The voice of the Shepherd

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'—which you have not known—'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 13:1-3

There is no shortage of false teachers who twist the Word of God to manipulate God’s people—often to squeeze money out of them.  “Why,” we may wonder, “does God allow false teachers to do such things?”  God gives an answer in Deuteronomy 13:3. 

God allows false teachers to speak falsely to test His people to reveal the depth of our love for Him!  God’s line of reasoning is that if we love Him we will likewise love His Word.  And if we love His Word, we will be sure to know His Word.  And when we know His Word, we will be able to discern when His Word is being subverted. 

Jesus said His sheep know His voice and they follow Him.  When people follow the voices of false teachers, it is because they do not know the voice of the Shepherd.  If you profess faith in the Lord, do you know His Word enough to discern truth from error?

Even more terrifying is that those who do not hear and follow the of the Shepherd likely do not know the Shepherd!

The Land of Israel points to better things!

The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Command the people of Israel, and say to them, When you enter the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall to you for an inheritance, the land of Canaan as defined by its borders)… Numbers 34:1-2

The rest of Numbers 34 defines the borders of Israel, and the officials who were responsible to oversee the division of the Land.  Later, instructions were given about the borders between the tribes of Israel,

Everything in the Old Testament points to Jesus.  How does the land of Israel point to Jesus? 

The nation of Israel brought forth the Messiah.  Jesus is the king of the Jews.  Interestingly, when Jesus was on this earth, the nation of Israel was not a sovereign nation.  Though the boundary lines were important during the OT, in Jesus’ day, Israel was a province of Rome that was divided not by the 12 tribes, but into three territories: Galilee, Samaria, and Judea.

Jesus came not only for Israel as the King of the Jews, He is the King of kings over all peoples.

When Jesus returns, Revelation 21 & 22 tell us that the entire earth, not merely Israel, will be replaced with an entirely new heavens and earth.

Let us read chapters like Numbers 34 understanding that as important as Israel was to bring forth the Messiah, Israel was a transient signpost that pointed to Jesus.  Let us look forward to the new heavens and earth over which our King will rule—forever!

DO NOT follow your heart!

"Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments…  And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God."
Numbers 15:38-41

The tassels are not the spiritual point.  They were merely reminders of the spiritual point.  What was that point?

They and we need to constantly be reminded to follow the Lord.  Why?  Because our hearts will lead us astray.

The world (and even many well-intentioned Christians)  encourage us to “follow our hearts.”  That is bad advice—spiritually deadly advice!  Why?

Note what God told Moses about the human heart:  He said our hearts and eyes are inclined to follow spiritual harlotry (i.e., unfaithfulness to the Lord)!

Jeremiah 17:9 likewise warns us about the human heart: "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?”  Do we really want to follow such hearts?

The Israelites wore colored tassels to remind them, to follow the Lord instead of their hearts.  We have better reminders.  We have the indwelling Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and Christian fellowship, to name only three.  Are we looking to these things as reminders?

Israel was to remember that God rescued them from slavery in Egypt.  Let us remember the greater deliverance we have in Christ.  We have been set free from sin, death, and Hell!

What God has spoken will happen

Now the LORD spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai... saying: "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male individually… You and Aaron shall number them by their armies.
Numbers 1:1-3

The first four chapters of the book of Numbers (all 188 verses) are not the most exciting reading.  These chapters are primarily lists of names compiled in a census.  This census was ordered by God.  For what purpose?  These are the people who wandered for forty years, and died in the wilderness before entering the Promised Land.  Why?  Because they didn’t trust God to give them the land He promised.  So God said that generation would not enter the Promised Land (Numbers 14:29-32).  So why the census?  The census (and the one 40 years later when the next generation eventually entered the Land), documented that God was true to His Word.  One generation all died (except Joshua and Caleb), and were succeeded by another generation that did enter the Land.

God’s Word is sure.  He can neither err nor lie.  What He says will indeed come to pass.  It was true then, it is true now, and it is true forever.

Let those who reject Christ be reminded that they will suffer God’s judgment. (John 3:18)

Let those who trust in Christ be reminded that they will never suffer God’s judgment (John 3:16), since Jesus suffered the penalty for our sins so that we will not! (Colossians 2:13-14, Romans 8:1)

Rejoice!  God’s Word is sure, yesterday, today, and forever!

Not under the Law?

“...you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:18

These six words a more often misunderstood than they are rightly understood.  They do not mean that God’s Law is null and void, or that Christians are free to live lawlessly and/or discard the Old Testament. 

Paul debunks these false understandings writing: “Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good” (Romans 7:12). What it means to be out from under the Law is that those who are in Christ will never be condemned by the Law, since Jesus already took the Law’s condemnation for His people.

