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Christ: God’s Final Word

Published August 30, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Christ, Hebrews, New Testament

A Brief Exposition of Hebrews 1:1-4

As we read the epistles in the New Testament, we notice a common theme: believers are exhorted to remain faithful “in the last days.” The letter to the Hebrews does this in a powerful way and its message is relevant today, a day that is marked by apostasy in the Churches of Jesus Christ. Unlike Jude, for example, which goes into great and extended detail about false teachers, the writer to the Hebrews chooses, instead, to dwell on the excellencies of Jesus Christ and how superior He is to any man or any angel or any created thing.

We call it The Epistle to the Hebrews, and yet this letter doesn’t resemble any of the other letters in the New Testament. The usual greetings and salutations are omitted, but the author writes in an intimate style, using the personal pronoun often. Though the names of the recipients are not mentioned, we do know that it was written to a specific congregation originally, but was intended to be circulated among the congregations of the day. As Kistemaker wrote in his commentary:

The message conveyed is addressed to the church of all ages and places. If there is any epistle in the New Testament that addresses the church universal in the days prior to Jesus’ return, it is the Epistle to the Hebrews.

1. The Prologue, 1:1-4

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs. (TNIV)

In the original language, the first four verses are actually one long sentence that make up the prologue, or the introduction, to the letter. The structure of this sentence is significant; the subject of the first verb is “God,” for He is always before the author. In fact, the word “God” appears 68 times throughout the epistle, once every 73 words. No other New Testament writing speaks of God so often.

The very first thing we notice about God in Hebrews is that He is active and His activities in the past had a purpose: to reveal Himself to all men. The first divine activity mentioned is that in the past, “God spoke to our [Hebrew] ancestors.” This is not referring to a general revelation of God’s Person in nature, like Paul writes about in Romans, but a specific revelation to a specific group of people: the ancestors or forefathers of the Hebrews. God spoke in a variety of ways to these people:

He spoke to Moses in the burning bush, Exodus 3.
To Elijah in a still, small voice, 1 Kings 9.
To Isaiah in a vision in the temple, Isaiah 6.
To Hosea in his family circumstances, Hosea 1:2.
To Amos in a basket of summer fruit, Amos 8.

God also spoke through dreams and visions, through angels, through the Urim and Thummim, through symbols and signs. through natural events and even through smoke. And God’s speaking to man was not limited to one location. He spoke in Ur of the Chaldees, in Haran, in Canaan, in Egypt, on the edge of the Red Sea, and in the middle of the desert. Certainly God is a God of variety who met man where man was; He did not wait for man to find Him. Hebrew history can be said to be the history of God pursuing man.

The author in the opening words of his letter is referring to how God spoke in the past to the previous generations of Hebrews in order to show how He continues to speak to people today, in a different way, through His Son, Jesus Christ, a point he will drive home in a few verses. The word translated “fathers” and “forefathers” is probably more accurately translated “ancestors,” as in the TNIV because the thought is that God did not just limit his speaking to the patriarchs only, who were men, but also to women, like Esther, Ruth, and many others.

God’s self-revelation was progressive throughout history in that the words of the prophets and the writings of Moses, for example, were cumulative. As Richard Taylor noted,

As a small stream becomes a mighty river, so did the Word of God become massive and full-orbed, sufficient to prepare the Jews and confirm these Hebrew Christians if they had had eyes to see and ears to hear.

F.F. Bruce put it another way:

The story of divine revelation is a story of progression up to Christ, but there is no progression beyond Him.

The many fragments of God’s progressive revelation to man in the past, if pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle, would reveal the Son; who Himself taught that the Old Testament was a adequate witness to Himself, John 5:39-47.

The finality of God’s revelation in Christ is brought to the fore with verse two and its contrast between past revelations of God (“in the past”) and the revelation of “these last days.” That phrase comes from the LXX, the Greek Old Testament, and there it refers to the days of the Messiah. The author to the Hebrews applies it to the coming of Jesus Christ in the world as the Messiah. The word “but” is important because it serves to distinguish the Son of God from the ancestors and prophets of the past. In other words, Jesus Christ is not just another in a long line of prophets to whom God revealed Himself. Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, by coming into the world of man has inaugurated a “new age,” a Messianic Age, where He is the final Word of God to man.

