9 Pentecost - Monday

first posted 08/01/04

Joshua 2:1-14    Rahab and the spies
Romans 11:1-12    Israel’s rejection not final
Matthew 25:1-13    Wise and foolish maidens

Joshua, the leader appointed by God to succeed Moses and to lead the people into the Promised Land, appointed two spies to scout out the land surrounding Jericho. They went and entered the home of a harlot named Rahab. [Because she was a harlot, she was approachable, and since she was known to entertain strangers, it made the presence of the scouts less conspicuous. Also, her house was built into the wall, allowing them an escape route (Joshua 2:15)]. However, the king of Jericho learned that Rahab had received Israelite spies, and sent men to her house demanding that she turn them over. But Rahab hid the scouts on the rooftop under piles of flax (which she was probably drying on the roof). Rahab told the king’s men that the spies had departed, and urged the king’s men to pursue and capture them. The king’s men pursued the spies all the way to the Jordan River, and the city gate was closed.

After the king’s men had left, Rahab went up to the scouts and told them that she knew that the Lord had given the land to Israel, and that all the inhabitants of the land were in fear of the Israelites. They had heard how God had dried up the Red Sea before the Israelites when he had brought them out of Egypt, and how they had utterly destroyed the Kings of the Amorites, Sihon and Og, in the land east of the Jordan. She acknowledged that the God of Israel was the one true God of heaven and earth. She asked the scouts to remember the kindness she had shown the scouts and to promise to save herself and her household in return, when the Israelites attacked Jericho. The scouts promised to exchange their lives for hers. If she did not betray their plans, they promised to deal kindly and faithfully with her.

God has not abandoned Israel. Paul, who was Jewish, compares himself to Elijah. Elijah had complained that he alone was following God, but God replied that there was a considerable remnant that was faithful to God that Elijah knew nothing about. Likewise there would be a remnant that would be saved by grace (unmerited favor; as a free gift), not by works (keeping the Law). Not all the Israelites failed to obtain salvation (but they obtained it through grace by faith in Jesus; not by works of Law).

The Jews who failed to obtain salvation didn’t learn and heed the warnings of scripture, and so they fulfilled them (compare Acts 13:27). They relied on their tradition and religious heritage instead of relying on God and God’s word (Romans 11:9 RSV). The same grace that extended salvation to the Gentiles extends to the Jews now. Exclusion of the Jews is only temporary, to allow the fulness of salvation to be obtained by all who will receive it by grace through faith. Their temporary exclusion may even be to their benefit, by making them jealous of the blessings the Gentiles have received.  If the rejection of the Gospel by the Jews brought spiritual blessings to the Gentiles, how much more will we all be blessed by their inclusion.

Jesus used the parable of the wise and foolish maidens to illustrate the kingdom of heaven. (It is a custom in Israel for the groom to fetch his bride from her parents' home to his.) Ten maidens took oil lamps and were waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. Five were wise and brought extra oil with them, but the other five were foolish and brought no extra oil. The bridegroom was delayed, and the maidens fell asleep. At midnight they were awakened by the announcement of the bridegroom’s coming. The maidens arose and trimmed their lamps.

The foolish maidens’ lamps were running out of oil, so they asked the wise maidens to lend them some, but the wise maidens couldn’t spare any. The foolish maidens were forced to go to purchase oil from a merchant. While they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. When the foolish maidens returned, they knocked, asking to be let in, but the Lord denied knowing them. Jesus warned his listeners to be watchful, because we don’t know the day or hour of his return.  

Rahab is an example of faith. The Canaanites had heard of the God of Israel. They knew the great saving miracle that delivered the Israelites from bondage to slavery and death in Egypt through the parting of the Red Sea, and they knew the victories of the Israelites over the Amorites in the land east of the Jordan. Rahab believed and acknowledged the God of Israel as the one true God of heaven and earth, and helped the Israelites accomplish their mission to conquer the land. Because she believed and acted accordingly, she and her entire family were saved.

