Archives For Theology

Common grace and the image of God in man do not in any way preclude numerous manifestations of evil human creativity:

Deut. 23:9  When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thee from every wicked thing.

Ps. 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

Ps. 2:2  The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, 3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

Ps. 26:5  I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.

Ps. 33:10  The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.

Ps. 64:2  Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:

Ps. 81:12  So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Ps. 83:3  They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones.

Ps. 83:5  For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:

Ps. 101:3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Ps. 106:29  Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.

Ps. 106:35  But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works.

Ps. 106:39  Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

Ps. 106:43  Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

Ps. 119:1  ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Ps. 119:101  I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word.

Ps. 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.

Ps. 119:113  SAMECH. I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.

Ps. 119:128  Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.

Prov. 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Jer. 10:2  Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

Acts 19:19  Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Rom. 1:30  Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

Gal. 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Eph. 5:11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

1 Tim. 1:10  For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;

1 Tim. 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Rev. 2:24  But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

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

Was Solomon Saved?

December 12, 2021

I believe that Scripture provides clear evidence that king Solomon was saved. I have written five articles that provide multiple reasons for holding that view and for believing that he did not perish eternally:

I. Nine Good Reasons Why Solomon Did Not Perish Eternally

For at least 9 good reasons, we can be confident that Solomon was saved and did not perish eternally.

1. Solomon did not completely turn away from God

2. God’s promises to David about Solomon

3. God’s loving Solomon at his birth

4. Solomon loved God

5. God’s chastening Solomon

6. The record of Solomon’s life in Second Chronicles

7. A striking passage that includes an emphatic statement about God’s love for Solomon

8. Solomon was not an apostate writer of multiple books of Scripture

9. No mention of Solomon in the NT as an example of one who apostatized

II. Another Reason Why Solomon Did Not Perish Eternally

A comparison of the biblical record about Samson with that of Solomon supports holding that Solomon was saved and did not perish eternally.

III. If Solomon Were in Hell

Holding the view that king Solomon is now in hell has profound implications for what a believer would also have to hold to be true if it were true that Solomon is now in hell. Solomon was saved and is not in hell now.

IV. Did Solomon Repent Before He Died?

Three biblical considerations show that Solomon did repent before he died. He was saved and did not perish eternally.

1. A written record of all that Solomon did

2. Jesus as a greater than Solomon

3. Solomon’s porch in the Temple

V. Hebrews 11 and the Eternal Destiny of Solomon

The lack of mention of Solomon in Hebrews 11 does not at all prove that he perished eternally. Solomon was saved and is in heaven.

 

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

In a recent online discussion, someone asked me the question, “Can a prophet be murdered outside Jerusalem?” As support for holding that a prophet could not be murdered outside Jerusalem, one person cited Jesus’ words about the slaying of prophets:

Luke 13:33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

In response, I showed how that person’s view is wrong by bringing to bear on the question what Jezebel did when she slew many prophets:

Yes, Jezebel slew the prophets of the Lord, and there is no basis in Scripture to show that she murdered them in Jerusalem; she was the queen in the northern kingdom and had the authority to do so there, but she did not have the authority to do so in the southern kingdom, including in Jerusalem.

1 Kings 18:13 Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid an hundred men of the LORD’S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

First Kings 18:13 illumines Luke 13:33 by teaching us that it was not true that no prophet could be murdered outside Jerusalem

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

The plural Hebrew command (‎הַ֥לְלוּ יָ֙הּ [“praise ye the LORD”]) that has been transliterated as “Hallelujah” occurs 25 times in the OT, and all but one of these is in the Psalms:

Ps. 104:35  Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 105:45  That they might observe his statutes, and keep his laws. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 106:48  Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 111:1  Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

Ps. 112:1  Praise ye the LORD. Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments.

Ps. 113:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Ps. 113:9  He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 115:18  But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD.1

Ps. 116:19  In the courts of the LORD’S house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 117:2  For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 135:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.

Ps. 135:3  Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.

Ps. 135:21  Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 146:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

Ps. 146:10  The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 147:1  Praise ye the LORD: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

Ps. 147:20  He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 148:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the LORD from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

Ps. 148:14  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 149:1  Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.