The first two verses, then, contrast the prophets, who were specially chosen by God to convey His word to the people, and the Son of God, who surpasses all the prophets because He is the Son. This is brought out in the Greek where the emphasis in verse two is on the word Son. So the thought is this: God began speaking to man through the prophets and finished speaking to man through the Son.

With verse three, the contrast between the prophets of the past and the Son of the present changes to a comparison between the Son and the Father. How favorably is the comparison? There are five main points that deserve quick consideration.

The Son is the radiance of the Father’s glory. The word translated “radiance” or “reflection” is a difficult word in the Greek. It may refer either to a either a radiance of brightness bursting forth from within or a reflection of light from without. Or perhaps it means both, since in Christ we see the Son of God, His own Person, and we see God the Father as being the Son.

Jesus Himself hinted at this in John 8:12 where He declared that He was the “light of the world” and that in Him there is no darkness at all. Hughes observes,

Jesus’ radiance is not so much the glory of the Son’s deity shining through His humanity, but the glory of God being manifested in the perfection of His manhood completely attuned as it was to the will of the Father.

The exact representation of his being. The word translated “representation” is from an unusual Greek word, charakter, occurring only here in the whole New Testament. Originally, it described a tool used to engrave or stamp an image onto something. Used here, it could denote God stamping His perfect image upon His Son so that the Son is completely the same in His being as the Father. Nevertheless, even though an imprint is the same as the stamp that made the impression, both exist separately. So the Son, who bears the image of the Father and the stamp of the Father’s nature, is not the Father but proceeds from the Father and has a separate existence. And yet, as Jesus explained, whoever has seen Him has seen the Father, so exact is the image (John 14:9).

Sustaining all things by his powerful word. The Greek pheron, translated “sustaining” means “to carry along.” The author does not mean to suggest that Jesus is like Atlas, merely holding up the world like a piece of dead weight. The thought is that Jesus is carrying the world along, toward a predetermined goal; the word is dynamic, not static. This is an important distinction becaue many people, including many believers, view God as being real, but uninvolved in the working of the world. Their idea of God is that He created all things, including man, then set them on them on the world like actors on a stage, with God sitting afar off, watching what man does. Nothing could be farther from the truth, as the author to the Hebrews writes. God, through Jesus Christ, is literally carrying the world along to the destiny He ordained for it. Notice the scope of this: the Son carries “all things,” the universe is seen here as a single unit. And He does this all by a mere word. The Son of God, the ruler of the universe, utters a word and all things listen in complete obedience to His voice.

[H]e had provided purification for sins. This is Christ’s work on behalf of sinners. Literally, the word “purification” comes from a term used in the New Testament of “ritual cleansing,” but here it refers to the complete removal of sin. Implicit in this statement is a statement that describes the awfulness of sin: it defiles and stains. But Christ has completely removed that stain. The verb “provided” is in the aorist tense, meaning the cleansing done on our behalf is a completed act, based on something Jesus Christ did at a fixed point in history.

[H]e sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. Sitting is the posture of rest, and the position, at the right hand, denotes a place of highest honor. Having completed the task assigned of Him, the Son returned to Heaven to take His place, once more, at the helm of the universe, by His Father’s side. Of course, the expressions “sit down” and “the right hand” are more symbolic than literal. The point the author is making is that the Son of God’s saving work is complete, nothing more can be added to what He has wrought, not even by Himself. Everything necessary to secure the salvation of man is in place, awaiting a response from man himself.

2. Our response

What is man’s response to what Jesus did for him? For believers, when we study these verses we should be filled with a sense of holy gratitude for the work of the Son. And that gratitude should motivate us to praise Him and exalt His Name. But more than that, what He did for us should inspire us to live lives that glorify Him and please Him.

For those who don’t know the Jesus we know, the knowledge of the gospel makes little sense to them. But as they learn more of the wondrous love God has for them, we need to pray that the Holy Spirit will draw them to Himself and that they will receive a gift of grace to reach out in faith to believe and accept this glorious salvation.

Stories of Five Judges, Part Four

Published August 23, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Hebrew History, Judges, Old Testament, Shamgar

Shamgar: So Important, He Got One Verse!

Judges‭ ‬3:31

We are looking at five judges in the book of Judges. We might call them “the jewels of Judges,” because although they were men, or women, of no particular distinction, they were all called upon by God to do extraordinary deeds on behalf of their nation, Israel.

