Reading 1 – 2Ch 23

“Jehoiada gathered his forces for a counter-revolution. It was significantly in the ‘seventh year’ (v 1), a type of the greater millennium 7th period, in which the forces of Truth will be exercised against the Sin-power. With Jehoiada were ‘captains of thousands’, and Yahshua the Anointed will similarly gather his great ones, the saints of the covenant, with him. The men of Jehoiada went about to attract others to their policies (v 2), as the Lord has been gathering out of the Gentiles a people for his Name. Priests, Levites and military were used. They were divided into thirds as was normal. Under Jehoiada, the priesthood was raised to an importance it never afterwards lost. Through the priesthood the lineage of David had been saved, and the worship of Yahweh restored. During the minority of Joash, Jehoiada reigned as King-Priest, and was regarded as the second founder of that order (Jer 29:26). The wicked Athaliah was removed from power (2Ch 23:15). Disturbed by the noise Athaliah emerged from the palace to see the Levites and guards in military order. Hastening to the temple she entered the court to be barred by the guard (v 10). The whole scene described in v 13, met her startled gaze, and soon she was removed: as will all those who elevate the power of the flesh for personal gratification and prestige. All opposition being crushed, the people were again called together to enter into a solemn covenant with Yahweh and His viceroy on earth (2Ch 23:16,17), typical of the covenant of immortality to be enjoyed by the people under Christ (cp Joh 3:3-6). Thus the full worship was restored (2Ch 23:18,19). All sacrificial arrangements were ascribed to the Law; all musical and temple appointments to David. Thus Jehoiada restored a Davidic form of worship on the basis of the Law, as it will be under Christ (cp 2Ch 24:17)” (GE Mansfield).

Reading 2 – Dan 4

“Let his mind be changed from that of a man and let him be given the mind of an animal, till seven times pass by for him” (Dan 4:16).

The Bible tells us generally that men who know not God, or who treat other men in a brutal fashion, are no better than “beasts”, and that they will ultimately perish like beasts (Psa 49:12,20; Ecc 3:19,20). This is probably the rationale for Gentile oppressors of God’s people being characterized as “beasts” of prey, in Daniel and elsewhere. The great “Beast” of Rev 13, with its 7 heads and 10 horns, also is said to have the number of a man (v 18), perhaps indicating that it represents a particular man. At least one man in OT times was actually made by God to be like a “beast”. This was the great king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, who recognized himself in the “head of gold” in the image of Daniel 2, and whose great pride and arrogance brought upon him an unusual judgment from the Almighty: see Dan 4:16,25,32,33. Only a coincidence? Or does this suggest that the “Beast” of the Last Days will be Babylonian, as was the “Beast” Nebuchadnezzar?

*****

“The decision is announced by messengers, the holy ones declare the verdict, so that the living may know that the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone he wishes and sets over them the lowliest of men” (v 17).

” ‘God ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever He will.’ It is this that imparts to political occurrences the character of signs of the times, in the discernments of such as are enlightened in the scriptures of truth. These occurrences, which to the natural man are the fortuitous changes of the hour, are to the other class the open and public expression of the secret and divine will which is moulding all public affairs, with a view to the appointed climax when all things will be gathered together under one head, even Christ. The recognition of this fact makes all the difference between the mere newspaper point of view, which is that of scientific Paganism, and the point of view of the Scriptures, from which we are able to see things as they appear to Him who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will, and who is guiding them to a determined end — even the end proclaimed in the gospel of the kingdom and the promises made to the fathers in the beginning” (Robert Roberts, “Ways of Providence” 335).

“Daniel tells us, in a sense that does not conflict with the Gospel of the kingdom, that He ruleth in the kingdoms of men, setting up some and putting down others. The kingdoms, now existing, are provisionally of God’s appointment. God’s purpose to make the earth a habitation of order, love, intelligence, and glory, requires a preliminary prevalence of evil, and yet the evil must be regulated. If evil were allowed to run riot, it would make the world a desert, in which it would be impossible for the preliminary work of trial in patient obedience to be done; we could never assemble here this morning if evil were not controlled in its operations. There is a necessity for a certain machinery to exist, and God has appointed that machinery, but only for mechanical service. It is, so to speak, but the scaffolding for the erection of the future building. They are a crude work, the saints are called to a higher work in all respects. Even now it is highest work to preach the Gospel of the future kingdom” (Robert Roberts, “Seasons of Comfort” 116).

Reading 3 – Acts 2:38,39

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call’ ” (Acts 2:38,39).

Can we determine exactly what was the “gift of the Holy Spirit” outside of the context of these verses? Or should we read the whole context for the best picture? Undoubtedly the latter.

Firstly, the main “gift” that anybody received that day was the gift of forgiveness of sins: hearing all that Peter and the apostles preached to them, the men of Israel were “cut to the heart” (v 37) — they knew they were sinners, murderers even! And their only hope was to repent and be baptized; then their sins would be forgiven!

In the context, this was an absolutely extraordinary thing — in fact, it was the most extraordinary thing imaginable! Here was a man offering them the means by which all their sins could be forgiven: something which the Law of Moses could not really do, could never do — because the continual offering of sacrifices only served as a reminder of past sins, and had to be repeated time and again, and never quite accomplished the trick!

We may tend to downplay this aspect, not because we don’t know it is the most important, but because we almost take it for granted: that’s what God does, through Christ — He forgives our sins. It needs to be stressed as much as we possible can: THROUGH CHRIST, GOD FORGIVES OUR SINS! This IS the doctrine of grace.

Compare the incident in Mark 2, where Jesus tells the lame man, “Your sins are forgiven.” Those who are watching are shocked: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” To which Jesus replies: “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins… (He said to the paralytic), I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home’ ” (Mark 2:8-11).

The point is: anybody can SAY, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, and who’s to know if those words have any power? In other words, there is no visible sign to prove that one’s sins have been forgiven. But not anybody can SAY, ‘Get up and walk!’ and see it happen.

So the miracle of healing was the visible sign of the power of God, in Christ, to forgive sins. The visible miracle confirms Christ’s power to perform the invisible miracle!

Something similar is happening in Acts 2: the forgiveness of sins was THE great gift of God — always has been, always will be… BUT it was (and is) very useful for men and women to SEE some visible sign of God’s presence and power so as to truly believe that their sins have been forgiven.

Now it would be simple for us if, in Act 2:38, the “gift” of the Holy Spirit meant (a) the gift brought by the Holy Spirit, which is forgiveness of sins, instead of (b) the gift of God, which is the Holy Spirit. But, according to the textual authorities, it doesn’t — it means plainly (b) and not (a). What the authorities call a “genitive of apposition”; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

So in Act 2:38,39 there are two things happening, not just one: there is forgiveness of sins (plainly the most important), AND there is the Holy Spirit being given.

