Religion Scripture Readings

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 7

OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN RITUAL
A. Confronting the sin of religious hypocrisy.

1. (1-3) A question about fasting.

Now in the fourth year of King Darius it came to pass that the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Chislev, when the people sent Sherezer, with Regem-Melech and his men, to the house of God, to pray before the LORD, and to ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD of hosts, and the prophets, saying, "Should I weep in the fifth month and fast as I have done for so many years?"

a. In the fourth year … on the fourth day of the ninth month: On December 4, 518 B.C. a delegation came to Jerusalem with a question about fasting. At this point, the temple was somewhere around halfway completed.

b. Should I weep in the fifth month and fast: The fast in the fifth monthremembered the destruction of the temple (2 Kings 25:8-9). Zechariah also mentions a fast in the seventh month (Zechariah 7:5), which remembered the murder of Gedaliah, the last act of rebellion against the Babylonian governor of Judah (2 Kings 25:25).

i. The Law of Moses only commanded one fast day, on the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-34). In addition to this day, during the exile the Jewish people instituted four more feasts to remember key dates in the tragic defeat of their nation. Here are the additional feasts:

Month/Day Reason Reference
4/17 Mourning the capture of Jerusalem Jeremiah 52:6-30
5/9 Burning of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple 2 Kings 25:2-10
7/3 Assassination of Gedaliah and the massacre of 80 men Jeremiah 4:1-10
10/10 Beginning of Nebuchadnezzar's siege against Jerusalem 2 Kings 25:1
ii. Psalm 137 beautifully - and powerfully - describes the sadness of heart that made the exiles remember their sin and tragedy with these additional days of fasting.

c. To ask the priests who were in the house of the LORD: These men knew that during their forced exile in Babylon they observed these feasts that remembered the tragic fall of Jerusalem. Now since God's people were back in the land and the temple was rebuilt, they wanted to know if it was appropriate to continue to these fasts of mournful remembrance.

i. The matter brings up an issue relevant today: How long should we remember and mourn over our past? Should we do things to remember either our sin or the tragedies of the past?

d. As I have done for so many years: These additional fasts were not commanded by God, but instituted by man. Yet because they were traditionally practiced for so long (at least 70 years), they developed an authority of their own. They thought, "We've done this for so many years, we may as well keep doing it."

2. (4-7) Hypocrisy in fasting is rebuked.

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, "Say to all the people of the land, and to the priests: 'When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventhmonths during those seventy years, did you really fast for Me; for Me? When you eat and when you drink, do you not eat and drink for yourselves? Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous, and the South and the Lowland were inhabited?'"

a. Did you really fast for Me; for Me? God's word through Zechariah rebuked the people of God for what their fasting had become - indulgent pity-parties instead of a time to genuinely seek God. Their lives were not right when they dideat and drink - that they did for themselves, not for the LORD. A few days of fasting every year could not make up for the rest of the year lived for yourselves.

i. This also shows us that when we cling to the memory of sin or tragedy in the past, we often do it out of simple self-indulgence. We do it for our self, not for the LORD.

b. Should you not have obeyed the words which the LORD proclaimed: Because their hearts were not right with God, their rituals were not right before God. Everyday obedience would make their times of fasting meaningful, but their neglect of everyday obedience made their fasting hypocritical.

i. "It was easy to spend fast-days mourning their losses, but harder to face up to God's continuing demands." (Baldwin)

ii. Instead of actively remembering the sin or tragedy of the past, God wants us to focus on active obedience and an active walk with Him. "There is no need to observe the sad anniversaries of our sins and their accompanying punishment, if once we are assured of God's free forgiveness. When He forgives and restores, the need for dwelling on the bitter past is over … Too many of us are always dwelling beside the graves of the dead past." (Meyer)

iii. Through the former prophets when Jerusalem and the cities around it were inhabited and prosperous: If their ancestors had been obedient they would have never needed to fast, and their land wouldn't have been conquered and desolate.

c. And the South and the Lowland were inhabited: Here, the South refers to the Negev, the desolate desert near the Dead Sea. This area wasn't always desolate; before Israel's disobedience, it too was prosperous and inhabited.

B. What God wants: people who will listen and obey.

1. (8-10) The conduct God desires.

Then the word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion everyone to his brother. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother.' "

a. Execute true justice, show mercy and compassion: In Zechariah 7:7 the prophet rebuked the people of God and their ancestors for a basic neglect of obedience. Now Zechariah describes the kind of obedience God wanted, beginning with decent and loving treatment of our neighbor.

b. Let none of you plan evil in his heart against his brother: Some among the people of God found it easier to fast a few days a year instead of truly treating others in a godly way. Their bad relationship with others demonstrated a fundamentally bad relationship with the LORD.

2. (11-12) The rebellious reaction of God's people.

"But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Thus great wrath came from the LORD of hosts."

a. Refused to heed … shrugged their shoulders … stopped their ears … made their hearts like flint: Zechariah vividly describes a progression ofrejection. It begins with simply refusing to heed God, then a self-justifying shrugging of their shoulders, then stopping their hears. It all ends with hearts as hard as flint.

i. When you meet people with hearts like flint, you know they did not become that way overnight. There was a gradual, certain progression to their present place of hardness.

ii. Baldwin on shrugged their shoulders: "Israel had turned a stubborn shoulder, like an animal that stiffened every muscle in its effort to refuse the yoke."

b. Refusing to hear the law and the words which the LORD of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets: In their hardened state, they just didn't want to hear God's word. When we lose our hunger for God's word it is a sobering evidence of the progression of rejection and hardness of heart.

i. Zechariah didn't doubt that the Spirit of God genuinely inspired his words and the words of other prophets.

3. (13-14) God's judgment on their disobedience.

"Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen," says the LORD of hosts. "But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations which they had not known. Thus the land became desolate after them, so that no one passed through or returned; for they made the pleasant land desolate."

a. Just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so they called out and I would not listen: Since God's people refused to listen to God, God would refuse to listen to and answer their prayers. This is just another good reason to stay under the teaching of God's word - so that our prayers will be answered.

b. I scattered them with a whirlwind: "This refers to the swift victories and cruel conduct of the Chaldeans towards the Jews; they came upon them like awhirlwind; they were tossed to and fro, and up and down, everywhere scattered and confounded." (Clarke)

c. Thus the land became desolate after them: Their disobedience and disregard for God led to scattering and desolation. This is always our fate when we allow religious rituals to take the place of a real relationship and daily obedience towards God

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 8

JERUSALEM RESTORED
A. Israel restored to God's favor.

1. (1-2) The LORD says: My passionate love for Israel has not diminished.

Again the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I am zealous for Zion with great zeal; with great fervor I am zealous for her.' "

a. Thus says the LORD of hosts: God introduces Himself with a title declaring His power and majesty. He is the LORD of hosts, "hosts" referring to the armies of heaven. The title itself is a wake-up call.

b. I am zealous for Zion with great zeal: The word for zealous in the ancient Hebrew comes from the idea "to become intensely red." It has the thought of a face becoming flushed with deep emotion. This shows that God is passionately concerned for His people.

2. (3) The LORD says: Jerusalem will be restored.

"Thus says the LORD: 'I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, The Mountain of the LORD of hosts, The Holy Mountain.' "

a. I will return to Zion, and dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: God's people and city will be transformed by the presence of the LORD.

b. Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth … The Holy Mountain: Because of God's presence the city will be transformed into a place of truth and holiness. When God's presence is real and embraced in our life, we becomepeople of Truth and Holy people.

i. In 2 Corinthians 3:18 Paul describes this process of transformation: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

3. (4-5) The LORD says: Jerusalem will be a thriving, safe place.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.' "

a. Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem: Because of the rigors of returning to Jerusalem, there were probably few old people in the city, and their absence was felt. But the LORD promises that all that will change one day and young and old together will enjoy the city in safety. This was a significant promise because in Zechariah's time Jerusalem's walls were ruined and the city was not safe and secure for old men and old women or forboys and girls playing in its streets.

b. The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets: Dr. J. Vernon McGee took this as meaning that there would be no cars in the millennial Jerusalem.

4. (6) The LORD says: Even if it is too amazing for you, is it too hard for Me?

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, will it also be marvelous in My eyes?' Says the LORD of hosts."

a. If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of the people: The promise of a transformed, prosperous, safe Jerusalem seemed a little too fantastic to believe when the city was half-built and the walls wouldn't be completed for another 60 years.

b. Will it also be marvelous in My eyes? Just because it seemed too big in the eyes of man, it was not too marvelous for the LORD. As Jesus said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

i. "I remember when a boy being taken to see the residence of one of our nobility, and the good friend who took me noticed my astonishment at the largeness of the house. I was amazed at it, having never seen anything like it, and so I said, 'What a house for a man to live in!' 'Bless you, boy,' said he, 'this is only the kitchen!' I was only looking at the servants' apartments, and was astonished at the grandeur thereof; but the mansion itself was a far nobler affair. Oftentimes when you see what the Lord has done, you are ready to cry out, 'How can all this be? His goodness, his mercy, is it as great as this?' Rest assured that you have only seen a little of his goodness, as it were the kitchen of his great house: you have not seen the palace of the Most High, where he reveals his full power and splendor." (Spurgeon)

5. (7-8) The LORD says: Israel will be gathered, far more than the few who have returned thus far.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west; I will bring them back, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness.' "

a. I will save My people from the land of the east and from the land of the west: Proportionately, few among the exiles returned to the Promised Land. God promises a gathering from exile to come that will far surpass the present gathering.

b. They shall be My people and I will be their God, in truth and righteousness: The gather God promises will not just be a geographicgathering, but a spiritual gathering. It won't just be that their address changes, but their heart also.

6. (9-13) The LORD says: take courage; finish the work, for I will bless you.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke in the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD of hosts, that the temple might be built. For before these days there were no wages for man nor any hire for beast; there wasno peace from the enemy for whoever went out or came in; for I set all men, everyone, against his neighbor. But now I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days,' says the LORD of hosts. For the seed shall be prosperous, the vine shall give its fruit, the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew; I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these. And it shall come to pass thatjust as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you, and you shall be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be strong.' "

a. Let your hands be strong: This encouraging command was for those who had heard the words of the prophets in the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD of hosts. The foundation was set more than fifteen years before. Though they faced lack (no wages for man) and opposition (no peace from the enemy), God wanted them to find strength for the work (let your hands be strong) in His promise.

b. I will not treat the remnant of this people as in the former days: God allowed a period of difficulty but would not allow it to last forever. He would bring prosperity and blessing to the once afflicted nation.

c. You shall be a blessing. Do not fear, let your hands be strong: Though their present state was lowly, God wanted Israel to trust in His promise ofblessing, and let the promise encourage them to diligent, strong service.

7. (14-17) The LORD says: I am determined to bless My people.

"For thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath,' says the LORD of hosts, 'And I would not relent, so again in these days I am determined to do good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. Do not fear. These are the things you shall do: Speak each man the truth to his neighbor; give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace; let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; and do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,' says the LORD."

a. Just as I determined to punish you when your fathers provoked Me … in these days I am determined to do good: God promises blessing to Israel instead of cursing, and He promises it on the principle of the Mosaic Covenant.

i. "God's strange work is judgment. His delight is to bless His people." (Unger)

b. These are the things you shall do: God promised blessing to an obedient Israel and cursing to a disobedient Israel (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 28:15). If God will bless instead of curse they must fulfill their end of the Mosaic covenant, and gain blessing instead of curses.

B. Feasting for fasting.

1. (18-19) The LORD says: in light of your glorious future, feasting is more appropriate than fasting.

Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'"

a. The fast of the fourth month … shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts: Each one of these fast days remembered a tragic day around the fall of Jerusalem. God here promises blessing so wonderful that these mournful fasts will be transformed into cheerful feasts of celebration.

i. G. Campbell Morgan says of these man-appointed fasts: "None of these things had been in the purpose of God for His people; they had resulted from their sins. The fasts therefore were the result of their sins. In jealousy and fury, the outcome of love, Jehovah would put away their sins, and so restore them to true prosperity. In that day, let them still remember and observe, only let the observance be a feast in celebration of God's grace, instead of a fast in memory of their sin."

b. Therefore love truth and peace: In light of God's promised blessing, His people should want to be more like Him - they should love truth and peace.

2. (20-22) The LORD says: the nations will stream into Jerusalem, to seek the LORD.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Peoples shall yet come, inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, "Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, and seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also." Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD.' "

a. Peoples shall yet come: In Zechariah's day not many people wanted to come to a downtrodden city like Jerusalem. God promises a redemption so great that one day the peoples shall yet come to the glorified city.

b. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem: This promise will ultimately be fulfilled in the millennial kingdom of Jesus. Jerusalem will be the headquarters of His kingdom, and the nations will come to seek the LORD in Jerusalem.

3. (23) The LORD says: God will give Israel such favor that the nations will see God is with them.

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." ' "

a. Ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man: This same word grasp is used for grabbing a snake by the tail (Exodus 4:4) or for grabbing a lion by its beard (1 Samuel 17:35). It means to grasp something that you can't afford to let go of.

i. "This prophecy teaches, then, that Israel will be the means of drawing the nations of the earth to the Lord in the time of the Messiah's reign of righteousness upon earth." (Feinberg, cited in Barker)

ii. "We are all clinging to the seamless robe of that one Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, who because of His work on the cross is the only basis on which anyone may approach God and entreat Him for spiritual blessings." (Boice)

b. Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you: When others see that God is with us, it attracts them to the LORD. When people see Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), they want to come to Jesus.

i. "God is never idle while he dwells in his people; for he cleanses away every kind of impurity, every kind of deceit, that where he dwells may ever be a holy place." (Calvin)

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 9

A HUMBLE KING CONQUERS
A. The burden against Hadrach.

1. (1-4) Judgment against the cities of Lebanon.

The burden of the word of the LORD against the land of Hadrach, and Damascus its resting place (for the eyes of men and all the tribes of Israel are on the LORD); alsoagainst Hamath, which borders on it, and against Tyre and Sidon, though they are very wise. For Tyre built herself a tower, heaped up silver like the dust, and gold like the mire of the streets. Behold, the LORD will cast her out; He will destroy her power in the sea, and she will be devoured by fire.

a. The burden of the word of the LORD: The two oracles that make up the remainder of Zechariah (chapters 9 through 14) are undated, but many scholars believe they came from Zechariah's old age. Most see this burden … against the land of Hadrach as fulfilled by the armies of Alexander the Great when he conquered this region. The cities mentioned in Zechariah 9:1-7trace Alexander's march through the Promised Land in 332-331 B.C.

i. The eyes of men … are on the Lord in the sense that they are on God's instrument of judgment, Alexander.

b. Against Tyre and Sidon: These were the two major cities north of Israel, in the land of Lebanon. Tyre was an important commercial city that was thought of as impossible to conquer. The Assyrians laid siege against Tyre for five years, but never conquered the city. Nebuchadnezzar tried for 13 years to conquer Tyre, but Alexander did it in seven months.

i. Alexander the Great conquered Tyre by laying siege for seven months, then using the rubble from the old city to make a causeway out to the island city. It was a spectacular achievement of both military and engineering strategy.

2. (5-8) Judgment against the cities of the Philistines.

Ashkelon shall see it and fear; Gaza also shall be very sorrowful; and Ekron, for He dried up her expectation. The king shall perish from Gaza, and Ashkelon shall not be inhabited. "A mixed race shall settle in Ashdod, and I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. I will take away the blood from his mouth, and the abominations from between his teeth. But he who remains, even he shall be for our God, and shall be like a leader in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite. I will camp around My house because of the army, because of him who passes by and him who returns. No more shall an oppressor pass through them, for now I have seen with My eyes."

a. Ashkelon shall see it and fear; Gaza also shall be very sorrowful: The Philistine cities of Ashkelon, Gaza, Ekron, and Ashdod are south of Tyre and Sidon, and were also conquered by Alexander the Great in 332-331 B.C.

i. This passage "accurately foretells the conquest of the eastern Mediterranean coastlands by Greek armies under the command of Alexander the Great." (Boice)

b. He who remains … and Ekron like a Jebusite: The Jebusites inhabited Jerusalem when David conquered the city (Joshua 15:8, 2 Samuel 5:6-9,2 Samuel 24:16-18). David did not wipe out the Jebusites, but merely incorporated them into Israel. The same would happen to the people of Ekron.

c. I will camp around My house because of the army, because of him who passes by: When Alexander the Great marched through Lebanon and the Promised Land towards Egypt he did not conquer or attack Jerusalem. God promised to protect and spare His house during this time, and He did through a remarkable chain of events connected to Alexander the Great and the High Priest.

i. Josephus' account of Alexander's meeting with the High Priest is fascinating (Antiquities 11.8.4-5):

Now Alexander, when he had taken Gaza, made haste to go up to Jerusalem; and Jaddua the high-priest, when he heard that, was in agony, and under terror, as not knowing how he should meet the Macedonians, since the king was displeased at his foregoing disobedience. He therefore ordained that the people should make supplications, and should join with him in offering sacrifices to God, whom he besought to protect that nation, and to deliver them from the perils that were coming upon them; whereupon God warned him in a dream, which came upon him after he had offered sacrifice, that he should take courage, adorn the city, and open the gates; that the rest appear in white garments, but that he and the priests should meet the king in habits proper to their order, without the dread of any ill consequences, which the providence of God would prevent. Upon which, when he rose from his sleep, he greatly rejoiced; and declared to all the warning he had received from God. According to the dream he acted entirely, and so waited for the coming of the king.

