Pursuing Righteousness Instead of Rights

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? – 1 Corinthians 9:1-7 ESV

While Paul was on the issue of rights and the Christian’s need to die to them, he took the opportunity to address his rights as an apostle. There were evidently those in Corinth who were questioning whether he really was an apostle at all. Others may have been confused by some of Paul’s actions, because at times he did not appear to behave as an apostle.

Some of this had to do with how Paul handled himself when he had ministered among the Corinthians. Rather than allow the Corinthians to meet all his financial needs and provide him with food and shelter, Paul and Barnabas had chosen to work (Acts 18:3). Evidently, other apostles, like Peter, had a reputation for bringing their wives with them while doing ministry, and they expected the churches to cover their expenses as well. Paul didn’t fall into this category because he was unmarried. However, Paul’s point is that he had every right to expect the Corinthians to care for him while he was ministering among them. And if he had been married, he would have had the right to bring his wife with him and expect the church to pay her way. But just because Paul did none of those things did not make him any less an apostle of Jesus Christ. He met the criteria.

First of all, he had a personal encounter with the risen Lord and was commissioned by Him to take the gospel to the Gentiles. He was every bit an apostle as much as Peter, James, or John, and the Corinthians were living proof of his apostleship, because their lives had been changed because of his ministry.

Paul gives three illustrations from daily life to prove his right to expect compensation and care from the Corinthians. First of all, he uses the example of a soldier. No member of the military is expected to pay his own way, but he serves on behalf of the people, giving his time and, if necessary, his life in defense of his nation. In return, the citizens of that nation pay his salary and supply his needs for food, clothing, and shelter. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The second illustration Paul uses is that of a farmer and his vineyard. No farmer in his right mind would plant a vineyard and not expect to benefit from the fruit that it yields. He is the one who tilled the soil, planted the vines, and harvested the grapes. As a result, he had every right to enjoy the fruits of his labors.

The final illustration Paul gives is that of a shepherd. To deny a shepherd the benefit of the milk his flocks provide would be ludicrous and unfair. He is the one who has provided for and protected the sheep, keeping them well-fed and safe; so he should be the one who enjoys the benefits of his hard work.

As will become evident later in this same chapter, Paul’s main concern was not regarding his rights as an apostle but about the integrity of the gospel. His primary goal was that the gospel remain unhindered in any way. That is why he and Barnabas had chosen to work rather than demand their rights and expect the Corinthians to cover their costs. These two men did not want the Corinthians to resent their presence or reject the gospel because of an unnecessary financial burden. So, they willingly relinquished their rights.

This goes back to chapter eight and Paul’s warnings about those in the church who were allowing their “knowledge” of right and wrong to cause their brothers and sisters in Christ to stumble. They were using their rights as an excuse to do wrong, and Paul was using himself as an illustration of how dying to one’s rights is sometimes the right thing to do.

At the core of the gospel is the message of love, specifically God’s love for mankind. He sent His Son to die in the place of sinful men and women, out of love. Jesus told His disciples, “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12 ESV). In the very next verse, He gave what He believed to be was the greatest expression of love for another human being.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” –John 15:13 ESV

And in keeping with His teaching, Jesus gave His life as the consummate expression of His love for mankind. The apostle John wrote, “By this we know love, that he [Jesus] laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers” (1 John 3:12 ESV). And that was the primary pointPaul was making in his letter to the Corinthians. Just as Paul had been willing to give up his rights and lay down his life for them, he was expecting them to do the same.

The gospel is not about rights, but about righteousness. It is about dying to self and living for God, which means loving those whom He has made in His image. God did not save us to make us isolated islands of self-obsession, where our rights rule the day. He saved us so that we might die to self and live for Him. And one of the best ways we can express our love for God is by loving those around us, sharing the gospel message of reconciliation in both words and deeds. Jesus Himself made it perfectly clear and simple when He said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 15:35 ESV).

Father, demanding my rights comes naturally, but dying to them can be difficult and counter-intuitive. It seems to make no sense. In a culture that cultivates a what’s-in-it-for-me mindset, dying to self goes against our human propensity for self-protection and the pursuit of personal pleasure at all costs. Demanding our rights has become a sacrosanct, non-negotiable entitlement that makes us the center of our own universe. But Paul calls us to model our lives after that of Jesus. He demands that we practice sacrifice and selflessness, placing the needs of others ahead of our own. He calls us to love others more than we love ourselves. Just as Christ loved us. It’s not easy and it’s certainly doesn’t come naturally. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, even I can display the selfless love of Christ to others and prove that righteousness is far more beneficial than demanding my rights — every time. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Change for the Better

17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God. – 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 ESV

Three times in this passage, Paul tells the Corinthians to remain as they were when God called them. He is really addressing the issue of contentment, of remaining in the circumstances of life in which they found themselves when they first came to faith in Christ. The change that God is looking for in the lives of His followers is an internal one. Divorcing your spouse because they are an unbeliever will not make you more spiritual. For a believing slave to somehow get out from under his master’s rule would not make him any freer than he already is in Christ.

God is interested in heart change. But as human beings, we tend to focus on external changes that have little or no impact on our spiritual development. We think a change of circumstances is the answer to all of life’s problems. If our marriage is less-than-satisfactory, divorce seems to be the best option for us. If our job is not as fulfilling as we would like, a change in employment must be the answer. This mindset was especially true for the believers in Corinth who seemed to believe that their new faith in Christ was a license to start all over.

Social status was an important concept within the Greek community. It would have been easy for a recently saved slave to immediately assume that his salvation gave him the right to experience freedom just like all the other believers in the church. But Paul wanted them to understand that their “calling” had nothing to do with their career choice, social standing, marital status, financial outlook, or any other circumstantial condition. God’s call on their life was to live in obedience and submission to Him, regardless of what their external circumstances might be. If God called them while they were a slave, He had a perfectly good reason for doing so. His Son did not die to set them free from physical slavery, but from bondage to sin. If they were married when they came to Christ, they should remain so, regardless of whether their spouse shared their faith in Christ.

Jesus did not sacrifice His life so that they might experience freedom from the demands of marriage, but so that they might love their spouse sacrificially and selflessly. Their calling was to Christ-likeness, a radical change in their heart that would have a dramatic impact on their behavior. Paul told the church in Ephesus, “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1-3 ESV).

He prayed for the Colossian believers that they would “be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:9-10 ESV).

The Corinthians were convinced that a change in circumstances was the key to contentment. But Paul wanted them to understand that God called them where they were so they He might change who they are. His Son died so that they might be new creations and experience a new nature, not get a new lease on life through a change in circumstances. After coming to faith in Christ, the Philippian jailer most likely remained a jailer. After accepting Christ as his Savior, the Ethiopian eunech was no less a eunech than he was before. Zacchaeus didn’t give up being a tax collector after having met Jesus; he simply became an honest one.

The most important line in this passage is the first one:

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. – 1 Corinthians 7:17 ESV

This has nothing to do with our career path. Paul isn’t talking about job titles or employment opportunities. God has a unique calling on each of our lives as believers. He has redeemed us for a reason, and rather than worrying so much about what we do for a living, we would do well to think about what God has for us to do on behalf of His Kingdom. Our jobs are simply opportunities to live out our faith in daily life. Our marriages are to be less about self-satisfaction than they are about self-sacrifice and the contexts within which we can model our Christ-likeness in tangible ways.

A new job may make you happy, but it won’t make you a better Christian. The idea of a new marriage partner may sound appealing, but God would rather make you a godly husband or wife and teach you to selflessly and sacrificially love your current spouse just as He has loved you.

Father, we are always looking for external changes as the key to our contentment or happiness. But Jesus didn’t die so we could have our best life now. He didn’t sacrifice Himself so that we could escape an unhappy marriage or walk away from an unfulfilling career. His death on our behalf was intended to pay the debt for our sins and restore us to a right relationship with You. The circumstances of life are to be the backdrop upon which the transformed nature of our lives are to be displayed for all the world to see. May we learn to embrace the outlook that Paul had. “I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:11-13 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Faith in Christ’s Faithfulness

1 Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, 2 and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord about you, that you are doing and will do the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ. – 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 ESV

Paul was a powerful proponent of prayer and was not shy in requesting others to pray on his behalf. He knew he was engaged in a spiritual battle that required spiritual weapons, which is exactly what he told the believers in Corinth.

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT

And as he told Timothy, one of the primary weapons in our warfare with evil is prayer.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. – 1 Timothy 2:1-2 NLT

His belief in the power and efficacy of prayer was supported by James, who wrote, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16 NLT). In his first letter to the Thessalonians, Paul challenged them to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV). And, as Paul told Timothy, this call to persistent prayer was his desire for every congregation to which he had ministered.

In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy. – 1 Timothy 2:8 NLT

Paul didn’t view prayer as optional. It was not some kind of spiritual accessory you access when it’s convenient or when you determine it’s necessary. Prayer was to be a permanent and vital part of the believer’s life, a sentiment Paul expressed to the church in Ephesus.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. – Ephesians 6:18 NLT

This call to persistent and perpetual prayer was because of the undeniable reality of the spiritual battle in which we are engaged. Just a few verses earlier, Paul warned the Ephesian believers of the epic spiritual war taking place around them and their role in it.

Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. – Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT

Paul was a man of prayer, and he coveted the prayers of others. But notice that Paul’s prayer request, while personal in nature, was not self-focused. He was asking them to pray that his ministry would continue to be successful, so “that the Lord’s message may spread quickly and be honored” (2 Thessalonians 3:1 NLT). He didn’t provide the Thessalonians with a long list of personal prayer requests that focused on his health, finances, or relational concerns. It wasn’t that Paul didn’t have problems or personal issues, but that his focus was always on the more significant cause of spreading the gospel.

Paul didn’t need better clothes, a bigger house, improved health, or a trouble-free life. And while he appreciated the concern that others showed for his well-being, he wanted them to know that he really had no needs, except the strength and determination to continue doing what he had been called to do.

How I praise the Lord that you are concerned about me again. I know you have always been concerned for me, but you didn’t have the chance to help me. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. – Philippians 4:10-12 NLT

And Paul made it clear that everything he needed was provided for him by Christ.

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. – Philippians 4:13 NLT

As Paul’s letter has made clear, some opposed his teaching and were trying to add to or alter the gospel message. Not only that, but he also faced physical threats to his life because of his work on behalf of Christ. Paul provides a detailed list of his physical sufferings in his second letter to the church in Corinth. He describes how he had been “put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again” (2 Corinthians 11:23 NLT). Then he gave them specific instances of his abuse. “Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned” (2 Corinthians 11:24-25 NLT).

So, Paul asked the Thessalonians for prayer in light of the very real nature of his opposition and their relentless desire to put him out of commission.

…pray for us…that we may be delivered from perverse and evil people. For not all have faith. – 2 Thessalonians 3:1, 2 NLT

As the Thessalonians knew from their own firsthand experience, not everyone was receptive to the gospel message. Many of their own friends and family members had denied God’s gracious offer of salvation by faith alone in Christ alone. Not all have faith, Paul states, and not everyone is part of the body of Christ. Wherever believers exist, they find themselves surrounded by those who despise their message and their very existence. Jesus had warned His disciples, “You will be hated by everyone because of My name” (Matthew 10:22 BSB). And He broadened the scope of this hatred by declaring that the whole world would stand opposed to His followers.

If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. – John 15:19 BSB

But Paul assures his fledgling flock in Thessalonica that, while the world was filled with hostile people who did not share their faith, “the Lord is faithful” and “He will establish you and guard you against the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3 ESV). No matter how bleak things appeared to be or how intense the persecution may become, the Lord stood ready to strengthen and protect them. With true pastoral conviction and a loving shepherd’s heart, Paul encouraged his flock to remain faithful to the Lord. He had not and would not abandon them. And Paul complimented the Thessalonians for their past faithfulness and assured them of his confidence that they would remain committed to Christ, no matter what happened.

…we are confident about you in the Lord that you are both doing—and will do—what we are commanding. – 2 Thessalonians 3:4 NLT

Finally, Paul offers up a prayer on their behalf, asking that God give them a greater understanding of His love for them and a deeper appreciation for the endurance Christ modeled with His own life. They needed to keep the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ on their minds constantly. As Paul told the believers in Ephesus, an understanding of God’s love as expressed through Christ’s sacrifice is the key to experiencing fullness of life and power.

…may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. – Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT

And as the author of Hebrews points out, a constant focus on the faithfulness of Christ goes a long way in providing world-weary Christians with the strength they need to not only survive but thrive in this life.

…let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. – Hebrews 12:1-3 NLT

Because of the unwavering love of God and the faithfulness of Christ, they had everything they needed to say as Paul did, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NLT).

Father, we tend to make faith a self-produced asset that we somehow conjure up out of our own strength. But, in reality, faith has far less to do with us than it has to do with the faithfulness of Christ. The size or strength of our faith is not the point. As Jesus told His disciples, faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Focusing on the quantity or quality of our faith places the emphasis on the wrong thing. My faith is to focus on Jesus, “the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 10:12 BSB). It is because Jesus was faithful to carry out His Father’s divine plan of salvation that we have hope. As Paul states, “the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3 NLT). That is where my faith come from. And as Paul told Timothy, even when I am faithless, Jesus remains faithful (2 Timothy 2:13). He will finishe what He started. He willl complete what He began. He will protect and preserve all those who have placed their hope in His faithfulness. Thank You for that much-needed reminder. Now, help me to live by faith in the faithfulness of Christ. Amen.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A God of His Word

A Song of Ascents.  

1 Remember, O LORD, in David's favor,
    all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the LORD
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house
    or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the LORD,
    a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;
    we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;
    let us worship at his footstool!”

8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
    and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
    do not turn away the face of your anointed one.

11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath
    from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
    I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
    and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
    shall sit on your throne.”

13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;
    he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;
    here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;
    I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,
    and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;
    I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
    but on him his crown will shine.” – Psalm 132:1-18 ESV

This psalm of ascent opens with a prayer for David, the king of Israel, who arranged to have the Ark of the Covenant moved to his capital city of Jerusalem. David’s intention was to relocate the Ark and then to build a Temple dedicated to Yahweh in which to place it. His dream of constructing a “house” suitable for Yahweh is described in 2 Samuel 7.

When King David was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all the surrounding enemies, the king summoned Nathan the prophet. “Look,” David said, “I am living in a beautiful cedar palace, but the Ark of God is out there in a tent!” – 2 Samuel 7:1-2 NLT

This story really begins during the days when Samuel served as the judge of Israel. He was their de facto leader and served as the spokesman for Yahweh. During one of their many battles with the Philistines, they experienced a devastating and unexpected loss. 

After the battle was over, the troops retreated to their camp, and the elders of Israel asked, “Why did the Lord allow us to be defeated by the Philistines?” Then they said, “Let’s bring the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord from Shiloh. If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies.” – 1 Samuel 4:3 NLT

To sway the conflict in their favor, they decided to send for the Ark of the Covenant, which was kept in Shiloh. By bringing the Ark into battle with them, they treated it as a talisman or idol, hoping it would assure them of Yahweh’s presence and power. But instead, the Ark was captured by the Philistines. It remained in their possession for seven months and was later returned to the Israelites when Yahweh sent a devastating disease on the Philistines. After its return, the Ark was placed in the home of a man called Abinidab, who lived in Kiriath-jearim.

