Occasionally I will be dwelling on a verse or passage, ruminating on the message, (or to be honest, wandering off into some undisciplined daydreaming), and the Lord will bless me with a truth that is so obvious, so fresh and such a blessing that I just want to share it with you.
Such is the following passage
And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ – Luke 10:2-5 ESV
Jesus sent out the disciples as lambs amongst wolves. Lambs. The folks being described as lambs in this passage are not the future apostles, since verse 1 speaks of the Lord appointing 72 others. These would include those that, relatively speaking, were on the fringe of the group following the Master. Not the core group of Peter, James, John and the rest we know of.
So when the Lord describes them as sheep in the midst of wolves, what is He communicating? He is communicating danger! Danger for the ones He is sending out.
These appointed ones are as sheep in the midst of wolves. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want to be near wolves fully armed with Glocks! The term ravenous comes to mind when I think of wolves.
Definitely Jesus will provide these 72 appointees direction on how to avoid being attacked. He must be implying that they are to defend themselves as sheep do. So how do sheep defend themselves?
Sheep defend themselves primarily by remaining in flock. Numbers are the game for sheep, and to remain with the group brings security to a sheep.
But Jesus is sending these appointees out two by two. He isn’t sending out groups of “sheep”. He is sending each of them out with a solitary partner. This natural defense associated with sheep therefore is greatly reduced, if not removed by being separated into teams of only two.
As I listened to this passage I noticed that the translation spoke of a lamb, and not a sheep. Speaking of the appointees as being sent as lambs instead of sheep further speaks of the defenselessness of the ones being sent out.
As for the wolves, as might be expected, there is no reference in the Word to wolves as being kind, truthful or gentle. Adjectives such as ravening and grievous are used to describe wolves!
Little lambs in the midst of ravenous wolves! What a picture!
I certainly can not claim that Jesus was whitewashing the situation. He laid it out in stark description, and further spoke of reducing them to utter dependency on those they met. He defined their behavior in the midst of wolves as being peacemakers.
Now I don’t think Jesus is telling them every person they came across is to be considered a wolf. Not at all. Yet that is another challenge, for they were to be open to all, willing to offer peace to those they met. They were to understand the general danger, but to be specifically peaceful to any they came across.
None of this behavior speaks of a defensive position, of an ability to be self protected. Consider hearing this direction from the Lord. I know I would have serious doubts about any success, or possible surviving, since He describes me as a frail lamb amongst wolves!
Also, consider if the appointees may have been ignorant of the situation they were being called to. If it was early in the ministry of the Lord, many may have considered this description as mere hyperbole. According to a timeline I found on the web, and assuming it’s accuracy, this sending out was relatively late in the ministry of the Lord. If they had followed Jesus for any time, they saw the reactions of the religious powerful, and had been warned multiple times of trials and suffering ahead.
But back to my original thought. What natural defense does the lamb have? It seems the flocking defense has been stripped away, and the reference to the youth of the lamb speaks of innocence.
But a lamb has one defense. A Shepherd.
Looking behind this instruction, even beyond the intended purpose of preparing the neighboring cities for the eventual entrance of the Messiah, these appointees would look back on their experience and realize they had a Shepherd protecting them, guiding them and providing for them. This event had a great impact on the larger group, and caused much joy in the immediate return.
The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” – Luke 10:17 ESV
So where does this take me?
This passage reminds me of the Shepherds care of His sheep, and more importantly, as a lamb before Him, to drop our defenses in order to realize His protection, guidance and strength.
It must have been scary for those lambs. It is no less scary for us.
We must follow with trust and wisdom that only He can provide.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #143
Description
His exaltation predicted
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 97:9
For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
New Testament Fullfillment
Acts 1:11
and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
Eph 1:20
that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 36
1 To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.
In our last post, we looked at the first two verses, and it didn’t look good. I mean, the trend of this wicked man was downward from the get go!
Let’s hope for the best, but I’m gonna warn ya. Our next two verses do not provide much hope!
Words
The very words that come out of our mouth are described as “trouble”. Deceit I get, I understand the lying tongue, my goodness I get it! But the psalmist states that the wicked man’s very words are trouble.
And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words, while his heart gathers iniquity; when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
Psalm 41:6 ESV
This term can be translated in a number of ways, including “emptiness” or “a vanity of words”. This may be emphasizing a hollowness of communication, but shouldn’t be considered a neutral condition that we may consider allowable. Vanity is often associated with idol worship, and we know God’s attitude towards idols!
Let us not speak vain or empty words. Empty words are definitely not associated with righteous activity, with loving actions or a spirit of mercy!
A Change of Behavior
The psalmist now describes the wicked man’s actions, his doings, his outward appearance and behavior. It is interesting that the wicked man ceases to act wisely. Does this imply that the wicked man acted wisely in the past? Was this wicked man of a better ilk in the past, of some better character prior to his listening to transgression, prior to his self flattery?
Was this wicked one of a better ilk in the past, of some better character prior to his listening to transgression, prior to his self flattery?
I heard a philosopher speak of the necessity of time in relation to our existence, and that time allows for change. Time allows for change. Change that occurs as either growth or decay.