And when he understood that he was not far from the city, he went out in procession, with the priests and the multitude of the citizens. The procession was venerable, and the manner of it different from that of other nations. It reached to a place called Sapha; which name, translated in Greek, signifies a prospect, for you have thence a prospect both of Jerusalem and of the temple; and when the Phoenicians and the Chaldeans that followed him, thought they should have liberty to plunder the city, and torment the high-priest to death, which the king's displeasure fairly promised them, the very reverse of it happened; for Alexander, when he saw the multitude at a distance, in white garments, while the priests stood clothed with fine linen, and the high-priest in purple and scarlet clothing, with his mitre on his head having the golden plate on which the name of God was engraved, he approached by himself, and adored that name, and first saluted the high-priest. The Jews also did all together, with one voice, salute Alexander, and encompass him about: whereupon the kings of Syria and the rest were surprised at what Alexander had done, and supposed him to be disordered in his mind. However, Parmenio [Alexander's second-in-command] alone went up to him, and asked him how it came to pass, that when all others adored him, he should adore the high-priest of the Jews? To whom he replied, "I did not adore him, but that God who has honored him with that high-priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit, when I was at Dios, in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me dominion over the Persians; whence it is, that having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering my vision and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my own mind." And when he had said this to Parmenio, and had given the high-priest his right hand, the priests ran along by him, and he came into the city; and when he went up into the temple, he offered sacrifice to God, according to the high-priest's direction, and magnificently treated both the high-priest and the priests. And when the book of Daniel was showed him, wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended; and as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude for the present, but the next day he called them to him, and bade them ask what favors they pleased of him: whereupon the high-priest desired that they might enjoy the laws of their forefathers, and might pay no tribute on the seventh year. He granted all they desired: and when they entreated him that he would permit the Jews in Babylon and Media to enjoy their own laws also, he willingly promised to do hereafter what they desired: and when he said to the multitude, that if any of them would enlist themselves in his army on this condition, that they should continue under the laws of their forefathers, and live according to them, he was willing to take them with him, many were ready to accompany him in his wars.

B. The coming King and His deliverance.

1. (9) A lowly king comes into Jerusalem.

"Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.

a. Behold your King is coming to you … lowly and riding on a donkey: This Messiah-King is lowly, but this isn't indicated by the animal he rides. He doesn't ride the triumphant stallion of a conquering general, but the customary mount for royalty, coming in peace. This was quite a contrast to the conqueror Alexander the Great.

i. "Brethren, let us be lowly. Did I hear one say, 'Well, I will try to be lowly'? You cannot do it in that way. We must not try to act the lowly part; we must be lowly, and then we shall naturally act in a humble manner. It is astonishing how much of pride there is in the most modest." (Spurgeon)

ii. "How we condemn pride! We feel that it would be well if all were as humble as we are. We boast that we detest boasting. We flatter ourselves that we hate flattery. When we are told that we are singularly free from pride, we feel as proud as Lucifer himself at the consciousness that the compliment is right well deserved. We are so experienced, so solid, so discerning, so free from self-confidence, that we are the first to be caught in the net of self-satisfaction. Brethren, we must pray God to make us humble." (Spurgeon)

b. A donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey: This seems to be a Hebrew expression of speech emphasizing that the animal is purebred - a truly magnificent, royal mount.

i. "God had commanded the kings of Israel not to multiply horses. The kings who broke this command were miserable themselves, and scourgers to their people. Jesus came to fulfill the law. Had he in his title of king rode upon ahorse, it would have been a breach of a positive command of God; therefore he rode upon an ass." (Clarke)

c. Rejoice greatly … Shout … Behold, your King is coming: This clearly prophesies what is known as the triumphal entry of Jesus (Matthew 21:5), when He presented Himself as the Messiah to Jerusalem and the people of Israel.

i. Though the triumphal entry was a joyful celebration, a Roman spectator would wonder what was so "triumphal" about this entry. It didn't compare at all to the kind of parade Julius Caesar had when he came back to Rome from Gaul. Then there was a parade that lasted three days as he displayed all the captives and booty he brought back. In contrast to this, the procession of Jesus must have seemed pretty humble, and this showed that Jesus was a different kind of King.

2. (10) The strength and the authority of the Messiah's reign.

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be 'from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.' "

a. The battle bow shall be cut off: Zechariah 9:9 belongs to the first coming of Jesus, but Zechariah 9:10 belongs to the Second Coming of Jesus, when He comes in power and glory to reign over this earth for 1,000 years. In that day there will be an enforced righteousness, and He will no longer allow war (Isaiah 2:4).

i. "Even though the Evangelists saw fulfillment of verse 9, they did not go on to quote verse 10, which may indicated that they were conscious of having only a partial fulfillment." (Baldwin)

b. His dominion shall be "from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth": When Jesus rules over this earth, His reign will be universal. The entire earth will be under His authority.

i. This speaks of the time many refer to as the millennium, the thousand-year reign of Jesus on this earth (Psalm 72, Isaiah 2:2-4, Isaiah 11:4-9,Jeremiah 23:5-6, Luke 1:32-33 and 19:12-27, Matthew 5:18).

3. (11-17) Judah's liberation and blessing.

"As for you also, because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today I declare that I will restore double to you. For I have bent Judah, My bow, fitted the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you like the sword of a mighty man." Then the LORD will be seen over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet, and go with whirlwinds from the south. The LORD of hosts will defend them; they shall devour and subdue with slingstones. They shall drink and roar as if with wine; they shall be filled with blood like basins, like the corners of the altar. The LORD their God will save them in that day, as the flock of His people. For they shall be like the jewels of a crown, lifted like a banner over His land; for how great is its goodness and how great its beauty! Grain shall make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women.

a. Because of the blood of your covenant: This is probably God acting towards Israel in light of the blood of the Covenant of Moses (Exodus 24:1-8). As Israel turns to God, He will turn to them and rescue them as if they were trapped in a dry cistern (I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit).

b. Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope: Because of His faithful promise, even the prisoners are prisoners of hope. They should receive encouragement from His promise and return to the stronghold - both in the sense of a military fortress and a spiritual fortress in the LORD Himself.

c. For I have bent Judah, My bow, fitted the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece: This was partially fulfilled in the days of the Maccabees, when God raised up Jews to fight against the successors of Alexander's Empire. Nevertheless, it seems that the ultimate fulfillment of this promise is yet to come.

d. The Lord GOD will blow the trumpet: The idea is that the LORD Himself leads the battle. Both the Bible and the Koran have the idea of the holy war - which Islam calls Jihad - but there is a huge difference between the idea of the holy war in the Bible and in Islam. Jesus alone carries out the Biblical holy war - never His people. In Islam, the Jihad is the responsibility of every good Muslim.

i. Here, God makes it clear who does the fighting: The LORD their God will save them in that day. This is God's battle, not the battle of men.

e. Grain shall make the young men thrive, and new wine the young women: As in other passages that speak of the millennium (Hosea 2:21-22,Joel 2:19) here grain and new wine are pictures of prosperity and blessing.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 10 - A Promise to Gather Israel

A. The superiority of the Messiahs reign.


1. (1) The blessed nature of the Messiahs reign.



Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain. The LORD will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.


a. Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain: Ancient Israel had no irrigation system, and relied on rain to water their crops. In a time of drought, nothing grew - so Israel relied on both the former rain (falling in autumn) and the latter rain (falling in spring).


b. He will give them showers of rain: The LORD challenges His people saying, Be bold enough to ask Me, and I will answer your prayer. I will provide what only I can provide.


c. Grass in the field for everyone: In mans ideas of equality, often everyone ends up equally poor. Gods idea of equality means abundance for everyone.


2. (2-5) Only the people of the true God conquer in the end


For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people wend their way like sheep; they are in trouble because there is no shepherd. My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the goatherds. For theLORD of hosts will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them as His royal horse in the battle. From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together. They shall be like mighty men, who tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battle. They shall fight because the LORD is with them, and the riders on horses shall be put to shame.


a. For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies: The ancient Hebrew word for idols here is teraphim, meaning common household idols. Diviners consulted the spirits of idols to predict the future. God warns His people that there is no real help from either idols or their representatives (they comfort in vain).


b. They are in trouble because there is no shepherd: The people have listened to false and deceptive leaders, and part of the reason is because there is a lack of godly leadership.


c. Will make them as His royal horse in the battle: In mercy God will take His people and transform them from a flock of sheep to a herd of war horses, ready for battle. All of them shall be like mighty men and defeat their enemies.


d. From him comes the cornerstone, from him the tent peg, from him the battle bow, from him every ruler together:Though God is displeased with Israels shepherds, He will raise up the perfect shepherd from and for Judah.


i. Jesus is the cornerstone: the foundation, measure, and standard (Isaiah 28:16, Psalm 118:22-23, Matthew 21:42, Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:4-5).


ii. Jesus is the tent peg: holding all things securely (Isaiah 22:23-24).


iii. Jesus is the battle bow: a strong fighter for good (Isaiah 63:1-4, Revelation 19:11-16).


iv. Jesus is the leader over every ruler of His people (Revelation 19:16).


B. Israel gathered and strengthened


1. (6-8) Israel strengthened.


I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the LORD their God, and I will hear them. Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, and their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD.


a. I will strengthen the house of Judah: The promise from the preceding passage is repeated more intensely. God will save and bless Israel, and have mercy on them.


i. God has strength for us also. Ephesians 6:10 tells us that we can draw on His resources for strength: Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.


ii. The availability of Gods strength means there will be opportunities for us to use it. The Lord does not say, I will take you away from your labors, but I will strengthen you, so that you will be able to perform, them. (Spurgeon)


b. Their children shall see it and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the LORD: The LORDwill not only return strength to Israel, but also joy. Their sense of defeat and weakness will be replaced with gladness.


2. (9-12) Israel gathered into the land from across the earth.


I will whistle for them and gather them, for I will redeem them; and they shall increase as they once increased. I will sow them among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in far countries; they shall live, together with their children, and they shall return. I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, until no more room is found for them. He shall pass through the sea with affliction, and strike the waves of the sea: All the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, and the scepter of Egypt shall depart. So I will strengthen them in the LORD, and they shall walk up and down in His name, says the LORD.


a. I will whistle for them and gather them: The promise to gather Israel is repeated often in the prophecies of New Covenant (Deuteronomy 30:1-6, Jeremiah 23:1-8, Jeremiah 32:37-41, Ezekiel 11:16-20, Ezekiel 36:16-28). Though Israel was scattered to the nations, they shall remember Me in far countries and come back to the land.


i. In the 20th Century many Jewish people were gathered back to the land of Israel, and in 1948 Israel became a nation again - after more than 2,000 years of not being a nation. Does the 20thCentury gathering of Israel fulfill this prophecy? It fulfills it in part, but only in part - because Israel will be gathered again in belief, not in rejection of the LORD and His Savior. The gathering began in unbelief, but will end up in belief and trust in Jesus.


b. So I will strengthen them in the LORD, and they shall walk up and down in His name: When God gathers Israel and defeats their enemies they shall walk in freedom and liberty again. It will be like a new exodus from Egypt, complete with exodus-like miracles (He shall pass through the sea with affliction, and strike the waves of the sea: All the depths of the River shall dry up).

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 11

THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER
A. Judgment coming on God's flock.

1. (1-3) Creation mourns because of coming judgment.

Open your doors, O Lebanon, that fire may devour your cedars. Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen, because the mighty trees are ruined. Wail, O oaks of Bashan, for the thick forest has come down. There is the sound of wailing shepherds! For their glory is in ruins. There is the sound of roaring lions! For the pride of the Jordan is in ruins.

a. Open your doors, O Lebanon, that fire may devour your cedars: This describes the coming of destructive armies of judgment from the north, through Lebanon. The doors of Lebanon are the mountain passes between Lebanon and Israel.

i. Boice comments on how this prophecy was fulfilled in the Roman campaign against Judea. "These verses might have described the Babylonian invasion if they had been written earlier; but that was past history by Zechariah's time. There is nothing in the history of the people that a comprehensive destruction of the land can refer to prior to the terrible destruction ordered by Vespasian and his successor Titus."

b. Wail, O cypress, for the cedar has fallen: The cedar trees Illustrate Lebanon's strength and once they fall the lesser forests of cypress and oak will also be destroyed, so they also wail.

c. Wailing shepherds … roaring lions: In addition to the trees, the shepherdsand lions also mourn because of judgment on the land - coming because Israel has rejected the Good Shepherd.

2. (4-7) Zechariah acts out a prophecy of judgment.

Thus says the LORD my God, "Feed the flock for slaughter, whose owners slaughter them and feel no guilt; those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich'; and their shepherds do not pity them. For I will no longer pity the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD. "But indeed I will give everyone into his neighbor's hand and into the hand of his king. They shall attack the land, and I will not deliver them from their hand." So I fed the flock for slaughter, in particular the poor of the flock. I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bonds; and I fed the flock.

a. Feed the flock for slaughter: Zechariah acts out this prophecy, feeding a literal flock of sheep that represents the people of God. As the shepherd Zechariah represents the LORD who has appointed this flock for a season of judgment.

b. I took for myself two staffs: Zechariah's two staffs were named "Beauty" (grace) and "Bonds" (unity). The staff was a common tool for a shepherd (Psalm 23:4).

i. "Favor symbolizes the favored status of Israel as the chosen people of God. Union symbolizes the internal harmony of the people that was lost at the time of the siege of Jerusalem." (Boice)

3. (8-11) The covenant symbolically broken.

I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me. Then I said, "I will not feed you. Let what is dying die, and what is perishing perish. Let those that are left eat each other's flesh." And I took my staff, Beauty, and cut it in two, that I might break the covenant which I had made with all the peoples. So it was broken on that day. Thus the poor of the flock, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the LORD.

a. I dismissed the three shepherds in one month: We know that Zechariah is acting prophetically, but it is hard to identify these three shepherds whom Zechariah hated, and they hated him.

i. "The best explanation is probably the oldest, which sees the three shepherds not as three individuals but as three classes of individuals, namely: the prophets, priests, and kings of Israel." (Boice) The offices of prophet, priest, and king were taken away from Israel after the Roman conquest of Judea and have never been restored - because they are now fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

b. I will not feed you. Let what is dying die: In bringing judgment by letting thedying die, God merely withdraws His hand of protection. At one time God had acovenant with all the peoples, preventing them from attacking His people Israel. When God decides to break the covenant, His people will be attacked.

c. Let those who are left eat each other's flesh: This really happened during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

d. The poor of the flock … knew that it was the word of the LORD: These are the faithful remnant who know that even the hard words are from God.

4. (12-14) The shepherd is paid with contempt.

Then I said to them, "If it is agreeable to you, give me my wages; and if not, refrain." So they weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potter"; that princely price they set on me. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter. Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

a. Give me my wages: Zechariah is "play-acting" this prophecy, employing himself as a shepherd over a flock. Now he asks his employer for his wages, andthey weighed out for my wages thirty pieces of silver.

b. That princely price they set on me: Zechariah speaks sarcastically here.Thirty pieces of silver was not an insignificant amount, but it was the price of a slave (Exodus 21:32). It was the lowest they could pay, and it said to Zechariah "we think of you as a slave."

i. This speaks prophetically of Jesus, who was contemptuously betrayed forthirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15 and 27:3) - the price of a slave.

ii. Matthew 27:9-10 says: Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field, as the LORD directed me." This is a problem because clearly Zechariah records the passage mentioned inMatthew 27:9-10. There are generally three solutions offered for this problem:

- Some think it is an error but not by Matthew - an early copyist made a mistake. Perhaps Matthew wrote Zechariah, but an early copyist putJeremiah instead

- Some think that Jeremiah spoke this prophecy and Zechariah recorded it. This may be the word spoken by Jeremiah, but recorded by Zechariah

- Some think that Matthew refers to scroll of Jeremiah, which included the book of Zechariah

c. Threw them into the house of the LORD for the potter: Curiously, Zechariah says that the thirty pieces of silver were thrown into the house of the LORD but that they were also given to the potter. This is an exact fulfillment of what Judas did with his thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-10).

i. The money to betray Jesus - His purchase price - went to buy a potter's field (Matthew 27:7). A potter's field was a piece of useless land where he threw his broken, damaged, and rejected pots. Jesus really did purchase the potter's field - the place where broken, rejected, and useless people like us are scattered.

d. Then I cut in two my other staff, Bonds, that I might break the brotherhood between Judah and Israel: After the exchange of the thirty pieces of silver the staff of Bonds (unity) is broken. This was fulfilled when Israel was scattered by the Romans after their rejection of their Shepherd Jesus.

B. A false shepherd to come.

1. (15-16) God will allow foolish shepherds to come to His people.

And the LORD said to me, "Next, take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd. For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces."

a. Take for yourself the implements of a foolish shepherd: Now Zechariah play-acts as a foolish shepherd who does not care for the sheep the way that a shepherd should.