So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them. – 1 Samuel 7:1-2 NLT

Years later, when David had become king and relocated his capital to Jerusalem, he made the decision to move the Ark and planned to construct a glorious Temple in which to house it. But God had other plans, and He ordered Nathan the prophet to inform David that his dream of building a Temple would not happen.

“Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the LORD has declared: Are you the one to build a house for me to live in? I have never lived in a house, from the day I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until this very day. I have always moved from one place to another with a tent and a Tabernacle as my dwelling. Yet no matter where I have gone with the Israelites, I have never once complained to Israel’s tribal leaders, the shepherds of my people Israel. I have never asked them, “Why haven’t you built me a beautiful cedar house?”’” – 2 Samuel 7:5-7 NLT

The psalmist opens his psalm by reminding Yahweh of David's good intentions. He repeats what appears to be an oath David made regarding his plans for building the Temple. 

“I will not go home;
    I will not let myself rest.
I will not let my eyes sleep
    nor close my eyelids in slumber
until I find a place to build a house for the LORD,
    a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.” – Psalm 132:3-5 NLT

But David later gave his son and heir, Solomon, the real reason why his dream would never come to fruition.

“My son, I wanted to build a Temple to honor the name of the Lord my God,” David told him. “But the Lord said to me, ‘You have killed many men in the battles you have fought. And since you have shed so much blood in my sight, you will not be the one to build a Temple to honor my name.” – 1 Chronicles 22:7-8 NLT

Whether the psalmist was privy to this information is unclear, but he focuses his attention on David’s attempt to do the right thing and bring the Ark into the royal city.

We heard that the Ark was in Ephrathah;
    then we found it in the distant countryside of Jaar.
Let us go to the sanctuary of the LORD;
    let us worship at the footstool of his throne.
Arise, O LORD, and enter your resting place,
    along with the Ark, the symbol of your power. – Psalm 132:6-8 NLT

For 20 years, the Ark had resided in obscurity in the home of Abinidab. The psalmist recalls the day when the Israelites, under David's leadership, made the decision to restore the Ark to prominence by relocating it to the city of David. These verses help to explain the Israelites’ fascination with and reliance upon the Ark as the symbol of Yahweh's presence and power. They were thrilled to have it back in their midst because it provided them with assurance that Yahweh was with them. The day the Ark arrived in Jerusalem had been one of celebration and joy.

David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns. – 2 Samuel 6:15 NLT

The psalmist reflects the hearts of all the people of Israel when he prays to Yahweh, “May your priests be clothed in godliness; may your loyal servants sing for joy.
For the sake of your servant David, do not reject the king you have anointed” (Psalm 132:9-10 NLT). He expresses gratitude for David’s efforts in bringing back worship and sacrifice to the people of Israel. Because the Ark was near, so was their God, and they had David to thank for it. 

In verses 11-12, the psalmist seems to remind Yahweh of the promise He made to David after having denied him the honor of building the Temple. 

“But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.” – 1 Chronicles 22:9-10 NLT

David would not have the privilege of building a house for Yahweh, but Yahweh would make a “house” for him – a royal dynasty that would last long after David was gone. But the psalmist adds the condition that God placed on this promise.

“If your descendants obey the terms of my covenant
    and the laws that I teach them,
then your royal line
    will continue forever and ever.” – Psalm 132:12 NLT

The presence of the Ark would not be enough. After all, its presence on the battlefront against the Philistines had done nothing to prevent defeat. Yahweh expected obedience. The Ark was not some kind of good luck charm or rabbit’s foot to be paraded out in times of trouble. It was to be a reminder of Yahweh's presence and a symbol of His holiness and mercy. The Ark had always been intended to be kept within the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle. It was there, in that sacred place, that Yahweh’s Shekinah glory appeared above the Mercy Seat. And it was on the Mercy Seat that the High Priest was to sprinkle the blood of the sacrificial lamb on the Day of Atonement each year. 

Yahweh had given the people of Israel strict instructions regarding the Day of Atonement and the need for cleansing from their sin and rebellion.

“Then Aaron must slaughter the first goat as a sin offering for the people and carry its blood behind the inner curtain. There he will sprinkle the goat’s blood over the atonement cover and in front of it, just as he did with the bull’s blood. Through this process, he will purify the Most Holy Place, and he will do the same for the entire Tabernacle, because of the defiling sin and rebellion of the Israelites.” – Leviticus 16:15-16 NLT

The psalmist understood that obedience was a non-negotiable requirement if the people of Israel wanted to enjoy God's abiding presence. He also knew that the Ark of the Covenant played a vital role in their ongoing relationship with Yahweh because it was the only way their inevitable and unavoidable sins could be atoned for and forgiven. The Ark provided them with an assurance of Yahweh’s ongoing presence. 

And the psalmist reminds Yahweh of His promise to bless Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

“This is my resting place forever,” he said.
    “I will live here, for this is the home I desired.
I will bless this city and make it prosperous;
    I will satisfy its poor with food.
I will clothe its priests with godliness;
    its faithful servants will sing for joy.” – Psalm 132:14-16 NLT

In the end, the psalmist is expressing his confident belief that Yahweh will keep His covenant commitment to David and continue to bless His people. David had played a significant role in bringing the Ark to Jerusalem and had also made elaborate preparations for the construction of the Temple that would become its new home. In doing so, David had helped secure the favor of the LORD and solidify the Israelites’ status as His chosen people. 

Little did the psalmist know that Yahweh would keep His word and fulfill every aspect of His promise to David. It would not turn out quite as the psalmist expected, but in the end, David would have a descendant who would sit on his throne, and his reign would be eternal.  

“I will confirm him as king over my house and my kingdom for all time, and his throne will be secure forever.” – 1 Chronicles 17:14 NLT

The Messiah, the Son of God and the Son of David, would come to earth in the form of a baby in a manger, but grow to be a man who served as the atoning sacrifice, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus, a descendant of David, would become the ultimate fulfillment of Yahweh's promise, and He will one day return to Jerusalem and rule over the world from the throne of David in Jerusalem. 

Father, Your plan is perfect. Long before the Temple was built and the Ark was placed in the Holy of Holies, You were preparing a different Temple where the ultimate sacrifice would be made. Jesus, Your Son, became the Temple not made with human hands, that was destroyed and rebuilt. He gave His life as an atonement for the sins of mankind, so that we might have forgiveness and receive the promise of Your abiding presence. David was the foreshadow of something greater. The Ark was the symbol of a more permanent form of Your mercy that was made possible through Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice. And Jerusalem will one day be replaced with the New Jerusalam where You and Your Father will dwell with mankind for eternity. You work is not yet done, but You will keep Your promises. We’re counting on it. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Lord is Coming

A Psalm of David.

1 The LORD says to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”

2 The LORD sends forth from Zion
    your mighty scepter.
    Rule in the midst of your enemies!
3 Your people will offer themselves freely
    on the day of your power,
    in holy garments;
from the womb of the morning,
    the dew of your youth will be yours.
4 The LORD has sworn
    and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest forever
    after the order of Melchizedek.”

5 The Lord is at your right hand;
    he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath.
6 He will execute judgment among the nations,
    filling them with corpses;
he will shatter chiefs
    over the wide earth.
7 He will drink from the brook by the way;
    therefore he will lift up his head. – Psalm 110:1-7 ESV

This is a somewhat confusing psalm. It was written by David, but he appears to be talking about someone else. In the opening line, David writes, “The LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) says to my Lord ('āḏôn),” using two different Hebrew words that are translated in English as “Lord.” But who is David referring to, and what is the context of this somewhat cryptic psalm? Some scholars speculate that David is speaking of his own son, Solomon, who crowned David's successor while David was still alive. 

When it appears in all caps, the term LORD is a designation for Jehovah, the name of God. Adon is the Hebrew word for an owner, lord, master, or king. LORD is used three times in the passage, while Lord is used twice. But who is David referring to? Is he talking about himself or someone else? Are all the statements in this passage referring to him or another person? In the Hebrew culture, the term, The Lord, was understood to be a reference to the Messiah, the coming Savior of Israel. So in the psalm, David is referring not to himself, but to the future Messiah, God’s divinely appointed ruler over Israel.

Perhaps David believed his son Solomon would serve in that role. Like any father, David had high hopes for his son and longed for him to be the future deliverer of Israel. But what David didn't know was that this Spirit-inspired psalm was a prophetic vision concerning one of his future descendants who would rule in righteousness for eternity.

It is easy to see how David could have had his son Solomon in mind when writing this psalm. Years earlier, the prophet Nathan conveyed a message to him from Jehovah (the LORD).

“…the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) declares to you that the LORD (Yᵊhōvâ) will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:11-16 ESV

David's son Solomon did build a house for God. He carried out his father's wishes and constructed the Temple in Jerusalem. But this grand accomplishment did not solidify his kingdom or prevent him from becoming unfaithful to the One for whom the Temple was built. Solomon was wise, wealthy, and powerful, but he also had an unbridled love affair with women. At one point, his harem included 300 wives and 700 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). This obsession with the opposite sex was in direct violation of God's decree. 

“The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.” – Deuteronomy 17:17 NLT

Solomon accumulated great wealth and many wives. 

Now King Solomon loved many foreign women. Besides Pharaoh’s daughter, he married women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, Sidon, and from among the Hittites. The LORD had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord.

In Solomon’s old age, they turned his heart to worship other gods instead of being completely faithful to the LORD his God, as his father, David, had been. Solomon worshiped Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the detestable god of the Ammonites. In this way, Solomon did what was evil in the LORD’s sight; he refused to follow the LORD completely, as his father, David, had done. – 1 Kings 11:1-6 NLT

So it is clear that the “Lord” referred to in Psalm 110 cannot be Solomon. He kingdom was not eternal. It came to an end because of his unfaithfulness. In fact, because of Solomon's idolatry and apostasy, the LORD split his kingdom in half. 

“Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son. And even so, I will not take away the entire kingdom; I will let him be king of one tribe, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, my chosen city.” – 1 Kings 12:11-13 NLT

So, who is David referring to when he writes the following?:

The LORD will extend your powerful kingdom from Jerusalem;
    you will rule over your enemies.
When you go to war,
    your people will serve you willingly.
You are arrayed in holy garments,
    and your strength will be renewed each day like the morning dew. – Psalm 110:2-3 NLT

This psalm is a prophecy concerning Jesus and His future role as the conquering Messiah. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, David prophesied about the Millennial reign of Jesus, which would take place at His second coming. David knew there was a day coming when all the enemies of Israel and God would be completely destroyed by the King of kings and LORD of Lords, but he had no way of knowing it would be Jesus, the incarnate Son of God.

The book of Matthew records an incident between Jesus and the Pharisees, where Jesus used this very passage to point to himself.

Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “He is the son of David.”

Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

‘The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
    until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.  – Matthew 22:41-46 NLT

Jesus knew this Psalm predicted a future event that had not yet occurred. But there was no doubt in Jesus’ mind that Psalm 110 spoke of Himself. This Old Testament passage serves as a reminder to us that there is a day coming when Jesus, as the Christ (the Greek word for Messiah), will return to the earth to complete the plan of God for Israel and all mankind. Jesus’ work is not yet done. He currently sits at the right hand of the Father (Colossians 3:1), but when God is ready, He will send Jesus to finish what He began with His death and resurrection.

He will strike down many kings when his anger erupts.
He will punish the nations
    and fill their lands with corpses;
    he will shatter heads over the whole earth.
But he himself will be refreshed from brooks along the way.
    He will be victorious. – Psalm 110:5-7 NLT

As a king, David saw this as a wonderful picture of victory over his enemies. He knew that someday God would give Israel complete victory over every one of their foes. David lived in a time when battle was a daily ordeal. He was surrounded by enemies and regularly confronted by war. There was never a day when someone didn’t want to destroy him or the nation over which he ruled. So the idea of final victory and perfect peace was appealing to him. And it should be to us as well.

Like David, we are surrounded by enemies who oppose God and His ways. They live for this world and are influenced by the Prince of this world, Satan himself. Every day, we do battle with our flesh, the world, and the devil. We are under constant attack. There is never a time when we can take a day off or remove our armor. We must be constantly prepared to defend ourselves because the war and the casualties are real. We see them in the form of broken marriages, rebellious children, addictions, depression, anxiety, and disease.

This psalm assures us that a day is coming when God will set all things right. His plan will be finalized. His Son, the Messiah, will complete what He came to do. In His first advent, Jesus came to provide a means of salvation for mankind. He made it possible for sinful humanity to be restored to a right relationship with God. Through the sacrifice of His life, He offered men and women a means by which they could escape the coming wrath of God against all who refuse Him.

But there is a day coming when Christ will return a second time, but not as Savior, but as a conquering King. He will do battle with all those who stand opposed to God and He will be victorious. The enemy will be defeated once and for all, and Christ will set up His kingdom on earth and rule from the throne of David in Jerusalem. There will be peace in the world for the first time since the creation of the world. Order will be restored, and shalom (peace) will be present again. 

The apostle John was given a vision of this fulfillment of the scene that David tried to describe.

No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him. And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever. – Revelation 22:3-5 NLT

Jesus will return someday. He will complete the assignment given to Him by God the Father, and the glorious future David envisioned will come to pass. David did not live long enough to see it. Neither did Solomon. But the promise remains, and its fulfillment is assured because God is faithful and all-powerful. 

This is a Messianic Psalm. It predicts the coming return and reign of Christ on earth. It is short and sweet, painting the future rule of Christ in just a few lines. It establishes Jesus as a descendant of David and his Lord and Master. He is the Messiah.

This psalm should comfort all who call themselves Christ-followers. It is a reminder of how the story ends. Even though we see a lot of suffering in the world and even question how this whole mess will sort itself out, David reminds us that Christ still reigns and rules in heaven, and one day He will return and put all things right.

Jesus may have come as an innocent baby the first time, but He isn’t going to return that way. He will be the conquering king and warrior who defeats all the enemies of God and sets up His righteous rule on earth. That is not just a hope; it is a certainty. It will happen, and we can count on it. It is all part of God’s divine plan. When Jesus returns, He will judge the nations justly and righteously. He will make all things right. And that future hope should bring us present peace.

Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless king
through all eternity. – Matthew Bridges, “Crown Him With Many Crowns” (1851)

Father, in the midst of the daily battles of life it is so easy to get defeated by what appears to be a hopeless cause. It can be so easy to want to give up and give in. Our efforts seem to make no difference. The battles we fight don’t seem to be winning the war. But in the Psalm You remind us that the ultimate victory is Yours, not ours. David had to fight his battles, but he rested in the knowledge that You will one day bring about complete victory. Never let me forget that. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Bless the LORD

Of David.