Ps. 149:9  To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD.

Ps. 150:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power.

Ps. 150:6  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Jer. 20:13  Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

On two other occasions, an equivalent expression is found that has the full form of the Hebrew word for “Lord” as its direct object instead of the shortened form “Jah” (‎הַֽלְל֣וּ אֶת־יְ֭הוָה [“praise the LORD”]):

Ps. 117:1  O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

Ps. 148:7  Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:

These 27 occurrences of the plural command to praise the Lord show just how profoundly God has stressed the importance of praising Him as the Lord!


1Even though the command has been rendered in this verse as “praise the LORD” instead of “praise ye the LORD,” the Hebrew is the same:הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ.

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

In my previous post, I treated the many ways that Psalms teaches us about the hallowing of God’s name. This post compiles the verses in the Psalms that explicitly concern the profaning of God’s name in various ways.

Ps. 44:20  If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god;

 

Ps. 74:7  They have cast fire into thy sanctuary, they have defiled by casting down the dwelling place of thy name to the ground.

 

Ps. 74:10  O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? shall the enemy blaspheme thy name for ever?

Ps. 74:18  Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed thy name.

 

Ps. 79:6  Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

 

Ps. 139:20  For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain.

Let us carefully heed the revelation in Psalms about both the hallowing of God’s name and the profaning of His name so that we will give Him the glory that is due His name in every way that we must do so.

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

Jesus taught us to pray foremost about the hallowing of God’s name: “After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name” (Matt. 6:9).

Unlike any other book of the Bible, Psalms teaches us in numerous ways about the hallowing of God’s Name. Every believer should feast on this glorious revelation from God!

Know/Remember/Trust in/Wait on/Love/Fear/Declare/Rejoice in/Glory in/Seek/Lift Up My Hands in/Call Upon

Know

Ps. 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Remember

Ps. 20:7  Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Ps. 45:17 I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

Ps. 119:55 I have remembered thy name, O LORD, in the night, and have kept thy law.

Trust in

Ps. 33:21  For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.

Wait on

Ps. 52:9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

Love

Ps. 5:11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

Ps. 69:36  The seed also of his servants shall inherit it: and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

Ps. 119:132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.

Fear

Ps. 61:5 For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name.

Ps. 102:15  So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

Ps. 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

Declare

Ps. 22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

Ps. 102:21  To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

Rejoice in

Ps. 89:12 The north and the south thou hast created them: Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name.

Ps. 89:16 In thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

Glory in

Ps. 105:3  Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

Seek

Ps. 83:16 Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O LORD.

Lift Up My Hands in

Ps. 63:4 Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

Call on

Ps. 79:6 Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy name.

Ps. 80:18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

Ps. 99:6  Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among them that call upon his name; they called upon the LORD, and he answered them.

Ps. 105:1  O give thanks unto the LORD; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people.

Ps. 116:4  Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul.

Ps. 116:13  I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD.

Ps. 116:17  I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

 

Give Glory to/Exalt/Glorify

Ps. 29:2  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

(Ps. 79:9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name’s sake.)

Ps. 96:8  Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts.

Ps. 115:1 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.

 

Ps. 34:3  O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

 

Ps. 86:9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy name.

Ps. 86:12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify thy name for evermore.

 

Give Thanks to

Ps. 106:47  Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise.

Ps. 122:4  Whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

Ps. 140:13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

 

Bless

Ps. 96:2  Sing unto the LORD, bless his name; shew forth his salvation from day to day.

Ps. 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

(Ps. 113:2  Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.)

Ps. 145:1 <David’s Psalm of praise.> I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

Ps. 145:21  My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever.

 

Praise

Ps. 44:8 In God we boast all the day long, and praise thy name for ever. Selah.

(Ps. 48:10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth: thy right hand is full of righteousness.)

Ps. 54:6 I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.

Ps. 69:30  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Ps. 74:21 O let not the oppressed return ashamed: let the poor and needy praise thy name.

Ps. 113:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Ps. 135:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.

Ps. 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Ps. 142:7 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.

Ps. 145:2 Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name for ever and ever.

Ps. 148:5  Let them praise the name of the LORD: for he commanded, and they were created.

