A People for His Name

Are You Profiting From the Old Testament the Way God Wants You To?

June 14, 2013

After 23 years of reading through the Bible at least once each year, I marvel even more at its incomparable and inexhaustible profundity! It is amazing to me that God continues to teach me and show me glorious things from passages that I have read carefully so many times.

In fact, I now genuinely believe that I actually know only a very minute fraction of the truth that the Spirit has given in His word. This growing awareness of how little I know at times stirs a deep longing in my soul for wishing that I knew so much more than I do.

My sense of limited knowledge is especially keen right now concerning the Old Testament. Studying numerous passages in the Old Testament, I have found glorious truths that have spoken powerfully to me and provided answers to concerns that I have (for example, see this post about how God’s dealings with a Philistine king should affect our praying).

The Immense Importance of the Old Testament for New Testament Believers

Through what God has been showing me from the Old Testament recently, He has rekindled in me a profound sense of the importance of the Old Testament for us as New Testament believers. Several New Testament passages speak directly to this matter.

Romans 15

Although most believers know that Paul provides vital teaching in Romans 14 about how to handle questionable matters among believers, many overlook that his teaching on that subject continues into Romans 15:1-7. In this overlooked teaching, Paul asserts that the entire Old Testament was written to profit us as New Testament believers:

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Apart from our thorough reception of the entire Old Testament, we will thus lack what we need to know in order to handle debatable matters properly (for example, see this post concerning the issue of abstaining from alcohol). We also will not have the patience, comfort, and hope that God wants us to have.

1 Corinthians 9:9-10; 10:1-6

In his even longer treatment in First Corinthians of how to handle issues of Christian liberty (8:1-11:1), Paul similarly asserts that what was written in the Pentateuch was written for us:

1Co 9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

¹⁰ Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

Based on this Mosaic teaching, Paul argues for what was right for the Corinthians to do for him and others who had ministered to them spiritually (1 Cor. 9:11-14). He thus teaches us again that handling issues of Christian liberty properly requires that we profit properly from what the Old Testament teaches us!

Furthermore, writing about many events that happened to the children of Israel in the Exodus and during the wilderness wanderings (1 Cor. 10:1-5), Paul later reveals a crucial function of the examples in the Old Testament:

1 Co. 10:6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

New Testament believers are supposed to learn from their example not to lust after evil things, as they did! If I, therefore, do not read repeatedly about what happened to them, I will be lacking vital instruction given by God to keep me from lusting after evil things that I encounter in areas that pertain to Christian liberty.

Hebrews 12:5-6

Like Paul, the writer of Hebrews declares the value of the Old Testament for New Testament believers:

Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

⁶ For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

In verse 5a, the writer of Hebrews says that his readers have forgotten the exhortation that speaks unto them as to children. He then quotes Proverbs 3:11-12. Based on this teaching, we know that Proverbs 3:11-12 is our Father’s exhortation to us as New Testament believers and not just teaching that was for the Old Testament believers to whom Proverbs was first written!

We Must Profit Fully from the Entire Old Testament

The passages treated above reveal that the Old Testament is of essential importance for New Testament believers. This is especially true for us concerning the debatable matters that so vex God’s people today.

Many believers today lack fullness of knowledge about sinful things that they must not partake of or do because they do not receive properly the full value of the Old Testament. Paul makes clear that the New Testament does not exhaustively list all the evil deeds of the flesh (cf. “and such like” [Gal. 5:19-21]), and we learn of many such evil things only by thoroughly profiting from the Old Testament.

For example, in the area of music, it is the Old Testament, and not the New, that gives us clear understanding that there are sinful styles of music that God does not accept in the worship of His people (see Is Scripture Silent about Musical Styles That are Inherently Unacceptable to God?). Through unawareness of or lack of thorough attention to this Old Testament teaching, many believers today lack this vital understanding.

We must profit fully from the entire Old Testament the way God wants us to (2 Tim. 3:15-17). The only way we will do so is if we individually read the entire Bible over and over again throughout our lives.

Are you profiting from the Old Testament the way God wants you to?