- The foolish shepherd will not care for those who are cut off but a wise and godly shepherd will seek the lost

- The foolish shepherd will not seek the young but a wise and godly shepherd knows that the young need to come to the LORD as much as older people do

- The foolish shepherd will not heal those that are broken but a wise and godly shepherd looks for broken hearts and lives and mends them with God's love and word

- The foolish shepherd will not feed those that still stand but a wise and godly shepherd will faithfully feed the sheep

- The foolish shepherd will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces but a wise and godly shepherd will lay down his life for the sheep (John 10:11)

b. I will raise up a shepherd in the land: This foolish shepherd is allowed and appointed by God as judgment because His people forsook the true shepherd. This was fulfilled in Israel's rejection of Jesus. They rejected the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18) but received another shepherd (John 5:43).

i. We often assume all that people need is the right leader. Here we see that even the ultimate leader may be rejected and a worthless leader chosen. Democracy's value is that it respects man's fallen nature and spreads out power - yet the majority may be very, very wrong and prefer a foolish shepherd instead of the Good Shepherd.

ii. The foolish shepherd embraced by Israel was partially fulfilled in their choice of Barabbas (Matthew 27:20-22) but will be ultimately fulfilled in their embrace of Antichrist and their covenant with him (Daniel 9:27).

2. (17) Judgment on the worthless shepherd.

"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; his arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded."

a. Woe to the worthless shepherd: Though God appointed the foolish shepherd in light of Israel's rejection of the Good Shepherd, it does not mean that God approves of the foolish shepherd. God will judge that worthless shepherdwho injured His flock.

b. A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye: The worthless shepherd feels the sword of God's judgment against his arm and his right eye. The arm expresses strength and the eye expresses intelligence, so this will be a harsh blow against the worthless shepherd.

i. Revelation 13:3 and 13:12-14 tell us the Antichrist will suffer a severe wound yet survive. This confirms that the worthless shepherd is ultimately fulfilled in the Antichrist.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 12

MOURNING FOR THE PIERCED ONE
A. God defends Israel against her enemies.

1. (1-4) God supernaturally defends Israel against attack.

The burden of the word of the LORD against Israel. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him: "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day," says the LORD, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness."

a. Thus says the LORD, who stretches out the heavens: The section begins with praise for God's creative power, reminding us that He is in control and completely able to accomplish what He predicts.

b. I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples: God says that in a coming day Jerusalem will intoxicate and stupefy thesurrounding peoples. The Arab peoples surrounding Jerusalem have a passion for possessing the city that is not justified by history.

i. Muslims claim Jerusalem as their third-holiest city, but Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran. In addition, "During the centuries when Jerusalem was under complete Arab control, no Arab ruler or Islamic leader ever made it the object of a religious pilgrimage - again a strange indifference toward a city which is now considered to be the third-holiest religious site in Islam after Mecca and Medina." (Dave Hunt)

ii. Jerusalem's importance to Muslims comes from the belief that in the Dome of the Rock shrine there is a rock where two significant things happened - where Abraham intended to offer Isaac as a sacrifice, and where Mohammed allegedly ascended into heaven. Though this tradition is firmly in the Muslim mind, it is of recent origin. It was invented by Yasser Arafat's uncle - Haj Amin el-Husseini, who was the past Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. He promoted this myth in the 1920's and 1930's to arouse Arab passions against the growing Jewish presence in Jerusalem.

iii. The verse in the Koran that describes Mohammed's trip to heaven is Surah 17:1: Glorified be He who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far Distant Place [al-Aqsa] of Worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! The Islamic interpretation says that the Inviolable Place of Worship is Mecca, and this is accepted by all. It then says that the Far Distant Place of Worship is Jerusalem - but this has no substantiation because Jerusalem had never been a place of Islamic worship to that time, nor would it be for centuries afterward. Jerusalem isn't even mentioned by name in the Koran, so how could it be a place of worship according to the Koran? Most significantly, inside the Dome of the Rock hundreds of verses from the Koran are inscribed - and Surah 17:1 is not among them! The very passage that later supposedly justified the building of the Dome of the Rock is not even included among the hundreds of passages of the Koran inscribed in it!

iv. The Dome of the Rock was built not because of the Koran, but because the Muslim ruler Abdal-Malik wanted to gain revenue from pilgrims and worshippers, and because he wanted to prevent the rebuilding of a Jewish Temple. Islamic passion for Jerusalem is indeed like drunkenness.

v. This is exactly fulfilled in modern Jerusalem. In recent peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Israel was willing to concede almost everything to the Palestinians in an amazing willingness to make peace. The only thing Israel would not concede was sovereignty over Jerusalem, and the entire deal was ruined over that one point. The problem between Jews and the Arab world has boiled down to one point: Jerusalem.

vi. If Muslim passion for Jerusalem is a mystery, the Jewish claim to the city is entirely Scriptural. "The very fact that Jerusalem is mentioned more than 800 times in the Bible makes it worthy of special attention. This unique city is the only one upon which God has bestowed His distinctive blessing and protection (Ps 132:13-14), and the only city for whose peace we are commanded to pray (Ps 122:6). God says He has chosen Jerusalem as the place where He has put His name forever (2 Chr 6:6; 33:7; Ps 46:4; 48:1-8;87:3). The new heavens and new earth will contain 'the city of my God...new Jerusalem' (Rev 3:12; 21:2). That there will be a 'heavenly Jerusalem' (Heb 12:22) but no 'heavenly' New York, Paris, London, Damascus, Cairo, etc. speaks volumes." (Dave Hunt, The Berean Call - September 2000)

c. I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples: If Jerusalem will be a cup of drunkenness to all her surrounding peoples, it will be a heavy stone - a burden - for all peoples, presenting a problem that cannot be solved (all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces).

i. "Consider how remarkable even this one prophecy is. Who could have imagined when the Old Testament was written that all the nations of the world would be involved in deciding the fate of Israel? And this involvement of all nations in dividing Israel has occurred exactly as prophesied and is still in the process of being implemented." (Dave Hunt)

d. I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness: Though the nations come against Jerusalem with fury, God will protect her. This will find an ultimate fulfillment in the Battle of Armageddon, but we may see an earlier fulfillment any day now.

2. (5-9) God supernaturally empowers His people.

"And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, 'The inhabitants of Jerusalem aremy strength in the LORD of hosts, their God.' In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place; Jerusalem. The LORD will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the LORD before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."

a. I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile: In that day God will deliver Israel not only through His direct work, but also through blessing and empowering both the governors and inhabitants of Jerusalem. They will be supernaturally empowered by God to defend the city.

b. In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David: King David was renowned for his fighting ability, courage, and success. God promises a day when the weakest in Jerusalem will be as mighty as David - and the leaders can only be compared in might to God!

B. God gives Israel a spirit of humble repentance.

1. (10) Mourning for the pierced One.

"And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."

a. And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication: Part of this great outpouring of strength and might to defend Jerusalem will be an outpouring of the Spirit - but for grace and supplication. God will move among Israel and bring saving grace and repentant prayer.

b. Then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son: As Jerusalem is supernaturally defended and the Spirit is poured out on the nation, they will turn to Jesus, the piercedOne. His head was pierced with thorns, His hands and feet were pierced with nails, and a spear pierced His side.

i. They will look: They will turn away from their trust in the foolish, worthless shepherd and turn their focus on the Good Shepherd. When we see Jesus crucified - understanding why He went to the cross and what He accomplished there - we are drawn to Him in humble repentance (John 12:32).

ii. They will look on Him whom they pierced. They will realize that they did it, and that they bear responsibility - not sole responsibility, but responsibility nonetheless - for the crucifixion of their Savior.

iii. They will mourn: The Jewish people will turn to Jesus in repentance, mourning their past rejection of Him. The mourning will be deep, as if for anonly son, the firstborn. Firstborn was synonymous with the most beloved.

iv. This will fulfill the amazing promise of Romans 11:26 (And so Israel will be saved) and many other passages that tell us that before the physical return of Jesus to this earth, the Jewish people - as a whole - will welcome Him as their Lord and Savior. The whole context of Zechariah 12 puts this radical conversion in the setting of miraculous deliverance from an attack from the nations.

c. They will look … they will mourn: Here we see the pattern for coming to Jesus and true repentance. First we look to Jesus, then we mourn for our sins.Looking to Jesus must come first.

i. "A great mistake is very common among all classes of men - it is currently believed that we are first of all to mourn for our sins, and then to look by faith to our Lord Jesus Christ. Most persons who have any concern about their souls, but are not as yet enlightened by the Spirit of God, think that there is a degree of tenderness of conscience, and of hatred of sin, which they are to obtain somehow or other, and then they will be permitted and authorized to look to Jesus Christ. Now you will perceive that this is not according to the Scripture, for, according to the text before us. men first look upon him whom they have pierced, and then, but not till then, they mourn for their sin." (Spurgeon)

ii. "It is a beautiful remark of an old divine, that eyes are made for two things at least; first, to look with, and next, to weep with. The eye which looks to the pierced One is the eye which weeps for him." (Spurgeon)

d. They will look upon Me: Comparing Zechariah 12:10 with Zechariah 12:1and 12:3 (Thus says the LORD … says the LORD) makes it clear that the Methey look upon is the LORD God - Yahweh - Himself. This is astounding and wonderful evidence that Jesus the pierced One is God, and that Yahweh is the Triune God.

i. Simply said, the Father sends the Spirit so that men would look upon the Son.

2. (11-14) The great mourning of repentance.

"In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves."

a. A great mourning in Jerusalem: The repentance that comes to Israel in that day will be like a great mourning, the ultimate fulfillment of the Day of Atonement, the day of national mourning over their greatest sin - rejecting Jesus.

b. Like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon: This refers to the mourning over King Josiah's death (2 Kings 23:29 and 2 Chronicles 35:20-25). He was such a godly king that the whole nation wept bitterly at his death.

c. And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: This indicates there will be both great individual repentance and great corporate repentance. It seems fantastic to us that Israel as a whole would turn to Jesus and repent of their sin of rejecting their Savior - it is so amazing that we would not believe it unless the Bible so clearly taught it!

i. "We know of a surety, because God has said it, that the Jews will be restored to their own land, and that they shall inherit the goodly country which the Lord has given unto their fathers by a covenant of salt for ever; but, better still, they shall be converted to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, and shall see in him the house of David restored to the throne of Israel." (Spurgeon)

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 13

The Nation Purified
A. The purification of the people

1. (1) A fountain to cleanse sin.

"In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness."

a. In that day: Zechariah 12 ended with Israel's return to the LORD through the once rejected but now embraced Messiah. Flowing from their embrace of the Messiah, they now enjoy a fountain that brings cleansing for sin and for uncleanness. The cleansing comes after their mourning for the One whom they have pierced.

i. Shall be opened: "The fountain shall be not simply opened, but shall remain open." (Pusey)

ii. "The idea of God being a fountain to His people is found frequently in the Old Testament, but Zechariah's treatment is possibly the richest of all." (Boice)

iii. The idea of the sin-cleansing fountain has also been a part of famous hymns:

There is a fountain filled with blood,
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
(William Cowper)
Foul, I to the Fountain fly;
Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
Rock of Ages, cleft for me,
Let me hide myself in thee.
(Augustus Toplady)
iv. "According to the verse before us this provision is inexhaustible. There is a fountain opened; not a cistern nor a reservoir, but a fountain. A fountain continues still to bubble up, and is as full after fifty years as at the first; and even so the provision and the mercy of God for the forgiveness and the justification of our souls continually flows and overflows." (Spurgeon)

v. "The means by which sin and sinfulness can be put away are at this moment accessible to the sons of men. The atonement is not a fountain hid and concealed, and closed and barred and bolted, it is a fountain open." (Spurgeon)

b. For sin and for uncleanness: The only thing that can cleanse sin and uncleanness is God's fountain. It is His supply, and nothing else can cleanse. Our own works at reform or restitution can't cleanse us; our past, present, or promised works can't cleanse - only His fountain.

i. "Sin and uncleanness must be put away. They cannot be excused, condoned, or compromised with. The foundations of the throne of God are righteousness and justice." (Morgan)

2. (2-6) Cleansing from idolatry and false prophets.

"It shall be in that day," says the LORD of hosts, "that I will cut off the names of the idols from the land, and they shall no longer be remembered. I will also cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to depart from the land. It shall come to pass that if anyone still prophesies, then his father and mother who begot him will say to him, 'You shall not live, because you have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.' And his father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. And it shall be in that day that every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies; they will not wear a robe of coarse hair to deceive. But he will say, 'I am no prophet, I am a farmer; for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth.' And one will say to him, 'What are these wounds between your arms?' Then he will answer, 'Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.' "

a. I will cut off the names of the idols … I will also cause the prophets and unclean spirits to depart from the land: Idolatry and false prophecy were the two principle ways Israel was led astray from God. God not only provides a fountain to cleanse, but He also promises to cut off the source of uncleanness - in this case, idolatry and false prophecy.

i. When you see the gaudy and ornate shrines that supposedly mark holy sites in Israel today, you see that idolatry is still alive and well in the Holy Land. God promises to cleanse the land from such idolatry completely.

ii. They shall no longer be remembered: God promises ultimately to take away even the memory of our sin.

b. His father and mother who begot him shall thrust him through when he prophesies: Zechariah prophesies a coming day when public opinion will not tolerate false prophets. There will be such a commitment to the LORD and His truth that even the family of a false prophet will condemn the false prophet.

c. Every prophet will be ashamed of his vision when he prophesies: "Those who posed as prophets will so fear exposure that they will deny ever having made such a claim" (Baldwin). They will put away the "uniform" of the prophets (a robe of coarse hair) and earn an honest living.

i. This does not say that true prophecy will cease; but only those who deceive have spoken lies in the name of the LORD.

d. Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends: The man accused of being a false prophet insists the scars on his body are not the self-inflicted wounds often associated with false prophets, but merely the result of a brawl in his friend's house.

i. The unlikely, ironic explanation shows just how desperately people will avoid being identified with false prophets in this coming day Zechariah speaks of.

ii. It wasn't unusual for false prophets to wound or mutilate themselves in the service of idols (1 Kings 18:28, Jeremiah 48:37).

e. I was wounded in the house of my friends: Some take this as another Messianic prophecy in Zechariah, because Jesus was clearly wounded by those who should have been His friends. Nevertheless the context and the original Hebrew argue against this referring to Jesus and His wounds.

i. The translation from the King James Version makes it seem even more likely that this refers to Jesus: What are these wounds in thine hands? But the Hebrew is more literally between your hands, that is on the body, whether the chest or the back.

ii. "Some apply this to Christ, because Zechariah has mentioned wounds on the hands; but this is very puerile; for it is quite evident that he speaks here of false teachers, who had for a time falsely pretended God's name." (Calvin)

iii. "I do not think that these words are spoken at all concerning Jesus Christ. I have heard them quoted this way; but I cannot hear such an application of them without horror." (Clarke)

B. The Shepherd struck, the nation scattered.

1. (7) Striking the Man Who is the Companion of the LORD.

"Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, against the Man who is My Companion," says the LORD of hosts. "Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; then I will turn My hand against the little ones."

a. Against My Shepherd: In the context, and especially in light of the quotation of this passage in Matthew 26:31, we understand that the Shepherd is Jesus the Messiah - and it is God the Father Himself who calls for the Shepherd to be struck.

i. Zechariah relates a thought also said in Isaiah 53:10: Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. The prophets Isaiah and Zechariah gloriously and emphatically, state that the suffering of the Servant of the LORD was ordained by the LORD. This was God's doing! He gave the command to strike the Shepherd. Jesus was no victim of circumstance or at the mercy of political or military power. It was the planned, ordained work of the LORD God, prophesied by Isaiah hundreds of years before it happened. This was God's victory, not Satan's or man's triumph.

ii. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:19, God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. The Father and the Son worked together at the cross. Though Jesus was treated as if He were an enemy of God, He was not. Even as Jesus was punished as if He were a sinner, He was performing the most holy service unto God the Father ever offered.

b. The Man who is My Companion: The ancient Hebrew word for My Companion is used in Leviticus 6:2 and 18:20 to mean a "near neighbor." This describes someone who is more than a friend of the LORD; this Shepherd "dwells side by side with the Lord, His equal." (Baldwin)

i. "God would not apply this epithet to any godly or ungodly man whom he might have appointed shepherd over a nation. The idea of nearest one (or fellow) involves not only similarity in vocation, but community of physical or spiritual descent, according to which he whom God calls his neighbor cannot be a mere man, but can only be one who participates in the divine nature, or is essentially divine." (Keil)

c. Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered: Jesus quoted this phrase from Zechariah 13:7 in Matthew 26:31 in reference to the scattering of His disciples during His arrest and suffering. There is also a sense in which the disciples were a type of Israel as a whole in being scattered.

2. (8-9) Israel scattered, smitten, refined, and saved.

"And it shall come to pass in all the land," says the LORD, "That two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one- third shall be left in it: I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, 'This is My people'; and each one will say, 'The LORD is my God.' "

a. I will bring the one-third through the fire: After the dispersion of Israel there will come a time of devastation and purification through fiery trials. Two-thirds will be destroyed and the remaining third will be put into the fire but preserved.

i. This seems to suggest that only one-third of the Jewish people will survive the Great Tribulation. If this is the case, no wonder these years are called the time of Jacob's trouble (Jeremiah 30:7), and why Jesus said the Great Tribulation will be the most horrific time in human history (Matthew 24:21).

b. They will call on My name, and I will answer them: This prophetically refers to the Jewish people who survive the Great Tribulation, come to salvation in the second half of that final period and welcome Jesus in the name of the LORD. This group - which includes the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14, but is not limited to that number - will make up the core of a restored Israel as Jesus establishes His millennial rule over the ear

 

[rasheedfan2005]

Obadiah 1

JUDGMENT AGAINST ISRAEL'S BROTHER
A. Judgment against Edom.

