Archives For Exhortation

Let Us Bless the Lord Who Gives and Takes Away

February 13, 2014

Job experienced horrific loss and responded properly to it by saying, “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return hither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). On a far, far lesser scale, I have recently experienced similar circumstances that have prompted me to be mindful of blessing the Lord who gives and takes away.

Substantial Savings on Prescription Medication

Because of a somewhat serious but controllable medical condition and because I have minimal insurance coverage, I have to spend a relatively large amount of money every few months on two prescription medications. No generic forms of these drugs are available, and it is essential that I not miss even one dose.

Recently, my doctor gave me a discount card from the makers of one of these drugs. Through enrolling in the discount program that this company offers, I was able to save more than 76% last week on a refill for one of these prescription drugs!

I rejoiced in God’s goodness and praised Him for providing this means for me to reduce so much the cost of this necessary medication! When this happened, I was also thinking that the Lord had blessed me in a special way that would help meet financial needs that I have so that I would have more resources to pay for other expenses.

Substantial Loss of Income Because of Bad Weather

Because of a very severe winter storm, however, I have had to cancel four classes this week that I normally teach each week. Not having those classes has caused me to lose almost exactly the same amount of money this week that I saved last week through the discount card on my prescription medication.

I Bless the Lord Who Gives and Takes Away

It is not coincidental that these two events have taken place in such a short span of time. Undoubtedly, the Lord is using them to teach me to trust Him more for meeting all my needs.

Although my experience with saving a fair amount of money and then losing almost exactly that same amount does not even begin to compare with what Job experienced, I am confident that the Lord wants me to learn to respond as Job did. With Job, I do bless the Lord who gives and takes away!

“The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). Let us bless the Lord who gives and takes away.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Testimony
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Have Mercy on Us, O Lord (Ten misercordia de nosotros, oh Jehová)!

February 11, 2014

From my regular reading in the Psalms in the Reina Valera, I have been struck by how many times the psalmists prayed for the Lord to have mercy on them. The phrase ten misericordia (‘have mercy’) occurs 19 times in 17 verses in the Psalms and 13 times elsewhere in 13 verses for a total of 32 times in 30 verses.[1]

Meditating on these verses provides us with rich instruction about how we should pray: 

