). It was Gabriel who announced the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, telling Mary, she had “found favor with God” and informing her, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1:30-33). Later, when the baby Jesus was facing danger, “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream” and instructed him, “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him” (Matt 2:13). And afterward, “when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, and said, ‘Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child's life are dead”’ (Matt 2:19-20). After Jesus experienced fatiguing temptations from Satan, it is written that “angels came and ministered to Him” (Matt 4:11). After Jesus’ resurrection, “an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it” (Matt 28:2). When some of the apostles had been arrested and thrown into prison, we are informed that “during the night an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the prison and released them to continue preaching” (Acts 5:19). And when Peter had been arrested by King Herod, the church prayed for him, and God “sent forth His angel and rescued” Peter from certain death (Act 12:11).
 
     The book of Revelation reveals angels are instrumental in executing God’s judgments upon the earth (Rev 7:1-2; 8:1-3; 5, 8, 10, 12; 9:1, 13-14; 10:1, 5, 7-9; 15:1, 6-8; 16:1; 21:9). About half way through the Tribulation, there will be “war in heaven, [with] Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon…and his angels” (Rev 12:7), and Satan and his angels will be thrown out of heaven by force (Rev 12:9). And after the Tribulation “the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will repay every man according to his deeds” (Matt 16:27). Furthermore, God’s “angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, and will throw them [the wicked] into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt 13:49-50).
 
     Though we don’t see holy angels, by faith in God’s Word we know they are present and active in our lives to help protect, provide, and strengthen us as we walk with the Lord. We also know they are active in the affairs of everyday life, helping to advance God’s purposes in a fallen world.

The Sovereignty of God

The Sovereignty of God
 
     The Bible reveals “The LORD is King forever and ever” (Psa 10:16a), and “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psa 103:19). God is supreme over all His creation, for “Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps” (Psa 135:6). And “He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35). But God is no tyrant; rather, He is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin” (Exo 34:6-7a). Only the humble will benefit from God’s goodness, for “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet 5:5). In contrast, God judges the wicked, and “will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” (Exo 34:7b).[1] For “those who turn aside to their crooked ways, the LORD will lead them away with the doers of iniquity” (Psa 125:5). From Genesis to Revelation, God governs the lives of people and nations. Human rulers exist because of His plan, for “It is He who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding” (Dan 2:21). And people live and die as God decides, for “The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol and raises up” (1 Sam 2:6; cf. Acts 17:28). He controls when and where people live in history, for “He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation” (Acts 17:26). God has power over wealth and poverty, for “The LORD makes poor and rich; He brings low, He also exalts” (1 Sam 2:7). Lastly, God allows fallen angels and humans to produce sin and evil, but they never act beyond or against His sovereign will (Job 1:1-21; Psa 105:12-15; 1 Ki 22:19-23; 2 Cor 12:7-10). God’s sovereignty over all creation is a prevailing theme throughout Scripture.
 
     God gives freedom to his creatures, both angelic and human, and this to varying degrees. We are free to act, but only within the spheres of power and opportunity He creates and controls. For example, when facing judgment, Pilate told Jesus, “I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You” (John 19:10). But Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).
"God is under no external restraint whatsoever. He is the Supreme Dispenser of all events. All forms of existence are within the scope of His dominion. And yet this is not to be viewed in any such way as to abridge the reality of the moral freedom of God’s responsible creatures or to make men anything else than the arbiters of their own eternal destinies. God has seen fit to create beings with the power of choice between good and evil. He rules over them in justice and wisdom and grace."[2]
     God never creates evil; however, He can and does control those who do. Satan, and those who follow him (both fallen angels and people), are ultimately under God’s sovereign control, and even their evil plans and actions are used for His good purposes. For example, Joseph was mistreated by his brothers and sold into slavery and taken to Egypt where he suffered greatly. Yet, later in his life, Joseph interpreted their behavior from the divine perspective, telling his brothers, “Now do not be grieved or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life…God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant in the earth, and to keep you alive by a great deliverance. Now, therefore, it was not you who sent me here, but God” (Gen 45:5, 7-8a). And later, he told them a second time, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive” (Gen 50:20). And Peter, charging Israelites in Jerusalem concerning Jesus’s crucifixion, said, “This Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death” (Acts 2:23). And after being persecuted by the leaders in Jerusalem, Peter and John, along with others, said, “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur” (Acts 4:27-28). In these verses we see the sovereignty of God working “all things after the counsel of His will” (Eph 1:11), who “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). This knowledge benefits those who are positive to God and operate from the divine perspective.
 
 
[1] The judgment that God brings upon “the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations” refers to those generations who follow in the path of their parents, who hate God and continue the pattern of sin handed down to them.
[2] E. McChesney, “Sovereignty of God,” ed. Merrill F. Unger and R.K. Harrison, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).

The Person and Attributes of God

The Person and Attributes of God
 
     Learning about God and His character helps us understand the fundamental nature of reality. Scripture reveals God is the absolute standard for what is right. Apart from God and His Word, we have no absolute standard for right and wrong and are left with arbitrary laws based on manufactured or borrowed values. Atheism is the predominate belief system that stands in opposition to God. Atheism is the belief there is no God. For the atheist, mankind is nothing more than a molecular accident in a material universe where everything is the product of matter, motion, time and chance. For the atheist, there is no rational reason for a person to exist and no given purpose for his life. His thoughts, feelings, morals and actions are simply electrochemical impulses that occur in the body and brain, and when a person dies, those impulses cease. Right and wrong as well as good and evil become arbitrary. Without God and Scripture to guide and give man purpose, man’s uniqueness is lost in the universe, as he is ultimately of no greater value than what he paints on the canvass or studies under the microscope. Biblical thinkers know this to be true; because if there is no God and man is not unique (as the Bible teaches), then he is of no greater value than the tree, the rock, or the worm on a hook.  If there is no God, then man is a zero. When he dies, his biological life is consumed by the material universe from which he came. Consider this view of death by the atheist John Updike:
"Without warning, David was visited by an exact vision of death: a long hole in the ground, no wider than your body, down which you were drawn while the white faces above recede. You try to reach them but your arms are pinned. Shovels pour dirt in your face. There you will be forever, in an upright position, blind and silent, and in time no one will remember you, and you will never be called by any angel. As strata of rock shift, your fingers elongate, and your teeth are distended sideways in a great underground grimace indistinguishable from a strip of chalk. And the earth tumbles on, and the sun expires, an unaltering darkness reigns where once there were stars."[1]
     Most who hold to atheism desire to operate independently of any authority outside of themselves, especially God’s authority set forth in Scripture. These assign no serious thought of God to their discussions, plans, or projects, but seek to use His resources independently of His wishes. But these same persons become trapped in their own system when their individual sense of good and evil, right and wrong, clashes with another person who holds to opposing moral standards. Having rejected God and moral absolutes, they have no objective final standard by which to measure values and behavior, to declare anything good or bad. These can go about their daily affairs as long as the pressures of life are not too great; however, if they’re ever confronted with vicious evil that disrupts their lives, they’ll naturally seek a mechanism to control it, lest it destroy them (I’m speaking about the atheist who desires law and order rather than anarchy and chaos). If they continue to reject God, they’ll likely turn to a totalitarian government they hope is strong enough to deal with the depravity of reckless people; but in so doing, they’ll trade freedom and prosperity for slavery and the illusion of equality. A society that acknowledges God and operates in accordance with His moral laws will tend to produce a virtuous people that can enjoy freedom and prosperity; but this must start with God.
 
God Exists as Trinity
 
     Scripture opens with the statement, “In the beginning God” (Gen 1:1a). The Bible does not seek to prove the existence of God, but simply acknowledges His being. Those who are positive to divine truth accept this statement. Furthermore, the Bible reveals God exists as a Trinity (or Triunity). In the Bible we learn that there is one God (Deut 6:4), who exists as three Persons (Gen 1:26; Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2). All three members of the Godhead are co-equal, co-infinite, and co-eternal, possessing the same nature and attributes (Deut 6:4; Isa 44:6-8; John 10:30; 14:9).[2] The Trinity consists of God the Father (Gal 1:1; Eph 6:23; Phil 2:11), God the Son (Isa 7:14; 9:6; John 1:1, 8:58; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:11-12; 2 Cor 13:14). The Bible reveals God has specific attributes that describe who He is and explain why He thinks and acts in certain ways. What we know of God’s attributes comes to us only by divine revelation, and these attributes belong to all the members of the Trinity, who are worthy of all praise and service.
"The various perfections of God are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being. Love, for example, is not a part of God’s nature; God in His total being is love. Although God may display one quality or another at a given time, no quality is independent of or preeminent over any of the others. Whenever God displays His wrath, He is still love. When He shows His love, He does not abandon His holiness. God is more than the sum total of His perfections. When we have listed all the attributes we can glean from revelation, we have not fully described God. This stems from His incomprehensibility. Even if we could say we had a complete list of all God’s perfections, we could not fathom their meaning, for finite man cannot comprehend the infinite God."[3]
     When studying the attributes of God, the student of Scripture should never seek to understand them separately from God, as though an attribute of God may exist apart from Him. More so, the attributes of God are as infinite as God Himself, and to try to understand them fully is not within the scope of our ability. A detailed understanding of God’s attributes prevents the believer from developing an incomplete or faulty view of God, in which he/she sees Him only in part. For example, a solitary view of God as righteous can lead a Christian to legalistic behavior, whereas a singular understanding of God as loving or gracious can lead to licentiousness. A thorough biblical understanding of God will prove healthy for the Christian who seeks to reflect His character. The biblical revelation of God has practical application for the growing Christian, for as the believer advances in spiritual maturity, he/she will take on the characteristics of God, though only a few of those characteristics may be visible to others at any given moment, depending on the situation. The major attributes of God as revealed in Scripture are as follows:
Living – God is living and is the source of all life. He is personal, thoughtful, emotive, volitional and active. “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psa 42:2a). “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psa 84:2). “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jer 10:10a). “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matt 16:16).
Self-Existent (aseity) – God’s existence depends on nothing outside of Himself. “God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’” (Exo 3:14a). John writes “In Him was life” (John 1:4), and He “has life in Himself” (John 5:26).
Holy– God is positively righteous and separate from all that is sinful. “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44a). “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy hill, for holy is the LORD our God” (Psa 99:9).
Spirit – The nature of God’s being is spirit, not material. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). “See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; touch Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have” (Luke 24:39).
Sovereign– God acts freely as He pleases, always as He pleases, and only as He pleases. “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psa 115:3). “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; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35; cf. Isa 46:9-11; Acts 17:24-28).
Immutable– God’s essential nature does not change. “Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.” (Psa 102:26-27). “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Mal 3:6).
Eternal– God has always existed, does exist, and forever will exist. “The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut 33:27). “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever” (1 Tim 1:17).
Infinite – God exists in space, but is also beyond space, infinite in being. ‘“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You, how much less this house which I have built!” (1 Ki 8:27). “Can a man hide himself in hiding places so I do not see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? declares the LORD” (Jer 23:24).
All-knowing– God knows all things, being infinite in knowledge. “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all” (Psa 139:1-4). “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:31-33)
All-present– God is equally and fully everywhere present. “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” (Psa 139:7-10).‘“Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the LORD.” (Jer 23:24)
All-powerful– God is able to accomplish all He desires. “Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted’” (Job 42:2). “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.” (Isa 40:28).
Righteous– God’s righteousness is that intrinsic moral perfection, from which He commands all things in heaven and earth, and declares as good that which conforms to His righteousness and as evil that which deviates. “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face” (Psa 11:7). “Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments” (Psa 119:137).
Just– God’s justice is the outworking of His righteousness in which He justifies or condemns, blesses or curses, that which does or does not conform to His character. “The LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity” (Psa 9:7-8). “The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether” (Psa 19:9b).
True – God is genuine, in contrast to false idols. “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jer 10:10a). “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (Joh 17:3).
Truthful – God is truthful. His knowledge and declarations define reality and help us make sense of what is. “Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant” (2 Sam 7:28). “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (Joh 17:17).
Loving– God desires our best, and He gives for our benefit. “The LORD appeared to him [Israel] from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness’” (Jer 31:3). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).
Good – The Lord is good and He is the ultimate source of all that is good. “The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works” (Psa 145:9). “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him” (Nah 1:7). “For the LORD is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations” (Psa 100:5). “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights” (Jam 1:17).
Faithful– God is reliable in all He says and does, always keeping His word. “Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut 7:9). “This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam 3:21-23).
Merciful – God is compassionate and kind toward others. “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Psa 86:15). “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5).
Gracious– God treats us better than we deserve. “He has made His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate” (Psa 111:4). “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate.” (Psa 116:5).
 
[1] John Updike, Pigeon Feathers (New York, NY, Random House Publishers, 1975), 17.
[2] The use of the Hebrew numeral אֶחָד echad reveals, in some contexts, the idea of a complex one (cf. Gen 2:24; Ezra 3:1; Ezek 37:17).
[3] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 39–40.