But to whom? and how? It is useful to note, in the last part of Acts 2, the description of the new life of the baptized believers:

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved” (Act 2:42-47).

Notice all the things they did, and all they were blessed with… but — look! — the wonders and signs were all done by the apostles… not by all the other believers. It looks like some might complain, ‘They (the apostles) got all the good stuff!’ But who’s complaining; forgiveness of sins was the object greatly to be desired) — and they ALL had that! Everything else (even wonder-working power) was secondary.

So how did they all receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? Was it simply in seeing and witnessing that God’s Holy Spirit power was truly and actively working in their midst, to confirm the power of God to forgive their sins? I think that about covers it!

And would their generation and future generations receive the same promise? Surely. The forgiveness of sins. A forgiveness of sins attested by Holy Spirit signs and wonders (at least for the second — and possibly third — generation), and a forgiveness of sins (attested by church history and the written word and fulfilled prophecy, etc) for all succeeding generations, up to and including ours.

And… don’t forget… God’s Holy Spirit power would still be at work, in less visible and less obviously miraculous ways, in each successive age… BUT the real gift was the forgiveness of sins.

Reading 1 – Neh 5:14,17

“Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I [Nehemiah] was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year — twelve years — neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor” (Neh 5:14).

This provision would have been Nehemiah’s by right and law, since he was the royally-appointed governor of the land. Note the comparison between Nehemiah and Paul (1Co 9): both had the right to be supported by their brethren, but neither exercised that right. It was Paul who wrote, “And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so” (2Co 11:9). Notice that Paul, like Nehemiah, had personal enemies who sought to harm him.

“Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations” (v 17).

Nehemiah kept an “open house”, at his own personal expense. In all his work, and his generosity, and his support of others, Nehemiah showed beforehand the work and attitude of the apostle Paul. Consider the following passages:

“Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality” (Rom 12:13). “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches” (2Co 11:28). “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’ ” (Acts 20:33-35). “Nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you” (2Th 3:8).

Reading 2 – Joel 1:3

“Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation” (Joel 1:3).

“In this simple way, by God’s grace, a living testimony for truth is always to be kept alive in the land — the beloved of the Lord are to hand down their witness for the gospel, and the covenant to their heirs, and these again to their next descendants. This is our first duty, we are to begin at the family hearth: he is a bad preacher who does not commence his ministry at home. The heathen are to be sought by all means, and the highways and hedges are to be searched, but home has a prior claim, and woe unto those who reverse the order of the Lord’s arrangements. To teach our children is a personal duty; we cannot delegate it to Sunday School teachers, or other friendly aids; these can assist us, but cannot deliver us from the sacred obligation; proxies and sponsors are wicked devices in this case: mothers and fathers must, like Abraham, command their households in the fear of God, and talk with their offspring concerning the wondrous works of the Most High. Parental teaching is a natural duty — who so fit to look to the child’s well-being as those who are the authors of his actual being?” (CH Spurgeon).

“The remembering of the outstanding acts of God on behalf of His people, or in furthering their discipline, must be carried on faithfully from generation to generation. From earliest days Moses had striven to establish this tradition: ‘Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons; specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb’ (Deu 4:9,10). If these exhortations of Joel and Moses had been heeded, would the day of Babylonian invasion some five generations later have ever happened?…

“You are to establish a tradition in your families, urges the prophet. From father to son to grandson this cherished message must be faithfully handed on. How many generations are involved here? Is it five or six? And how many generations of the Truth faithfully preserved are there in these Last Days, all of them scanning the horizon eagerly for the dawn yet to be seen rising over the Mount of Olives?

“In modern times the five generations of the New Israel, having such a Word, as others do not know and with its fulfilment so nigh unto them are yet content to set their children and their grandchildren a mediocre characterless example of diluted enthusiasm.

“Remember! Remember! Teach! Teach! These should be welcome duties. Yet Moses had learned that neglect might overtake them. Specially pointed and valuable is this precept: ‘Teach them thy sons AND THY SONS’ SONS!’

“Yet how often it happens that grandparents treat ‘their sons’ sons’ as though they were a box of chocolates — a luxury to be enjoyed now and then — and not at all as a holy commission entrusted to their care; [vessels] to be filled with precious jewels of Truth.

“Alas, it is so much more comfortable to write Joel off as out-of-date and incomprehensible, and to bequeath THAT tradition to those whose future is one’s own special responsibility!” (Harry Whittaker, “Joel”).

This is true, in general, but here the special emphasis is — not upon the goodness of God’s arrangements — but upon the judgments that Joel is about to describe. So terrible are these that four or five generations cannot remember anything that compares.

Reading 3 – 1Th 5:5

“You are all sons of the light” (1Th 5:5).

The “all” gives reassurance that none need be excluded from the blessings implied; even those with uncertainties about the details of Christ’s coming (1Th 4:11,12) or those who are “weak” (1Th 5:14) may take heart.

In Hebrew idiom, to be the “child” or “son” of a certain characteristic or quality means to exemplify it. A “child of light” is one who has experienced a complete transformation through the “light.” In this way is the phrase used elsewhere: “While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light” (John 12:36); “for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8); “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Eph 5:8).

The condition of being in Christ is continually associated with light (Mat 5:14,16; John 3:21; 8:12; Acts 26:18; Col 1:12; 1Pe 2:9, 1Jo 1:7).

The true followers of Christ are “sons of the day” — even though the “day” has not officially arrived! That “day of the Lord” has cast its radiance ahead with the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, and especially with his sacrificial work. We must remember, and endeavor, to live in that “day”, and to exemplify all its qualities, EVEN NOW. In no other way may a people ever become prepared to enter into the glories of that future inheritance, when it does indeed arrive!

Reading 1 – Ezr 1:1

“In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm…” (Ezr 1:1) — a proclamation having to do with the rebuilding of God’s Temple in Jerusalem (cp 2Ch 36:22).

There are a number of occasions when the LORD stirred up individuals — sometimes for good, and sometimes for ill: 1Sa 26:19; 1Ki 11:14; 2Ch 21:16; Hag 1:14. Especially does this seem to be true of rulers: “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases” (Pro 21:1).

Rather than wondering or speculating as to how He does this, we should appreciate that, in the case of faithful men who listen to His word, He is willing to work to encourage those who first respond to him. “Come near to God and he will come near to you” (Jam 4:8).

In this case of Cyrus, specifically, comparison with the book of Daniel suggests that it was the work of certain angels to move the heart of Cyrus in the desired direction (Dan 10:12,13).