  1. Psa 4:1 <To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.> Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.R60 Psa 4:1 <Al músico principal; sobre Neginot. Salmo de David.> Respóndeme cuando clamo, oh Dios de mi justicia. Cuando estaba en angustia, tú me hiciste ensanchar; Ten misericordia de mí, y oye mi oración.
  2. Psa 6:2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed.R60 Psa 6:2 Ten misericordia de mí, oh Jehová, porque estoy enfermo; Sáname, oh Jehová, porque mis huesos se estremecen.
  3. Psa 9:13 Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:R60 Psa 9:13 Ten misericordia de mí, Jehová; Mira mi aflicción que padezco a causa de los que me aborrecen, Tú que me levantas de las puertas de la muerte,
  4. Psa 25:16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.R60 Psa 25:16 Mírame, y ten misericordia de mí, Porque estoy solo y afligido.
  5. Psa 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.R60 Psa 26:11 Mas yo andaré en mi integridad; Redímeme, y ten misericordia de mí.
  6. Psa 27:7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.R60 Psa 27:7 Oye, oh Jehová, mi voz con que a ti clamo; Ten misericordia de mí, y respóndeme.
  7. Psa 30:10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.R60 Psa 30:10 Oye, oh Jehová, y ten misericordia de mí; Jehová, sé tú mi ayudador.
  8. Psa 31:9 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.R60 Psa 31:9 Ten misericordia de mí, oh Jehová, porque estoy en angustia; Se han consumido de tristeza mis ojos, mi alma también y mi cuerpo.
  9. Psa 41:4 I said, LORD, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.R60 Psa 41:4 Yo dije: Jehová, ten misericordia de mí; Sana mi alma, porque contra ti he pecado.
  10. Psa 41:10 But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.R60 Psa 41:10 Mas tú, Jehová, ten misericordia de mí, y hazme levantar, Y les daré el pago.
  11. Psa 56:1 <To the chief Musician upon Jonathelemrechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.> Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.R60 Psa 56:1 <Al músico principal; sobre La paloma silenciosa en paraje muy distante. Mictam de David, cuando los filisteos le prendieron en Gat.> Ten misericordia de mí, oh Dios, porque me devoraría el hombre; Me oprime combatiéndome cada día.
  12. Psa 57:1 <To the chief Musician, Altaschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.> Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.R60 Psa 57:1 <Al músico principal; sobre No destruyas. Mictam de David, cuando huyó de delante de Saúl a la cueva.> Ten misericordia de mí, oh Dios, ten misericordia de mí; Porque en ti ha confiado mi alma, Y en la sombra de tus alas me ampararé Hasta que pasen los quebrantos.
  13. Psa 86:3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily.R60 Psa 86:3 Ten misericordia de mí, oh Jehová; Porque a ti clamo todo el día.
  14. Psa 86:16 O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and save the son of thine handmaid.R60 Psa 86:16 Mírame, y ten misericordia de mí; Da tu poder a tu siervo, Y guarda al hijo de tu sierva.
  15. Psa 119:58 I intreated thy favour with my whole heart: be merciful unto me according to thy word.R60 Psa 119:58 Tu presencia supliqué de todo corazón; Ten misericordia de mí según tu palabra.
  16. Psa 119:132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.R60 Psa 119:132 Mírame, y ten misericordia de mí, Como acostumbras con los que aman tu nombre.
  17. Psa 123:3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.R60 Psa 123:3 Ten misericordia de nosotros, oh Jehová, ten misericordia de nosotros, Porque estamos muy hastiados de menosprecio.
  18. Isa 33:2 O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.R60 Isa 33:2 Oh Jehová, ten misericordia de nosotros, a ti hemos esperado; tú, brazo de ellos en la mañana, sé también nuestra salvación en tiempo de la tribulación.
  19. Mat 9:27  And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.R60 Mat 9:27  Pasando Jesús de allí, le siguieron dos ciegos, dando voces y diciendo: ¡Ten misericordia de nosotros, Hijo de David!
  20. Mat 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.R60 Mat 15:22 Y he aquí una mujer cananea que había salido de aquella región clamaba, diciéndole: ¡Señor, Hijo de David, ten misericordia de mí! Mi hija es gravemente atormentada por un demonio.
  21. Mat 17:15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.R60 Mat 17:15  Señor, ten misericordia de mi hijo, que es lunático, y padece muchísimo; porque muchas veces cae en el fuego, y muchas en el agua.
  22. Mat 20:30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.R60 Mat 20:30 Y dos ciegos que estaban sentados junto al camino, cuando oyeron que Jesús pasaba, clamaron, diciendo: ¡Señor, Hijo de David, ten misericordia de nosotros!
  23. Mat 20:31 And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.R60 Mat 20:31 Y la gente les reprendió para que callasen; pero ellos clamaban más, diciendo: ¡Señor, Hijo de David, ten misericordia de nosotros!
  24. Mar 9:22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.R60 Mar 9:22 Y muchas veces le echa en el fuego y en el agua, para matarle; pero si puedes hacer algo, ten misericordia de nosotros, y ayúdanos.
  25. Mar 10:47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.R60 Mar 10:47 Y oyendo que era Jesús nazareno, comenzó a dar voces y a decir: ¡Jesús, Hijo de David, ten misericordia de mí!
  26. Mar 10:48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.R60 Mar 10:48 Y muchos le reprendían para que callase, pero él clamaba mucho más: ¡Hijo de David, ten misericordia de mí!
  27. Luk 16:24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.R60 Luk 16:24 Entonces él, dando voces, dijo: Padre Abraham, ten misericordia de mí, y envía a Lázaro para que moje la punta de su dedo en agua, y refresque mi lengua; porque estoy atormentado en esta llama.
  28. Luk 17:13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.R60 Luk 17:13 y alzaron la voz, diciendo: ¡Jesús, Maestro, ten misericordia de nosotros!
  29. Luk 18:38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.R60 Luk 18:38 Entonces dio voces, diciendo: ¡Jesús, Hijo de David, ten misericordia de mí!
  30. Luk 18:39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.R60 Luk 18:39 Y los que iban delante le reprendían para que callase; pero él clamaba mucho más: ¡Hijo de David, ten misericordia de mí!

Let us learn from this wealth of scriptural instruction to pray regularly, “Have mercy on us, O Lord” (Ten misericordia de nosotros, oh Jehová)!

 

[1]  Ten misericordia is rendered as follows: “have mercy” [21x]; “be merciful” [9x]; “be gracious” [1x]; and “have compassion” [1x].

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Exhortation, Prayer, Spanish
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On The Importance of Greeting One Another

February 8, 2014

In my 24 years of being a Christian, I have experienced many times how discouraging and even painful at times it is when Christian brethren have not extended to me even a simple friendly greeting when our paths have happened to cross. I have often left such encounters wondering why so and so seems to greet many other people warmly but does not do so with me.

Recently, having had this happen to me again has brought back to my mind just how important it is that we as believers graciously greet another:

1Co 16:20 All the brethren greet you. Greet ye one another with an holy kiss.