The Authority of Scripture

"The Bible is intended to be a revelation of the being, works, and program of God. That an infinite God would seek to reveal Himself to His creatures is reasonable and is essential to God’s fulfilling His purpose in creation. It is only natural that rational beings should attempt to learn something about the Creator who made them."[1]
     The word “Bible” comes from the Greek word βίβλος biblos which means scroll or book. The Bible is a library of sixty-six books, composed by approximately forty human authors spanning nearly fifteen hundred years. “The purpose of God in providing the Bible is that man, to whom the Bible is addressed, may be possessed of dependable information regarding things tangible and intangible, temporal and eternal, visible and invisible, earthly and heavenly.”[2] 
     God has provided general revelation about Himself through nature (Psa 19:1-2; Rom 1:18-20), and special revelation directly (Ex 19:9; 1 Sam 3:1-14; Isa 6:9-10). God’s special revelation came through dreams (Gen 28:12; 31:11; Dan 7:1; 12:8-9), visions (Isa 6:1; 1 Ki 22:19), angels (Dan 10:10-21), Jesus Christ (John 1:1, 14, 18; Heb 1:1-3; cf. Acts 10:9-16; 27:21-26), and the written Word (Psa 119:160; John 17:17; 1 Thess 2:13; 2 Tim 3:16-17). Paul equated the writings of Moses and Luke as Scripture (1 Tim 5:18), as Peter did the writings of Paul (2 Pet 3:15-16). There are some Christians today who believe God continues to reveal Himself through all these avenues (i.e. Henry Blackaby, Rick Warren). However, other evangelical Christians believe God reveals Himself today only through nature, the Bible, and providentially through circumstances (the latter being discernable only by the Christian mind saturated with Scripture). Concerning faith and practice (orthodoxy & orthopraxy), the Bible alone guides the Christian. “He is a Biblicist, namely, one who not only regards the Bible as the sole rule of faith and practice, but as the only dependable source of information in realms wherein divine revelation speaks.”[3]
     Scripture reveals there is one God who exists as three distinct Persons within the Trinity (Matt 28:19; 2 Cor 13:14; 1 Pet 1:2): God the Father (Gal 1:1; Eph 6:23; Phil 2:11), God the Son (John 1:1, 14, 18; 8:58; 20:28; Col 2:9; Heb 1:8), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor 2:11-12; 2 Cor 13:14). All three are co-equal, co-infinite, co-eternal, and worthy of all praise and service. The Bible also reveals the origins of the universe (Gen 1:1), mankind (Gen 1:26-27), marriage (Gen 2:18-24), sin (Gen 3:1-8), moral absolutes (Ex 20:1-17), Israel (Isa 43:1), salvation through Jesus (John 3:16; Eph 2:8-9), the church (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor 10:32), the existence of Satan (Job 1:6-12), angels and demons (Heb 1:13-14; Rev 16:14), heaven and hell (Rev 4:1-2; 20:14-15), and the future (Rev 21-22). The Bible does not reveal all there is to know about God or His plans and actions, but only what He deems important (Deut 29:29; cf. John 21:25).
     Though the Bible was written by fallible men, each was superintended by God the Holy Spirit, Who guided them in such a way that what they wrote, without compromising their personal choices of words and literary style, penned God’s inerrant Word (verbal plenary inspiration). There is a parallel between the written Word and the Living Word. Just as God took a sinful woman, Mary, and supernaturally produced a sinless and perfect Person, Jesus; so God took sinful men and used them to produce a perfect book that accurately reflects His thoughts and will for mankind. The human authors—without forfeiting their personal literary style—wrote under the direction and superintending care of God the Holy Spirit (Ex 17:14; 34:27; Isa 30:8; Jer 30:2; Luke 1:3; 1 Cor 14:37; Rev 1:11), so that what is written is the inerrant and infallible “word of God” (1 Thess 2:13; cf. Psa 12:6-7; Rom 15:4; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20). Some of the various literary styles include historical narrative, law, poetry, psalms, proverbs, parables, and symbolism. The Bible is a dual authorship.
"By the term Dual Authorship, two facts are indicated, namely, that, on the divine side, the Scriptures are the Word of God in the sense that they originate with Him and are the expression of His mind alone; and, on the human side, certain men have been chosen of God for the high honor and responsibility of receiving God’s Word and transcribing it into written form."[4]
Scriptural claims:
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Ex 17:14; cf. Ex 34:27; Isa 30:8-9; Jer 30:2)
Brethren, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus….For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘LET HIS HOMESTEAD BE MADE DESOLATE, AND LET NO ONE DWELL IN IT’; and, ‘LET ANOTHER MAN TAKE HIS OFFICE [Psa 69:25; 109:8].’ (Acts 1:16, 20)
And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O Lord, it is You who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said, ‘Why did the Gentiles rage, And the peoples devise futile things [Psa 2:1]? (Acts 4:24-25)
And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying, ‘GO TO THIS PEOPLE AND SAY, “YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE [Isa 6:9]. (Acts 28:25-26)
If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord’s commandment. (1 Cor 14:37)
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (1 Thess 2:13)
All Scripture [γραφή graphe – all written Scripture] is inspired by God [θεόπνευστος theopneustos – lit. God breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness. (2 Tim 3:16)
But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture [γραφή graphe] is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved [φέρω phero – pulled along by another cf. Acts 27:15, 17] by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. (2 Pet 1:20-21).
Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures [equating Paul’s writings with Scripture], to their own destruction. (2 Pet 3:15-16)
 
[1] Lewis S. Chafer; John F. Walvoord; Major Bible Themes (Grand Rapids, Mich. Zondervan Publishing, 2010), 30-31.
[2]Lewis S. Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, Mich. Kregel Publication, 1993), 105.
[3] Ibid., 7.
[4] Lewis S. Chafer, “Bibliology” Bibliotheca Sacra, 94 (1937): 398-399.

Making Sense of the World - Introduction

     We all recognize there is something wrong with the world and mankind. Our news channels never fail to keep us up to date on all that is destructive, harmful, or bad in society. If they are not telling us about some political scandal, they are surely informing us about the atrocities of war, crime, racism, murder, pollution, dangerous viruses, poverty, social inequality, or some other crisis that never seems to go away. Every time I turn on the news I am reminded of the adage, “If it bleeds, it leads.” Furthermore, the ABC’s of news organizations—like all secular institutions—will offer Anything But Christian solutions. Their operating assumptions are either God does not exist (atheism), or does not care to be involved in the affairs of mankind (deism), so we are left to ourselves to slug it out and find our own solutions to life’s problems. The constant internalization of negative news—albeit true—without some biblical context or divine solution only serves to create psychological and emotional disequilibrium, which, if left unmanaged, can cause lasting damage to self and others. Without divine revelation to provide proper context, we can become mentally miscalibrated. So, what are we to do? There is an answer in the Bible, which provides us an explanation concerning why the world is the way it is, how we should respond to it, and what the future holds. That is what this series of lessons will address. Below is a basic outline of topics:
The Bible as God’s Word – This study will help us realize the Bible is divine revelation and trustworthy concerning subjects about God, Satan, Adam and Eve, divine institutions, the beginning and end of evil, and how we should live as Christians.
The Person and attributes of God – This study will help us start with the Person and character of God, which will provide an absolute reference point for right and wrong. If there is no God, and no written revelation of His character and will, then men are left only with their conflicting opinions and there is no final arbiter to determine what is right or what is wrong.  However, God has spoken in the Bible, and what He says about men and their actions is the final basis for correct thinking concerning morals and behavior. Furthermore, He created an open universe in which He continually operates in every detail, involving Himself in people’s lives, directing history for His glory.
The existence angelic beings. Angels—both holy and evil—play an active role in the world in which we live, and it helps to be aware of what they’re doing.
The fall of Satan. This will help us understand how sin and evil got started, where it’s going, and what Satan’s agenda for the world is.
The creation of Adam and Eve. People are not the product of matter, motion, time and chance, as atheistic evolution would have us believe. Rather, we are special, made in the image of God, which explains why we have intellect, emotion, volition, and intrinsic moral sensibilities. God also created mankind for a purpose, to have a relationship with Him and other people, and to exercise responsible dominion over His creation, caring for the environment and animals.  
The divine institutions. According to Scripture, God created four foundational institutions that are for individual blessing and national stability. The four divine institutions are: 1) Responsible Dominion, 2) Marriage, 3) Family, 4) Human Government
The fall of Adam and Eve. The Bible treats Adam and Eve as real persons, and regards their historical fall into sin as the reason sin and death were introduced into the world.
The expansion of Satan’s kingdom of darkness. The fall of Adam and Eve expanded Satan’s kingdom of darkness, which is where the majority of humanity resides, enslaved to his policies. Satan is regarded as the ruler of this world, and his policies predominate over the affairs of mankind.
Positive and negative volition among people. People are either positive or negative to God, the gospel, and Scripture. These opposite poles in the soul determines which direction each person will go when confronted with divine revelation.
The major issues facing Christians living in the devil’s world. We’ll look at the major areas where Satan is attacking God’s people as well as His divine institutions.
The role of Christians in society. We’ll discuss how Christians should live and respond to the major issues of our day.
An optimistic view of the present and future world. Here, we’ll consider what Scripture says about the present and future, which gives us hope for where history is going. Scripture reveals there is a future hope for those who trust Christ as Savior and look forward to His return in which He suppresses all sinful rebellion and establishes His reign on the earth. This will be a time of righteousness and goodness for all those under Christ’s rule.

Malachi 4:1-6

     This pericope opens with a reminder about God’s future day of judgment that is coming. The Lord declares, “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace; and all the arrogant and every evildoer will be chaff; and the day that is coming will set them ablaze… so that it will leave them neither root nor branch” (Mal 4:1). This time of judgment is commonly called “the day of the Lord”, a phrase that appears eighteen times in the Old Testament (Isa 13:6, 9; 58:13; Ezek 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obad 1:15; Zep 1:7, 14; Mal 4:5)[1] and five times in the New Testament (Acts 2:20; 1 Cor 5:5; 1 Thess 5:2; 2 Thess 2:2; 2 Pet 3:7-14). The “day of the Lord” refers to when God will judge the wicked and vindicate the righteous. From Scripture we can say with certainty that the “day of the Lord” follows the first coming of Christ, (Mal. 4:5), will come upon the entire world (Joel 2:1-11; 30-31; 3:12-15; Isa 13:6-11; Ezek 30:2-4; Obad 1:15), will be inescapable (Amos 5:18-20), is a day of wrath and destruction (Zep 1:14-18), will come unannounced (1 Thess 5:1-2; 2 Pet 3:10), and will follow the coming of the Antichrist (2 Thess 2:1-4). The church will not experience this time of God’s judgment, for we are waiting for the return of Christ from heaven, “who rescues us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10; cf. 5:9). The period refers to the seven-year Tribulation (Rev chapters 6-18) and will end with the Battle of Armageddon (Rev 19:11-21), at which time Christ will establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Rev 20:1-6).
     The end of the Tribulation and coming millennial kingdom seems to be in view of Malachi in which the Lord declares, “But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing” (Mal 4:2-3). “In the kingdom, righteousness will pervade like the sun. Healing in its wings (or rays) refers to the restorative powers of righteousness, which are like the healthful rays of the sun. God’s people will be spiritually restored and renewed.”[2] With this future time of judgment and blessing certainly coming, Malachi’s generation should have been more mindful about how they lived before the Lord, adhering to the Mosaic Law, which was the standard for right-living for the nation. God had already confronted them concerning sacrifices (Mal 1:7-14), idolatry (Mal 2:10-11), and not giving tithes (Mal 3:8-9), and finally exhorts them to “Remember the law of Moses My servant, even the statutes and ordinances which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel” (Mal 4:4).
     Finally, God gives a prophecy concerning the future coming day of judgment. He declares, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse” (Mal 4:5-6). The Gospel of Luke reveals John the Baptist had an Elijah-like ministry in that he came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). If Israel had accepted Jesus as the Messiah and His offer of the kingdom, then John the Baptist would have fulfilled this prophecy (Matt 11:7-14).
"The Lord promised to send His people Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the Lord arrived. An angel later told John the Baptist’s parents that their son would minister in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Yet John denied that he was Elijah (John 1:21–23). Jesus said that John would have been the Elijah who was to come if the people of his day had accepted Jesus as their Messiah (Matt 11:14). Since they did not, John did not fulfill this prophecy about Elijah coming, though he did fulfill the prophecy about Messiah’s forerunner (Mal 3:1)."[3]
     The apostle John reveals there will be an Elijah-like prophet—as well as a Moses-like prophet—who will come in the future, during the time of the Tribulation, and he will also help prepare the way of the Lord (Rev 11:4-6). Those who hate the Lord will reject His future prophet and celebrate his death (Rev 11:7-10); however, God will resurrect him and call him to heaven (Rev 11:11-12), and render judgment upon the wicked (Rev 11:13). Malachi was the last of the OT prophets, and another prophet would not arise until John the Baptist, who would shatter the years of silence with the announcement of Jesus’ coming.
 
[1] The day of the Lord appears twice in Amos 5:18 and Zephaniah 1:14.
[2] Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” 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), 1587.
[3] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Mal 4:5.

Malachi 3:13-18

     The central idea of the text is that many in Judah did not think it was worth serving the Lord and that the wicked were the ones who prospered (Mal 3:13-15); however, a humble remnant of believers responded positively to the Lord, and He recognized them and promised to make them His special possession and bless them (Mal 3:16-18). The pericope opens with a statement from the Lord, who says, “Your words have been arrogant against Me” (Mal 3:13a). The Lord was speaking to Israelites who were dominated by negative volition. The statement might imply they were speaking negatively among themselves rather than directly to God. They challenge His charge with the question, “What have we spoken against You?” (Mal 3:13b). The Lord revealed their attitude of thinking it was not worth their efforts to serve Him, claiming the wicked prospered more than the righteous. These said, “It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning before the LORD of hosts?” (Mal 3:14). Their words reveal selfish expectations in that they saw their relationship with God mainly from the perspective of the “profit” they could obtain for their service. “The claim is expressed by means of a rhetorical question to indicate that there was no profit in it, no reward or benefit, no pay, no return on their investment. They are like some modern folk who give to God only because they expect to get double or triple their money back, a special reward.”[1] These Israelites thought that going through the religious motions was enough to win them a big payoff from the Lord. When they did not get it, they changed their minds about God and how they should live before Him. They saw the wicked doing as they pleased and getting rich, and they concluded, “So now we call the arrogant blessed; not only are the doers of wickedness built up but they also test God and escape” (Mal 3:15). These came to this false conclusion because they saw no immediate reward for obedience, nor punishment for wrongdoing. However, there were righteous believers in Judah who were described as “those who feared the LORD” and who gathered together and “spoke to one another” (Mal 3:16a). It is a healthy activity for believers to gather together to encourage one another (Heb 10:23-25). Unlike their counterparts, these believers loved the Lord and revered His name, and they did not speak arrogantly, nor in a self-seeking manner. The text reveals, “and the LORD gave attention and heard it” (Mal 3:16b). That is, God heard their theological discussion and approved. As a result, “a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name” (Mal 3:16c). The book of remembrance (סֵפֶר זִכָּרוֹן - sefer zikkaron) is a permanent record in heaven of their reverent response to God. Of course, the omniscient God does not need a book to remember His people and their faithfulness to Him; rather, the language is anthropomorphic and used to communicate the Lord’s intention to acknowledge and remember the faithfulness of those who revere Him and honor His name. “They will be Mine,” says the LORD of hosts, “on the day that I prepare My own possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him” (Mal 3:17b). The word “possession” translates the Hebrew סְגֻלָּה segullah, which means “special property” (cf. Ex 19:5; Deut 7:6; 26:18). These would be spared the judgment that He has planned for the wicked. Thomas Constable wrote:
"Almighty Yahweh announced that He would honor those who feared Him as His own on the day He prepared His own possessions. This probably refers to the day of the Lord (cf. v. 2; 4:1, 3) when He will resurrect Old Testament saints and judge them. This will be when Jesus Christ returns to rule and reign on the earth. The faithful will receive a reward in His kingdom for their submission. He also promised to spare them as a man spares his own son. When Jesus Christ judges Old Testament saints, He will separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31–46). Here God described the sheep as His sons. He will spare them the humiliation and punishment that will be the lot of those who did not honor Him (vv. 14–15)."[2]
     In this way, God would “distinguish between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him” (Mal 3:18). God’s rewards and judgments should not be seen merely within the short timeframe of our lives, but always in light of the future and eternal state, toward which we are moving. This is not to say that God does not bless His people in this life; certainly, He does bless some materially. However, our motivation to serve the Lord should not be based on what we can obtain in this life, which things are destined to perish, but rather, for imperishable rewards that are eternal (1 Cor 3:5-15).
 
[1] Allen P. Ross, Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 174–175.
[2] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Mal 3:17.