This wicked man is decaying, rotting on the vine, becoming less as time passes, by listening to transgression, by avoiding the fear of God, by elevating his own self importance before his eyes. The decay is becoming evident to those around him by his behavior.
He begins to stop acting wisely and to stop doing good. But this is simply a point in time, a fraction of a moment, when the direction of his life is determined. To stop doing good and think we can remain neutral is a fallacy.
Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. – Luk 11:23 ESV
We are either with God or against God. There is no middle ground, and that is why I am stating that this stopping of doing good occurs in a mere fraction of a moment, since this state of neutrality can not be maintained.
A Leader of Wickedness
This man of wickedness now blooms into a leader of wickedness. He plots his day while others sleep, spending time on how to attain his goals. He is consumed with his thoughts of greatness, and he has no one to guide him, or to caution him, since the fear of God has been ignored, even silenced to his ears.
He establishes himself in a path that is not good. The term speaks of a steadfastness, a withstanding or refusal to be moved. He has chosen to be in a path that is not good, and his very intent is to remain in this path.
To be in a path that is not good, he eventually must lay his defenses down. He does not reject evil. He may have rejected evil before, but I tend to think this is simply the decay settling into his person, a strength of resistance simply not available to this man.
Story time
My wife and I went walking last night on our favorite path, lined with massive trees, bushes and grasses. It so happened that one of the tress we enjoyed last year had fallen, now on its side, with the trunk completely broken. No saw had come upon the tree. No – it had decayed from the inside out and the strength of the trunk had disappeared. Last year it appeared strong. One swift wind, and its inner lack of strength gave way to the wind. The tree is down.
Such is the life of the wicked man. Early listening to transgression, denial of the fear of God, speaking lies to his self in the form of self flattery, becoming “neutral” towards truth and finally setting himself in a bad path. Finally there is no resistance to evil.
I find it interesting that when the psalmist describes this man, he refers to an absence of good. Not until the fourth verse, does he use the term evil. Yes, iniquity is referred to, but that it cannot be found in the wicked man’s own eyes. I also admit trouble and deceit are spoken of as coming of his mouth. This is the beginning of the wicked mans inward decay being exposed to those around him.
This is our condition. Or should I say this is our condition, our eventual destination if it were not for the steadfast love of God. He is the Savior, the Deliverer and the One who brings us back from the edge.
I am very much looking forward to the psalmists descriptions turning from the wicked man to the righteous God. For He is good, and we certainly need Him!
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #142
Description
Identified as Messianic, used to tempt Christ
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 91:11-12
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 4:10-11
for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’
and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
As considered in my introduction to this series, I would like to look at each of the letters to the churches of Revelation from a different viewpoint than I have had much of my life.
Much could be written on each of the churches, but my intent is to give an overview of Old Testament motifs and pictures that John may have drew on from the Old Testament when he was penning the letters through the Holy Spirit
Our fifth letter is to the Church of Sardis
John reaches back into the later prophetic period of Israel’s history for this church. Lets read the passage to get our thoughts aligned.
Rev 3:1-6
“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. “‘I know your works. You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete in the sight of my God. Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not soiled their garments, and they will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot his name out of the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Consider the following
The Angel speaks of the seven spirits and seven stars, reaching back to a witness by the prophets speaking by the Spirit of God
A remnant is referred to often in the prophets writing during this time (Isaiah 1:5-23, 6:9-13, 65:8-16, Jeremiah 7:1-7, 8:11-12)
Imminent judgement on this church is declared, as with the pre-exilic prophets message (Isaiah 1:24-31, 2:12-21, 26:20-21, Jeremiah 4:5-31, 7:12-15, 11:9-13.)
Give me your thoughts. Do you see parallels I have missed? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you.
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 36
1 To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.
In our last post, I veered from the specific passage above in discussing a topic brought to mind by the verses above, and that I find I am coming back to often in my thinking.
I would like to consider these verse with the approach spoken of in our previous post (Psalm 36 – Introduction). We are sinners. Yes, we have been granted the righteousness of Christ, but we live below, and David is describing the wicked man in the verses above. As mentioned earlier, we shall find good counsel in understanding this description of the wicked man as a description of our own condition while we walk with Him during our pilgrimage.
Let’s consider David’s description of the wicked man, the man we are if we are honest with ourselves, the man we are without the grace of God being shed abroad in our lives.
Transgression speaks to the heart
Even as I sit here and consider this passage, I am reluctant to admit of the times I listen to sin speaking to my heart. Do not get me wrong, I understand that the sin thoughts are not necessarily sourced in my own soul, but the fact that I listen to them is the shame I experience. Oh to be willing to turn a deaf ear to the whispers I hear in my heart. Deep in my heart, where there is more mystery than understanding, transgression speaks to me.
Transgression utters, or declares to my heart, and gains a foothold when there is no fear of God before my eyes. This term “speaks” is interesting since it is used of God speaking in many passages of the Old Testament. Now before any one tries to condemn me for associating sin with God, that is not my intent. My intent is only to notice that “speaks” is commonly used to describe a message that is “spirit” and we know that by study and experience, this includes spirits that are not of God.
