3 Epiphany

3 Epiphany - Sunday

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Isaiah 9:1b-4 Light in Darkness

Psalm 27:1-9 Light and Salvation

or Amos 3:1-8 Judgment

1 Corinthians 1:10-17 Unity

Matthew 4:12-23 Prophetic Fulfillment

In the past the Lord had brought contempt to Zebulun and Naphtali (constituents of Galilee), but the prophet declares that in the future the Lord will glorify (by the coming of the Messiah) “the way of the sea” (the highway from Damascus to the Mediterranean) the “land beyond the Jordan” (the west bank), “Galilee of the nations” (of the Gentiles; a Roman province).

The people have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness (“shadow of death;” KJV), on them has light shined” (Isaiah 9:2). The Lord has increased the nation and its joy (of its salvation) as at harvest, or as when an army divides the plunder. The Lord has broken the yoke and burden of oppression and has broken the oppressor’s power, as in the day of Midian.

Those who accept the Lord as their (spiritual) light and salvation and take refuge in him won’t fear anyone or thing.

The enemies of the Lord’s people will not prevail in their opposition. Though the enemy greatly outnumbers them and attacks them God’s people will not fear or loose confidence.

Those who seek, trust and obey the Lord desire one thing above all others; to dwell in the Lord’s house all their days, to see the beauty of the Lord and to learn from him.

The Lord will conceal and shelter his people in his tent in the day of trouble, and set them upon a high rock (Jesus), so that they will be above their enemies and they will offer sacrifices with joy and sing and praise the Lord.

God’s Word tells us to seek God’s face. To those who desire in their hearts to see God’s face God will not hide from them, and will answer them when they cry to him.

God will not turn away from his servants in anger. He will not cast off or forsake those who have trusted in him for their salvation. Those whom God has helped in the past can be assured that God will continue to help those who trust and obey him.

Through Amos the Lord declared a word of judgment against his people, the whole family of descendants of Israel whom he had delivered from Egypt. Because God has had a personal covenant relationship with Israel alone, of all the people of earth, God will punish them for their iniquities (disobedience, immorality, idolatry, injustice, and superficial religion).

The prophet uses proverbial wisdom to show that there are consequences to their actions. Two people do not walk together without prior arrangement. Lions don’t roar when they are hungry (or they’d never catch any prey). Birds cannot be caught without setting a snare, and snares do not trip without something tripping it. The watchman doesn’t blow his trumpet unless there’s a reason for warning. Evil does not befall a city unless the Lord allows it.

The Lord makes known to his prophets what he is doing. “The Lion has roared; who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken; who can but prophesy” (Amos 3:8)?

The Corinthian Church had been founded by Paul’s ministry and Paul was continuing to “disciple” its members by letter. Paul had heard that there was dissension among the members. Some members favored the preaching of Apollos, and others favored Peter. Paul told them that whom they had been converted by or baptized by was not important; the importance was Jesus’ crucifixion, and the Gospel of Jesus, which should unite all believers.

Paul emphasized that he had not baptized many at Corinth, for which he was glad, so that his baptizing would not be a point of division among the members; and Paul hadn’t preached the Gospel with eloquence, either. The power of the Gospel does not depend upon human eloquence or wisdom, but on the power and wisdom of God.

After being baptized by John and being tested in the wilderness, Jesus moved from Nazareth to Capernaum in Galilee (the people in Nazareth had not welcomed his ministry and virtually threw Jesus out (Luke 4:16-31). After John had been imprisoned, Jesus began traveling throughout the villages of Galilee calling people to repent (turn from disobedience to faith and obedience to God), saying that the kingdom of God was imminent.

This was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1-2. Galilee, including the tribal lands of Zebulun and Naphtali was, at the time of Jesus, the Galilee of the nations (Gentiles; i.e., the Roman province of that name). Isaiah had prophesied that the people who had been in spiritual darkness would see the spiritual light of righteousness, and divine revelation, and those living in the shadow of death would see the light of eternal life, which was fulfilled in the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

God’s Word is eternal, absolutely true, and trustworthy. What God says, will be fulfilled, over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. God has always intended from the beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who would willingly choose to trust and obey God. This lifetime is our only opportunity to seek and learn to know trust and obey God (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ. Jesus is God’s one and only plan of salvation (from sin, i.e. disobedience of God’s Word; and eternal destruction, which is the penalty for sin; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 John 1:8-10; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

Isaiah prophesied the coming of the Messiah, God’s “anointed” eternal savior and king, from “Galilee of the Gentiles” during the Roman occupation and Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy. God’s Word through Isaiah promised that the Messiah would be the light of righteousness, divine wisdom, and eternal life, and Jesus is the fulfillment of that prophecy. Those who accept Jesus as the light of enlightenment, righteousness and true eternal life will have nothing to fear. They can be certain that the enemies of light will not prevail.