The Biblical Teaching on Tithes

     The word tithe means “to give a tenth.” Prior to the giving of the Mosaic Law (ca. 1445 B.C.), we see an example of Abraham giving Melchizedek a tenth of the spoils of war which he had accumulated after he had defeated Chedorlaomer at the Valley of Shaveh (Gen 14:17-20). Later, Jacob made a vow to give God a tenth of his possessions if God would be faithful to protect him on a journey (Gen 28:20-22). In the accounts of Abraham and Jacob, there was no mandate from heaven for them to give a tenth, and when they did give a tenth, it appears to be a one-time act, never repeated as far as Scripture is concerned. It was not until several centuries later that tithing became mandatory for the nation of Israel when they entered into the Mosaic Covenant and came under the Mosaic Law.
     When God established the nation of Israel as a theocracy under the leadership of Moses and Aaron (ca.1445 B.C.), He gave them 613 commandments known as the Mosaic Law. This law-code was designed to regulate the values and behavior of the citizens of the nation, morally, religiously, socially, economically, etc. Within the Mosaic Law, God required Israel to pay several tithes, which was tantamount to a form of taxation.
"The so-called tithe (“a tenth”) added up to far more than a simple 10% annually, because there was a second tithe annually, and a third tithe in the third and fifth years…In the Old Testament economy all the giving covered the sanctuary offerings for God, the taxes for the nation, and charitable gifts all rolled together."[1]
     The tithe consisted of produce and livestock (Lev 27:30-32), and was given to the Levites for their support for ministry (Num 18:21-24). The Levites, in turn, gave a tithe of the tithe to the Priests for their service (Num 18:25-28). Additionally, the worshipper could eat a portion of the sacrifice with his family and the Levites (Deut 12:17-19; 14:22-27). Lastly, a tithe was taken every third year to help the poor, the alien, the orphans and the widows. This tithe was comparable to a social welfare system for the most unfortunate in society.  
"At the end of every third year you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit it in your town. The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do." (Deut 14:28-29)
     The tithe was to be gathered into a “storehouse” (הָאוֹצָר בֵּית - bet ha otsar; Mal 3:10), which referred to a large room where “they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests” (Neh 13:5). Withholding the tithe was a form of robbery to God, the Levites, and the less fortunate in society who depended on it for daily living (Mal 3:6-11).
     Sadly, some pastors have mishandled Malachi 3:8-10 and applied it to the Church, browbeating Christians to make them feel guilty for not giving money to the Church. Some tyrants have even required church members to show their annual tax returns, or publicly posted their annual contributions in order to strong-arm Christians to give. This is more an act of despotic control over one’s flock than loving leadership. Pastors who use Malachi 3:8-10 against Christians display both an ignorance of God’s Word and a spiritual immaturity in leadership. The fact is, Malachi 3:8-10 has nothing to do with the Church.
     To be clear, Israel and the Church are both God’s people, but Israel was under “the Law” of Moses (John 1:17), whereas the Church is under the “Law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:11; Gal 6:2). Israel had a priesthood that was specific to the tribe of Levi (Num 3:6-7), whereas all Christians are priests to God (Rev 1:6). Israel worshipped first at the Tabernacle and later the Temple (Ex 40:18-38; 2 Chron 8:14-16), but for Christians, their body is the temple of the Lord and they gather locally where they want (1 Cor 6:19-20; cf. 1 Cor 16:19; Col 4:15). Israel offered animal sacrifices to God (Lev 4:1-35), but Christians offer spiritual sacrifices (1 Pet 2:5; cf. Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15). Israel was required to tithe from the produce of their land (Deut 14:22-23; 28-29; Num 18:21), but there is no tithe required from Christians, only a joyful attitude when giving, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7).
     To Christians, the apostle Paul mentions systematic giving (1 Cor 16:1-2), but nowhere specifies an amount. Giving 10% of one’s income is fine, so long as it is understood that it’s a voluntary action and not required by the Lord. One could easily set aside a different amount to be given on a regular basis. Certainly, the financial support of the Pastor is in line with Scripture (Gal 6:6; 1 Tim 5:17-18), although the apostle Paul supported himself in his own ministry as an example to others of sacrificial living (Acts 20:32-35). Giving systematically and giving joyfully is consistent with the teaching of the New Testament (1 Cor 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:7).
     Lastly, we should realize all we have is on loan from God, for “the earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it” (Psa 24:1). The Lord declares, “every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psa 50:10), and “‘The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine’, declares the LORD of hosts” (Hag 2:8). When we give to the Lord, it’s a test of our love and loyalty to Him; for what we give is already His, and giving back to Him means we trust and support His work in the world. David captures this well when he says, “who am I and who are my people that we should be able to offer as generously as this? For all things come from You, and from Your hand we have given You” (1 Ch 29:14).
 
[1] Allen P. Ross, Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 156.

Malachi 3:7-12

     The central idea of the text is that God calls His people, Israel, to obedience concerning the giving of tithes and offerings, and promises blessing for compliance. Israel had, like many times throughout their history, turned aside from following God and not obeying His commands (Mal 3:7a). However, if they would return to Him in obedience, He would return to them with blessing (Mal 3:7b). His people asked, “How shall we return?” (Mal 3:7c). God then charges them with thievery, saying, “Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me!” (Mal 3:8a). To which His people replied, “How have we robbed You?” (Mal 3:8b). God said their theft came from withholding their “tithes and offerings” (Mal 3:8c). The tithes and offerings referred to the tenth of the produce of the land and herds that were given by the nation to support the priests in their service at the temple (Lev 27:30-32; Num 18:8, 11, 19, 21-24).
"The so-called tithe (“a tenth”) added up to far more than a simple 10% annually, because there was a second tithe annually, and a third tithe in the third and fifth years…In the Old Testament economy all the giving covered the sanctuary offerings for God, the taxes for the nation, and charitable gifts all rolled together."[1]
     Because of Israel’s unfaithfulness to the covenant, God declared, “You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing Me, the whole nation of you!” (Mal 3:9).  However, God offered to turn their situation around if they would return to Him and “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in my house to eat” (Mal 3:10a). The storehouse (הָאוֹצָר בֵּית - bet ha otsar) referred a large room where “they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests” (Neh 13:5). God calls on His people to test Him concerning His promises (Mal 3:10b), and if they will be obedient concerning the tithes and offerings, He declares, He will “open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows.” (Mal 3:10b). Here God promises to send rain for their crops to grow, and in this way, He will honor His covenant promises (Deut 28:12). In addition, God states, “I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of the ground; nor will your vine in the field cast its grapes,” (Mal 3:11). The devourer likely referred to locusts that were eating their crops. Not only would Israel enjoy the material blessings of God, but the surrounding nations would see it, and “All the nations will call you blessed, for you shall be a delightful land” (Mal 3:12). Malachi 3:8-10 has nothing to do with the Church. To be clear, Israel and the Church are both God’s people, but Israel was under “the Law” of Moses (John 1:17), whereas the Church is under the “Law of Christ” (1 Cor 9:31; Gal 6:2). Israel was required to tithe from the produce of their land (Deut 14:22-23; 28-29; Num 18:21), but there is no tithe required from Christians, only a joyful attitude when giving, “for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor 9:7).
 
[1] Allen P. Ross, Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 156.

The Attributes of God

     Throughout Scripture, we learn that God has specific characteristics that inform us as to His being. God’s attributes refer to His personal qualities or traits that describe who He is and explain why He thinks and acts in certain ways. What we know of God’s attributes comes to us by divine revelation, not by human reason or speculation. More so, what is revealed about God’s attributes can be said to belong to the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
"The various perfections of God are not component parts of God. Each describes His total being. Love, for example, is not a part of God’s nature; God in His total being is love. Although God may display one quality or another at a given time, no quality is independent of or preeminent over any of the others. Whenever God displays His wrath, He is still love. When He shows His love, He does not abandon His holiness. God is more than the sum total of His perfections. When we have listed all the attributes we can glean from revelation, we have not fully described God. This stems from His incomprehensibility. Even if we could say we had a complete list of all God’s perfections, we could not fathom their meaning, for finite man cannot comprehend the infinite God."[1]
     When studying the attributes of God, the student of Scripture should never seek to understand them separately from God, as though an attribute of God may exist apart from Him. More so, the attributes of God are as infinite as God Himself, and to try to understand them fully is not within the scope of our ability. A detailed understanding of God’s attributes prevents the believer from developing an incomplete, or faulty view of God, in which he/she sees Him only in part. For example, a solitary view of God as righteous can lead a Christian to legalistic behavior, whereas a singular understanding of God as loving or gracious can lead to licentiousness. A thorough biblical understanding of God will prove healthy for the Christian who seeks to reflect His character. The biblical revelation of God has practical application for the growing Christian, for as the believer advances in spiritual maturity, he/she will take on the characteristics of God, though only a few of those characteristics may be visible to others at any given moment, depending on the situation. The major attributes of God as revealed in Scripture are as follows:
Living – “My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Psa 42:2a). “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God” (Psa 84:2). “But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King” (Jer 10:10a). “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’” (Matt 16:16).
Sovereign– “But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases” (Psa 115:3). “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; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Dan 4:35; cf. Acts 17:24-28).
Immutable– “Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end.” (Psa 102:26-27). “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed.” (Mal 3:6).
Eternal– “The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deut 33:27). “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever” (1 Tim 1:17).
All-knowing– “O LORD, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O LORD, You know it all” (Psa 139:1-4). “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matt 6:31-33)
All-present– “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me.” (Psa 139:7-10). ‘“Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?’ declares the LORD.” (Jer 23:24)
All-powerful– “Then Job answered the LORD and said, ‘I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted’” (Job 42:2). “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable.” (Isa 40:28).
Righteous– “For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will behold His face” (Psa 11:7). “Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments” (Psa 119:137).
Just– “The LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity” (Psa 9:7-8). “The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. (Psa 19:9b).
Holy– “For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy” (Lev 11:44a). “Exalt the LORD our God and worship at His holy hill, for holy is the LORD our God” (Psa 99:9).
Truthful– “Now, O Lord GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant” (2 Sam 7:28). “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth” (Joh 17:17).
Loving– “The LORD appeared to him [Israel] from afar, saying, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore, I have drawn you with lovingkindness’” (Jer 31:3). “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)
Faithful- Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Deut 7:9). “This I recall to my mind; therefore, I have hope. The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lam 3:21-23).
Merciful – “You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth” (Psa 86:15). “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Tit 3:5).
Gracious– “He has made His wonders to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and compassionate” (Psa 111:4). “Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yes, our God is compassionate.” (Psa 116:5).
 
[1] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 39–40.

A Primer on Christians and Social Reform

     This is a short talk--ten minutes--on the subject of Christians and social reform. This is a hot topic and one that Christians have argued about for years. This short presentation was given during a question and answer session, so it's not intended to address every subject, only a few talking points that reflect the current views of this teacher. 

Malachi 2:17-3:6

     The primary point of this pericope is that God will judge His people in order to purify them for future service. The pericope opens with anthropomorphic language in which God tells His people they had wearied Him with their words. In incredulity, they asked, “How have we wearied Him?” What they were saying was, “Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them,” or, “Where is the God of justice?” (Mal 2:17). Apparently, some assumed God was approving of evil, while others thought He simply did not care about justice. Of course, God cares about justice. He is righteous in character and just in all His ways. God does show grace to the wicked (Matt 5:45; Acts 14:17), that they might have time to respond to Him in faith and be saved; for God “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet 3:9); and the righteous are, at times, permitted to suffer (Job 1:1-21; 2:9-10; 2 Tim 3:12). But God will judge the wicked; if not in this life, then the next (Rev 20:11-15).The Lord responded to their comments by pointing them to the future; specifically, the time when He would send His messenger, saying, “Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me” (Mal 3:1a). We know from the NT that this messenger is John the Baptist (Matt 11:10, 14; 17:11-12), who prepared the way for Messiah (cf. Isa 40:3-5). Then the Lord says, “And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming” (Mal 3:1b). This refers to Jesus, the Messiah. “From the historical perspective, since this is an oracle about John the Baptist preparing people for Jesus the Messiah, then the covenant must be the new covenant that Christ inaugurated in the upper room and sealed with his blood at the cross.”[1] Jesus’ first coming is only a partial fulfillment of this prophecy, which will be completed at His second coming, when He will judge the world and establish His kingdom on earth. Malachi then states, “But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap” (Mal 3:2). Jesus will come after the time of the Tribulation, and will judge His people in order to remove their impurities, (Mal 3:2b). God “will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver” (Mal 3:3a). The Levites in Malachi’s day were not leading worship as they should, and were under God’s judgment. In the future, when Christ sets up His kingdom on earth, the Levites will again serve in the temple. However, at that time, they will be refined and cleansed by the Lord, “so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness” (Mal 3:3b). That future generation of priests will offer as the Lord prescribes, saying, “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the LORD as in the days of old and as in former years” (Mal 3:4). Furthermore, in that day, God will judge all Israel, not just the Levites, and He will judge them for their many sins, saying, “Then I will draw near to you for judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers and against those who swear falsely, and against those who oppress the wage earner in his wages, the widow and the orphan, and those who turn aside the alien and do not fear Me” (Mal 3:5). God will judge sorcerers who seek to know the future by magical means, adulterers who are unfaithful in marriage, and those who corrupt justice by giving false testimony (Mal 3:5a). He will also judge those who oppress, either actively or passively, the most vulnerable in society, which include the common laborer, the widow and orphan, and the transient traveler passing through the land (Mal 3:5b). God’s people could know His promises were true, for they rested on His unchangeable nature, as He tells them, “For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed” (Mal 3:6). When God says He “does not change” (Mal 3:6a), He is speaking of His nature, not the course of action He may take with His people. We must remember that Israel was locked into a bilateral covenant—the Mosaic covenant—which made blessing or cursing dependent of their obedience or disobedience (see Deut 28:1-68). The Mosaic covenant was itself tied to a unilateral covenant—the Abrahamic covenant—which guaranteed Israel’s future preservation (Gen 12:1-3). God, who does not change, was faithful to purify His people in the furnace of affliction, while keeping His hand on the thermostat, so that they were not totally destroyed.
 
[1] Allen P. Ross, Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 135.