1. (1-4) Obadiah announces judgment against Edom and her pride.

The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom (We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations, saying,"Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle"): "Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be greatly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you,you who dwell in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; you who say in your heart, 'Who will bring me down to the ground?' Though you ascend as high as the eagle, and though you set your nest among the stars, from there I will bring you down," says the LORD.

a. The vision of Obadiah: The Hebrew name Obadiah means "Worshipper of Yahweh" or "Servant of Yahweh." There are 13 "Obadiahs" in the Old Testament, and one of these may the Obadiah who wrote this book.

- An Obadiah was an officer in King Ahab of Israel's court and hid God's prophets in a cave (1 Kings 18:3)

- An Obadiah was sent out by King Jehoshaphat of Judah to teach the law in the cities of Judah (2 Chronicles 17:7)

- An Obadiah was one of the overseers who helped repair the temple in the days of Josiah, King of Judah (2 Chronicles 34:12)

- An Obadiah was a priest in the days of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 10:5)

b. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: Obadiah's prophecy is unique because he doesn't deal with Judah or Israel much at all. His focus is on the sin of Edom and the judgment coming upon them. Who were the Edomites?

- The Edomites are the people descended from Esau, the son of Isaac and Rebekah and the brother of Jacob (Genesis 25:19-34). Esau was nicknamed "Edom" (which means, "red") probably because he had red hair

- Esau eventually settled in the area of Mount Seir and absorbed a people known as the Horites (Genesis 36:8-43, which refers to Edomite rulers asdukes in the King James Version; Deuteronomy 2:12)

- When Israel came out of Egypt and wanted to pass through the land of the Edomites to enter into the Promised Land, the Edomites wouldn't let them (Numbers 20:14-21)

- The Edomites opposed Saul and were conquered under David and Solomon (1 Samuel 14:47, 2 Samuel 8:14, 1 Kings 9:26)

- In the days of King Jehoshaphat of Judah, Edom joined with Moab and Ammon to attack Judah, but the Lord fought for Judah and defeated them (2 Chronicles 20:1-27, the famous battle that was led with praise)

- The Edomites successfully rebelled against King Jehoram of Judah (2 Kings 8:16-22)

- King Amaziah of Judah brought them back under subjugation (2 Kings 14:9-11)

- The Edomites again attacked Judah in the days of King Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:17)

- Centuries later, King Herod the Great (Luke 1:5) was an Edomite

- They fought side by side with the Jews the rebellion against Rome in 66-70 A.D. and were crushed by Rome, never to be heard of as a people again. The predictions of Obadiah 1:10 and 1:18 were proven true

c. Concerning Edom: Because of what this book says of Edom and Jerusalem, we can gather a date for Obadiah's ministry. The only time markers we have in the book are the attack against Jerusalem (Obadiah 1:10-14) and the fact that this passage also seems to indicate that Edom was not under Judah's rule at the time.

- 2 Chronicles 21:16-17 describes an attack against Jerusalem during the reign of Jehoram (848-841 B.C.) by the Philistines and the Arabians.

- 2 Kings 24 and 25 describe the attack of the Babylonians against Jerusalem in 586 B.C.

i. Probably the better choice is the earlier attack, because Obadiah 1:10-14doesn't seem to indicate that Jerusalem was totally destroyed, as it was under the Babylonian attack. If Obadiah's prophecy considers this time period under Jehoram (848-841 B.C.), it makes him a contemporary of the prophet Elisha and also makes him the earliest of the prophets, probably beating Joel by a few years. It also means that this Prophet Obadiah may be the same man mentioned in 2 Chronicles 17:7.

d. A report from the LORD … Arise, and let us rise up against her for battle: Obadiah receives a "news bulletin" from the LORD. "This just in - God is bringing nations against Edom in battle." As a result of the coming battle, God willmake Edom small among the nations and greatly despised.

e. The pride of your heart has deceived you: This helps explain why God is bringing judgment against Edom. They are filled with pride, and it has deceivedthem.

i. Pride is very deceptive. It makes us think things about ourselves and others that simply are not true. The Edomites were not the last peopledeceived by pride.

f. You who dwell in the clefts of the rock: The Edomites didn't have all that much to be proud about. They were a small, relatively poor and insignificant nation. Yet what they could be proud about, they were - they lived in an area of great natural fortifications and strength, so they boasted in the clefts of the rock around them.

i. Though you exalt yourself as high as the eagle: And boast they did! Pride is so ingrained in fallen human nature that even if we don't have much to be proud about, we'll find something to exalt our self. This also reminds us that we don't have to be rich or powerful or great to be filled will pride. Sometimes those who have the least reason for pride have the most of it.

ii. The Edomites boasted in their natural defenses. The ancient city of Petra - once the capital city of Edom, known as Sela - had amazing defenses. It is a city carved into the rock, accessible by a narrow canyon almost a mile long. At the end of the canyon there is a spectacular city carved in stone, and seemingly incapable of being conquered by any army.

iii. The Edomites boasted in their wisdom. The men of Edom - especially of the city Teman - were noted for their wisdom. The phrase men of the East in the Old Testament often refers to men from Edom, and passages like1 Kings 4:30 declare the great wisdom of the men of the East. As well,Jeremiah 49:7 says of Edom: Is wisdom no more in Teman? Has counsel perished from the prudent? Has their wisdom vanished? This was another source of pride for the Edomites.

iv. The Edomites boasted in their alliances and trusted in their allies - theirconfederacy, the men at peace with you (Obadiah 1:7). They thought that their alliances made them strong, and they were proud because of that strength.

g. From there I will bring you down: The sobering truth about our pride is that God can bring us down anytime. He can shatter our proud deception and bring us low.

2. (5-9) God's judgment against Edom will be complete.

"If thieves had come to you, if robbers by night; Oh, how you will be cut off! - Would they not have stolen till they had enough? If grape-gatherers had come to you, would they not have left some gleanings? Oh, how Esau shall be searched out! How his hidden treasures shall be sought after! All the men in your confederacy shall force you to the border; the men at peace with you shall deceive you and prevail against you.Those who eat your bread shall lay a trap for you. No one is aware of it. Will I not in that day," says the LORD, "Even destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountains of Esau? Then your mighty men, O Teman, shall be dismayed, to the end that everyone from the mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter."

a. Would they not have stolen till they had enough? Obadiah says that the judgment coming upon Edom will be far worse than what happens when robberscome and steal, because they usually stop when they have enough. The judgment coming against Edom will be far more complete (everyone from the mountains of Esau may be cut off by slaughter).

i. The Edomites were proud of their great natural defenses, but God would break their pride and bring them low.

b. Men at peace with you shall deceive you: When God brings judgment against Edom, they will know the sting of treachery against them. The alliances they once trusted in would come to nothing, and they would be double-crossed by their former friends.

i. The Edomites were proud of their political alliances, but God would break their pride and bring them low.

c. Destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountains of Esau: The Edomites were renowned for their great wisdom, but God would bring such great judgment that even their wise men would be destroyed.

i. The Edomites were proud of their reputation for wisdom, but God would break their pride and bring them low.

d. Obadiah 1:1-9 is paralleled remarkably in Jeremiah 49:7-22, so Jeremiah probably had Obadiah's prophecy before him as he wrote and ministered.

3. (10-14) Why judgment is coming against Edom.

"For violence against your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be cut off forever. In the day that you stood on the other side; in the day that strangers carried captive his forces, when foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem; even you were as one of them. But you should not have gazed on the day of your brother in the day of his captivity; nor should you have rejoiced over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction; nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress. You should not have entered the gate of My people in the day of their calamity. Indeed, you should not have gazed on their affliction in the day of their calamity, nor laid hands on their substance in the day of their calamity. You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped; nor should you have delivered up those among them who remained in the day of distress."

a. For your violence against your brother Jacob: The family lines of both Israel and Edom go back to a common ancestor - Isaac. Esau (Edom) was thebrother of Jacob (Israel). This made Edom's sin against Israel all the worse.

i. Some sins become worse depending on whom we sin against. It is sin to treat someone else badly; it is worse to treat a brother or sister in Jesusbadly. It is sin to speak harshly to anyone; it is worse to speak harshly to your husband orwife.

b. In that day you stood on the other side: What did Edom do whenstrangers attacked Judah and foreigners entered his gates? Nothing. They stood by and cheered for Judah's misery (nor should you have rejoiced).

i. Sometimes doing nothing is a great sin. Numbers 32:23 speaks of the sin that will find you out, and the sin it speaks of is the sin of doing nothing.

ii. Edom actually did worse than nothing; they rejoiced over another's misfortune and suffering and used it as an occasion to exalt themselves (nor should you have spoken proudly in the day of distress).

c. Nor laid hands on their substance: Edom's sin started with doing nothing, then progressed to pride over Judah's distress. Soon, they took advantage of their brother Judah's misfortune and laid hands on their substance.

d. You should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off those among them who escaped: The final progression of Edom's sin was worst of all - they joined in the attack against vulnerable Judah. When they encountered people from Judah fleeing southward from the attacking army, they killed them (cut off) or gave them over to the enemy as prisoners (delivered up those among them who remained).

i. "Sin proceeds by degrees; neither is any man at his worst at first." (Trapp)

e. In the day of his captivity … in the day of distress … in the day of calamity: All in all, Edom treated God's people terribly when distress andcalamity came upon them. For all this, God's judgment was coming upon them.

- First they did nothing
- Then they rejoiced in their distress and calamity
- Then they took advantage of their vulnerable state
- Then they joined in the violence against God's people
i. Are we guilty of the same - or worse - when we see others in distress orcalamity? If so, God sees it as sin and He must deal with it in our life.

B. Deliverance on Mount Zion.

1. (15-16) A promise of judgment against Edom.

"For the day of the LORD upon all the nations is near; as you have done, it shall be done to you; your reprisal shall return upon your own head. For as you drank on my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually; yes, they shall drink, and swallow, and they shall be as though they had never been."

a. The day of the LORD upon all the nations is near: God wants Edom to know that though distress and calamity came upon Judah, it can and will come upon Edom also. That day is near.

b. As you have done, it shall be done to you: God will give simple justice to the Edomites, no more and no less. What they did to the people of Judah will also be done to them. The same principle is true for us, so if we want mercy from God, we do well to give mercy to others.

i. There is a sense in which God's judgment against Edom was just the fulfillment of His promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3: I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you. The Edomites cursed Israel, so they were cursed. If we want to be blessed, we should bless the Jewish people.

2. (17-20) God will use Israel to bring judgment against Edom.

"But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau," for the LORD has spoken. The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, and the Lowland shall possess Philistia. They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria. Benjamin shall possess Gilead. And the captives of this host of the children of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath. The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South.

a. On Mount Zion there shall be deliverance: The trials and burdens among God's people are only temporary, because among them there shall be deliverance. However, the attack coming against Edom will be different - Israel will be the fire and they will be the stubble, and Edom will be completely devoured.

i. The word of the LORD through Obadiah proved true. The Edomites fought side by side with the Jews the rebellion against Rome in 66-70 A.D. and were crushed by Rome, never to be heard of as a people again. The predictions of Obadiah 1:10 and 1:18 were precisely fulfilled. You just won't meet an Edomite today.

b. The South shall possess the mountains of Esau: Obadiah looks forward to a coming day when Israel will occupy and possess the land that once belonged to Esau. Though the modern borders of Israel do not encompass the ancient lands of Edom, we can trust that they one day will, either in this age or in the age to come.

i. The house of Jacob shall possess their possessions: Possessing these other lands can only happen when we first possess what is ours. God has given us a rich heritage of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), but how much do we actually possess? God wants His people to possess their possessions.

3. (21) Saviors come to Mount Zion.

Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.

a. Saviors shall come to Mount Zion: The idea isn't that there are manysaviors in an ultimate sense. Here, the word "saviors" has the sense of "deliverers." The contrast is plain; Edom will be completely destroyed, and nosaviors shall help her, but saviors shall come to Mount Zion.

b. To judge the mountains of Esau: They will judge the mountains of Esauin at least three ways:

- The presence of deliverers is a judgment against Edom, because Edom will have no deliverers
- The judges will rule over the territory of Edom
- The judges will actually sit in judgment over Edom and their sins
c. And the kingdom shall be the LORD's: The brief prophecy of Obadiah ends on this high note. The Edomites seemed to have their day against God's people but at the end of it all, the kingdom shall be the LORD's. He knows how to take care of God's people and to advance His kingdom in a glorious way.

i. This note of encouragement may be the central purpose for this prophecy of Obadiah. We wonder if it ever had much of a reading in the streets or palaces of Edom; but it certainly was received as welcome encouragement among the suffering people of God. Obadiah tells all God's people: "Don't worry about those who ignore your need, those who rejoice at your problems, those who take advantage of your crises, those join their hands with others in attacking you. I will take care of them."

Real good read. Cuts deep but I like it, thanks for that.

 

[rasheedfan2005]

on the worthless shepherd.

"Woe to the worthless shepherd, who leaves the flock! A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye; his arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be totally blinded."

a. Woe to the worthless shepherd: Though God appointed the foolish shepherd in light of Israel's rejection of the Good Shepherd, it does not mean that God approves of the foolish shepherd. God will judge that worthless shepherdwho injured His flock.

b. A sword shall be against his arm and against his right eye: The worthless shepherd feels the sword of God's judgment against his arm and his right eye. The arm expresses strength and the eye expresses intelligence, so this will be a harsh blow against the worthless shepherd.

.

I like real world application.

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Zechariah 14

HOLINESS TO THE LORD
A. Israel attacked but defended by the returning Messiah.

1. (1-2) Jerusalem under siege from the nations.

Behold, the day of the LORD is coming, and your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; the city shall be taken, the houses rifled, and the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, but the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

a. I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem: Zechariah seems to have the very end times in view, when Jerusalem will be surrounded and attacked by some type of international force. When the Romans came against Jerusalem in 70 A.D. they came with a multinational army and brought terrible destruction on the city and its people. Yet there was none of the deliverance that Zechariah will describe in the following verses, so it is difficult to say that this was fulfilled in the Roman attack upon Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

b. Half the city shall go into captivity: This attack against Jerusalem will be severe, but the city itself will not be overthrown (the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city).

2. (3-5) The Messiah intervenes for His people.

Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west,making a very large valley; half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south. Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Thus the LORD my God will come,and all the saints with You.

a. Then the LORD will go forth and fight: Just when it seems that all hope is gone for Jerusalem and the people of Israel, then the Lord will fight for His people.

i. "God is said to go forth when he manifests his power by delivering his people and punishing their enemies." (Pulpit)

b. His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives … And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west: This speaks of the LORD - Jesus, as God the Son - materially returning to a material earth and setting His feet on the Mount of Olives. At that time a great split will cut the Mount of Olives in two, and the persecuted people of Jerusalem will flee through the valley made by the split.

c. Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You: Jesus will touch His feet to the Mount of Olives when He returns in glory with all the saints, the armies of heaven described in Revelation 19:14.

i. This was the type of arrival the Jews in Jesus' day hoped for. Indeed, when the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem in 70 A.D. a mistaken assurance from prophecies like this made the Jews utterly confident that the Messiah would return from heaven and wipe out the Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem. They could not see that the Messiah must first be rejected and the nation brought to repentance as Zechariah mentioned in 11:12-13 and 12:10.

B. The Kingdom of the Messiah.

1. (6-11) The Messiah's rule changes the earth.

It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the LORD; neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light. And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and half of them toward the western sea; in both summer and winter it shall occur. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be; "The LORD is one," and His name one. All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin's Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananeel to the king's winepresses. The people shall dwell in it; and no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

a. At evening time it shall happen that it will be light: Now Zechariah looks forward to the glory of Jerusalem in the Messiah's kingdom. The lights we guide our lives by will diminish, but God will bring His own light.

b. Living waters shall flow from Jerusalem: Jerusalem will no longer be a dry city, but a glorious river will flow from the city and branch off both east and west, and it will be a never ending flow (in both summer and winter it shall occur).

i. All over the world people want to know what will happen to Jerusalem. Zechariah knows the answer - God will gloriously save and restore Jerusalem, making it the capital city of the millennial earth.

ii. Ezekiel 47 records a vision that may describe this scene. Ezekiel saw a river flowing from the throne of God and down to the Dead Sea, bringing life and vitality everywhere.

c. All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: Since the mountains around Jerusalem are no longer needed as a defense, they can be flattened into a plain.

d. Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited: This will be the first time in a long time that Jerusalem will be a safe place to live.

2. (12-15) Enemies are forever plagued.

And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand; Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance. Such also shall be the plague on the horse and the mule, on the camel and the donkey, and on all the cattle that will be in those camps. So shall this plague be.

a. Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet: In the glorious deliverance the Messiah brings, the enemies of God and His people are destroyed by plague, mutual slaughter, and by the sword of Judah (Judah also will fight at Jerusalem).

i. The description of flesh dissolving makes some think that Zechariah is describing the effects of a neutron or nuclear bomb.

b. The wealth of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together: In the glorious deliverance the Messiah brings, Jerusalem will become a wealthy and influential city again.

3. (16-19) All the nations come to Jerusalem to worship the LORD.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

a. Shall go up from year to year to worship the King: Instead of coming to Jerusalem for battle now the nations come to honor God and to remember His faithfulness to Israel in the wilderness by keeping the Feast of Tabernacles.

i. Jesus told us to go to the ends of the earth with the gospel but in the millennium the earth will come to Jerusalem to worship and honor God.

b. Whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem … on them there will be no rain: God won't make people worship Him during the millennium, but the advantages of worshipping and honoring God will be more evident than ever.

c. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain: Egypt is specifically mentioned because they were a nation not especially dependant on rain, yet they too would be punished if disobedient.