God’s Word promises that, to those who earnestly and sincerely seek to find and know God, God will reveal himself. Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God’s Word, lived out in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-3, 14). Jesus is the fullest revelation of God’s character and person in this world (John 14:8-10). The gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), which only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17), is the fullest revelation of God the Father and Jesus Christ to us individually and personally. Jesus promised that he would manifest himself, and God the Father, to his disciples who keep Jesus’ commandments (John 14:21, 23).

At the Cross, Jesus won the victory over our spiritual enemy Satan and our slavery to sin and death (Hebrews 2:14-15). Jesus is the high rock which elevates us above our enemy and gives us sure footing.

Through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit we have God’s guidance, protection, and teaching; we have daily fellowship with the Lord and the assurance of eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

God’s Word contains great promises but also ominous warnings. God has given us forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ as a free gift to be received by faith (obedient trust; Ephesians 2:8-9). But for those who refuse God’s gracious gift there will be eternal condemnation and punishment.

Amos was a shepherd who was called by God to proclaim God’s warning of Judgment to the Northern Kingdom of the ten tribes of the divided monarchy. The Northern Kingdom was at the height of its prosperity and power, and the people considered themselves God’s chosen and favored people. But Amos denounced them for their disobedience of God’s Word, reliance on their own human ability and resources instead of on God, and of idolatry, immorality, social injustice, and superficial religion.

Amos called them to repent and return to obedient trust in the Lord, but they refused to heed the prophetic warnings. The religious leaders of the Northern Kingdom forbade Amos to prophecy and sent him away. The Assyrians came by “the way of the sea” (Isaiah 9:1), and the Northern Kingdom was completely destroyed and ceased to exist in 733-732 B.C.

The Church at Corinth had been established by Paul’s ministry and he continued to “disciple” the members by letter. The Corinthian Church was suffering division, because the members were relying on human strength and resources, and relying too much on their “chosen-ness” and God’s grace (see False Teachings, sidebar, top right) without the commitment of discipleship and obedient trust in God’s Word.

The Lord had brought contempt and condemnation upon the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, but Judah, the remnant of Israel did not learn the lesson of the Northern Kingdom’s punishment. As a result, Judah went into a seventy-year exile in Babylon (from 587-517 B.C.²) and then was restored. But the remnant again forgot the lessons of the Northern Kingdom, and of their own Babylonian Exile.

When the Lord brought blessing to Israel through Zebulun and Naphtali by the coming of the promised Messiah, Judah rejected Jesus, as Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, had. They missed the spiritual healing, nurture and restoration that only Jesus can give. The result was that Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 A.D.³ Israel ceased to exist as a nation, and the Jews were scattered throughout the world, until the nation was reestablished following World War II. The temple has never been rebuilt.

America and the Church, at least in America, are each, in a sense the New Israel, the “chosen” people of God in the national and spiritual senses. We’re in the same position as Israel at the time of Jesus. In many ways our religious and political leaders regard their arenas as their private empires for their benefit, rather than as stewardships on behalf of God’s people. We need to hear the prophetic Word of God’s judgment as much today as Israel did in the time of Jesus or of Amos.

Haven’t many Americans and Christians turned away from obedient trust in God’s Word? Haven’t many become immoral and idolatrous? Aren’t there great social injustices in our land? Hasn’t religion become a meaningless ritual for many?

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly 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)?

The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Isaiah 9:1n, p. 833, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

² Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Exile,” digital edition, bibledatabase.org - http://bibledatabase.org/eastons.html

³ibid, Temple, Herod's

3 Epiphany - Monday (Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday - Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany

Psalm 1 Rewards of Righteousness

Happy is the person who does not follow the counsel of the wicked, who does not follow the example of sinners or scoffers. Instead, he delights in the law of the Lord and he meditates on God’s Word day and night. He will thrive like a tree planted near a stream, where it will bear fruit in season and its leaves won’t wither. He will prosper in all that he does.