Role Responsibilities in Marriage

     Ephesians 5:22-33 addresses Christian couples only and portrays the marriage as tri-personal, involving the husband, wife, and the Lord Jesus Christ. The Christian husband and wife are spiritually equal in God’s sight (Gal 3:28; 1 Pet 3:7); however, spiritual equality should not be confused with role distinctions. The husband is to be the leader of the home, as Christ is the head of the church, and the wife is to submit to her husband, as the church submits to Christ. Both the husband and wife fulfill God’s expectations when they learn to function together as a unit, each executing their godly roles. The Christian man who agrees to marry automatically comes under the authority of God who directs him to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife who agrees to marry also comes under the authority of God who calls her to submit to her husband.
     God designed the husband to be the loving leader to guide the relationship into His will, and the wife is to walk in harmony with him (Gen 2:18; 21-23; cf. Eph 5:25-33). The husband is to love (ἀγαπάω agapao) his wife as Christ loves the church (Eph 5:25), and he does this in submission to Christ who is his authority (1 Cor 11:3). The apostle Paul describes Christian love, saying, “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Cor 13:4-8a).
     The Christian husband is called to live with his wife in an understanding way and to honor her as a fellow heir of the grace of God (1 Pet 3:7). He is to make his wife feel protected and safe, for there can be no love where fear is present (1 John 4:18). Biblical love is sacrificial (Eph 5:25; cf. Matt 20:28; John 13:34; 15:13; Rom 5:8; 14:15; 15:3), is greater than feelings (Col 3:19), and cares more about others than self (Matt 5:43-45; Phil 2:3-4). Biblical love is gracious, unselfish, and given freely from the bounty of one’s own resources, with an open hand, always for the benefit and joy of others, expecting nothing in return. It is, in fact, God’s love, born in the heart of the believer who walks with God and desires His closeness.
     The husband’s love is measured against the love of Jesus Christ. So how does Christ love? The greatest act of Christ’s love is seen in the sacrifice of His life by which He saves and sanctifies the church (Eph 5:23, 25). Christ is also full of grace and truth (John 1:14-17), He lifts the burdens of those who come to Him (Matt 11:28–30; Mark 10:42–45), He builds up and protects (Matt 16:18), He prayerfully intercedes (Rom 8:34), He comforts (2 Thess 2:16-17), and He is faithful (2 Tim 2:13). The Christian man who fully understands the love of Christ for him will have both a motivation and model by which to love his wife.
     The wife was created to “help” her husband (Gen 2:20). The word helper (עֵזֶר.Heb ezer) is an exalted term that is sometimes employed of God who helps the needy (Gen 49:25; Ex 18:4; 1 Sam 7:12; Isa 41:10; Psa 10:14; 33:20). Just as God helps His people to do His will, so the wife is called to help her husband serve the Lord and bring Him glory. She helps her husband by encouraging him to seek the Lord and live godly. The wife is also called to love her husband (Tit 2:4), and to respect him (Eph 5:33), both in private and in public. To respect is to revere, value highly, think much of, esteem. She respects him because of the Lord, not because he is perfect or always deserves it. In this manner, respect is a display of grace, not merit. Being respectful is thoughtful and intentional as she consults him as the leader of the family, discusses matters with him (work, finances, friends, etc.) and supports his decisions. Though he fails, she does not criticize him in front of others, nor talk badly about him when he’s not around. Rather, she is polite and notes his good qualities and accomplishments. Of course, the man who grows spiritually, serves as the spiritual leader to his family, makes more good choices than bad, and faithfully loves his wife makes it easier for her to respect him.
     Lastly, just as the husband has an ideal model of love and service in Christ, the wife has an ideal model in the woman of excellence described in Proverbs 31. The phrase an excellent wife (Pro 31:10; Heb.  אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל esheth chayil) was first used of Ruth, who was described as a woman of excellence (Ruth 3:11, NASB) or a woman of noble character (CSB). Ruth was the great-grandmother of King David, who married Bathsheba, who is perhaps the one who shared her wisdom with her son, King Solomon (Pro 31:1). If this is correct, then it’s possible Bathsheba saw in Ruth a template for the woman of noble character. A study of the book of Ruth reveals she was committed to God and His people (Ruth 1:16-17; 2:11), possessed a strong work ethic (Ruth 2:7, 17), listened to good advice (Ruth 2:8-9; 3:1-6), showed respect to others (Ruth 2:10), cared for the needy (Ruth 2:17-18), sought to marry a noble man (Ruth 3:7-10; 4:13), and was praised for her excellence and love for others (Ruth 3:11; 4:15).
     According to Proverbs 31:10-31, the excellent wife is precious to her husband (Pro 31:10), and he trusts her (Pro 31:11). It is said, “She does him good and not evil all the days of her life” (Pro 31:12). She delights to work with her hands, knowing she’s providing for the good of her family (Pro 31:13, 15, 17-19, 27). She’s a smart shopper (Pro 31:14), and savvy business woman (Pro 31:16, 24), who is recognized for her work (Pro 31:31). She uses her time well (Pro 31:15, 27), is energetic and strong (Pro 31:17), cares for the poor and needy (Pro 31:20), provides for those in her household (Pro 31:21, 27), and does not neglect her own needs or appearance (Pro 31:22). As she is respected in the home, her husband is respected in the community (Pro 31:23), and both he and her children give praise for her dignity (Pro 31:28). She has an optimistic outlook on life, as “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future” (Pro 31:25). She is also noted for her wisdom, and “the teaching of kindness is on her tongue” (Pro 31:26). She is the ideal wife, for though many women have done nobly, she excels them all (Pro 31:29). What makes this woman so excellent? What drives her to possess all the virtues of a godly woman, for which her husband praises her? Solomon tells us. It’s not her personal charm, which is deceitful; nor her physical beauty, which is fleeting (Pro 31:30a). Rather, it’s because she is “a woman who fears the LORD” (Pro 31:30b). This one “shall be praised” by all who know and appreciate her godliness. What is prioritized is the inner qualities of godliness and virtue that make for an enjoyable, stable, and lasting marriage. Other qualities and features of godly women are as follows:
"I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet." (1 Tim 2:9-12)
"Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored." (Tit 2:4-6)
"In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear." (1 Pet 3:1-6)

Marriage: A Divine Institution

     According to Scripture, God created four foundational institutions that are for individual blessing and national stability. The four divine institutions are: Responsible Dominion—the sphere of life God has placed under our care (Gen 1:26-30; 2:16-17), Marriage—the covenantal union of a man and a woman to serve and enjoy God (Gen 2:18-24; cf. Matt 19:4-6), Family—the smallest social unit intended to train succeeding generations for godliness and authority orientation (Gen 4:1-2; Deut 6:4-7; Eph 6:1-4), Human Government—delegated authority to promote freedom, order, and to protect citizens from evil (Gen 9:5-7; 10:32; 11:1-9; Acts 17:24-28; Rom 13:1-7). Each of these institutions build on each other, for there will not be national stability if the families are not morally strong; the families will not be morally strong if the marriage is not godly; and, the marriage will not be godly if individuals are not making good choices to know and walk in God’s will.
     Marriage, being a divine institution, it is not open to redefinition or modification by people, and there are penalties—both individual and national—for those who would tinker with them. The first married couple set the standard for marriage. As man and woman, Adam and Eve were created in God’s image to live under His provision and authority, to walk in fellowship with Him, and to fulfill the specific purpose of ruling over His creation (Gen 1:26-28). In this regard they were to complement each other. All three members of the Trinity were involved in the creation of Adam and Eve (Gen 1:26-28). Scripture reveals, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27). Adam and Eve were created for relationships; first with God, then with each other, then the animals and world around them. They were to fulfill the divine mandate to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:28). They possessed a clear sense of purpose under the authority of God.
     Genesis chapter one provides a snapshot of the creation of the first couple; however, in Genesis chapter two, we learn there was a short lapse of time between the creation of Adam and Eve (Gen 2:15-24). Originally, Adam was created sinless, with the unhindered capacity to walk with God and serve Him. Though he was sinless, Adam was not complete. God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [Heb. עֵזֶר ezer] suitable for him” (Gen 2:18). Before God created the first woman, He took time to educate Adam about his relational incompleteness. God brought a multitude of animals before Adam (most likely in pairs of male and female), and after observing and naming them (Gen 2:19), Adam realized “there was not found a helper [Heb. עֵזֶר ezer] suitable for him” (Gen 2:20). God corrected what Adam could not. The Lord caused Adam to fall asleep and “took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place” (Gen 2:21). God then “fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man” (Gen 2:22). This was a divinely arranged marriage. It is noteworthy that the “woman was taken not from Adam’s head to dominate him, nor from his feet to be trodden down, but from under his arm to be protected, and from near his heart to be loved.”[1]
Sin changed humanity and the world in which we live. Satan (a fallen angel) attacked the first marriage and tempted the man and woman to disobey God (Gen 3:1-7). Adam and Eve listened to Satan and rejected God’s will (Gen 2:15-17; 3:1-8), and sin was introduced into the human race and the whole world is now under a curse (Gen 3:8-19; Rom 5:12-19; 8:20-22). Eve was deceived by Satan, but Adam sinned with his eyes open (1 Tim 2:14). The institution of marriage continued after the historic fall of Adam and Eve and took on various ceremonies based on ever changing social customs. The Bible directs believers to marry believers (1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 6:14-15), but does not prescribe a specific ceremony to follow, or vows to take, but leaves these matters for people to decide for themselves. Marriage is divinely illustrative of Yahweh’s relationship with Israel (Isa 54:5), and Christ’s relationship with the church (2 Cor 11:2). Marriage is to be holy, because God is holy (1 Pet 1:15-16). Marriage is to be built on love, because God is love (1 John 4:16-21).
     Marriage is a covenant relationship (Prov 2:16-17; Ezek 16:8; Mal 2:14-15; Matt 19:6). In Scripture, the word covenant (Heb. בְּרִית berith, Grk. διαθήκη diatheke) is used of a treaty, alliance, or contract. The strength of a covenant depends on the person, or persons, who enter into it. Some covenants are vertical between God and individuals or groups, and some are horizontal between people. Some of God’s covenants are unilateral, in which God acts alone and unconditionally promises to provide and bless another. Some of God’s covenants are bilateral, in which blessing or cursing is conditioned on faithful obedience to stated laws. Covenants made by people are generally bilateral, depending on the faithfulness of each person to keep their promise. Though we, as individuals, may unilaterally promise to be faithful to our spouses (which is good), no matter what, we also realize that our promises are no stronger than our ability or integrity to hold on to them. Because none of us are morally perfect, nor hold infinite power to be good and do good, but live in a fallen world and possess sinful natures that draw us away from what is right, we realize that faithfulness to vows is not always a reality. Even some of the godliest men and women have failed to keep their word. Because of sin, the Bible permits a way out of the marital relationship in cases of adultery (Matt 5:32; 19:8-9), or abandonment (1 Cor 7:12-15). Though available, these options are not always preferable (1 Cor 7:10-11).
 
[1] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 35.

Malachi 2:10-16

     In this pericope, Malachi rebukes the men who divorced their wives and married unbelievers who were still committed to their paganism. In the opening verse, Malachi points out that Israel was a special nation, created by God (Isa 43:15), who regards Himself as their Father, and the nation as His son (Ex 4:22; Isa 63:16). As such, the Israelites were not behaving as loving siblings, but were treating each other treacherously (Mal 2:10). The treacherous behavior addressed was that many of the Israelite men had “married the daughter of a foreign god” (Mal 2:11). These men had divorced their believing wives and married foreign women who kept their pagan faith; which was forbidden (Deut 7:1-4). Apparently, Ezra and Nehemiah were dealing with the same issue (see Ezra 9:1-4; Neh 13:23-31). An Israelite believer could marry a foreigner, like Ruth, if she joined the faith. But if she held fast to her pagan gods, like Jezebel, then it was forbidden. In the NT, Christians are warned against marrying unbelievers because it will cause problems and lead them away from the Lord (1 Cor 7:39; 2 Cor 6:14-18). The Israelite man guilty of marrying a woman who was committed to idolatry was to be “cut off from the tents of Jacob” (Mal 2:12a), even though he continued to approach God through sacrifices, acting as if he’d done nothing wrong (Mal 2:12b). Restoring the relationship with his believing wife was more important than offering sacrifices to the Lord (cf. Matt 5:23-24). Another thing these men were doing included covering “the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping and with groaning, because He no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand” (Mal 2:13). They wanted their sin and God’s blessings too; but God refused to answer their prayers because they failed to treat their believing wives honorably. This principle is true in the NT, as Christian men are told to live with their wives in an understanding way, to “show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered” (1 Pet 3:7). The sin of these Israelite men had rendered them spiritually dull, and they were wondering, “for what reason” the Lord was not answering their prayers (Mal 2:14a). Malachi plainly explained, “Because the LORD has been a witness between you and the wife of your youth, against whom you have dealt treacherously, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Mal 2:14). God intended their marriage to be based on loyal-love, with each seeking God’s best in their partner; however, these men behaved treacherously by divorcing their wives, presumably to satisfy their sexual desires with pagan women. Marriage is a divine institution (Gen 2:21-24), in which God is personal witness to the covenant bond. The man who had even a remnant of the Spirit working in his life did not abandon his wife (Mal 2:15a). Furthermore, he would likely be one who produced godly offspring, as his children would see his commitment and perhaps follow in his footsteps (Mal 2:15b). Men devoid of divine viewpoint will naturally care little about spiritual matters in their own lives or the lives of their children. If permitted to spread, the practice of divorcing godly wives and marrying pagans would undermine the spiritual fabric of Israel’s society and lead to national instability. So, Malachi says to these men, “Take heed then to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of your youth” (Mal 2:15c). The spiritual husband would be committed to God and faithful to his wife, ministering to her needs as best he can. The Lord then states, very emphatically, “I hate divorce” (Mal 2:16a).[1] God created the institution of marriage (Gen 2:21-24), which is intended to unite, in faithfulness, a man and a woman together for life. The union is between God and the couple He joins together. And, because God Himself is a covenant keeping God who is faithful to His promises, He expects those who walk with Him to keep their promises too. Unfortunately, many in Malachi’s day were divorcing their wives for sinful reasons; and, rather than wearing a garment of love, with which to cover and protect his wife, he wore a garment of “wrong” that injured himself, his wife, and his children. So, God says to this man, for a second time, “take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Mal 2:16c). The spiritual man who walks with God will honor his vows to his wife and remain faithful to her.
 
[1] The Hebrew text could also read: “If he hates and divorces his wife” (CSB) or “The man who hates and divorces his wife” (NIV). If correct, the subject of “hate” is the husband, not the Lord; and the object of the husband’s hate is his wife. Whether God or the husband is the subject in the passage, divorce is wrong. However, because of sin, divorce was permitted (Deut 24:1-4; Matt 19:7-8), and the marriage could be terminated because of adultery (Matt 19:9), or desertion of an unbelieving spouse (1 Cor 7:12-16). Though divorce is an option, it is not required, and reconciliation, if possible, is always preferred.