God has extended his grace to all people through Jesus Christ. No one needs to be excluded. Salvation is freely available to all on the same basis: faith (trust and obedience) in Jesus Christ.  The world is like Canaan; its inhabitants have heard the great saving miracle of Jesus’ death and resurrection. They’ve heard the message that Jesus leads us out of the “Egypt” of bondage to sin and death, through the wilderness of this world, and into the Promised Land of eternal life of Heaven. They’ve heard of the Lord’s victory over the rulers of this world. They’ve heard that Jesus is coming, to judge the earth; to punish the wicked and to give the Promised Land to his followers. Do you believe it? Do you confess that Jesus is Christ and Lord?  Are you acting on that faith? Are you joining and co-operating with his scouts? Are you helping in the mission to claim the land?

The world is like the maidens, waiting for Jesus, the bridegroom, to return for his bride, the church. Now is the time to obtain the "oil of salvation". When the bridegroom comes, it will be too late. If you don’t have the "oil of salvation," now is the time to seek it. Now is not the time to be sleeping, unprepared and unaware of your need. Jesus is the door, the escape route provided by faith, by which we are saved from destruction. God has provided the door, for everyone who is willing to enter through it.

Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life (Acts 4:12; John 14:6) God hasn’t closed it to anyone, but the day is coming when it will be shut and will no longer be opened. Are you a wise or foolish maiden (or man)? 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 scouting out the land, working to claim it for the Lord, and offering salvation to those who are willing to trust and obey Jesus?  Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
 

9 Pentecost - Tuesday

first posted 08/02/04

Joshua 2:15-24    The spies report to Joshua  
Romans 11:13-24   The olive tree
Matthew 25:14-30    Parable of the talents

Joshua had sent spies to scout the land around Jericho, and they had been aided by Rahab, a harlot (see entry for yesterday). Rahab’s house was built into the city wall, and had a window to the outside in the wall, so she was able to lower the spies by a rope so that they could escape undetected. She told the spies to hide themselves in the hills for three days until the king’s men who were searching for them had returned.

The spies had promised to protect Rahab and her household in return for her aid, and gave her a scarlet cord to tie in her window as a sign to the Israelites to protect her. They told her that she had to remain loyal to Israel by keeping Israel’s plans secret, and her family had to remain in the house in order to be protected. Anyone who left the house would lose their protection.  Rahab tied the scarlet cord in the window, and the spies went into the hills, until the pursuers had returned. Then the spies returned across the Jordan and reported to Joshua all that had happened. They told Joshua that the Lord had given the land into their hand, and that the people were afraid of the Israelites.

Paul hoped that the reconciliation of the Gentiles would make the Jews jealous and thus draw them to Christ. Since their rejection of the Gospel had extended reconciliation to the world, their acceptance would be a resurrection from the dead. Like the portion of dough offered as first fruits is holy, so is the rest of the dough, because it shares the same nature. If the root is holy, the branches will be also.

Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree to illustrate God’s people. The Jews are God’s cultivated olive tree. Some of its natural branches (Jews) have been broken off so that branches from the wild olive (Gentiles) might be grafted in. Gentiles should remember that it is the root that supports the branches and not the reverse. Gentiles should also remember that although natural branches were broken off so that they might be grafted in, they only have been given the opportunity provided that they continue in faith (trust and obedience). The natural branches were removed because of lack of trust and obedience, and the wild branches will also be removed if they don’t respond in faith. “For if God didn’t spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you” (Romans 11:21). God is kind toward us provided that we respond appropriately to that kindness, but God deals severely with those who do not respond to his kindness. God is able to restore the Jews to his people if they do not persist in their unbelief. Like natural branches, they are more easily grafted back in than wild branches.

Jesus told the parable of the talents to illustrate the end of the age. A man, preparing to go on a long journey, gave his servants his assets to manage while he was gone. To one he gave ten thousand dollars, to another, five thousand dollars, and to a third, one thousand dollars. The servant who had been entrusted with the five thousand dollars traded with them and doubled his master’s money. The servant who had been entrusted with the two thousand dollars did likewise and doubled his master’s money. But the servant with the one thousand dollars buried the money in the ground for safekeeping.