2Co 13:12 Greet one another with an holy kiss.

Phi 4:21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you.

1Th 5:26 Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss.

Heb 13:24 Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute you.

1Pe 5:14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

3Jo 1:14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

This repeated, authoritative biblical instruction makes clear that we all have a vital responsibility to greet one another graciously, especially in the context of a local church.

When we are disinclined to extend such a greeting to someone that we have known for some time, we should examine our thinking and consider why we do not wish to do so. Especially in situations of interpersonal conflict between brethren in a church,  wariness of extending a greeting to another believer should signal to us further that our relationship with that fellow believer is not what God wants it to be and needs attention to restore proper fellowship among brethren.

I have failed many times myself to heed the vital scriptural instruction concerning greeting one another, and I am sure that the Lord wants to use my recent troubling experience to challenge me about my own need in this area. By His grace, I desire and purpose to strive to display this Christian grace more faithfully in the days to come.

May the Lord help us all to build up one another by greeting one another graciously, as we ought.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Interpretation
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Beware Endangering Yourself and Others through Music!

January 17, 2014

Although many believers think that it is not possible for them to endanger themselves and others through music if it has Christian words, careful attention to biblical revelation and other evidence concerning fallen spirits and their influences on human music proves otherwise. The following treatment of that revelation and evidence warns us to beware endangering others and ourselves through music.

Fallen Spirits and Their Activities

God is the only eternal Being (Ps. 90:2; John 1:1-2), and He created everything else that exists (Gen. 1:1; John 1:3), including all supernatural spirit beings (Gen. 2:1; Exod. 20:11; Neh. 9:6; Ps. 148:1-5; Col. 1:16). Supernatural spirit beings mentioned in Scripture include seraphim (Is. 6:2), cherubim (Gen. 3:24), four living creatures (Rev. 4:8), holy angels (Matt. 25:31), and evil spirits (Acts 19:12).

Because God is not the Author of evil (Gen. 1:31; cf. James 1:13), we know that the evil spirits mentioned in Scripture were created as holy spiritual beings  (Ezek. 28:14-15a; cf. Jude 6). At some point after their creation, they rebelled against God and became fallen spirits (Ezek. 28:15b; cf. Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2:4).

Fallen spirits are intent on denying God the glory that He alone is due from His creatures (Is. 14:12-14; cf. Col. 2:18; Rev. 9:20). They seek to harm as many of His creatures as possible and to bring about their destruction (cf. Matt. 8:32; John 8:44; Acts 19:12), especially humans (Luke 13:16; Acts 10:38; 1 Pet. 5:8).

Because the Father desires people who will worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24), we can be certain that fallen spirits want to prevent people from giving Him that worship. Undoubtedly, they do so continuously throughout the world either through preventing it entirely (2 Cor. 4:3-4; Col. 2:18; Rev. 9:20) or through corrupting it in as many ways as possible and as much as possible (cf. 2 Cor. 11:3; 1 Tim. 4:1-3).

Fallen spirits have influenced humans to do evil things without their knowing anything about that influence (1 Chron. 21:1; 1 Kings 22:22; 2 Cor. 11:14). They have had this covert influence on both unbelievers (1 Kings 22:22; John 13:27) and believers (1 Chron. 21:1; Acts 5:3).

Fallen Spirits and Music in Scripture

The angels sang when God created the earth and everything on it (Job. 38:6-7). Angels sound trumpets (Exod. 19:16; Rev. 8:2) and heavenly spirit beings worship God, play harps, and sing praise to God and the Lamb (Rev. 4:8-11; 5:8-14). We know, therefore, that supernatural spirit beings, including fallen spirits, are musical beings (see this post for further explanation of this point.

Fallen spirits have observed and heard all the worship of heaven that has included music (Job 38:6-7; Ps. 148:2; cf. Is. 6:3). They know experientially what heavenly music that pleases God sounds like.

Fallen spirits have observed the activities of humans from the beginning of mankind (Gen. 3; 2 Cor. 11:3; cf. Job 1:7). They know exactly what music man has made that has pleased God (e.g. 2 Chron. 5:11-14).

Fallen spirits know about the godly instrumental music produced by a Spirit-empowered man that drove out an evil spirit from another man (1 Sam. 16:14-23). At least one fallen spirit, therefore, has personally experienced the spiritual power of such godly music (1 Sam. 16:23).

Fallen spirits have full knowledge also about the music that man has made that has not pleased God (e.g. Is. 5:11-12; Dan. 3:5-7, 10, 15). They undoubtedly played a major role in the musical activities of multitudes of people who were destroyed in the Flood because “every imagination of the thoughts of [their hearts] was only evil continually” (Gen. 4:21 cf. Gen. 6:5; see this post for a full explanation of this key point).