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3 who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13 As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
14 For he knows our frame;
    he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children's children,
18 to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
    and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
    his ministers, who do his will!
22 Bless the LORD, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! – Psalm 103:1-22 ESV

Gratefulness to God begins with an awareness of all He has done for us. Failure to recognize God’s activity in our lives makes it extremely unlikely that we will be grateful. It’s hard to praise Him for all He has done if we remain oblivious to His activity in our lives. In this psalm, David is purposefully recalling and acknowledging the LORD's gracious involvement and declares his intent to “never forget the good things he does for me” (Psalm 103:2b NLT). Then he goes on to list all those “good things:”

• He forgives all my sins

• He heals all my diseases

• He redeems me from death

• He crowns me with love and tender mercies

• He fills my life with good things

• He renews my youth

• He gives righteousness and justice

• He is compassionate and merciful

• He is slow to get angry

• He is filled with unfailing love

• He will not constantly accuse us

• He doesn’t remain angry with us forever

• He doesn’t punish us for all our sins

• He doesn’t deal harshly with us, as we deserve

• He shows us unfailing love that is immeasurable and unlimited

• He has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west

• He treats us like a father would his children

• He is tender and compassionate

• He knows and understands our weaknesses

• His love for us remains forever

• He rules over everything

This rather extensive list is not unique to David. All of these “good things” are available to us as His children, and are just as true of my relationship with God as they were of David. The problem is that we don’t tend to think about them. Instead, we dwell on the things we believe God has failed to do for us. We concentrate on all the unanswered prayers and unmet expectations. We may have some specific need we want God to address, but in our estimation, He has failed to adequately deal with it. In the meantime, we fail to recognize and appreciate the unfailing love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace He extends to us daily, like clockwork.

One of the most amazing realizations David expresses in this Psalm is found in verse 10. The NET Bible translates it this way:

He does not deal with us as our sins deserve;
he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. – Psalm 103:10 NLT

This is another way of looking at God’s incredible mercy and grace. You see, mercy is God not giving you what you deserve (withheld punishment), and grace is God giving you what you don’t deserve (unmerited favor). David understood that, due to our sin, God had every right to deal with us harshly, but He chose to show mercy instead. Rather than give us what we deserve, God showers us with His unmerited grace. Until we come to grips with the reality of that statement, we will never properly praise God for who He is and what He has done.

Christ’s death on the cross is the ultimate expression of God’s love and grace. His death made our forgiveness possible. The sacrifice of His Son allowed God to withhold our punishment because, in dying in our place, Christ paid our debt in full. The righteous wrath of God was satisfied once and for all. As a result, God removed our sins “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12 ESV). We no longer stand before God as guilty and condemned, but as forgiven and redeemed. Despite our past sinful actions, God now sees us as righteous and holy. The apostle Paul understood the magnitude of this gracious act of God.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. – Romans 8:1-2 NLT

So if we think about it, we have just as much to be grateful for as David did – even more. We have enjoyed the benefit of Christ’s sacrificial, substitutionary death on the cross. So, like David, we should be able to say, “Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name” (Psalm 103:1 NLT).

Father, the good things You have done for me are real and deserving of my gratitude and praise. I should be praising You for who You are and all that You have done and continue to do on a daily basis. Open my eyes and help me see Your activity in and around my life. Give me an increasing awareness of Your grace and mercy so that I will praise You more. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

What's God Done For Your Lately?

A Psalm

1 Oh sing to the LORD a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made known his salvation;
    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
    to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
    the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
    break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
    with the lyre and the sound of melody!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
    make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!

7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
    let the hills sing for joy together
9 before the LORD, for he comes
    to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with equity. – Psalm 98:1-9 ESV

According to the psalmist, singing God's praises should be a regular part of a believer's life. The “marvelous things” He has done are not relegated to the pages of Scripture, nor are they destined to serve as memorials of His former activities on behalf of His people. He is the God of the past, present, and future, and continues to display His power and pour out His grace in abundance. Jeremiah provides a timely reminder that Yahweh is ever-present and always working, tirelessly dispensing His love and mercy just as He did in the past.

The faithful love of the LORD never ends!
    His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning. – Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT

Too often, the stories of God's miraculous interventions on behalf of His people are spoken of in the past tense. They become little more than Sunday School tales about the Israelites' Red Sea crossing or Daniel's deliverance from the lion's den. To prove His power, we are forced to search the pages of Scripture and recall the well-documented accounts about manna, water from a rock, the ten plagues, or the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But the psalmist challenges us to “sing a new song” that chronicles more recent evidence of His power and personal activity in our lives.

God is not on sabbatical or taking early retirement. He is alive and still actively involved in the lives of His children, performing extraordinary deeds and accomplishing deliverance with His right hand and mighty arm. But for many believers, stories of God's miraculous power remain in the ancient past and rarely appear in their daily lives. Yet the psalmist would challenge us to expect more from God.

He remains loyal and faithful to the family of Israel.
All the ends of the earth see our God deliver us.
Shout out praises to the LORD, all the earth.
Break out in a joyful shout and sing! – Psalm 98:3-4 NLT

Yahweh continues to provide evidence of His power and plenty of reasons to rejoice in His faithfulness. His sovereign oversight of the universe remains unchanged. His care and concern for His chosen people have not diminished. His plan for the redemption of mankind and the renewal of all things has not been altered or abandoned. In fact, the psalmist reminds us that God is far from done.

Let the sea and everything in it shout,
along with the world and those who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands!
Let the mountains sing in unison
before the Lord.
For he comes to judge the earth.
He judges the world fairly,
and the nations in a just manner. – Psalm 98:7-9 NLT 

In these verses, the psalmist emphasizes the future, reminding God's children that they have no reason to fear what lies ahead. The One who created the universe has plans for it. The Judge of all the earth will one day step in to arbitrate and adjudicate all the injustices and inequities that plague this fallen world.

Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
    Let the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he is coming!
    He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
    and the nations with his truth. – Psalm 96:12-13 NLT

“For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” – Acts 17:31 NLT

The LORD will mediate between nations
    and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
    nor train for war anymore. – Isaiah 2:4 NLT

God has a track record of faithfulness and a long history of interceding on behalf of His people, but He is not a past-tense God. He is far from finished and not resting on the laurels of His past accomplishments. In fact, another psalm reminds us that God is wide awake and fully active, all the time.

He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

The LORD himself watches over you!
    The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.
The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

The LORD keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
The LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever. – Psalm 121:3-8 NLT

The reality of God’s persistent presence and undiminished power should cause every believer to “Shout out praises to the LORD” and “Break out in a joyful shout and sing!” (Psalm 98:4 NLT). He is at work all around us, rescuing, redeeming, restoring, and revealing His unfailing love and faithfulness in visible and tangible ways. And one day, He is going to complete His plan of redemption for the world, sending His Son to set up His earthly Kingdom where He will rule in righteousness and dispense justice. Paul wrote to his young protege Timothy, reminding him of Jesus’ future earthly reign, when He will “judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:1 NLT). 

The apostle John was given a glimpse of mankind's final judgment, which will occur at the end of Christ's 1000-year reign on earth. Though the psalmist would not have known the details concerning this future event, this is the judgment he had in mind when he wrote, “For he comes to judge the earth. He judges the world fairly, and the nations in a just manner” (Psalm 98:9 NLT).

And I saw a great white throne and the one sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books. The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds. Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death. And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. – Revelation 19:11-15 NLT

Father, You never sleep or slumber. You don't take days off. There is never a moment when You are distracted or disinterested in what is taking place on this planet. And You are as actively involved in my life as You were in the daily affairs of the Israelites. I just don't see it. Sadly, I seldom look for or expect Your activity in my life. Even when I pray, I tend to doubt whether You will come through. Yet, the psalmist encourages me to sin a new song every day. I am to shout your praises on a regular basis, not just because of what You’ve done in the past but because of what You are doing in the present. Open my eyes so that I can see Your power all around me. Then open my mouth so that I can sing Your praises for all to hear. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The True Temple of God

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song.

1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2     the LORD loves the gates of Zion
    more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3 Glorious things of you are spoken,
    O city of God. Selah

4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
    behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—
    “This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said,
    “This one and that one were born in her”;
    for the Most High himself will establish her.
6 The LORD records as he registers the peoples,
    “This one was born there.” Selah

7 Singers and dancers alike say,
    “All my springs are in you.” – Psalm 87:1-7 ESV

In another psalm attributed to the sons of Korah, the author praises the glory of Zion, the mountain upon which Jerusalem sits. In this royal city of David was located the majestic Temple, the dwelling place of Israel’s God. That this psalm was written by one of the sons of Korah makes it all the more striking. Their ancestor was a man who took part in an open rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. He was motivated by discontentment with his clan's role in the service of the Temple. Numbers 16 records God’s punishment of Korah and his co-conspirators, but it also chronicles His sparing of Korah's sons. They were graciously allowed to live and continue their work in God’s house.

So, this unnamed son of Korah chose to express his admiration for the Temple and its impact on the nation of Israel. He displays joy at the privilege of serving in the place where God chose to make His presence known. Yahweh had given His seal of approval for the Temple that Solomon built by taking up residence in it.

When Solomon finished praying, fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and the glorious presence of the LORD filled the Temple. The priests could not enter the Temple of the LORD because the glorious presence of the LORD filled it. When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the LORD filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying,

“He is good!
    His faithful love endures forever!” – 2 Chronicles 7:1-3 NLT

Years later, the psalmist reminds his fellow Israelites of their good fortune at having the Temple in their midst.

On the holy mountain
    stands the city founded by the LORD.
He loves the city of Jerusalem
    more than any other city in Israel.
O city of God,
    what glorious things are said of you! – Psalm 87:1-3 NLT

It was not the building itself that set Israel apart from all the other nations on earth. It was a magnificent structure that filled every Israelite with pride, but its true grandeur came from the glory of Yahweh that filled the Holy of Holies. At the dedication of the Temple, God declared His acceptance of the structure Solomon had constructed and His intention to bless His chosen people by dwelling among them.

“I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.” – 2 Chronicles 7:16 NLT

But the psalmist points out that Jerusalem, the city of God, would be home to more than just the people of Israel. He adds what appears to be a quote from Yahweh that expresses the Temple's international influence and the countless people from all the nations of the world who chose to make Yahweh their God.

I will count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me—
    also Philistia and Tyre, and even distant Ethiopia.
    They have all become citizens of Jerusalem! – Psalm 87:4 NLT

While Yahweh had set apart the Israelites as His own, He had not turned His back on the other nations. His presence and power had manifested from His holy Temple in Jerusalem and drawn others to choose Him as their God. Yahweh was an equal-opportunity deity who welcomed all to worship Him.

“Everyone enjoys the rights of citizenship there.” – Psalm 87:5 NLT

Jerusalem was to be a light on a hill, shining forth the glory of God to the nations cloaked in darkness. The prophet Isaiah carried this idea further when he wrote of a “servant” who would bring light to the world.

“I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness.
    I will take you by the hand and guard you,
and I will give you to my people, Israel,
    as a symbol of my covenant with them.
And you will be a light to guide the nations.” – Isaiah 42:6 NLT

And now the Lord speaks—
    the one who formed me in my mother’s womb to be his servant,
    who commissioned me to bring Israel back to him.
The Lord has honored me,
    and my God has given me strength.
He says, “You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
    I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
    and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” – Isaiah 59:5-6 NLT

Centuries later, the apostle John linked this “servant” role to Jesus.

In the beginning the Word already existed.
    The Word was with God,
    and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
    and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
    and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness can never extinguish it. – John 1:1-5 NLT

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. – John 1:9 NLT

Jesus would later say of Himself, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life” (John 8:12 NLT). Jesus was the Son of God who took on human flesh and, according to John, “made his home among us” (John 1:14 NLT). The Greek word John used to describe Jesus’ incarnation is skēnoō, which comes from the root word skēnos, which can be translated as “tabernacle” or “tent.” John is suggesting that Jesus “tabernacled” among us, just as the earthly Tabernacle dwelt among the people of Israel as they journeyed through the wilderness.

John goes on to say, “We have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son” (John 1:14 NLT). As the glory of God existed in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle, so Jesus displayed the glory of God in His human life.

For in Christ all the fulness of the  Deity dwells in bodily form.” – Colossians 2:9  BSB

Even Jesus utilized the metaphor of the Temple when referring to His life. He told the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (John 2:19 NLT). John went on to explain the meaning behind Jesus’ rather cryptic saying.

But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said. – John 2:21-22 NLT

Jesus represented the true temple of God. In Him, divinity and humanity were joined together. He was the new locus of God's presence on earth. Four decades after His death and resurrection, the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. To this day, the peak of Mount Zion is void of any memory of the Temple’s once grand presence, except for the stones of its former foundation.

According to Paul, the Temple and everything associated with it were mere shadows of something greater to come (Colossians 2:17). They pointed to Christ, and the author of Hebrews explains how they provided a glimpse into the reality of Jesus’ role as the final manifestation of God’s glory on earth.

That first covenant between God and Israel had regulations for worship and a place of worship here on earth. There were two rooms in that Tabernacle. In the first room were a lampstand, a table, and sacred loaves of bread on the table. This room was called the Holy Place. Then there was a curtain, and behind the curtain was the second room called the Most Holy Place. In that room were a gold incense altar and a wooden chest called the Ark of the Covenant, which was covered with gold on all sides. Inside the Ark were a gold jar containing manna, Aaron’s staff that sprouted leaves, and the stone tablets of the covenant. Above the Ark were the cherubim of divine glory, whose wings stretched out over the Ark’s cover, the place of atonement. But we cannot explain these things in detail now. – Hebrew 9:1-5 NLT

All the furniture that filled the earthly Tabernacle was meant to illustrate Christ.

The golden lampstand – “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12)

Table of shewbread – “I am the bread of life.” –(John 6:35)

The altar of incense – Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ…a fragrance from death to death…a fragrance from life to life. (2  Corinthians 2:14-16 NLT)

The Ark of the Covenant – Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation [hilastērion: Mercy Seat] by his blood, to be received by faith. (Romans 3:24-25)

Jesus became the means by which sinful men could receive permanent atonement for their sins. He became the true Temple of God, offering access into the Father's presence through His own shed blood. His sacrifice made atonement available to all who were willing to accept the gracious gift of His righteousness in exchange for their wickedness. And the Book of Revelation reveals that the day will come when Jesus, “the more perfect tent [skēnē}” will permantly replace any need for an earthy Temple.

I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. – Revelation 21:22-27 NLT

Jesus, the light of the world, will become the light of all eternity. The living temple will make access to God available to all, with no further need for repentance, redemption, or reconciliation with God.

And all who enjoy eternal life in the New Jerusalem will sing the song written by the son of Korah.

The people will play flutes and sing,
    “The source of my life springs from Jerusalem!” – Psalm 87:7 ESV

Father, the Temple no longer exists but that is not a problem for you. You have never needed a physical house in which to live. Yet You sent Your Son to take on an “earthly tent” and live among us so that He might die on behalf of us. He sacrificed that “tabernacle” so that You might restore it and provide a means for our future resurrection and glorification. Thank You for sending Jesus as Your earthly dwelling place and making access to Your presence possible. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Worthy of Our Praise

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

1 Clap your hands, all peoples!
    Shout to God with loud songs of joy!
2 For the LORD, the Most High, is to be feared,
    a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us,
    and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us,
    the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah

5 God has gone up with a shout,
    the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
    Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
    sing praises with a psalm!

8 God reigns over the nations;
    God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather
    as the people of the God of Abraham.
For the shields of the earth belong to God;
    he is highly exalted! – Psalm 47:1-9 ESV

In this psalm, one of the sons of Korah praises the LORD, the Most High, as “a great king over all the earth” (Psalm 47:1 ESV). This recognition of Yahweh (the LORD) as the one true sovereign is meant to single out the Israelite God from all other deities and earthly kings. Throughout his song, the psalmist primarily uses the generic title ĕlōhîm, which was used in reference to all deities. In a culture where many gods were recognized and worshiped, the psalmist wanted to set apart the Israelite ĕlōhîm as superior and unparalleled in His power, majesty, and sovereignty. He calls on the people of Israel to clap their hands in praise to the one true God, reminding them of the many benefits they have received from their gracious King.