There is another way it is a comforting to be out from under the Law.  When reading the law it is easy to be overwhelmed.  The thought of having to know and keep every detail of the Law is nothing less than daunting.

The good news of the Gospel is that believers are free from both the condemnation of the Law and the burden of trying to keep the Law (which is impossible for we who were born in sin.

Though the Law is valuable to condemn us so that we will flee to Christ in faith for salvation, praise God that the obedient Christian life—once we are saved—is a life of freedom from condemnation of the Law and from the burden of religion.

Show us Your glory!

“Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight… Please, show me Your glory.”
Exodus 33:13 &18

The redeemed of the Lord have found grace in God’s sight.  That it is by grace, means we have done nothing—nothing at all, to earn, merit, nor deserve God’s saving grace.

As those who have received God’s grace we have the liberty—displayed by Moses in Exodus 33—to ask God to show us His glory.

Of course we cannot see God or the fullness of His glory until we are glorified and in Heaven, but we can see something of God’s glory.  As Moses was shielded from viewing the complete glory of God by being tucked safely in a crack in a rocky cliff, we are shielded by being “in Christ”, who is the Rock of our salvation.

When we gather for corporate worship, let us cry out to God to show us as much of His glory as we can bear.

Worship: Rule #1

Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an abomination to the Egyptians.” Exodus 8:25-26

God gave specific instructions to His people about worshiping Him, which included leaving Egypt (a type of “the world”). Pharaoh told them to worship in Egypt. 

Moses refused, insisting on worshiping God according to His instructions, adding that worship as God demands is an abomination to the godless Egyptians.

As it has always been, the godless world doesn’t like biblical worship.  They may not think it is abominable, but they insist that it is boring and irrelevant.  But instead of remaining faithful to God regarding worship, the modern church bends over backward to worship God in ways that are exciting and relevant—to the godless world.  Too many in the Church reason, “Never mind what God says about worship, we gotta do all we can to make the world like us!”

Instead of risking criticism from the godless world, might much of what is called worship in our day an abomination to God? 

God's timing is not the same as ours. Guess whose is right?

Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Genesis 40:23
Then it came to pass, at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh had a dream; and behold, he stood by the river.
Genesis 41:1

Do you ever look around and become frustrated with the immorality and injustice that is so rampant in our modern world?  Of course you do.  While the Lord would not have His people ignore it, He does not want us to become frustrated and defeated by it.  What shall we do?

As a young man, Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers.  He rose to a place of prominence in the home of his master, Potiphar, but he was still a slave.  He was falsely accused of rape, then imprisoned.  There he sat in prison for years.  Things were not going well.  When there was a glimmer of hope that he would get out because he helped a fellow prisoner, he was forgotten again.  It was not for two more years that things began to change.

Joseph, no doubt, had bad days — days of doubt and frustration, but when he did get his chance, he was still as committed to God as ever.  What encouragement is there for us in this?  Let us not  deny the reality of the evil in our world, while not  despairing either.  God’s timing is not like ours, but He is still in control.  He will reign in justice.  Let us remain committed so that when it is time for things to change, we will be ready.

Soli deo gloria

And it came to pass, whenever the stronger livestock conceived, that Jacob placed the rods before the eyes of the livestock in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods... Thus the man became exceedingly prosperous, and had large flocks, female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.
Genesis 30:41 & 43

Jacob made a deal with his crafty father-in-law,  Laban.  Jacob could have all the livestock that was spotted.  The solid colored animals would remain his uncle Laban's.  The two agreed.

Jacob concocted a plan to increase the number of spotted animals by having them mate while looking at a stand of carved rods he prepared.  The result was marked growth of the number of the spotted animals.

We all know that the carved rods had nothing to do with the increased number of spotted animals born.  There is nothing scientific whatsoever about such a plan.  How then do we explain the growth of the spotted animals?  Was it chance?   No.  There is no such thing.

The only explanation is that God providentially blessed Jacob by increasing the size of his flocks.

Is there any lesson to be learned?  There sure is.  How often do I think something I have done is responsible for the blessing in my life, when it is simply God.  Though I need to be responsible, I cannot take credit for my salvation, my sanctification or even the temporal blessings I enjoy.  Giving all glory to God, I must be mindful to be more thankful than prideful.

Only the lost can be saved

"I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. Therefore, I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes." Job 42:5-6

True conversion is based on understanding that one is unable to obey God perfectly—and that it matters.  True conversion is when that reality brings one to despair, calling out to God for mercy, which is available through faith in Christ and repentance from sin.  Left to ourselves, no one would ever cry out for mercy. 

But because God is so gracious, He gives those He has determined to save the gifts of faith and repentance, making them willing and able to trust in Christ, and turn from sin, and be saved.

