|
Hosea
9:10-17, Israel’s disobedience
Acts 24:24-25:12, Paul before Festus
Luke 8:1-15 Parable of the sower
God delighted in Israel, in the wilderness, as one would delight in
finding grapes in the wilderness, or in the first fruit in the first
season of a fig tree. But as soon as they came into Canaan they began to turn to Baal (the fertility
god of the people of the Land) “and became detestable like the thing
they loved” (their idol; Hosea 9:10d). Because they committed spiritual
adultery with the fertility god, God made them barren.
Near where Abraham had erected his first altar (Gen. 12:6, 7), Gilgal was the first permanent camp, after
Israel crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land (Josh. 4:19, 20; 9:6),
and where they first began to disobey God’s command to destroy and
drive out the people of the land (see Joshua 9:3-27), right after the
solemn reading of the Law (Joshua 8:30-35). It later became a center of
idolatrous worship.
God declared that because of Israel’s spiritual
adultery, God would drive her from his house, like a husband would deal
with a faithless wife. The tribal allotment of Ephraim (which means
“double fruitfulness”) included most of what became Samaria. God declared that God would
make them barren, and scatter them among the nations, because they have
not obeyed him.
Paul had been attacked by Jews in the Temple
in Jerusalem, and was arrested and
transferred to the custody of Felix, governor of Judea at Caesarea, for Paul’s safety, after an
assassination plot against him was discovered. Felix had heard Paul’s
case, but put off making a decision, and kept him in custody (Acts
24:22-23).
After a
number of days, Felix brought his wife Drusilla, a Jewess, and summoned
Paul to tell them about Jesus, but as Paul talked about justice and
self-discipline, and the Day of Judgment, Felix became alarmed, and
sent Paul back to his confinement. Felix was hoping Paul would offer
him money for his release, so he kept summoning Paul frequently over
the course of two years. But then Felix was succeeded by Portia Festus,
and Felix wanted to please the Jews so he left Paul in prison.
When Festus took office, he went to visit Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders
informed Festus of their charges against Paul, and asked that he send
Paul to Jerusalem
as a favor, intending to have Paul assassinated on the way. But Festus
told them to come to Caesarea to
present their case to him. After eight or ten days he returned to Caesarea, and the next day he ordered Paul
brought and tried. The Jews had come from Jerusalem and made many charges
against Paul, but without any evidence.
Paul declared himself innocent of any wrongdoing against the Jewish
law, the temple or against Roman law. Trying to ingratiate himself with
the Jews, Festus asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem for
trial by Festus. Paul replied that he was being tried in the proper
venue already. Paul said that he was not trying to avoid justice, but
unless the Jews could substantiate their charges, they should not have
any jurisdiction over him. Paul therefore appealed to Caesar (as a
Roman citizen, Paul had a right to trial under Roman law). After
conferring with his advisors, Festus ruled that Paul would have a Roman
trial.
Jesus traveled through the cities and villages of Galilee preaching the
good news of the kingdom
of God,
accompanied by the twelve disciples, and a larger group of followers,
including Mary Magdalene, who had been healed of seven demons, and
Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward, Susanna, and others, who provided
for the group from their own resources.
When a great crowd gathered from surrounding towns, Jesus told a
parable about a sower. The sower scattered seed, and as he did, some fell
along the path, where it was walked on, and eaten by birds. Some seed
fell on rocks, where it sprouted, but quickly withered, since it had no
soil to retain moisture. Some seed fell among thorns; the thorns choked
the young seedlings. Some seed feel on good soil, and grew and produced
a great harvest. Jesus said that those who have ears that hear should
listen and understand.
Jesus’ disciples asked what the parable meant, and Jesus told them that
God had granted the disciples to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but that to others Jesus
spoke in parables so that they were free to not understand if they
chose. The seed is God’s word. People are represented by the different
types of soil. Those represented by the path are those who hear, but
the devil “takes away the word from their hearts” (Luke 8:12), so they
fail to believe and be saved. Those represented by rock are those who
receive the word gladly, but don’t allow it to take root in their lives
through obedience in applying it. They believe for a while, but when
testing comes along, they fall away. Those represented by thorny ground
are those who receive the word, but allow it to be choked out by
worldly cares, material things and physical pleasures, so that the word
does not grow to maturity and produce fruit. But those who are
represented by good soil are those who hear the word and apply it, grow
to maturity and ultimately produce fruit.
Israel
had been trained by God in the wilderness. They should have learned
during that forty year experience to trust and obey God’s word.
God had brought them through the wilderness, across the Jordan River on dry ground, and into the
Promised Land. God had given them victory over their enemies and they
had
gained possession of the land. They had heard God’s Laws read again, so
they knew how to live in the Promised Land, but almost immediately, as
they began to prosper, they turned from seeking God’s will and began to
pursue their own will and interests.
God repeatedly sent his prophets to warn them and urge them to return
to the Lord, but they ignored the warnings until the day of God’s
judgment finally came. The Prophecy of Hosea was fulfilled. The people
of the Northern Kingdom of Israel were deported by the Assyrians and
scattered among the nations. The ten northern tribes effectively ceased
to exist. The remnant of the Jews who were allowed to remain
intermarried with the people of other lands conquered by the Assyrians
who were brought in to occupy Israel, and became the
Samaritans.
Paul was “good soil;” he had received God’s word and trusted and
obeyed. He put it into practice in his life, he grew to spiritual
maturity and he produced much “fruit.” He was led by the Holy Spirit,
and he was “sowing” the word in trust and obedience. He proclaimed the
Gospel at every opportunity, at great personal cost.
Not everyone who heard Paul bore the fruit of the Gospel. The Gospel
made the Jews in Jerusalem
angry enough to want to kill Paul (Acts 22:22; 23:12). Felix heard
Paul's testimony, but put off making a decision (Acts 24:22). Paul’s
warning about justice and self-discipline and ultimate judgment made
Felix uncomfortable and afraid (Acts 24:25), so Felix stopped
listening. Instead of heeding Paul and benefiting spiritually, Felix
tried to profit politically and financially from Paul, by using Paul to
ingratiate himself with the Jews, and by giving Paul the opportunity
and incentive to offer a bribe for his release. Festus also was more
interested in material and political benefits than in spiritual
benefits (Acts 25:9).
Jesus’ followers heard the Gospel and trusted and obeyed Jesus. They
dedicated their resources to supporting Jesus’ mission. Jesus’ discipled them and then sent them out to be “sowers” of the word.
What kind of “soil” are we? Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus'
disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the
Holy Spirit since you first believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making
disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus
commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will
spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
|