The Old and New Priesthood

     A priest was one who offered prayers, sacrifices, and worship to God on behalf of others. He also offered instruction, by speech and behavior, concerning how to properly approach God in righteousness. In the OT—before the Mosaic Law—few priests are mentioned. Melchizedek functioned as the king/priest of Salem (Gen 14:18-20; cf. Heb 7:1), and Jethro/Ruel (Moses’ father-in-law) as the priest of Midian (Ex 2:16-21; 3:1). Job served as the priest over his household, offering sacrifices for the sins of his family (Job 1:5). Most people worshipped and served God as non-priests. Men such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob built temporary stone altars and worshipped God directly (Gen 8:20-21; Gen 12:7; 13:18; 26:24-25; 35:1-7). Before the Mosaic Law, it appears that sacrifice and worship were personal, simple, did not require special attire, and were not tied to a specific geographic location or facility.
     After Israel was delivered from the bondage of Egypt, God established the Hebrews as a theocratic nation among the Gentile nations of the world. God originally intended the whole nation to be a kingdom of priests, saying, “and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:6). However, because of the sin of worshipping the golden calf (Ex 32:1-35), God took that privilege from the nation and gave it solely to the tribe of Levi (Num 3:6-10).
     Aaron was from the tribe of Levi, and he and his descendants constituted the priestly class in Israel, and other qualified Levites helped them in their priestly duties. The distinction between priests and Levites continued into the NT (John 1:19; Luke 10:31-32). The priests in Israel were not given land (Num 18:20, 23-24), but could live in one of forty-eight cities that were assigned to them (Num 35:7). Their living was derived from the tithe (Num 18:21, 24-28), and they could eat part of the animal sacrifice (Lev 5:13, 7:31-34), along with their family (Lev 10:12-15).
     God required that Levitical priests could not have any physical defects (Lev 21:17-23), and restricted the age to twenty-five to fifty (Num 8:24-25). The Levitical priests originally served in the tabernacle, and later in the temple. Special clothing was required both for the priests and the high priest. Throughout the years of their priestly service they were required to:
Be holy in their behavior (Ex 19:6).
Teach God’s Law to others (Lev 10:8-11; Deut 31:9-13; 33:8-10; 2 Chron 17:7-9; Ezra 7:10; Mal 2:7).
Offer sacrifices for sin to God (Lev chapters 4, 9, 16).
Adjudicate legal matters (Deut 17:8-13; 19:16-17; 2 Chron 19:8-10).
Preserve the tabernacle and temple (Num 18:1-7).
Perform official duties in the Holy of Holies once a year (Ex 30:6-10; Lev 16).
Inspect persons, animals, and fabrics to make sure they were clean (Lev 1:3; Deu 15:21; Lev 13-15).
Receive the tithes (Num 18:21, 26; cf. Heb 7:5).
Pronounce God’s blessing on the nation (Num 6:22-27).
     The death of Christ on the cross fulfilled the Mosaic Law and ended the OT animal sacrificial system and the Levitical priesthood (John 1:17; Rom 6:14; 8:3-4; 10:4; 2 Cor 3:1-13; Gal 5:18; Heb 8:13). Jesus is identified as a Priest according to the order of Melchizedek (Psa 110:4; Heb 7:11-19), and He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice to atone for sin (Mark 10:45; Rom 8:3-4).
     Today, there is no specialized priesthood, and the Catholic Church—or any organization—is not justified in creating a priestly cast within the body of Christ. Presently, in the church age, every Christian, at the moment of salvation, becomes a priest to God. Peter writes of Christians, saying, “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:5), and “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet 2:9).[1] This is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who “has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (Rev 1:6), and “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev 5:10; cf. 20:6). Furthermore, we do not worship at a temple; rather, “we are the temple of the living God” (2 Cor 6:16; cf. 1 Cor 3:16-17). And we do not bring animal sacrifices, but “offer up spiritual sacrifices” to God (1 Pet 2:5). The basic functions of the Christian priesthood include:
The continual giving of the body for service to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2).
Confessing our sins directly to God (1 John 1:6-9).
Sharing the gospel with others (Rom 15:15-16).
Offering praise to God (Heb 13:15).
Doing good works and sharing with others (Heb 13:16; cf. Phil 4:18).
Giving our lives for the benefit of others (Phil 2:17; cf. Phil 1:21-26; 2:3-4).
Walking in love (Eph 5:1-2; cf. 1 Pet 1:22).
     The Christian becomes a priest at the moment of salvation; however, the practice of the priesthood begins when he/she surrenders their body as a “living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom 12:1). Unlike the OT animal sacrifices which surrendered their lives once, the Christian life is a moment by moment, continual surrender to God. This spiritual service is performed by the believer “to our God” (Rev 5:10), for the benefit of others (Gal 6:10; Phil 2:3-4; Heb 13:16).
 
[1] Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum argues that the references in 1 Peter 2:5-9 refers narrowly to Jewish Christians, and there is merit to his argument. He also makes clear that all Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, are priests to God, and references Revelation 1:6; 5:10, and 20:6 as his prooftexts. For further investigation, read Israelology, pages 720-722.

Malachi 2:1-9

     In this pericope, God rebukes the Levitical priests for not accurately teaching or living by God’s Word, and for leading the people into sin. Malachi chapter two opens with a direct address to the priests in Judah (Mal 2:1). The address was both a warning and a judgment. The warning was, “If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name” says the LORD of hosts, “then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings” (Mal 2:2a). To listen (שָׁמַע shama) meant to hear and obey. To give honor to God’s name meant they were to magnify His reputation before others by obeying His Word. If they failed to do this, then He would send a curse upon them and reverse the blessings He’d given. This process of cursing had already begun, as the Lord states, “indeed, I have cursed them already, because you are not taking it to heart” (Mal 2:2b). Apparently, the reversal of some of His blessings was intended to serve as warning discipline for the priests, followed by a promise of further judgment if they continued. If they continued to dishonor His name through their disobedience, He would send a threefold judgement: 1) He would rebuke their offspring (Mal 2:3a), which likely meant their family line would come to an end[1] (cf. 1 Sam 24:21; Psa 37:28), 2) He would spread refuse on their faces (Mal 2:3b), which meant He would publicly humiliate them, and 3) He would remove their place of ministry (Mal 2:3c), much like the worthless dung was removed from the animal sacrifice and thrown outside the camp (cf. Exo 29:14; Lev 4:11-12). The discipline was intended to humble them so they would take the Lord seriously, do His will, and lead others to do the same. When this happened, they would know it was the Lord who had spoken (Mal 2:4). God’s judgment would purge the corrupt elements within the Levitical priesthood in order that it might continue and function properly. Levi, one of the sons of Jacob (Gen 29:34), was not a priest. However, God chose the tribe of Levi to be the priestly tribe in Israel to help with theological training, sacrifices, and worship. Because they held such an important role in Israelite society, a role that influenced the lives of others, they were held to a higher standard. God said of Levi, “My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name” (Mal 2:5). For a priest to revere God meant three things: 1) that he communicated “true instruction” from the Lord (Mal 2:6a), that he walked with God “in peace and uprightness” (Mal 2:6b), 3) that “he turned many back from iniquity” (Mal 2:6c). One of the chief responsibilities of the priests was to teach God’s Word to others (Lev 10:8-11; Deut 31:9-13; 33:8-10), “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts” (Mal 2:7). However, the priests in Malachi’s day had failed terribly, as the Lord states, “But as for you, you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by the instruction; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi” (Mal 2:8). Not only had the priests stopped following God, their poor teaching and lifestyle led others away as well. So God declared, “So I also have made you despised and abased before all the people, just as you are not keeping My ways but are showing partiality in the instruction” (Mal 2:9). Though being “despised and abased before all the people” was a severe punishment, it was a lighter sentence than the death penalty; which was what the Mosaic Law prescribed for priests who offered unfit animal sacrifices (see Num 18:32). In all this, God expected His ministers to know His Word, teach His Word, and live His Word (see Ezra 7:10), so the people of God could hear and see the standard of righteousness that was expected of them. How ministers handle God’s Word is a serious matter, for being a teacher can be dangerous business if not done properly (Jam 3:1). Christians should know what to expect from their pastors, teachers, worship leaders, counselors, etc. They should also know what God expects from them, for all Christians are called to grow in their faith, to become mature believers, “for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12).
 
[1] Because the priests were disobeying God and leading others into sin through their false teaching, God would cut off their family line and bring it to an end. Here is an example of cursing by association, where one’s descendants are impacted by the choices of their parents. Those who want the best for their children will pursue godliness above all else. Parents are to know God’s Word, teach it to their children, and model the godly behavior they want to see in in their children (Deut 6:4-7; 11:19; Eph 6:4).

Malachi 1:6-14

       God rebukes the priests in Judah who have disdained His name by offering unacceptable sacrifices on the altar (Mal 1:6-14). God admonishes the priests in Judah who failed in their temple duties. The Lord opens with the comment that a good son honors his father and a good servant respects his master but God’s priests disrespect Him and “despise” His name (Mal 1:6). To despise (בָּזָה bazah) means to look down on someone or something as worthless. “They did not simply despise the Lord in the way they worshiped; the way they worshiped showed that they were despisers of the Lord.”[1] The priests ask how they are guilty of despising the Lord, and God answers, by “presenting defiled food upon My altar” (Mal 1:7a). The sacrificial altar is also called “the table of the LORD” (Mal 1:7b), identifying it as the place where people came together, not only to sacrifice, but to eat and fellowship. In ancient Israel, the communal meal was more than a source of nutrition; it communicated a place of fellowship, trust, and respect (see Gen 18:1-8). The priests dishonored the Lord by offering blind, lame, and sick animal sacrifices (Mal 1:8), which were forbidden under the Mosaic Law (Lev 1:3; Deu 15:21). Though the priests were the ones primarily being rebuked, the offerors were also guilty, for they were the ones bringing the unacceptable sacrifices. The quality and attitude of the gift says something about the giver and her/his estimation of the recipient. The poor widow, though she only gave two coins, gave with the right attitude (Mark 12:41-44), and Mary’s gift to Jesus was precious (John 12:1-3).
"When the people came to worship, God did not require a great deal of them in the way of offerings—tokens, really, of their herds and their crops, a handful of grain, or an animal or two for the family. But what they brought had to pass two important tests, and in many cases only they and God would know if they passed them. What they brought had to be the first and the best—the first of their flock, and the best animal they had. Anything less than this was an insult to God. To bring God an inferior gift would say that one did not think much of God, for the quality of the gift indicates the value the giver places on the one receiving the gift. That is true in a human relationship, and it certainly is true in worship."[2]
     But God, being gracious, offers them grace if they would humble themselves (Mal 1:9). But if they would not obey Him, it would be better if one of the priests would shut the doors to the temple courtyard rather than offer improper sacrifices (Mal 1:10). God’s name is important, for it represents His divine nature, and He desires that it be honored in all places (Mal 1:11). Yet in Judah, God’s name was despised, and the table of the Lord was defiled (Mal 1:12). The priests even complained that the temple work itself was tiresome, and this led them to “bring what was taken by robbery and what is lame or sick” (Mal 1:13). God even rebukes the people, saying, “cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord” (Mal 1:14). This was a disgrace, because God is a great King, and His name should be feared by all.
 
[1] Allen P. Ross, Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 60.
[2] Ibid., 51.

Malachi 1:1-5

     Malachi chapter one reveals God’s love for Israel in that He chose her above others to be in a special relationship with Him (Mal 1:1-5). Malachi’s message is called an “oracle”; however, the Hebrew word מַשָּׂא massa also connotes a burden. “In the prophetic books maśśā’ introduces messages of a threatening nature 27 times (e.g., Isa 13:1; 14:28; 15:1; Nah 1:1; Hab 1:1; Zec 9:1; 12:1). Standing alone at the beginning of Malachi, the word maśśā’ gives this prophet’s entire message a sense of anxiety and foreboding.”[1] Furthermore, Malachi’s message was not his own; rather, it was “the word of the LORD”, which meant it came with the stamp of divine authority (cf. 1 Th 2:13). Six times in this pericope God’s covenant name, יהוה YHVH, is used; and the message was to Israel, His covenant people. Since God is always faithful to keep His word, any problems in the relationship must belong to His people. And the message was “through Malachi”, the Lord’s instrument of communication. Interestingly, the prophet’s opening message to Israel was an announcement of God’s love for them, as the Lord declared, “I have loved you” (Mal 1:2a). “The verb אָהַב means ‘to love,’ very often with the special sense of choosing. If God loved Israel, it meant he chose them for himself; there was affection for sure, but divine election lay behind it all.”[2] God’s love for His people means He has chosen them for a special relationship, that He is committed to them (even when they are not faithful, see 2 Tim 2:13), and always seeks their best interest. Furthermore, His love for His people is rooted in His sovereignty and integrity, not in the beauty or worth of those whom He loved (Deu 7:6-8); and Israel should have responded to God’s love by walking with him and following His direction (Deu 6:4-9). This is true for believers who are in relationship with Jesus, who said, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word” (John 14:23). God’s love for Israel is seen in that He has chosen them to be His covenant people (Mal 1:2a), which meant they were to walk with Him and enjoy His blessings. But His people challenged His love for them, asking, “How have You loved us?” (Mal 1:2b). Their question could possibly have been asked out of ignorance, but more likely out of defiance, because they were not walking as they should. Perhaps Israel questioned God’s love because nearly 100 years had passed since they’d returned from Babylonian captivity and they were still struggling agriculturally and economically. However, if they’d known their Scriptures, they would have been able to interpret their poor condition from the divine perspective and realize their suffering was because they’d failed to keep His Word, and not because God did not love or care about them. God revealed His love for them by stating He’d selected their forefather, Jacob, to be the recipient of His covenant blessings, and rejected his brother, Esau, who was cursed (Mal 1:2c-3). In Malachi, the terms “love” and “hate” simply mean God selected one and rejected the other (Jesus used the words in the same way; see Luke 14:26). “We must keep in mind that God’s choosing of the line of Jacob did not mean that everyone in Israel would be a redeemed believer; neither did the rejection of Esau’s line mean that no Edomite ever came to faith.”[3] Though God loved Israel, He would not tolerate their prideful defiance of Him, for “God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet 5:5). In order to restore Israel to a place of humbleness, God used the Babylonians to discipline and take them into captivity. Though He disciplined them according to His covenant promises, it was His faithful love that restored them to fellowship (Deu 4:25-31; 30:1-3). In contrast, Edom had been rejected by God, who also used the Babylonians to defeat them, and though Edom tried to rebuild, God frustrated their efforts and destroyed them completely (Mal 1:4; cf. Jer 27:2-8; 49:7-22). Malachi said, “Your eyes will see this and you will say, ‘The LORD be magnified beyond the border of Israel!’” (Mal 1:5). The reference to “your eyes” most likely refers to believing Israelites future from Malachi’s day, who would witness God’s sovereign destruction of Edom, displaying His ultimate rejection of them, in contrast to the preservation of His people, Israel, whom He loved. In all this we learn something about the loving character of God toward His people, whom He has chosen for a special relationship.
     As Christians, we are among God’s elect and have been adopted as sons and daughters (Gal 3:26-28), endowed with great blessing (Eph 1:3-6), citizenship in heaven (Phil 3:20), a priesthood (Rev 1:6), and an ambassadorship in God’s service (2 Cor 5:20). However, the same love that has selected and blessed us will also bring loving discipline when we step out of God’s will (Heb 12:5-11); a discipline that is intended to “yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb 12:11b).
 
[1] Craig A. Blaising, “Malachi,” 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), 1575.
[2] Allen P. Ross, Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016), 34.
[3] Ibid., 35.