Have you ever despaired of your sin before God?  Have you ever cried out to God for mercy through faith in Christ and repentance from sin?

If you have, it is because God has graciously saved you.  Praise God since you were unable to do this in your own strength.

If you have not, please, cry out to God for understanding of your “lostness,” asking God do for you what you cannot do for yourself—which results in salvation?  

Marriage and the Flood

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them." Genesis 6:5-7

God’s greatest judgment in the history of the world (so far), was poured out in the form of a the flood that killed all living creatures except for those in the ark with Noah.

What could have possibly been so bad to move God to act so dramatically?  What happened before the “then” in (v.5)?  Read (v. 1-4), especially (v. 2).

“...the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.”  (v.2)

The wickedness of the human race was followed by marriages of the godly with the ungodly.  What is mentioned as the “why” of these unions?  Physical attraction.  Physical attraction is important, but not more important that spiritual compatibility.

The rest of the Bible addresses this issue a multitude of times—too many to list!

Here’s a resolution to obey the Word of God: Not only must believers not marry non-believers, we must take precautions not to fall in love with non-believers, because once we do, it is likely physical attraction will trump spiritual compatibility—and God’s Word.

The Gift

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16

Christmas is a time of giving gifts.  The gifts we enjoy giving are the ones we give to those we love.  Consider how we give and receive gifts from one another compared with how God’s Gift was given and received.

• Our gifts are a way of expressing our love—often in a token manner.  God’s Gift was infinitely more than a token.

• We give gifts because it is Christmas.  God did not give a Gift the first Christmas because it was Christmas.  The first Christmas was, because God gave a Gift.

• We often want to give gifts that are as valuable as we can afford.  God gave the life of His only begotten Son.  What greater value?

• When we give a gift, we expect [or at least hope] that the gift will be appreciated.  God’s Gift was mocked and crucified.

• When someone crosses us, they are liable to be dropped from our gift list.  God gave His Son knowing how we would refuse Him.  Then, even after those who receive Him do so, we continue to sin; but God never drops us from His gift list.

Can you think of other comparisons that would highlight God’s great love and the value of His Christmas Gift?  Isn’t the Lord wonderful?

“Will it have made any difference?”

“And He came to His own people, but His own people did not receive Him.”    — John 1:11

It ‘s Christmas Eve.  Another Christmas season will soon be a memory.  The shopping will be done.  The Christmas parties will be over. [There’s still New Years Eve!]  While the world barely notices Jesus during Christmas time, we who are in Christ have celebrated the birth of Jesus for yet another year.

A good question at this point might be, “Will it have made any difference?”  I mean after all, it is one thing to celebrate Jesus’ birth; it is another thing altogether to live to emulate His life and follow Him in His death.

Let it not be said of we who are called by His name, that He came to us again this Christmas, and when the holiday was over, we failed to receive Him.

Anna kept showing up!

“And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”    — Luke 2:36-38

 For the last two Sundays, we have made some observations about Anna.  First that she was a prophetess, and second that she didn’t let the difficulties of her life (being a widow for so many years) keep her from selflessly serving the Lord and living a life of thanksgiving.  This morning, let’s consider why she received knowledge of Jesus.  “She never left the temple, serving night and day.”

Anna was there day and night for years.  God was pleased to let her see Jesus because she was there.  It would have been easy for Anna to quit serving in the Lord’s house.  After all, she was old, and she had been faithful for so long—she deserved a break, didn’t she?  Had she taken that easier road, she would have missed Jesus.

If we want to receive all that the Lord has for us, we, too, must remain faithful, attending public worship and serving in the church.  Sure, there will be times when nothing exciting is happening, but it is as we remain faithful over the long haul that God will bless us with special visitations.  As we have so often said, 90% of discipleship is showing up!  Do not grow weary while doing good, friend!  It is as we are faithful that we shall see Jesus.

Anna was a servant of the Lord

“And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”    — Luke 2:36-38

Last time we considered Anna, the prophetess.  This time, consider Anna’s great age and what that says about her perseverance in the Lord.  Scholars disagree about exactly how old Anna was.  Some say she was eighty-four.  Others say she had been widowed for eighty-four years.  If she married at age 13 [not uncommon in that day], was married for seven years [for so the text says], and was widowed for eighty-four years, she was one hundred and four!  Either way, she faithfully served the Lord in the temple, “serving day and night with fastings and prayers...giving thanks to God.”

Being a widow, she might have tried to justify “being mad at God,” as some thoughtless folks do today.  She might have drowned her sorrows in living her life for herself.  But she did not!  Her sorrow was turned to joy!  How?  By serving the Lord, fasting, praying and by being thankful.