After a long time the Master returned and settled accounts with his servants. The servant who had made five thousand dollars was commended by the Master. The servant, having been faithful in what the Master regarded as a small matter, was rewarded with greater responsibility in the Master’s household. Likewise the servant who had made two thousand dollars was rewarded for his faithfulness. The servant who had received the one thousand dollars came forward and told his Master that the Master was known to be a hard man who reaped what he had not sown and gathered what he had not winnowed, so the servant had been afraid and had hidden the Master’s money in the ground.

The Master rebuked the servant for not having put the money in the bank where it would have at least earned interest. The Master took the money from him and gave it to the servant who had managed the five thousand dollars. Jesus said that those who appreciate what they have been given will receive more, but those who do not appreciate what they have will lose even that. The servant who was of no benefit to his master was cast into eternal condemnation.

The spies promised Rahab protection in return for certain conditions to which she had to agree.  She was to remain loyal to Israel (by not revealing Israel’s plans), and she and her household had to remain in the house which was protected by the scarlet cord in the window. Rahab accepted the conditions and placed the symbol of Israel’s protection in her window.

The olive tree is the symbol of God’s people, Christ’s body, the Church. Christ is the root. The Jews who rejected Jesus have been pruned off and Gentiles have been grafted in their place. The Lord has been gracious to us in allowing us to be grafted into his fellowship. There are conditions required of the “branches.” We must be faithful to Christ, the “root” by which we are sustained. We are to serve the Lord; not just expect him to serve us. We should remember that we have been given salvation; we are not “entitled” to it. Salvation has been given to us and it can be taken away if we do not meet the conditions in which it was given. It remains possible for Jews to be grafted back in to God’s people through Jesus Christ.

The Lord has given us salvation and eternal life as a free gift. There are some conditions. We must accept and put to work what he offers. We are to serve the Lord faithfully. We are to use the resources he’s given us to further his interests and his kingdom. What we can accomplish with what he has given us depends on the value we place on our salvation. The Lord is our Master, whether we acknowledge him or not. If we refuse to accept the salvation he gives us, or if we accept that salvation but don’t serve the Lord, we will be condemned when he returns to settle accounts on the Day of Judgment (Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-23; 25:31-46).

Jesus is the “scarlet cord” that saves us from destruction when the armies of the Lord, led by Jesus, return to conquer and take possession of the land and establish Jesus’ eternal kingdom. Jesus is the root of the olive tree to which we must be grafted in order to have eternal life and be fruitful for the kingdom of God. Jesus is our Master who has given us the gift of eternal life, and given us the responsibility for using his gift to enlarge his kingdom. We must abide in the household of faith; we must remain connected to and sustained by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through his indwelling Holy Spirit in order to have eternal life and be fruitful.

Is Jesus your Lord and Master? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the Holy Spirit since you first believed? Can the world tell by your life that you belong to Jesus? Are you using your spiritual gifts to enlarge the Lord’s kingdom? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey what Jesus commanded? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

9 Pentecost - Wednesday

first posted 08/03/04

Joshua 3:1-13    Preparing to cross the Jordan
Romans11:25-36     Israel to be saved
Matthew 25:31-46     The great judgment  

The Israelites had been encamped in Shittim, in the plains of Moab, after their conquest of the Transjordan region (east of the Jordan River). Early in the morning Joshua and the people arose and moved their camp from Shittim to the bank of the Jordan River. At the end of three days, officers went through the camp with instructions on crossing the Jordan River. The people would be led by the Ark of the Covenant, carried by the Levitical priests. They were to leave a space of about three thousand feet between them and the Ark.

The Lord told Joshua that he would exalt Joshua in the sight of the peoples so that they would know that the Lord was with Joshua as the Lord had been with Moses. The bearers of the Ark were instructed to stand still in the waters of the Jordan. The waters of the Jordan would be stopped from flowing, and would back up in a heap while the people crossed over on dry ground. This was to be a sign to the people that the Lord was with them and would drive out the inhabitants of the land before them without fail. Joshua told the people to select a man from each tribe to be available for further instructions.