The wicked are not like the righteous; they are like chaff which will be blown away by the wind. They will not stand in God’s judgment, nor will they have fellowship with the righteous. The Lord knows who the righteous are, but the wicked will perish.

Sometimes it seems that the wicked flourish, but their reward is perishable, and will not survive the Day of Judgment. Sometimes worldly people equate worldly success with God’s approval. What God wants is obedient trust in his Word. God wants economic, moral, and social justice, mercy, and humble obedience to his Word (Micah 6:8).

Jesus taught that we should not lay up temporal worldly treasures, but instead seek eternal spiritual treasures (Matthew 6:19-21). Jesus taught his disciples to seek God’s eternal kingdom and his righteousness before even the physical necessities of life (Matthew 6:25-33), because God will provide those physical necessities as well, but if we focus on physical needs we’ll never get around to the spiritual necessities which are eternal.

The meaning and purpose of life in this world is not to accumulate material things, worldly honor and recognition, or to seek physical pleasure. The meaning and purpose of life is to seek and find God (Acts 17:26-27) and be spiritually reborn to eternal life (John 3:3, 5-8).

Jesus is God’s only provision for the forgiveness of our sin (disobedience of God’s Word), restoration of fellowship with God which was broken by sin, and eternal life in God’s kingdom in heaven (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right). Jesus has been designed into the very structure of Creation (John 1:1-5, 14).

Jesus has promised to manifest himself and God the Father to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:21, 23). Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The gift of the Holy Spirit is the only way we can have a personal fellowship with the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The Holy Spirit is not just a stream, but a river of living water (John 7:38-39) which enables us to thrive spiritually and produce spiritual fruit for eternity. Have you read God’s Word? Do you meditate on it daily? Are you seeking the “baptism” of the Holy Spirit in the river of eternal life?

3 Epiphany - Tuesday (Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday - Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany

Micah 6:1-8 What the Lord Requires

The Lord has a controversy with his people because they have forgotten his saving acts on their behalf. To what court can they appeal? Let them make their case before the mountains and the very foundations of the earth.

What has the Lord done to weary his people? The Lord brought them out of slavery in Egypt and raised up Moses, Aaron and Miriam to lead them. Remember how, when Balak, king of Moab, tried to have Balaam, the seer, curse God’s people, Balaam refused and blessed them instead (Numbers 22:1-6; 36-38).

Shittim was the camp east of the Jordan across from Jericho. From there they crossed the Jordan on dry ground, since the Lord stopped the flow of the river while they crossed. They took up stones from the riverbed and made a cairn at Gilgal where they first camped in the Promised Land, to commemorate God’s saving acts.

What can God’s people bring to God as a worthy offering? Would even a thousand rams and ten thousand rivers of oil be enough to please God? Could sacrificing one’s first-born atone for one’s sin; the fruit of the flesh for the sin of the soul? “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

In one sense we are all God’s people because he has created us. In another sense God’s people are those who acknowledge God and what he has done for us, and trust and obey him. Have we heard and believed what God has done for us in Jesus Christ?

God does not need burnt offerings and sacrifices. No amount of sacrifices and offerings, or religious “rituals,” can atone for our sin (disobedience of God’s Word), or “earn” our forgiveness. Even the sacrifice of our first-born is not sufficient. But God has done that for us; he gave his first-born, Jesus Christ, as the one and only sacrifice for all time and all people for the complete forgiveness of all our sin, to be received by faith (obedient trust; Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

God has done nothing to bore or weary us; it is we who weary him. God has shown great patience and forbearance toward us. God has revealed his Salvation for all to see. Salvation is a free gift to all who are willing to receive it by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). How will God feel if we reject his gift of forgiveness which he has provided at the cost of his Son?

Who will be our arbitrator on our behalf before God? Only Jesus Christ! Jesus is our “Moses” and our High Priest. The blood of his sacrifice on the Cross cleanses us of sin.

In a sense the Jordan River represents death. God’s people will pass through the “river” of physical death without getting “wet,” by obedient trust in Jesus Christ, our “Joshua,” who will lead us from the “Shittim” of this world into the “Gilgal” in the Promised Land of God’s eternal kingdom in heaven.

God does not require of us more than we can give. The only thing we can really give God is our obedient trust. We can choose to be just or unjust with others. We can choose whether to be kind and loving to others. We can choose to humbly trust and obey God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14).