In Bible reading, Discipleship, Exhortation

Short Chords and Chord Shapes

June 12, 2013

Learning the shape of short chords is an important guitar skill because they are useful for playing slash chords (for example, Bb/D) and for playing chord melody solos. Short chords are played on only three strings instead of full chords that use four, five, or six strings.

To start learning short chords, a beginning guitarist should focus on treble-string short chords. Short Chords and Chord Shapes is a handout that presents the basic major and minor chord shapes for these chords.

1. Study the rows in the handout one row at a time to learn these basic shapes that are formed by connecting from right to left the three dots that show the notes in each chord.

Treble-string short chords (Major chords):

(Row 1) Root on 3rd string – checkmark

(Row 2) Root on 2nd string – arrow pointing down

(Row 3) Root on 1st string – up ramp to right

Treble-string short chords (Minor chords):

(Row 4) Root on 3rd string – diagonal right

(Row 5) Root on 2nd string – arrow pointing left

(Row 6) Root on 1st string – line

2. Use the blank chord diagram grids to draw and label three additional chord diagrams for each row.

In Guitar Music

Is Scripture Silent about Musical Styles That Are Inherently Unacceptable to God?

June 10, 2013

Many believers today hold that Scripture does not have any teaching about musical styles that are inherently unacceptable to God. This post treats several passages to assess the validity of this common viewpoint.

The Singing of Fools

Solomon declares, “It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools [Heb. kesil]” (Eccl. 7:5). Many will argue that he does not say that it is wrong to hear the song of fools; it is just better to hear the rebuke of the wise. In addition, they will also argue that “the song of fools” refers to the foolishness of the people doing the singing and the content of what they sing, but it does not say anything about the style with which they sing.

We know from other Scripture that these fools [Heb. kesil] reject the truth that God hears and sees (Ps. 94:8-9). Thus, they sing without taking any heed to divine accountability for what and how they sing.

These fools hate knowledge (Prov. 1:22) and reject the reproof of God and His offer to pour out His Spirit upon them (Prov. 1:23). What they sing, therefore, certainly is not the product of the Spirit’s filling.

Doing mischief is like a sport to them (Prov. 10:23) and their hearts proclaim folly (Prov. 12:23). To depart from evil is an abomination to them (Prov. 13:19).

These fools rage and are confident in their evil ways (Prov. 14:16). The hearts of these fools are in “the house of mirth” (Eccl. 7:4), signifying that they are eager seekers of pleasure. We can be certain that such fools would pursue and employ perverse ways of singing and even seek to devise conspicuously evil music.

Based on the teaching of Scripture about fools, we can be certain that “the song of fools” is something that the Spirit would never produce in people whom He fills (Eph. 5:18-19). Any singing, therefore, that mimics or tries to adapt “the song of fools” somehow for Christian worship would clearly be unacceptable to God.

The Singing of Drunkards

David testifies that he was “the song of the drunkards” (Ps. 69:12). As with Ecclesiastes 7:5, some people will argue that this statement only speaks about those who did the singing and the unacceptable content of what they sang and not about the style of their singing.

Because being drunk, however, entails not having proper mental awareness and a lack of proper control of oneself, this statement does not just refer to the unacceptability of the people who sang and what they sang. Their style of singing was also unacceptable because it was produced by people whose minds could not properly control their bodies to sing acceptably.

Amos 6:4-8 records the musical improprieties of people who were in Zion who drank wine abundantly. Correlating Psalm 69:12 with Amos 6:4-8 points to the ungodliness of both what these drunkards (Ps. 69:12) sing and how they sing it. (For more on the teaching of Amos 6 about music, see The Relevance of Amos 6 for the Music Debates of Our Day.)

Obviously, “the song of the drunkards” was not the product of Spirit-filling (Eph. 5:18-19). Mimicking or adapting their style to Christian worship certainly would be unacceptable to God.

The Singing of a Harlot

Isaiah prophesied that Tyre would “sing as an harlot” (Is. 23:15). He provides further information about such singing by saying, “Take an harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered” (Is. 23:16).

A harlot, by biblical definition, engaged in immoral behavior. In keeping with the mercenary goal of her activities, she used every means possible to enhance her sensuality and seductive appeal to maximize her earnings (cf. Luke 15:13, 30).