He subdues the nations before us,
    putting our enemies beneath our feet.
He chose the Promised Land as our inheritance,
    the proud possession of Jacob’s descendants, whom he loves. – Psalm 47:3-4 NLT

They had been the undeserved recipients of the land of Canaan, promised to them by God as their inheritance. Under the leadership of Moses, they had been set free from slavery in Egypt and guided to the borders of their future home. After Moses’ death, Joshua served as their God-appointed leader and military commander, helping them conquer the nations that occupied Canaan. Under his leadership, they took possession of the promised land, but it had been God who had subdued the nations before them. They owed their success to the sovereign hand of Yahweh, “the great King of all the earth” (Psalm 47:3 NLT).

The psalmist pictures God as ascended on high, where He sits on His royal throne and reigns above the nations (Psalm 47:5, 8 NLT). From His lofty vantage point, Yahweh surveys His Kingdom, which consists not only of the nation of Israel but all the peoples of the world. It all belongs to Him. While other ĕlōhîm exist in the minds of men and are worshiped and revered, only Yahweh deserves praise and adoration. That is what leads the psalmist to call on God’s people to sing His praises.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises!
For God is the King over all the earth.
    Praise him with a psalm. – Psalm 47:6-7 NLT

This same fervor for God’s glory is found in Psalm 113.

Praise the Lord!

Yes, give praise, O servants of the LORD.
    Praise the name of the LORD!
Blessed be the name of the LORD
    now and forever.
Everywhere—from east to west—
    praise the name of the LORD.
For the LORD is high above the nations;
    his glory is higher than the heavens.

Who can be compared with the LORD our God,
    who is enthroned on high? – Psalm 113:1-5 NLT

Yahweh is incomparable and without equal. He alone reigns on high and is worthy of His people’s adoration and worship. God demands the veneration of His name, Yahweh. That personal, intimate name was reserved for use by the people of Israel and was given to them long before their exodus from Egypt.

God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.” – Exodus 3:15 NLT

Yahweh was serious about His name and expected His people to honor it at all times. In the Book of Malachi, God indicts His chosen people for their defamation of His name. He describes the pagan nations as more respectful of His glory than the people who bear His name.

“But my name is honored by people of other nations from morning till night. All around the world they offer sweet incense and pure offerings in honor of my name. For my name is great among the nations,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.

“But you dishonor my name with your actions. By bringing contemptible food, you are saying it’s all right to defile the LORD’s table. You say, ‘It’s too hard to serve the LORD,’ and you turn up your noses at my commands,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. – Malachi 1:11-13 NLT

God had given the people of Israel a name to use when referring to Him. It was a name intended to set Him apart from all the other ĕlōhîm. In a sense, the name Yahweh was intended to differentiate their ĕlōhîm from all other ĕlōhîm. God gave that name to Moses in preparation for his return to Egypt, where He would have to convince the people of Israel that the God of their ancestors had sent him. For 400 years, the Israelites had lived in Egypt and acclimated to their surrounding, adopting the many ĕlōhîm of the Egyptians as their own. When Moses was told by God to return to his people and announce their coming deliverance, he asked, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God [ĕlōhîm] of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” (Exodus 3:13 NLT).

His question was legitimate because he knew that if he simply said ĕlōhîm had sent him, the people would want to know which ĕlōhîm. Their were hundreds of ĕlōhîm in Egypt, and the Israelites had long forgotten about the ĕlōhîm that their ancestors worshiped. So, in response to Moses’ question, God gave him the name Yahweh.

But as the Malachi passage reveals, the people of Israel eventually treated God’s name with disrespect and dishonor. They failed to show God the reverence and respect He deserved. In fact, the chosen people of God were guilty of denigrating His name to such a degree that the pagan nations displayed greater fear and reverence than they did.

“I am a great king,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and my name is feared among the nations!” – Malachi 1:14 NLT

The psalmist closes out his song with a prophetic statement regarding a future day when all the nations will give Yahweh the glory and honor He so rightly deserves.

The rulers of the world have gathered together
    with the people of the God of Abraham.
For all the kings of the earth belong to God.
    He is highly honored everywhere. – Psalm 47:9 NLT

The prophet Isaiah records the words of God predicting a future day when all nations will honor Him for who He is – the soveriegn King over all the earth.

“Let all the world look to me for salvation!
    For I am God; there is no other.
I have sworn by my own name;
    I have spoken the truth,
    and I will never go back on my word:
Every knee will bend to me,
    and every tongue will declare allegiance to me.” – Isaiah 45:22-23 NLT

This worldwide worship of Yahweh will take place because of the efforts of His Son. Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of mankind, will return to earth a second time to bring about the completion of God’s redemptive plan. In the book that bears his name, Daniel records a vision he was given of the second coming of Christ.

I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed. – Daniel 7:13-14 NLT

The apostle John was also given a vision and a message, declaring the day when Christ would establish His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 11:15 BSB

Paul wrote the believers in Philippi, reminding them that Jesus died, rose again, and ascended back to His Father’s side in heaven. But he also reminded them that the day would come when Jesus would return to finish what He began, ending with the worldwide recognition of His majesty and glory as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

The worship and praise that the psalmist calls for will one day happen, and it will be the result of Christ’s redemptive work as He returns to set up His Kingdom and conquer Satan and all the enemies of God. Paul describes this future day when Yahweh will receive the glory and honor He so richly deserves, and it will all be the result of His Son’s completion of His assignment.

After that the end will come, when he will turn the Kingdom over to God the Father, having destroyed every ruler and authority and power. For Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet. And the last enemy to be destroyed is death. For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.” (Of course, when it says “all things are under his authority,” that does not include God himself, who gave Christ his authority.) Then, when all things are under his authority, the Son will put himself under God’s authority, so that God, who gave his Son authority over all things, will be utterly supreme over everything everywhere. – 1 Cornithans 15:24-28 NLT

Father, You deserve praise and honor right now. I don't have to wait until the end of the story to understand that You are worthy of my thanks, adoration, and worship. You have already done so much for me by sending Your Son to die on my behalf. But when I consider all that is going to happen in the future because of Your great redemptive plan, I have no reason to treat Your name with anything but the highest respect and honor. Keep me focused on Your faithfulness so that I might live more faithfully as I wait for the fulfillment of Your promises. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Unbelievability of Divine Accessibility

A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
    Who shall dwell on your holy hill?

2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
    and speaks truth in his heart;
3 who does not slander with his tongue
    and does no evil to his neighbor,
    nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 in whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    but who honors those who fear the Lord;
who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 who does not put out his money at interest
    and does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved. – Psalm 15:1-5 ESV

Who can be a welcome guest in God’s house or become a permanent resident in the place where He lives?

Those are the questions David asks to open Psalm 15, and they are a bit sobering and scary if you stop to think about them. What kind of person has the right to come into God’s presence? What qualifies them to live their lives as God’s neighbor – so to speak? David answers his own questions by describing someone who lives a life of integrity. They “lead blameless lives and do what is right” (Psalm 15:2 NLT). That word “blameless” makes us uncomfortable because it seems to convey the idea of sinless perfection. But the Hebrew phrase David uses is hālaḵ tāmîm and it means “to walk uprightly.” It does not describe a life free from sin or unrighteousness but a way of life that is pleasing to God. It is the same calling Abraham received from God at the ripe old age of 90.

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless.” – Genesis 17:1 ESV

David would have been familiar with this passage and known that God was not expecting Abraham to live a sin-free life. The Hebrew word hālaḵ means to live one’s life openly, without compartmentalization. Abraham was expected to conduct himself with an awareness that God saw all he did. There was to be no sacred/secular split in the patriarch’s life. Nothing was to be hidden or considered off-limits to God. Abraham’s conduct was to be tāmîm, which conveys the idea of wholeness or completeness. In other words, Abraham was to live a life of integrity. 

David picks up on this theme of living an integral, uncompartmentalized life and uses it to describe the kind of person who can enter into God's presence. They are the kind of person whose actions are right and whose speech is marked by truth and not lies. They don’t use words to hurt others or take advantage of them. They have a strong dislike for anyone whose life is marked by a love for sin. But they recognize the value of those who love the Lord. They are promise keepers, not promise breakers. They share their money with others without demanding payment in return (plus a little something extra for their efforts). And they would never think of selling out someone just to pad their own wallet.

David says the person whose life is characterized by this kind of behavior is the one who will be left standing in the end. He or she will be welcomed as God’s guest and given a place in His presence. David covers virtually every aspect of an individual’s life: character, speech, conduct, values, integrity—even finances. This is a person who shares God’s heart. It’s a portrait of someone whose life pleases God.

But wait. How are we expected to pull this off? According to the Book of Ecclesiastes, “There is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 ESV). In the previous Psalm, David clearly stated, “There is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1 ESV).
.
No one always does what is right. No one always speaks the truth from a sincere heart. Everyone gossips and occasionally speaks evil of their friends. There isn’t one thing on David’s list of godly characteristics that any human being can hope to fulfill perfectly or entirely. So, what hope does humanity have of entering God’s presence? If these are the criteria for acceptance, how can anyone measure up?

In Psalm 14, David said, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the entire human race; he looks to see if anyone is truly wise, if anyone seeks God. But no, all have turned away; all have become corrupt. No one does good, not a single one!” (Psalm 14:2-3 NLT). Paul takes up that same theme in his letter to the believers in Rome. “No one is righteous — not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one” (Romans 3:10-12 NLT). So what are we supposed to do?

Paul goes on to tell us, “For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are” (Romans 3:20-22 NLT).

But David didn’t know about Jesus. While he had a vague conception about the coming Messiah, it did not include an understanding of Jesus’ incarnation, crucifixion, and ultimate resurrection. David had no way of knowing that Jesus would fulfill the Law and provide a way for sinful men to be restored to a right relationship with God the Father through faith in His sacrificial death on the cross. 

David was ignorant of the Gospel, but he understood the love of God. David knew that God placed high expectations on His children, but he was confident that God’s holiness and righteousness was balanced by His grace and mercy. David longed to be the kind of man who could access the presence of God but he knew he would need God’s help to do so. In the very next Psalm, David explains his confident belief that God would assist him in his quest to be a man “who walks blamelessly and does what is right” (Psalm 15:2 ESV).

I will bless the Lord who guides me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
I know the Lord is always with me.
    I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.

No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.
    My body rests in safety.
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
    or allow your holy one to rot in the grave.
You will show me the way of life,
    granting me the joy of your presence
    and the pleasures of living with you forever. – Psalm 16:7-11 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Submission is Not a Dirty Word

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. 22 Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. 25 For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.

1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. – Colossians 3:18-4:1 ESV

Paul now takes those other-oriented, selfless, and love-motivated character traits and applies them to everyday life. Since he was writing to believers living in Colossae, he customized his words for their particular context. He wanted them to know what seeking and setting their minds on things that are above would look like on a daily basis. He wasn’t promoting an ethereal and impractical brand of religious pietism and asceticism. No, he was recommending a highly practical brand of faith that revealed the transformative nature of the gospel in everyday life.

They were to “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (Colossians 3:10 ESV). As God's chosen ones, they were to put on “compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12 ESV). But none of these “add-ons” would be effective without love.

…put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony… – Colossians 3:14 ESV

Since God is love and He best expressed that love through the gift of His Son, Paul called the Colossians to “do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17 ESV). But what does that look like? How were they supposed to make these powerful admonitions practical? Well, Paul makes it plain and simple for them. He begins with the family unit, one of the most foundational and universal arenas of personal relationships in this life.

The family was God’s idea. He originated and ordained the union of one man and one woman, creating an indissoluble bond between them as husband and wife. The creation account found in the opening chapters of Genesis records God’s creation of the first marriage.

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said,

“This at last is bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
    because she was taken out of Man.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:21-24 ESV

Jesus Himself confirmed the validity of the Genesis account by stating, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:4-6 ESV).

So, Paul begins at the beginning – with the family unit. He calls believing wives to submit to their believing husbands. But he adds an important, yet often overlooked, distinction: “as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18 ESV). The New Living Translation puts it this way: “as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord.”

Paul’s use of the word “submission” was directly linked to his call that all believers conduct themselves with compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. If there was ever a relationship where those characteristics were necessary, it was the union between a husband and wife. So, he calls wives to lovingly, humbly, meekly, and patiently relate to their husbands in such a way that honors their role as the God-appointed head of the household. Paul provided additional insight into the headship role of the husband when writing to the church in Ephesus.

…submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything. – Ephesians 5:21-24 NLT

The biblical concept of submission has nothing to do with superiority or inferiority. Paul is not suggesting that women are somehow second-class citizens. He is simply articulating the divinely ordained concept of headship within the family unit. Just as Christ is the head of the church, the believing husband is responsible for the well-being of his family, and that role comes with a heavy dose of accountability.

Paul made it painfully clear that one of the primary leadership responsibilities of a godly husband was to selflessly love his wife. Once again, Paul provides further clarity in his letter to the church in Ephesus.

…this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. – Ephesians 5:25-26 NLT

To lovingly and graciously submit to her husband, a wife must surrender her pride and natural desire for autonomy. In other words, she would have to “put off the old self with its practices” (Colossians 3:9 ESV). Submission doesn’t come naturally or easily for anyone. It requires a sacrifice of the human will. For anyone to submit in a way that “is fitting for those who belong to the Lord” (Colossians 3:18 NLT), they have to “put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within” (Colossians 3:18 NLT). And according to Peter, submission isn’t required for wives alone. He calls all believers to model godly submission to all those in authority.

Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God… – 1 Peter 2:13-15 ESV

Regardless of their gender, each believer’s life is to be marked by an attitude of humble submission to others – for this is the will of God. According to Paul, one of the greatest displays of dying to self was to be a husband’s selfless expression of love for his wife. He was to put his wife’s life ahead of his own, even sacrificing his own life if necessary.

At the core of Paul’s teaching on submission is the contrast between humility and pride. There was no place for self-aggrandizement in the life of a believer.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4 BSB

Even children had a part to play in God’s divine order for the home. They were to obey their parents in everything. Why? Because this was pleasing to the Lord. It was in keeping with His divine will. A child’s obedience was a form of submission to the God-ordained authority of their parents. Again, this is not normal or natural. As the proverb states, “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child…” (Proverbs 22:15 BSB).

It’s interesting to note that the disobedience of children was one of the characteristics Paul listed when describing the state of the world in the last days.

You should know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. – 2 Timothy 3:1-4 NLT

But, according to Paul, an obedient child is the byproduct of a loving and godly father.

Fathers, do not aggravate your children, or they will become discouraged. – Colossians 3:21 NLT

Proverbs 22 goes on to say, “A youngster’s heart is filled with foolishness, but physical discipline will drive it far away” (Proverbs 22:15 NLT). Yet, too much discipline, done in an unloving and heavy-handed manner, can do more harm than good. It can cause a child to become discouraged. Discipline that is unloving and lacking in compassion can disincentivize a child from trying to obey. It can actually result in rebellion rather than submission. So, Paul warns fathers to use their role as heads of their households with care.