Reading 2 – Hos 5:15

“Then I will go back to my place until they admit their guilt. And they will seek my face; in their misery they will earnestly seek me” (Hos 5:15).

“Losses and adversities are frequently the means which the great Shepherd uses to fetch home His wandering sheep; like fierce dogs they worry the wanderers back to the fold. There is no making lions tame if they are too well fed; they must be brought down from their great strength, and their stomachs must be lowered, and then they will submit to the tamer’s hand; and often have we seen the believer rendered obedient to the Lord’s will by scarcity of bread and hard labour. When rich and increased in goods many believers carry their heads much too loftily, and speak exceeding boastfully. Like David, they flatter themselves, ‘My mountain standeth fast; I shall never be moved.’ When the believer groweth wealthy, is in good repute, hath good health, and a happy family, he too often admits Mr. Fleshly Security to feast at his table, and then if he be a true child of God there is a rod preparing for him. Wait awhile, and it may be you will see his substance melt away as a dream. There goes a portion of his estate — how soon the acres change hands. That debt, that dishonoured bill — how fast his losses roll in, where will they end? It is a blessed sign of divine life if when these embarrassments occur one after another he begins to be distressed about his backslidings, and betakes himself to his God. Blessed are the waves that wash the mariner upon the rock of salvation! Losses in business are often sanctified to our soul’s enriching. If the chosen soul will not come to the Lord full-handed, it shall come empty. If God, in His grace, findeth no other means of making us honour Him among men, He will cast us into the deep; if we fail to honour Him on the pinnacle of riches, He will bring us into the valley of poverty. Yet faint not, heir of sorrow, when thou art thus rebuked, rather recognize the loving hand which chastens, and say, ‘I will arise, and go unto my Father’ [Luke 15:18]” (CH Spurgeon).

Reading 3 – Acts 22:16

“And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16).

“Stephen, just before his execution, had a clear vision of his Advocate at the right hand of God, and was both comforted and strengthened in his faith thereby. ‘And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit’ (Act 7:54-60). The believers suffering persecution at the hands of Saul of Tarsus are described as ‘all that call upon thy name’ and ‘them which call upon this name’ (Act 9:14,21). Paul’s own conversion caused a deep pricking in his heart, and so he eagerly responded to Ananias’ exhortation here. How closely this follows Peter’s advice to the assembled multitude at Pentecost! In 1Co 1:2 we see once more what we could almost describe as a ‘fellowship of calling and being called,’ when Paul addresses the brethren as ‘sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, both theirs and ours.’ With such a calling who could turn away from the exhortation to ‘flee youthful lusts… with them that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart’ (2Ti 2:22)?” (Alfred Nicholls, “The Spirit of God” 136).

Reading 1 – Neh 2:18

Many lessons of a very practical nature might be gleaned from the inspired diary of “the king’s cupbearer” (Neh 1:11). For the present purposes, however, we shall concentrate on the qualities of character that constituted Nehemiah “a wise masterbuilder” (1Co 3:10) and give us guidelines to do likewise.

Having learned from his brother Hanani (Neh 1:2) that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates burned (v 3), Nehemiah pleaded with Artaxerxes for permission to travel to the land of his fathers to promote a reconstruction program (Neh 2:1-8). After a long and rigorous journey he finally arrived at Jerusalem; within only three days, ever the tireless worker, he was up and about on an inspection tour of the city and its fortifications. Nehemiah found many adversaries ready to hinder the work (v 10), while very few were willing to help in the building.

After viewing the desolations, he called the nobles and the priests together and explained his purpose, and how the king had supported him. They were so impressed that their response was immediate, concerted, and sincere — “Let us rise up and build” (Neh 2:18). The work was well-organized by Nehemiah, and construction began without delay.

But it did not go perfectly; the characters of Nehemiah and his brethren, like ours, must be tempered by adversity and hardship. There was opposition from the neighboring Samaritans and Gentiles, who used both guile and physical threats in an attempt to intimidate Nehemiah and impede his work. Most troublesome yet, there were internal dissensions: the Tekoite nobles would not “put their necks to the work” (Neh 3:5), and the men of Judah were prophets of pessimism (Neh 4:10). But Nehemiah did not despair, or lose hope; he maintained his impressive example and cheerful disposition at all times. It was characteristic of this man (and typical of Christ!) that he prayed for the forgiveness of the sins of the people as though they were his sins too! “We have sinned”, said he, and he was willing to share in the guilt of his nation, his “ecclesia” (Neh 1:6,7). The knowledge of the sins of his brethren did not discourage him, nor impel him to disassociate himself from the work, but only to redouble his efforts to bring the nation to repentance and finish their task. His enthusiasm was infectious, and the great work of repairing the wall was completed in only 52 days (Neh 6:15), “for the people had a mind to work” (Neh 4:6).

Reading 2 – Hos 12:3,4

“In the womb he [Jacob] grasped his brother’s heel; as a man he struggled with God. He struggled with the angel and overcame him; he wept and begged for his favor. He found him at Bethel and talked with him there” (Hos 12:3,4).

Jacob received his name (“Supplanter”, or “the one who grabs by the heel”) when he grasped his brother’s heel while he was still in the womb of his mother Rebekah (Gen 25:26). This was a preview of the grasping character that marked him all his life (Gen 27:35,36).

In later life — “as a man” — Jacob also continued to struggle or wrestle with God. In fact, Jacob was contending with God when he wrestled with the angel at Peniel. Yet there he prevailed over God’s angel — not by strength of arm — but by weeping and pleading with him to bless him (Gen 32:22-32).

This event was a turning point in Jacob’s life because he finally realized that he could not succeed simply by manipulation and trickery. He recognized His need for God’s help and turned to Him in desperation. This was the occasion of Jacob’s repentance.

Another significant event in Jacob’s life was when he returned to Bethel, where God had appeared to him in a dream years earlier (Gen 28:10-22). This return to Bethel and the act of worship Jacob performed there were in obedience to God’s word to him to go there and fulfill his former vow (Gen 35:1-14).

This too was an act of submissive obedience and resulted in God changing Jacob’s name to Israel (which signifies “prince with God”), blessing him, and renewing the Abrahamic covenant with him.

It is ironic that the place where Jacob put himself right with God was Bethel, since Bethel was the place where the Israelites went wrong by worshipping idols. Jacob’s return to God at Bethel provided a good example for Israel: they might still set themselves right with God at the same place as their ancestor had!

Whereas the NIV has “and talked with HIM there”, the AV reads “and there he spake with US.” Several translations follow the LXX and Syriac: “there he spoke with HIM” (RSV, NEB, NIV) — while others follow the Masoretic Text: “there he spoke with US” (KJV, NASB).