To “sing as an harlot,” therefore, cannot be limited only to the identity of the woman and the sensuality of the lyrics (cf. Prov. 6:24; 7:21) that she sings. It necessarily entails as well the maximized sensuality of her dress (Prov. 7:10; Jer. 4:30; Ezek. 16:16) and her makeup/ jewelry/hairstyle/ facial expressions (Prov. 6:25; 7:13; Jer. 4:30; Ezek. 16:39; 23:40; cf. Is. 3:16-26).

Moreover, her bodily movements (cf. the unstated but clear sensuality of the dancing of Herodias’ daughter [Matt. 14:6-7]) and vocal techniques were specifically designed to maximize her sexual appeal (for an example of the sensual use of vocal techniques, listen to this audio of a woman who sings Happy Birthday sensually).

It also involved her playing a musical instrument (“take a harp”) and having an extensive repertoire (“sing many songs”). She was one who in fact was skilled “to make sweet melody.”

Thus, her singing was skillful and beautiful to hear, but it was also sensual to the core. Such music patently could never be the product of the Spirit’s filling a believer.

From this analysis of biblical teaching about harlots, we certainly can conclude that to “sing as an harlot” is a style that is unacceptable to God because of its sensuality. Any Christian music, whether traditional or CCM, that has even the slightest similarity to the music produced by those who “sing as an harlot” is unacceptable to God.

Conclusion

Contrary to much popular thinking among believers today, Scripture is not silent about musical styles that are unacceptable to God. The Spirit-filled music that God demands from believers who seek to worship Him corporately does not have any likeness to the songs of fools, drunkards, or harlots.

Those who have created and popularized worldly styles of music such as rock ‘n’ roll display numerous characteristics of the fools whose song Scripture refers to (Eccl. 7:5). Typically, the producers of these worldly styles are also given to drunkenness, and immorality abounds among them.

Christian churches should not imitate the musical styles that any such fools, drunkards, and harlots employ when they sing in ways that manifest the flesh at work in man (Gal. 5:19-21). Filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 5:18), those who have allowed the word of Christ to dwell in them richly (Col. 3:16), including the passages about music that were treated above, will sing in a style that is distinct from these reprobates and is acceptable to God (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

In CCM, Exposition, Music, Theology

“The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works” — Lesson II (6/9/13)

June 9, 2013

1. Habakkuk 1:1-4 testifies to the appalling lack of justice in Judah at this time. (This reality closely parallels the state of our own country at this time.) When Habakkuk inquired of God about why God was not acting to deal with the situation, God answered by informing Him that He would judge the wicked among His own people through the wicked Babylonians (Hab. 1:5-11).

This revelation perplexed Habakkuk, so he inquired of God how He could use such wicked people to judge His own people (Hab. 1:12-2:1). The Lord answered him with an emphatic assurance that He would judge the wicked Babylonians as well one day and that Habakkuk would have to wait patiently by faith for that promised judgment (2:2-20).

2. When we correlate Hab. 2:2-4 and then 2:5-20 with Psalm 75, we strengthen what we discovered last time about what the just who live by faith must believe. Psalm 75 teaches that God is the Judge who exalts the righteous and abases the proud (Ps. 75:7).

He has promised that He will judge all those who are wicked, and by faith, we must await the fulfillment of that promise (Ps. 75:8). As we await His promised judgment, we are to sing of that promise (Ps. 75:9).

3. What righteous response should those who live by faith have to God’s promise of future judgment of the wicked and salvation of the righteous? Hab. 3 instructs us that righteous response is prayer (Hab. 3:1-2) and music (Hab. 3:19)!

Based on this observation, we understand that living by faith manifests itself in believing prayer and believing singing about God’s promised coming to judge and save.

4. Psalm 94 furthers our understanding of such prayer and music. The psalmist asks the Judge of the earth to lift Himself up to render judgment on the proud (Ps. 94:2; cf. Hab. 2:4). He asks a very similar question to the one that Habakkuk did about how long the wicked would triumph (Ps. 94:3; cf. Hab. 1:2).

He expresses confidence in God’s future judgment of the wicked (Ps. 94:23) and testifies to the Lord as His defense and rock of his refuge (Ps. 94:22; cf. Hab. 3:19). These close similarities between Psalm 94 and key ideas in Habakkuk show us that Psalm 94 is an example of what the just who live by faith should pray and sing.