After the Flood, on a particularly sordid occasion, fallen spirits influenced people who had eaten meat offered to an idol in syncretistic worship of Yahweh to sing in a way that the Holy Spirit highlights by providing an explicit record of that singing (Exod. 32:17-18). Because that singing was produced by demon-influenced people (cf. 1 Cor. 10:20) who were idolatrously eating, drinking, and playing (1 Cor. 10:7; including ungodly dancing [Exod. 32:19]) in such an evil, uncontrolled way that even their enemies were ashamed of them (Exod. 32:25), we can be certain that their singing that was supposedly to Yahweh was evil as well.

Fallen Spirits and Dangerous Music

Given all that we know about the aims and activities of fallen spirits and about their full knowledge about music that pleases God and music that does not please Him, believers must not be at all dismissive about the role of fallen spirits in the production of ungodly popular musical styles (Eph. 2:2-3; 1 John 5:19). Rather, we have every reason to believe that fallen spirits have influenced and continue to influence as many people as possible to listen to and produce music that does not please God, especially in their worship of Him.

In fact, many popular musicians have testified in various ways that the source of their music has been supernatural influences from outside themselves.[1] Believers must not reject such testimonies—they must stay as far away as possible from any music, even if it has Christian words, when there is even the slightest possibility that fallen spirits have played a role in originating that dangerous music (see also Are Secular Testimonies about Fallen Spirits and Music Inherently Unreliable?).

Conclusion

Christians must reject (Ps. 1:1; Eph. 5:11) all music, including music with Christian words, that employs ungodly popular musical styles that evil humans have produced for explicitly stated evil purposes, such as rock music, because vital biblical considerations and sobering personal testimonies point to fallen spirits as the supernatural origin of those ungodly styles. Beware endangering yourself and others through music!

 

[1] The following quotes are from a website that I found by doing a Google search on evil spirits and rock music:

David Bowie: “Rock has always been THE DEVIL’S MUSIC. . .” (Rolling Stone, Feb. 12, 1976);

John Lennon: “I’ve sold my soul to the DEVIL.” (Ray Coleman, Lennon, p.256);

Little Richard: “I’m the Rock ‘n Roll singer that you heard about through the years. . . I was directed and commanded by another power. The power of DARKNESS. . . The power of the DEVIL, SATAN.” (Charles White, The Life and Times of Little Richard, pp. 205-206);

During a 1993 Oprah Winfrey interview, Michael Jackson, explained the reason for some of his filthy sexual gestures during his concerts: “It happens subliminally. IT’S THE MUSIC THAT COMPELS ME TO DO IT. You don’t think about it, it just happens. I’M SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM.” (The Evening Star, Feb. 11, 1993, p. A10)

—http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/CCM/hip_hop.htm; accessed 1/17/14; 3:55 pm

I also found the following sources from that same search: Note the testimonies provided in point II of this web article (http://truediscipleship.org/Gtopics/general108.htm; accessed 1/17/14; 3:59 pm) and the many testimonies from rock musicians themselves in this article (http://www.inplainsite.org/html/voices_of_rock.html; accessed 1/17/14; 4:09 pm); see also the similar testimonies in a similar article (http://wayoflife.org/index_files/rock_musicians_as_mediums.html; accessed 1/17/14; 4:14 pm.)

Please note that I have not independently verified the quotes provided in any of these sources. I have no reason, however, to doubt their veracity, especially since several sources provide some of the same quotes.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In CCM, Discipleship, Exhortation, Theology
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Should Christians Not Heed What Secular Musicians and Music Experts Say concerning the Morality of Music?

December 14, 2013

A Christian recently advised me, “Don’t appeal to the authority of secular rappers or rock musicians: Appeal to Scripture.” He holds a view that many believers today hold about what sources of authoritative information are valid concerning the moral aspects of music. Is this view correct?

Two key Scripture passages answer this question by showing that both believers and unbelievers have validly assessed the shamefulness of people in various respects. The first passage records that both believers and unbelievers did so at a time when the sinfulness of God’s people even included their producing ungodly music.

Righteous Believers Validly Assessed the Ungodliness of Music Produced by Some of God’s People

The Israelites’ profound sinfulness in the Golden Calf incident included music that two righteous believing authorities recognized from a distance as being music unfitting for worship by God’s people:

Exo 32:17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.

 18 And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.

 19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.