We have looked at the first two judges, Othniel and Ehud. Our attention will focus on the third judge of Israel, Shamgar. His story is found in a single verse:

After Ehud came Shamgar son of Anath, who struck down six hundred Philistines with an oxgoad. He too saved Israel. (Judges 3:31)

He is, in fact, given honorable mention in the song of another judge, Deborah:

In the days of Shamgar son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the roads were abandoned; travelers took to winding paths. (Judges 5:6)

When we consider the lengthy histories of some of the judges, we wonder why Shamgar is mentioned all. Perhaps Shamgar was just too important to leave out! There is a valuable lesson to be learned here.

It should be noted that Shamgar is never referred to as a “judge,” but it seems to be implied.

1. Conditions

Previously,we were told this:

That day Moab was made subject to Israel, and the land had peace for eighty years. (3:30)

Most scholars believe the incident with Shamgar took place during the 80 years of peace. What Deborah wrote seems to support this idea. It seems as though the people were afraid to travel on the roads. Perhaps they were afraid of Philistine raids, which in the beginning were infrequent, but as the so-called “80 years of peace” wore on, became more and more frequent.

It also seems that weapons were in short supply in those days. This would make sense, since the people generally were more interested in worshiping false gods than defending their country. This would also account for the Philistines’ raids. And the fact that Shamgar had to use an oxgoad instead of a weapon of war.

2. The Oxgoad

We are told exactly what Shamgar is famous for: he killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad. We are not told if he did this all at once, in once battle, or if the 600 is the total number of Philistines raiders he killed over a span of time. Regardless, this was an astounding accomplishment given Shamgar was by himself and the nature of his “weapon.”

The oxgoad, unlike the dagger made by Ehud, was not a weapon of either offense or defense. In fact, it was a farming implement:

the country people in Palestine and Syria use when ploughing goads about eight feet long and six inches in circumference at the thick end. At the thin end they have a sharp point to drive the oxen, and at the other end a small hoe, to scrape off any dirt that may stick to the plough. (K & D)

In Shamgar’s hands this tool became a lethal weapon. While the rest of Israel, presumably, sat around waiting for God to act while bands of Philistine raiders flowed over borders to wreak havoc, Shamgar took the initiative and used what he had to do what he could.

This story reminds us of the old joke:

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Now Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

3. Hidden Truths

Whenever we read a single verse like this one, we should ask ourselves, Why? Why did God the Holy Spirit think what Shamgar did was so important that it should be preserved for all time, for all generations of believers to study?

There are, I believe, two timeless truths to be gleaned from the story of Shamgar.

(a) God has a habit of using the ordinary to do extra-ordinary exploits. Shamgar is just one in a long succession of nobody’s who did big things for God but received little or no credit. Let’s consider some others briefly.

Jonathan’s armor-bearer. Judges 14:1-15. He doesn’t even have a name, but he was a loyal friend and partner to Jonathan. Jonathan would have been barely a footnote in Hebrew history had it not been for this man. In battle, Jonathan got the glory, his armor bearer was forever in the background.

Nathan, prophet for David. Here was a job I am sure nobody would want. The most famous thing Nathan ever said was: “You are that man,” as he exposed David’s sin with Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 12:1-12. Nathan the prophet, who had to confront the most powerful man in the world at that time with the most horrible of sins. But he did it,because he was more faithful to God than to his king.

The nameless martyrs of Hebrews 11. We know about Abraham and Noah and the pantheon of faith, but Hebrews 11 mentions others who were faithful to their Lord, whose names we don’t know. Of these nameless martyrs, the author to the Hebrews writes:

Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. (Heb. 11:35b-38)

Yet they were mentioned in God’s Word, their faithfulness inscribed for all eternity.

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, Matthias. We all know what the other apostles did, what they were famous for, but what about these men? Can anybody give the chapter and verse of their accomplishments?

-Andrew was responsible for bringing his more famous friend, Peter, to Christ.
-Philip…was from Bethsaida.
-Bartholomew, to whom Jesus appeared after his resurrection and an eyewitness to the Ascension.
-Thomas,famous for his nickname: Doubting Thomas.
-Thaddeus, famous for two things, having another name: Judas, and having a name with two “d’s” together.
-Simon the Zealot, famous for being zealous.
-Matthias, mentioned as the guy that took Judas’ place.