5. Luke 17:20-18:8 moves us into the NT and directly into the teaching of the Son of Man Himself! The elect (Luke 18:7) are the just who live by faith; what is their righteous living by faith to be like? They must cry to Him day and night for Him to grant them justice (Luke 18:7). They must by faith long for the coming of the Son of Man who will be God’s agent to bring about justice for them (Luke 18:8)!

(For a more detailed treatment of Luke 18:1-8, see Praying for God to Avenge Us)

6. From the flow of thought from Hab. 1-2 to Hab. 3, we learned that prayer is a key way that the just shall live by faith. Our study of Psalm 94 and Luke 18:1-8 corroborated that understanding. What then should we pray?

Here are three Scriptural prayers that the just who live by faith should pray as they await God’s promised judgment on all the wicked:

Hab. 3:2 “In wrath, remember mercy.”

Psa 7:9 “Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.”

Rev. 22:20 “Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”

See the other lessons here

In Ministry, Sunday School

J. Blue on The Contemporary Relevance of Habakkuk

June 8, 2013

Writing in 1985, J. Blue expounded on the contemporary relevance of the book of Habakkuk for the state of the US. Nearly thirty years later, although a few aspects of what he wrote have changed somewhat, his words insightfully speak all the more of our current plight:

The crisis internationally was serious. But of even greater concern was the national corruption. Great unrest stirred within Judah. Josiah had been a good king. When he died, Josiah’s son Jehoahaz rose to the throne. In only three months, the king of Egypt invaded Judah, deposed Jehoahaz, and placed his brother Jehoiakim on the throne. Jehoiakim was evil, ungodly, and rebellious (2 Kings 23:36-24:7; 2 Chron. 36:5-8). Shortly after Jehoiakim ascended to power, Habakkuk wrote this lament over the decay, violence, greed, fighting, and perverted justice that surrounded him.

No wonder Habakkuk looked at all the corruption and asked, “Why doesn’t God do something?” Godly men and women continue to ask similar “whys” in a world of increasing international crises and internal corruption. Nation rises up against nation around the world and sin abounds at home. World powers aim an ever-increasing array of complex nuclear weapons at each other while they talk of peace. World War III seems incredibly imminent.

While the stage is set for a global holocaust, an unsuspecting home audience fiddles a happy tune. The nation’s moral fiber is being eaten away by a playboy philosophy that makes personal pleasure the supreme rule of life. Hedonism catches fire while homes crumble. Crime soars while the church sours. Drugs, divorce, and debauchery prevail and decency dies. Frivolity dances in the streets. Faith is buried. “In God We Trust” has become a meaningless slogan stamped on corroding coins.

In such a world of crisis and chaos, Habakkuk speaks with clarity. This little book is as contemporary as the morning newspaper.

—J. Ronald Blue, BKC: OT, 1507

In Quotes

Is God’s Blessing of the Rechabites for Abstaining from Alcohol Relevant for the Contemporary Alcohol Debate?

June 7, 2013

Jeremiah 35 records a fascinating account of God’s dealings with the Rechabites and with Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Because the Rechabites’ abstention from drinking wine was a key reason for God’s blessing them, this post examines the issue of the relevance of this account for the contemporary debate among believers about the propriety of drinking alcohol.

Divine Initiative in Testing the Obedience of the Rechabites

God directed Jeremiah to bring the Rechabites into the house of the Lord and “give them wine to drink” (Jer. 35:1-2). Jeremiah obeyed and brought them all into a chamber of the sons of “a man of God” (Jer. 35:3-4).

He set before them a large quantity of wine and cups and told them, “Drink ye wine” (Jer. 35:5). They refused, saying that they would not drink any wine because “Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us saying, ‘Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your son for ever’” (Jer. 35:6).

They also spoke of the other things that he had commanded them to do that they might “live many days in the land where [they were] strangers” (Jer. 35:7). They then affirmed, “Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters (Jer. 35:8).

They further related their total obedience to what their father had commanded them (Jer. 35:9-10) and how they now had come to dwell in Jerusalem (Jer. 35:11).

