Living Word February 2013

God is love; those who abide in love abide in God, and God in them.

1John 4:16

Issue 18 February 2013

Living Word Magazine

Going Deeper into God’s Word

F r e e B i b l e St u d i e s f r o m D a n i e l K o l e n d a , D a n i e l Ir v i n g, D e r e k W i l l i a m s , K e n L e g g , M a t h e w B a r t l e t t, E d w i n & Li l l i a n H a r ve y & m o r e !

Bible Studies Online International

www.biblestudiesonline.co.uk NO ONE HAS GREATER LOVE THAN THIS, TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS. JOHN 15:13 ©Photos above Marafilm CoverDanilo Ascione photo Back cover Peter Saharov

In this month’s issue: 2.

Unwelcome Demolition

3.

Unveiled Faces

5.

Does God Have a Plan for My Life?

6.

Reader’s Articles

7.

Prophet of the Broken Heart

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

11.

The Message of Mark (5)

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

15.

The Book of Esther (6)

17.

Groups at the Cross

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

19.

Take and Use Home Bible Study

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

20.

In Depth Study – 1 Corinthians 1 (2)

Mathew Bartlett (UK)

Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA) Ken Legg (Australia) Daniel Kolenda (CfaN)

Z. Faith, I. Mwagi, D. Irving (India, Kenya, USA)

Derek Williams (UK)

©Photos above © Photoquest. Cover: © Subbotina Left © from top: Stoupa, Lisa F. Young, Sebastian Grecu, David Asch. Back Cover: Irochka

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IN THIS ISSUE

Unwelcome Demolition An extract from “Royal Insignia” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey

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Reproduced by kind permission of Harvey Publishers. www.harveycp.com

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it (Psa. 127:1).

AND they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name. . . .” These outspoken, misguided men voiced the intent of every human being who has lived since Adam. Since the fall, every man desires to build a tower and a name. The dominant child goes about it in the family.

The growing boy does it on the field of sport. The young girl goes about it in the ballroom, or on the dance floor. In the school room, in the office, and alas in the church, we all want to build something.

We build egos, reputations, circles of influence, personal friendships, business empires, and so it goes— build, build, build Our youthful energies, our budding intellect, and if we are not careful, our religious experiences, all go to build something. At its height, it takes expression in the words of the old king, Nebuchadnezzar, “Is not this great Babylon that I have built . . . ?”

The Psalmist David saw the folly of it all and exclaimed, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”

God is the Universal Demolisher.

He must destroy the fruits of our labours while there is time to build something that lasts. Jesus said that the man who built without His instructions was building on the sand. In love, our God would lay low our treasured castles of self, only that He might build.

His word to Jeremiah, newly commissioned as His prophet, was “to root out, to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down.” Only after these four operations of demolition were performed, could he proceed with God’s help to build and plant (Jer. 1:10). Jesus said, “Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.”

In our own day, we have all witnessed, sometimes with relief and sometimes with sadness, the ruthless process of demolition. A bulldozer can tear down in a few minutes the work of many months, performed so laboriously by hand a hundred or more years ago.

What concerns us here is, what is God doing with us? The selfrighteous sinner, in a thorough repentance, finds his good-works’ edifice tumbling around his ears.

The “seventh of Romans” would-be saint finds his every self-effort at personal holiness worse than useless.

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But do we recognize that in our Christian living and service we are in danger constantly of building in vain? And God in His great love tears down our little empires. We are crushed with disappointment and disillusionment.

Oh, to recognize the demolition of love! God strips David of Saul’s armour that he might slay the giant “in the Name of the Lord” with a sling and a stone. This same God decimated Gideon’s army from 32,000 to 300, or we might coin a word and say He “centimated” it, divided it by 100 rather than by ten.

The pulling down of precious things in our lives and in our little “empires” is unpleasant business.

But our loving Father knows best.

Let us hand the job over to Him and He will build that which will endure when this world is wrapped in flames.

Then, in the words of Samuel Rutherford, we will “praise God for the hammer, the file, and the furnace.” —E. F. Harvey.

If God build not the house, and lay The groundwork sure—whoever build, It cannot stand one stormy day. If God be not the city’s Shield, If He be not their bars and wall, In vain is watch-tower, men, and all.

—Unknown.

Unveiled Faces by Ken Legg Image: © Lisafx conditional covenant, and because of this it became a broken covenant. It is now null and void.

The new covenant was made between the Father and the Son. Jesus has fulfilled it in its entirety and, because we are in Christ, we are now reaping the blessings of His obedience. That’s grace.

"...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" (2 Cor.3:18).

At one of my Radical Grace seminars I was teaching on what it means to live in the glory of the new covenant and someone asked me, “What about the Old Testament? Should we not read the Old Testament anymore?”

That’s a good question. First, let’s be clear that we are living in the era of the new covenant. The old covenant has passed away and has become obsolete. Sadly, some Christians are still trying to relate to God on the basis of a covenant which no longer exists. And others attempt to mix covenants, or have one foot in each. If we place ourselves under the old covenant we will experience an ongoing struggle in our Christian lives.

Under the old covenant, God gave a law and promised to bless Israel as long as they obeyed its commandments.

It was a

Our response to grace is faith. We believe in His finished work and are qualified for every good thing. This is how God wants us to live.

The Surpassing Glory Of The New Covenant The old covenant had a glory, and this is seen when Moses received the law. His face shone so brightly that he had to wear a veil to cover his face.

This represents the glory of the old covenant. Its glory is that it brought to us the knowledge of God’s holiness and our sin.

Through the law people would be conscious of their need of a Saviour.

The new covenant has a glory that surpasses that of the old covenant, and brings a fuller revelation of God’s character. “The law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn.1:17).

If Moses’ face shone so brightly that people could not look upon it, and yet the covenant he brought ministered condemnation, how much more glorious will the new covenant that brings righteousness be? If there was glory in that which brought death, how much more 3

glory is there in that which ministers righteousness and life?

What About The Old Testament?

But that brings us back to the question of the place that the Old Testament occupies in the life of a Christian.

First, we need to understand that the Old Testament is the only Bible that the early Christians had. And yet they taught Christ from those Scriptures. Read the sermons that were preached in the book of Acts, especially to the Jews. You will discover that they all quote the Old Testament, and they were all about Jesus. That’s the key.

The Pharisees knew the Old Testament better than anyone. The problem is that they knew what it said, but not what it meant. Jesus said to them, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life” (John 5:39-40).

All their Bible knowledge never brought them to Jesus. They rejected Him and ended up crucifying Him. The Veil Is Taken Away In Christ In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul contrasts the two covenants and points out that a veil was over the minds of the Jews, and still is, each time they read the Old Testament. The veil is only taken away when one sees that Christ is the central message of the Scriptures.

This is what Paul said: “But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted

in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away” (2 Cor.3:14-16 – emphasis mine).



What it means to experience presenttense grace



Some of the myths about grace, and how to refute them

This applies to the New Testament also. If we fail to see that Christ is the main theme there will be a veil over our minds.



How to blessings righteous

Do you know someone who tends to be legalistic? Most likely they are reading the Bible with a veil over their eyes. Their minds are blinded to the true meaning of God’s Word. But whenever one turns to the Lord, i.e. sees that God’s message is the finished work of Jesus, the veil is taken away.