Over half of “The Twelve” never wrote a Gospel or an epistle. They never preached a sermon that got recorded in any form. Yet they are named by name as being part of Jesus’ inner circle.

Finally, how about Tychicus? This fellow is mentioned five times in the New Testament. He is described as being a “dear brother” but even more than that, we have these fleeting notes about him:

Tychicus, the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. (Eph. 6:21)

Tychicus will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. (Col. 4:7)

I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. (2 Tim. 4:12)

As soon as I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, because I have decided to winter there. (Titus 3:12)

Seems like all this man did was travel for Paul when Paul was unable to, due to imprisonment or health. We have no other mention of Tychicus, but he appears to have been a “right hand” to the Great Apostle.

Yes, God uses people nobody’s to do great things. There are very few Paul’s or Jonathan’s. But the Kingdom of God is built by people like Tychicus and Nathan, men and women who are famous for nothing, yet indispensable to God.

(b) Secondly and finally, while others were waiting for God to work a miracle that would make failure impossible, Shamgar trusted God to use him and what he had. What do you have? When Jesus called Peter to walk on the water, He did not provide any visible means of support for him. When Peter looked over the edge of the boat, he did not see dry land upon which to stand. What he did see was water. And he took a few steps, according to Matthew 14:29–

“Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

He “came toward Jesus,” which means he took fews steps on the water. How many steps have you taken on the water lately?

There was once a little boy who was able to feed 5,000 men with just two fish and five loaves of bread (John 6:8-13). Do you think your resources are too meagre for God to use?

Shammah, a man who stood his ground in the face of overwhelming odds:

Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel’s troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. (2 Sam. 23:11-12)

All he had was what was in his hand and the courage that was in his heart. This sounds a lot like Eleazar, one of David’s Mighty Men. His very brief story goes like this:

Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead. (2 Sam. 23:9-10)

It’s easy to “stand your ground” when you are surrounded by people. But these people were by themselves! They fought for the Lord with what they had. What do you have?

The lessons of Shamgar are for all of us. None of us will likely ever become famous for anything we do for the Lord. But God calls all of us to work for Him, regardless of the “thanks” or good press we get. Most of us are not nearly as talented as the evangelists and Christian writers and musicians we see on TV or hear on CD. We may not have great wealth to support ministries but does what we have belong to the Lord? If it does, He can work wonders with it.

All Moses had was his staff, but with that staff, Moses parted the Red Sea and lead his people to freedom. Imagine what God could do with what you have.

Bless The Lord, O My Soul

Published August 19, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: 1 Peter, Election, General Epistles, New Testament

A Study of 1 Peter 1:1-5

In most translations, the title of this letter is very simple, 1 Peter. Some versions entitle this letter “The First General Epistle of Peter.” That’s accurate because 1 Peter belongs to a category of writings in the NT known as the General Epistles, or the Catholic Epistles. Along with 1 and 2 Peter, the General Epistles include Hebrews, James, 1,2, 3 John and Jude.

This letter was written some time around 63 by Simon Peter, a leader in the Jerusalem church. It is addressed:

To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia…

It is not addressed to any particular church or person, and that is why it is known as a “general epistle.”

1. Election, 1:1a

In the Greek, the adjective “elect” or “chosen” is written in the plural with no mention of God. However, the context of the letter shows quite clearly that God is the one who has elected or chosen the readers of this letter. This must have been the most encouraging thing his readers could have heard; they were separated from their homeland, experiencing hatred and enduring hardship and persecution. Despite this, they were the ones whom God has chosen. Out of all the people on earth, God had chosen a few to be His people. Jesus said as much in Matt. 22:14–

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

In simplest terms, the adjective “elect” or “chose” is nothing more than a description of Christians generally (Titus 1:1, for example). In Biblical teaching, the broader doctrine of “election” is a key theme and the foundation of all spiritual blessing (Deut. 4:37; 7:6; 14:2; Ps. 105:6, 43; Isa. 45:4; Eph. 1:4-5). It’s a pity that so many believers feel threatened by this wonderful doctrine. Every time election is mentioned in Scripture it to comfort and encourage the reader. Nicholson, citing Benjamin Field, gives three different kinds of Scriptural election:

The election of certain people to perform a specific task, 1 Sam. 2:27-28; Jer. 1:5; etc.
The election of nations or groups of people to receive special blessings, Deut. 4:37; 7:6; 10:15; Isa. 41:8-9; etc.
The election of individuals to be the children of God, 1 Pet. 1:2; 2 Thess. 2:13-14.