Although he was at a distance from the camp that did not allow him to know exactly what the people were doing, Joshua discerned that the composite[1] sound that they were producing was a rough-sounding noise of people who were wildly excited, a sound that apparently was quite similar to the noise produced by people engaged in (all-out?) combat. Moses, however, from the same distance that prevented knowing what the words being sung were, was able to discern accurately that the raucous and frenetic noise that these reveling people were producing was the noise of people who were singing.

Moses, therefore, was able to tell from a distance that these out-of-control people (Exod. 32:25) were wildly reveling people who were producing an ungodly sound that certainly was not the sound of Spirit-filled people singing godly music (cf. Eph. 5:18-19). Arriving at the camp, he saw that their reveling also included sensual dancing of such vulgarity that it (and the idol that he finally saw in person) incited him to righteous flaming anger (Exod. 32:19).

Moreover, we know that these people who were singing and dancing wildly were people who had partaken of meat offered to an idol (Exod. 32:6). Having partaken of that meat, these wildly singing and dancing people were people who were doing so after having come into direct contact with demons (1 Cor. 10:20).

These demon-influenced Israelites were thus engaged in an immoral “playing” (1 Cor. 10:7) while they were supposedly observing a “feast to the Lord” (Exod. 32:5). Although they may have thought that they were singing acceptably to the Lord, righteous Israelites who were not influenced by demons on this occasion validly assessed their great wickedness, including the ungodly sounding music that they were producing.

Both Joshua and Moses were able to discern the unfitting-for-divine-worship composite sound of their music from a distance that did not allow them to know at all what they were singing. Regardless of what the words were that they were actually singing, the sound of their singing from a distance was ungodly.

This passage, therefore, teaches us that righteous believers can make a valid assessment that music of people who are supposedly worshiping the Lord is ungodly by assessing the nature of the overall sound produced even by people who are singing words. As Joshua and Moses did, such valid assessments can be made without knowing what the lyrics are that the people are singing.

Even Ordinary Unbelievers Validly Assessed Their Shamefulness

Not only righteous believers, but also their unrighteous enemies validly assessed the great sinfulness of these uncontrolled revelers on this occasion:

Exo 32:25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies.[2]

This text shows that Scripture records an instance when unbelievers could and did make valid moral assessments about unrighteous worship by God’s people (Exod. 32:17-19)! The people among the Israelites who engaged in the Golden Calf incident had became so openly sinful at this time that even their enemies were ashamed of them.

This passage is especially telling because it shows that a high-level leader among God’s own people sinned so egregiously on this occasion in how he allowed God’s people to get out of control that even the sinful enemies of God’s people plainly recognized that what they were doing was ungodly. Not only were they able to assess validly the immoral behavior of these people, but also they regarded their behavior to be shameful!

Moreover, the passage provides no indication that these who regarded the behavior of the Israelites as shameful at this time were expert authorities on various aspects of human morality. Rather, the passage shows that even ordinary unbelievers validly made these moral assessments about their unrighteous religious activities![3]

Apostolic Recognition That Unbelieving Experts Can Make Valid Moral Assessments

In agreement with Exodus 32, Titus 1 reveals that the apostle Paul held that unbelievers do have the ability to make valid moral assessments of unrighteous human behavior (of various types) by unbelievers (Titus 1:12). Moreover, Paul shows us that it is righteous for Christians to heed such assessments when they are made by unbelieving experts who confirm the believers’ own assessment of such unrighteous behavior (Titus 1:13; see this post for a full explanation of this key point).

Conclusion

Scripture shows that righteous believers can make valid assessments of purported worship of the Lord that is in reality ungodly behavior by believers whose religious activities include producing music that is ungodly (Exod. 32)! Amazingly, it even shows that such assessments of singing can be made without knowing what the lyrics are of such ungodly music.

Scripture also provides us with clear teaching that shows that unbelievers can make valid assessments of unrighteous human behavior both by God’s people (Exod. 32:25) and by other unbelievers (Titus 1:12). Moreover, it is right to heed and appropriately make use of such valid assessments (Titus 1:13).

Applying all this biblical data to the issues concerning music in our day, we learn that Scripture teaches us that Christians should heed the warnings of secular musicians and music experts who warn us about music that is immoral and unfitting for Christian worship (for example, see this brief testimony).

 

[1] Although the passage does not mention their playing any musical instruments, based on the available Scriptural data concerning human feasting (cf. Gen. 31:27; Exod. 15:20; Luke 15:22, 25; etc.), it is highly probable that they were. Either way, the term composite signifies the totality of the sound that they were producing, whether through singing alone or through both singing and playing.