Why it’s important to be an ‘internalist’



How to start thinking organically and not pragmatically



What faith is and what it is not



Why God uses ordinary people – just like you!



How to have an effective ministry



What is the goal of all true ministry

Living under the old covenant is like driving in the dark with our car lights on. We are seeing dimly by means of artificial light. But life under the new covenant is like driving during the daytime; we don’t need our car lights anymore because we see all things clearly in the light of the sun.

Dear friend, don’t stop reading the Old Testament. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to you as you read it. It’s all about Him. The glory that was upon Moses became dimmer and dimmer until it vanished completely. That’s the glory of the old covenant; it’s a fading glory. But God promises the opposite for you and me under the new covenant. “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” (2 Cor.3:18).

Are you exhausted trying to live the Christian life, and wonder about that ‘easy yoke’ and ‘light burden’ Jesus spoke of? Grace Roots will take you on a 40 day journey, designed to give you a legalism-detox and soak you in the grace of God. You will learn: 

What God is really like and how to destroy false, ‘religious’ images of Him

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

Who is defining you right now – your critic or Christ



How secure you are in Christ – both for time and eternity



Why you wouldn’t want to be anyone other than you!



And much more...



How to criticism



How to escape from legalism

(This article is an excerpt from Ken's new book Grace Roots) 4

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Does God Really Have a Plan for My Life?

A Bible Study by Daniel Kolenda (CfaN) Part 1: How God Sees Us It was harvest time in Israel, and a palpable sense of anxiety was in the air. At any moment the wary farmers might lift their eyes to see a tidal wave of Midianite soldiers pouring down from the hills like a flash flood from a broken dam. The Bible describes the Midianites as a nation of “grasshoppers” (Judg.

7:12).

Whenever the harvest was ripe, they would descend upon Israel's fields and crops in vast numbers like a swarm of locusts, leaving nothing in their wake but destruction and desolation. The Israelites went on the defensive, hunkering down in caves, hiding in the mountains, and building protective strongholds. The nervous harvesters quickly reaped what they could and hid it away in anticipation of an imminent invasion.

God had a plan to deliver Israel from the hand of Midian, and He had chosen just the man for the job, but God’s choice seemed highly unlikely.

Gideon was not a superhero by any stretch of the imagination. He was a victim of his society’s ills, a man who had been influenced by the climate of cowardice that had crippled and enslaved the Israelites. He was such a prisoner of fear that he would hide in a winepress to thresh his small harvest of wheat (Judg. 6:11).

A winepress is no place to thresh wheat; it’s like washing your clothes in the dishwasher. But Gideon had chosen this inappropriate place because he was afraid of the Midianites. He was afraid of losing his

harvest and his life, so he hid both underground. It was in this dungeon of fear that the Lord found Gideon, frustrated, trembling, and perspiring.

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, The Lord is with you, you mighty man of [fearless] courage. Judges 6:12, AMP No one would have anticipated the Lord’s declaration that day. “Gideon,” the Lord says, “you are a mighty man of fearless courage!” Where others saw a coward, God saw a deliverer!

I’m so glad God doesn’t see us the way we so often see ourselves. When we look in the mirror we might see someone who is undereducated or inexperienced. We might see someone who belongs to the wrong social class, race, or gender. We might see someone who is too young or too old.

And there are always a million excuses why God can’t use us. But God sees more in us than we see in ourselves, and our obstacles, failures, and shortcomings do not intimidate Him. I am also glad that God doesn’t see us the way other people do. Many times when we begin to break out of the old patterns and mind-sets that have held us back, rejecting the status quo, and looking for higher ground, often our greatest opponents are close friends, fellow church members, and even our own relatives. In fact, it’s interesting to note that the Midianites, being descendants of Abraham, were actually cousins of the Israelites. It was these “family members,” if you will, who had so oppressed Israel that they 5

were cowering in fear rather than Photo: © Sebastian Grecu living victoriously. The enemy knows how to use those closest to us to bring discouragement. They say, “Who do you think you are? Do you think you’re better than us? We’ve known you since you were a child. We’ve seen all your failures, and we know your faults.

You are just one of us. Get back in your place!”

Some time ago I became interested in purchasing an aquarium. As I began to research this project, I was amazed to discover all the different types of aquariums that can be bought. There are large ones and small ones, freshwater and saltwater. There are aquariums for fish, aquariums for corals, aquariums for reptiles, and aquariums for invertebrates. What really fascinated me was the aquarium for crabs. I discovered that these particular aquariums had no lids, and I was amused when I learned why.

Apparently when you have an aquarium for crabs, you don’t need a cover because if one crab tries to climb out, the others will reach up and pull him back down again. I thought to myself, “I know a lot of crabby Christians.” We don’t like to see someone succeed where we have failed. Envy and jealousy often make God’s children competitors and rivals.

Often hurtful and judgmental words have wounded brothers and sisters, dragged them down, and kept them from realizing their potential.

Sadly this happens all the time in the church world. Just as God is elevating one pastor and blessing his ministry, the other pastors in town oppose him

with slander and gossip. They will do everything they can to pull him back down into the aquarium of church as usual. Such a pastor, church, or Christian should take comfort. Someone once told me, “Pity you get for free, but jealousy must be earned.” Jesus Himself was delivered up by His own people to be crucified –because they envied Him (Matt. 27:18).

How often we have been discouraged because of what someone else thought or said about us?

Fortunately the wonderful reality is that God doesn’t see us the way other people do.

Reproduced with kind Christ for all Nations.

permission

From Pit to Palace! Issac Mwagi (Kenya) Genesis 41 vs 1 to 57.

This is a story that you know as Joseph was promoted from a pit to a palace. I know this is a story that you know but it encourages me that before Joseph was finally in the king's palace, he came from a pit and then there was a process which all included many obstacles and challenges.

The daily challenges we meet and come across are not meant to bring us down but the end results are meant to propel us to higher and higher levels of glory.

In any pit that we are in or any prison or whatever challenge, Let us learn to know and seek God's will as all is meant for good to all those who love God and trust in Him (Rom. 8:28).

Read the story again and again and understand what God has for you and many blessings to you this year 2013!

Jesus is the Baptiser with the Holy Spirit An extract from Daniel’s new bookLive before you die. £9.99 BUY NOW.

By Daniel Irving (USA) – An extract from Daniel’s blog. To read more click here

Consider making a donation to CfaN by following this link: donate to CfaN

Word of God for 2013 (from Pastor Zion Faith in India) For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name in that ye have ministred to the saints and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end.

Hebrews 6:9-11.

The Holy Spirit does not fill those who seek him from within. We do not baptize ourselves into the body of Christ; and nor do we have the proxy of Christ to induce the Spirit’s baptism. This is the exclusive office of Jesus Christ whose own blood has established God’s covenant. Neither is the baptism of the Holy Spirit a “releasing of the Holy Spirit” within oneself. That the Holy Spirit does not come from a place within to baptize is clear from the language of Scripture: But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. Acts 1:8 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them.

Acts 10:44 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them which heard the word and they spake with tongues, & prophesied. Acts 19:6 6

Prophet of the Broken Heart: The Cry of Hosea

the relationship to continue. If not, he would disown her: she would no longer be sheltered under his roof nor be provided for by him. She would no longer be his wife, this is divorce.

Perhaps Gomer did indeed leave her husband’s home and went to her lovers. Perhaps they were unwilling or unable to house her, and she began to realise for a time as we say in Wales ‘where her bread was buttered’.