4. (20-21) The common is made holy.

In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

a. In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses: This was the great inscription on the metal band around the high priest's headpiece (Exodus 28:36). In the glory of the Messiah's kingdom horses won't be needed for war any longer - now even they can wear the emblems ofHOLINESS TO THE LORD.

b. The pots in the Lord's house: These were the cooking utensils used by worshippers to cook for their own the sacrificial meat intended for them from the peace offerings. The bowls before the altar were used to gather and sprinkle sacrificial blood on the altar. These show that animal sacrifice will continue in the millennium, but not as atonement for sin - which was perfectly satisfied by the atoning work of Jesus. Sacrifice in the millennium will look back to the perfect work of Jesus.

c. Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the LORD of hosts: In the glory of the Messiah's kingdom, what was previously common is made holy; the holy is made holier; and the irreclaimably profane is forever shut out. At the end of it all, there is no longer any distinction between the holy and profane. All is set apart to God and His purposes.

i. "The point is that the people and the city will be so holy that even these insignificant things will be fully dedicated to the Lord." (Boice)

ii. There is a right way and a wrong way to eliminate the line between the holy and the profane: you can make everything holy (set apart to the LORD), or you can make everything profane (set apart to sin and self). Zechariah ends his prophecy making it clear that God's way is the make everything that was once common or profane holy instead

 

[DaLincolnJones]

Malachi 1

I HAVE LOVED YOU"
A. God's love for a rebellious Israel.

1. (1-2a) God declares His love for Israel through the prophet Malachi.

The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. "I have loved you," says the LORD.

a. To Israel by Malachi: Malachi spoke to the exiles some 100 years after their initial return, after the days of Zechariah and Haggai. Malachi ministered either at the time of Nehemiah or immediately after his book closes.

i. We know this because in Malachi's day the temple was rebuilt (Malachi 1:13, 3:1, 3:10).

ii. We know this because the Jews were under a civil ruler (the governor ofMalachi 1:8), and Nehemiah was the last civil ruler over Jerusalem.

iii. We know this because the sins that Malachi rebuked are the same sins Nehemiah rebuked.

- The priesthood was defiled (Nehemiah 13:29, Malachi 1:6-2:9)
- Marriage was corrupt in Israel (Nehemiah 13:23-25,Malachi 2:14-15)
- The tithe that should go to the Levites was kept from them (Nehemiah 13:10-11, Malachi 3:8-12)
iv. By now, the temple is rebuilt, sacrifice and feasts have resumed but the dramatic promises of the prophets like Haggai and Zechariah are still far from fulfillment. This left the nation languishing in the disappointment of unfulfilled hopes and has lulled them into a low regard for God. Israel needs an assurance of God's love and a challenge to their disobedience.

b. "I have loved you," says the LORD: Malachi will have a lot of specific correction for Israel, but before God corrects He assures them of His love. This lays a foundation for their obedience, because if they love Him, they will keep His commandments (John 14:15).

i. Morgan translates this as "I have loved you, I do love you, I will love you," says the Lord.

2. (2-5) Their first question: How has God demonstrated His love to Israel?

"Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" Says the LORD. "Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness." Even though Edom has said, "We have been impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places," Thus says the LORD of hosts: "They may build, but I will throw down; they shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, and the people against whom the LORD will have indignation forever. Your eyes shall see, and you shall say, 'The LORD is magnified beyond the border of Israel.'"

a. In what way have You loved us? This is the kind of question rarely spoken, but often harbored in the heart. It asks, "God, if you really love me why are things the way they are?"

i. The prophecy of Malachi is built around seven questions the people asked God. These questions revealed their doubting, discouraged, sinful heart.

- In what way have You loved us? (Malachi 1:2)
- In what way have we despised Your name? (Malachi 1:6)
- In what way have we defiled You? (Malachi 1:7)
- In what way have we wearied Him? (Malachi 2:17)
- In what way shall we return? (Malachi 3:7)
- In what way have we robbed You? (Malachi 3:8)
- In what way have we spoken against You? (Malachi 3:13)
b. Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated: God asks Israel to find assurance in His election. He wants them to understand that they are chosen and remain His chosen and favored people. When the people of Israel compared themselves to their neighbors the Edomites (the descendants of Esau), they saw that God chose to preserve Israel and punished the Edomites.

i. Obadiah promised judgment against the land and people of Edom. Apparently by Malachi's time it had happened, and God's choice of Israel assured His love for them.

ii. Understanding our election can bring a wonderful assurance of God's love. It means that God chose us before we existed and that the reasons for His choosing and loving us are based in Him, not in us. Knowing God chose us gives us a sense of boldness and confidence in our walk with Him.

iii. Understanding our election gives assurance of love but since the finished work of Jesus we have a new demonstration of love: But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us(Romans 5:8).

c. Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated: The choice of Jacob over Esau is a strong and classic example of God's election. God chose Jacob instead of Esau to carry the blessing promised to their grandfather Abraham. In some ways, Esau was a more likely candidate because though Jacob and Esau were twins, Esau was born first. Nevertheless Jacob was chosen, and chosen before he and Esau were ever born (Genesis 25:23).

d. Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated: How could God hate Esau? He didn't hate Esau in the sense of cursing him or striking out against him. Indeed, Esau was a blessed man (Genesis 33:9, 36:1-43). Yet when God chose Jacob, He left Esau unchosen in regard to receiving the blessing given to Abraham.

i. In his commentary on Romans (where Paul quotes this Malachi passage inRomans 9:13) Leon Morris cites examples where hate clearly seems to mean something like "loved less" (Genesis 29:31-33, Deuteronomy 21:15,Matthew 6:24, Luke 14:26, John 12:25). Yet he agrees with Calvin's idea that the real thought here is much more like "accepted" and "rejected" more than it is like our understanding of the terms "loved" and "hated."

ii. Remember the reason why election is brought up here: not to exclude, but to comfort and reassure. "A woman once said to Mr. Spurgeon, 'I cannot understand why God should say that He hated Esau.' 'That,' Spurgeon replied, 'is not my difficulty, madam. My trouble is to understand how God could love Jacob.'" (William Newell in his commentary on Romans)

iii. Malachi isn't teaching double predestination. "Malachi is not speaking of the predestination of the one brother and reprobation of the other; he is contrasting the histories of the two peoples represented by them … Both nations sinned; both are punished; but Israel by God's free mercy was forgiven and restored, while Edom was left in the misery which it had brought upon itself by its own iniquity." (Pulpit)

e. Our greatest error in considering God's election is to think that God chooses for arbitrary reasons, as if He made choices in an "eeny-meeny-miny-moe" way of choosing. We may not understand God's reasons for choosing and they may be reasons He alone knows and answers to, but God's choices are not capricious. They make perfect sense knowing everything God knows and seeing everything God sees.

i. Some consider God's election as conditional, in the sense that it is based upon foreknowledge. Others consider God's election unconditional, based on God's sovereign choice. Here, it seems that the election of Jacob wasunconditional. Though God knew what sort of men Jacob and Esau would become His election was not based on that.

ii. One might say, "I don't believe in Jesus; therefore I must not be chosen." That is fine, but then that person cannot blame God at all for not choosing them if they refuse to choose Him.

f. And laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness: The idea of God's preference for Jacob over Esau also extended to their descendents. The nation descended from Jacob (Israel) was conquered by the Babylonian Empire, and so was the nation descended from Esau (Edom). Yet God restored Israel from exile and at this point Edom had not been restored. God chose to show more favor to Jacob and his descendants.

g. They may build, but I will throw down: God promises that Edom will be permanently ruined, and that their status as "unchosen" won't change. As a reflection of God's steadfast commitment to Israel, this is a comfort to God's people - once He chose Israel they stay chosen, and God will not forsake them and choose another.

B. Sacrifices dishonoring to God are exposed and condemned.

1. (6-8) Their second and third questions: How have we despised the LORD? How have we defiled His ministry?

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where isMy honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? Says the LORD of hosts to you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?' You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, 'In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, 'The table of the LORD is contemptible.' And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts.

a. Where is My honor? Through Malachi, God asks the priests of Israel why they show so little respect and honor to Him in their sacrifices. They call GodFather, they call Him Master, yet they do not honor Him and reverence Him with their sacrifices.

b. To you priests who despise My name: The priests of Israel presided over the sacrifices and it was their duty to uphold the honor and dignity of the sacrifices. Yet they offered defiled food to God, and offered animals that wereblind, lame, or sick.

i. Passages such as Leviticus 22:20-23 and Deuteronomy 15:21 clearly prohibited offering blemished sacrifices.

c. In what way have we despised Your name? The priests weren't even aware that they despised God with their actions. This means that it came by degrees; they probably did not know the extent of their offense, simply carrying on "business as usual."

i. In ministry, it is easier than many people think to blindly continue in sin or mechanical indifference. God wanted Israel's priests to think about their service to Him, and He wants today's ministers to think just as carefully.

ii. Richard Baxter, a great Puritan writer, carefully considered the walk of the minister: "But consider plainly that the great and lamentable sin of ministers of the Gospel is that they are not fully devoted to God. They do not give themselves up wholly to the blessed work they have undertaken to do. Is it not true that flesh-pleasing and self-seeking interests - distinct from that of Christ - make us neglect our duty and lead us to walk unfaithfully in the great trust that God has given us? Is it not true that we serve God too cheaply? Do we not do so in the most applauded way? Do we not withdraw ourselves from that which would cost us the most suffering? Does not all this show that we seek earthly rather than heavenly things? And that we mind the things which are below? While we preach for the realities which are above, do we not idolize the world? So what remains to be said, brethren, but to cry that we are all guilty of too many of the aforementioned sins. Do we not need to humble ourselves in lamentation for our miscarriages before the Lord?" (Richard Baxter, The Reformed Pastor)

d. You offer defiled food on My altar: The altar was the place of sacrifice, and it belonged to God. Yet the priests of Malachi's day disgraced God and His altar by offering defiled food to Him. Ministers today must never present defiled food to God in their ministry.

i. Pastor, your sermon is filled with funny jokes, clever anecdotes, and emotional stores but it lacks God's word. You throw in a few Scriptures here and there to illustrate or back up your stories, but your sermon is really all about you. It isn't about Jesus, it isn't about His Word. Pastor, you are settingdefiled food on God's altar.

ii. Pastor, your sermon is sloppy - you don't do your work in the study, and you shoot from the hip. Worse yet, you don't labor in prayer and meditation over God's word and seek His message for the people. You don't hold fast the pattern of sound words. You don't rightly divide the word of truth. Pastor, you are setting defiled food on God's altar.

iii. Pastor, your sermon is cold - God forbid you should show some concern or passion in the pulpit. Your passion is reserved for other things - like football or golf. You can pontificate or argue with the best of them, but your messages have no deep passion for God or your people. You punch the clock and put in the time, but your heart for Jesus is cold. Pastor, you are setting defiled food on God's altar.

e. The table of the LORD is contemptible: The priests weren't grateful for their ministry, for their work before the LORD. They whined about what the people gave and the trouble of being a priest.

f. Offer it then to your governor! The priests and the people tried to give to God things that the government wouldn't accept as taxes. King David had a completely different heart, saying nor will I offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God with that which costs me nothing (2 Samuel 24:24).

2. (9-11) God will be glorified but will it be by His present people?

"But now entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us. While this is being doneby your hands, will He accept you favorably?" Says the LORD of hosts. Who is thereeven among you who would shut the doors, so that you would not kindle fire on My altar in vain? I have no pleasure in you," says the LORD of hosts, "Nor will I accept an offering from your hands. For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations," says the LORD of hosts.

a. Entreat God's favor, that He may be gracious to us: This phrase is rich with irony. Moffatt's paraphrase gives the sense: Try to pacify God and win his favour? How can he favour any one of you, says the Lord of hosts, when you offer him such sacrifices?

b. Who would shut the doors: God thought it was better to shut the doorsrather than to continue worthless worship. Not everything that is offered to God as worship is accepted by God as worship. Sometimes He would prefer that it just stop and simply says, "I have no pleasure in you."

i. We are concerned with church growth, evangelism, and planting churches. Yet in some cases the best thing we could do for the cause of the LORD is toshut the doors on many churches.

ii. "I am more afraid of profanity of the sanctuary than I am of the profanity of the street." (Morgan)

c. My name shall be great among the Gentiles: Yet, God will not go without worship. If the priests and people among the Jews will not worship Him in Spirit and in truth, God will find worshippers among the Gentiles.

d. In every place incense shall be offered to My name: This is a glorious promise that the true worship of God will extend all over the earth. Jesus' command to spread the Gospel and to go to every nation is part of God's way of fulfilling this promise.

i. "It is, therefore, inconceivable that a prophet should suggest that the nations of his own day were worshipping the Lord under another name (Isaiah 42:8). Rather is he proclaiming that the nations will come to know the God revealed in the Scriptures." (Baldwin)

3. (12-14) God promises to curse shallow, selfish, false worship.

"But you profane it, in that you say, 'The table of the LORD is defiled; and its fruit, its food, is contemptible.' You also say, 'Oh, what a weariness!' And you sneer at it," says the LORD of hosts. "And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?" Says the LORD. "But cursed be the deceiver who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow, but sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King," says the LORD of hosts, "And My name is to befeared among the nations."

a. Contemptible … Oh, what a weariness! Their selfish, insincere worship was also unsatisfying to the worshippers. Because they did not meet God in their worship it was as hollow for them as it was for God. True worship is nevercontemptible or a weariness.

b. Cursed be the deceiver: In bringing God less than their best, they were deceivers, like Annanias and Saphira who pretended to surrender everything to God but really did not.

c. I am a great King: They simply did not treat God like a great King, one to be feared and honored. When we offer shallow, insincere worship to God we don't honor Him as a great King

 

[DaLincolnJones]

1 Timothy

FIGHTING FOR THE FAITH
A. Introduction.

1. (1) The identity of the author, Paul.

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope.

a. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ: Paul, in his self-description, emphasized his credentials (apostle) and authority (by the commandment of God). He did this both as a personal encouragement to Timothy and so the letter could be used as a letter of reference before any erring Ephesian Christians.

i. It seems that 1 Timothy was written by Paul to Timothy sometime after his release from Roman imprisonment as described at the end of Acts, and written from Macedonia (1 Timothy 1:3).

ii. Apparently, after his release (hoped for in Philemon 22 andPhilippians 1:25-26 and 2:24), Paul returned to the city of Ephesus. There he discovered that during his absence Ephesus had become a storm center of false teaching (a sad fulfillment of the prediction he had made to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-30).

iii. Paul probably dealt with the leaders of the heresy personally, but soon found it necessary to leave for Macedonia. He then left Timothy in charge of affairs at Ephesus, as his own personal representative. He knew that Timothy had a tough job to carry out, so he hoped that this letter would both equip and encourage him in the task.

iv. "The use of this official title is an indication that the Pastoral Epistles were not merely private letters, but were intended to be read to the Churches committed to the charge of Timothy." (White)

b. Our Savior: At that very time, the title Savior was used in the worship of the Roman Emperor. People called, and were forced to call Caesar Nero "savior." Paul made the identity of real Savior clear.

i. White on by the commandment of God: "Here it is to be noted that thecommand proceeds equally from God and Christ Jesus. This language could hardly have been used if St. Paul conceived of Christ Jesus as a creature."

2. (2) The identity of the recipient, Timothy.

To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

a. A true son in the faith: Paul could consider Timothy a true son in the faithbecause he probably led him and his mother to the Lord on Paul's first missionary journey (Acts 14:8-20 and 16:1).

i. Timothy was a resident of Lystra, a city in the province of Galatia (Acts 16:1-3). He was the son of a Greek father (Acts 16:2) and a Jewish mother named Eunice (2 Timothy 2:5). From his youth he was taught in the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5; 3:15).

b. Grace, mercy, and peace: This is a familiar greeting of Paul in his letters to congregations. Here, he also applied it to individuals. God grants His grace, mercy, and peace not only to churches, but also to the individuals who make up the churches.

i. Yet, there is a difference. When Paul wrote to churches, he just greeted them with grace and peace. To both Timothy and Titus he added mercy to the greeting.

ii. "Not only grace and peace, as to others. When we pray for ministers, we must be more than ordinarily earnest for them with God. These three are joined together only in the Epistles of Timothy and Titus."

B. Paul urges Timothy to remain in Ephesus.

1. (3-4) Stay in Ephesus and stay with the Scriptures.