The “us” reading very reasonably suggests that the prophet Hosea was keen to apply the lesson to himself and all Israelites. So often in the Bible, when God speaks to an individual, we should realize that — through the inspiration and preservation of the Scriptures and His providence — He is speaking with… every one of us! (In this connection, notice how the very last verse of Hosea emphasizes this point — that the whole of the book is given to ALL OF US, that is, to ANY who will listen!)

Reading 3 – Col 4:5

“Make the most of every opportunity” (Col 4:5).

“Redeem the time” (KJV). The Greek “exagorazo” means, literally, to buy out of the marketplace. What is being “bought”? If we are prudent, we are using the minutes and hours and days we have been given to “buy up the opportunities” in daily life to serve and glorify our Heavenly Father.

“Love, thankfulness, and knowledge of God: we never have enough. We never begin to have enough. The amount God will judge us by is the amount we could have developed in the time, opportunity, and ability He has given each one. Are we, as commanded, ‘redeeming the time’ — every moment? Or are we wasting it in folly and self-pleasing? What a tragedy to appear at the judgment seat of Christ in our cute little play-suit, full of jokes and games, but with our lamps and minds dark and empty! Who dares contemplate the shame and the hopeless remorse?” (GV Growcott).

If we had to buy time, would there be any difference in how we would spend it? Would the days of our lives be used more wisely? What if we had to pay in advance $100 an hour for the time allotted to us? Would we waste it?

Of course, we can’t put a price tag on the minutes and hours we possess. They are given to us freely. But that doesn’t excuse us from using them conscientiously, carefully, and wisely. The giver of time is God Himself, and that places a far greater value upon it than any monetary figure could suggest. We must therefore use our time intelligently, taking advantage of opportunities it provides for us to serve the Lord and to do His will.

Reading 1 – Ezr 7:27,28

“Praise be to the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me” (Ezra 7:27,28).

“Ezra may have been the agent, but he understood that the work was really God’s. This is an attitude all God’s servants should attempt to adopt: thankfulness that God in His mercy has allowed human involvement in the working out of His great plan and purpose.”

THE HAND OF THE LORD MY GOD WAS ON ME: “This can be discovered and proved true by experience. Work done for God and not for selfish motives brings its own reward: peace of mind and contentment. As the Apostle wrote, ‘Godliness with contentment is GREAT GAIN’ (1TI 6:10). ¶ Undoubtedly it was as a result of Ezra’s deep pre-occupation with study and meditation in the word of God’s law that he was able to see with great clarity ‘the hand of God’ in many aspects of the events in which he played his part. This perception was to give him great comfort and confidence in the difficult times he faced when he reached Jerusalem, and the phrase is therefore found often on his lips: Ezr 7:6,9; 8:18,22,31” (Michael Ashton, “The Exiles Return”).

Reading 2 – Hos 8:7

“They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up” (Hos 8:7).

Israel had sown the wind, something foolish and worthless (cp Job 7:7; Pro 11:29; Ecc 1:14,17), namely idolatry. Sowing the “wind” of vanities (idols) will yield the “whirlwind” of Divine judgment!

Paul comments on this: “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Gal 6:7,8).

THE STALK HAS NO HEAD; IT WILL PRODUCE NO FLOUR: The “whirlwind” from God will destroy their crops.

WERE IT TO YIELD GRAIN, FOREIGNERS WOULD SWALLOW IT UP: And even if the “whirlwind” of God does not destroy all their crops, then alien marauders will take anything that is left.

Reading 3 – Acts 27:39

“When daylight came, they did not recognize the land” (Acts 27:39).

“Principles are like stars, constant and comprehensive, but not local or particular. The pilot with only local knowledge may guide the ship through the well-known channel and into the old port, but a knowledge of the stars is necessary when sailing in unknown seas. If a pilot should mistake a foreign port for the one he knows and attempt to guide the vessel according to the old rules he will bring it to disaster. Ships of various kinds have been wrecked through such mistaken confidence. Oftentimes men have ignored principles and have applied the lessons learned in former years to circumstances that are totally different. They have even quoted the words of former leaders in a manner that would horrify such leaders could they rise from their graves and witness the application” (Islip Collyer, “Principles and Proverbs”).

Reading 1 – 2Ch 34:19,33

“When the king [Josiah] heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes” (2Ch 34:19).

He might easily have said, ‘How interesting! We should begin a study of this unique historical document!’ Or ‘Let’s form a committee to look into this!’ Or ‘So what?’ But instead, he repents immediately, and then begins to take action!

“Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers” (v 33).

When the Book of the Law was discovered in Josiah’s reign, it is likely that he read of the evils which Moses had prophesied would come about if the Jews neglected God. He sent to inquire of God what he might do to avert this judgment. God’s answer was that it was too late; the calamities were on the way. However, because Josiah was faithful and God-fearing, they would not come in his day. Thus the first fulfillment of the prophecy of Jeremiah concerning a northern invader, may have been averted because of Josiah and the resurgence in his day of Judah’s right worship. (The Scythians passed by Palestine. However, the Babylonians would not.) While he lived Josiah indeed did God’s will, so that “all his days the children of Israel departed not from following the LORD” (2Ch 34:33). Not only did he cleanse Judah, but he was also instrumental in reducing idolatry in Israel.

Reading 2 – Hos 2:13

” ‘I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,’ declares the LORD” (Hos 2:13).

“Have you ever had a day or a week slip by when life’s pressures and pleasures seem to fill the whole of your life from morning till night, only to discover — when you take stock of your day — that you had not read your Bible, prayed or walked with God at all? It may be that we have ‘idols’ that take our time — things that are more important than God. It may be that nothing is more important but everything is more urgent. With God there are no deadlines, yet every day we face deadlines in our busy schedules — deadlines that must be met. But sometimes these deadlines squeeze God out of the picture and He is forgotten.

“Even though God must be the most important thing in our lives, He is often the easiest to forget because He has given us the responsibility of ordering our lives, instead of ordering them for us.

“So let us resolve no longer to be like Israel who forgot God, but instead let us set times, priorities and deadlines that will help us to remember our God, to love Him and to live for Him” (Robert Prins).

Reading 3 – Acts 16:25

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).

“Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2Co 6:10; cp 2Co 7:4; Phi 4:4).

“Those men at Philippi knew beyond any doubt that they were not alone. They knew in their deepest hearts that all things were working together for good under the providential hand of God. Bodily they seemed to be in the hand of the jailer, but spiritually they knew they were in the hand of God. As it turned out even the jailer was part of the great purpose: very soon he is washing their stripes. They had an unalterable conviction that nothing could separate them from the love of Christ. They trusted in the profound secret that the city was being built and that one day it would come down out of heaven from God. They knew that no power on earth could prevent it, and they were part of it. Sin was defeated; pardon was full and free; death was vanquished. The King was alive for evermore. This gives cause for joy and joy gives cause for song” (Dennis Gillett, “Genius of Discipleship”).