Extract from our new book: not yet released!

Chapter 2 - Marital Problems Hosea’s wife Gomer had been guilty of adultery. Two of her children were witnesses to this fact, inasmuch as they were evidently not Hosea’s children. The law allowed a husband in Hosea’s situation to divorce his wife.

Whilst the legal punishment for adultery was death (Lev 20.10), the custom in some Middle Eastern nations was to strip the woman of her clothes (Ezek. 16.39) and expel her from the home.

The words used by in verse one were the legal formula for divorce. The law gave Hosea every right to withdraw his love and support for Gomer and no longer be her husband. Yet, looking at the passage in detail, we will see that Hosea still loved his wife and wished, under the right conditions, for her to be reconciled to him. The condition was, of course, that she would stop playing around and having affairs with other lovers. If she repented and returned home, Hosea was willing for

We could imagine her returning, not actually repentant, but merely looking for the benefits that she had once received from her husband. We might imagine that as Hosea received her back, he hoped that she would one day put away her lovers and be his and his alone, once and for all.

I say perhaps and imagine because whilst these thoughts are applied by the prophet to the situation concerning Israel, it is only conjecture to say that all of this actually happened to Hosea and Gomer. But even so, it is very probable.

Yet whilst we have applied these words to Hosea and Gomer, they actually relate to God’s relationship with his people.

Spiritual Adultery 2:1-2 Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts;

God accused Israel of committing spiritual adultery; the idolatrous practices of her children (the Israelites) bore witness to this. To understand what is meant by ‘spiritual’ adultery we must consider what is involved in physical adultery.

Adultery is of course a physical act, 7

because it involves a married man or woman having sex with someone other than their own marriage partner. Yet there is more to it than that; the physical act is not isolated from the emotional situation. Adultery happens when someone leaves their first love, preferring the love of another. This gives us a clearer insight into what ‘spiritual’ adultery really is.

It is turning from God to love anyone or anything else. James calls those ‘adulterers’ who prefer the love of the world to the love of God (James 4:4) We have already mentioned that verse one contains the words of the Hebrew divorce formula. We have also said that the law allowed a husband to divorce his unfaithful wife. Although God’s intention for Israel was reconciliation, not divorce and separation, she needed to realise that she could not at the same time be His and worship Baal. No one can serve two masters. God was quite within his right to say that he would no longer be a husband to Israel. Yet if only the nation would repent, reject the Baalim, return to God and be pure in their love and devotion to Him, then restoration was still possible. If, on the other hand, there was no repentance and change then God, like a jealous husband, would strip his guilty wife naked.

This was a metaphor, of course. Up until that time God had been like a husband to Israel by providing for the nation, feeding and clothing her. He gave her wool and flax to make clothing, and so on - but now these blessings would be denied.

2:3 Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst.

God would remind Israel of the time when their relationship began and the nation was born.

This was at the time when God brought them out of slavery in Egypt and made them his own people.

Before that there had been no such nation as Israel. Because of their sin, they would again become slaves, this time to the Assyrians. The land would suffer destruction and drought of a kind that would spell death to its inhabitants. This was a very appropriate punishment, since Baal was supposed to be the god of rain and fertility. When God withheld the rain and the crops no longer grew, then Israel would realise how futile it was to serve those gods which are in fact no gods at all.

2:4 And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they be the children of whoredoms.

Just as Gomer’s children were not Hosea’s but the result of her adulterous union, so the Israelites could no longer be regarded as God’s children because of their spiritual adultery. They were, metaphorically, the result of the union between Israel and Baal, and so could no longer expect to be shown the compassion afforded to God’s own children.

2:5 For their mother hath played the harlot: she that conceived them hath done shamefully: for she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, mine oil and my drink.

The people had adopted the pagan worship of the Canaanites whose land they had possessed, and whom they had failed to drive out fully after Joshua. They believed that all the good gifts they had (food, water, clothing etc.) were given to them by the idol gods that they worshipped rather than

by the true God (James 1:17). They would all be punished for this. As Frederick Tatford points out that it was not just the nation as a whole that would suffer punishment, but every individual worshipper of Baal within the nation.

2:6-7 Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.

God’s purpose in all of his actions was to win Israel back to himself. God is always willing to forgive, if only there is genuine repentance. If Israel would eagerly seek Baalim then God would put everything in their way to prevent them. In other words, when judgment came, the Baalim would not be of any use to them. The people might pray, but God would see to it that no relief was found, lest the people should think that Baal had answered them.

Let them pray as much as they wish, no answer would come. The people of Israel should have already learned this lesson from the time of Elijah’s challenge on Mount Carmel. No Baalim could help Israel in their time of distress. It is the Lord who both gives benefits and who brings calamity (1 Kings 18:19-40).

Unfortunately, Israel’s return was to be superficial. Rather than being ashamed of the wrong they had done, they merely realised that they were better off materially when the Lord was their God, and so returned to him in order to once again obtain the prosperity and blessing that they longed for. As Tatford points out, this is not repentance.

2:8-9 For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for

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Baal. Therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof, and my wine in the season thereof, and will recover my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.

It is difficult for us to understand the full meaning of the words, “she did not know”. How on earth could they not know? God had brought the Israelites out of Egypt and given them his law.

They had the words of the Torah and of the prophets. Perhaps their ignorance was due in part to a neglecting of that word. Perhaps it was not read as regularly and widely as it should have been. We must remember that if men are to find hope and eternal life in Jesus Christ then the word of God must first be made known to them (Rom. 10:14).

It is more likely, however, that although they heard the words of Moses and the prophets they did not believe them. They “did not know” because their hearts were blinded by unbelief. Hosea lived during a time of great national prosperity, yet the people did not give thanks to God for the gifts that they enjoyed. In fact, they ‘added insult to injury’ by using these gifts to worship their supposed benefactors, the Baalim.

As a result, God was to remove his blessings and his gifts. We can imagine Gomer making presents to her lovers of what Hosea had provided for her.

Her husband would be quite right to refuse to provide for her any more if all he gave was only to be given to others. Why should God subsidize the nation’s idolatry? He will disclaim responsibility for this unfaithful wife and withdraw his gifts, leaving her naked and destitute.

2:10 And now will I discover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and none shall deliver her out of mine hand.

Still using the imagery of an adulterous wife, God says that when Israel is ‘stripped of her clothes and sent away’ it will be obvious to all that her affection for Baal was misplaced; since neither Baal nor anyone else could not save her from his hand.

2:11-13 I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These are my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.

Israel had been given several feasts as joyous occasions for the worship and service of God; but Israel had polluted these feasts, changing them into pagan festivals sacred to the Baalim.

God was left out of national life, and so God would put an end to the feast days, since their significance had been lost to the people.

Moreover, further judgments are pronounced against Israel for her unfaithfulness, including that her cultivated fruit orchards and vineyards would return to their wild state. By implication, this would indicate that there would not be enough people left alive in the land to tend the fields. It would be for the same reason that the number of wild beasts would increase.

This prophecy foretells the forced depopulation of Israel by the Assyrians. The punishment would be severe because she had ‘forgotten God’ and burned incense to idols. The decking of oneself with jewels refers to the sexual practices of the cult, a reference to the temple prostitutes, who as we have mentioned before in chapter one, offered sex as a means of worship to the god Baal.