3 Epiphany - Wednesday (Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday - Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 Spiritual Maturity

The Corinthian Church had been founded through Paul’s ministry. Paul was continuing to disciple the members. There was division in the Church by some who thought they were spiritually wise and mature.

Paul had taught that divine wisdom is unlike what the world falsely calls wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:17-25). He asked the Corinthians to consider their call to faith. They were not wise, powerful or socially elite by worldly standards. God chooses what is week and foolish according to worldly standards, even spiritual things which the world thinks are nothing compared to the apparent solidity of physical things, to show that the worldly standards are wrong. No one will be able to boast in God’s presence. God is the source of (eternal) life through Jesus Christ who is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification (purification and dedication to God’s service), and redemption (ransom from the penalty for sin). Paul quoted Jeremiah 9:23-24, to suggest that one can boast only of the Lord.

A Christian is a “born-again (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple and apostle of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26b). Paul is the prototype of the ‘modern,” “post-resurrection” “born-again” disciple and apostle that all believers are called to be. As Saul of Tarsus, he was confronted by the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-7); he repented and became obedient to Jesus (Acts 9:5, 8-9). He was “discipled” by a “born-again” disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-17) until Paul was “born-again” by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and then Paul began proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 9:18-20).

Paul’s conversion was exceptional for its speed. The original Twelve disciples, spent day and night, seven days a week, for two and a half years with Jesus, yet were unable to carry out his Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) until they had received the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8; Acts 2:1-13). But Paul was already formally educated in Judaism, and zealous for God; he just needed to be pointed to Jesus, the Messiah, confess his sin and receive the Holy Spirit.

Paul discipled Timothy that way and taught him to repeat it with others (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul was continuing the discipling process with the Corinthian Christians. This is what the Church should be doing, but in too many cases isn’t.

The Corinthian Christians were like a lot of new Christians, who have been converted but who want the instant benefit and recognition of spiritual maturity without experiencing the effort and discipline of spiritual growth. The Corinthian Church was divided between factions boasting that their baptism was better because of the church leader who baptized them (1 Corinthians 1:11-17). They were not ready for spiritual “meat;” they were still on a diet of spiritual “baby-food” (1 Corinthians 3:1-4).

The Corinthian Christians considered themselves spiritually wise and sophisticated, while tolerating immorality within the congregation (1 Corinthians 5:1-2; 9-13; 6:1-20). Some also thought that it was ok to eat food sacrificed to idols because they knew that idols are inanimate objects and they suggested that the ones who had concerns were less spiritually wise and sophisticated (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). Paul showed them that they were not as wise and sophisticated as they thought, because there are demons behind idols, and their attitude toward their fellow believers was not loving (1 Corinthians 10:18-33).

The same problems and attitudes are present within the Church today. Members tend to think that they are spiritually mature when they become members of the Church. Many think that discipleship is optional, and only for “super-Christians.” Just reading the entire Bible through once does not make one spiritually mature. We need to read the Bible daily, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and learn to apply God’s Word in our personal lives daily.

There are two major heresies being taught in the (nominal) “Church” today which existed in the first century Church and are refuted in the New Testament. One is “legalism,” salvation by doing “good works;” the “circumcision party” who insisted that Gentile converts must keep Jewish law, including circumcision and dietary laws, dealt with here (see also Galatians 2:12, 16, 21-3:14; 5:1-5, Ephesians 2:8-10). The other is “Cheap Grace:” salvation by grace (unmerited favor; a free gift), without the obligation of discipleship and obedient trust; “Libertinism;” “Nicolaitanism;” false freedom from self-discipline; i.e., licentiousness; (see Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 6:9-20), which is also dealt with here. Each is a deviation, in opposite directions, from the central apostolic doctrine of the New Testament (Ephesians 2:8-10).

*See: The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Collier Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., NY 1963 ISBN 0-02-083850-6

3 Epiphany - Thursday (Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday - Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany

Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes

This is the beginning of what is called the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:27), which is representative of Jesus’ teachings.

Crowds came to Jesus and he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down and began to teach his disciples.

· God blesses those who realize their spiritual poverty and need, for they will enter God’s kingdom.

· Blessed also are those who mourn for they will be comforted and strengthened.

· Those who are meek will inherit the earth.

· Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied.

· Those who are merciful will receive mercy.