Reading 1 – Est 1

“It is indeed a derisive eye that our narrator has cast upon the royal court he describes: A king who rules the whole known world spends his time giving lavish banquets!…

“From the satirical depiction of the grandiose and lavishly excessive lifestyle of the Persian court, our narrator turns to undisguised farce: the king who rules the whole world cannot bend his own wife to his will!…

“But its [the first chapter’s] mockery has also a sinister side. It reveals a society fraught with danger, for it is ruled by the pride and pomposity of buffoons whose tender egos can marshal the state’s legislative and administrative machinery for the furtherance of selfish and childish causes. Indeed, in such a setting, it will not seem incongruous to find this same machinery of state mobilized to effect the slaughter of one of its own minorities, or to find that this is an end that the king can both blissfully contemplate and cavalierly condone” (FW Bush, “Ruth, Esther” 354, 355).

Reading 2 – Amos 6:4-6

“You lie on beds inlaid with ivory and lounge on your couches. You dine on choice lambs and fattened calves. You strum away on your harps like David and improvise on musical instruments. You drink wine by the bowlful and use the finest lotions, but you do not grieve over the ruin of Joseph” (Amos 6:4-6).

“The leaders of Israel… lie on ivory divans, sprawl on couches, feast of tender lamb and veal, amuse themselves by ‘babbling to the sound of the harp’ (the word ‘chant’ [AV; ‘improvise’ in NIV] is said to suggest a flow of trivial words in which the rhythm of words and music was everything and the sense nothing; the description has a modern sound). David had introduced instruments of music into the service of the temple, but these corrupt leaders debase them for their own amusement. The bowls in which they drink wine are really ewers, often translated ‘basons’ (AV) [‘bowlful’: NIV] as used in the service of the tabernacle. Silver bowls were dedicated to that service by the heads of the tribes (Num 7). The finest ointments may have been in imitation of, or in rivalry with, the holy ointment appointed by God and forbidden to be copied. Both these features suggest that the Israelites were using holy things for profane ends. They were intent upon their pleasures, but they did not grieve for the ‘breach of Joseph’ ” (Fred Pearce, “From Hosea to Zephaniah”).

The “ruin” or “breach” of Joseph is a reference is to Gen 37:25, where Joseph’s brothers sat down to enjoy their meal, while Joseph languished in the cistern, waiting to be sold into slavery.

Reading 3 – 2Ti 4:13

“When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments” (2Ti 4:13).

Such prisoners as Paul might well have been stripped virtually naked (as was Christ on the cross), and in a cavernous prison of cold and wet and rats, a cloak would have been no small comfort.

But is this just ANY cloak, or a SPECIAL cloak? Sometimes, in the Bible, garments have special significance: consider Joseph’s priestly garment (Gen 37:3); Jonathan’s robe which he gave to David (1Sa 18:4); Elijah’s mantle picked up by Elisha (2Ki 2:8,13). Or does Paul — knowing he will soon die — plan to bestow his own cloak upon Timothy as a token of his new “office”?

“When Timothy brought the cloak to Paul, Paul asked Timothy what he knew about the cloak. Timothy’s response may have been something like: ‘Paul, I remember that you were wearing that cloak when I first met you. You came to Lystra and you were stoned by the people. I had heard your preaching and became a believer in Christ, but then a short time later I watched as they dragged you out of town. And then, still wearing that cloak, dust and rips and all, you stood up. By the way, I have recently reflected upon that incident, just as you asked me to do in your epistle to me, and as I have traveled here with this cloak I have spent time reflecting on how much you and I and that cloak of yours has been through over the years. What do you want the cloak for?’ ‘To give to you. Timothy, I am about to be executed, and I want you to have this cloak because you of all people know how much I have labored to establish the ecclesias. And I want to give you this cloak so that you will be reminded of the responsibility that you now have to shepherd these people. Timothy, give them the scriptures. Encourage them to live by them and not to be deceived by all of the false and pernicious teaching that is being spoken even now in Christ’s name. For so many years now you have been like a beloved son to me, Timothy, but now I will no longer be able to give you advice and encouragement. So please, Timothy, take this cloak and be thereby reminded of the responsibility that you now have’ ” (Dean Brown).

Are these “parchments” — which Paul requests — the original manuscripts of his letters? Timothy was closely associated with the writing (1Th; 2Th; 2Co; Col; Phi; Rom 16:21; 1Co 4:17; Eph; Phm) or receiving (1Ti; 2Ti) of many of these letters. Possibly, in sending this message, Paul hopes to see that the whole of his body of inspired writings will be circulated around all the ecclesias after his death (as they were?).

Reading 1 – Neh 8:10

“The joy of the LORD is your strength” (Neh 8:10).

“Perhaps what we should pray for most is to be taught how to enjoy God, for this is the foundation of all constructive life, and by nature we are so woefully lacking in even the realization of its existence. By nature we are coarse and ignorant and animal and worldly, and we naturally seek our ‘joy’ in coarse and ignorant and animal and worldly things. To give the name ‘joy’ to such is a desecration of the word. Joy must be the root of all action, not its goal. Joy must come first, flooding in upon us by the realization of the beauty and glory and love of God. The contemplation of beauty is a joyful thing. The personal, active, communing contemplation of the highest, fullest, love-radiating beauty is the most intense joy possible… Let us use that strength to the utmost” (GV Growcott).

Reading 2 – Joel, overview

Nothing is known for certainty about the ancestry of Joel, or about him personally. There is even some uncertainty as to the precise time when he prophesied, although the prophecy itself provides a number of clues, as shall be seen.

Literal Locusts?: Joel pictures an enormous locust invasion brought by God upon His land, as a punishment and a warning to His people (Joel 1:15; 2:11). The devastation wrought by the locusts brings the inevitable famine, and Joel chronicles the suffering of man and beast alike, in its wake (Joel 1:4,5,9-12,16-18).

Outline

1. The locust plague as a foretaste of the Day of the Lord: Joel 1:1 – 2:17

a) The calamity: Joel 1:1-20

b) The scourge as the forerunner of the judgment day: Joel 2:1-17

2. The averting of judgment and bestowal of blessings: Joel 2:18 – 3:21

a) The Lord’s restoration of Judah: Joel 2:18-27

b) The outpouring of the Holy Spirit: Joel 2:28-32

c) Judgment upon the nations: Joel 3:1-16

d) The blessings on God’s people: Joel 3:17-21

Historical Application: But Joel has more in mind than a literal plague of locusts. Whether there was, in Joel’s day, a real such infestation, or whether the prophet is presenting an idealized picture merely based on the well-known phenomenon of such plagues… either way, he definitely also has in mind a real army, of men, not insects (Joel 1:6,7; 2:1-7).