The Restoration of Israel - God’s Dealings with Man

the purpose of bringing her back to himself.’

2:14-15 Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

Hosea’s prophecy made clear that although God had given the land of Israel over to the enemy, it would not remain theirs forever. One day God would give his people the land again.

What is more, they would be restored in their relationship to him.

Once he had stripped her of all her finery, God would seek to win Israel, his ‘wayward wife’ back to himself. It is possible that the wilderness spoken of is the place to which God will scatter the people, or it may indicate a return to their own land which had become a wilderness in their absence.

The word ‘allure’ can mean to appeal irresistibly, constraining to the point of overwhelming all resistance. This is what Christ does to our hearts as he woos us to receive him as Saviour. It is what God will one day do again to the nation of Israel, and perhaps it is that future day when Israel will respond to and receive Christ as her saviour that Hosea has in mind.

At that time he would ‘speak to her heart’ as in Isaiah 40:2, Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

Similarly, the Holy Spirit speaks to the hearts of all believers, bearing witness to us that we are forgiven, and have become God’s children (Rom. 8:16).

Tatford says ‘in the coming exile, He would teach her afresh His love and induce her dependence upon him as He did after her exodus from Egypt.

She could never reform herself unaided and His discipline of her was intended to be educational: it was for 9

God would make the valley of Achor a door of hope. After the defeat of Jericho, trouble came upon Israel because of a man named Achan, who had sinned by disobeying God’s command. This caused Israel to be defeated before their enemies at Ai. However, after the valley of Achor, once the sin had been dealt with (Achan and all his family were stoned to death!) Israel went on to victory.

The meaning of Hosea’s words would have been plainly understood. Only when sin is confessed and put away can fellowship with God be restored.

This verse has a deep significance for every believer. At Achor, sin was dealt with so that Israel might be restored in fellowship with God; whilst at Calvary, God’s only Son Jesus took the punishment for the sins of all mankind, dying so that whoever believes in him may be reconciled to God forever.

Christ’s own valley of Achor was endured on the cross, and his cross has become a door of hope, an entrance to everlasting life ( John 10:9; 2 Thess. 2:16).

When the time came for Israel to be restored, she would respond to God as she did when she first came out of Egypt - with godly fear, rejoicing and singing (Exodus 14:31; Exodus 15:1).

A day is coming when the remnant of Israel will rejoice when they receive Christ as their Saviour. Even now, all who experiences salvation, Jew and

Gentile alike, ‘rejoice with exceeding great joy!’ (1 Peter 1:8).

2:16-17 And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.

God promise that when he cleanses the hearts of the people of Israel he would also cleanse their lips. No more would the people call God ‘Baali’; a name which had pagan connotations.

Observe that so complete is the power of God to deliver that the result is a complete severing from the old way of life. From now on Israel would call God ‘Ishi’ (meaning ‘my husband’), denoting an intimate and personal relationship. So complete would be the change that Israel would never again so much as mention the practice of Baal. It would be completely expunged from the land.

Whenever someone comes to know the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, the power of sin is broken. Those who once were bound by paganism or witchcraft or any other evil thing break completely free from their old life. This is a very necessary part of the salvation experience. The former life of sin is abandoned (Acts 19:19), because Jesus Christ sets us completely free (John 8:36).

The Blessings Enjoyed by Believers - A Taste of Things to Come.

2:18 And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.

The result of God’s new covenant with his people would be peace forever.

Not even the animals would hurt or

destroy; weapons are to be banished forever. Whilst believers know and enjoy peace with God now, a day is coming when this peace shall break into time in a way that shall bring a literal fulfilment of this prophecy upon earth. Jesus is our peace, and when he comes to reign on earth for a thousand years, peace will be the foundation of his government (Isa. 11:6-9).

2:19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies.

Following Israel’s repentance, God would again betroth Israel to Himself.

This may be how Hosea dealt with Gomer. After he had confronted her about her sin and imposed certain conditions on her she may have repented, and he was willing to take her back as his wife again. This is what God was prepared to do for his repentant people. They had forsaken him, but when they returned he would be willing to receive them. In a similar way, Christ refuses none who come to him (John 6:37), and in Christ, those who were far off have been brought near to God (Eph. 2:13).

In those days, when a girl was betrothed a bride price was paid for her. The price paid by Christ to redeem his bride was his own life. Because of his sacrifice we have entered into a new and living relationship with God, a close and permanent bond. God has taken us for himself in righteousness and justice, for our sin has been dealt with on the cross that God might have legal grounds for forgiving us (Rom. 3:26; 1 John 1:9).

Christ’s death commends his love to us (Rom 5.8) and in loving kindness and compassion God has made us his own.

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Furthermore, he has made us his own in faithfulness, for his word of promise he will keep. In bringing us to himself, God has given us the privilege of being his sons, and so we know the Lord, not with an intellectual knowledge, but with a spiritual understanding -the intimate acquaintance of a son with a father.

2:21-23 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Although God had promised to punish Israel for her sins by withholding rain and therefore food, new wine and oil, he promises later to restore his blessings through this poetic picture.

The prophet views the heavens crying out to God to allow them to rain and bring blessing on his restored people.

The earth also cries out for rain to bring a harvest of blessing for the redeemed. God says that he will answer their call and provide such blessings for the nation which he has made his own vineyard or planting.

The figure of being God’s vineyard was often used of Israel, but is employed later by Paul to describe the church (1 Cor. 3:9). This is significant, since it shows that even now, God’s people experience the fullness of his blessing (Eph. 1:3); and just as Israel would never again be removed from the land which God gave to her, so those who are redeemed by the Lord will forever be acknowledged as his own people; and they shall own Him as their God (Rev. 21:3).

The Message of Mark

An Introduction to St. Mark’s Gospel

“Hosanna”, “Lord, save us” or “Salvation is of the Lord”. The prophet Zechariah foretells His entry in these words: Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!

Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!

Behold, your king comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; Lowly, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zech.

9:9).

It is sometimes said that the same crowds who joyfully received Him as Saviour and Lord on this occasion were within a week screaming for His blood.

Rather, it was the crowds from Galilee who hailed Him as the anointed Saviour; whilst the people of Jerusalem called for his crucifixion. It was their rejection of Jesus that brought them under judgement.

Luke records that when Jesus saw the city he wept over it, for he knew that the people’s rejection of him would result in their condemnation (Luke 19:41-44).

Their rejection of Christ is the foundation or reason for their judgement

(c) Jorisvo

Chapter Five: The Judgement (Mark 11:1-13:37) The Foundation of Judgement (11:1-11)

the

As we begin a section about judgement it is important to realise that Jesus Christ did not come to judge the world but to save it. This is illustrated in the first part of chapter 11 as Jesus enters Jerusalem. The crowds shout

The Foreshadowing Judgement

of

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The Parable of the Fig Tree (11:11-14 and 11:20-26) On returning to Jerusalem from Bethany where he had spent the night, Jesus approaches a fig tree to see if there was any fruit on it.

Since it was not the season for figs, there was nothing to be had but leaves and so the Lord curses the 11

tree. Later the disciples saw that it had withered from the root up.

Obviously Jesus knew that it was the wrong time for figs and so it is evident that there is a hidden meaning to this dramatic parable.

Not only did it show what could be done through believing prayer, it foreshadowed the judgement which would come upon the nation of Israel, especially Jerusalem, because of their rejection of Christ.