Next, Paul moves from addressing the family unit to dealing with another relationship that was ubiquitous in the Colossian community: slavery. While we find this topic uncomfortable and somewhat off-putting, it was a normal part of everyday life for the citizens of Colossae.

“Scholars estimate about 10% (but possibly up to 20%) of the Roman empire’s population were enslaved. This would mean, for an estimated Roman empire population of 50 million (in the first century AD) between five and ten million were enslaved. This number would have been unequally distributed across the empire, with a higher concentration of enslaved people in urban areas and in Italy.” – www.britishmuseum.org

Slavery was an everyday part of daily life in Colossae. Yet Paul doesn’t attempt to address the moral implications of slavery. Instead, he shows the Colossian believers how their new identity in Christ should impact every area of life. The reality was that slaves were coming to faith in Christ and becoming a part of the local congregation of believers. It was highly likely that the church in Colossae had slaves attending worship services with their own masters. This presented a particularly difficult problem for Paul and the church's leadership. How were these people supposed to relate to one another? How should their mutual relationship with Christ impact their interpersonal relationship with one another?

Paul addresses both parties. He tells slaves, “obey your earthly masters in everything you do. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. Serve them sincerely because of your reverent fear of the Lord” (Colossians 3:22 NLT). Then he turns his attention to the masters.

…be just and fair to your slaves. Remember that you also have a Master—in heaven. – Colossians 4:1 NLT

Notice his emphasis on God. Both parties were to recognize that their earthly relationship with one another had been dramatically altered by their new identity in Christ. While nothing had changed regarding their worldly status, Paul wanted them to know that God viewed them in a new light.

In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. – Colossians 3:11 NLT

Paul's words to slaves teach an invaluable and universal lesson. These were individuals who had no choice regarding their condition. Their position as slaves required that they submit, whether they wanted to or not. But Paul challenged them to take a different attitude.

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ. – Colossians 3:23-24 NLT

This call to a new outlook applied to every believer in the local church in Colossae. It’s what Paul meant when he wrote, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2 ESV). A slave was to live with an eternal perspective, knowing that his current circumstance was temporal. There was a reward awaiting him that made his present suffering pale in comparison. But that heavenly-minded, future-focused perspective was to motivate the life of every believer in Colossae, regardless of their gender, race, or social status.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Present Hope of Future Glory

1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. – Colossians 3:1-4 ESV

Paul’s opening statement in chapter three conveys an assumption that Paul has made regarding the members of the Colossian church. He is not questioning their salvation, but instead, he states that because they are believers, they must have a completely different perspective on life. The opening verse might be better translated as, “Since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above…”

Their new relationship with God the Father, made possible by the atoning work of Jesus Christ, should give them an eternal rather than temporal outlook on life. Their hearts and minds should be focused on all that the death and resurrection of Jesus accomplished on their behalf. They were no longer citizens of this world. In fact, what Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi was true for them as well: “…we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior” (Philippians 3:20 NLT).

Paul constantly encouraged Gentile believers to embrace their new identity as citizens of God’s eternal kingdom.

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. – Ephesians 2:19 NLT

No matter what their ethnic identity may have been, they were now members of God’s family and shared in the glorious inheritance reserved for all His children.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. – Romans 8:15-17 NLT

But Paul knew that the Colossian believers were struggling to accept and adapt to their new identities in Christ. Because of their earth-bound existence, they were prone to view life through the lens of the here and now. They were stuck on an earthly plane and having difficulty visualizing the spiritual benefits of their relationship with Christ. But Paul reminded them that their Lord and Savior was no longer on earth but was “seated at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1 ESV). He had returned to His Father’s side, from where He interceded on their behalf (Romans 8:34).

Paul’s mention of Jesus’ present location was meant to remind them that this world was not their final destination. Peter would have told them they were nothing more than “temporary residents and foreigners” in this world (1 Peter 2:11 NLT). According to what Jesus told His disciples, God had a far better destiny for His children.

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” – John 14:2-3 ESV

Peter described this place as “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:4 ESV). The apostle John recorded in the Book of Revelation the vision he received of this future residence for God’s people.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 22:2-4 ESV

So, when Paul writes, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Colossians 3:2 ESV), he is focusing their attention on the glorious future God has in store for them. They were not to confuse this present world and their current lives with the coming Kingdom of God. Like the apostle John, Paul wanted his readers to reject the temptation to live as if this world was their home.

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. – 1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Paul knew how difficult it was to live in this world while maintaining a healthy distance from all its temptations and allures. That’s why he emphasized having a “heavenly” perspective that focused on the reality of the future. In a sense, Paul is describing the life of faith. The author of Hebrews defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). To live in this life by faith is to maintain a future-focused perspective that believes in and waits on the final fulfillment of all the promises God has made.

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently). – Romans 8:23-25 NLT

Paul constantly repeated this refrain to the various congregations he shepherded because he knew the cares and concerns of this world would weigh them down. The believers in Corinth faced a wide range of difficulties from within and without, and Paul encouraged them to keep their eyes focused on the prize.

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. – 2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT

So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. – 2 Corinthians 5:6-7 NLT

Paul told the Colossians believers, “Your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3 ESV). This rather enigmatic statement carries a profound truth that Paul thoroughly embraced and constantly taught. In his letter to the church in Rome, he expounded upon the profound nature of our union with Christ.

…have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. – Romans 6:3-8 NLT

Paul wanted the believers in Colossae to know that Christ had not saved them, only to let them fend for themselves. His return to His Father’s side was not a form of abandonment. They were united with Him in His death and His resurrection. His death broke the chains of sin that had once held them trapped in a slave-like existence. They had died with Christ and were now united to Him in His resurrected state. That is why Paul could so boldly and joyfully state, “My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 NLT).

Paul states that Christians' lives are “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3 ESV). The Greek word is κρύπτω (kryptō), and it conveys the idea of concealment. He wants the Colossian believers to know that their lives are being preserved by Christ in heaven. In a mysterious and inexplicable sense, they were already seated by Christ’s side in heaven. Their destiny was assured, so while they were temporarily stuck on earth, they could live as if they were already citizens of God’s eternal kingdom. From a faith-based perspective, they were as good as there. Their sins were forgiven, their future resurrection was assured, and their eternal state was fully secure. All because of the matchless love of God in Christ.

…God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. – Ephesians 2:4-6 NLT

For Paul, there was always a tension between the now and the not yet. He had a future-focused faith that found confidence in the promise of his future glorification. He longed for the day when he would go to be with his Lord and Savior, but he lived with a determination to make the most of every opportunity to glorify Christ in this present life.

I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. – Philippians 1:20-24 NLT

Paul was determined to live his earthly life in a way that pleased the Lord. His confidence in his future reward fueled his actions in this life. He lived with his eye on the prize but never lost sight of the mission. His unwavering belief in the coming Kingdom was the source of his strength, perseverance, and hope.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body. – 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Much-Needed Wake-up Call

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, 2 To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. – Colossians 1:1-2 ESV

The ancient city of Colossae achieved its early prominence and prosperity due to its location along a major trade route that ran through the Lycus River Valley in the Roman province of Asia Minor (in today's modern-day Turkey). But in time, the nearby and newer city of Laodicea replaced Colossae as the economic engine of the region. The once-thriving metropolis of Colossae had become famous for manufacturing a much-coveted crimson-colored wool cloth known as colossinum. But by the time Paul wrote his letter, Colossae had become little more than a small village. It was in this environment that a small congregation of believers had sprung up.

The founding of the Colossian church is unclear. When Paul wrote his letter, he had not been to the city of Colossae, but his missionary journeys had taken him to nearby Ephesus where he spent an extended time spreading the gospel message and making converts. According to Acts 19:10, “This continued for two years, so that all the residents of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.” It could be that one of the new converts from Ephesus took the good news of Jesus Christ to Colossae or a resident from Colossae had traveled to Ephesus and heard the preaching of Paul. Whatever the case, the gospel made its way to the Colossians, and in time, a small congregation had formed.

Because of its location along a major trade route, the city of Colossae had a population comprised of Greek colonists and native Phrygians. There would have also been a large number of Jews living in the area because Antiochus the Great (223-187 B.C.) had relocated hundreds of Jewish families from Mesopotamia to this region. So, this local congregation likely comprised people from every ethnic, cultural, and religious background. This diversity of backgrounds, coupled with the influence of false teachers, had produced confusion among the church’s young congregation.

It appears that Paul received word of the situation in Colossae from Epaphras, a resident of the city. Whether Epaphras visited Paul while he was under house arrest in Rome is unclear, but the fellow minister of the gospel had somehow gotten word to the apostle about the state of affairs in his hometown. According to verses 7-8 of chapter one, Epaphras had been instrumental in spreading the gospel to his fellow Colossians.

You learned the gospel from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave—a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf—who also told us of your love in the Spirit. – Colossians 1:7-8 NLT

However, Epaphras shared with Paul his concern for the spiritual well-being of the church. Without proper leadership and instruction, the fledgling congregation struggled to resist the temptation to syncretize their old religious ideologies with their new faith in Christ. Some of the Jewish converts to Christianity were attempting to “Judaize” the Gentile members of the congregation by demanding adherence to the rituals, traditions, and laws of Judaism. To make matters worse, some had infiltrated the church posing as doctrinal experts and propagating a dangerous brand of false teaching that stood in direct opposition to the teachings of Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles. This led Paul to open his letter with a statement establishing his apostolic credentials.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God… – Colossians 1:1 ESV

While Paul had not been one of the original 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, he had received his apostolic commission directly from the Lord Himself. In his earlier life, Paul had been a member of the Pharisees, a powerful and highly influential sect of Judaism. At one point, he described himself as the poster boy for religious extremism and dedication.

I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. – Philippians 3:5-6 NLT

He was an up-and-coming member of the Pharisees who had been given a commission by the high priest to persecute and arrest members of “the way,” the name given to the cult of followers who worshiped the dead Rabbi, Jesus. Saul, as he was known then, was a devout Pharisee and a zealous adherent to and defender of the Jewish faith. He was determined to eradicate the memory of Jesus and eliminate every one of His followers. He would later describe to the Jews how he had been given a commission to hunt down and destroy Christians.

“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. As his student, I was carefully trained in our Jewish laws and customs. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just like all of you today. And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, arresting both men and women and throwing them in prison. The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.” – Acts 22:3-5 NLT

But something remarkable occurred as Paul made his way to Damascus. He came face to face with the resurrected Jesus. A blinding light stopped him in his tracks, and a voice spoke to him, saying, “I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting” (Acts 22:8 NLT). Struck blind by the intense light, Paul could not see, but he clearly heard Jesus’ instructions to visit a man named Ananias. The stunned Pharisee obeyed Jesus’ command and sought out Ananias, who opened his eyes and revealed his new mission:

“The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard. What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.” – Acts 22:14-16 NLT

This “Damascus Road experience” transformed Paul’s life. He went from being a persecutor of “the Way” to being a proclaimer of the good news of Jesus Christ, the One who had proclaimed Himself to be “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6 NLT). Paul was appointed an official apostle or messenger of Jesus Christ, with specific instructions to take the good news of salvation to the Gentiles. In the opening line of his letter, Paul stresses that he has divine authority to address the situation taking place within their local congregation. Because Paul was not one of the original 12 disciples, some attacked his apostolic credentials and he was forced to defend his rights to speak on behalf of Christ. He pushed back on these critics, declaring his God-given authority to serve as a spokesman for the resurrected Messiah.

I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. – Galatians 1:1 NLT

Many of the churches Paul helped to establish were being targeted by men who claimed to be speaking on behalf of God but were teaching false doctrines and leading the people away from the simplicity and integrity of the gospel. Many of these men were eloquent and influential speakers who derided Paul’s ministry and portrayed him as a charlatan. But Paul refused to let these individuals destroy what God had built.

But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 11:12-13 NLT

As Paul wrote the believers in Colossae, he opened his letter with a declaration of his apostleship. He wanted them to know that what he was about to tell them was divinely inspired and not just the thoughts of a man they had never met. He was about to divulge to them the will of God concerning their situation, and it would pay for them to listen. Paul also informed them that he was not alone in his concern for them. Timothy, his protégé and fellow minister of the gospel, stood with him in his message of encouragement and admonition.

Paul refers to his audience as “saints,” using a Greek term (hagios), which means “those set apart to God.” He wanted to remind them that they had been consecrated by God for His use. They belonged to Him and were obligated to live their lives in keeping with His will and according to His Word. They were not free to establish their own model for righteous living or to create their own system of religious rituals or creeds. They had been set apart by God and were to dedicate their lives to God. The rest of his letter addresses the specifics of their situation and the measures they must take to ensure that they continue to live faithful lives marked by God’s grace and peace.

These faithful “saints” lived in adverse conditions and faced constant threats to their spiritual growth and development. But Paul will challenge them “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him” (Colossians 1:10 ESV). His letter will serve as a much-needed wake-up call reminding them of their identity in Christ and the need to “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:23 ESV). Paul, the faithful servant of Jesus Christ, will call the faithful saints in Colossae to “think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth” (Colossians 3:2 NLT) and to “live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:4 NLT). His message will be equal parts admonition and motivation. He will refute the false teachers, expose blind spots, and encourage godly behavior, all out of passion for the gospel and his love for the flock of Jesus Christ.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Repent

13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
    the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
    have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
    on them a light has dawned.”

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 4:13-17 ESV

Every step Jesus took and every word He spoke was in fulfillment of prophecy. His actions were premeditated and always in keeping with the plan His Father had established for Him “before the foundation of the world” (Ephesians 1:4 ESV). Jesus boldly stated that He had come to fulfill every statement made about the Messiah in the Old Testament Scriptures. This is what He meant when He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17 ESV). After His resurrection, He gave two of His disciples a crash course in Old Testament Studies, revealing how He had fulfilled all that was written about Him in the Scriptures.

And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. – Luke 24:25-27 ESV

Matthew 4 records that Jesus’ relocation from Nazareth to Zebulun and Naphtali was in fulfillment of the writings of the prophet Isaiah. This was not a knee-jerk reaction or spur-of-the-moment decision on His part; He was following the will of His Heavenly Father. Isaiah referred to this region as “Galilee of the Gentiles” and in Jesus’ day, the Gentile population in Zebulen and Napthali was significant. His move from Jerusalem to Nazareth and then to this region was meant to foreshadow His intentions to reach all people with His message of salvation, not just the Jews.

Isaiah states that the Messiah will appear to those “dwelling in darkness” who dwell “in the region and shadow of death.” The “light” will shine and illuminate the darkness of their lives with the truth of God’s offer of salvation. The apostle John spoke of Jesus’ illuminating presence as the light that gives life to the world.

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:4-5 ESV

But John also states that Jesus “came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11 ESV). Most of Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries failed to accept Him as their long-awaited Messiah. Initially, they were attracted to His miracles and message but, in time, they grew disenchanted and impatient when He failed to manifest the Messianic characteristics they were expecting. 

That is why Jesus’ call to repentance is so important. After His relocation to Capernaum, Jesus “began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17 ESV).  This was the same message John the Baptist had proclaimed before Jesus appeared at the Jordan River to be baptized by John.

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 3:1-2 ESV

But what did Jesus and John mean when they called people to repentance? What were they expecting those dwelling in darkness in the region and the shadow of death to do? The common understanding of repentance is to show remorse or regret for sin. Some have described it as turning from sin to Christ. They view it as a willing rejection of a sinful lifestyle and embracing the new life that Jesus came to offer. While these views are not inaccurate, they are incomplete.