Paul didn’t want the Gentiles to become conceited because of their apparent displacement of the Jews as God’s chosen people. Paul maintained that the Jews’ displacement is only temporary, until the full number of Gentiles has been saved, but that ultimately Israel will be saved. Although they are presently enemies of God regarding the Gospel, they are beloved for the sake of their ancestors. The gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.

Just as the Gentiles were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy, so the Jews have become disobedient so that God may show them the same mercy which we have received. All have been consigned to disobedience, so that God may have mercy on all. Paul breaks into ecstatic praise of the riches, wisdom and knowledge of God, whose ways are beyond human knowledge and understanding. Humankind is in no position to offer God advice or to repay God for what he has done for us. All things have their beginning and ending in the Lord. To him belongs eternal glory.

Jesus will return in glory with all the angels, and he will judge all the people on Earth. He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. The righteous will inherit the kingdom of eternal life which has been prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The righteous are those who have trusted Jesus and obeyed Jesus’ teachings. The unrighteous will be condemned to eternal Hell which has been prepared for the devil and his demons. The unrighteous are those who have not trusted in Jesus and obeyed Jesus’ teachings. The unrighteous will enter eternal punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life.

The Ark of the Covenant was the symbol of God’s presence among his people. The people were going to obtain possession of the Promised Land by obediently following the Lord across the Jordan into the Promised Land. The Lord would defeat all their enemies and give them the Land. All they had to do was trust and obey the Lord.

God shows no partiality; he shows mercy to all people, because all have sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). God’s promises are unchanging. God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ reveals God’s wisdom, goodness and mercy. God’s plan of salvation is not too difficult for us to follow. All we have to do is trust and obey Jesus, and he will lead us through the Jordan on dry ground, and defeat our enemies, who are blocking our way to eternal life in the Promised Land of Heaven. Jesus is God’s only plan for our salvation (Acts 4:12, John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

Do we mortals think we can devise some other plan? Do we think we can buy our salvation from God? Do we think we can cross the river and defeat the enemy without God’s Holy Spirit leading us and fighting the battle for us? Have we become “wise in our own conceits” (Romans 11:25a RSV), thinking that God is on our side without requiring our obedience to his word?  Do we think that being members of God’s “chosen people” is enough to get us across the river, without following the Lord in obedience?

Jesus has promised that he will return in glory and power to judge the living and the dead in both the physical and spiritual senses (John 5:28-29). He warns that he will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. The righteous will inherit the Promised Land of eternal life in Heaven with the Lord; the unrighteous will be condemned to eternal punishment in the fire of Hell with Satan and all demons (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10). The standard by which each will be judged is whether they, individually, have trusted and obeyed Jesus Christ as their Lord; their Master. The standard is not what we say, but what we do (Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 6:46).

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 commanded? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

9 Pentecost - Thursday

first posted 08/04/04

Joshua 3:14-4:7    Crossing the Jordan
Romans 12:1-8    The consecrated life
Matthew 26:1-16    Jesus Anointed

The people of Israel set out from their encampment to cross the Jordan River, with the priests, carrying the Ark of the Covenant, leading them. When the priests’ feet touched the water, the water stopped flowing and stood up in a heap far upstream, at Adam (south of the river Jabbok) beside Zarethan, (which is east of Samaria on the other side of the Jordan, about 10 miles north of Adam). The water of the Jordan was completely cut off, so the people crossed over opposite Jericho on dry ground, and the priests carrying the Ark stood on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan until all the people had crossed over.

When the people had passed over, the Lord instructed Joshua to have twelve men, one from each tribe, each pick up a stone from the riverbed where the priests had stood, and carry them to the place Israel was to camp for the night, leaving them in a pile as a memorial to the Lord’s act of bringing them across the Jordan on dry ground. They were to remember what God had done for them and teach it to their children.

God’s mercy makes it possible for believers to offer their lives as a living sacrifice to God, holy and acceptable, as an act of worship. Believers are not to be conformed to the ways of this world, but to be transformed by a new way of thinking, understanding that we belong not to the present age, but the one which is coming, so that we may know and demonstrate by our lives what is “good, acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2c RSV) will of God.