No one should ever think that the election of individuals to be the children of God implies “an exclusion of others from that precious blessing…nor does it render their final salvation irrevocably secure; they are still in a state of probation, and their election, through unbelief…may be rendered void and come to nothing.”
Pukiser, on the issue of election, makes a noteworthy statement:

God’s election and predestination are His gracious provision for and purpose to save all who savingly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and not an arbitrary predetermination of those who can believe.

2. Strangers, 1:1b

These elect, the readers of this letter, are described by Peter as being “strangers in the world.” This is an apt description of all believers, who are “resident aliens” in this world:

All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. (Heb. 11:13)

The phrase suggests that this is a temporary condition, as our true citizenship is in heaven, Phil.3:20,

But our citizenship is in heaven.

As “resident aliens,” the readers of this letter didn’t have a permanent home; they were moving from place to place, looking for somewhere to live or trying to live in peace in new and strange place, driven from their homes by persecution.

3. Holiness: the purpose of election, 1:2

With this verse, Peter gives the readers the reason for this election and gives some of the basic themes of this letter, including the foreknowledge of God, the sanctifying work of the Spirit, and obedience to Christ. This verse also shows the Trinity in action.

The “foreknowledge of God” is more than God simply knowing the future, it includes His comprehensive knowledge existence from before the creation of the world. It includes the absolute sovereignty of God in determining and implementing His decision to save sinful man. Key in understanding the relationship between election and foreknowledge is a sentence in Peter’s sermon, preached on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:23–

This man was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

Peter implies that God worked according to his sovereign plan and purpose which He made in advance. Paul also writes about God’s foreknowledge in Romans 8:29–

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

Foreknowledge and predestination go together as acts of God before the creation of this world, Ephesians 1:4-5. This work is carried out through the sanctifying work of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit in a believer that brings about separation and holiness and an ability to do works of service for the Lord. In the Greek, the sanctifying work of the Spirit is an ongoing process, it is never a completed act. While it is the Spirit that works in us to make holy, man is not just a passive bystander; he is intimately involved in his evolution in holiness. Peter admonished his readers:

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1:15-16)

Finally, the Spirit sanctifies believers so they may be obedient to the Christ. This part of the verse seems awkward to modern readers:

…for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood.

That makes little sense to us, but to the converted Jews Peter is writing to, this phrase was rich in meaning. Kistemaker explains that Peter links the terms obedience and sprinkling together referring to the confirmation of the covenant that God made with Israel in Exodus 24:3-8. Moses read the Book of the Law to the people, and the people responded that they would do everything the Lord had told them to do. Then Moses sprinkled blood on the people and said these words:

Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the people and said, “This is the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.” (Ex. 24:8)

Peter masterfully shows how the Trinity is at work in the redemption of man: God the Father foreknows them, God the Holy Spirit sanctifies them, and The Son cleanses them from sin through the sprinkling of His blood. The words of William Cowper’s hymn come to mind:

There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel’s veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.

4. A Living Hope, 1:3

Throughout this letter, Peter encourages his readers to hope. But hope for the believer is not some ethereal thing floating out in space, it is based on a living faith in Jesus Christ; the Christian has a living hope because of the resurrection. The thought is that if God the Father could bring about the resurrection of Jesus the Son, nothing is too hard for Him.

This message was vitally important for his readers, who were daily experiencing fiery trials and unbelievable hardships. It’s interesting that in one verse, Peter shifts gears from the heavy doctrine of the Trinity to the reality of hope. But this hope, which is something personal and living, is not necessarily something that pertains to the future. Rather, it brings life to God’s elect, just as God brought life to Jesus, and this hope enables believers to carry on, no matter what life’s circumstances may be. The resurrection of Christ from the dead is the basis of the believer’s new life. God made us alive, as He made Jesus alive and has given us a living hope.

5. A Secure Inheritance, 1:4

This living hope is further described in verse 4 as an inheritance “that can never perish, spoil, or fade.” Unlike earthly treasures, which are temporary and fade away, this spiritual inheritance is incorruptible; it remains new and perfect and unchanging because God made it that way. What awaits the hopeful believer is something will be fresh and new forever, and it is absolutely secure for believers because it is being “kept” for them.