Introduction to Malachi

Author:
     The author of the book is the prophet Malachi (Heb. מַלְאָכִי Malaki), whose name means my messenger (Mal 1:1).
Audience:
     Malachi’s message was to Israel (Mal 1:1); specifically, a Judean audience familiar with temple activity (Mal 2:11).
Date of Ministry:
     Malachi uses a Persian word for governor (פֶּחָה pechah – Mal 1:8), which implies Persian rule (538-333 B.C.). Furthermore, the temple was operational (Mal 1:6-11; 2:1-3; 3:1, 10), placing the writing after 516 B.C., as a post-exilic book. The religious and social problems addressed by Malachi seem to coincide with issues addressed by Ezra (Ezra chapters 9 & 10) and Nehemiah (Nehemiah chapters 10 & 13). It’s possible Malachi prophesied during the time when Nehemiah, Judah’s governor, was out of town for a few years (Neh 13:6, ca. 432 B.C.). If correct, Malachi’s ministry occurred nearly a hundred years after Haggai and Zechariah. Malachi is the last of the OT writing prophets.
Historical Background:
     Malachi addressed some of the issues surrounding Israel’s neglect of the covenant; specifically, the promises the people had previously made under Nehemiah’s leadership to keep the Sabbath, fund the temple, offer proper sacrifices, and give tithes of food (Neh 10:28-39). When Nehemiah was present, the people obeyed. However, Nehemiah left for a period of time, maybe a few years, visiting Artaxerxes, king of Babylon (Neh 13:6); and during his absence the people fell back into sin, bringing unbelieving foreigners into the temple, not supporting the priests, failing to keep the Sabbath and marrying unbelieving foreign women (Neh 13:1-31). Malachi addresses similar issues.
"The conditions described in the Book of Nehemiah are the very things Malachi deals with in his book: poor crops and a faltering economy (Mal. 3:11), intermarriage with the heathen (2:11), defilement of the priesthood (1:6ff), oppression of the poor (3:5), lack of support for the temple (vv. 8–10), and a general disdain of religion (v. 13ff). It was a low time spiritually for Judah, and they needed to hear the Word of God."[1]
"Life was not easy for the returnees during the ministry of the fifth-century restoration prophets. The people continued to live under Gentile (Persian) sovereignty even though they were back in their own land. Harvests were poor, and locust plagues were a problem (3:11). Even after Ezra’s reforms and Nehemiah’s amazing success in motivating the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, most of the people remained cold-hearted toward Yahweh. Priests and people were still not observing the Mosaic Law as commanded, as is clear from references in the book to sacrifices, tithes, and offerings (e.g., 1:6; 3:5). Foreign cultures had made deep inroads into the values and practices of God’s people. The Israelites still intermarried with Gentiles (2:11), and divorces were quite common (2:16). The spiritual, ethical, and moral tone of the nation was low."[2]
Malachi’s Message:
     Malachi structures his message to address seven sins within the nation. In each of the sins mentioned, Malachi’s readers responded by asking, “How have we done that?” (Mal 1:2, 6, 2:13-14, 17; 3:7, 8, 13). The questions reveal their spiritual insensitivity to his charges. The priests were the major focus of Malachi’s message, as they had failed to teach and lead the nation in spiritual matters pertaining to temple sacrifices. “It is possible to attend the place of worship, to go through the motions of worship, and even to make sacrifices of worship, and still not worship God.”[3] Throughout, the Mosaic Law was the standard by which Israel’s behavior was measured, calling them back to obedience. Overall, Malachi’s message was that covenant faithfulness would restore the nation’s blessings.
Outline:
God loves His people, Israel, and subdues her enemies (1:1-5).
God rejects the corrupt worship that defiles His sanctuary (1:6-14).
The priests failed to teach the Law to God’s people (2:1-9).
Many Israelites had married unbelieving foreign wives and divorced the wives of their youth (2:10-16).
God will send His messengers who will prepare the way for redemption and judgment (2:17-3:5).
God’s people failed to support the priesthood with their tithes (3:6-12).
A contrast between the wicked and the righteous, and a promise of a future leader who will restore the nation to God (3:13-18; 4:1-6).
 
[1] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Amazed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 137.
[2] Tom Constable, Introduction to Malachi, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), NP.
[3] Ibid., NP.

The Second Coming of Christ

     The coming of Messiah into the world is a prophesied event in the both the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament revealed Messiah would come, both as a Suffering Servant (Psa 22:6, 12-18; Isa 50:6-7; 53:1-12; Dan 9:26; Zec 13:7), and as a reigning descendant of David, who will establish an earthly kingdom in Israel (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 34-37; Isa 9:6-7; 11:1-5; Jer 23:5; Dan 2:44; 7:13-14). The New Testament clearly identifies Jesus as the promised Messiah (Matt 1:1, 16; Luke 1:31-33; John 1:41-42).
     At His incarnation—nearly two thousand years ago—God the Son added humanity to Himself (John 1:1, 14), walked among men and lived a righteous life, free from sin (Matt 5:17-18; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 John 3:5). At His first coming, Jesus repeatedly offered the earthly Davidic kingdom to Israel (Matt 4:17, 23; 9:35; 10:7), but His offer was rejected by the Jewish leadership and people (Matt 11:20; 12:14; 27:22-23; John 19:13-16), so the kingdom was postponed for a future time (Matt 21:43).
     As the Suffering Servant, Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins (John 3:16; Rom 5:6-8; 1 Pet 3:18), was buried, and raised again on the third day (Matt 16:21; 17:22-23; Luke 24:6-7; Acts 10:38-41; 1 Cor 15:3-4). After His resurrection, over forty days, Jesus appeared to numerous persons, namely, Mary Magdalene and other women (John 20:10-18; Matt 28:8-9), two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-32), the disciples without Thomas (John 20:19-25), the disciples with Thomas (John 20:26-29), the disciples by the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-23), Peter, James, and more than 500 brethren at one time (1 Cor 15:5-7), and lastly, to the disciples at the Mount of Olives, before He ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). It is was no coincidence that Jesus ascended physically to heaven from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12), for it is to this very mountain that Zechariah prophesied Messiah would come, saying, “In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south” (Zec 14:4). That the Mount of Olives is still in an undisturbed state makes clear that Jesus has not returned.
     Jesus promised to return again (Matt 16:27; 19:28; 25:31), and this will happen after the time of Tribulation (Matt 24:21, 29-30). The return of Christ is praiseworthy news to those who are in heaven and on the earth who love Him and look forward to His coming.  However, it is bad news to those who oppose Him (2 Thess 1:3-10; Rev 19:11-21). The Second Coming is distinguished from the Rapture of the Church where Christ takes all Christians to heaven (John 14:1-3; 1 Cor 15:51-53; 1 Thess 4:13-18). The Rapture of the Church occurs just prior to the seven-year Tribulation.
     The major purposes of Jesus’ Second Coming include:
Fulfilling Prophecy (Psa 2:1-12; Isa 11:1-5; Dan 7:13-14; Zec 14:1-9; Matt 19:28; 24:29-30; 25:31; Acts 1:11; 2 Thess 1:6-10).
Judging the world and establishing righteousness (Psa 96:13; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5; Matt 19:28; 25:31-46; Rev 20:4; 11-15).
Rescuing persecuted believers from the Tribulation (Matt 24:22).
Bringing saved Jews into the Promised Land (Gen 12:1-3; 15:18; 17:8; Ezek; 37:21-25; Rom 11:25-26).
Fulfilling the promises of the New Covenant (Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 34:25-27; 37:26).
Judging the Antichrist and the False Prophet (Rev 19:20).
Casting Satan into the Abyss for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-3).
Establishing the earthly Davidic kingdom in Jerusalem (2 Sam 7:16; Psa 89:3-4, 34-37; Luke 1:31-33; cf. Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5; Dan 7:13-14; Rev 20:1-6).

Zechariah 14:1-21

     Zechariah 14:1-21 pertains to the day of the Lord, which is a future time when God will intervene in human history to rescue His people and judge the wicked, in order to establish His kingdom on earth. The chapter opens with a description of persecution by Gentile nations upon Jerusalem, in which the city is captured, houses plundered, women ravished, and many taken into exile (Zec 14:1-2). When all seems hopeless, “the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle” (Zec 14:3). This refers to the battle of Armageddon in which Jesus Christ “will stand on the Mount of Olives”, causing the mountain to split in two (Zec 14:4), and clearing the way for His people to flee to safety (Zec 14:5a). Apparently, Jesus will be accompanied by many of His holy angels (Zec 14:5b). This event will be so great, even the stars in the sky will be impacted (Zec 14:6-7). After the battle, there will be a fountain flowing out of Jerusalem that will extend outward to other nations (Zec 14:8), and “the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one” (Zec 14:9). The topography of the Middle East will be changed into a plain (Zec 14:10), and “People will live in it, and there will no longer be a curse, for Jerusalem will dwell in security” (Zec 14:11). And God will punish those who attacked Jerusalem with great physical pain (Zec 14:12) and mental confusion, such that “they will seize one another’s hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another” (Zec 14:13). Apparently, some within Judah and Jerusalem will fight, and after the enemy is defeated, “the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be gathered, gold and silver and garments in great abundance” (Zec 14:14). The plague which God brought upon Israel’s enemies, will also be upon all the animals in their camp (Zec 14:15), rendering them useless to those who use them in war. After the battle is complete, after God subdues Israel’s enemies, the remaining humbled nations will be required to go to Jerusalem annually “to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them” (Zec 14:16-17). This will be the punishment on nations near and far (Zec 14:18-19). It is likely that representatives from the nations of the world will be those who visit Jerusalem annually, as it would seem impossible for every person on the planet to gather there. More so, failure to attend these annual events implies that sin and pride are not completely removed during the millennial kingdom, otherwise there would be no need for God to withhold the blessing of rain upon those nations. Lastly, when Christ establishes His kingdom on earth, common things such as bells on horse (Zec 14:20), cooking pots and dishes, will all “be holy to the LORD of hosts” (Zec 14:21a). “And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts in that day” (Zec 14:21b), which likely refers to common traders influencing those who worship at the Lord’s temple.

Zechariah 13:1-9

     Zechariah 13:1-6 refer to events surrounding the second coming of Christ and the suppression of idolatry and false prophets. Zechariah 13:7 refers to the first coming of Jesus and His crucifixion; and, Zechariah 13:8-9 refers to God’s further cleansing of the land during the Tribulation, just before Messiah comes. Zechariah chapter thirteen opens with the repeated phrase, in that day (Zec 13:1, 2, 4), showing it is a continuation of chapter twelve, and refers to the eschatological events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus. In that future time, God declares, “a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for impurity” (Zec 13:1). This means the Lord will offer spiritual cleansing to Israel’s leadership and people in anticipation of the coming earthly kingdom. The Lord also states, “I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they will no longer be remembered; and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land” (Zec 13:2). Israel has a long history of idolatry, which was promoted by false prophets (in the seen world) and unclean spirits (in the unseen world). These will be removed from the land; again, in anticipation of the coming earthly kingdom. The false prophets will not have a place to hide, not even in their own homes, as parents, who are wholly devoted to God, will not tolerate spiritual dissent among their children (Zec 13:3). The false prophets will be ashamed of their false visions and will no longer try to present themselves as true prophets of God (Zec 13:4); but rather, will say they are lowly slave farmers (Zec 13:5). One of the marks of false prophets was the cutting of their flesh in an effort to excite their pagan deity (cf. Lev 19:28; Deu 14:1; 1 Ki 18:28). When asked about his wounds, the false prophet will lie and say “I was wounded in the house of my friends” (Zec 13:6). That is, the wounds were not self-inflicted, but inflicted by a friend, perhaps while horseplaying in his youth. The subject matter suddenly changes, as Zechariah prophecies about the first coming of Jesus, specifically with regard to His substitutionary death. God states, “Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the man, My Associate” (Zec 13:7a). Here, God the Father calls for a sword—an instrument of death—to be raised against His Shepherd and Associate, which is Jesus, His Son. This verse is similar to that of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53, where God the Father crushes Jesus in our place (Isa 53:4-10; Acts 2:23; 4:27-28); a crushing that Jesus willingly accepts, as He lays down His life for us (Matt 26:42; Mark 10:45; John 10:11, 15). The Lord further states, “Strike the Shepherd that the sheep may be scattered; and I will turn My hand against the little ones” (Zec 13:7b). We know that Jesus’ disciples were scattered after He was crucified (Matt 26:31, 56), and the reference to “the little ones” might be better understood as “the insignificant ones” who were judged by God for the wrong they inflicted on Jesus (perhaps alluding the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70). Lastly, Zechariah seems to jump back to the future time of the Tribulation, in which two thirds of Israelites will be cut off, and a third will be spared to enter into the coming earthly kingdom (Zec 13:8). This remaining third, likely the believing remnant of Israelites at the second coming of Jesus, will be refined and tested through the fire of the Tribulation (Zec 13:9a). God says of these believing Jews, “they will call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, ‘they are My people,’ and they will say, ‘the LORD is my God’” (Zec 13:9b). Israel, God’s covenant people, will, at last, be in a healthy relationship with the Lord as they enter into the earthly millennial kingdom with Jesus as their King.

Zechariah 12:1-14

     Zechariah 12:1-9 refers to the time of the Tribulation; specifically, the battle of Armageddon, when the nations of the world gather against Jerusalem. Zechariah 12:10-14 refers to the national conversion of Israel just prior to the return of Christ. In the opening verse, God identifies Himself as the One who created everything, including mankind; and He is the One who will bring the future events to pass (Zec 12:1). He will make Jerusalem like a cup of strong alcohol to the nations, who will stumble and reel when they try to consume it (Zec 12:2). And, He would make Jerusalem like a heavy stone that will injure those who try to move it (Zec 12:3a). This will be a time when “all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it” (Zec 12:3b), and will be injured by their efforts to harm the city. The phrase in that day occurs 17 times in Zechariah chapters 12-14 and refers to the eschatological events surrounding the Second Coming of Jesus. The Lord Himself will defend Judah, saying, “I will strike every horse with bewilderment and his rider with madness. But I will watch over the house of Judah, while I strike every horse of the peoples with blindness” (Zec 12:4). The leaders of Judah will know that God is for them (Zec 12:5), and will work through them to defeat their enemies (Zec 12:6). The Lord’s deliverance will start with “the tents of Judah” so that those outside the city of Jerusalem will know He cares about them as much as He does “the house of David” and “the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Zec 12:7). And the Lord will defend and strengthen those within Jerusalem, declaring, “In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the one who is feeble among them in that day will be like David, and the house of David will be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them” (Zec 12:8). God declares, He “will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zec 12:9). At that time, Israel will experience national conversion as the Lord pours out on them “the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn” (Zec 12:10). That is, they will mourn that their Messiah, Jesus, was rejected by them at His first coming, and will turn to Him in faith, accepting Him at His second coming. This time of mourning—as Zechariah talks to his generation—will be like the mourning that occurred when Josiah, one of Israel’s greatest kings, was killed by Pharaoh Neco “in the plain of Megiddo” (Zec 12:11; cf. 2 Chr 35:20-27). Every family will mourn, those representing the political (David and Nathan), the priestly (Levi and Shimei), and “all the families that remain” (Zec 12:12-14).