· Those who are pure in heart will see God

· Those who work for peace will be called God’s children.

· Those who are persecuted for righteousness will enter God’s kingdom.

· When Jesus’ disciples are reviled, persecuted and slandered they can rejoice, because they will be rewarded in heaven. The world has always responded with evil toward God’s servants and prophets.

The Lord will bless those who seek to live in his kingdom under his reign. If we realize our spiritual need we can ask and he will satisfy us with spiritual healing and nurture. Jesus’ miracles of physical healing and feeding were intended to reveal that he is the Son of God with the power and authority of God’s Word, and that he alone can provide the spiritual healing and feeding that we must have to live eternally in God’s kingdom in heaven.

Those who mourn for their sin (disobedience of God’s Word) and for the “lost-ness” of this world will be comforted, encouraged, and restored.

“God opposes the proud, but gives grace (unmerited favor) to the humble” (James 4:6b; compare 1 Peter 5:5b RSV). Worldly people are successful by being arrogant and ruthless, but those ways do not work with God. Eternal life and citizenship God’s kingdom cannot be bought or earned, or taken by force or deception.

Those who desire righteousness, according to God’s Word, and understand that it is as necessary for spiritual life and health as physical food is to physical life will receive the righteousness they desire and be spiritually satisfied.

We all need God’s mercy, because we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). If we hope to receive and recognize that we have received God’s mercy, we will show mercy to others who need our mercy.

Jesus is the only one who can purify our hearts. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus John 14:15-17). If we accept Jesus as our Lord and begin to trust and obey him, he will purify our hearts by the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is only by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we have personal fellowship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is only through Jesus Christ that we can have peace with God. Jesus came to bring reconciliation and peace with God to the world, and if we have experienced that peace which only Jesus can give, we will carry on his mission to bring God’s peace to others.

God raised up many prophets among the people to proclaim God’s righteousness and the people hated, persecuted and killed the prophets of God. Jesus was the only perfect, righteous, sinless Son of God, but the people of the world responded with hate and persecution and crucified him. The message of the Gospel is no more popular in the world today than it ever was.

If they did those things to Jesus, his disciples cannot expect better treatment. Being a disciple requires faithfulness in proclaiming the Gospel fully and accurately; not just the parts that are popular and make us feel good.

The Beatitudes describe what God blesses; but there are corresponding woes to those who choose the alternatives (see Luke 6:20-26).

· Woe to those who don’t recognize their spiritual neediness.

· Woe to those who don’t mourn their own sinfulness and the lost condition of this present world.

· Woe to those who are prideful and arrogant.

· Woe to those who are satisfied with their assessment of their own righteousness.

· Woe to those who are ruthless and merciless.

· Woe to those who don’t recognize the impurity and sinfulness of their own hearts.

· Woe to those who don’t seek peace with God and others.

· Woe to those who are popular and highly regarded according to worldly standards.

There is a Day of Judgment when Jesus will return to judge the living and the dead (in both physical and spiritual senses; 1 Peter 4:5). Every one who has ever lived will be accountable to the Lord for what we have done in this lifetime. Those who have accepted, trusted and obeyed Jesus as their Lord will receive eternal life in God’s heavenly kingdom. Those who have rejected Jesus, and have refused to trust and obey Jesus will receive eternal condemnation and destruction in Hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; see God’s Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

3 Epiphany - Friday (Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday - Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany

Isaiah 43:1-3 Israel’s Redemption

God had punished the remnant of Israel with Babylonian exile for Israel’s disobedience and idolatry. But the Lord promised to redeem Israel. The Lord was the creator of Jacob (the inheritor of the birthright); the Lord had formed Israel. The Lord had named Israel, marking them as his people (Genesis 32:28).

The Lord promised that he would be with his people through all dangers; through flood and through fire, and would protect and preserve them. “When you pass through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you” (Isaiah 43:2; compare Daniel 3:13-28).

The Lord God is the Holy One of Israel, her Savoir. The Lord was going to give Egypt and Ethiopia (nations of Africa) and Seba (Arabia)¹ as a ransom for his people.

The Southern Kingdom, Judah, was the remnant of Israel, after the Northern Kingdom of the divided monarchy was destroyed by the Assyrians in 721 B.C.² Judah had not heeded the warnings of the prophets and the example of the fall of the Northern Kingdom, so God withdrew his favor and protection and allowed the Chaldean army of Nebuchadnezzar to carry Judah into exile in Babylon.