[2] NAU Exo 32:25 Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control– for Aaron had let them get out of control to be a derision among their enemies–; NET Exo 32:25 Moses saw that the people were running wild, for Aaron had let them get completely out of control, causing derision from their enemies; NIV Exo 32:25 Moses saw that the people were running wild and that Aaron had let them get out of control and so become a laughingstock to their enemies; NKJ Exo 32:25 Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies); ESV Exo 32:25 And when Moses saw that the people had broken loose (for Aaron had let them break loose, to the derision of their enemies). What all these translators recognize is that the people became profoundly and openly sinful at this time.

[3] Although the passage does not elaborate at all who these enemies were or what the extent of their knowledge of the Israelites’ sinfulness on this occasion was, we can be certain that what they knew about the ungodly reveling of these Israelites caused them to be ashamed of them.

 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In CCM, Exhortation, Exposition, Theology
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Beware Dangerously Wrong Thinking about Your Life as a Christian!

November 23, 2013

I am concerned that various influences have affected many believers so that they are approaching their lives with dangerously wrong thinking. Here are two key false notions of which you should beware.

1. I am an ordinary person, so Satan is not going to bother with me. He only targets important people.

Apostolic instruction to all believers warning them about Satan shows that this is a very dangerous false view (Eph. 4:27; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8-9). Satan wants to devour every believer—you are one of his targets regardless of who you are!

2. I am a Christian and I have the Spirit in me. Satan cannot influence me to do wrong without my knowing that he is attacking me.

David was a believer who had the Holy Spirit upon him for the rest of his life after Samuel anointed him (“And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward” [1 Sam. 16:13]). Yet Satan “provoked David to number Israel” (1 Chron. 21:1).

Neither 1 Chronicles 21 nor the parallel passage in 2 Samuel 24 provides any indication that David ever had any idea that Satan had influenced him to do so. In fact, it is unthinkable that David would have done what he did had he known that Satan was moving him to do so.

Something similar also happened to Ananias. He conceived a wicked thing in his heart (Acts 5:4), and his wife conspired with him to do so (Acts 5:2, 9). Luke reveals key information about what else happened to Ananias: “Satan filled [his] heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land” (Acts 5:3).

As with David, we have no indication in Scripture that Ananias knew anything about Satan’s filling his heart to sin against God. Being a Christian and having the Spirit in you does not mean that Satan cannot influence you without your knowing it!

Beware dangerously wrong thinking about your life as a Christian along either of these lines!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

In Discipleship, Exhortation, Exposition, Theology
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God’s Rebuke of Sensuality among Those Who Worship Him

October 2, 2013

Scripture is our only infallible source of information about God’s perspectives concerning people who engage in worship and the actual nature of that worship. In Ezekiel 33, He reveals to us vital principles about how He should be worshiped through His assessment of the presence and nature of the sensuality among those who worshipped Him at that time.

Among the Jews who were exiled in Babylon, there were those whose worship was not what it appeared to be (33:30-33):

Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. 

 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 

 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not. 

 33 And when this cometh to pass, (lo, it will come,) then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them. 

God made known to Ezekiel that his fellow Jews were maligning him even while they were exhorting one another to come hear his ministry of the Word of the Lord that he was proclaiming (Ezekiel 33:30).

These seeming worshipers were intermingled with true worshipers and mimicked the worship of the latter. They came as the others did and sat before him as the rest of God’s people did (Ezekiel 33:31).

They listened intently to Ezekiel’s proclamation of God’s words (Ezekiel 33:31a-c), but the true nature of their supposed worship of God was revealed by their failure to heed God’s words (Ezekiel 33:31d). God exposed them as hypocritical worshipers who did not do what He said because although they professed great love for Him, they were actually motivated by their lustful hearts and their pursuit of personal gain (Ezekiel 33:31e-f).

God then called Ezekiel to perceive what was taking place in the hearts and minds of such people: “And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument.” (33:32). The Hebrew word rendered as “very lovely” (that modifies the word song) uses a word (‘Əgavah) that is used in a negative sense in Scripture for “sensual desire” that is “condemned” (Holladay, 264).

Ezekiel thus was to them like a song characterized by sensuality that was ministered by a person having a beautiful voice and playing a stringed instrument skillfully (33:32a-b). Implicit thus in this statement is these people’s appetite for sensual songs and God’s condemnation of that fleshly proclivity.

This statement revealed the essential problematic sensuality of these supposed worshipers of God. Because of that sensuality, God’s words did not profit them in bringing about obedience to Him in their lives, just as hearing a sensual love song sung by one with a pleasant voice accompanied well on an instrument does not.

Through this comparison, God was not condemning those who have lovely voices or can play stringed instruments with great skill–He is the One who gifts people with these priceless gifts. His statement indicts the people who were hearing Ezekiel’s ministry of the Word with the same fleshly orientation of heart as they would hear sensual songs.