What was this army which Joel saw sweeping down upon the Land of Israel? Most likely the Assyrians of Sennacherib, who first devastated most of the north of Israel, and then turned upon the south of Judah, besieging and capturing most of its fortified cities (2Ki 17; 18; Isa 36; 37). Assyria was joined in its onslaught upon Judah and its capital Jerusalem by the Arab nations of Tyre and Zidon, Edom and Egypt (Joel 3:4,19). Egypt was the natural enemy of Assyria, but that did not stop the Egyptians from using Judah’s misfortune as a chance to ravage their share of Judah’s south. Would the Assyrian hordes also destroy Jerusalem, along with Temple of the LORD? Or would God at last spare His own city? The answer lay in Israel’s reaction to this great invasion of human “locusts” (Joel 2:12-14). True repentance and faith would save Jerusalem from the Assyrians. Led by their fine king, Hezekiah, the people did repent, and the Assyrian confederation was destroyed by the Angel of the LORD (2Ki 19; Isa 38): “Then the LORD will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people” (Joel 2:18). “And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls” (Joel 2:32; cp Joel 2:20; 3:16).

Last Days Application?: But this historical fulfillment is, as we have come to expect, only half the picture. The normal pattern of Bible prophecy, with few exceptions, is the presentation of a two-fold message:

a contemporary reference to events in or near the days of the prophet (necessary to confirm his credentials as a true prophet: Deu 18:20-22), and a Messianic application, having to do with the first Coming or the second Coming, or — quite often — both. In this, Joel does not disappoint us. Seen in a first century application, the apostle Peter cites Joel as an explanation for the Holy Spirit being poured out on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:16-21). Peter used Joel’s prophecy as the basis for his appeal to the people to repent and be baptised, and so be saved (Acts 2:37-40). Seen in a Last Days perspective, every indication is that Joel envisions an attack by a great Arab confederacy upon a faithless nation of Israel. These Arab peoples were previously too weak, but now at last [because of continual arm supplies from the West, and/or from the former USSR?] they are finally strong enough to accomplish their goal (Joel 3:9,10). Such an attack will be initially successful (see Joel 3:1-7), destroying much of Israel’s livelihood and reducing God’s people to helplessness. It will then be only by a renewal of their faith, in the God of their fathers, that a remnant of Israel will be saved when — once again and to a far greater extent than ever before — “….the LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel” (Joel 3:16).

How do we know that this great alliance of the Last Days will be Arab? (a) In Hebrew, the words for “locust” (arbeh) and “Arab” (arbi) are practically identical. (b) The nations actually mentioned by Joel (the ones “on every side”: Joel 3:12) are Tyre and Zidon (Lebanon and Syria, in modern terms) and Philistia (exactly equivalent, linguistically, to the “Palestinians”!) in Joel 3:4; and Egypt and Edom (modern Jordan and/or Saudi Arabia) in Joel 3:19. In order to defeat Israel, these will line up with “Assyria” (modern equivalent: Iraq, or just possibly Syria, or even both). (c) The phrase “Prepare for [or make holy] war” (the literal meaning of Joel 3:9) suggests a jihad, or Moslem holy war. The first attack, in Joel’s day, by Assyria and its allies was seen by its leaders as a “holy war” — between Ashur the god of Nineveh and Jehovah (or Yahweh) the God of Israel (Joel 2:17; 2Ki 18:22,25,30-35; 19:14-19). And now, in our day, though the Arab “god” is called by a different name, the controversy is the same: whether “Allah” the god of Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, et al is greater than Yahweh the God of Israel.

Temple Mount Controversy: The controversy of the Last Days, between Arab and Jew, is preeminently about:

Zion (Joel 2:1,15,23,32; 3:16,17,21), God’s holy mountain (Joel 2:1; 3:17), Jerusalem (Joel 2:32; 3:1,16,17,20), and the house of the LORD (Joel 3:18)….

…where, after Israel’s defeat and true repentance, a great Divine deliverance will come, and where the LORD God will dwell once again “in the midst of Israel… and my people shall never again be put to shame” (Joel 2:26,27).

A great deal of language in Joel (regarding sacrifices and services) suggests that the Last Days will see a resurgence of religion in Israel. It is possible that a revived Judaism will accelerate and exacerbate a controversy with the devotees of Islam — over their own “holy places” on Mount Zion, in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. To what extent such Temple worship may develop before Christ returns (even to the removal or destruction of the ancient “Dome of the Rock” to provide the site for a modern Jewish Temple), one cannot be certain. But many other Last Days prophecies point to a controversy in or over God’s holy place or mountain or Temple — so many, in fact, that this possibility must loom large: Eze 25:3; 36:2,3; Psa 79:1-4; 83:12; Rev 11:1-3; 2Th 2:3,4; Isa 14:13,14; Oba 1:16,17; Mal 3:1; Dan 9:24-27; 11:31,45; 12:11; Mat 24:15; Mar 13:14; and Luk 21:20-24.

Revelation Parallels: There are numerous and striking correspondences between Joel 1,2 and Revelation 8,9:

Locusts (Joel 1:4; Rev 9:3) Like a nation? (Joel 1:6; Rev 9:4,7) Teeth like lions’ teeth (Joel 1:6; Rev 9:8) Trees, pasture burnt up (Joel 1:12-20; Rev 8:7) Destruction from God (Joel 1:15; Rev 9:11) Fire (Joel 1:19; 2:3,5; Rev 8:7; 9:17) Rivers of water dried up (Joel 1:20; Rev 8:10; 9:14) Blowing of trumpets (Joel 2:1,11,15; Rev 8:6) Darkness (Joel 2:2; Rev 9:2,18) Horses (Joel 2:4; Rev 9:7,9) Chariots (Joel 2:5; 9:9) Torment (Joel 2:6; Rev 9:6) Earthquake (Joel 2:10; Rev 8:5) Sun, moon, and stars are darkened (Joel 2:10,31; 3:15; Rev 8:12; 9:2) “Turn to me,” says God! (Joel 2:12; Rev 9:20,21) The “locusts” go back to the abyss (Joel 2:20; Rev 9:1) Day of Atonement (Joel 2:15-17; Rev 8:2-4) Deliverance for the faithful remnant (Joel 2:32; Rev 9:4)

It is reasonable to conclude that Joel and Rev 8; 9 describe the same events. Therefore it is possible to deduce a Last Days application: a battle for Jerusalem and its holy places, fought by Jew and Arab, which ends with Christ returning to Israel to save the faithful remnant who call upon him (Joel 2:32; 3:20). This interpretation is supported by the observation that the sounding of the first six trumpets (Rev. 8; 9), with their sense of immediacy and urgency, culminates in the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet (Rev 11:15-19) and “the time for the dead to be judged”. And so Joel contributes his share of details to the ever-changing (and sometimes mysterious) mosaic of future events, a challenge and consolation for every student of Bible prophecy.