God told Judah beforehand what was going to happen, and promised that he would bring them back to the Promised Land after seventy years (Jeremiah 25:12). Judah could have repented and avoided the exile at any time, up to the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple in 587 B.C.²

God’s Word was fulfilled. Judah went into Babylonian exile for seventy years. Then God used Cyrus of Persia to conquer the Chaldeans and release Judah to return to the Promised Land. The seventy years ended in 517 B.C.² with the dedication of the second temple.

God’s Word was fulfilled. The remnant of Israel had passed through the flood and fire and had not been consumed. God brought a renewed Israel back from Babylonian exile.

God’s Word was fulfilled. God gave Egypt, Ethiopia, and Arabia into the hands of Cyrus as a ransom for God’s people.

Egypt was attacked and made a province of the Persian Empire in 525 for about thirty years.³ Ethiopia had succumbed to the Assyrians and was briefly a province of the Persian Empire (Esther 1:1, 8:9).⁴ Seba was probably also a province of the Persian Empire under Cyrus.¹

Jacob was the grandson of Abraham (Abram) who inherited the “birthright,” (Gen. 25:29-34; 27:1-45) the promise of God to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3) passed through Isaac, the son of the promise (Genesis 15:1-5), through whom God would make a great nation and give them the Promised Land.

God “named” Israel. God re-named Jacob “Israel” after he had wrestled with God (Genesis 32:28) as Jacob was returning to the Promised Land from Haran, the homeland of Abraham, later part of the Assyrian and Babylonian (Chaldean) Empires.

Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea to escape the Egyptians, and God parted the waters so they passed through on dry ground, while the Egyptian pursuers were drowned by the returning waters (Ex. 14:22-31). God brought Israel into the Promised Land through the Jordan River, stopping its flow so that they could pass through on dry ground without getting their feet wet (Josh. 3:14-17).

The Red Sea is a metaphor for baptism into Jesus Christ, and the Jordan River is a metaphor for physical death. Jesus delivers us from slavery to Satan and sin in the Egypt of this world, through the waters of baptism. Jesus is our “Moses” who leads us through the wilderness of life, across the Jordan River of physical death and into the Promised Land of eternal life in God’s kingdom in heaven. Christians are the “namesake” and heirs of the promise and birthright of Israel through Jesus Christ.

God condemned and destroyed the world once by flood (Genesis 6:11-8:19). God promised never to destroy the world again by flood (Genesis 9:8-17). The next time God Judges the earth, he will destroy the wicked by fire, (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10), as was Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:16-21; 19:1-29).

Jesus is the “Son of God” who delivers believers, who trust and obey him, from destruction by fire in Hell, as Daniel was delivered from the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:24-25; 28) in Babylon.

Jesus has promised to return, on the Day of Judgment at the end of the (temporal) age, to judge all who have ever lived on earth. Everyone will be accountable to him for what they have done in this lifetime. Those who have accepted Jesus and have trusted and obeyed him will receive eternal life in God’s kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused to trust and obey Jesus will receive eternal condemnation and destruction in fiery Hell (John 5:28-29, Matthew 25:31-46).

¹ The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Isaiah 43.3c-7n, p. 875, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.

² Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Exile, Captivity” digital edition, bibledatabase.org - http://bibledatabase.org/eastons.html

³ Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, “Egypt; Saite-Persian Period, p. 380,” David Noel Freedman, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids Michigan, 2000, ISBN 0-8020-2400-5

⁴ ibid. “

Ethiopia

,” p. 432.

3 Epiphany - Saturday (Variable)

To be used only if there is a 4 Epiphany Sunday - Otherwise skip to 8 Epiphany

Romans 4:16-25 Justified by Faith

Matthew 14:22-33 Faith and Doubt

Paul taught that God’s plan of Salvation (see sidebar) is based on faith (obedient trust), so that the promise is through God’s grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) and guaranteed to all the (spiritual) descendants of Abraham who share Abraham’s faith (which came before the Covenant of Law; Romans 4:10-12). Abraham is the spiritual father of us all, in fulfillment of Genesis 17.5: “I have made you a father of many nations.” The promise is guaranteed by God, in whom Abraham believed, who gives life to the dead and existence to things that do not exist.