Jesus and John had something far more radical in mind when they called people to repent. When John the Baptist first appeared on the scene, he seemed to have come out of nowhere. He was the same age as his cousin, Jesus. But for 30 years, John remained silent until he suddenly appeared in the wilderness preaching a message of repentance and offering baptism as a sign of that repentance, Everything about John was strange, from his choice of attire and lifestyle to the content of his message. But he attracted a crowd. Matthew tells us:

Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. – Matthew 3:5-6 ESV

John was calling the people of Israel to repent and it is essential to understand the meaning behind his message. His call to repentance involved a change in mind, a radical realignment of their understanding of God and His ways. The Greek word is metanoeo and it means “to change one’s mind or purpose.” It is far more than sorrow or regret for sin. It involves a radical change of attitude towards God, involving one’s spiritual and moral perspective. John was calling the people of Israel to rethink their attitude about everything, including their relationship with God, the nature of their own sin, and the reality of their so-called status as God’s chosen people. The Jews had been living under the delusion that, as descendants of Abraham, they were somehow a protected class. They were far from perfect, but they believed themselves to have some kind of get-out-of-jail-free card that allowed them to sin and always receive forgiveness. After all, they had the sacrificial system that provided them with atonement for any and all sins.

Despite the literally hundreds of years their ancestors had spent in open rebellion against God and their suffering defeat and eventual exile at the hands of God, they had never fully returned to Him. Yet God had repeatedly rescued them and restored them to the land of their inheritance.

Even at the time John began his ministry, Israel was a place of spiritual darkness. The spiritual climate of Israel was dark and John came to call the people of God back to a right relationship with God. But they were going to have to change their minds about everything. Their long-awaited Messiah was coming and they were not ready for His arrival. Their hearts were full of sin, yet they continued to view themselves as the chosen people of God. They placed a high value on their status as Israelites and on the presence of the Temple because they believed it to house God’s holy presence. They were overly confident in the forgiveness made available through the sacrificial system. But John was letting them know that all that was about to change. This was a new day. There was going to be a new plan of salvation made available that was no longer tied to the law or was not dependent upon men attempting to live in perfect obedience to that law.

John’s words were attracting huge crowds made up of all kinds of people from all walks of life, including the religious leaders of his day. But when these Pharisees and Sadducees showed up, John confronted them, saying, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:7-8 ESV). These two groups of individuals, the Pharisees and Sadducees, represent the hypocritical religious leadership of John’s day. The Pharisees were the religious rule-keepers, the experts in the law who prided themselves on their knowledge of the law and adherence to it. The Sadducees were the liberals of their day, who denied the supernatural and rejected everything from the existence of angels to the future resurrection of the body. These two groups showing up to be baptized was nothing more than a public display meant to enhance their credibility and feed their sense of spiritual superiority.

They had no intention of changing their minds about anything. They were marked by arrogance and pride and John demanded that they bear fruit that demonstrated true repentance. In other words, he called them out for their unwillingness to see themselves for what they really were: Religious hypocrites.

Their status as descendants of Abraham would not be enough to save them from the wrath of God, and John the Baptist makes that point painfully clear.

“And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.” – Matthew 3:9 ESV

Their current relationship with God, which was based on obedience to the law, could not produce the kind of righteousness that was required. The apostle Paul, a former Pharisee, put it bluntly and succinctly.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:20 NLT

But while this message carried a negative connotation, Paul also provided the good news.

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  – Romans 3:21-22 NLT

So, when John the Baptist called the Jews to repent, he was informing their Jewish heritage was not going to keep them from suffering the consequences of God’s wrath against sin. God was looking for fruit in keeping with true repentance. No more hypocrisy and play-acting. No more lip service and false professions of sorrow over sin. God was about to introduce a new way for men to be justified, or made right with Him. Self-righteousness had never worked. Religious law-keeping had never earned anyone a right standing with God, because no one could keep the law perfectly.

With the coming of the Messiah, God changed all that. While John baptized with water all those willing to come with an attitude of true repentance, he made it clear that the baptism they would receive from Jesus would be radically different. His baptism would involve the Holy Spirit and fire. It would be supernatural in scope and cleansing in nature. It would be a baptism of purification and radical transformation. It would be far more than a ritualistic act meant to symbolize a change of attitude. No, the baptism of Jesus would be completely transformational in nature, leaving the one baptized radically changed forever.

But what does the call to repentance have to do with those who are already in Christ? Once someone has placed their faith in Christ as the sole means of being made right with God, do they need to continue “changing their mind?” The answer is found in Paul’s letter to the Romans.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2 ESV

The Greek word for “transformed” is metamorphoō which means “to transform” or “to transfigure.” It is the source for the English word “metamorphosis.” Paul states that this transformation is accomplished by the renewal of the mind. The Greek word for “renewal” is anakainōsis and it refers to “a complete change for the better.” While the Holy Spirit is transforming the believer’s heart, He is also renewing or renovating the mind, calling for a constant change in how the believer views the world and His own life. Paul expressed his deep desire that the believers in Ephesus would have their minds constantly renewed by the Holy Spirit so that they might fully comprehend the glory of the gift they had received.

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. – Ephesians 1:15-18 NLT

Repentance involves a changing of the mind. It requires a readiness to rethink our old positions and perceptions about life and godliness. Repentance is a willingness to have our minds renewed and renovated by the Holy Spirit over time. It involves a submission to His will and a reliance upon His power.

The mind is the battleground of the enemy. He knows if he can distort our thinking, he can destroy our faith and damage our witness. He is the accuser of the brethren (Revelatoin 12:10), who loves to wreak havoc with our minds by emphasizing our sinfulness and questioning God’s faithfulness. He wants to accentuate our faults and convince us that we are unworthy and undeserving of God’s grace. The apostle Paul would have us repent of such thoughts and rest in the promises of God. But to do so requires us to rely upon the Spirit to renew and control our minds – on a daily and ongoing basis.

Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. – Romans 8:5-9 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Abide In Me

1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:1-5 ESV

8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.” – John 15:8-10 ESV

The context of this command is essential for understanding its meaning. Jesus and His disciples have departed the upper room where they shared the Passover meal together. He is resolute in His determination to keep His providentially preordained rendezvous with the cross and death prepared for Him by His Heavenly Father. But the 11 remaining disciples are still trying to get their heads around all that Jesus has revealed to them. Even as they make their way into the night, He continues to expand their understanding and prepare them for what lies ahead.

This passage is part of Jesus’ ongoing farewell discourse and provides one of the most powerful descriptions of what it means to experience eternal life with God through the Son. Jesus borrows from the familiar imagery of the vineyard to create an extended metaphor designed to convey the non-negotiable dependency His followers must have on Him. As a result of His death, burial, and resurrection, these men will no longer be independently minded followers; they will be totally reliant reflections of God’s glory as expressed through His Son.

Over three years, these men had expressed their allegiance to Jesus by choosing to follow Him and sacrifice all else on behalf of Him. They had given up their careers, left their families, exposed themselves to ridicule, gone hungry, suffered life-threatening storms at sea, traveled countless miles, and listened to more lessons than they could even remember. They were dedicated men who loved Jesus greatly. On several occasions, they had even expressed their willingness to lay down their lives for Him. But Jesus knew that the key to their continued faithfulness and fruitfulness would be through His death and resurrection. The very thing they feared the most would be the one thing that would transform their lives and transcend all their expectations of greatness and glory.

So much of what Jesus has taught His disciples has escaped them, and His continued discussions regarding His death frightened and frustrated them. They couldn’t understand why He had to die. They couldn’t bear the thought that He was going to leave them. But Jesus had told them that His death would prove to be life-giving and fruit-bearing.

“Now the time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory. I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who care nothing for their life in this world will keep it for eternity. Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.” – John 12:23-26 NLT

Extending this earlier discussion of death, life, and fruitfulness, Jesus declares, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1 ESV). This will be the last of His “I am” statements and, with it, Jesus conveys to His disciples that everything is about to change, including their relationship with Him.

The imagery of the vine would have been very familiar to the disciples, not just because they lived in an agrarian culture where vines were ubiquitous, but because the vine was a symbol of Israel’s relationship with God. Every time they passed by the temple in Jerusalem, they would have seen the golden vines that adorned its walls. But according to the prophets, the nation of Israel, planted by God to produce abundant fruit, ended up producing wild grapes.

Let me sing for my beloved
    my love song concerning his vineyard:
My beloved had a vineyard
    on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it of stones,
    and planted it with choice vines;
he built a watchtower in the midst of it,
    and hewed out a wine vat in it;
and he looked for it to yield grapes,
    but it yielded wild grapes. – Isaiah 5:1-2 ESV

And Isaiah made it painfully clear that this lovingly cultivated vine that produced less-than-quality fruit represented the people of God.

For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts
    is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah
    are his pleasant planting;
and he looked for justice,
    but behold, bloodshed;
for righteousness,
    but behold, an outcry! – Isaiah 5:7 ESV

Now, Jesus was declaring Himself to be the vine. In doing so, He let His disciples know that He had replaced Israel as the sole source of fruitfulness. He would be the fulfillment of all that Israel should have been. His life would yield abundant fruit and bring glory to God.

Israel had failed to remain faithful and refused to keep their preferred status as God’s chosen people, choosing instead to worship false gods. The prophet Jeremiah declared to them God’s displeasure.

“But I was the one who planted you,
    choosing a vine of the purest stock—the very best.
    How did you grow into this corrupt wild vine?” – Jeremiah 2:21 NLT

With this final “I am” statement, Jesus lets His disciples know that He is the true vine. He has been faithful and fully obedient to the will of God, the vinedresser. He had been “planted” by God with a purpose in mind: to bear much fruit. And by sacrificing His life, He would fulfill that purpose by producing a “plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24 NLT).

The most amazing aspect of Jesus’ fruit-bearing ministry is the vital role His disciples would play. They would become the branches through which His life-giving, fruit-bearing ministry would flow. But it would require constant abiding on their part. The key to their role in producing fruit would be their ongoing dependence upon the vine.

The Greek word for “abide” is menō and it means “to remain, tarry, not to depart, to be held, kept, continually.”It is the same word the apostle John used in describing a true disciple’s relationship with Jesus.

Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. – 1 John 2:4-6 ESV

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. – 1 John 2:28-29 ESV

John associates abiding with actions. There is a symbiotic relationship between the vine and the branch characterized by closeness and interdependence. Notice his emphasis on walking as Jesus walked and practicing righteousness just as Jesus did. Abiding can sometimes be confused with resting. But while rest can be a byproduct of abiding, it is not the primary goal. A branch “rests” in the vine in that it relies on the vine to produce the grapes it bears. It doesn't strain to be fruitful. It doesn't grow weary in the process of bearing fruit.

Jesus extended an invitation to follow Him that promised rest for the weary but in the context of work.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” – Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

He extends His invitation to those who are worn out from bearing the weight of trying to produce the fruit of righteousness on their own. They have exhausted themselves with their futile attempts to earn favor with God through self-effort. But notice that Jesus invites them into a shared work relationship characterized by the yoke. Jesus’ offer of salvation is not the promise of an extended vacation or a trouble-free life. The life of a disciple is characterized by effort and demonstrated by action. Jesus told His disciples to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19 NLT). They had work to do and effort would be required. But He promised to be with them.

“And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20 NLT

Jesus utilizes the imagery of the vine and the branch to convey this shared work relationship between Him and the disciple. The goal is fruitfulness. But fruitfulness cannot take place without fruit-bearing. In other words, the vine is dependent upon the branches to make the fruit possible. Abiding is the process by which the branch becomes productive and beneficial.

It is important to remember that Jesus is addressing the 11 disciples who have chosen to remain with Him. They are walking with Him as He makes His way across the Kidron Valley from the city of Jerusalem to the Garden of Gethsemane. These men represent all those who have placed their faith and hope in Jesus. But Jesus is revealing that the real key to their future fruitfulness and faithfulness will be the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God. As a result of His coming death, resurrection, and ascension, they will find themselves the recipients of the gift of the Holy Spirit. He will permanently attach them to the vine, allowing them to play a vital role in the fruit-bearing plans of God.

The emphasis in this passage is on fruitfulness, not fruitlessness. It is on the vinedresser’s purpose to reap a harvest of fruit through the vine and its branches. Jesus was not threatening His disciples with a loss of salvation. He was simply conveying that their future relationship with Him would be all about fruit-bearing. To not bear fruit would be illogical and unacceptable. The very fact that He describes God as the vinedresser who “prunes” the branches so they can bear even more fruit reinforces His point.

He calls His disciples to remain or abide in Him.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” – John 15:4 NLT

This had immediate application, as the disciples faced the uncertainty of the circumstances surrounding them. Jesus knew that the next few hours were going to be trying and He was calling them to remain faithful and to continue believing in who He was. In a sense, they were about to be pruned, as God cut away all their preconceived notions regarding the Messiah. In just a matter of hours, all their lofty hopes and aspirations that Jesus would establish His Kingdom on earth would be shattered. But Jesus pleads with them to remain.

From the other gospel accounts, we know that the disciples would end up deserting Jesus. When the authorities came to arrest Jesus, they fled into the night. But there is a sense in which they remained. They stayed nearby. They stayed together. They maintained a faint flicker of hope as they faced an unknown and uncertain future.

But Jesus was assuring them that their days of fruitfulness were not over. He would still use them to do great things. But the primary lesson they were going to learn from it all was their total reliance upon Jesus for all things. Without Him, they could do nothing. They could produce no fruit apart from Him, and their lives after His return to heaven would be marked by complete dependence upon Him.

Even today, the disciple’s life is one of waiting, working, resting, cooperating, and relying on the “Vine” to produce the fruit that the “Vinedresser” longs to see.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Keep My Commandments

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.” – John 14:15-24 ESV

In His Great Commission, Jesus told His disciples to “go and make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19 NLT). Their mission was to spread the good news regarding salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Their three-year stint under Jesus’ leadership and their witness of His death, resurrection, and ascension would make their propagation of this news believable and effective. However, an important and often overlooked aspect of Jesus’ marching orders for them was His command to teach these future disciples to obey all the commands He had given them. That would require their recollection of those commands and their faithful communication of them. But none of this would matter if they failed to demand the careful observance of Jesus’ commands.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus placed a high priority on obedience and He used Himself as an example. He repeatedly discussed His willingness to obey the will of His Heavenly Father.

“I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” – John 15:9-10 NLT

“I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.” – John 5:30 NLT

“For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.” – John 6:38 NLT

“I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.” – John 12:49-50 NLT

“He who sent Me is with Me. He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.” – John 8:29 BSB

Jesus was an obedient Son who willingly kept all of His Father’s commands. This is not just a reference to Jesus’ faithful adherence to the Mosaic Law, something no other man had been able to do. It has to do with His obedience to the specific will the Father had ordained Him to carry out. That is why Jesus said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38 ESV). He found delight in doing the will of His Father.

“My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” – John 4:34 ESV

His Father’s will included carrying out the preordained plan He had been given as well as listening to and communicating the messages He had received.