Foolish and Worthless Shepherds - Zechariah 11:15-17

     The term shepherd appears throughout the Bible. The word translates the Hebrew  רֹעֵה  ro’eh as well as the Greek ποιμήν poimen. Both words carry the same basic meaning “to pasture, shepherd, shelter, protect”[1] and “one who herds sheep, shepherd, sheep-herder.”[2] Shepherding was tough and lowly work, often performed in solitude for long periods of time and in dangerous places (Gen 31:36-40; 1 Sam 17:34-35).
"Shepherds stayed with their sheep day and night (Luke 2:8). They provided their flocks with food and water, defended them against thieves and wild animals (1 Sam. 17:34–35; Isa. 31:4; Amos 3:12), and searched for any sheep that wandered astray (Ezek. 34:12; Luke 15:4–6). Each shepherd carried a curved staff, used as a walking stick and for guiding and dividing the sheep (Lev. 27:32); a rod or club, used as a weapon; and a sling (1 Sam. 17:40). They might be aided by dogs (Job 30:1). Because shepherds were the sole source of provision, protection, and control for sheep, in ancient Near Eastern usage “shepherd” came to be a term descriptive of political leaders…Kings, priests, and prophets of Israel are characterized as faithful (Jer. 3:15; 23:4) or wicked shepherds (Isa. 56:11–12; Jer. 10:21; 23:1–2; 50:6). David in particular is called the shepherd appointed by God (2 Sam. 5:2; Ps. 78:70–72). Israel under inadequate leadership is spoken of as sheep without a shepherd (Num. 27:17; 1 Kgs. 22:17; Matt. 9:36). Shepherd imagery is also applied to God, who guides and cares for his people (e.g., Ps. 23:1–4; 28:9; 80:1; Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; cf. Gen. 48:15). The eschatological Davidic king is depicted as a shepherd (Ezek. 34:23; Mic. 5:4)."[3]
The term shepherd is used figuratively in Scripture:
God the Father. God is referred to as the Shepherd who leads, feeds, and protects His people (Gen 48:15; Isa 40:11; Psa 23:1-4; 80:1; 100:1-3; Ezek 34:10-16).
Jesus as the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:14), the “Great Shepherd” (Heb 13:20), and the “Chief Shepherd” (1 Pet 5:4). As the ideal shepherd, Jesus has compassion for His sheep (Matt 9:36), feeds them with God’s Word (Mark 6:34), and lays down His life for them (John 10:11).
Human rulers. In the OT, these leaders primarily consisted of kings, prophets, and priests who were called by God to lead people into His will (Num 27:16-17; 2 Sam 5:1-2). These leaders were to feed God’s people with His Word (Lev 10:11; Deu 33:10; Ezra 7:10; Jer 3:15; Mal 2:7).
Church pastors. In the Church age, God has appointed under-shepherds (i.e. pastors) to lead, feed, and protect His people (Acts 20:28-32; Eph 4:11-14; 2 Tim 2:2; 4:2; 1 Pet 5:1-2). Pastors are appointed by God (Acts 20:28; cf. Eph 4:11) to work within the church, and with the church, serving as examples, and not “lording” their authority over others (1 Pet 5:3). Church pastors are to guard their flock against false teachers and their false doctrines, guiding believers into God’s will, and feeding them with the truths of Scripture. God’s Word is the food pastors serve to their flocks so they might be nourished and grow spiritually (1 Cor 3:2; Heb 5:12-14; 1 Pet 2:2).
Foolish and worthless leaders (Isa 56:11-12; Jer 10:21; 23:1-2; 50:6; Ezek 34:1-10; Zec 11:15-17). The two words to describe the bad shepherd in Zechariah 11:15-17 are foolish and worthless. Foolish translates the Hebrew word אֱוִלִי evili, which, in this context, connotes an immoral leader who had no regard for those to whom he was to minster. “The word [fool] is used in Scripture with respect to moral more than to intellectual deficiencies. The “fool” is not so much one lacking in mental powers, as one who misuses them; not one who does not reason, but reasons wrongly.”[4] The foremost characteristic of a fool is that God is absent from his heart; as the Scripture states, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’”  (Psa 14:1). Being devoid of any divine viewpoint or concern, the fool thinks only of self and will use others as a means of personal benefit. Zechariah describes the foolish shepherd-leader as one “who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs” (Zec 11:16). The word worthless translates the Hebrew word אֱלִיל elil, which connotes something of no value. In Zechariah 11:17 it refers to the leader who is of no value to God or others. The worthless shepherd has no sense of commitment to the flock under his care, and “who leaves the flock” (Zec 11:17). Elsewhere, Scripture describes the worthless person as one who “digs up evil” (Pro 16:27), “makes a mockery of justice” (Pro 19:28), and “plots evil against the LORD” (Nah 1:11). He leads others away from God (Deu 13:13), is given to lewd behavior (Judg 19:22), hides from justice (Judg 20:13), is unreasonable (1 Sam 25:17), defies authority (2 Sam 20:1), is willing to lie against the innocent and promote injustice (1 Ki 21:9-13), and seeks to overpower the timid leader (2 Chron 13:7). It should be noted that worthless persons can be born into good families, for “the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD” (1 Sam 2:12). And, they can attach themselves to a godly leader and cause trouble, such as “the wicked and worthless men among those who went with David” (1 Sam 30:22).
 
[1] Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 1258.
[2] William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 843.
[3] Allen C. Myers, The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987), 939.
[4] Merrill Frederick Unger, R. K. Harrison, Howard Frederic Vos et al., “Fool”, The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).

Zechariah 11:1-17

     The pericope opens with a pronouncement of judgment against the leaders and land to the north and east of Judah (Zec 11:1-3), perhaps because of some wrong they’d committed against the Israelites. God then called Zechariah to act out a message to His people (Zec 11:4). The prophet’s first role was as a shepherd who pastured a flock that was doomed to slaughter (Zec 11:5-14), and his second role was as a foolish shepherd who selfishly abused his flock and was cursed (Zec 11:15-17). The bad shepherds abused the sheep (Zec 11:5), and were judged by God Himself (Zec 11:6). Acting as a shepherd, Zechariah took two staffs, which he named Favor and Union (Zec 11:7). God, speaking through Zechariah, stated, “I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me” (Zec 11:8). The three shepherds are not identified and could represent three actual shepherds, three kings, or three offices of leadership such as king, prophet, and priest. Then, speaking to the nation again, the Lord states, “I will not pasture you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be annihilated, let it be annihilated; and let those who are left eat one another's flesh” (Zec 11:9); this is presumably because of some sinful failing on their part. Zechariah took the staff he called Favor, and cut it in pieces, which represented God’s breaking His covenant with His people (Zec 11:10). This does not appear to be a reference to any of the major biblical covenants (i.e. Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Palestinian, Davidic, New), but a metaphor of the broken relationship between God and the people of Zechariah’s day. When Zechariah did this, he said, “the afflicted of the flock who were watching me realized that it was the word of the LORD” (Zec 11:11). Speaking as their shepherd—who had broken his staff—he asked them to pay him his wages, and they gave him thirty pieces of silver (Zec 11:12). God told Zechariah to take the money and “throw it to the potter, that magnificent price at which I was valued by them” (Zec 11:13a). So he “took the thirty shekels of silver and threw them to the potter in the house of the LORD” (Zec 11:13b). This might imply the temple reconstruction was complete at the time Zechariah received his message. Matthew saw this symbolic act as prophecy concerning Judas and the betrayal of Jesus (see Matt 27:3-10). Zechariah then cut in pieces his second staff, the one he’d named Union, “to break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel” (Zec 11:14). This verse is difficult to know who he’s talking about, since the separation between Israel and Judah occurred historically after the death of Solomon in 930 B.C. God called Zechariah to assume a second role, that of a foolish shepherd (Zec 11:15). This role was to typify a leader God would raise up to punish His people, one “who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs” (Zec 11:16). At times, God appoints unjust rulers to discipline His people (Isa 3:1-5; 10:5-11; Hab 1:5-10). Finally, concerning the unjust leaders in Zechariah’s day, God declares, “Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! A sword will be on his arm and on his right eye! His arm will be totally withered and his right eye will be blind” (Zec 11:17). Because of his sin, the foolish shepherd’s strength and intelligence will be crippled, rendering him unfit to lead. Overall, the chapter emphasizes God’s sovereignty to administer just punishment to nations, leaders, and His people.

Zechariah 10:1-12

     In Zechariah chapter ten, God promises to bless His people if they will obey Him and turn from their idols and false shepherds (Zec 10:1-3a), and encourages them with promises of future millennial blessings (Zec 10:3b-12). God opens with a call to His people to look to Him for blessings (Zec 10:1), and to turn from the idols and false leaders who were leading them away from the Lord. The Lord said, “For the teraphim speak iniquity, and the diviners see lying visions and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore, the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats” (Zec 10:2-3a). Idolatry is the sin of substitution in which we devote ourselves to worship something or someone in the place of God. It is foremost a sin of a covetous heart (Col 3:5) that leads us to desire more than what God provides, and to trust something or someone lesser than God to satisfy our wants and needs. The believer who is satisfied with God is content with what he has (1 Tim 6:7-11; cf. Phil 4:11), but the covetous heart is never content and always seeks more (i.e. money, success, friends, etc.) in order to feel secure or to please the flesh. In spite of their failings, God has a future for His people, and it is to make them majestic (Zec 10:3b), but only in connection with their future Messiah. God declares, “From them will come the cornerstone, from them the tent peg, from them the bow of battle, from them every ruler, all of them together” (Zec 10:4).
"From the house of Judah would come the cornerstone of the building (kingdom) He would build, namely, Messiah (cf. 3:9; Gen. 49:10; Ps. 118:22; Isa. 28:16; Jer. 30:21; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:1–8). The cornerstone (Heb. pinnah) was a figure of a leader who would stabilize a nation and keep it from sliding down a slippery slope (cf. Judg. 20:2; 1 Sam. 14:38; Isa. 19:13). Messiah would also be like a tent peg (Heb. yathed) in that He would hold the tent (kingdom) firmly in place (cf. Judg. 4:21–22; Isa. 22:23–24; Acts 15:16). The Hebrew word also describes a peg inside a tent on which people hung beautiful things that glorified their homes (cf. 6:13; Isa. 22:22–24; Ezek. 15:3). Messiah would also be Yahweh’s bow by which He would destroy His enemies (cf. 9:13; Ps. 45:5; Rev. 19:11–16). All these figures picture the strong, stable, victorious, and trustworthy nature of Messiah’s rule."[1]
     When Messiah returns at His second coming and leads His people in battle, they will tread down their enemies (Zec 10:5), and the divided tribes of Judah and Israel will be reunited (Zec 10:6), and they will rejoice in the Lord (Zec 10:8). This will occur when God reunites His people, when He whistles for them as a shepherd calls for his sheep (Zec 10:9), and He brings them back into the land (Zec 10:10). He declares this will happen after they’ve passed through “the sea of distress” (Zec 10:11), which likely refers to the time of the Tribulation (Rev chapters 6-18). At the time God establishes His millennial kingdom, He declares, “I will strengthen them in the LORD, and in His name they will walk” (Zec 10:12). The kingdoms of this world, and those of us who make up their citizenry, do not have the answers or resources for our biggest problems, and we eagerly look forward to the return of Christ, who alone will make the world a better place. Until then, we must let our lights shine as brightly as possible, speak God’s truth, walk in His love, and share the gospel of Christ that others might come to believe in Jesus and be saved out of this fallen world (1 Cor 15:3-4; cf. John 3:16; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5).
[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Zec 10:4.

Zechariah 9:1-17

     Zechariah chapter nine is an undated prophecy that addresses how God deals with Gentile nations who threaten Israel (Zec 9:1-8), promises the future coming of Messiah (Zec 9:9-10), and the return of Israelites back to the land with blessing (Zec 9:11-17). The chapter opens with the names of cities familiar to Israelites in Zechariah’s day; cities the Lord was against; namely, Hadrach, Damascus, Hamath, Tyre and Sidon (Zec 9:1-2). Though Tyre had built herself a fortress and accumulated great wealth (Zec 9:3), God would throw her wealth into the sea and destroy the city with fire (Zec 9:4). The surrounding cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod will be judged (Zec 9:5), and God will “cut off the pride of the Philistines” (Zec 9:6). He states, “I will remove their blood from their mouth and their detestable things from between their teeth” (Zec 9:7). This most likely refers to the eating of flesh with blood in it, which God detested (Gen 9:4; Lev 3:17). Interestingly, some of the Philistines would respond positively to God’s judgments, turning to the Lord in faith, and “be a remnant for our God, and be like a clan in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite” (Zec 9:7b). God promises to protect His people, saying, “But I will camp around My house because of an army, because of him who passes by and returns; and no oppressor will pass over them anymore, for now I have seen with My eyes” (Zec 9:8). Some Bible scholars see the events described in verses 1-8 as a prophecy concerning Alexander the Great’s military conquests in the fourth century B.C. (Constable, Johnson, Ryrie, Wiersbe). That’s possible, though one cannot be dogmatic here. What is emphasized in this section is God’s sovereign control over Gentile nations and the promise to judge them because of their pride. Zechariah 9:9-10 is a split prophecy that refers to Jesus at His first and second comings. The entire church age fits in between these two verses. Other split prophecies are found in the OT (Isa 9:6-7; 61:1-3; cf. Luke 4:16-21). The picture of the Messiah coming, riding on the colt of a donkey, is a picture of a humble and gentle ruler, not the splendor and pride one would expect of a ruler riding on a warhorse. We know Jesus was rejected by Israel just prior to His crucifixion; and the passage ultimately finds its fulfillment in the second coming (Rev 19:11-21), when Jesus establishes His kingdom on earth (Rev 20:1-6); a kingdom that will be universal (Psa 72:8; Dan 2:35), marked by righteousness (Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5-6), and bring peace to the world (Isa 2:4; Mic 4:3). But to the Israelites of Zechariah’s day, who were related to God by covenant, He would set them free from the pit of Babylon (Zec 9:11), and give them hope and a double blessing to make up for their suffering (Zec 9:12). God is then pictured as a divine Warrior who uses His restored people as a weapon to bring judgment upon surrounding Gentile nations (Zec 9:13-14). The Israelites will rejoice when this happens because God will both save them from their enemies (Zec 9:15-16) and bless their crops (Zec 9:17). In all this, God is portrayed as the sovereign Ruler over His people as well as the Gentile nations who surrounded them.