The Cleansing of the Temple (11:15-18) Moving on to the Temple, Jesus begins to judge the corruption which he found there. The place of prayer had become a market where people made money from a commercialised religion. It was not the money lenders cheating the poor which angered Jesus as much as the fact that the holy place had been desecrated and the worship of God denigrated. If we profess to be Christ’s followers then we should share his zeal for the sacredness of God’s worship. Christ taught his disciples to pray “Holy (to be reverenced) is your name”.

Christ’s actions infuriated the Chief priests (11:18 and 11:27) and their rejection of Him led them to ask a series of questions which were engineered to trap and discredit Him that He might be handed over to the secular power of Rome.

The Authority of Questioned (11:27-33)

Jesus

Firstly, they openly question his authority. This in itself was

insolence. It was not a genuine enquiry. Nicodemus, one of them, had already concluded “You are a teacher sent from God” (John 3:2).

Christ had often confessed Himself to be the Son of God, and his many miracles; of which the chief priests were witnesses; gave further testimony to the fact.

The blind unbelief of their hardened hearts led them to reject Jesus Christ in the face of tremendous evidence. Nothing would have been sufficient to convince them. They had already rejected Christ and were waiting for an opportunity to kill Him. Christ knew this, for they had already rejected John the Baptist, and were consenting to His death.

So the Lord turns the tables on them. On what grounds had they rejected John the Baptist? From where did he derive his authority to baptise: God or men? It is certain that the Pharisees, even if they did not know (which is doubtful), should have known there was no excuse for their ignorance. Yet they had not believed him. This leads them to reason, if we say, 'from heaven,' he will ask us, 'why then did you not believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet." Having backed themselves into a corner they could only say “we don’t know.” bringing the stinging answer of Christ “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Vineyard (12:1-12) However, though Christ does not tell them directly, he does so using this parable. The vineyard planted

by God is the nation of Israel. After he had done so much for Israel, protecting them, providing for them and giving them his laws, he expected to receive the fruits of love and obedience. The chief priests knew the history of their own nation. Time after time they had turned away from God, who sent prophets to them with the message that they should repent.

All these prophets had experienced rejection, and many suffered violence and martyrdom, for the people hardened their hearts against God and refused to listen to his word. The chief priests recognised themselves from this description.

Last of all, when God sends His only Son to them, who is far greater than the prophets, He is despised and rejected in the same way as the prophets (Heb. 1:1-2).

They throw him out of the vineyard and kill Him, thinking to be finally rid of their master (Heb. 13:12). In other gospels we find that the chief priests acknowledging what should become of the tenants. Their city and nation would be destroyed and the salvation which was offered to them would them be offered to others, from every nation, who would hear and produce fruit. Jesus insists that this was the plan of God from the beginning (12:10-11).

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The Pharisees were not finished.

Desperate to win a victory over Jesus, they try again to trap him by his words.

Paying Taxes to Caesar (12:1317) If Christ answered “no” and opposed payment of taxes to Caesar he would be arrested by the Romans; if he answered “yes”, he would be discredited before the people, who believed Rome was their enemy and Caesar’s image on the coin was idolatry. Christ’s answer floors them. If Caesar had made the coins, and they bore his image, they were his. God has made man in His image and expects in return our love, obedience and worship.

Marriage and the Resurrection (12:18-27) Another group step up to question Christ, this time the Sadducees, who do not believe in life after death. They ask Jesus a ridiculous question about a woman who had been married seven times.

Notice how Christ answers with composure and authority, for he knows what he is talking about.

The resurrection is a fact attested to by OT Scriptures, but the detail given here by Christ is nowhere else mirrored in the OT. When the dead in Christ rise, they will have new bodies, immortal and incorruptible, not subject to death, nor part of this creation (1 Cor. 15:50-53).

Distinction of gender and all earthly ties will be dissolved, nor will there be any need for procreation.

The Greatest Commandment (12:28-34) Having heard Christ silence the Sadducees, a sincere questioner from the Pharisees poses a question. What is the greatest commandment? In answering, Christ sums up all the commandments in one by saying that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

The openness with which the Pharisee receives Christ’s words reveals his readiness to believe in Christ, which is why Christ tells him “you are not far from the kingdom of God.” For we enter the kingdom of God by faith in Christ.

Whose Son is Christ? (12:3537) Having dealt with all these questions, Jesus silences his opponents with a question of His own, returning to the matter of his authority and identity. All the scribes regarded the Christ to be the Son of David. But Jesus demonstrates from the scriptures that David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, refers to Christ as Lord. So, evidently, Christ is greater than David, not his son. If Christ were to have gone further into the OT he could have further expounded how the OT says that Christ is the Son of God (Psalm 2:7, 2 Sam. 7:14, and Psalm 45:6).

Because they had rejected Him and opposed His words, Christ warns the people about the teachers of the law. He did not want the common people to be influenced into following their example of Christ rejection and hypocrisy, for this would lead only to judgement.

These men refused to submit to God’s will while making pretence of holiness. By their dress they set themselves apart from others, but in their hearts they were not set apart to God. They wanted the best for themselves and rather than giving to widows, they received money from them.

(12:40). If the condemnation of a Christ rejecter is awful, how much worse is the condemnation of someone who leads others to reject Christ and leads them to hell. Such are the false teachers Christ warns about (Matt. 15:14).

The Widow’s Offering (12:4144) Judgement can work both ways.

No one but Jesus noticed the sacrifice of this anonymous woman, and we can be assured that He will notice every act of our devotion and love, though it is slighted by others. Christ will not only judge the ungodly; He will reward the godly, who will be praised and commended by Him for their faithfulness (1 Cor. 4:5).

The Fulfilment of Judgement (13:1-37)

the

Here Christ reveals the fulfilment of the judgement He has spoken of (13:2) In AD 70, it is said that the Roman legion under Titus believed 13

that gold was hidden among the stones of the Temple. This is the judgement spoken of by Jesus in 12:9.

The rest of the chapter deals with events throughout the ages culminating in his coming again to reward the righteous and judge the wicked.

The period between Christ’s first coming and His second coming will be characterised by wars (both civil wars and world wars), famines, earthquakes and civil unrest (troubles, rioting, including terrorism).

These things are described as only the beginning of sorrows. False christs will trouble the church from its early days, and persecution to the point of imprisonment and death is to be the lot of all believers throughout the church age. All men will hate believers for Christ’s sake, but by standing firm for him and not denying the faith we shall approve ourselves as those who have received salvation.

Our trials are an opportunity for us to bear witness to the gospel, in the power of the Holy Spirit, before all nations. This gospel must be heard by all people, that they might have the opportunity to repent and be saved, before Christ returns in judgement (2 Pet. 3:9).

In v14 Christ moves his attention from the general church age to a specific time when the Abomination of Desolation is set up in the Temple of God. Since this event did not precede the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70,

it is a reference to a future day.

Other scriptures shed further light on this subject. The Abomination which causes desolation is when Antichrist proclaims himself God in Jerusalem and sets up an image of Himself in the Temple to be worshipped instead of God (2 Thess. 2:3-4). At this time he will show his true colours and proceed to destroy the faithful among the children of Israel. Christ’s warning is that when this man is revealed, the Jews should not delay to flee from Judea to the mountains of the wilderness. There God will provide for them and divinely protect them from the wrath of the devil (Rev. 12:13-16).