We’re not to have exalted opinions of ourselves, but to examine ourselves honestly, according to the faith which God has given us. The church is like a human body, having many members with differing functions. So believers are one body in Christ and mutually members of one another. Believers are given varied gifts by the Holy Spirit, which we are to use (for the benefit of the church and the building of the kingdom of God), to the best of our ability. Gifts of the Holy Spirit for building up the body of Christ include prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, contribution, helping (or governing), and charity.

Two days before the Passover, Jesus told his disciples again (the fourth time; see Matthew 16:21, 17:22-23; 20:17-19) that he would be delivered to the authorities to be crucified. The chief priests and elders of Israel gathered in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest, to plan the arrest of Jesus by stealth, to execute him, because they were afraid that they might otherwise incite a riot. Jesus was at Bethany in the home of Simon the leper.

A woman anointed Jesus’ head with very expensive ointment from an alabaster jar. The disciples were indignant at the extravagance, suggesting that the ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor. But Jesus defended the woman’s act. Jesus recognized that she had done something beautiful for him.

Jesus said that there will always be opportunities to give to the poor, but (since Jesus would soon be crucified) that there would be no more opportunity for anyone to do anything for Jesus in his earthly life. Her act was a loving preparation of Jesus’ body for burial. Jesus declared that her act would be memorialized in the Gospel. Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus went to the chief priests and arranged to betray Jesus into their hands in exchange for thirty pieces of silver.

As the people of Israel obeyed the Lord’s instructions in faith, the Lord fulfilled his promise in an act which showed his power and his ability to provide for and help his people. The people were to create a memorial to remember what the Lord had done for them, and to pass that memory on to their children.

Our act of worship to God is to surrender our lives to obedience to his will, which is only possible because of God’s mercy toward us. We are called to be holy (set apart for his service); we are to live lives in accordance with his will. We are not to follow the ways of this world. We are to live as citizens of God’s kingdom, conforming ourselves to God’s ways.

As we trust and obey God’s instructions, we come to know for ourselves and demonstrate to the world the goodness and power of God’s ways. We’re to examine ourselves honestly, so that we know where we need to make corrections. Every member of the body of Christ has been given gifts for building up the kingdom of God. We are to seek the Lord’s guidance and use those gifts to the best of our ability in his ministry as he directs.  Every member must fulfill his role for the body to be sustained and effective.

Jesus knew that he was going to be crucified, but he was committed to doing God’s will completely. Jesus gave everything he had, including his life, for our salvation. Through Jesus' obedience God’s great saving act was revealed to the world. The cross is the memorial of that act. The chief priests and elders of Israel responded to Jesus’ ministry by plotting to arrest and crucify him.

The woman with the ointment responded to Jesus’ ministry by giving the very best she could in an extravagant outpouring of love. Her self-sacrificing act of love enhanced and facilitated Jesus’ ministry. I’m sure it must have helped Jesus feel that his sacrifice was worthwhile, and not completely unappreciated.

Jesus’ disciples thought the woman had been “carried away” with her emotions and had been too extravagant in her display of affection. They were being “practical,” thinking of the expense, and of the other things that could be done with the money. Judas was the most “practical” of the disciples; he negotiated what Jesus was worth to him in the worldly marketplace, but actually Judas sold himself. Judas sold his own eternal life in heaven with Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

The Cross is the memorial to God’s great miracle of salvation through Jesus Christ. Jesus promised that the woman’s extravagant loving anointing of Jesus would be told throughout the whole world wherever the Gospel is preached as a memorial of her act, and so it is. Judas’ act has become the memorial and icon of betrayal. The woman had been transformed; she was worshiping her king! The disciples were still conformed to this world, thinking in “practical,” worldly ways.

What memorials are we creating by our response to Jesus? Are we being transformed by the indwelling Holy Spirit, or are we being conformed to this world? Are we demonstrating to the world that God’s will is good, acceptable and perfect, and that his promises are fulfilled? Are we passing the Good News of God’s saving act at the Cross on to our children? What is eternal life worth to you? What is Jesus worth to you?