Curiously, Peter doesn’t tell his readers exactly what is being kept for them in heaven, instead of describing the inheritance, Peter uses three adjectives to tell us what our possession is not:

imperishable;
undefiled;
unfading.

6. A Joyous Salvation, 1:5

God’s people are described as being guarded. The Greek phrase is written in the present passive, meaning believers don’t guard themselves, God does the guarding all the time. This remarkable verse shows the continuous involvement of God in the lives of His children. The phrase “through faith” is man’s only responsibility in the matter. We are shielded by God through faith. So, although God has promised to protect us, we must use our faith in our fight against the dark spiritual forces. As Kistemaker noted, faith in God is both objective and subjective. Objectively, faith means that God is seen, not merely “felt.” But faith also has a subjective side, where the believer truly feels the working of God within.

God shields us for a purpose:

…the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

The salvation we possess now in principle will become our permanent possession in reality when we enter heaven. God protects us now so that in the future we will receive all that is ours in promise. This not unlike being mentioned in a will; we know that have an inheritance, but we have to wait for the death of the testator and for legal matters to be settled to receive it. But even during the waiting period, the value of the inheritance doesn’t diminish; it’s there, waiting to be grabbed hold of, just like our salvation.

The Stories of Five Judges, Part Three

Published August 19, 2008 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Ehud, Judges, Left Handed, Old Testament

Ehud: The Left-Handed Savior

Judges‭ ‬3:12-30

1. Recap

The book of Judges is a record of the failure of God’s people. The book of Joshua records the awesome might of God working in and through His people to secure His blessing on the nation of Israel. There were failures, of course, but Israel progressed in an upward direction. But in Judges we see, not a blessed nation, but a miserable one; miserable because they forgot about God, they forgot about what got them out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. But at the same time, we see God’s mercy in His dealings with His wayward children. These interventions of God we may well call “revivals,” because as the people cried out to God in repentance, He visited them with demonstrations of power, mercy, and deliverance.

In Judges we no longer see God pouring out his blessing upon His people and we no longer see Israel fulfilling the purposes of God. The people demonstrated time and again their inability to retain the blessings of God, preferring to bare the penalty of their sin.

Yet, the misery into which their rebellion brought them never failed to move the Lord to compassion. When the people cried out, God raised up judges, or “saviors,” who would bring peace and order to the land, but only for as long as they lived. With their deaths, the nation would again slide back into sin. Judges 2:19 tells the sad, sad story:

But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them. They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.

This is the pathetic history of the people of God; it is also the history of the grace of God, and of His compassion towards His people.

As the book progresses, so does the sin of the people; the state of Israel degrades with each passing chapter until, sick of their own unfaithfulness, in spite of the prophets of God in the land, and the clear Word of God, the nation rejects God as their King in favor of adopting a human form of government. This had the unbelievable effect of placing Israel on the same level as all the nations around them, when at one time the actually had God as their King!

Sadly, the history of Israel in Canaan parallels the history of the Church in the world. The Church is God’s instrument of salvation on earth. He has entrusted His Gospel and the message of the Cross to the Church, and time and again the Church has failed in its mission. Yet God continues to work through the Church and bless the faithful in the Church. But even while we preach the Word of God, large segments of the Church wallow in sin and “godless words.” Perhaps we are witnessing the beginnings of the great apostasy seen by John on the Island of Patmos. There have been many revivals throughout church history, but the downward trend continues. We may look in astonishment at the history of Jewish people and wonder how they could be so stubborn and rebellious, but we, who have the complete Word of God and complete revelation of God to man in the Person of Jesus Christ have faired no better.

Nevertheless, while God’s people throughout the ages have been unfaithful to Him, He has never failed them. He has never failed to be kind, gracious, loving, forgiving, and merciful. What should be noted is that God’s power and presence did not leave Israel when Joshua died. God was always there whenever there was enough faith to see Him. This is, arguably, the strongest message of the book of Judges, and it is a message that concerned Paul so much, that he wrote about it centuries later:

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Phil. 2:12)

With this section of Judges, we are introduced to the second judge of Israel, Ehud.