Reading 3 – 2Th 3:6

“In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle [or ‘disorderly’: AV] and does not live according to the teaching you received from us” (2Th 3:6).

This verse describes not false teachers, but those whose way of life is contrary to the apostolic norm. The “disorderly” meant the idlers, or loafers, who rapidly turned into “busybodies” (2Th 3:7,10,11). The word translated “disorderly” (“idle” in NIV) here is also translated “unruly” in 1Th 5:14. It is actually a military term for those “out of step” when marching, and thus “insubordinate”. This lack of discipline in the case of the Thessalonian ecclesia was manifested in a refusal to work (vv 8,10,12), perhaps because of a misguided belief that Christ’s imminent return rendered labor unnecessary.

Reading 1 – Neh 11:1,2

“Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem, and the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem” (Neh 11:1,2).

When the exiles returned to the Promised Land, living in Jerusalem was not an attractive prospect because the city lay in ruins. However, with the rebuilding of the temple and the walls, the capital became a more desirable place to live. Nehemiah as governor saw the wisdom of populating Jerusalem with pure-blooded Jews, and set about to encourage the people to live within the city walls. Some citizens of Jerusalem were chosen by lot (v 1), while others volunteered to move there (v 2).

After the resettlement, the population of the city itself would have been between 5,000 and 10,000.

Reading 2 – Amos 3:3

“Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (Amos 3:3).

The verse is used to suggest the notion that only when there is perfect agreement among brethren can they “walk together” in the bonds of fellowship. In the first place such a blanket assertion is not true, and in the second place such a usage of the verse is entirely beside the point.

It is certainly wrong to state as a matter of fact or principle that two men cannot cooperate unless they are perfectly agreed in every particular. In actual practice, nothing is further from the truth. Two men or a group can work together quite well on a common project by agreeing beforehand to submerge their differences in matters of secondary importance. If in their minds there is the same major goal, then minor considerations are modestly set aside so that their full energies may be directed toward its achievement. Such a policy is wise, and Scriptural! Peter’s “Be ye subject one to another” (1Pe 5:5) surely expresses such a spirit of “compromise” in the best sense, as does Paul’s exhortation to the strife-prone Corinthians: “There should be no schism in the body… the members should have the same care one for another” (1Co 12:25).

What then is the point of Amos 3:3? Perhaps the RSV rendering here would be helpful: “Do two walk together, unless they have made an appointment?” Or, as the Hebrew: ‘unless they have met together?’ This sounds very much like the thoughts expressed above: Two men can and do walk together IF they have agreed beforehand to walk together; it is as simple as that.

However, a consideration of the prophet’s message in the broader sense indicates that the two who must agree in order to walk together are God and man. God knew Israel in the sense that to Israel He had committed His laws (v 2; Psa 147:19,20). This knowledge placed upon Israel the burden of responsibility to obey God, to agree to walk with Him; else Israel would be punished above all the nations for her transgressions. But, responsibilities aside, there are also great privileges in such a close association with the Almighty: “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

Man must walk in communion and harmony of heart and purpose with God. In doing so his blessings will be many, but if he deserts such a partnership then he may expect fiery judgment. God is saying, ‘Can you think to ignore My advice and still claim to be My friend?’

The very first thing God asks us to agree with Him about is that we are sinners, not that we are as perfect as He is. An awareness of our weaknesses before God should make us considerably more sympathetic toward the weaknesses of our brethren. The goal of all is that we learn day by day to walk more and more in conformity with God’s will. In the awesome shadow cast by our Father, we are all no better than toddlers, and our petty quarrels with His other babes are just so much futility, and are due to our limited horizons. The Lord of all creation has condescended to grasp each of us by the hand; like a natural father, He has shortened His pace so that we may be helped and guided in our first faltering steps upward toward manhood. Let us set our attentions upon His standard and strive to conform to it; let us walk with God (Gen 5:22; 6:9; 17:1), and not be so concerned to scrutinize the faltering steps of our brothers.

One final thought: Today divorce has become a widespread practice in the world around us, so much so that many young people enter marriages fully intending to terminate them at the first sign of trouble, on such flimsy grounds as “incompatibility”. It is as if they are saying, ‘We can no longer walk together, because we do not agree on such-and-such.’ There are few in the brotherhood who would not deplore such a childish disregard for the marriage bond. And yet how often do brethren put forward this same excuse for “divorcing” themselves from a bond just as sacred — the tie that binds (or should bind) all Christ’s brethren together! They thus put asunder in the spiritual realm what they would never think of dissolving on the domestic level; and this means a debris of broken homes and lingering recriminations. And all because they will not apply the same restraint and reasonableness and patience and understanding in the ecclesial family that every husband and wife knows is essential in the natural family.

Reading 3 – 1Ti 6:7

“For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it” (1Ti 6:7).

“The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away: blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). Compare the parable of Luke 12:20,21. Compare also Psa 49:17 and Ecc 5:15 (“As he came forth of his mother’s womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.” This picture runs throughout the book of the Preacher. The grave is the ash heap of mankind — in it there is no hope.)

Paul’s line of reasoning is obvious. If we could, at death, take our possessions with us into a future state, then there would be at once an end to the “contentment” (v 6) with whatever position we occupy now. This is because the possessions of the future would then in some way be dependent upon this present existence, and what we might eke out of the earth by the sweat of our brow.

Ignorant and superstitious men have believed this fallacy from primitive times. Nearly all ancient cultures bury their dead with the best provisions possible for their trip into the unknown. But those who know the Truth realize man’s state in all its stark reality — of poverty and blindness and weakness. What God gives him now is only a provision for his journey through this life, to be dispensed with (just like a used bus ticket) when the “destination” of death is reached. We are even more helpless at death than we were when we came into the world. Without the hope of resurrection to life man is no better than the animals. Thank God we have hope!

Reading 1 – Est 2:7-9

“Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This girl, who was also known as Esther, was lovely in form and features, and Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many girls were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. The girl pleased him and won his favor” (Est 2:7-9).