Ps. 148:13  Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

Ps. 149:3  Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.

 

Sing to/Sing Praise to/Sing Forth the Honor of

Ps. 7:17  I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.

Ps. 9:2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

Ps. 18:49 Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name.

Ps. 61:8 So will I sing praise unto thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

Ps. 66:2  Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.

Ps. 66:4 All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

Ps. 68:4  Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

(Ps. 69:30  I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.)

Ps. 92:1 <A Psalm or Song for the sabbath day.> It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High:

Ps. 135:3  Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.


I expect to be adding to this list and revising it from time to time as I continue to study the Psalms, Lord willing.

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

2 Chronicles 33:18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel. 19 His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sin, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.

I have been studying the accounts about king Manasseh in 2 Kings 21 and 2 Chronicles 33 for some time now. Second Chronicles 33:19 has especially caught my attention because of what it reveals and where it says that information is revealed:

1. Exhaustive (?) information about Manasseh’s sinfulness

2. Specific details about his sinfulness that are explicitly stated: “the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images”

3. The revelation that this information was “written among the sayings of the seers,” who were prophets of God

Why has the Spirit inscripturated this information and thereby called our attention to the existence and recording of such detailed information about Manasseh’s sinfulness that is not provided in Scripture?

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

Scripture infallibly and inerrantly reveals that king Manasseh was a very wicked unbeliever who authentically had contact with multiple demons:

2 Kings 21:6 And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

2 Chronicles 33:6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

We are not told what the nature of those dealings were or what he did so that he had those authentic encounters with demons.

We know with certainty that he did not get any information from any Scripture or from any godly prophet, priest, or other servant of God about how specifically to have those dealings with familiar spirits.

Considering in this way what has been revealed about Manasseh, we learn with certainty that without any need for any biblical information at all, unbelievers can and have had authentic encounters with demons and have known all that they needed to know and all that they needed to do to have such authentic encounters.

Conclusion

Because no biblical information is necessary for any unbeliever to know to have such authentic contact with demons, we do not have any basis to hold that they cannot have or have not had such authentic contact with demons in our day.

Because unbelievers can and have known all that they have needed to know and all that they have needed to do to have such contact, we have no basis to deny a priori the authenticity of such testimonies about contact with demons in our day.

Our not having specific biblical information about such occult practices does not mean in any way that we cannot know whether wicked people have had authentic encounters with demons in our day.


See also Why Is 2 Chronicles 33:18-19 in Scripture?

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

According to Scripture, demons are evil angelic beings. Luke 11:26 reveals that Jesus made a remarkable statement about these unclean spirits that must inform our theology of evil in a vital way:

Luke 11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. 25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. 26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

Jesus teaches us through this statement that all demons are not equally wicked—some unclean spirits are more wicked than other unclean spirits are!

Because Jesus did not explain this statement at all, what He said on that occasion does not provide us with any further understanding of its significance.

Although we do not know how and in what ways some demons are more wicked than others are, we must still accept this teaching from Jesus. If your theology of evil does not include this truth, your theology is unbiblical in that respect.

Does your theology of evil account for what Jesus said in Luke 11:26?

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

What Is Biblical Worship?

September 15, 2021

Looking at every occurrence of various forms of the word “worship” in Scripture, seven passages in the NT stand out to me as key statements about what worship is. Interestingly, they are from only two books of the NT.

Earthly Worship in the Gospel of Matthew

Matt. 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Matt. 9:18 While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshipped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead: but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live.

Matt. 14:33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

Matt. 15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

These statements reveal that earthly worship includes praying to God and exclaiming truths to Him about who He is.

Heavenly Worship in Revelation

Rev. 7:11-12 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev. 11:16-17 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, 17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

Rev. 19:4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

These passages are especially important because they reveal to us what the perfect worship in heaven looks like.

Based on these passages, we must understand that worship especially includes giving thanks to God, attributing glory to Him, and saying, “Amen,” and “Amen, Alleluia.”

Exhortation

Let us base our understanding of what biblical worship is from these key passages about earthly worship and heavenly worship. Let us also be diligent to say “Amen” and “Amen, Alleluia” regularly in our worship.

 

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