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 commanded? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

9 Pentecost - Friday

first posted 08/05/04

Joshua 4:19-5:1, 10-15    Israel at Gilgal
Romans 12:9-21    Christian duty
Matthew 26:17-25    Betrayal foretold

The Israelites crossed the Jordan River on the tenth day of Abib (Nisan; March-April) and encamped at Gilgal, northeast of Jericho. They set up the twelve stones they had carried from the riverbed as a memorial to commemorate their crossing the Jordan on dry ground by the power of the Lord. When all the kings and people of the land of Canaan heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan until the Israelites had crossed over on dry ground, they were afraid and they lost their will to resist.

Israel kept the Passover at Gilgal on the fourteenth day of the month, and the next day they ate the first of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased and they ate the produce of the land from then on.

Joshua was outside Jericho, and he saw a man with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went to him and asked if he were for or against Israel. The Man replied, “No, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Joshua fell on his face and worshiped, and asked the commander for instructions. The commander told Joshua to remove his shoes, because the ground on which he stood was holy; and Joshua did so.

Believers are to love sincerely; to hate evil and cling to righteousness. We are to love one another as brothers and sisters. We should try to outdo one another in showing honor to one another. We are to maintain our enthusiasm, be radiant with the Spirit, and continually serving the Lord. We should rejoice in our hope, be patient in tribulation, and pray constantly. We should contribute to the needs of fellow Christians, and provide hospitality. We are to bless those who persecute us; we are to share the joys and sorrows of others. We are to live in harmony, peace and humility with one another.

We are not to repay evil with evil, but instead do what is noble. We are never to seek revenge, but to leave vengeance to the Lord. Rather we are to be kind and generous to our enemies, and they will be ashamed of their behavior. We are not to be overcome by evil, but instead overcome evil with good.

On the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples asked Jesus where they should arrange to eat the Passover meal. Jesus gave them directions to locate a man in Jerusalem who would provide a place for them to use for the Passover feast. The disciples did as directed and made the preparations.

At evening Jesus and his disciples sat down to eat the Passover meal together. As they ate, Jesus told them that one of them would betray him. The disciples began to ask, one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” Jesus replied that it was one of those who were eating from the same dish with Jesus. Jesus said that the prophecies of scripture concerning the Christ must be fulfilled, but woe to the one who betrays him. Jesus said that it would have been better for that man if he had never been born. Judas asked, “Is it I, Master?” Jesus told him, “You have said so.”

The Lord had promised to give Israel the Promised Land. All they had to do was to obey the Lord’s instructions and reverence him. They crossed the river without even getting their feet wet! Joshua was outside Jericho, planning how to conquer the city, and he encountered the commander of the Lord’s armies. Joshua asked for his instructions, and the commander told him that all Joshua had to do was honor the Lord and the Lord would do the rest. The question we should be asking is not whether the Lord is on our side, but whether we are on the Lord’s side.  

The wilderness experience can be seen as a metaphor for discipling. Crossing the river represents the infilling of the Holy Spirit; the Pentecost experience; being “born-again.”  Believers should be discipled within the congregation until they have been filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit, before they can start conquering new territory (see Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5,8). The Holy Spirit is the first fruits of the eternal kingdom, the Promised Land of Heaven. The Holy Spirit is the Lord, the commander of the Lord's armies. The congregation was to pass on the river-crossing experience to their children (Joshua 4:21-22).

Christians are to obey the Lord’s instructions and reverence him, and the Lord will fulfill his promises, fight the battle for us and give us the victory over our enemies. Are we trusting and obeying the Lord and relying on him to fight for us and provide the victory, or are we trying to accomplish God’s purpose in our own wisdom and strength? If we’re not conquering new territory, why not?

The disciples asked Jesus for instructions in arranging for the Passover celebration, and Jesus provided the arrangements. All the disciples had to do was follow Jesus’ instructions. Jesus knew that not everyone would work with him to accomplish God’s plan. Some would be working against Jesus and against God’s purpose, even among his inner circle of the twelve disciples. God’s plan has already arranged for that. God’s plan allowed for a betrayer, but Judas had a choice; he volunteered. Even at the last moment before Judas left to betray Jesus, Jesus gave him the opportunity to repent and be saved, but Judas refused.