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia; remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

a. Remain in Ephesus: Though Timothy had a tough job, Paul wanted him toremain in Ephesus and continue the work. Paul urged Timothy to do this when the apostle left Ephesus.

i. Paul told Timothy to remain in Ephesus because it seemed that Timothy wanted to give up and run away. Everyone in ministry deals with this some times; for some it is a constant affliction. There was probably both external pressure and internal pressure for him to leave.

ii. God will allow us to be in difficult situations. We must set our minds to meet the challenge, or we will surely give up. Many years ago a famous Arctic explorer put this ad in a London newspaper: "Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success." Thousands of men responded to the appeal because they were willing to embrace a difficult job when called to do so by a great leader.

b. That you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine: Paul left Timothy with an important job to do, making it all the more important that heremain in Ephesus. The job was to make sure that correct doctrine was taught in Ephesus.

i. No other doctrine: Paul left the Ephesian Christians with a particular set of teachings (which he had received from Jesus and the Old Testament). He was concerned that Timothy did everything he could to make sure the Ephesians continue in that doctrine.

ii. Paul did this because doctrine is vitally important to God. Today, whatone believes - that is, their doctrine - is staggeringly unimportant to most people. This spirit of the modern age has also heavily influenced Christians. We live in a day where Pilate's question What is truth? (John 18:38) is answered today, "Whatever it means to you." But truth is important to God, and should be important to us.

c. That you may charge some: Paul's concern was not primarily that Timothy himself would begin to teach wrong doctrine. His concern was that Timothy would allow others to spread these other doctrines. Timothy had to stand firm against difficult people and charge some that they teach no other doctrine. No wonder he felt like leaving Ephesus.

i. In the ancient Greek, charge is a military word. It means "To give strict orders from a commanding officer." (Wiersbe) Timothy wasn't to present theoption of correct doctrine to these some in Ephesus. He was to command it like a military officer.

d. Nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies: It seems that the great danger of these teachings (fables and endless genealogies) was that they were silly distractions. Timothy had to remain in Ephesus so that he could command others to ignore these speculative and silly distractions.

i. It wasn't that there was an elaborate anti-Jesus theology rising in Ephesus. It was more that they tended to get carried away by emphasizing the wrong things. Paul wanted to prevent the corruption that comes when people grant authority to fables and endless genealogies instead of true doctrine. Silly distractions are also dangerous, because they take the place of godly edification which is in faith.

ii. Perhaps the endless genealogies had to do with Gnostic-type theories of "emanations" from God. Perhaps they were connected with Jewish-type legalism that sought righteousness by virtue of one's ancestry. Or perhaps he had in mind doctrinal systems based on mystic readings of Old Testament genealogies.

iii. Ancient Jewish writings have been discovered, which delve into the most complex genealogies, connecting them with wild speculations about spiritual mysteries. A consuming interest in these kinds of things will crowd out godly edification which is in faith.

e. Cause disputes rather than godly edification: The eventual fruit of these man-made diversions is evident. Though they may be popular and fascinating in the short term, in the long run they don't build up the body of Christ in faith.

i. "Discourses that turn to no profit; a great many words and little sense; and that sense not worth the pains of hearing." (Clarke)

2. (5-7) The purpose of the commandment.

Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

a. The purpose of the commandment: The purpose of the law is found in its inward work upon the heart, not in mere outward observance. Without this understanding, it is easy to become shallow legalists, who are only concerned with how things look on the outside.

b. Love from a pure heart: This suggests the idea that the problem in Ephesus was along Jewish-type legalistic lines. They misunderstood the commandment and the law.

i. If spending time in God's word isn't producing love from a pure heart, agood conscience, or sincere faith in us, something is wrong. Legalism may make us twist God's word, so that instead of showing love we are harsh and judgmental; instead of having a good conscience we always feel condemned knowing we don't measure up; and instead of sincere faith we practically trust in our own ability to please God.

c. Idle talk: This probably has in mind vain speculations about the Scriptures, which may have analytical and entertainment value but were never meant to be our spiritual diet.

i. In the King James Version, idle talk is translated vain jangling - the idea is of meaningless babble.

d. Understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm: The problem people in Ephesus did not even understand the implications of their own teaching.

3. (8-11) Paul's condemnation of legalists is not a condemnation of the law itself.

But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.

a. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully: The purpose of the law is to show us our sin, not to lead us to righteousness (as inGalatians 3:24-25). It wasn't made for the righteous person (who walks by faith according to Galatians 3:11) but for the lawless and insubordinate, to show them their sin.

i. The idea isn't that the law has nothing to say to the righteous person, but that it especially speaks to the ungodly. On the phrase, The law is not made for a righteous person, Clarke observes that the word for made"Refers to the custom of writing laws on boards, and hanging them up in public places within reach of every man, that they might be read by all; thus all would see against whom the law lay."

b. For the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners: In Paul's mind sound doctrine and right conduct are vitally connected. These sinful actions are contrary to sound doctrine.

i. Many people will condemn anyone with standards - especially higher standards - as being a legalist. Having standards and keeping them does not make us legalists and obedience doesn't make us legalists. We are legalists when we think what we do is what makes us right before God.

c. If there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine: The implication is that in Ephesus, the church existed in a culture marked by these sins here listed and the those teaching false doctrine in some way allowed or promoted this sinful lifestyle.

i. If there is any other thing: "For the apostle took no delight to mention more of this cursed crew; but leaves them to the law to handle and hamper them, as unruly beasts, dogs, lions, leopards, are chained and caged up that they may not do mischief." (Clarke)

ii. The apparently sinful environment of Ephesus shows us another reason why it was important for Timothy to remain in Ephesus. He should remain there because it was a difficult place to serve God and further the kingdom. He had to break up the fallow ground there, instead of running to an easier place to plow.

d. According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God: Though the law cannot bring righteousness, the glorious gospel of the blessed God can - a gospel that, in the words of Paul, was committed to histrust. He sensed his responsibility to preserve and guard the gospel.

C. Paul's personal experience of the gospel.

1. (12-14) Why was Paul entrusted with the gospel?

And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

a. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me: Paul was entrusted with the gospel because Jesus enabled Paul, and Paul thanked Jesus for that enabling. Paul was enabled for this ministry because he was counted … faithfulfor the ministry. Faithfulness made Paul "usable" by God.

i. We often see our Christian service as a matter of volunteering. Yet as Christians, in regard to Jesus and His church, we are not volunteers. We are slaves. We are duty bound servants of Jesus, and faithfulness is expected of such servants.

ii. You don't have to be smart to be faithful; you don't have to be talented or gifted. Faithfulness is something very down-to-earth, and every one of us can be faithful in the sphere God has given us.

iii. Many people wait to be faithful. We tell ourselves, "I'll be faithful when I'm in such and such a position." That's nonsense. We should be faithful right where we are at - our faithfulness is shown in the small things.

b. Putting me into the ministry: Ministry simply means "service." In the original language of the New Testament, there is nothing "high" or "spiritual" about the word. It just means to work hard and serve. Yet for this former blasphemer and persecutor of God's people, this was a great honor.

i. "After Paul was saved, he became a foremost saint. The Lord did not allot him a second-class place in the church. He had been the leading sinner, but his Lord did not, therefore, say, 'I save you, but I shall always remember your wickedness to your disadvantage.' Not so: he counted him faithful, putting him into the ministry and into the apostleship, so that he was not a whit behind the very chief of the apostles. Brother, there is no reason why, if you have gone very far in sin, you should not go equally far in usefulness." (Spurgeon)

c. Although I was formerly: Paul's past did not disqualify him from serving God. God's mercy and grace were enough to cover his past and enable him to serve God. We should never feel that our past makes us unable to be used by God.

i. With these words, Paul gave Timothy another reason to remain in Ephesus. It is likely that Timothy wanted to leave Ephesus and his ministry there because he felt unworthy or incapable of the work. These words from Paul assured Timothy, "If there is anyone unworthy of disqualified, it should be me. Yet God found a way to use me, and He will use you also as youremain in Ephesus."

d. Because I did it ignorantly in unbelief: Ignorance and unbelief neverexcuse our sin, but they do invite God's mercy, because sin in ignorance andunbelief makes one less guilty than the believer who sins knowingly.

i. Yet it was not Paul's ignorance that saved him; it was the exceeding abundant grace of God (God's unmerited favor).

2. (15) Paul summarizes his personal experience of the gospel.

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

a. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance: This unusual phrase introduces a statement of special importance. Paul used this phrase 5 times - all in the Pastoral Epistles.

b. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners: Jesus came to savesinners, not those living under the illusion of their own righteousness. It is the sick who need a physician (Mark 2:17).

i. Since Jesus came into the world to save sinners, this is the first necessary qualification for being a child of God - being a sinner. Sinners are not disqualified from coming to God, because Jesus came to save them.

ii. We also see the great danger in taking the terms sin and sinner out of our vocabulary. Many preachers deliberately do this today, because they don't want to offend anyone from the pulpit. But if Jesus came to save sinners, shouldn't we identify who those sinners are? How else will they come to salvation?

iii. "Even those who recognize that Christ's work is to save admit that it is more difficult to believe that this salvation belongs to sinners. Our mind is always prone to dwell on our own worthiness and, as soon as our unworthiness becomes apparent, our confidence fails. Thus the more a man feels the burden of his sins, he ought with greater courage to betake himself to Christ, relying on what is here taught, that He came to bring salvation not to the righteous but to sinners." (Calvin)

b. Of whom I am chief: Paul's claim to be the chief of sinners was not an expression of some super-pious false humility. He genuinely felt his sins made him more accountable before God than others.

i. Aren't we all equally sinners? No; "All men are truly sinners, but all men are not equally sinners. They are all in the mire; but they have not all sunk to an equal depth in it." (Spurgeon)

ii. Paul felt - rightly so - his sins were worse because he was responsible for the death, imprisonment, and suffering of Christians, whom he persecuted before his life was changed by Jesus (Acts 8:3; 9:1-2, 1 Corinthians 15:9,Galatians 1:13, Philippians 3:6).

iii. In Acts 26:11, Paul explained to Agrippa what might have been his worst sin: And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. He compelled others to blaspheme Jesus. "This, indeed, was a very horrible part of Saul's sinfulness. To destroy their bodies was bad enough, but to destroy their souls too-to compel them to blaspheme, to speak evil of that name which they confessed to be their joy and their hope, surely that was the worst form that even persecution could assume. He forced them under torture to abjure the Christ whom their hearts loved. As it were he was not content to kill them, but he must damn them too." (Spurgeon)

iv. There are worse kinds of sin; sins that harm God's people are especially bad in God's eyes. We must soberly consider if we are guilty, now or in the past, of harming God's people. "[God] remembers jests and scoffs leveled at his little ones, and he bids those who indulge in them to take heed. You had better offend a king than one of the Lord's little ones." (Spurgeon)

v. "Despair's head is cut off and stuck on a pole by the salvation of 'the chief of sinners.' No man can now say that he is too great a sinner to be saved, because the chief of sinners was saved eighteen hundred years ago. If the ringleader, the chief of the gang, has been washed in the precious blood, and is now in heaven, why not I? Why not you?" (Spurgeon)

3. (16) Paul saved as a pattern of mercy to others.

However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.

a. However, for this reason I obtained mercy: A man as bad as Paulobtained mercy. This means that the door is open to others who are not as bad sinners as Paul was.

i. White expresses the idea of Paul: "Christ's longsuffering will never undergo a more severe test than it did in my case, so that no sinner need ever despair. Let us glorify God therefore."

b. As a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him: This explains another reason why God loves to save sinners. They become a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him. God wants others to see what He can do by working in us.

i. This truth - the doctrine - that changed Paul's life was the truth he commanded Timothy to guard earlier in the chapter.

4. (17) Paul's praise to the God who saved him.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

a. Now to the King eternal: Paul could not think of how bad he was, and how great the salvation of God was, and how great the love of God was, without simply breaking into spontaneous praise.

b. The King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise: This outburst of praise shows that Paul both knew God and that he loved God.

i. He knew God to be the King eternal, ruling and reigning in complete power and glory.

ii. He knew God to be immortal, existing before anything else existed, and being the Creator of all things.

iii. He knew God to be invisible, not completely knowable by us; we can't completely figure out God, or know all His secrets.

iv. He knew God alone is wise, that He is God - and we are not. We think our plans and insights are so important, but only God really knows and understands all things.

c. Be honor and glory forever and ever: Knowing all this about God, Paul couldn't stop praising Him. If we ever have trouble worshipping God, it is because we don't know Him very well.

i. This description of God gave Timothy still another reason to remain in Ephesus. He could and should stay there when he considered the greatness of the God who he served. This great God is worthy of His service and can empower his service in Ephesus.

D. Paul's charge to Timothy: carry on the fight.

1. (18) The charge to fight the good fight.

This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare.

a. This charge I commit to you: Again, the Greek word for charge (parangelia) is the same as in 1 Timothy 1:3; it is a military word, referring to an order from a commanding officer.

i. At the same time the words son Timothy express a note of fatherly love. Paul is serious, but full of love. "There is a peculiar affectionate earnestness in this use of the personal name, here and in the conclusion of the letter." (White)

b. According to the prophecies: Paul wanted Timothy to consider what the Holy Spirit had said to him through others in the past, and receive the courage toremain in Ephesus from those.

i. Apparently, God had spoken to Timothy through others through the gift of prophecy and the words were an encouragement for Timothy to stay strong in the difficulty right in front of him. It may have been a description of Timothy's future ministry; it may have been a warning against being timid in his work for God. Whatever it was, God wanted Timothy to draw strength from it in his present difficulty.

ii. So, the prophecies Timothy had received before might have been predictive of his future ministry, or may have not been. He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men (1 Corinthians 14:3). It may or may not be presented in predictive terms.

iii. We shouldn't think it strange that God would speak to us through others in a prophetic manner; but should take care to test all prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:29) according to both the Word of God and the witness of the Holy Spirit in others.

iv. We must also be on guard against the "extravagant" prophecy; the one that declares that this person or that is going to have "the most powerful ministry the world has seen" or such. These prophecies are extremely manipulative, because they are awkward to speak against.

v. Today, in some circles, it isn't unusual to hear someone being declared as greater than Paul, Peter, Moses, or Elijah; declarations like "You will be a prophet like unto Daniel and receive an anointing ten times greater than any of your associates" are obviously extravagant, manipulative (bcause few will speak against it), and not of God.

vi. Tom Stipe, in the foreword to Counterfeit Revival, speaks powerfully about this phenomenon, having been a leader in it before seeing how wrong it is:

After only a couple of years, the prophets seemed to be speaking to just about everyone on just about everything. Hundreds of … members received the 'gift' of prophecy and began plying their trade among both leaders and parishioners. People began carrying around little notebooks filled with predictions that had been delivered to them by the prophets and seers. They flocked to the prophecy conferences that had begun to spring up everywhere. The notebook crowd would rush forward in hopes of being selected to receive more prophecies to add to their prophetic diaries …
Not long after 'prophecy du jour' became the primary source of direction, a trail of devastated believers began to line up outside our pastoral counseling offices. Young people promised teen success and stardom through prophecy were left picking up the pieces of their shattered hopes because God had apparently gone back on His promises. Leaders were deluged by angry church members who had received prophecies about the great ministries they would have but had been frustrated by local church leaders who failed to recognize and 'facilitate' their 'new anointing.'
After a steady diet of the prophetic, some people were rapidly becoming biblically illiterate, choosing a 'dial-a-prophet' style of Christian living rather than studying God's Word. Many were left to continually live from one prophetic 'fix' to the next, their hope always in danger of failing because God's voice was so specific in pronouncement, yet so elusive in fulfillment. Possessing a prophet's phone number was like having a storehouse of treasured guidance. Little clutched notebooks replaced Bibles as the preferred reading material during church services.
c. That by them you may wage the good warfare: The focus is not the prophetic word Timothy heard in the past. The focus is on battle right in front of him now, where he must wage the good warfare - that is, "fight the good fight." (KJV)

i. Timothy had a job in front of him, and it was going to be a battle. It wasn't going to be easy, or comfortable, or carefree. He had to approach the job Paul left him to do in Ephesus as a soldier approaches battle.

ii. This gave Timothy still another reason to remain in Ephesus. He should sense a responsibility to stay when he felt like leaving because he was like a soldier in a battle, who could not desert his post.

2. (19) Tools for the warfare: faith and a good conscience.

Having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck.

a. Faith and a good conscience: These are essential when battling for the Lord. They protect against the spiritual attacks of doubt and condemnation.

i. Timothy had to have the faith that God was in control, and would guide him as Timothy continued to seek him.

ii. He had to have a good conscience, because his enemies would be attacking him, and if Timothy had not conducted himself rightly, they would have good reason to attack. A good conscience isn't just a conscience that approves us, but one that approves us because we've been doing what is right - it is connected with good conduct.

b. Which some having rejected: Some have rejected these weapons; specifically, Paul speaks of rejecting the faith; those who reject what Jesus and the apostles taught are headed for ruin (shipwreck).

i. Which some having rejected: "Having thrust away; as a fool-hardy soldier might his shield and his breastplate or a made sailor pilot, helm, and compass." (Clarke)

ii. "We are not justified in interpreting suffered shipwreck as though it meant that they were lost beyond hope of recovery. St. Paul himself had suffered shipwreck at least four times (2 Corinthians 11:25) when he wrote this epistle. He had on each occasion lost everything except himself." (White)

3. (20) Two people that rejected the tools for warfare.

Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

a. Of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander: We know nothing of Hymenaeus and Alexander other than what Paul said of them here. Paul apparently disciplined them for their disobedience to God in heresy, in conduct, or in both.

i. We see that Paul was not afraid to point out opponents of the truth by name, as he said to do in Romans 16:17. This was not a contradiction of Jesus' command not to judge (Matthew 7:1-5) "While Christians are not to judge one another's motives or ministries, we are certainly expected to be honest about each other's conduct." (Wiersbe)

b. Whom I delivered to Satan: From other New Testament passages we can surmise that he did this by putting them outside the church, into the world, which is the devil's domain. The punishment was a removal of protection, not an infliction of evil.

i. The Lord protects us from many attacks from Satan (Job 1:10;Luke 22:31-32), and much of this protection comes to us in what we receive as we gather together as Christians.

ii. In this, Paul gave Timothy one more reason to remain in Ephesus. He should do it because not everyone else does. We can't simply act as if every Christian does what God wants them to and stays faithful to the gospel. The fact that some do not should give us more incentive to not give up.

iii. In this we see six different reasons why we should follow the pattern of Paul's command to Timothy to remain in Ephesus and not give up in difficult times.