No fear of God
Transgression gains a foothold in the wicked because there is no fear of God before our eyes. Transgression may “utter” all day long, and with no fear of God, will gain that foothold and progress into a growing struggle with sin. This we all can attest to and suffer under!
The fear of God. Many who read this blog may know that I spent years under the fear of God – no wait – let me correct myself – more specifically under the fear of the judgement of God. There is a tremendous difference. The fear of God, in my understanding now, is to know the living God, the fountainhead of knowledge, wisdom confidence and life.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. – Pro 1:7 ESV The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. – Pro 9:10 ESV The fear of the LORD prolongs life, but the years of the wicked will be short. – Pro 10:27 ESV In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge. – Pro 14:26 ESV The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death. – Pro 14:27 ESV
Do not believe the lies spouted by many that the fear of God produces a sour spirit. The fear of the Lord is a wellspring of life.
Flatterings
He flatters himself! But this isn’t the boastful arrogance of a loud and proud man speaking of his greatness. No no no. This refers to the quiet ruminations within himself, of his discussions with himself, where he is telling himself how great he is! And who is to argue, if the fear of God is now a distant influence!
Pride of self, a self inflicted perception of ourselves that we are better than we truly are. We flatter ourselves. To flatter is “to praise excessively from motives of self interest” This must be recognized as being so out of touch with the nature of God as to be obvious.
Is self flattery of the character of our God…
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:6-8 ESV
This too seems so obvious, if we are honest with ourselves. How often have you considered yourself better than your neighbor, your boss, your friend or your spouse? Paul addressed this danger amongst leaders, even apostles within the Corinthian church.
Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. – 2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV
Even those who may consider themselves to have low self esteem, flatter themselves with their weakness, in their standing in comparison with the appearance of others, their lack of confidence, of their inabilities, or a host of other characteristics that they use to draw attention to themselves.
We are to consider ourselves with sober judgement.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:3
Was it Spurgeon or some other saint who said that the believer was not to attain to a high self esteem, nor a low self esteem, but of no self esteem.
God is to be the only One we are to esteem. Consider the wise, mighty and rich in Jeremiah 9. They had attained. But they were instructed not to esteem their own selves but the LORD who practices love justice and righteousness in the earth!!! (By the way – we don’t practice love justice and righteousness!)
Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24 ESV
Let us break for now and continue with the next two verses of this passage in our next post. Suffice it to say, the first two verses do not offer much hope to the wicked man. And in our next post, verses 3 & 4 will only expose more difficulty and trouble, problems and traps.
Who is able to rescue me? Who can deliver me from this awful condition!
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #141
Description
He is from everlasting (Micah 5:2)
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
New Testament Fullfillment
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Calvin’s followers seek to justify their teaching with verses that, with just a little bit of explanation, seem to reinforce their philosophy.
You know – the Romans 9 passage, or maybe 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Some of these passages, without considering alternate views (i.e. listening to only Calvinist teachers!) tend to reinforce the Calvinistic thought pattern.
This series of video podcasts will provide a discussion that many Calvinists may have never heard, or considered.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #140
Description
His character-Faithfulness
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 89:36-37
His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies
New Testament Fullfillment
Rev 1:5
and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
Rev 19:11
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
My wife and I are reading through the Psalms in our evening reading and occasionally a nugget of the Psalms jumps out of the page. Don’t you love it when, after years of reading the “Old Book” passages become alive, reinforcing old teachings or simply warming your heart.
This is the book of Psalms, and it is rich.
I pray I can communicate a portion of the blessing we receive from this wonderful book.
Psalm 36
1 To the choirmaster. Of David, the servant of the LORD.
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3 The words of his mouth are trouble and deceit; he has ceased to act wisely and do good. 4 He plots trouble while on his bed; he sets himself in a way that is not good; he does not reject evil.
The wickedness of man and the goodness of God.
This psalm magnifies the differences between our existence and the character of our God. For the first four verses, David dwells on the wicked man. As I read passages such as open this passage, where the Old Testament speaks of a “bad” fellow, I am reminded of an old pastor who focused my thoughts on identifying with the bad guy in the story.
We so often want to associate with the godly, the righteous and the beautiful (at least I do), that we often miss the truth the Word is trying to provide. Without continuously acknowledging our sinful tendencies, habits, actions, thoughts, and motives, we tend to “join the righteous” in righteously excusing our “trip ups” and condemning those sinners, and in our effort to look good, we become hypocrites in the eyes of many! This should not be so!
This concept reminds me of a time, very early in my faith, when I sought the Lord and found only sin. Everywhere in my experience, I found rebellion, acts of sin, transgression and failings. I so wanted to be close to God and to love the Lord Jesus, and yet found sin. I confessed this to a believer, and he simply stated that when we press in, the light of God exposes our nature. Get used to it!
Humility and a consciousness of our “self” is the result of facing the One who is truth. Is this not the experience of those we read of in the Old Testament.
Consider Isaiah
And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” – Isaiah 6:5 ESV
Or Ezekiel
Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking. – Ezekiel 1:28 ESV
David often confesses his sin, acknowledging his failings.