The Lord’s plan will be accomplished, whether we join with him and trust and obey him or not. Are we Canaanites or disciples of Jesus Christ? If we’re disciples, what kind of disciples will we be; the kind that trust and obey, or the kind that betray the Lord?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you claiming new territory in obedience to the Lord’s command to make disciples and teach 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)?

9 Pentecost - Saturday

first posted 08/06/04

Joshua 6:1-14    Marching around Jericho
Romans 13:1-7    The Christian and the state
Matthew 26:26-35     The Last Supper

Jericho was under siege, and no one went in or out of the city. The Lord told Joshua that he had given the city with its king and its army into Joshua’s hands. Joshua was to march the army of Israel around the city outside the walls  for seven days. Seven priests, each blowing a ram’s horn would precede the Ark of the Covenant. For the first six days, the Israelites would march once each day around the city in silence, with the trumpets blowing continually.

On the seventh day, they were to march around the city seven times. On the seventh circuit the trumpets would make a long blast and all the people were to shout, and the walls of the city would fall down. When the walls collapsed, the soldiers of Israel were to enter the city directly from their positions around it. Having received the instructions, the Army of Israel went forth before the trumpets and the Ark, with a rear guard behind, and they marched around the city once in silence while the priests blew the trumpets continually. When they had gone around once, they returned to their camp and spent the night.

Christians are to be subject to the civil authorities, since civil authority is instituted by God. Thus those who resist the authorities resist what God has ordained, and will incur judgment. Rulers are no threat to good conduct, but bad. If we do what is right we will have no need to fear the authorities, because they serve at God’s will for our good. We should respect civil authorities, because they are authorized to punish wrongdoing. So Christians are to be subject to civil authority in order to avoid God’s wrath, and also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason, Christians are to pay the required taxes. So we are to pay taxes and fulfill our civic obligations.

As Jesus and his disciples were eating the Passover meal, “Jesus took bread and blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many, for the forgiveness of sins’” (Matthew 26:26-28). Jesus told the disciples that he would “not drink again this fruit of the vine” until he would share it with his disciples in the kingdom of God. They sang a hymn, and then went out to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus told the disciples that they would fall away from Jesus that night, because of what was going to happen, in fulfillment of Zechariah 13:7. But Jesus told them that after he was raised up they would see him again in Galilee. Peter declared that though everyone else might, he would never fall away from Jesus. Jesus told Peter that Peter would deny him three times that night. Peter declared that he would not deny Jesus, even if it meant that he would have to die with Jesus, and the rest of the disciples agreed.  

Physical defenses, political and military power are not able to thwart God’s plan. The Lord is able to accomplish his purpose. All that is needed is for the people of God to obey God’s word and cooperate with one another to accomplish God’s purpose.  

The civil authorities are subject to God’s authority, whether they acknowledge him or not. Christians are obligated to obey civil authority and to fulfill our civil obligations, including voting. Note: If we do what is right we will have no need to fear the authorities, because they serve at God’s will for our good. Maybe today we have the government we deserve. If Christians want better government and better leaders, we should start seriously obeying God’s word. Unless we do, the “Canaanites” will continue to keep faith in God out of government.

Jesus established a new covenant, ratified by his blood, shed on the cross, for the forgiveness of our sins. A covenant is a contract between two parties. The Lord agrees to forgive all our sins, provided that we trust and obey all that he has commanded. Those who are forgiven will live eternally with the Lord in his kingdom in Heaven.

It is not enough to say that Jesus is our Lord (Luke 6:46; Matthew 7:21-24). Good intentions are not enough. The disciples had good intentions, but they fell away from the Lord, as he had said they would. Jesus knew that they would fall away, but he arranged for them to return to him in Galilee, after his resurrection.

America (and the world) has fallen away from Jesus. Now is the time to return to Jesus and start trusting and obeying him. 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 and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?