“I have not spoken on My own, but the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say and how to say it.  And I know that His command leads to eternal life. So I speak exactly what the Father has told Me to say.” – John 12:49-50 BSB

Jesus stayed in constant communication with the Father, spending long periods alone with Him in prayer. But there was another aspect to the Father’s will for Jesus that involved the ultimate act of obedience. The prophet Isaiah describes it this way:

It was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. – Isaiah 53:10 ESV

The apostle Paul used similar language when he utilizing Jesus’ humble obedience to the Father’s will as an example for all believers.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. – Philippians 2:5-8 ESV

The author of Hebrews quotes Jesus as saying to His Father, “Behold, I have come to do your will” (Hebrews 10:9 ESV) and then he elaborates on the significance of Jesus’ fulfillment of the Father’s will.

And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. – Hebrews 10:9-10 ESV

So, when Jesus commanded His disciples to teach future disciples to obey His commands, He was really demanding their observance of His Father’s will and expecting them to use His life as a model for their behavior. He obeyed and so should they. All He taught and said came directly from His Father, so their observance of and obedience to these commands was an act of submission to the Father’s will, not His own.

Obedience doesn’t make someone a disciple, it provides evidence the Holy Spirit has made them a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). He has indwelled them and reproduced His fruit through them (Galatians 5:22-23). The passion and the power to obey come from a source other than the self. This is in line with the message God delivered to the people of Israel, guaranteeing them a supernatural transformation of their wills and dispositions, so that they might obey Him.

“I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27 ESV

The capacity to keep the commandments of Christ comes from within and is the byproduct of the Spirit’s transformative power. So, when Jesus commands obedience, He is not demanding the impossible or expecting His disciples to live perfectly sinless lives; He is describing the natural outflow of a true disciple’s life. The apostle Peter put it this way:

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. – 2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT

The disciples were to teach Christ’s commands so that everyone knew the codes of conduct He required. These commands were to be universal and applicable to all believers in every generation. No exemptions. No exceptions.

The kind of obedience the disciples were to teach was to be Christ-emulating and God-honoring. As John Piper put it, “the kind of obedience Jesus commands moves from the inside (where the value of Jesus is savored) to the outside (where the value of Jesus is shown)” (John, Piper, All That Jesus Commanded: Life According to the Gospels).

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus encouraged His audience to use their actions as a form of worship to God.

“Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” – Matthew 5:16 NLT

Ultimately, the goal of obedience is not to earn favor with God but to bring Him glory by displaying our new natures and demonstrating our adoption into His family as His redeemed sons and daughters. As the Son of God, Jesus held a deep place in His heart for His Father. His greatest joy was to bring glory to His Father by carrying out His will. In His High Priestly prayer, Jesus told His Father, “I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do” (John 17:4 NLT). After His death and resurrection, Jesus expected His disciples to carry on His ministry of reconciling a lost world to God, but He also expected them to glorify God by observing all that He commanded them to do.

Obedience. Faithfulness. Christ-likeness. Spirit-filled living. It all brings glory to the Father by emulating the life of the Son.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” – Matthew 16:24-26 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? 26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” – Luke 9:24-26 ESV

24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” – John 12:24-26 ESV

Jesus told His followers to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19 ESV). The phrase “make disciples” comes from the single Greek verb mathēteuō. which can also be translated as “to teach, instruct, or to disciple.” Jesus was not expecting His followers to literally “make” or manufacture disciples but to teach all who chose to accept His message of salvation. That is why Jesus went on to instruct His disciples to teach those individuals all the commands He had spoken in His earthly ministry.

The 12 men whom Jesus called were commonly referred to as His “disciples,” from a related Greek word, mathētēs, which is a noun and describes “a learner” or “pupil.” James, Andrew, Peter, John, and all the others had accepted Jesus’ invitation to follow Him.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. – Matthew 4:18-22 ESV

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” 28 And leaving everything, he rose and followed him. – Luke 5:27-28 ESV

At a word from Jesus, these men willingly abandoned their former lives and committed themselves to becoming His disciples or students. They each made the fateful decision to spend their lives learning from this itinerant Rabbi named Jesus. They knew little about Him or His ministry but were willing to walk away from their families, friends, and their primary means of livelihood just to hear what He had to say.

In one sense, a disciple is a follower, but for Jesus, following was not enough. He expected His disciples to learn and grow. During His earthly ministry, Jesus had hundreds, if not thousands, of followers. They were attracted by His miracles and enamored with His teachings. But as time went on, the lessons Jesus delivered became increasingly more complex and difficult to understand. As the time of His death drew closer, the more intense and seemingly obscure his teachings became. At one point, He told His followers, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst…I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:35, 38 ESV). The Jewish religious leaders in the crowd took exception with His claim to have come down from heaven, stating, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” (John 6:42 ESV). They were following Him but were unreceptive to His teaching.

Discerning their unbelief, Jesus upped the ante and proclaimed, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh” (John 6:51 ESV). This rather cryptic and confusing comment left the religious leaders further perplexed and put out. Jesus went on to talk about eating His flesh and drinking His blood, imagery that repulsed His critics and confused His disciples. One of the 12 responded, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60 ESV). But rather than rebuking His disciples, Jesus explained that His words were “spirit and life” (John 6:63 ESV). There were things they did not yet understand and their views of Him were clouded by false expectations and faulty concepts concerning His mission. They believed Him to be the Messiah but were confused by the nature of His ministry and messages. He was not acting like a Messiah. His ministry lacked the hallmarks of a revolutionary, Rome-conquering mission that would put the kingdom of Israel back on the map. Jesus knew that some of His “followers” were having second thoughts and said, “There are some of you who do not believe” (John 6:64 ESV). The 12 remained by His side, but “many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66 ESV).

Following Jesus requires commitment. It entails a willingness to listen, learn, and grow even when the lessons make no sense or the circumstances surrounding His calling don’t turn out as expected. Jesus later used a parable to describe the fickle nature of those who follow Him but eventually turn away. He spoke of four different types of soil on which the “seed” of the gospel falls.

“The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.” – Matthew 16:20-21 NLT

Failure to establish roots results in no nourishment. The seed sprouts but there are no nutrients to feed and foster growth. Roots imply commitment and a desire to grow. It is a picture of reliance upon the life-giving nature of Jesus’ message. He later told His disciples, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:4-5 NLT).

Jesus went on to describe a second type of soil that initially appears to benefit from the sowing of the seed but produces no fruit.

“The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.” – Matthew 16:22 NLT

Faithful-looking followers can end up being fickle and fruitless. Their initial enthusiasm for the gospel can wain as the distractions of life increase and Christ’s call to commitment becomes more difficult. But according to Jesus, true disciples produce fruit.

“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.” – John 15:8 NLT

Jesus would later tell His 12 disciples, “I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name” (John 15:16 NLT). That is what it means to make disciples. The goal is fruitfulness and faithfulness, not simply a growing number of followers. Disciples are committed. Disciples continue to learn. Disciples keep abiding in Christ even when the going gets tough and the trials of life make it difficult to hold on.

Being a disciple of Christ is not easy. That is why Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24 ESV). It requires sacrifice, self-denial, and the daily putting to death of the old self. Paul put it this way:

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20 NLT

He told the disciples in the local church in Galatia that their lives should bear the fruit of the Spirit, but to do so they would need to recognize that their former sinful natures had been crucified with Christ on the cross.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. – Galatians 5:24 NLT

After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, the disciples would grow to understand that their decision to follow Jesus must be accompanied by a willingness to commit to die to self and live for Christ. But as they lived, they would face the very real possibility of dying on His behalf. This is something Jesus warned them about.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.” – John 12:24-26 ESV

During His days on earth, Jesus repeatedly foreshadowed the days when His disciples would suffer as He did, facing ridicule and rejection but with the knowledge that their reward in heaven would be great.

“What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, their ancestors treated the ancient prophets that same way.” – Luke 6:22-23 NLT

Most of the Old Testament prophets delivered their messages to unrepentant audiences who not only refused to listen and learn but chose to kill the messenger. Yet these men carried out their assignments obediently and resolutely, even when facing the threat of martyrdom.

Discipleship requires commitment and a willingness to walk a path that is often unpleasant and unattractive to most people. It can be a lonely experience because few are willing to pass that way. There’s an old adage that states, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” But followers tend to give up or simply get out of Dodge when the going gets tough. When the heat gets turned up, they head for the exits.  Jesus described the path of discipleship as a “narrow way” that is rife with difficulties but that leads to life.

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” – Matthew 7:13-14 NLT

A more contemporary and equally familiar adage comes to mind: No pain, no gain. While there is a cost to discipleship, it is well worth any sacrifice we might have to make. Jesus made this point clear when He addressed a somewhat boastful pronouncement from Peter. The disciples had just witnessed Jesus’ interaction with a young man who wanted to know what he needed to do to gain eternal life. Jesus, knowing that the young man was wealthy, stated, “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Mark 10:21 NLT). Hearing Jesus’ words, “the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions” (Mark 10:22 NLT).

Perplexed by this exchange, Peter spoke up and self-righteously declared, “We’ve given up everything to follow you” (Mark 10:28 NLT). Peter had watched the wealthy young man let material possessions keep him from following Jesus and he wanted to remind the LORD that he had sold out to be a Christ follower. But while Jesus agreed, He gave Peter a powerful lesson in spiritual economics, proclaiming that Peter’s return on investment would be greater than he could ever imagine. Whatever he sacrificed in this life would be repaid in full in this life and in the life to come.

“Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.” – Mark 10:29-30 NLT

Peter and the rest of the disciples were now part of a much larger family consisting of people from all walks of life who shared a mutual relationship with God as their Father. And, one day, they would all enjoy the ultimate reward of eternal life and unbroken fellowship with their Savior and their Heavenly Father.

Discipleship is costly but priceless in terms of its long-term benefits.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Present Faith in Future Promises

18 And the word of the Lord of hosts came to me, saying, 19 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.

20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. 21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’ 22 Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord. 23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” – Zechariah 8:18-23 NLT

Chapter 7 began with a question about fasting. Now, Yahweh points to a future day when it will no longer be necessary to fast. Leviticus 16 records Yahweh’s command concerning fasting. ʿ

“And it shall be a statute to you forever that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict yourselves and shall do no work, either the native or the stranger who sojourns among you.” – Leviticus 16:29 ESV

The Hebrew word translated as “afflict” is ānâ and it carries the idea of humbling oneself, to be afflicted, or bowed down. It was commonly associated with fasting because fasting was intended as a sign of repentance and mourning over sins. The Book of Isaiah records Yahweh’s displeasure with the false fasting of the people of Israel.

“Is such the fast that I choose,
a day for a person to humble(ānâ) himself?
Is it to bow down his head like a reed,
and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him?
Will you call this a fast,
and a day acceptable to the Lord?” – Isaiah 58:5 ESV

He accused His people of going through the motions of fasting without the requisite heart change that was required. The people couldn’t understand why their outward displays of self-denial were getting them nowhere with Yahweh.

“Why have we fasted, and you see it not?
    Why have we humbled ourselves, and you take no knowledge of it?” – Isaiah 58:3 ESV

But Yahweh explained His disinterest and unwillingness to take their fasts seriously.

“Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure,
    and oppress all your workers.
Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight
    and to hit with a wicked fist.
Fasting like yours this day
    will not make your voice to be heard on high.” – Isaiah 58:3-4 ESV

Fasting was intended to display a repentant heart and a willingness to alter one’s behavior. It was an act of self-denial and public humiliation that demonstrated a recognition of one’s sin and a need for atonement.

But in this chapter, Yahweh describes a future in which fasting will be replaced by “seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts” (Zechariah 8:19 ESV). The fasts associated with the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the Temple, and the exile of God’s people will no longer be necessary. Yahweh is pointing to a day when joy will replace mourning and celebrations commemorating His goodness will eliminate all memories of past sins and divine judgment.

The Temple, once completed, would fully restore the sacrificial system, not eliminate it. The need for atonement would continue to require the blood of bulls, goats, sheep, and rams. The immediate future of the people of Judah would require a fully functioning priesthood, a completed Temple, and the sacrifice of countless animals to serve as sin substitutes for the guilty. The Day of Atonement would still require fasting on the part of the people before they could be cleansed from sin. 

The author of Hebrews explains the necessity of the sacrificial system but also identifies its shortcomings.

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. – Hebrews 10:1-4 ESV

So, when Yahweh speaks of “seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts,” He is talking about a future day when full and permanent atonement will be attained for His people. This message from Yahweh includes His promise of the future restoration and spiritual transformation of His chosen people. It coincides with the message He delivered through the prophet Ezekiel.

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 36:22-27 NLT

All of these promises will take place when Christ returns to set up His earthly Kingdom. Daniel was given a vision of the end times, including the period known as the Great Tribulation. During those days, God will bring judgment upon the earth and His people, both Jews and Christians, will suffer persecution at the hands of the Antichrist. But God will only allow this wicked world ruler to carry out his genocidal pogrom for three and a half years.

“He will defy the Most High and oppress the holy people of the Most High. He will try to change their sacred festivals and laws, and they will be placed under his control for a time, times, and half a time.

“But then the court will pass judgment, and all his power will be taken away and completely destroyed. Then the sovereignty, power, and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be given to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will last forever, and all rulers will serve and obey him.” – Daniel 7:25-27 NLT

This future kingdom will include believing Jews and Gentiles who will reign alongside Christ for 1,000 years.

“The manifestation of the kingdom will be attended by such a fulness of salvation that Judah will forget to commemorate the former mournful events and will only have occasion to rejoice in the benefits of grace bestowed by God.” –  Merrill F.  Unger, Zechariah

Yahweh wants Zechariah to know that the rebuilding of the Temple was just the beginning of His plans for the people of Judah. There is far more in store for His chosen people than they realize. They will accomplish their mission and complete the construction of God’s house. They will also rebuild the walls and hang the gates. The city will be repopulated and the nation will once again enjoy the blessings of Yahweh. But their greatest days lie in the distant future when God will redeem them fully and restore them to a right relationship with Himself that will last for eternity. The apostle Paul described this future day as a mystery. 

I want you to understand this mystery, dear brothers and sisters, so that you will not feel proud about yourselves. Some of the people of Israel have hard hearts, but this will last only until the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ. And so all Israel will be saved. As the Scriptures say,

“The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem,
    and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness.
And this is my covenant with them,
    that I will take away their sins.” – Romans 11:25-27 NLT

As Zechariah listens to these amazing pronouncements from Yahweh, he can't help but consider the less-than-ideal circumstances surrounding him and the far-from-perfect spiritual state of his fellow Judahites. But God is promising Him a future free from godlessness and sin. Not only that, the formerly destroyed city of Jerusalem will become a light shining on a hill attracting people from all over the world. Countless individuals from distant nations will declare their intention to visit the glorious city of Jerusalem.

“Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.” – Zechariah 8:21 ESV

Three other prophets recorded this same scene, further certifying its validity and future certainty.

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
    will be the highest of all—
    the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
    and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
    his word will go out from Jerusalem. - Isaiah 2:2-3 NLT

In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
    will be the highest of all—
    the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
    and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
    to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
    and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
    his word will go out from Jerusalem. – Micah 4:1-2 NLT

Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.
I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.
Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
    and eat from your own gardens there.
The day will come when watchmen will shout
    from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem
    to worship the Lord our God.’” – Jeremiah 31:3-6 NLT

Yahweh reiterates His future intentions for His chosen people to Zechariah, stating, “In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’” (Zechariah 8:23 ESV). These promises concerning Judah’s future were meant to encourage Zechariah and motivate the people to carry out their work with enthusiasm and faith. They served a good and gracious God who loved them and had great plans for them.