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah – Psa 32:5 ESV
Daniel joins in the confession of his nation’s sin
We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules Dan 9:5 ESV
You may be reminded of other instances in the Old Testament where a saint, in seeing the Lord not only glorifies the One above, but reduces his own standing in his own eyes. (Somewhat of a difficult verse for the self esteem movement!)
Consider Job
I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” – Job 42:5-6 ESV
The New Testament continues with this witness.
But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” – Luke 5:8 ESV
Paul was knocked down before he was called.
Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. – Act 9:3-5 ESV
Paul even spoke, as an old man of God, of his being (not was) the chief of sinners, the foremost of sinners.
The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. – 1 Timothy 1:15 ESV
Oh the tension we find in our seeking of the truth. We have been provided the righteousness of Christ through faith in our Savior and the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, and yet our sinful tendencies are ever before us. That “wicked man” that we drag behind us, constantly seeks to pull us down. Ignoring or avoiding this truth will not benefit our souls. As my favorite wifey reminds me at times….
But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out. – Numbers 32:23 ESV
The battle is real my friends. The war has been won, but we each have battles to fight. In all of this discussion, a sense of humility and a consciousness of our wickedness needs to be ever before our eyes. But in the very moment I speak of this, let it be understood that there is a danger of only acknowledging our sin. We cannot lay in the cesspool of our needs, and not be looking off to the great and mighty Jesus.
As Paul reminded the sin laden Corinthians, we need to remember the nature of our God, and of His forgiving nature, His nature of comfort, and of His continual love toward those who fall. Paul directed the believers to mimic God’s nature in the following passage when confronting a condemned believer, that they
… should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. – 2 Corinthians 2:7-8 ESV
We are to live in the truth, and that includes acknowledging to ourselves and our Father, our weakness, sin tendencies and failings. This is a bitter pill to swallow but this truth will produce within us a humility greatly needed within the church today.
And we are to rejoice in the salvation our great God has provided. A salvation that delivers us from past guilt, current sin and a future of release from the presence of sin.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #139
Description
David’s Seed, throne, kingdom endure forever
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 89:35-37
Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David. His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me. Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 1:32-33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
As considered in my introduction to this series, I would like to look at each of the letters to the churches of Revelation from a different viewpoint than I have had much of my life.
Much could be written on each of the churches, but my intent is to give an overview of Old Testament motifs and pictures that John may have drew on from the Old Testament when he was penning the letters through the Holy Spirit
Our fourth letter is to the Church of Thyatira
John reaches back into period of Israelite monarchy for this church. Lets read the passage to get our thoughts aligned.
Rev 2:18-29
“And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze. “‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, and I will strike her children dead. And all the churches will know that I am he who searches mind and heart, and I will give to each of you according to your works. But to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not learned what some call the deep things of Satan, to you I say, I do not lay on you any other burden. Only hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Consider the following
Christ is introduced as the Son of God (Ps 2:7, 89:19-37, Jer 30:9, Ezek 34:23-24, 37:24-28, Hos 3:5)
Jezebel is referred to and rebuked in both this period and this church (1 Kings 16:29-34, 21:25-26)
Tribulation is threated upon both Jezebels (1 Kings 17:1, James 5:17)
Both will loose their lives and their offspring (2 Kings 9:22-37)
Overcomers, like David, will be granted authority over nations (2 Sam 7:19, 8:14)
The final promise for overcomers reaches back to Ps 2:9
Give me your thoughts. Do you see parallels I have missed? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you.
A brother in the Lord has recently been experiencing tremendous trials, especially from family members. His entire world is being shaken to the core with experiences I would wish on no one. He and his wife are struggling with the pain of hateful actions and hurtful words from “loved ones”.
My wife and I pray for them, and often speak of their trials. We are at a loss of what we can do to fix the conditions they are in the middle of, and other than prayer, seek to listen to their concerns, helping them by giving them a sounding board.
In a recent reading, wifey and I came across 1 Peter 3:9.
Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
Challenging words to read, but to apply in my friends situation is beyond my imagination. To bless those who hate me, revile against me and do evil towards me is otherworldly.
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. – Luke 6:27-28 ESV
Personally, I have been challenged in areas of forgiveness in my faith, and have found release as I release others from my bitterness and anger toward them. But I must confess, it is a struggle. To forgive, to bless those who revile against me, is the character of our Lord and a fruit of His Spirit.
In the past week or so since this concept in the Word began to have a greater influence in my thinking, and I have been reminded of the story of Dirk Willems, an Anabaptist who lived in Holland during the 1500’s. The following story is repeated throughout the internet, but I am referencing a copy of the story from “Christianity.com” for your reading convenience
One of the Anabaptists who died in flames was Dirk Willem. His story is particularly touching, because he forfeited a real chance to escape when he turned back to help one of his pursuers. Dirk was captured and imprisoned in his home town of Asperen in the Netherlands. Knowing that his fate would be death if he remained in prison, Dirk made a rope of strips of cloth and slid down it over the prison wall. A guard chased him. Frost had covered a nearby pond with a thin layer of ice. Dirk risked a dash across it. He made it to safety, but the ice broke under his pursuer who cried for help. Dirk believed the Scripture that a man should help his enemies. He immediately turned back and pulled the floundering man from the frigid water. In gratitude for his life, the man would have let Dirk escape, but a Burgomaster (chief magistrate) standing on the shore sternly ordered him to arrest Dirk and bring him back, reminding him of the oath he had sworn as an officer of the peace. Back to prison went Dirk. He was condemned to death for being re-baptized, allowing secret church services in his home and letting others be baptized there....