2. Same sin, old enemy, 3:12-14

Moab was Israel’s perennial enemy, and God would use them repeatedly when the nation fell into sin. In this instance, we read a very disturbing sentence:

the LORD gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel

That is a shocking thing to read in the Bible; the Lord giving power to the enemy of His own people. In Moses’ day the Moabites had hired Balaam the prophet to curse Israel and along with the Midianites led the nation into idolatry.

In this instance, Moab had new partners, the powerful Amalekites and the evil Ammonites, who were also Israel’s bitter enemy. Eglon was the leader of this alliance against the people of God. In Hebrew, the word Ammon (Ammonites) means “of a kindred,” or “one born of incest.” The Ammonites were descended from Ben-ammi, a son of Lot, whose mother was Lot’s younger daughter. Amalek (Amalekites) “laborious,” and was a son of Esau, a hereditary enemy of Israel. This coalition defeated Israel in battle and took possession of Jericho, the City of Palms, and they were held in bondage to the Moabites for 18 years.

3. Cloak and Dagger, 3:15-25

We are introduced to Ehud, the man whom God called into service to deliver His people this way:

a left-handed man

This fact would come in handy in his plan to assassinate Eglon. Ehud’s responsibility seems to have been to pay the yearly tribute to the king. The payment was likely in the form of a product, not currency. Since several men carried it, it could have been food or possibly wool. In any case, Ehud made a secret weapon for this delivery, a small, double-edged sword about 18 inches long.

After Ehud presented the tribute to King Eglon, he sent his men away, some distance, apparently. Ehud wanted a private audience with the King, and told the King that he had a secret message from God for him. That’s a curious phrase, and could be translated, “I have a secret message from the gods for you,” which would have interested this pagan king greatly. Being an idolater, King Eglon stood up in respect. At this, Ehud drew his secret weapon, using his left hand; had he used his right, the king might have been suspicious. He plunged the sword into the king’s stomach. The King was so surprised by this sneak attack, he didn’t scream out in pain. As if to emphasize the truly godless nature of this king, we read this in the KJV:

And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. (verse 22)

Ehud sneaked out of the king’s room, leaving the dagger or sword behind.

The result of Ehud’s devious plan led the Israelites to having victory over Moabite forces and peace returned to the land for some two generations.

4. Special problems

As we study the book of Judges, most readers are struck by the cruelty and violence that is apparently condoned by God. Ehud saved Israel by assassinating Eglon, Jael became a heroine by driving a tent peg through Sisera’s head, Gideon executed two Midianite kings, and Jephthah may have taken the life of his own daughter, yet all these people are heros in Israel. These acts are not necessarily approved of by the writer of Judges or of God. However, it should be noted that the enemies of Israel are viewed as being God’s enemies, and Jael’s act, for example, became a means of glorifying God. Wicked, murdering leaders deserved to die themselves.

However, some vicious acts cannot be defended in Scripture. If, for example, Jephthah did offer is daughter as a sacrifice, then he committed an atrocious sin even though he do so believing he was pleasing God.

How could God’s people so such things sincerely believing they were right? Remember, these people had “forgotten God,” in other words, the Law of Moses was being neglected, therefore they lost sight of how they should behave and what God’s will was for them. They didn’t really forget God, because eventually they called out to Him, they simply forgot what He expected of them. They sought to serve God and do God’s will on their own terms.

We might understand why Israel acted the way they did. They didn’t have the completed Word of God, they didn’t have an abiding presence of God in their lives, God’s Spirit came and went. But believers today are without excuse. There is no reason for any believer to be ignorant of God’s will for their lives. There is no excuse for inappropriate behavior, service or worship in the Church today. We have have the final Word from God on all matters. And we have the permanent presence of God in our Churches and in our lives in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Unlike the Spirit of God who came and went in Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit is here to stay.

Did God approve of how Ehud handled King Eglon? Not necessarily. It must be noted that the Spirit of God did not come upon Ehud and he was never described as “judging Israel.” The fact that God worked through Ehud does not mean Ehud did what God wanted him to do. God in his sovereignty was glorified and Israel was favored. They would, however, forget the Lord yet again.

Mike's Place on the Web

Archive for August, 2008

Christ: God’s Final Word

A Brief Exposition of Hebrews 1:1-4

Stories of Five Judges, Part Four

Shamgar: So Important, He Got One Verse!

Bless The Lord, O My Soul

A Study of 1 Peter 1:1-5

The Stories of Five Judges, Part Three

Ehud: The Left-Handed Savior

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