Unquestionably, Ezekiel was not preaching a sensual message to them; he apparently then had an appealing, pleasant speaking voice, good vocal production, and great skillfulness in his speaking for God. These sensuality-oriented worshipers were drawn to these elements of his ministry, but they did not have a heart for hearing from God to do what He was saying through Ezekiel.

This account warns us that we must come to hear the ministry of God’s Word with a true and sincere heart to obey Him. To have such a heart to hear from God, we through the Spirit must mortify all manifestations of the sensuality that our flesh is irredeemably bent toward. Otherwise, even hearing a true prophet of God preach His words in His house will not profit us, and our worship will be spoiled by the same sensuality for which God rebuked those among His people who came with that ungodly orientation to hear Ezekiel’s prophetic ministry.

 

For help with issues concerning CCM, please see the many resources that I have compiled: Resources That Provide Answers to Key Issues Concerning CCM 

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Beware of Being Ensnared by the Eyes of Ungodly Women!

September 13, 2013

Many today counsel men that the right way to respond to immodestly dressed women is to keep their eyes focused on the eyes of these women when interacting with them. Although this advice has some merit in some situations, clear biblical teaching shows that it is a dangerously inadequate approach in many cases.

Proverbs 6:23-26

In poignant counsel directed to save the life of his son, Solomon warns about how evil women seek to ensnare men with the ungodly use of their eyes:

Pro 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

 24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

 25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

 26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

This inspired warning teaches us that keeping one’s gaze fixed on the eyes of an immodestly dressed woman will often be a perilous approach when faced with such an encounter because many women who purposely dress in that way seek to seduce men not just through their immodesty but also through the flirtatious and alluring use of their eyes.

Some may seek to downplay the importance of this teaching for ordinary settings because in its context it speaks of the dangers that openly wicked women such as harlots pose to young men. Similar teaching in Isaiah 3, however, shows that facing such challenges from women using their eyes seductively is a danger not only just from adulteresses but also from proud women among God’s own people!

Isaiah 3:16-24

Isaiah records at some length God’s blistering denunciation of proud women in Judah:

 Isa 3:16 Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

 17 Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

 18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

 19 The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

 20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

 21 The rings, and nose jewels,

 22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

 23 The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

 24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

Noteworthy aspects of this passage include the following:

(1) these are women among God’s own people who are denounced by God Himself for their pride;

(2) their pride manifests itself in their misuse of their beauty through how they comport themselves, how they dress, and how they use perfume;

(3) the passage does not say anything explicitly about their being immodest in their dress; and

(4) God specifies that these women “walk with wanton eyes.”

Holladay’s lexicon explains that the Hebrew verb used here signifies that they “toss seductive glances.” The rendering of the Hebrew in other versions makes plain their ungodly use of their eyes: “seductive eyes” (NAU); “flirt with their eyes” (NET); “glancing wantonly with their eyes” (ESV).

Isaiah 3:16 corroborates the teaching of Proverbs 6:25 about evil women who use their eyes in ungodly ways to ensnare men. Furthermore, Isaiah 3:16-24 makes clear that such ungodly use of the eyes is a problem not just with conspicuously wicked women who dress immodestly but also with women among God’s own people who proudly use their beauty in ungodly ways.

Ezekiel 23:40

Through Ezekiel, God made known His intense jealousy against Samaria and Jerusalem for their spiritual adultery (Ezek. 23:1-35). He instructed Ezekiel further “to declare unto them their abominations” (Ezek. 23:36-39).

God then related their “political adultery” through a vivid description of how they prepared themselves for their lovers from other nations:

Eze 23:40 And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments.

Although this figurative language pertains to the ungodly alliances that God’s people formed with other nations at that time, the legitimacy of its use is based on the reality of what evil women do when they prepare themselves for illicit relations with men (see also Jer. 4:30 for similar teaching). The explicit mention of painting their eyes correlates with and underscores the teaching about that practice in Proverbs 6 and Isaiah 3.

Revelation 2:20

Unlike the three preceding passages, which explicitly mention the ungodly use of eyes by evil women, Revelation 2:20 likely warns men similarly through implicit teaching that is related:

Rev 2:20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

The glorified Christ here warns believers in the church at Thyatira about the seductive influence of an evil woman Jezebel who was leading His servants to commit fornication.

In a telling remark, the OT records that queen Jezebel “painted her face [Heb. put her eyes in painting] and tired her head” before her death (2 Kin. 9:30), which suggests that she wanted to accentuate her importance through these actions.[1] Unrepentant of her sinfulness, she thus appears to have been similarly minded to the evil women denounced by God for taking pride in their external appearance (Isaiah 3:16f.).