Dirk was burned to death on this day, May 16, 1569.
My friends, much of my Christianity is merely theoretical in nature, and when I am challenged in my faith, find it easy to argue against the truth. It seems Dirk Willems blessed his enemy, and was rewarded with a torturous death. It may be easy to say I would do the same, that I would love my enemy, but the power of my reasoning spirit sometimes dominates my thinking.
Was Dirk a family man?
How could he abandon his wife and family by returning to his captor? Was he not tasked with the command to love his wife as the Lord loved the church. Is this return to the captor elevating love of enemy above love of wife? Is the example that Dirk provided of greater worth to his family than self preservation? This is a very difficult discussion for me, as I would naturally run, not looking back, not concerned about the welfare of those who would do me and my family harm.
Was the escape from prison and apparent success of his avoiding recapture the will of God?
It seems obvious that God had provided Dirk’s escape, much like many believers have escaped from the clutches of the enemy. Peter was delivered from prison, with his guards eventually put to death. Paul escaped using a basket out of a window.
Could Dirk have continued with his escape, considering the pursuer as receiving his just recompense for his evil life? I could easily justify this type of thinking, especially after studying through Psalm 35, specifically Psalms for Psome – Ps 35 – B. And yet in the background, I hear the verses of loving our enemy, of blessing those who revile against us.
I am in no way taking away from Dirk Willems and his tremendous exercise of forgiveness and blessing to his enemy. This is definitely not my intent in this post. I am simply admitting that at this time in my Christian walk, I am confessing my lack of understanding (willingness?) on how to bless those who revile me.
Dirk’s story is an ultimate example of a man obeying the Lord’s command to love his enemy.
Surely, our daily lives have opportunities to mimic the Lord’s example of loving our enemies. Think of a recent time when someone may have said something against you, or insulted you or gossiped about you. How have you responded? Have you returned a blessing to those who curse you? Or like I, justified my reactions, ignoring the leading of the Spirit of God.
May God give us wisdom and power in loving our enemies.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #138
Description
Emmanuel to be higher than earthly kings
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 89:27
And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 1:32-33
He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Calvin’s followers seek to justify their teaching with verses that, with just a little bit of explanation, seem to reinforce their philosophy.
You know – the Romans 9 passage, or maybe 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Some of these passages, without considering alternate views (i.e. listening to only Calvinist teachers!) tend to reinforce the Calvinistic thought pattern.
This series of video podcasts will provide a discussion that many Calvinists may have never heard, or considered.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #137
Description
Firstborn
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 89:27
And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
New Testament Fullfillment
Col 1:15-18
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things were created through him and for him.
And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
In the mid nineties, I had a little red Buick and a big ol’ bass box in the trunk, and would listen to “Christian Rock”, cranked to 11.
(What did you say? Huh? Can you say that again, I didn’t hear you….)
I have gotten away from that genre for many reasons, the least of which may be a loss of hearing, but some songs have stuck with me over the decades.
The artist’s I listened to sought to reflect Scriptural teaching for the most part. They ranged from “preaching” pop culture religion to significant theological teaching. As I listened to the lyrics, I found some to be quite challenging.
To be honest, I listened because I could justify the rock beat with “sanctified lyrics”.
Occassionaly I will post a song, supply the lyrics and make a comment or two. If you decide to listen to the tune, turn the speaker down unless you are already deaf. Some of the songs tend to have a certain “volume” about them!
This post will consider the song
Easy Listening – Steve Taylor
A portion of the song that rings so true today.
Tickle my ear and I’ll pay for your show Sing about stuff that I already know Whisper sweet nothings Pour a nightcap Gimme that old-time easy listening
I don’t think I have found a song of this fella’s that doesn’t bite a bit.
Take a listen!
Easy Listening – Steve Taylor
Gather-me-grandchildren if you love a good mystery Gather-me-grandchildren for a little church history It’s 2044 You’re avoiding our turn-of-the-century ways
How did we strike it rich? Kissing up to the powerful How did we make our pitch? Satellites by the towerful Why do you young people have to go and get caught up in a radical phase?