We should "Remain in Ephesus" …

- Because they need the truth (1 Timothy 1:3-7).
- Because you minister in a hard place (1 Timothy 1:8-11).
- Because God uses unworthy people (1 Timothy 1:12-16).
- Because you serve a great God (1 Timothy 1:17).
- Because you are in a battle and cannot surrender (1 Timothy 1:18).
- Because not everyone else does (1 Timothy 1:19-20).

 

[DaLincolnJones]

1 Timothy 2

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP
A. Public prayer.

1. (1) Pray for all men.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

a. First of all: This does not refer to time; it refers to importance. What comes next is of first importance in the heart and mind of Paul. Paul's broader context following is the public worship of Christians, so this begins a series of instructions for those meetings.

i. White translates the idea: "In the first place, let me remind you that the Church's public prayers must be made expressly for all men, from the Emperor downwards."

b. Supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks: These terms describe the wide categories of our communication with God.

i. Supplication is simply asking for something. Prayer should never be all asking, but it should ask in bold confidence from God's Word.

ii. Prayers is a broad word, referring to all communication with the Lord.

iii. Intercessions refer to the requests we make on behalf of others. As we pray, there should be time when the needs of other find a place in our prayer before God's throne.

iv. Giving of thanks is an essential part of our walk with God. Those who lack a basic sense of gratitude in their lives lack a basic Christian virtue.

c. All men: This tells us whom we are to pray for with these various means of prayer. The idea is that all men need prayer. You have never met someone that you cannot or should not pray for.

i. Most Christians find it easy to pray for their family, friends, and loved ones, but it should not end there. We should also pray for our enemies and for those with whom we have conflict. We should pray for those who annoy us, and for those who seem to be against us. Each of these fall into the category of all men.

ii. To pray for all men also means to pray evangelistically. We should pray for our friends who need to know Jesus, for our coworkers, and for others we have regular contact with.

iii. To pray for all men also means to pray for your pastors, to pray for your church, and to pray for other ministries you know and love.

d. Giving of thanks be made for all men: We can find something to thank God for regarding all men. Even those who persecute us and are against us have a place in the over-arching plan of God.

2. (2) Pray for those in authority.

For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

a. For kings and all who are in authority: Early Christians were often accused of undermining the state because they claimed a higher Lord other than Caesar. Yet they would point out that they supported the state by being good citizens and by praying for the emperor, not to him.

i. In the previous verse Paul said that we should give thanks for all men, and here he connects the thought with those who are in authority over us. We should give thanks for those who are in authority, because God has ordained government in society to keep order (Romans 13:1-7).

ii. The early church leader Tertullian explained: "We pray for all the emperors, that God may grant them long life, a secure government, a prosperous family, vigorous troops, a faithful senate, an obedient people; that the whole world may be in peace; and that God may grant, both to Caesar and to every man, the accomplishment of their just desires." (Clarke)

b. That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence: We should pray for a government and rulers that would simply leave us alone and let us live as Christians.

i. Christians are to look for no special favors from the government. Our goal is a level playing field, unrestricted by state intervention.

ii. At the time Paul wrote this, Christianity was not an illegal religion yet in the Roman Empire and it was still considered a branch of Judaism. It was even more reasonable to believe that the Roman government might just leave Christians alone to live their faith.

3. (3-4) The goal of prayer for all men: That they would be saved.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

a. Who desires all men to be saved: Prayer for those in authority should always have an evangelical purpose. Our real goal is that they would come under the authority of Jesus, and make decisions allowing the gospel to have free course and be glorified.

b. Who desires all men to be saved: On a human level, we can certainly say that God desires all men to be saved. There is no one in such high authority that they don't need salvation in Jesus.

i. However, from a divine perspective, we understand there is a sense in which we can not say that God desires all men to be saved - otherwise, either all men would automatically be saved, or God would not have left an element of human response in the gospel.

ii. God's desire for all men to be saved is conditioned by His desire to have a genuine response from human beings. He won't fulfill His desire to save all men at the expense of making men robots that worship Him from simply being programmed to do so.

c. Who desires all men to be saved: Because this is true (as seen from a human perspective), therefore the gospel must be presented to all without reservation. Any idea of limiting evangelism to the elect is absurd.

d. All men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth: Salvation is clearly associated with coming to the knowledge of the truth. One cannot be saved apart from at least some understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done to save us.

4. (5-7) How all men must be saved.

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle; I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying; a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

a. One God and one Mediator: Through one Mediator, and One alone: The Man Christ Jesus. There is no valid way to God that does not come through Jesus.

i. This statement of Paul simply echoes what Jesus said in John 14:6: Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

ii. It is also simply logical. If Jesus was at least a good and honest man, then He told the truth when He said that He was the only way to God. If He did not tell the truth at this important point, then it is difficult to regard His as even a good or honest man, much less a prophet from God. If He was wrong then He was either a liar or a lunatic.

iii. In the modern world most people think that any road leads to God, if followed sincerely or with a good heart. The Bible argues against this idea.

- The Pharisee and the tax collector each came to God sincerely, but one was accepted and one was not (Luke 18:9-14).
- The rich young ruler came to Jesus sincerely, but was rejected because he did not give up everything to follow Jesus (Luke 18:18-23).
- In Leviticus 10:1-3, the story of Nadab and Abihu - and God's judgment upon them - makes it clear that we cannot come to God any way we please, and that sincerity is not enough.
- Proverbs 14:12 is instructive: There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
iv. Many people think that God would be unfair or narrow minded to have only one way to salvation; but the thought needs to be turned over. To say that God is unfair for this, one would have to look at Jesus dying on the cross - the spotless Son of God, came from heaven and lived humbly and died in horrific agony, both physical and spiritual - to look at Jesus on the cross and say, "Thanks God; I appreciate the gesture, but that isn't enough. You're going to have to do a little more than that, because that is only one way and if You are fair You will make several ways."

b. The Man Christ Jesus: This reminds us that Jesus is still human, even as He is enthroned in heaven right now. His humanity was not merely a temporary phase. When the Eternal Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, added humanity to His deity, He added it forever - not only for 33 years.

i. Jesus is still fully God and fully man, but His humanity is glorified and resurrected. It is the pattern of the humanity that we will experience in heaven.

c. Who gave Himself: Jesus gave Himself. You can give your time without giving yourself. You can give your money without giving yourself. You can give your opinion without giving yourself. You can even give your life without giving yourself. Jesus wants us to give ourselves, just as He gave Himself.

d. Who gave Himself a ransom: Jesus gave Himself as a hostage, as a payment for our sins. He put Himself in our place and received the punishment and wrath from God the Father that we deserved. This is the basic message of the gospel.

i. A ransom for all: There is enough in the work of Jesus on the cross for everyone. No one will be turned away because Jesus ran out of love or forgiveness at the cross for them.

e. For which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle: This was the message Paul preached. The message was of salvation only through Jesus, and Jesus crucified (as in 1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

f. A teacher of the Gentiles: Paul began his ministry with an equal emphasis to both Jew and Gentile (Acts 13), but because of continued rejection by Jews, Paul began to emphasize his ministry to the Gentiles.

B. Men and women in the church.

1. (8) The role of men in leading prayer when the church gathers.

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

a. That the men pray everywhere: This has the idea of "In every church," and not of "In every place." Paul's focus is on what the church does when it comes together for meetings.

i. The idea that we should pray constantly and that prayer should be a normal part of our live wherever we go is good and valid; but it is not what Paul means here.

ii. White on everywhere: "The directions are to apply to every Church without exception; no allowance is to be made for the conditions peculiar to any locality."

b. That the men: Makes it clear Paul assumed men would take the lead at meetings of the congregation. Since the lifting up of hands was a common posture of prayer in ancient cultures, this text speaks of men leading public prayer - men representing the congregation before God's throne.

i. White translates the idea of the text: "The ministers of public prayer must be the men of the congregation, not the women."

c. Lifting up holy hands: Hands that are lifted up must be holy - hands that are set apart unto God, and not given over to evil.

d. Without wrath and doubting: Such prayers must be without wrath (praying "angry" prayers) and without doubting (praying without faith). When we pray angry, or pray without faith, we can do more bad than good - especially when the prayer is public.

i. "Having no vindictive feeling against any person; harboring no unforgiving spirit, while they are imploring pardon for their own offences." (Clarke)

2. (9-10) Women should emphasize spiritual preparation and beauty more thanphysical preparation and beauty.

In like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.

a. In like manner also: The word also refers back to the statement that the men pray everywhere in 1 Timothy 2:8. Paul thought the principle of 1 Timothy 2:8should apply in various congregations, and so should the principle in1 Timothy 2:9.

b. That the women adorn themselves in modest apparel: This is how Christian women are supposed to dress, especially at their Christian meetings. The words propriety and moderation help explain what modest apparel is.

i. Propriety asks, "Is it appropriate for the occasion? Is it over-dressed or under-dressed? Is it going to call inappropriate attention to myself?"Moderation asks, "Is it moderate? Is it just too much - or far too little?"Moderation looks for a middle ground.

ii. The braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing Paul mentions were adornments that went against the principles of propriety andmoderation in that culture.

iii. How you dress reflects your heart. If a man dresses in a casual manner, it says something about his attitude. Likewise, if a woman dresses in an immodest manner, it says something about her heart.

iv. "Woman has been invidiously defined: An animal fond of dress. How long will they permit themselves to be thus degraded?" (Clarke)

c. But … with good works: The most important adornment is good works. If a woman is dressed in propriety and moderation, with good works, she is perfectly dressed. Good works make a woman more beautiful than good jewelry.

3. (11-12) Women are to show submission, and yield to the authority of the men God has appointed to lead in the church.

Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.

a. Let a woman learn in silence: This unfortunate translation has led some to believe that it is forbidden for women to even speak in church meetings. Paul uses the same word translated silence in 1 Timothy 2:2, and it is translatedpeaceable there. The idea is without contention instead of total silence.

i. In other places in the New Testament, even in the writings of Paul, women are specifically mentioned as praying and speaking in the church (1 Corinthians 11:5). To learn in silence has the idea of women receiving the teaching of the men God has chosen to lead in the church, withsubmission instead of contention.

ii. Submission is the principle; to learn in silence describes the application of the principle.

iii. Some have said the reason for this is because in these ancient cultures (as well as some present-day cultures), men and women sat in separate sections. The thought is that women interrupted the church service by shouting questions and comments to their husbands during the service. Clarke expresses this idea: "It was lawful for men in public assemblies to ask questions, or even interrupt the speaker when there was any matter in his speech which they did not understand; but this liberty was not granted towomen."

b. With all submission: The word for submission here literally means, "To be under in rank." It has to do with respecting an acknowledged order of authority. It certainly does not mean that men are more spiritual than women or that women are inferior to men.

i. "Anyone who has served in the armed forces knows that 'rank' has to do with order and authority, not with value or ability.... Just as an army would be in confusion if there were no levels of authority, so society would be in chaos without submission." (Wiersbe)

c. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man: Paul's meaning seems clear. Women are not to have the role of teaching authority in the church. To be under authority is the principle; not teaching is the application.

i. Paul is saying that the church should not recognize women as those having authority in the church regarding matters of doctrine and Scriptural interpretation.

ii. Not all speaking or teaching by a woman is necessarily a violation of God's order of authority in the church. Whatever speaking or teaching is done by a woman must be done in submission to the men God has appointed to lead the church.

iii. 1 Corinthians 11:1-12 emphasizes the same principle. Women are to always act under authority in the congregation, demonstrated in Corinthian culture by the wearing of a head covering. Therefore a woman in the Corinthian church could only pray or prophesy if she demonstrated that she was under the leadership of the church, and she demonstrated this by wearing a head covering and by acting consistently with that principle.

d. I do not permit: The strength of Paul's wording here makes it challenging to obey this command in today's society. Since the 1970's, our culture has rejected the idea that there may be different roles for men and women in the home, in the professional world, or in the church. In this text (among others), the Holy Spirit clearly says there is a difference in roles.

i. But the cultural challenge must be seen in its true context - not just a struggle between men and women, but as a struggle with the issue of authority in general. Since the 1960's, there has been a massive change in the way we see and accept authority.

- Citizens do not have the same respect for government's authority.
- Students do not have the same respect for teacher's authority.
- Women do not have the same respect for men's authority.
- Children do not have the same respect for parental authority.
- Employees do not have the same respect for their employer's authority.
- People do not have the same respect for the police's authority.
- Christians no longer have the same respect for church authority.
ii. There are not many who would say that these changes have been good. Generally, people do not feel safer and there is less confidence in the culture. Television and other entertainment get worse and worse. In fact, our society is presently in, and rushing towards, complete anarchy - the state where no authority is accepted, and the only thing that matters is what onewants to do.

iii. It is fair to describe our present moral state as one of anarchy. There is no moral authority in our culture. When it comes to morality, the only thing that matters is what one wants to do. And in a civil sense, many neighborhoods in our nation are given over to anarchy. The government's authority is not accepted in gang-infested portions of our cities. The only thing that matters is what one wants to do.

iv. We must see the broader attack on authority as a direct Satanic strategy to destroy our society and millions of individual lives. He is accomplishing this with two main attacks. First, the corruption of authority; second, the rejectionof authority.

v. This idea of authority and submission to authority are so important to God that they are part of His very being. The First Person of the Holy Trinity is called the Father; the Second Person of the Holy Trinity is called the Son. Inherent in those titles is a relationship of authority and submission to authority. The Father exercises authority over the Son, and the Son submits to the Father's authority - and this is in the very nature and being of God. Our failure to exercise Biblical authority, and our failure to submit to Biblical authority, isn't just wrong and sad - it sins against the very nature of God.1 Samuel 15:23 speaks to this same principle: For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.

e. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man: Paul's focus here is the public worship of the church. God has established a clear chain of authority in both the home and in the church, and in those spheres, God has ordained that men are the "head" - that is, that they have the place of authority and responsibility.

i. Our culture, having rejected the idea in a difference in role between men and women, now rejects the idea of any difference between men and women. The driving trends in our culture point towards men who are more like women, and women who are more like men. Styles, clothes, perfumes, and all the rest promote this thought.

ii. The Bible is just as specific that there is no general submission of women unto men commanded in society; only in the spheres of the home and in the church. God has not commanded in His word that men have exclusive authority in the areas of politics, business, education, and so on.

iii. It also does not mean that every woman in the church is under the authority of every man in the church. Instead it means that those who lead the church - pastors and ruling elders - must be men, and the women (and others) must respect their authority.

iv. The failure of men to lead in the home and in the church, and to lead in the way Jesus would lead, has been a chief cause of the rejection of male authority - and is inexcusable.

v. Some feel this recognition and submission to authority is an unbearable burden. They feel that it means, "I have to say that I am inferior, that I am nothing, and I have to recognize this other person as being superior." Yet inferiority or superiority has nothing to do with this. We remember the relationship between God the Father and God the Son - they are completely equal in their being, but have different roles when it comes to authority.

vi. Some may say that the church cannot work (or cannot work well) unless we go along with the times and put women into positions of spiritual and doctrinal authority in the church. From the standpoint of what works in our culture, they may be right. Yet from the standpoint of pleasing God by doing what He says in His word, they are wrong.

4. (13-14) Reasons for God's recognition of male authority in the church.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

a. For Adam was formed first: The first reason for male authority in the church is order of creation. Adam (man) was created first, and given original authority on earth.

i. The first command God gave to the human race is found inGenesis 2:16-17: Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. This command was not given to woman at all. At the time that command was given, Eve was not yet created from Adam.

ii. Therefore, Adam received his command and his authority from God, and Eve received her command and authority from Adam.

b. The woman being deceived: The second reason is the difference in the sin of Adam and Eve, as connected to their difference in authority.

i. Both Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, and Eve clearly sinned first. Yet, the Bible never blames Eve for the fall of the human race, but always blames Adam (through one man sin entered the world,Romans 5:12). Adam is responsible because of there was a difference of authority. Adam had an authority Eve did not have; therefore he also had aresponsibility Eve did not have. Adam failed in his responsibility in a far more significant way than Eve did.

ii. As well, Eve was deceived, and Adam was not deceived. Eve was tricked; but Adam sinned knew exactly what he was doing when he rebelled. This means that though Adam's sin was worse, Eve's ability to be more readily deceived made her more dangerous in a place of authority. "Eve's reasoning faculty was at once overcome by the allegation of jealousy felt by God, an allegation plausible to a nature swayed by emotion rather than by reflection." (White)

iii. Generally speaking, it may be observed that women seem to be more spiritually sensitive than men - but this can be true for good or evil.

iv. Adam … the woman: "St. Paul says woman rather than Eve, emphasizing the sex rather than the individual, because he desires to give the incident its general application, especially in view of what follows." (White)

v. Significantly, these reasons are not dependent upon culture. Those who say "Paul was a sexist man in a sexist culture," and discount these words, are simply not reading what the Holy Spirit says in the sacred Scriptures here.