(13:19-20) The suffering of those days will be unequalled in history and will never be equalled again.

So much so, that for the sake of the faithful remnant of Israel, the Lord has limited this period, otherwise no human being could survive it. These are the sealed of Rev 7, who will witness Christ’s return to earth. In those days of Satanic evil, many false Christ’s and prophets will appear, performing miraculous signs by satanic power to mislead men away from God (Rev.13:11-14 and Rev 16:13-14).

So convincing are these signs that Jesus says if it were possible, even the elect would be deceived- but that is not possible, as long as they recall his words. Immediately following this period of suffering, the end of the world will be heralded by Christ’s coming again, when He shall punish His enemies and gather His own to himself (13:24-27).

Christ illustrates his teaching by a parable taken from nature.

When we see buds on the fig tree, we know that summer is near. When we see all the signs which Christ has predicted, we will know that His coming is near (13:28-29).

Nothing, not even the disasters mentioned, will be able to frustrate Christ's purpose, for ultimately He is in control of all that is happening (Rev 17:17).

All his promises to the nation of Israel will be fulfilled (13:30-31).

No one, not even Christ Himself, knows WHEN He will come again. But we know that He is coming again. We are to be watchful, which means to be living lives pleasing to God in expectation of His coming.

Christians are to be faithful to Christ and our God given tasks as we long and wait for our Lord to come again. Let us not fall into a stupor, like those who turn away from Christ, whose hearts are hardened by unbelief (Matt. 24:48-51 and Heb. 3:1214).

The Message of Mark is an easy to follow Bible guide, introducing the gospel of Mark.

The Message of Mark Paperback

Conclusion It was the attitude of the people to Jesus that decided their judgement. It will be the same for every one of us.

There is one question we must all answer which will decide our eternal destiny: “What will you do with Jesus?”

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Now available also on Kindle: The Message of Mark KINDLE

The Book of Esther

Chapter Six: A brief Bible study by Derek Williams.

Photo: Š Dreamstime Agency

God Disturbs the King’s Sleep Throughout this chapter we see God beginning to work to overthrowing the plans and purposes of wicked men against those that are His own who are the "apple of His eye" (Deuteronomy 32: 9 - 10, Zechariah 2:8, Psalm 17:8).

6.1. Throughout that night the king was unable to sleep, so he asked for the book containing the historical records to be brought. As the records were being read in the king's presence, Try as he might king Ahasuerus could not sleep so he called for the book that contained the historical records of his reign to be brought and read to him.

6.2. it was found written that Mordecai had disclosed that Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the entrance, had plotted to assassinate King Ahasuerus.

The part where Mordecai had discovered and exposed the plot by Bigthana and Teresh to kill the king was read.

6.3. The king asked, "What great honor was bestowed on Mordecai because of this?" The king's attendants who served him responded, "Not a thing was done for him."

Having heard this the king asked what reward or honour had been given and conferred upon Mordecai because of his action. Those attending the king replied that nothing whatsoever had been done! He who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is never forgetting of those who do service to Him (Hebrews 6:10, Matthew 16:27, Revelation 22:12).

6.4. Then the king said, "Who is that in the courtyard?" Now Haman had come to the outer courtyard of the palace to suggest that the king hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had constructed for him.

At the very moment the king was wanting to reward Mordecai, Haman had just entered the outer courtyard to ask the king to hang him upon the gallows that he prepared for this purpose.

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6.5. The king's attendants said to him, "It is Haman who is standing in the courtyard." The king said, "Let him enter."

The king's attendants told him that Haman was waiting in the courtyard and they were ordered to bring him in.

Haman's Misconception 6.6. So Haman came in, and the king said to him, "What should be done for the man whom the king wishes to honor?" Haman thought to himself, "Who is it that the king would want to honor more than me?"

The king never gave Haman a chance to state what he had come for.

Without naming anyone he asks what he should bestow upon a man who the king wishes to honour. The utter conceit of Haman is shown here for he automatically thinks that there no one else who is deserving more honour than him. Throughout the Bible there are warnings given concerning conceit and pride ( Romans 12:23, Galatians 6:3, Proverbs 16:18). The Amplified Bible translates 1 Peter 5:5 "For God

sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)--[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favour, blessing) to the humble.

on horseback throughout the city square shouting as he does so "'This is what the king does for someone he wishes to honor!'"

6.12. Then Mordecai again sat at the king's gate, while Haman hurried away to his home, mournful and with a veil over his head.

Haman's Humiliation

6.7 - 8. So Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king wishes to honor, let them bring royal attire which the king himself has worn and a horse on which the king himself has ridden — one bearing the royal insignia!

6.10. The king then said to Haman, "Go quickly! Take the clothing and the horse, just as you have described, and do as you just indicated to Mordecai the Jew who sits at the king's gate. Don't neglect a single thing of all that you have said."

After this honour had been given to Mordecai he returned to sit at the king's gate while Haman rushed back home dejected and completely humiliated.

With himself in mind Haman outlines those things that would in fact identify him with the king to such an extent that would bless him next to the king on his throne! He is to be given royal robes that the king had worn and a horse on which the king himself had ridden with the royal insignia of ownership upon it. Those who are the redeemed of the Lord have a much greater honour than this. They have been clothed with garments of salvation a robe of righteousness (Isaiah 61:10) He has identified them as his own by setting the seal of the Holy Spirit in their hearts (Ephesians 1:13). He has raised them up to sit in the heavenly places and in the ages to come will show through them the riches of His grace towards them in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2: 6 - 7).

6.9. Then let this clothing and this horse be given to one of the king's noble officials. Let him then clothe the man whom the king wishes to honor, and let him lead him about through the plaza of the city on the horse, calling before him, 'So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!' " No common servant must dress this man but one of the king's highest officials and he must also bring the king's horse to him also. Having done this the high official was to lead him

The king accepted this as an excellent plan and told Haman to get on with it at once, doing exactly as he had described to the king to Mordecai the Jew. He was to make certain that it was done in every detail that he had told the king.

6.11. So Haman took the clothing and the horse, and he clothed Mordecai. He led him about on the horse throughout the plaza of the city, calling before him, "So shall it be done to the man whom the king wishes to honor!"

Haman was the king's highest official in his domains so he had to cloth Mordecai in the royal robes and lead's him about the city square proclaiming the citation in the words that he told the king should be done.

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6.13. Haman then related to his wife Zeresh and to all his friends everything that had happened to him. These wise men, along with his wife Zeresh, said to him, "If indeed this Mordecai before whom you have begun to fall is Jewish, you will not prevail against him. No, you will surely fall before him!

He told his wife and all his friends what had happened. When they had given him their advice on how he should deal with Mordecai they did not know that he was a Jew. When they heard that he was they changed their minds for they were quite aware what this meant for they had either heard or read that they were God's chosen people and that He would protect them from the hand of their enemies (Zechariah 2:8). So they bluntly tell him that he will not win against Mordecai and that he will end up a ruined man. One of the members of the Sanhedrin a Pharisee named Gamaliel warned them that if the Gospel Message that the disciples of Jesus Christ was preaching was of God then they would not be able to overthrow it (Acts 5:39).

6.14. They were still talking, when the king's servants came and quickly took Haman to the dinner that Esther had prepared.