Zechariah 8:1-23

     In Zechariah chapter eight, God reveals He’s in control of current and future blessings, and He calls His people to walk in truth and righteousness. In the opening verses, God reveals He is “the LORD of hosts” which emphasizes His sovereignty over all; especially His people, whom He is jealous for (Zec 8:1-2). God reveals His plans for Israel by promising that the old and young will dwell safely in Jerusalem and will play in the streets (Zec 8:4-6). In addition, He will call His people from the nations of the world to dwell there (Zec 8:7-8), declaring, “I will be their God in truth and righteousness” (Zec 8:8b). The Lord spoke to the returnees in Zechariah’s day, saying, “Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built” (Zec 8:9). He tells them to ponder the days of recent past, when they were experiencing economic and social unrest (Zec 8:10), when, because of their sin, God “set all men one against another” (Zec 8:10b). But now, because of their obedience, He would change their situation, saying, “For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things” (Zec 8:12). Just as Israel had become a curse to the nations, because of their sin, now God would make them a blessing, because of their obedience (Zec 8:13-15). But He had expectations of them; specifically, “‘speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the LORD” (Zec 8:16-17). God answered the question that was posed concerning the fasts (Zec 8:18-19a; cf. 7:3), saying, they will be changed to “joy, gladness, and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah” (Zec 8:19). Again, this would come as the people learned to “love truth and peace” (Zec 8:19b). Finally, God encourages His people with more promises of future blessings, for many Gentiles (Zec 8:20) will see God’s blessings in Jerusalem and will say, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts” (Zec 8:21). Because of God’s blessing, Jerusalem will be viewed favorably, and “many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD” (Zec 8:22). The blessing will be tied to the Jews themselves, for “in those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zec 8:23). This message would have encouraged the Jews of Zechariah’s day, knowing God was with them as they pursued truth and righteousness.

Zechariah 7:1-14

     In Zechariah chapter seven, God rebuked some Jewish returnees for their religious hypocrisy, calling them to obey His commands rather than continue empty religious practices. This prophecy was given to Zechariah on December 7, 518 B.C. (Zec 7:1). Apparently, some Jewish returnees from Babylon had settled in the town of Bethel, which was located about 10 miles north of Jerusalem. They sent two men, Sharezer and Regemmelech, along with other men, supposedly “to seek the favor of the LORD” (Zec 7:2). They consulted the priests and prophets, asking, “Shall I weep in the fifth month and abstain, as I have done these many years?” (Zec 7:3). The fast they were asking about was practiced in connection with the destruction of the Solomonic temple, seventy years earlier, on August 14, 586 B.C. (see 2 Ki 25:8-9). The fast was not required under the Mosaic Law and had probably become a religious tradition. Since the temple was nearly rebuilt, they wondered if the fast would be inappropriate? Though the question was brought to the priests and prophets, God felt the need to answer them directly through His prophet, Zechariah (Zec 7:4). Though certain men from Bethel came with their question, God’s reply was broader, as He spoke “to all the people of the land and to the priests” (Zec 7:5a). God rebuked them for their religious practices which had replaced true piety, declaring they’d actually done it for themselves rather than for Him (Zec 7:5b-6). The message being delivered through Zechariah was exactly the same as that of God’s former prophets (Zec 7:7-8); a message that exposed their religious hypocrisy and unethical abuses of the vulnerable in society. God summarized the message of His prophets, saying, “Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another” (Zec 7:9-10; cf. 1 Sam 15:22; Pro 21:3; Isa 1:10-20; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8). Unfortunately, the record of Israel’s past was that God’s prophets were repeatedly ignored or mistreated and the vulnerable continued to be exploited. God was calling Zechariah’s generation to be different than their forefathers, men who “refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore, great wrath came from the LORD of hosts” (Zec 7:11-12). God repeatedly called for them to obey His commands, but they refused. “And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen” (Zec 7:13). The result was that they were judged and scattered among the nations because of their violations of the Law (see Ex 22:21-24; Deu 10:17-18; Jer 21:12; Mal 3:5). By their own sinful choices, “they made the pleasant land desolate” (Zec 7:14).

Zechariah 6:9-15

     [Note: It was brought to my attention that I sounded barky and maybe a little angry on this lesson. Please know I was not angry, and I apologize if the tone seems that way. I pray the content gets through, even if the delivery is a bit stronger than my other lessons. Thank you. :-) ]
     In this pericope Zechariah was instructed to perform a symbolic coronation in which he placed a regal crown on Joshua, the high priest, who is a type of Christ, who is both King and Priest, and will build the future millennial temple. The Lord commanded Zechariah to meet three returnees from Babylon and take an offering from them, namely Heldai, Tobijah and Jedaiah (Zec 6:9-10a). These were staying at the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah (Zec 6:10b), who later is called “Hen” (Heb. חֵן Chen), which means gracious one (vs. 14). From these three men Zechariah was to “Take silver and gold, [and] make an ornate crown” (Zec 6:11a). The word crown is a translation of the Hebrew word עֲטָרָה atarah, which is used only for royalty (2 Sam 12:30; Psa 21:3). The high priest also wore a crown (Heb. נֶזֶר nezer), but it was different (Exo 29:6; 39:30). Zechariah was commanded to do something that had never occurred before; he was to take this royal crown and “set it on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest” (Zec 6:11b). We must remember that Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David (1 Chr 3:17–19; Matt 1:12) as well as the governor of Judah (Hag 1:1), and legally the rightful person to wear the king’s crown. However, God was using Joshua as an object lesson concerning Jesus, Israel’s future Ruler, who is both King (2 Sam 7:8-16; Psa 89:3-4; 34-37; Isa 9:6-7; Jer 23:5; Mic 4:1-3; Luke 1:26-33) and Priest (Psa 110:1-4; Heb 4:15; 5:6; 7:1-3, 11-21). God spoke through Zechariah, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, a man whose name is Branch, for He will branch out from where He is; and He will build the temple of the LORD’” (Zec 6:12). The term Branch is a Messianic title that refers to Jesus Christ as Ruler in the line of David (Jer 23:5; 33:15); however, in this context, it reveals Him in His role as Priest. This will occur during the millennial reign of Christ. God then tells Zechariah, “Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the LORD, and He who will bear the honor and sit and rule on His throne. Thus, He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices” (Zec 6:13). Jesus will unite the two offices of King and Priest. After the symbolic coronation ceremony, God told Zechariah to remove the crown from Joshua, saying, “Now the crown will become a reminder in the temple of the LORD to Helem, Tobijah, Jedaiah and Hen the son of Zephaniah” (Zec 6:14). This crown was to remain in the temple as a constant reminder of what God would do in the future for His people. In this way, the crown was an encouragement to all who saw it and recognized its significance; a crown that belonged to Israel’s future Ruler. Finally, addressing Zechariah’s generation, the Lord said, “Those who are far off will come and build the temple of the LORD. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you. And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God” (Zec 6:15). Those who were “far off” referred to Jewish exiles who were still returning to Jerusalem, who would come and help “build the temple of the LORD.” This would have encouraged those in Zechariah’s day to keep working, because God was helping them. The work performed by the returnees validated Zechariah’s ministry, confirming He’d been sent by the Lord. However, being the covenant people of God, these Israelites were obligated to resume their walk with God and obey His word; therefore, Zechariah states, “And it will take place if you completely obey the LORD your God.” This was a reminder about their obligation to the Mosaic covenant and the conditions of blessing and cursing written in it (Deu 28). Though the success of the rebuilding of the temple in Zechariah’s day was conditioned on their obedience to the Mosaic Law, Israel’s future success—both national and religious—is ultimately conditioned on the reign of Messiah, who cannot fail.

Zechariah 6:1-8

     In Zechariah 6:1-8, the prophet receives the eighth and final vision of the night (Zec 1:7-8). Like the first vision (Zec 1:8-17), this one included angelic beings that were used by God to render judgment upon the Gentiles nations that were hostile to Israel, His people (Zec 1:10, 14-15; 6:7-8); but whereas the first vision included angelic riders on horses (Zec 1:8), the last vision had eight horses harnessed to chariots, and these were red, black, white and dappled (Zec 6:1-3). “If the colors are significant, perhaps red symbolizes war and bloodshed, black designates death and famine, white speaks of triumph and victory, and dappled denotes pestilence and plagues (see comments on Rev. 6:1–8).”[1] The angelic riders are sent out to patrol the earth and render judgment upon the Gentile nations; specifically, Babylon and Egypt. Zechariah apparently did not understand the significance of the horses and chariots (Zec 6:4a), so he asked his angelic interpreter, “What are these, my lord?” (Zec 6:4b). The angel replied, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth” (Zec 6:5). These were four angelic beings who stand before the Lord, eager to do His will. And God is described as “the Lord of all the earth” which emphasizes He is sovereignty over all (1 Sam 2:6-10; Psa 115:1-3; 135:5-6; Dan 2:20-21; 4:17, 25-26, 32, 34-35; Acts 17:24-28). He judges the Gentile nations of the world, and in this context, He’s using angelic beings to carry out His judgment. He will do this again during the time of the Tribulation (Rev 9:13-15). The teams of horses and chariots broke up, with the black and white ones going to the north, and the dappled ones going to the south (Zec 6:6). The north country refers to Babylon, which attacked from that direction. Egypt was to the south. Nothing is mentioned about the red horses and chariot. Perhaps their mission was covert, or perhaps they were on standby waiting further instructions. These angelic beings were eager to do God’s will, and the Lord set them loose, saying, “Go, patrol the earth”, which is what they did (Zec 6:7). Then God told Zechariah, “See, those who are going to the land of the north have appeased My wrath in the land of the north” (Zec 6:8). Those angelic beings who judged Babylon satisfied God’s anger against them. God controls the fate of nations, bringing blessing or cursing, peace or judgment. And, at times, He uses His angels do His will. This appears to be the case here, as well in the future time of the Tribulation when He releases angels to bring judgment upon the world.
 
[1] F. Duane Lindsey, “Zechariah,” 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), 1557.

Zechariah 5:1-11

     In Zechariah chapter 5, there is a vision of God’s judgment upon His people because of their sins (Zec 5:1-4), and a vision of God’s judgment upon wickedness which He intends to remove from the land (Zec 5:5-11). In vision #6, Zechariah saw a large scroll, 15 feet by 30 feet, with writing on both sides (Zec 5:1-2). The large scroll probably emphasized its large message for all to read. The writing contained the eighth and third commands of the decalogue (Zec 5:3; cf. Ex 20:7, 15), which pertained to sinning against people (stealing) and God (misusing His name). These two represented the whole of the Mosaic Law, which Israel, God’s people, were obligated to keep. These two types of sinners likely represented all who were guilty of doing evil, and God would judge them (Zec 5:4). Though God was working in His people to rebuild the temple and city (note previous visions), He was still their God, King, and Judge, and they would not be able to hide in their houses. Next, in vision #7, Zechariah was shown a vision of a woman who personified wickedness (Zec 5:5-8). The Hebrew word for wickedness is feminine (רִשְׁעָה rishah), and it’s possible this is reason it is described as a woman. In the vision wickedness is identified, restrained and transported by two supernatural agents to Babylon (Zec 5:9-11). Some regard these winged women as angels; however, Unger states, “It is perhaps simplest to construe the women as agents of evil, suggesting demonic powers.”[1] This would make sense, since storks were unclean birds (Deu 14:11, 18). Whether angels or demons, the message is that wickedness has no place among God’s people, and the Lord will remove it to a land far away; the land of Shinar, which is Babylon. In Scripture, Babylon is identified as the birthplace of organized rebellion against God, in which people used the Lord’s resources in defiance of His will. Babylon is mentioned in Scripture over three hundred times, and by the time we get to the book of Revelation, it is seen both as a city and a system that promotes religious, political, and economic agendas that are antithetical to God. In the book of Revelation, Babylon is described as a great harlot who influences all of humanity (Rev 17:1-5), is guilty of persecuting and murdering prophets and saints (Rev 17:6), is a dwelling place of demons and unclean spirits (Rev 18:2), and with whom “the kings of the earth have committed acts of immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich by the wealth of her sensuality” (Rev 18:3). Eventually, Babylon is completely destroyed just prior to the Second Coming of Christ (Rev 18:2, 10, 21).
 
[1] Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Commentary on the Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN. AMG Publishers, 2002), p. 1993.

Zechariah 4:1-14

     The Central Idea of the Text is God encourages Zerubbabel with the news that He will strengthen him to complete the task of rebuilding the temple. The chapter opens with Zechariah being aroused—supposedly from sleep—by the angel who was guiding him in understanding the visions (Zec 4:1). Perhaps the prophet’s soul and body were fatigued by the visions he’d been given. After the angel revived Zechariah, he showed him a fifth vision that included a golden lampstand and two olive trees that poured oil directly into it (Zec 4:2-3). This lampstand was different than the one used in the tabernacle, and later Solomon’s temple, which illumined it so the priests could perform their duties (Ex 25:31-40), and which was maintained by the high priest on a daily basis (Lev 24:3). The lampstand Zechariah saw had a bowl on top that served as an oil reservoir and it had 49 spouts on it that served as lights. This was a bright lamp! No priest was needed to provide oil to the lamp, as that was given by the two olive trees, which symbolized Zerubbabel and Joshua (see Zec 4:11-14). The meaning of the lamp is not explained; however, it could refer to Israel as a nation, which God intended to serve as a light to the world (Isa 42:6; 49:6; 60:1-3). If this is correct, then the two olive trees would represent God’s leaders, Zerubbabel and Joshua, channels through whom He poured Himself into the lives of others so the work of the temple could be completed and made operational. The apostle John described churches as lampstands which are to serve as lights in a dark world (Rev 1:12-13, 20). The angel asked Zechariah if he knew what the candlestick symbolized (Zec 4:4), to which the prophet answered, “No, my lord” (Zec 4:5). The angel then gave an encouraging message from God, to Zerubbabel, that He would empower him to do the work, saying, “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts” (Zec 4:6). Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David (1 Chr 3:17–19; Matt 1:12) as well as the governor of Judah (Hag 1:1), and God was using him to rebuild the temple (Ezra 3:2, 8; 5:2). But Zerubbabel was facing great opposition from Israel’s enemies (Ezra 4:1-5, 24), and apathy from fellow Israelites (Hag 1:2). God would take the “great mountain” of opposition that Zerubbabel was facing and would make it “a plain” (Zec 4:7a); with the result that the governor would complete the project, as he will “bring forth the top stone” of the temple, and this would all be a display of God’s “grace” (Zec 4:7b). Grace refers to God’s enabling power to help His leader do His work. Additionally, the Lord said to Zerubbabel (Zec 4:8), “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands will finish it” (Zec 4:9a). The completion of the work would validate the messenger (Zec 4:9b); presumably, the angel of the Lord (Zec 1:11-12; 2:8-9; 3:1, 5-6). The struggling remnant who had returned from captivity did not have the great resources that were at Solomon’s disposal when he built the first temple (1 Ki 5:13-18), and so they were tempted to think of it as insignificant and to despise it as a “day of small things” (Zec 4:10a). However, they were to realize that what they were doing was God’s will, and He was in it to see it through to completion. Zechariah asked the angel to help him understand the meaning of the “two olive trees on the right of the lampstand and on its left?” (Zec 4:11), as well as “the two olive branches which are beside the two golden pipes, which empty the golden oil from themselves?” (Zec 4:12). The angel asked Zechariah, “Do you not know what these are?” (Zec 4:13a), to which the prophet replied, “No, my lord’ (Zec 4:13b). The angel answered, “These are the two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth” (Zec 4:14). Zerubbabel and Joshua are in view, as they are the Lord’s anointed to serve as governor and high priest in Judah, and it’s their relationship to the Lord, “who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth”, that qualifies them for service.