Abraham believed God’s promise, even when it seemed hopeless, that he would be the father of many nations. His faith didn’t weaken when he considered that his body was at the end of his life, because he was about a hundred years old, or that Sarah was barren. “No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave God glory, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:20-21). For that reason his faith was accounted as righteousness, and his experience is recorded in the Bible for our benefit, so that we also will be accounted righteous who believe in God who raised, from the dead, Jesus, who died for our sins, and was raised from death for our justification (acquittal; imputation of Jesus’ righteousness to us through faith in Jesus).

After the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus sent the disciples back to Capernaum by boat while Jesus dismissed the crowd. Then Jesus went into the surrounding hills by himself to pray. When night came, Jesus was alone, and the boat with the disciples was far from land and not making much progress because the wind and waves were against them.

Just before dawn Jesus came to them walking on the surface of the sea. When the disciples saw him they were terrified, thinking that he was a ghost. But Jesus identified himself and told them not to be afraid.

Peter replied that if it was indeed Jesus, he should tell Peter to come to Jesus on the water. Jesus did so, and Peter got out of the boat and came toward Jesus. But when Peter experienced the wind he became afraid and started to sink. Jesus reached out and caught him by the hand and asked Peter why he had so little faith and had doubted. When they got into the boat the wind stopped, and the others in the boat were convinced that Jesus was truly the Son of God.

God’s Word is absolutely true and trustworthy. God has given us his Word so that we will learn to trust and obey him. Our salvation from eternal condemnation and destruction depends on our trusting and obeying Jesus. Jesus is God’s Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus Christ is God’s only provision by whom we can and must be saved (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).

All of us have sinned and fall short of God’s righteousness (Romans 3:23) and the penalty for sin (disobedience of God’s Word) is eternal death. Salvation from God’s eternal judgment and condemnation is by grace as a free gift to be received by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation cannot be bought or earned, or taken by force or deception.

Paul was making disciples of Jesus Christ in accordance with Jesus’ Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). Abraham is an example of faith in God’s Word. Abraham heard God’s call and trusted and obeyed. As he went forward in obedient trust in God’s Word he grew strong in faith, and because he trusted and obeyed God’s Word, he was accounted righteous in God’s judgment. This is the pattern of spiritual growth that takes place when we say “yes” to God’s Word.

Abraham believed that God can raise the dead, and God demonstrated that truth in raising Jesus from the dead. The witnesses in the New Testament, and every “born-again” (John 3:3, 5-8) Christian since, testifies to the truth that Jesus has been raised to eternal life. Those who trust and obey Jesus will receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:15-17), which only Jesus can give (John 1:31-34). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

The miracle of Jesus’ walking on the water is also a lesson in faith. They set out on their own, at Jesus’ command, but spent nearly all night getting far from land but not reaching their destination because wind and wave were against them. Jesus came to them and at first they were frightened, thinking he was a ghost. Jesus identified himself and calmed their fears.

Peter was eager to trust and obey Jesus, but he let doubt arise within him because of the forces seemingly against him. But Jesus was there to reach out his hand and steady Peter when he started to sink. When Jesus got into the boat, the wind and waves ceased (and in John’s Gospel, they immediately reached their destination; John 6:21).

The disciples were following Jesus’ word, but they didn’t have Jesus with them. They’re like believers who have the word of Jesus in the Bible, but haven’t yet been “born-again.” Supernatural forces are against them and they cannot make headway in their own human strength. The mission of Jesus Christ must be carried on by “born-again” disciples in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6c; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). Only when Jesus is in our “boat” with us can we accomplish his command and reach the destination.

Peter was eager to act in faith, but he allowed doubt to cause him to waver. But Jesus was nearby and was able to help Peter by touching him and strengthening his faith. That’s what the Lord can do for those who are born-again. But if Peter had gotten out of the boat in the middle of the sea in the middle of the night without Jesus, he would have sunk. Jesus is able through his Holy Spirit to strengthen our faith and cause us to grow spiritually when we have trusted and obeyed him and have been born-again.

God’s Word warns us not to believe every spirit (1 John 4:1-3). The disciples were frightened that Jesus might be a ghost (demonic), but Jesus identified himself to them and they recognized him. Likewise Jesus will identify himself to us so that we will recognize him, and we must recognize him, instead of receiving false and lying spirits. False spirits may claim to be “god,” but the true Spirit of God will never tell us to do what is contrary to God’s Word, or anything that will harm ourselves or others.