While they were still talking the king's servants came to escort Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Groups at the Cross Matt. 27:27-54

Maybe it was the way that the prisoner bore his suffering without complaint that influenced the centurion’s thoughts about him.

There were no cries of complaint, no begging for mercy, no apparent fear of death. Instead, there was a quiet determination and a spirit of love for his enemies.

Perhaps it was the fact that he did not curse or swear at his executioners as they nailed him to the cross, but rather prayed for their forgiveness.

A Sermon Outline by Mathew Bartlett Photo: © David Asche

The Soldiers This group was indifferent to the sufferings of Christ. They did this crucixion lark every day, it was their job. It was a nasty business, but they were used to it. Criminals often crucified - and anyway, orders were orders. Usually, they would not even ask what charges were against prisoner. That was the governor’s business not theirs.

But in this case, the whole garrison of soldiers gathered and mocked Jesus, punching and spiting on him.

They made a crown of thorns and bowed down saying “Hail, King of the Jews”. An unusual amount of hate was shown to this prisoner.

Jesus carried his own cross until, weakened by the flogging he had received, he could carry it no further, and the soldiers compelled Simon, to carry it. The charges against the prisoners were written above their crosses. On two was written “theft and murder” but on one was written “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”.

Not all at once the soldiers in charge of the execution noticed a difference in the man on the centre cross. As time went on, one of them at least began to realise the truth. That was the centurion

in charge of the crucifixion.

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Maybe the junior soldiers thought nothing of these differences as they sat beneath the cross of Jesus and gambolled for his clothing, but the more experienced man did.

After Christ’s death, accompanied as it was by 3 hours of total blackness and then a great earthquake, the centurion exclaimed, “Surely this man was the Son of God”.

The soldiers were the first group around the cross.

The Scribes and Pharisees This group could hardly be said to be indifferent about Christ’s sufferings, for they caused them.

They were the Jewish ruling party who had arrested Jesus and handed him over to Pilate. They had heard Jesus preach and had seen him perform miracles. Even Pilate realised that they had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous of his influence among the common people. They

were angered by his rebuking of their hypocrisy. The very people who should have understood the scriptures and received Jesus as their Saviour instead, they rejected him and condemned him to death.

As they stood watching the cross, I wonder if they realised that their rejection of Jesus had condemned them. They gathered around the cross to make fun of the crucified Saviour, saying “If he is the Christ, let him come down from the cross now and we will believe.”

Their words showed their rejection. Their rejection of Christ sealed their fate, just as today it will seal the fate of whoever is foolish enough to reject Jesus Christ.

The Disciples Of all groups at the cross, this was most sympathetic to Christ's sufferings. They followed the Lord Jesus and he had been at the centre of their lives for at least 3 ½ years. Now they were filled with grief and could not understand why this should happen. Although all his disciples deserted him and fled when Jesus was arrested, some at least returned to see their Saviour suffer and die.

Peter was watching from a distance. Later he spoke of being a witness of the sufferings of Christ.

John was there too, but nearer the cross.

None of the disciples at this time understood the reason for Jesus

death. They did not understand the meaning of his words when he often said to them “The Son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the chief priests and rulers. They will kill him, but the third day he will be raised to life.”

sin nailed him to the cross. We were responsible for the Son of God’s death, for he died in our place. It was we who deserved the wrath and punishment of God against sin, but it was Jesus who took it in our place.

It was on the first day of the week that the truth began to dawn on them, as one after another they all came into contact with the risen Lord. Mary Magdalene first to see him, but soon followed by the other women and by Peter and all the disciples. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and gave them what Luke calls “many infallible proofs” that he was alive.

He ate food in their presence.

Disciples touched him- they thought that they saw a ghost, but Jesus proved to them that it was he, you can’t touch a ghost can you, or in Jesus own words, “A spirit does not have flesh and bone as you see I have.”

That is the reason why guilty sinners can kneel at his cross to ask forgiveness and it will be granted.

Jesus took all our sins on the cross, but have you ever been to Jesus, confessing that you are a sinner and that you need Christ as your Saviour?

On one occasion he appeared to over 500 at once. He spoke to them concerning the kingdom of God and then sent them everywhere to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins in his name.

Sinners Bowing at the Cross That brings us to our last group at the cross. We were not there at the time of Christ’s death, and yet we were; for Jesus took on himself the sin of the world, your sin and mine included. So in a very real sense, you and I were there. Our 18

Jesus said “When I am lifted up from the earth (or when I am crucified) I will draw all men to me.”

Have you ever been to Jesus? If not, then come to today. His promise is that whoever believes in the Son of God has eternal life. But remember, that whoever does not believe in the son of God will not see life for the wrath of God remains on him.

The group of people who gather round the cross, trusting Jesus to save them from their sin, will be the same group who gather round the throne of God in heaven singing “Worthy is the Lamb” as they enjoy the blessings of heaven forever.

Will you be in that number?

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The Judgment Read Mark Chapter 11 v1 to Chapter 13 v 37. As we begin a section about judgment it is important to realize that Jesus did not come to judge the world but to save it. In your own words, describe what happened as Jesus entered Jerusalem (11:1-11) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Parable of the Fig Tree (11:11-14 and 11:20-26). This object lesson in faith can also be taken as a parable about those living in Jerusalem in Jesus’ time. What did God expect to find in their lives, and what did Jesus find instead? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ What angered Jesus about the ‘market place’ in the Temple? (11:15-18) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why do you think that the Pharisees Questioned Jesus authority? (11:27-33) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ According to Jesus, what is the greatest commandment? (12:28-34) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Whose Son is the Christ (12:35-37)? See also Psalm 2:7, 2 Sam. 7:14, and Psalm 45:6. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why was the widow’s offering worth more to God than all the others? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why can the reader be assured that any one claiming to be Christ is false, including the man who will one day sit in God’s temple proclaiming himself to be God? In answering this question, consider how Jesus describes His own return to this earth (see especially 13:26). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 19

Our In Depth Study.

1 Corinthians 1Part 2

By Mathew Bartlett. Photo © Godfer Scripture taken from the NET Bible®.

The Foolish Message of the Cross 1:18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. Since the cliques at Corinth had come about because of the sophistication of the Corinthian believers, Paul explains to them again the simple and ostensibly foolish message of the cross.

The word of the cross seems total nonsense to those who are dead in their trespasses and sins, those who will spend eternity separated from God (‘those who are perishing’ - the unbelievers). The immense power and glorious truth of the message can only be understood by the human soul by means of a revelation from God. Human wisdom is incapable of grasping the message of salvation; for even if men were to investigate and study throughout innumerable ages, they could never imagine God’s plan of salvation through the cross of Jesus.

When Paul speaks of the cross, he is not speaking of a piece of wood, but the place where Christ offered Himself as the faultless sacrifice for the sins of the world. God’s power to liberate men from sin and unbelief is contained within the message of the cross; and this power will be experienced by all who place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel is not a message about God’s power, it is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16), with the

ability to impart faith to open hearts (2 Cor. 4:4-6).

chosen to make nonsense of the wisdom of the world.

1:19 For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will thwart the cleverness of the intelligent."

1:21 For since in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased to save those who believe by the foolishness of preaching.

Paul quotes from Isaiah 29:14 to show that whilst man’s wisdom might be of no benefit to him; a lack of it will be no barrier to him. God has purposed to bring about the salvation of human souls only through the message of His Son’s death on a cross.

1:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the expert in the Mosaic Law? Where is the debater of this age?

Has God not made the wisdom of the world foolish?

How can anyone teach or inform the omniscient (all-knowing) mind?

Since this world and all that is in it are passing away, all the wisdom and learning which humankind has accumulated over the centuries will pass away too. Whilst education and learning may yield many benefits for the present time, they are of no value when considering eternal things. Here then is a subject which has nothing to do with the intellectuals. By a series of rhetorical questions, Paul accentuates his argument The learned men are nowhere to be found, they hide themselves in shame, for God has 20

God has wisely and intentionally chosen to save men through the message of the cross of Christ. It was never God’s plan that men should attain the knowledge of Him by exercising their own minds, as Green says ‘we cannot come to know God in personal salvation through human wisdom... We come to know God only through trusting in the message about Jesus Christ crucified’. Whilst this method appears foolish in the eyes of men, it pleases God (is right in His sight) to save all that believe (Luke 10:21).

1:22 For Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks ask for wisdom.

It was typical of the Jewish nation to demand supernatural evidence for what they believed. They often demanded such signs from the Lord (e.g. Matt. 12:38; John 6:30). Moses had come to them with such signs, so they considered that everything from God must come in the same way. The truth was that they had become obdurate and unbelieving in their hearts, and so being unable to take God’s word at face value, they

sought the most corroboration.

extraordinary

The Greeks, on the other hand, were fascinated by philosophy. Luke records that the men of Athens spent all their time discussing and considering new ideas (Acts 17:21).

They honoured their philosophers and thinkers, many of whom are still famous today (e.g. Socrates, Plato and Aristotle). Athenian society despised those who did not appreciate the latest thinking.

Elements of this culture may still be detected in modern Western society, including the great importance placed on knowledge and learning in our school and university systems. Yet, as Procter rightly observes, ‘all this has no saving power for mankind’.

Here, the modern Christian messenger must be careful. The intellectual Greeks, like many atheists and evolutionists today, looked for wisdom, that is, philosophic arguments about Christianity. But as the JFB commentary states, Christ, instead of demonstrative proof, demands faith on the ground of His word... Christianity begins not with solving intellectual difficulties, but with satisfying the heart that longs for forgiveness.

1:23 But we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.

The message of the cross pleases neither those seeking for signs, nor those with a passion for philosophy.

In fact, the gospel does not pander to any culture; for whilst it is culturally relevant to every society and culture in all ages, it is confined by none. Here is a message which transcends all cultures and yet is relevant and powerful for them all the message that Jesus died on the cross for all men. Morris points out

that the verb used for crucified is the perfect participle, so that whereas it has been 2,000 years since Jesus was crucified, He continues forever in His character as the crucified one; and though the crucifixion was a once and for all act, it remains permanent in its effectiveness to save sinners.

The worldly minded person cannot receive the truth of salvation through the cross, for it is understood only by revelation from God. Nor can the superstitious Jew accept it. Indeed, down through the ages the message of the cross has caused offense to the Jews, who have failed, by and large, to accept salvation on God’s terms.

1:24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Yet God’s purposes have not been frustrated by those who reject the message of the cross. For if there are some who reject God’s salvation, there are those who accept it. Those who accept the message of the cross receive a revelation of God’s wisdom and power in Christ. To them is revealed God’s all wise and loving plan to give His only begotten Son that we might be saved through Him. The word called (as always in Paul) implies an effectual calling. In other words, the call has been heeded and obeyed. Paul does not have in mind that God arbitrarily calls some but not others; for this would be a clear contradiction of Christ’s own teaching (John 3:16).

As Blomberg writes, Consistently in Scripture the doctrine of election allows God to be sovereign without compromising human freedom or responsibility.

Indeed, God's elective purposes are effected precisely through such free 21

activity - in the proclamation of the word.

1:25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

This verse does not imply that God might ever be foolish, but rather that God’s message, though considered foolish by man, is wiser than anything humankind could ever discover by their own intelligence.

Similarly, the message of a crucified Lord may seem weak to men, but it is a demonstration of God’s power, as revealed in its ability to save the sinner eternally (2 Cor. 13:4).

The Lowly Status of Believers 1:26 Think about the circumstances of your call, brothers and sisters. Not many were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were born to a privileged position.

Paul uses the Corinthians themselves as an object lesson to confirm his teaching. As Ellicott says, ‘the apostle directs them to look at the facts regarding their own calling to Christianity as an illustration of the truth of what he has just written’. Who was it who had heard and received the gospel message?

Not many who were considered wise, powerful, or noble. God does not choose people on the basis of their aptitude or position, and indeed many who trust in these things fail to respond to his call at all Jamieson, Fausset and Brown define the phrase wise by human standards as ‘the wisdom of this world acquired by human study without the Spirit’ (contrast this with Matt.

16:17).

1:27 But God chose what the world thinks foolish to shame the wise, and

God chose what the world thinks weak to shame the strong.

Since God's criteria for selection is faith in Jesus Christ, not ability or intelligence, we ought not to be surprised to discover that those who flock to Christ are those who lack ability, who are grateful for the chance to freely receive something of infinite worth. In this way God has chosen the foolish, or those who recognise the limits of their own wisdom, so as to shame those who trust in their own understanding.

Through the message of the cross is exposed the foolishness of man’s wisdom and the weakness of man’s strength.

1:28 And the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are. (NKJVTM) God has chosen those ordinary people (read this for base things) who believe in his son Jesus Christ as Lord. It is the despised lowly class of society in the main which God has chosen rather than those of noble or royal birth; and if He has chosen any other it is not so that they might show off their rank, but because they recognize in fact that they have none. Realising that they are spiritually and morally bankrupt is what causes men to fly and cling to the cross of Christ alone for salvation. The phrase the things which are not is very strong, and reveals that God’s activity is creative. He takes hold of nothing and makes what He wants out of it.

We can bring our nothingness to Christ, giving ourselves to Him just as we are, and His work of recreation brings us into the experience of divine life (Gal 2:20).

God’s purpose in the message of the cross and its evident effects in the lives of those whom He has chosen is that no one may boast or glory in His presence. We are not saved because of our works, or because we are somehow better than others.

We are unlovely and have nothing to commend ourselves to God. We are saved by God through His grace alone, according to His all wise plan.

1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

TM (NKJV ) Although Paul wants the Corinthians to realise that they are nothing in themselves, he also wants them to understand what they have become in Christ. As believers, we are truly wise, because of the revelation of God’s wisdom which we have received through Christ: Christ is our wisdom. Being justified in Christ and imputed with his righteousness, we have a right standing before God: Christ is our righteousness. We are sanctified through Christ who sanctified Himself for our sakes (John 17:19): Christ is our sanctification. We are redeemed because on the cross Christ paid the price to ransom us: Christ is our redemption (Rom 11:36).

1:31 So that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

Considering all these things are freely given to us in Christ Jesus, it is clear that the one who boasts, [should] boast [about what Christ has done]. In terms of paying the price of our salvation, the old spiritual song is true: ‘there is nothing left for me to do, for Jesus did it all’.

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation (Gal. 6:14-15 NKJVTM).

An abstract footnotes) from

The Pentecostal Bible Commentary: 1 Corinthians by Mathew (paperback £6.99) Buy now for Kindle!

1:29 So that no one can boast in his presence.

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