But Yahweh didn’t want His people to live with their eyes focused on the future. They weren’t to live with their eye set on the preferred future God had in store for them. His promises of future redemption and restoration would take place long after they were gone so, in the meantime, they were to “love truth and peace” (Zechariah 8:19 ESV). In other words, they were to love what God loved. They were to live in keeping with His will, treating one another with love, dignity, respect, and honor. With all His future promises in mind, they were to dedicate themselves to living in a way that honored Him in the here and now.

“Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate…” – Zechariah 8:16-17 ESV

The apostle Peter gave the same admonition to the believers who received his second epistle.

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 2 Peter 1:3-8 NLT

The people of Judah were to live with the end in mind, but they were never to lose sight of Yahweh’s call to live godly lives. God’s future faithfulness was meant to inspire present obedience in His covenant people. No matter how difficult the days ahead might be, they could rest in the promise of Yahweh’s unwavering love and long-term commitment to their well-being.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

God’s Ultimate Victory Over Wickedness

5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out.” 6 And I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the basket that is going out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity in all the land.” 7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8 And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.

9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. 10 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” 11 He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base.” – Zechariah 5:5-11 ESV

In the previous vision, Zechariah was shown a super-sized scroll containing the names of all those guilty of theft and swearing. Due to its enormous dimensions and subject matter, this scroll likely contained the names of every person living in Judah, including Zechariah, Zerubbabel, and Joshua. In a real sense, the entire nation stood condemned before Yahweh, because each of them was guilty of robbing Him of glory and failing to keep the oath they had sworn to obey His commands. Zerubbabel had led a small contingent of Judahites back to Judah for the express purpose of rebuilding the Temple and yet, the Temple remained unfinished. So God sent a message to Zerubbabel through Haggai the prophet.

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?” – Haggai 1:4 NLT

They had failed to keep their word. The whole reason for their return was to build a house for God, but they had stolen from Yahweh by using their time and resources to build homes for themselves. So, God warned them to change their ways or suffer the consequences. He demanded heart change that results in transformed actions. Failure to do so would bring judgment and removal.

But Zechariah's visions were far from over. With the image of the scroll still in his mind, Zechariah looks up and sees a large basket. The Hebrew word is 'êp̄â or ephah, which was a unit of measurement. This basket or receptacle was a common tool of commerce used to measure goods for sale. It served as an ancient Hebrew unit of dry measure, roughly equivalent to a bushel, or approximately 5.8 gallons. Like the scroll, the basket was probably oversized and unrecognizable to Zechariah because it didn't have the dimensions of a normal ephah. In fact, this ephah was large enough to contain “the sins of everyone throughout the land” (Zechariah 5:6 NLT).

But as Zechariah looked on, the angel ordered the leaden lid of the basket to be lifted.  Inside was a woman who the angel describes as “Wickedness.” She is meant to symbolize the iniquity of the people and represents the allure of evil that draws them away from God. Proverbs 6 contains the words of a father encouraging his son to listen to his instructions. He is attempting to prepare his son to face the temptations of the world, which he compares to an evil, adulterous woman.

For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
    and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
to preserve you from the evil woman,
    from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
Do not desire her beauty in your heart,
    and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes. – Proverbs 6:23-25 ESV

The previous Proverbs contains an equally negative description of this “wicked” woman.

For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
    and her speech is smoother than oil,
but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
    sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
    her steps follow the path to Sheol;
she does not ponder the path of life;
    her ways wander, and she does not know it. – Proverbs 5:3-6 ESV

This image of the seductive and sin-tempting woman is found throughout Scripture. In the Book of Deuteronomy, God warns the Israelites not to give their sons in marriage to the daughters of the Canaanites, because, “they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you” (Deuteronomy 7:4 BSB).

The Book of Ecclesiastes also paints a less-than-flattering picture of this female icon of sexual promiscuity and moral degradation.

I discovered that a seductive woman is a trap more bitter than death. Her passion is a snare, and her soft hands are chains. Those who are pleasing to God will escape her, but sinners will be caught in her snare. – Ecclesiastes 7:26 NLT

It should not be overlooked that both Ecclesiastes and Proverbs were authored by Solomon, the great king of Israel. As the son of David, Solomon succeeded his father to the throne of Israel and was blessed by God with great wealth and wisdom. But he had an Achilles Heel: His love for women. God had prohibited the kings of Israel from acquiring many wives for themselves because these women would end up distracting the king from his commitment to God and his concerns for the kingdom (Deuteronomy 17:17 ESV).

The Book of 1 Kings describes what happened to Solomon.

The Lord had clearly instructed the people of Israel, “You must not marry them, because they will turn your hearts to their gods.” Yet Solomon insisted on loving them anyway. He had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines. And in fact, they did turn his heart away from the Lord. – 1 Kings 11:2-3 NLT

So when Solomon warned about the allure of the “seductive woman,” he did so from personal experience.

The Book of Revelation also provides a final, climactic warning about the allure of “wickedness.” In chapter 17, the apostle John describes a vision he was given of “the judgment that is going to come on the great prostitute, who rules over many waters” (Revelation 17:1 NLT). John is told that this “woman,” who is obviously symbolic, has negatively impacted on the world.

“The kings of the world have committed adultery with her, and the people who belong to this world have been made drunk by the wine of her immorality.” – Revelation 17:2 NLT

John is then given a vision of another woman, “sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, and blasphemies against God were written all over it” (Revelation 17:3 NLT).

The woman wore purple and scarlet clothing and beautiful jewelry made of gold and precious gems and pearls. In her hand she held a gold goblet full of obscenities and the impurities of her immorality. A mysterious name was written on her forehead: “Babylon the Great, Mother of All Prostitutes and Obscenities in the World.” I could see that she was drunk—drunk with the blood of God’s holy people who were witnesses for Jesus. I stared at her in complete amazement. – Revelation 17:4-5 NLT

From the days of Solomon to the end times, the “wickedness” that allures and entices the godly will continue to spread and grow. Even before the second coming of Christ, the seductive woman will attempt to seduce and destroy all those who believe in Him.

Yet, in his vision, Zechariah watched as two divine beings flew into view, picking up the basket and carrying it away. “Wickedness,” which symbolized the iniquity of the people, was being removed, but Zechariah was curious about its destination. The angel informed him that the basket and its evil content were being taken “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base” (Zechariah 17:11 NLT). 

The land of Shinar was where Babylon was located. This imagery of the stork-like beings taking the sin-filled basket to Babylon was meant to remind Zechariah that God had punished the people of Judah for their sins by sending them into exile in Babylon. But they had returned. Their sins had been forgiven and God was giving them a second chance. But there is another sense in which this vision points to the future. Zechariah is being told that the rise of wickedness will ultimately culminate in the land of Shinar. In the end times, during the Great Tribulation, wickedness will grow rampant on the earth, and, under the reign of the Antichrist, the people of God will suffer great persecution.

In Zechariah’s day, wickedness would continue to be an ever-present problem. But God would not pour out His wrath as He did before. He would remove the penalty for wickedness, delaying its execution for a later date. Once again, John was given insight into these last-day events. God has a plan to deal with “wickedness” once and for all.

“Babylon is fallen—that great city is fallen!
    She has become a home for demons.
She is a hideout for every foul spirit,
    a hideout for every foul vulture
    and every foul and dreadful animal.
For all the nations have fallen
    because of the wine of her passionate immorality.
The kings of the world
    have committed adultery with her.
Because of her desires for extravagant luxury,
    the merchants of the world have grown rich.” – Revelation 18:2-3 NLT

And the kings of the world who committed adultery with her and enjoyed her great luxury will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. They will stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment. They will cry out,

“How terrible, how terrible for you,
    O Babylon, you great city!
In a single moment
    God’s judgment came on you.” – Revelation 18:9-10 NLT

Zechariah was given a vision of God’s grand plan for the sins of the world. He had no idea what it all meant but he could have confidence that God knew what He was doing. The future was secure. All Zechariah needed to do was convey God’s message to the people and ensure they kept their commitment to rebuilding the Temple. God would take care of the rest.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Little Is Much When God Is In It

8 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. 10 For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.

“These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth.” 11 Then I said to him, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 And a second time I answered and said to him, “What are these two branches of the olive trees, which are beside the two golden pipes from which the golden oil is poured out?” 13 He said to me, “Do you not know what these are?” I said, “No, my lord.” 14 Then he said, “These are the two anointed ones who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” – Zechariah 4:8-14 ESV

In 538 B.C., Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest had led the first wave of exiles who returned to Judah from Babylon. Their primary responsibility was to rebuild the Temple that had been destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar’s forces when Jerusalem had fallen. The Persian king, Cyrus, had issued a decree ordering the Temple’s

“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.Any of you who are his people may go to Jerusalem in Judah to rebuild this Temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives in Jerusalem. And may your God be with you! Wherever this Jewish remnant is found, let their neighbors contribute toward their expenses by giving them silver and gold, supplies for the journey, and livestock, as well as a voluntary offering for the Temple of God in Jerusalem.” – Ezra 1:2-4 NLT

However, after arriving in Judah, they made little progress on the Temple. It took two years just to lay the foundation and then opposition from the Samaritans led to another delay (Ezra 4:1-4). So, 18 years after Cyrus issued his decree, Zerubbabel received a message from Yahweh declaring His dissatisfaction with the unfinished state of the House of God.

“This is what the LORD of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the Lord. You hoped for rich harvests, but they were poor. And when you brought your harvest home, I blew it away. Why? Because my house lies in ruins, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, while all of you are busy building your own fine houses. It’s because of you that the heavens withhold the dew and the earth produces no crops. I have called for a drought on your fields and hills—a drought to wither the grain and grapes and olive trees and all your other crops, a drought to starve you and your livestock and to ruin everything you have worked so hard to get.”– Haggai 1:7-11 NLT 

During that same time, Yahweh provided Zechariah with a more positive message to deliver to Zerubbabel.

“Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the LORD of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.” – Zechariah 4:9 NLT

Yahweh wanted Zerubbabel to know that his efforts would produce positive results. The “mountainous” task of rebuilding the Temple would be accomplished with the LORD’s help. Zerubbabel, who had laid the cornerstone of the Temple, would also lay the capstone. At that momentous occasion, the people would recognize the sovereign hand of God and shout, “Grace, grace to it!” (Zechariah 4:7 ESV). The grace of God would make the Temple’s construction possible and from this House of God, more grace would flow for generations to come.

Yahweh reminded Zerubbabel not to “despise these small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10 NLT). Yes, the work would be difficult and the Samaritan resistance would continue, but if the people of God remained faithful and completed their task, they would one day rejoice.

“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.” – Zechariah 4:10 NLT

The Hebrew word translated as “plumbline” could also refer to a “large stone.” The people will have the privilege and joy of seeing Zerubbabel lay the final capstone for the completed project. Four years later, the people got to experience what God predicted.

The Temple of God was then dedicated with great joy by the people of Israel, the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the people who had returned from exile. During the dedication ceremony for the Temple of God, 100 young bulls, 200 rams, and 400 male lambs were sacrificed. And 12 male goats were presented as a sin offering for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then the priests and Levites were divided into their various divisions to serve at the Temple of God in Jerusalem, as prescribed in the Book of Moses. – Ezra 6:16-18 NLT

As Zechariah listened to God’s encouraging message of future success, the angel provided a rather out-of-place explanation for the earlier vision. He states, “These seven are the eyes of the Lord, which range through the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:10 ESV). This refers to the seven lamps surrounding the bowl on the top of the golden lampstand. Zechariah had wanted to know what the vision meant, and now the angel explains that the lamps symbolize God’s insight into all things. Seven is the number of perfection and God knows and sees all perfectly and clearly. He can see the past and the future simultaneously. Nothing is hidden from His sight, so He can assure Zechariah that the Temple will be completed.

But now, Zechariah’s curiosity has peaked. He wants to know more, so he peppers the angel with questions.

“What are these two olive trees on each side of the lampstand, and what are the two olive branches that pour out golden oil through two gold tubes?”– Zechariah 4:11-12 NLT

The angel expresses surprise at Zechariah’s line of questioning, asking, “Do you not know what these are?” (Zechariah 4:13 ESV). The angel considers the meaning to be so obvious that he is shocked at Zechariah’s confusion. But he refuses to make it easy for the perplexed prophet.

“These are the two anointed ones who stand by the LORD of the whole earth.” – Zechariah 4:14 ESV

It’s almost as if the angel is waiting for the lightbulb to illuminate over Zechariah’s head. In effect, the angel doesn't answer Zechariah’s question directly. He describes the two trees as “the two anointed ones,” but this answer doesn't provide Zechariah with much clarity. It simply begs another question: Who are the two anointed ones? But the angel believes Zechariah should be able to discern the answer to his own question. He and Joshua are the two olive trees that stand on either side of the golden lampstand. Zechariah is the God-appointed governor of Judah, while Joshua serves as the God-anointed high priest. Together they represent the offices of priest and king. In a sense, these two men are branches in their respective trees, pouring out the oil of the Spirit of God into the bowl on top of the lampstand of God. These two men had been divinely ordained to serve the people of God by carrying out His will.

Zerubbabel and Joshua serve as representatives of the kingly and priestly roles that will one day be combined in the reign of Christ. In chapter 3, God told Joshua that he and his fellow priests were signs of a greater priest to come.

“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch.” – Zechariah 3:8 ESV

The author of Hebrews revealed Jesus to be the fulfillment of this promise.

…we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. – Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT

According to the message the angel Gabriel delivered to Mary, Jesus would also become a king in the line of David.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”– Luke 1:32-33 ESV

Zerubbabel and Joshua represented the King-Priest who was to come. In their respective roles, they foreshadowed the coming of Messiah. The Book of Hebrews points to Jesus’ role as the priest-king when it compares Him to the Old Testament character, Melchizedek, who was “king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High” (Hebrews 7:1 NLT). The author describes Jesus as “a different priest, who is like Melchizedek” (Hebrews 7:15 NLT). With His appearance, “Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed” (Hebrews 7:16 NLT).

Jesus combined the offices of priest and king so that He might provide atonement for the sins of humanity and rule over them in righteousness and, “because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf” (Hebrews 7:24-25 NLT).

He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. – Hebrews 7:26 NLT

In this place of honor, Jesus is also recognized as the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is the perfect High Priest and all-powerful King.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:9-11 NLT

Through their obedience to God, Zechariah and Joshua foreshadowed the Branch to come, who would pour out the oil of God’s grace and mercy on undeserving sinners. Zechariah did not grasp the full significance of what he had seen and heard. The angel’s explanation must have seemed cryptic and obscure to the curious and confused prophet. But this message points to the future when God will fulfill all His promises through Jesus Christ, the Prophet, Priest, and King.

Zechariah was not to despise “the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10 ESV). He and Joshua were to fulfill their respective roles with faithfulness and diligence, and not according to their own strength. If they were obedient and carried out their divine commissions, God would do His part and carry out His will for the people of Israel and the nations of the world. One day, He would send His Son to complete His grand plan of redemption and set up His Kingdom on earth – all in keeping with God’s promises.

“The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” – Revelation 11:15 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.