My conscience was clear and my wallet was full I didn’t hear none of this “sacrifice” bull Tough times call for a backtrack Gimme that old-time easy listening
Cuddle up, yeah, yeah 12 hours, twice a day Cuddle up, yeah, yeah Simmer down Attaway
Color me old-fashioned, but I still remember when The sermons were affirming, ’cause the Lord liked us better then It’s 2044 And I don’t want to be my brother’s keeper no more
Color me chicken yellow if I liked it in the ozone Call me lemon jello if I lacked a little backbone We’re King’s Kids, dang it And we used to know what a housekeeper was for
Tickle my ear and I’ll pay for your show Sing about stuff that I already know Whisper sweet nothings Pour a nightcap Gimme that old-time easy listening
Cuddle up, yeah, yeah 12 hours, twice a day Cuddle up, yeah, yeah Simmer down Attaway
Cuddle up, yeah, yeah Order now, don’t delay Cuddle up, yeah, yeah Sleep it off Drool away
Gather-me-round children, ’cause your faith is a mystery Gather me grandchildren for a little church history It’s 2044 And I miss our turn-of-the-century ways
How did we strike it rich? Kissing up to the powerful How did we make our pitch? Satellites by the towerful Why do you young hotheads have to go and get caught up in a radical phase?
I’m ok, you’re ok, we’re ok, so I think I’m gonna buy my own radio show Spread the good news and the Barry Manilow Happy talk, no rock, non-stop easy listening
Let me know what you think of the lyrics, and of the tunes!
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #136
Description
They stood afar off and watched
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 88:8
You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror to them.
New Testament Fullfillment
Luke 23:49
And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
As considered in my introduction to this series, I would like to look at each of the letters to the churches of Revelation from a different viewpoint than I have had much of my life.
Much could be written on each of the churches, but my intent is to give an overview of Old Testament motifs and pictures that John may have drew on from the Old Testament when he was penning the letters through the Holy Spirit
Our third letter is to the Church of Pergamum
John reaches back into the travails of Israel in the wilderness for this church. Lets read the passage to get our thoughts aligned.
Rev 2:12-17 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: ‘The words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword. “‘I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you hold fast my name, and you did not deny my faith even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality. So also you have some who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent. If not, I will come to you soon and war against them with the sword of my mouth. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.’
Consider the following
Pergamum dwells amongst demons, reminding us of Israel’s travels passing through the abode of demons (Lev. 16:10, 17:7, Deut 8:15)
Pergamum’s enemies are described as Balak and Balaam. (Num 25:1-3, 31:16)
Christ will make war against Balaamites with a sword in like manner as the angel of the Lord and Phineas (Numbers 22:31, 24:7-8)
To the overcomers, a promise of hidden manna (Heb 9:4) and a new name on a white stone, speaking of the redeemed people represented on the High Priest clothing (Ex 28:9-12). Note the stone for Pergamum is white, speaking of purity.
Give me your thoughts. Do you see parallels I have missed? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you
I have learned much in our journey through the parables. Not enough, but much. As this is the last of my posts in this series on the parables, I would appreciate your thoughts and comments. I am considering a series on the miracles of the Lord Jesus and would appreciate if this is of interest to any who may be following.
On to our parable! This parable is of sheep and goats. Two animals that are easily distinguishable. I think!
Lets read the passage and then dig in.
Matthew 25:31-46
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
The disciples, those who were following Him.
When did the Lord give this parable?
Jesus spoke this parable two days prior to the Passover.
When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.” – Mat 26:1-2 ESV
Where did the Lord teach the parable?
Jesus had been teaching His future apostles, those who would lead the ekklesia, truths on the mount of Olives
As he sat on the Mount of Olives the disciples came to him… – Mat 24:3a ESV
Why did the Lord give this message?
The purpose of this message as I understand it, is to instruct His men of the extent and power of His Kingdom, of the coming judgement, of His method of judging and can be outlined as follows
The King has authority of all nations (The nations are gathered before Him)
The King divides the nations into two groups (This implies they were together previously)
The King rewards both the groups on behavior towards the “least of these my brothers
The King judges based on linking the least of these my brethren with the King
The King will judge with surprising outcomes for both groups.
What was the message for the original audience?
During the time of this parable, goats and sheep were not as we see them today. Their appearance was not as distinct as we find today. Consider Genesis 30:32, where Moses describes both sheep and goat as being speckled and spotted.
let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats, and they shall be my wages. – Gen 30:32 ESV
It was not uncommon for a flock to contain both sheep and goats during this time and this parable would ring true to the original hearers.
Consider Leviticus 5:6
he shall bring to the LORD as his compensation for the sin that he has committed, a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat… – Lev 5:6 ESV
The original audience, the disciples were listening to the Messiah speak of the separation of two types of animals from a flock, not based on appearance, but based on the actions of the animal. What they did.
But I must ask. The sheep did things for the least of these my brothers. These things that were performed on the weak and powerless were acts of mercy and kindness. That seems obvious at this point.
But I need to understand who the Lord is referring to when he mentions “the least of these my brothers”?
I have always, until forced to consider it in this post, assumed the “the least of these my brothers” to be the physical, national brothers of the Messiah. Those who have their roots in the nation of Israel. Of course this is a result of my previous fascination with dispensational theology, which I have abandoned.
But ideas linger, and this is one that may be challenged with this passage. This needs to be discussed a bit later, as I am drifting a wee bit!
What is the message for us today?
One item that I have always assumed is that those who are “the least of these my brothers” is referring to the poor, weak and imprisoned, sometimes defining the least of these my brothers as Jewish “brothers” of Jesus.