5. (15) Being a Christian woman in light of Eve's curse.

Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.

a. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing: Many people regard this as one of the most difficult passages in the whole Bible. On the surface, it could be taken to mean that if a woman continues in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control, that God will bless her with survival in childbirth - which was no small promise in the ancient world.

i. Yet this interpretation leaves many difficult questions. Is this an absolute promise? What about godly women who have died in childbirth? What about sinful women who have survived childbirth? Doesn't this seem like just a reward for good works, and not according to God's grace and mercy?

b. Saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self control: Some approach this passage saying saved refers to gaining eternal life. Yet this interpretation is even more difficult. Are women saved eternally by giving birth to children - but only if they continue with godly virtues? What about women who can't have children? Are they denied salvation?

c. She will be saved in childbearing: Some say that Paul "Has mostly in mind that child-bearing, not public teaching, is the peculiar function of woman, with a glory and dignity all its own." (Robinson) The idea is that one should let the men teach in church and let the women have the babies.

d. She will be saved in childbearing: A better way to approach this passage is based on the grammar in the original Greek language. In the original, it says she will be saved in the childbirth. This has the sense, "Even though women were deceived, and fell into transgression starting with Eve, women can be saved by the Messiah - whom a woman brought into the world."

i. Probably, the idea here is that even though the "woman race" did something bad in the garden by being deceived and falling into transgression, the "woman race" also did something far greater, in being used by God to bring the saving Messiah into the world.

ii. The summary is this: Don't blame women for the fall of the human race; the Bible doesn't. Instead, thank women for bringing the Messiah to us.

e. Faith, love, and holiness, with self-control: Most of all, we should note these positives. They are all qualities God wants to be evident in women, and that women have effectively nurtured in their children through generations

 

[DaLincolnJones]

1 Timothy 3

QUALIFICATIONS FOR LEADERS
A. Qualifications for a bishop.

1. (1) Introduction the good work of spiritual leadership.

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

a. This is a faithful saying: Paul has just written that women are not to hold positions of authority in the church; but he does not want to leave the impression that just any man is qualified. No man is qualified to be a spiritual leader in the church just because of his gender.

b. If a man desires the position of a bishop: The office Paul described is that of bishop. Our religious culture has given us a particular idea of what a bishopis; but the word bishop in New Testament Greek [episkopos] literally means "over" (epi) "watcher" (skopos) - an overseer.

i. These were men with leadership and authority in the church. "The statehas its monarch, the Church has its bishop; one should govern according to the laws of the land, the other according to the word of God." (Clarke)

ii. In Acts 20:17, we learn there were many bishops - that is, overseers - in one church in one city. Undoubtedly, these were men who had oversight over the many house-churches that met throughout the city. The idea of a "regional bishop" doesn't come from the Bible.

iii. Based on what bishop means, a bishop is someone with oversight in the church, a leader. Such a person may also sometimes be called an elder(presbuteros) or a pastor (poimen, which means "shepherd"), as inActs 20:17, 28.

iv. "On the question as to the terms presbyter and episcopus, it is sufficient here to state my own conclusion, that they represent slightly different aspects of the same office, pastoral and official; aspects which came naturally into prominence in the Jewish and Greek societies respectively which gave birth to the names." (White)

v. Of this passage, White adds: "Having given elementary directions concerning the scope of public prayer, and the ministers thereof, St. Paul now takes up the matter of Church organization." Yet this organization of the church is greatly limited. There is no advice or guidance on structure or exactly how the offices of bishop or deacon or anything else relate to each other. In the New Testament design, there seems to be some flexibility onstructure and an emphasis rather on the character of leaders.

c. He desires a good work: The idea isn't, "Good for you, you want to have a place of spiritual leadership," even though that can be a godly desire. The idea is more like this: "This is a good, noble, honorable work. Timothy, you need to look for good, noble, honorable men."

i. "For it is no light matter to represent God's Son in such a great task as erecting and extending God's kingdom, in caring for the salvation of souls whom the Lord Himself has deigned to purchase with His own blood, and ruling the Church which is God's inheritance." (Calvin)

d. He desires a good work: Spiritual leadership in the church isn't all about titles and honor and glory; it's about work. Jesus said: If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all. (Mark 9:35)

i. "A good work, But a hard work. The ministry is not an idle man's occupation, but a sore labour." (Trapp)

ii. "What is the use of a lazy minister? He is no good either to the world, to the Church, or to himself. He is a dishonor to the noblest profession that can be bestowed upon the sons of men." (Spurgeon)

2. (2a) Qualifications for bishops.

A bishop then must be …

a. A bishop then must be: God has specific qualifications for leaders in the church. Leaders are not to be chosen at random, nor just because they volunteer, nor because they aspire to the position, nor even because they are "natural leaders." Instead they should be chosen primarily on how they match the qualifications listed here.

i. The qualifications for leadership have nothing to do with giftedness. God doesn't say, "Go out and get the most gifted men." God may easily and instantly create gifts in a man, because gifts are given by the Holy Spirit as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:11).

ii. Going to seminary doesn't make one qualified for spiritual leadership. Being a good talker doesn't make one qualified for spiritual leadership. Natural or spiritual gifts in themselves do not qualify one for spiritual leadership. What one gives in money or volunteer time does not qualify them for spiritual leadership. What qualifies a man for spiritual leadership is godly character - and godly character established according to these clear criteria.

b. Then must be: However, this is not a rigid list which demands perfection in all areas; they are both goals to reach for and general criteria for selection. One looks at this list and asks, "Does the man in question desire all these things with his whole heart?" "Does that desire show itself in his life?" "Are there others available who better fulfill the requirements of this list?"

c. Must be: As well, these qualifications are valuable for every person - not only those who aspire to leadership. They are clear indicators of godly character and spiritual maturity and they can give a true measure of a man.

3. (2b-7) A list of qualifications for leaders in the church.

Blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having hischildren in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

a. Blameless: This word literally means, "Nothing to take hold upon." There must be nothing in his life that others can take hold of and attack the church.

i. "The word is a metaphor, taken from the case of an expert and skilful pugilist, who so defends every part of his body that it is impossible for his antagonist to give one hit." (Clarke)

ii. This is a broad term for a man who lives a righteous life that can be seenas righteous. No one can stand up and rightfully accuse the man of grievous sin.

iii. In 1 Timothy 3:10, in speaking about deacons, Paul used the phrasebeing found blameless. This implies being blameless is demonstrated by a track record of behavior.

b. Husband of one wife: The idea here is of "A one-woman man." It is not that a leader must be married (if so, then both Jesus and Paul could not be spiritual leaders in our churches). Nor is the idea that leader could never remarry if his wife had passed away or was Biblically divorced. The idea is that is love and affection and heart is given to one woman, and that being his lawful and wedded wife.

i. This means that the Biblical leader is not a playboy, an adulterer, a flirt, and does not show romantic or sexual interest in other women, including the depictions or images of women in pornography.

c. Temperate: The idea is of someone who is not given to extremes. They are reliable and trustworthy, and you don't have to worry about wide swings of vision, mood, or action.

d. Soberminded: This describes the person who is able to think clearly and with clarity. They are not constantly joking, but know how to deal with serious subjects in a serious way.

i. "This does not man he has no sense of humor, or that he is always solemn and somber. Rather it suggests that he knows the value of things and does not cheapen the ministry or the Gospel message by foolish behavior." (Wiersbe)

e. Of good behavior: The idea is "orderly." It is the same word translatedmodest in 1 Timothy 2:9. "Orderly, perhaps dignified in the best sense of the term." (White)

f. Hospitable: They are willing and able to open up their home to both friends and strangers.

g. Able to teach: Skilled enough in the Bible to teach, either in a public or one-on-one setting.

h. Not given to wine: The idea is of not being addicted to wine or intoxicating drink. This verse, in itself, does not prohibit godly leadership from drinking alcoholic beverages, but it clearly discourages it.

i. "No ale-stake, tavern-haunter, that sits close at it, till the wine inflame him." (Trapp)

i. Not violent: This is a man who is not given to violence either publicly nor privately; a man who can let God fight his cause.

j. Not greedy for money: The King James Versions puts it far more memorably:not greedy of filthy lucre.

i. "I repeat that the man who will not bear poverty patiently and willingly will inevitably become the victim of mean and sordid covetousness." (Calvin)

k. Gentle: The kind of man who takes Jesus as his example, not the latest action hero.

l. Not quarrelsome: The kind of person who is not always fighting over something or other.

m. Not covetous: This is a more encompassing thought than merely greedy for money. The covetous man is never satisfied with anything, always demanding something more or different. A man who is constantly dissatisfied is not fit for leadership among God's people.

n. Who rules his own house well: The godly leader demonstrates his leadership ability first in his own home; Paul recognized that it is in the home where our Christianity is first demonstrated.

i. It is true that a child may rebel from even a good home; but is the rebellionbecause of the parents or in spite of their job as parents? This is the question that must be asked.

o. Not a novice: New converts should not be given leadership too quickly. The leader should be well past the novice stage in their spiritual development.

i. Novice is literally "newly planted." When someone first comes to Jesus, it isn't good to put them into a place of leadership until they have been allowed to grow long enough to put down some deep roots.

ii. "Novices are not only bold and impetuous, but are puffed up with foolish self-confidence, as though they could fly beyond the clouds." (Calvin) Promoting a novice too quickly gives occasion to the great sin - pride, in imitation of the Devil himself.

p. A good testimony: These characteristics must be evident to all, even unbelievers to see. The potential leader must be a good Christian outside the walls of the church.

B. Qualifications for deacons.

1. (8a) Deacons, the practical servants of the church.

Likewise deacons must be …

a. Likewise deacons: An example of the appointment of deacons is in Acts 6:1-6, where the apostles saw the need for those to distribute the daily assistance to the widows among the church, yet did not have the time to distribute the aid themselves. They chose men to act essentially as deacons in that church.

b. Deacons must be: Their qualifications are much the same as those for "bishops"; practical service (especially when recognized by an office) is leadership also.

i. It is a mistake to see one office as more prestigious than the other, though bishops have more responsibility before God. Each is more a matter ofcalling than status.

2. (8b-12) Qualifications for deacons.

Reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise their wives must bereverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

a. Reverent: Showing proper respect towards both God and man.

b. Not double-tongued: A man who speaks the truth the first time, with no intent to deceive.

c. Holding the mystery of the faith: Those who can adhere to proper doctrine, out of sincere conviction.

d. First be proved: A man demonstrates his fitness for office in the church by his conduct. Deacons and bishops are more recognized than appointed.

e. Likewise their wives: It is difficult to know if Paul here referred here to female deacons (such as Phoebe, in Romans 16:1), or the wives of male deacons. The original wording will permit either possibility.

i. If he is speaking mainly of a male deacon's wife, it is appropriate because a man's leadership in the home can be evaluated, in part, by his wife's conduct. Is she reverent, not [one of the] slanderers, temperate,andfaithful in all things?

ii. Not slanderers: "Literally, not devils. This may be properly enough translated slanderers, backbiters, tale-bearers, for all these are of their father, the devil, and his lusts they will do." (Clarke)

3. (13) A promise for deacons.

For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

a. For those who have served well as deacons: God remembers their faithful service, even in tasks which some would consider menial. There is little doubt that you will see more deacons with a great reward than bishops or pastors.

C. The mystery of godliness.

1. (14-15) Paul's reason for writing Timothy.

These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

a. These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly: Paul desired to speak these things to Timothy personally, but knowing he might not be able, he made certain that he said it in a letter.

i. "This verse makes it clear that Timothy's position was a temporary one; he was acting as St. Paul's representative at Ephesus." (White)

b. How you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God: Paul's purpose for writing was to give Timothy, as a leader, practical information on how to run things in the Ephesian church.

c. The house of God: The church must be, very consciously, the place where God is. This makes a church more attractive than anything else.

i. The Church is God's house because …

- He is the Architect.
- He is the Builder.
- He lives there.
- He provides for it.
- He is honored there and He rules there.
d. The church of the living God: In the ancient Greek language, "church" was a non-religious word for a group of people called together for a purpose. Theliving God has called His people together for His purpose.

e. The pillar and ground of truth: The pillar and ground (foundation) of the church is truth. Tragically, many churches today sell truth short and are therefore left weak pillars and shaky ground.

i. "The Church is the pillar of the truth because by its ministry the truth is preserved and spread … Paul will not acknowledge the Church except where God's truth is exalted and plain." (Calvin)

ii. It isn't that the church is the foundation for the truth, but that the churchholds up the truth so the world can see it. "Pillars also were of ancient use to fasten upon them any public edicts, which princes or courts would have published, and exposed to the view of all; hence the church is called, the pillar and basis, or seal, of truth, because by it the truths of God are published, supported, and defended." (Poole)

iii. "When the Church stands boldly out, and preaches the Word, it is the pillar of the truth; when it is hidden in the Roman catacombs, and cannot proclaim the Savior's name to the world, still there lives the truth deep in the hearts of believers, and they are then the ground of the truth." (Spurgeon)

2. (16) An early hymn to express the foundation of Christian truth.

And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.

a. Without controversy: "When he says 'without controversy,' I suppose he means that there ought to be no controversy about these facts, though controversies have arisen concerning them, and always will, since the most self-evident truth will always find self-evident fools to contradict it." (Spurgeon)

i. "Observe that the comprehensive summary of the gospel here given is contained in six little sentences, which run with such regularity of measure in the original Greek, that some have supposed them to be an ancient hymn; and it is possible that they may have been used as such in the early church." (Spurgeon)

b. God was manifested in the flesh: This is the essence of the incarnation; that God the Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, added to His deity humanity - and was thus manifested in the flesh.

c. Justified in the Spirit: We can say that Jesus was justified by the Spirit not in the sense that He was once sinful but made righteous, but in the sense that He was declared to be, by the Holy Spirit, what He always was - completely justified before the Father.

i. This declaration was made at His baptism (Matthew 3:16), and at His resurrection (1 Peter 3:18; Acts 2:32-33).

d. Seen by angels: The ministry of Jesus, both on earth and through the Church, is of great interest to angelic beings. There were many instances when Jesus was seen by angels (Mark 1:13; Luke 22:41-43), and especially at the resurrection (Matthew 28:2-7).

i. "The apostle mentions this to show the greatness of our religion, since the noblest intellects are interested in it. Did you ever hear of angels hovering around the assemblies of philosophical societies?" (Spurgeon)

ii. "The Godhead was seen in Christ by angels, as they had never seen it before. They had beheld the attribute of justice, they had seen the attribute of power, they had marked the attribute of wisdom, and seen the Prerogative of sovereignty; but never had angels seen love, and condescension, and tenderness, and pity, in God as they saw these things resplendent in the person and the life of Christ." (Spurgeon)

e. Preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world: Paul himself did his best to fulfill these statements. He was busy preaching Jesus among the Gentiles and bringing the world to belief.

i. "God's way of creating faith in men's hearts is not by pictures, music, or symbols, but by the hearing of the word of God. This may seem a strange thing, and strange let it seem, for it is a mystery, and a great mystery, but a fact beyond all controversy; for ever let the church maintain that Christ is to be preached unto the Gentiles." (Spurgeon)

f. Received up in glory: This reminds us of Jesus' ascension (Luke 24:51), His finished work on our behalf (Hebrews 1:3), and His present intercession for us (1 John 2:1).

i. "He was so received because his work is finished. He would never have gone into his glory if he had not finished all his toil. He would have accepted no reward had he not fully earned it." (Spurgeon)

ii. Received up in glory: Jesus ascended into heaven in a resurrection body; yet it was a body that still retained the marks of His great work of love for us. It still had the nail prints in His hands and feet, the wound in his side, all marks of His suffering on our behalf (John 20:24-29).

iii. Paul's description of Jesus after the passage speaking of Christian character reminds us of the key to our own character transformation - beholding Jesus. It is just as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:18: But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

iv. Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of these descriptions of Christian character. We trust that Jesus will transform our life according to the same character, as we put our focus on Him. We sometimes want religion to build this character in us; but truly, relationship with Jesus is what really does it.

 

[JfizzleBlazer]

Interesting times, my friends.

I want to explain why I am bumping this thread. My parents were never really that religious. Never went to church. One of my best friends growing up had a dad who was a pastor. I would attend sometimes and learned some stuff but never have been that close. I've always had some fear of God, but it could always wait another day.

I got a new bible a few weeks ago and have started reading it because I think it's time read, digest and discuss with others. Been meeting with some friends lately to talk about the world and scripture. I've also had some times where I just wanted to read up on scriptures about certain topics. Today that topic was greed.

Just wanted to share the verse that I read that I think is pretty dang powerful.

Mark 8:36
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

 

[crandc]

Mark 8:36
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

The world. It's what they want.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Interesting times, my friends.

I want to explain why I am bumping this thread. My parents were never really that religious. Never went to church. One of my best friends growing up had a dad who was a pastor. I would attend sometimes and learned some stuff but never have been that close. I've always had some fear of God, but it could always wait another day.

I got a new bible a few weeks ago and have started reading it because I think it's time read, digest and discuss with others. Been meeting with some friends lately to talk about the world and scripture. I've also had some times where I just wanted to read up on scriptures about certain topics. Today that topic was greed.

Just wanted to share the verse that I read that I think is pretty dang powerful.

Mark 8:36
For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

Good stuff. Jesus was definitely not a fan of people putting their faith and focus on acquiring riches. Important to note, however, that that particular passage is more about self-centeredness than wealth.