Through the name Jezebel, therefore, Revelation 2:20 warns us at least implicitly about the evil influence in the church of evil women who misuse their eyes to ensnare susceptible men to commit immorality.

Conclusion

Based on the teaching of these four passages, parents and other who advise young men should not instruct them that fixing their gaze on the eyes of immodestly dressed women would protect them from temptation and ensnarement. Men must actively seek to avoid encounters with such women (cf. Prov. 7:24-27), and when such an encounter is unavoidable, they must beware of being ensnared by the eyes of ungodly women!


[1] Cf. “She painted her eyes and adorned her head” (NAU); “she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head” (NKJ). Thomas L. Constable comments on this verse: “Hearing of Jehu’s return, she painted her eyes and arranged her hair. Evidently she anticipated her fate, and wanted to present an imposing appearance to Jehu and to die as a queen” (BKC: OT, 556).

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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Behold the Wondrous Mercy of Our God!

September 2, 2013

King Ahab was a uniquely wicked man (1 Kin. 21:25) whose wickedness so provoked God that He pronounced fierce judgment upon him and his entire house (1 Kin. 21:21-22). Ahab responded to the message of his impending doom in a remarkably humble way that elicited a response from God that highlights His wondrous mercy!

The Unique Wickedness of Ahab

When Ahab murdered Naboth and took possession of his vineyard (1 Kin. 21:1-16), God commanded Elijah to go and confront him with his sinfulness (1 Kin. 21:17-18). The Lord instructed Elijah about what he was to say to the king:

1Ki 21:19 And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the LORD, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

Because Ahab wickedly had Naboth killed, God sentenced him to experience the same fate that Naboth had experienced—the dogs would lick his blood in the very place where they had licked Naboth’s blood.

Ahab responded to Elijah with a question that revealed that he viewed Elijah as his enemy: And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? (1 Kin. 21:20a). Elijah answered him by declaring further the fierce judgment that he and his entire household would experience because of his wickedness and the wickedness of his wife Jezebel:

20 And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

21 Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel,

 22 And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin.

 23 And of Jezebel also spake the LORD, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.

 24 Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat.

The writer of First Kings then adds two statements that declare the unique wickedness of Ahab:

 25 But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

 26 And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Ahab had sold himself to do wickedness in a unique way, including his murdering Naboth and his being an exceedingly abominable idolater in the sight of the Lord.

The Remarkably Humble Response of Ahab to God’s Pronouncement of His Doom

Hearing of the fierce judgment that God had pronounced upon him for his wickedness, Ahab responded by remarkably humbling himself publicly before God:

1Ki 21:27 And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

This statement shows that Ahab’s response was not just a momentary response—he abased himself openly for an extended period.

The Wondrously Merciful Response of God to Ahab’s Humbling Himself 

When Ahab responded in such a remarkably humble way, God underscored to Elijah his humility and made known that He would have mercy on him:

1Ki 21:28 And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

 29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son’s days will I bring the evil upon his house.

God declared that he would not bring His judgment upon Ahab in his days. Ahab’s house, however, eventually would be judged because they would end up not humbling themselves before God, as Ahab did.

Even though Ahab had been so horrifically wicked before God, God bestowed mercy upon him when he humbled himself before Him!

No matter what evil you may have done in your life, you can still receive wondrous mercy from God by truly repenting of your sins and humbling yourself openly before Him (cf. Isa. 55:6-7)! Our God is a God who delights in mercy (Micah 7:18). He has provided the account of His having mercy on Ahab so that you might behold His wondrous mercy and flee from His wrath that is coming on all sinners who do not repent toward Him and believe in His Son Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21).

Behold the wondrous mercy of our God!

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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The Horrific Legacy of Jeroboam

August 23, 2013

Jeroboam was an evil king of Israel whose evil influence on Israel was so horrific that Scripture records 19 times that he made Israel to sin:

1Ki 14:16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.

1Ki 15:26 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

30 Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

1Ki 16:26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

1Ki 22:52 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin:

2Ki 3:3 Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

2Ki 10:29 Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Bethel, and that were in Dan.

31 But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

2Ki 13:2 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

6 Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein: and there remained the grove also in Samaria.

11 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin: but he walked therein.

2Ki 14:24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

2Ki 15:9 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

18 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

28 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

2Ki 17:21 For he rent Israel from the house of David; and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king: and Jeroboam drave Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

2Ki 23:15 Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove.

Moreover, these Scripture passages show that his sinful influence continued to defile God’s people for many years after he was dead and gone! His horrific legacy should warn all of us to take heed to ourselves that we do not influence others knowingly for any reason to do evil.

Copyright © 2011-2024 by Rajesh Gandhi. All rights reserved.

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