As an aside, as many of you know, I live in Houston Tx, and the streets are full of the poor and destitute. My wife, who works in a store on a busy intersection, often comments on the organized efforts of the “poor and destitute” beggars who drive up to the intersection and pile out of a relatively nice vehicle, and take their stations for the day. Scam artists are out there and we need to have discernment in our efforts to be loving and kind. One characteristic we watch for are the condition of the shoes. If the “beggar” has nice shoes, it seems apparent they are not poor and destitute.
But I digress
Who are we, as believers to consider as “the least of these my brothers“, when we hear the Lord speak in this parable. I find it curious that the Lord appended His description of “the least of these” with “my brothers” Of course I can find no specific instance in the New Testament where national Israel is defined as Jesus family/brothers, but I do find multiple instances where the New Testament describes believers as His brothers. Consider Matthew 12:48-49, where His mother and brothers were requesting His presence while He was teaching.
48 But he replied to the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! – Mat 12:48-49 ESV
Another passage that comes to mind is when the author of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus is not ashamed to call those sons that He is bringing into glory his brothers.
11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers, – Heb 2:11 ESV
Jesus’ family are those who are His disciples. His brethren (and sistren) are those of faith, not of the flesh. This may seem obvious to some, but I did not catch this truth in the story of the sheep and goats for decades.
Please understand this specific teaching in Matthew 25 does not allow us to ignore the needs of the general population. This is not the intent of the parable nor my wanderings in this post. Each of us are to seek to relieve others of suffering, but as the apostle Paul teaches in Galatians, there is a priority of believers for believers to minister to.
10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. – Gal 6:10 ESV
One concluding thought.
If Jesus is referring to believers as the poor and destitute that are receiving the mercy, that tells us that it is the believers that are in the prisons, that are hungry, thirsty, poor, naked and sick. Believers are not exempt from the suffering of this world, and may be exposed to greater suffering based on our identification with our Brother Jesus.
As believers, we need to prioritize our efforts on those we know as followers as the Lord leads us. My understanding of this parable has taken a turn for the better after my simple rumination. Will you look for ways to bless those in the Body of Christ, those in the Family of the Son, who are suffering, and going without.
May the Lord help us all to know the best way to minister.
Please don’t forget to let me know your thoughts on a future series on the Miracles of the Lord Jesus. Your input and suggestions are always welcome.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #135
Description
The Suffering and Reproach of Calvary
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 88
O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry! For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. I am counted among those who go down to the pit; I am a man who has no strength, like one set loose among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand. You have put me in the depths of the pit, in the regions dark and deep. Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a horror[b] to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape; my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call upon you, O Lord; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the departed rise up to praise you? Selah Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon? Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But I, O Lord, cry to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you. O Lord, why do you cast my soul away? Why do you hide your face from me? Afflicted and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am helpless. Your wrath has swept over me; your dreadful assaults destroy me. They surround me like a flood all day long; they close in on me together. You have caused my beloved and my friend to shun me; my companions have become darkness.
New Testament Fullfillment
Matt 27:26-50
Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him.
And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him,
and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”
And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.
As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross.
And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull),
they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it.
And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots.
Then they sat down and kept watch over him there.
And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”
Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left.
And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads
and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.”
So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying,
“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.
He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”
And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.”
And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink.
But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.”
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Calvin’s followers seek to justify their teaching with verses that, with just a little bit of explanation, seem to reinforce their philosophy.
You know – the Romans 9 passage, or maybe 1 Corinthians 2:14.
Some of these passages, without considering alternate views (i.e. listening to only Calvinist teachers!) tend to reinforce the Calvinistic thought pattern.
This series of video podcasts will provide a discussion that many Calvinists may have never heard, or considered.
The prophecy of the Lord Jesus for our consideration and edification, written centuries prior to His earthly existence is
Prophecy #134
Description
The Man of God’s right hand
Old Testament Prophecy
Psalm 80:17
But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself!
New Testament Fullfillment
Mark 14:61-62
But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?”
And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
If you are just joining this blog, or are a first time visitor, welcome to Considering the Bible. We would like to offer a document that provides over 350 prophecies of the Messiah found in the Old Testament for your consideration.
I make no claim to be able to comment on every one of these amazing prophecies in the future, but will occasionally bring one to the readers attention for their edification.
Hopefully you will follow “Considering the Bible” and begin an interaction with us
Being an engineer in my day job, you can imagine that when numbers show up in the Word, I “calculate”. As we read through this parable, we see that each of the servants are provided a quantity of resources to use for a fixed period of time. Upon return of the Master, a time of reckoning falls on the servants. The Master judges each of the servants and doles out “rewards”.
Is that what this parable is about? Servants doubling their Masters resources and receiving proportional rewards?
Or is it about something else? Let’s read the parable before we make any assumptions.
Matthew 25:14-30
14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Questions to Consider
Who were the audience?
Jesus was teaching His disciples. Those who were His servants.
When did the Lord give this parable?
This teaching was provided during the last week of the Lord’s life on earth.
Where did the Lord teach the parable?
As Matthew 24:3 teaches, the Lord gave this teaching outside of Jerusalem.
Why did the Lord give this message?