Oh, let us persevere in the Lord!  Let us refuse to indulge in self-pity, living for ourselves.  Let us instead, spend every day of our lives serving the Lord and His church, fasting and praying, and living a life of thanksgiving even in the midst of life’s sorrows.

More next week...

Was Anna a prophetess?

“And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”    — Luke 2:36-38

 Anna is mentioned in only three verses of the Bible, yet what great lessons we can learn from her.  For the next few weeks we’ll consider just a few.

            We hear about the 400 years of silence—the years between Malachi and John the Baptist, during which there was no prophetic voice to the nation of Israel.  Yet here is Anna, called a prophetess.  What can we make of that?  She may not have been either a speaking prophet like Elijah or Elisha, or a writing prophet like Isaiah, Ezekiel or Jeremiah, but in some way she was considered a prophetess nonetheless. 

            It doesn’t matter whether you have a public ministry or are cloaked in obscurity, if you are a man or woman of God, one who walks closely with Him, hears and heeds His voice, you too may be considered a sort of prophet or prophetess.  You may be the only one listening to and following what God says to you, or your sphere of influence may be no larger than your immediate family, but if you hear from God and speak out for God, your calling is no less important than was Anna’s.

More next week...

Who is Jesus?

Then they all said, “Are You then the Son of God?”  So He said to them, “You rightly say that I am.” And they said, “What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.” Luke 22:70-71

Christmas is about the Son of God becoming a man.  Jesus the Man is the Son of God. We call this the Incarnation. 

When Gabriel informed Mary that she would be the mother of the human Jesus, he told her “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)

Years later, Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say I that am?”  Peter affirmed Jesus’ deity with his famous reply, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  If Peter had been wrong, Jesus would have corrected him, but rather than correcting him, Jesus commended Peter.

At the end of His earthly ministry, when on trial (Luke 22:70-71), the Jewish Sanhedrin, asked Jesus, “Are You then the Son of God?”  To which He replied, “You rightly say that I am.”  They understood His claim to be the Son of God, and wrongly found Him guilty of blasphemy.

What is the significance of all of this?  That Jesus is God, and therefore sinless, makes Him uniquely qualified to be our Savior.  No mere man could die for other people’s sins since he would have his own sins to answer for.  As we celebrate Christmas in the coming month, let us meditate on this phenomenal miracle, that God the Son became a man so that He could save His people from our sins.

"The Lord is good!"

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He  is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so... Psalm107:1

The opposite of coveting and or complaining is giving thanks.  “The redeemed of the Lord” have every reason to give thanks.  Our sins are forgiven.  Our names are written indelibly in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  We have a home in Heaven awaiting us.  Why these blessings and many more?  Because God loves us as completely and perfectly as He loves His only begotten Son, Jesus.

So give thanks and let the redeemed of the Lord say so with the greatest enthusiasm of all!

And as if any other blessings could compare (and they cannot!), those of us who live in the United States, with all our country’s problems, are among the most blessed people anywhere in the world.

So give thanks.  Give thanks to the Lord above all since everything we have is from His benevolent hand.  Let us remember and proclaim, “The Lord is good!  His mercy endures forever!”

Crucifixion or damnation?

And they put up over His head the accusation written against Him: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. Matthew 27:37

What were the charges leveled against Jesus for which He was crucified?  There were false charges during His trials before the Jewish religionists, but they did not stick.

The charges before His Roman judges for which He was eventually condemned was that He was the King of the Jews.  These charges were true.  Jesus was, is, and always be the King of the Jews.

The charges were true, but the truth is much greater than those charges alone.  The fact is, Jesus was, is, and always will be the King, not just of the Jews, but of all people.  Jesus was not just the King of all peoples, He was, is, and always will be the King above all kings and the Lord above all lords.

The verdict that every individual must make is whether he or she will surrender to the Kingship of Jesus.  If one’s verdict is NO, that one’s penalty will be far worse than the wrath of Rome: crucifixion.  It will be an eternity of the wrath of Almighty God: damnation.

Something to consider, don’t you think?

Jesus’ words of warning

“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36

As Jesus spoke about the coming destruction of Jerusalem that happened in 70 AD, His words sound a warning to all.  Just as the destruction of Jerusalem came unexpectedly, so will the time when we will stand before God for judgment—whether when we die, or when Christ returns—whichever happens first.

We are all busy with life.  And before we know it, each of us will be subject to God’s judgment.  Jesus’ words are clear.  Live every moment as if it is your last, because one day it will be.

Some reject such warnings, convincing themselves that moment will never come.  Others are sure they’ll have time to repent at the last moment.  Still others party on, giving the matter no thought whatsoever.

As believers, let us thank God for Jesus’ words of warning.  And let us rejoice that by His grace we take His warnings seriously and have hearts to live every day, hour, and minute in light of eternity.