“Esther had a special beauty that far exceeded all the other young girls in King Xerxes’ beauty contest. Esther was lovely in form and features, as, no doubt, were many of the other girls. But I believe that the difference between Esther and the rest was found in her nature. She seems to have won the favour of Hegai as soon as she met him, and he gave her the best place in the harem. When she was with the king she pleased him more than any other girl and he made her his queen. Her character gave her a beauty that outshone all the rest. When she went to the king she took nothing except for what Hegai suggested. Other girls would have decorated themselves and taken things to make them more attractive — but Esther had an inner beauty. ‘Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight’ (1Pe 3:3,4). No matter what we look like, we can all have that true inner beauty that will outshine and outlast any physical beauty. That is what is valuable to God” (Robert Prins).

Reading 2 – Amos 7:14,15

“Amos answered Amaziah, ‘I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees’ (Amo 7:14).

When accosted by Amaziah, Amos replied that he was not a prophet by his own choosing; he did not decide to pursue prophesying as a career. Neither had he become a prophet because his father had been one. In Amos’ culture it was common and expected for sons to follow in their father’s line of work. Possibly Amos meant that he was not the son of a prophet in the sense that he had not been trained in one of the schools of the prophets under the tutelage of a fatherly mentor (2Ki 2:1-15; 4:1,38; 5:22; 6:1-7; 9:1). Rather Amos had earned his living in a totally unrelated form of employment.

Amos said that he “took care of sycamore-fig trees”, or that he was “a gatherer of sycamore fruit” (AV). This also — like the “shepherd” — signified a wanderer or traveler, for the sycamore fig trees do not grow near Tekoa (Denis Baly, “The Geography of the Bible” 89).

“A ‘nipper’ of sycamore figs was one who pruned sycamore fig trees so they would produce more fruit. Thus Amos had a respectable agricultural business background before he moved to Israel to prophesy. He had not been a professional prophet; he did not occupy the office of prophet but only functioned as a prophet. Therefore, Amaziah should not think that Amos came to Israel to prophesy because that was the only work that he could do” (Thomas Constable, “Expository Notes”).

*****

“But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’ ” (v 15).

Yahweh had called Amos, just as He had called David: Psa 78:70-72. Ct Zec 13:5. He had called him, and sent him to carry the prophetic message to Israel. In other words, Amos is saying, ‘Don’t think that I do this because I have nothing else to do, nor because I especially enjoy it! But God Almighty called me — so what was I to do?’

Reading 3 – Tit 1:12

“Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons’ ” (Tit 1:12).

The poet, according to Clement of Alexandria and Jerome, was Epimenides, a native of Knossos in Crete, who lived approximately 550 BC. He was considered divinely inspired by the Greeks, and was ranked as one of the “seven wise men”. It is possible that he was responsible for the erection of the Athenian altar “to the unknown god” (Acts 17:23). His words were quoted and thus perpetuated by the later well-known poet Callimachus.

Paul was familiar with secular literature, and was not afraid to make use of his knowledge as occasion suggested. This is at least the third citation of such writers by Paul, others being:

“Bad company corrupts good character” (1Co 15:33): a Greek verse from the “Thais”, by Menander; and “For we are his offspring” (Acts 17:28): from Aratus, a countryman of Paul, from Cilicia.

In the same manner, we might quote authorities in specialized fields today — bringing their expertise to bear on the study of the Bible.

So notorious were the Cretans for lying that the Greeks derived a verb from them: “kretizein”. To “cretize”, or to act like a Cretan, became proverbial for lying — just as to “corinthianize”, or to act like a Corinthian, became synonymous with the grossest immoral behavior. A Cretan by nature would not flinch from saying anything designed to forward his own interests.

The Cretan false teachers were characterized as “evil brutes” — suggesting savagery, brutality, and stupidity. (A related word is used by Paul when he speaks of fighting with “beasts” at Ephesus — 1Co 15:32 — no doubt referring there also to men.) This is a sad picture of human nature, and perhaps this bestiality was developed to an extraordinary degree in the natives of Crete. But it would be a great mistake to imagine that other men in their natural states are markedly better, or even to suppose that when men become Christians they automatically cease to be “beasts”.

Men who are without understanding are like the beasts (Psa 73:22), and will perish like them (Psa 49:12, 20). Men who are sensual are like the beasts (2Pe 2:12). And, perhaps most to the point here, those Jewish Christians who returned to the Law are likened by Paul to “dogs” (Phi 3:2)!

They were also “lazy gluttons”! Idleness is generally associated with useless talking, or talebearing, and is most severely criticized: “Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment” (Mat 12:36).

“Gluttons” (Greek “gasteer”) is generally translated “womb” in Scripture. Otherwise, as here, it refers to the belly as craving food — hence a glutton. The Cretans were famous, or infamous, as a drunken and gluttonous and greedy people. “The Cretans”, wrote one contemporary observer, “on account of their innate avarice, live in a perpetual state of private quarrel and public feud and civil strife… and you will hardly find anywhere characters more tricky and deceitful than those of Crete… Money is so highly valued among them, that its possession is not only thought to be necessary, but highly creditable; and in fact greed and avarice are so native to the soil in Crete, that they are the only people in the world among whom no stigma attaches to any sort of gain whatsoever.”

Although a different Greek word for “belly” is used in Phi 3:19, the thought is very similar: “For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things” (Phi 3:18,19).

In view of the context in Philippians (ie, the “concision” and “circumcision” of Phi 3:2,3), it may be that Paul’s use of “belly” here is a euphemistic allusion to the characteristic mark of circumcision, in which the Judaizers shamelessly “gloried”. Contemptuously Paul implies that they “worship” as a “god” that cutting in their flesh that sets them apart as Jews, and, because they so misplace their faith and hope, thus deny the efficacy of the cross of Christ! Something akin to this is perhaps implied also in his words to Titus.

The description of the “circumcision group” of Crete — those who opposed sound doctrine — is thus completed. They are seen to be everything that the bishops should not be; each group is the opposite of the other. The Cretan false teachers are liars, sensual, brutish, lazy, and greedy (vv 10-12). The bishops are to be blameless, sober, temperate, holy, industrious, and indifferent to base gain (vv 7-9).

In language exceedingly harsh, Paul warned Titus that national characteristics should be kept in mind in the work of the Truth. The Truth had not to this stage eradicated the unlovely features of the Cretan character in those who had embraced it. It was part of the work of Titus to push forward this reformation, and to raise those who would heed to a higher level of obedience to the teachings of Christ. But it was important in that work to face squarely the problems involved; for Titus to take an unreasonably rosy view of the raw material at hand would be foolhardy.

But, extreme as Paul’s description of the Cretans was, he did not say, “Leave them alone; they are hopeless.” Instead, he said in effect, “They are sorry specimens, and everyone knows it. Go and convert them!” Such is the divine testimony, by no means to the goodness in human nature, but to the awesome potential of the “incorruptible seed” of God’s Word (1Pe 1:23), which can produce fruit in the poorest soil — even a hundredfold (Mat 13:23)!