Jesus began this parable by likening the Kingdom of God to this story. Jesus was about to leave this world and release the Spirit of God into His Kingdom, providing an inestimable “resource” for His servants. The Kingdom of God was about to explode on the scene, and His servants needed to have a clear understanding of acceptable behavior for a servant, but more importantly, they needed to understand the unacceptable perception of the Master.
But I am getting ahead of myself
What was the message for the original audience?
The first two servants, in doubling the Masters resource were rewarded “with much”. The servant that doubled the Master’s five talents, thereby providing the Master ten talents, received authority over ten cities. Likewise with the servant who doubled His Master’s two talents. He received authority over two cities.
As you can see, this is where my initial thought of proportionality was spawned. But I was not considering the point of the parable. This background information was describing the grace of the Master, revealing the Master’s character.
A talent is a huge sum of cash, equal to 6,000 denarii. One denarii was a full days wage. Therefore, a talent represented approx. 20 years of wages!
The audience in Jesus day would consider the initial trust of such wealth to be unthinkable, and the reward to be unbelievable, for servants worked without the expectation of rewards.
Peter and the gang must have been delirious with this parable!
But alas, the focus of the parable is the third servant. Let’s reconsider this servant’s perception of the Master.
‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ – Mat 25:24b-25 ESV
The servant approaches the Master with a bold defense, claiming it is the Master’s fault for his lack of profit. This fellow is the ultimate “victim” This is quite the claim, since “hard” may be understood as fierce, harsh, or stern. This servant approached the Master, proclaiming his fear due to the Master’s character, and returned the single talent back. He knew the Master would expect profit, and this created fear in this fellow, but this fear supposedly “froze” the servant in his endeavors.
The servant was afraid due to his perception (right or wrong) of the Master.
The Master did not accept the servants claim of fear causing his lack of service. The reason the servant came back empty handed was that he was wicked (evil, bad) and slothful (sluggish, indolent, grievous)! This had nothing to do with the Master’s character, for as the parable describes Him, He is one who entrusts His servants with responsibility, and rewards them richly.
Amazing that the servant was described as “worthless” in a parable describing profits, resources and rewards!
This did not turn out well for the third servant, for the talent was taken from him, given to the first servant (thereby blowing my proportionality theorem!) and was thrown out.
The servant was thrown out! When I read that, I was shocked! This was a servant of the Master! How could that be?
I will not repeat my previous findings on the consequences of this servant’s perception of the Master here. If of interest to the reader, please refer to Parable Surprises – Wedding Banquet.
Suffice it to say, I think the original audience understood that their perception of the Master was key to avoiding failure in the Kingdom.
What is the message for us today?
What is the parables message to us today? The core message I have come away with is not that we are required to double any resources we may have been granted. This is not the intent of the parable. The talents are simply a vehicle used to describe the Master’s gracious character towards His servants.
The key message from this parable is our perception of the Master!
Our Perception of God
How do you “see” God?
Do you see God as the third servant saw his master, as a hard man, reaping where He does not sow, and gathering where He scattered not seed?
When you consider the One above, who came to earth, who took upon Himself the form of a man, and became a servant to His enemies, who loved those who crucified Him, who suffered and bled, do you see Him as “hard”?
I am a weak and sinful man blundering through this existence of mercy, but the Scriptures have a constant witness we are wise to avail ourselves of. The Word speaks of God as ever loving, kind and merciful to those who look to Him.
As we seek to serve Him, we must understand His character in order to serve Him and our fellow man properly. He is like no other, and we must be constantly reminded of His “otherness”, of His not being like us.
But what is the nature of our God?
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. – 1 John 4:8
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. – 1 John 4:16
The fruit of the Spirit is the natural outflow of the nature of our God!
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Gal 5:22-23 ESV
To attribute other than these characteristics to the Lord would be an exercise in contradiction. If we see Him as unwieldly, austere, fierce, harsh or stern, as this third servant saw his master, we ourselves shall suffer for this, and eventually end up using this lie as an excuse for our wickedness.
You see, the Scriptures teach us that what we worship is what we become. Now I am not saying if we worship God we become God, but the Scriptures do inform us of the opportunity to be conformed to the One we worship.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
But what if we avoid or ignore the witness of the grace of God. What may we be transformed into other than confirming our own likeness, of hardening our opinion of ourselves as being right, pure and good? This is a great danger!
But wait – there are implications of this decision to consider our own opinions as being correct as opposed to the Word. What might be worse is that we may project our character on Him? Make the One we worship identical to ourselves! How utterly disastrous for us and for His name!
To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. – Isa 40:25
He is the Holy One, the ever living One, the One who changes not! How can we ever be conformed into the image of the matchless Son of God if all we see is an image of ourselves!
For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. – Rom 8:29
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Colossians 3:10
What is your perception of God?
When you fall into a time of trial, do you see Him as One who brought the trial into your life, or as the One who will suffer with you through it?
When you fail in some endeavor, do you see Him as One that will mock you, judge you condemn you, or do you see Him as One who is kind and compassionate, willing to forgive, and inviting your repentance, providing your renewal?
Your perception of God determines your relationship with Him. Your perception of God determines your destiny.
Considering the Bible 