Divine Initiative in Rebuking Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem Based on the Obedience of the Rechabites

Following the testing of the Rechabites, the Lord instructed Jeremiah to go to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and rebuke them (Jer. 35:13). Central in that rebuke was the Lord’s highlighting how the obedience of the Rechabites contrasted starkly with the disobedience of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem:

Jer 35:14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me.

15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.

Because of their disobedience and because of the shameful contrast between the Rechabites’ obedience of their father’s commands and Judah’s disobedience of the Lord’s commands, the Lord pronounced fierce judgment upon His people (Jer. 35:16-17).

Divine Pronouncement of Blessing on the Rechabites

After pronouncing the Lord’s upcoming judgment on Judah and all Jerusalem, Jeremiah declared the Lord’s blessing on the Rechabites:

Jer 35:18 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you:

¹⁹ Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.

Because they had obeyed their father’s directives, God promised to bless the Rechabites forever! Thus, the Rechabites who had abstained perpetually from drinking wine because their father had commanded them to do so were greatly rewarded for their obedience.

Is This Account Relevant for the Contemporary Debate about Alcohol Consumption?

This account relates how a group of people perpetually obeyed directives given to them by their forefather for their good (Jer. 35:7). The passage provides no clear indication for the specifics of why he had commanded them to do so.

Furthermore, stylistically, although it does mention and reiterate that there were several commands that the Rechabites had obeyed, the account focuses special attention in at least two ways on the command for them to abstain from drinking wine. First, God specifically tests their obedience concerning only this command (Jer. 35:1-11). Second, God refers specifically only to this command when He rebukes His own people (Jer. 35:12-17).

These observations suggest to me that this account that records divine blessing for obeying parental admonition not to drink alcohol provides biblical justification for fathers today to direct their children authoritatively not to drink alcohol. Moreover, the account also provides justification for children to heed that admonition regardless of how much pressure they may get from others who tell them that their parents’ instruction to them is “legalistic,” contrary to “the gospel,” unbiblical, and does not need to be followed.

If your parents have instructed you to abstain from alcohol consumption, you will honor God and bring blessing on yourself by doing so. Doing so for your entire life, you will bring them joy in their old age by having treasured their instruction that will preserve you from ever suffering the great harm that alcohol consumption has brought to multitudes of families in human history.

In Discipleship, Exposition, Theology

Whetstone 2013 messages link

June 5, 2013

My church is hosting a pastors’ conference this week (June 4-7): Whetstone 2013. The theme for the conference is Amazingly Graced. You can listen to messages from the conference at my church’s website. I highly recommend listening to these messages!

In Preaching

"The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith that Works" – Lesson 1 (6/2/13)

June 2, 2013

For the next 9 weeks, we will be studying the Bible’s teaching about how two key subjects relate—faith and works. We will base much of our study on Habakkuk 2:4, a key OT statement about faith, and its use in three NT passages (Rom. 1; Gal. 3; Heb. 10). We will also examine many other related NT passages.

1. To put Habakkuk 2:4 properly in its full biblical context, we first need to go all the way back to our first parents, Adam and Eve, to understand what faith in God has entailed from the beginning. Prior to the Fall, they had to exercise faith in God’s warning them about death (Gen. 2:17), something with which they would not have had any previous experience.

Tempted by the serpent, Adam and Eve fell (Gen. 3). God pronounced judgment on the serpent, Eve, and Adam. In His judgment on the serpent, God proclaimed that the Seed of the woman would suffer at the hands of the serpent and that the Seed would crush the head of the serpent (Gen. 3:15).

Exercising faith in the first evangelistic promise made to fallen humanity (Gen. 3:15), therefore, required that Adam and Eve believe what God promised His Seed would do in destroying the serpent. As just people, they had to live by faith in God’s promise about His future judgment, a promise that they never saw fulfilled.

2. After Adam and Eve, we have the first biblical account that exhibits a difference between people in how faith and works interrelated in their lives: Cain and Abel (Gen. 4). Although they were both sons of Adam and Eve, Cain was also of the evil one (1 John 3:12)—he was thus the first person who was one of the serpent’s seed spoken of in Gen. 3:15.

We infer that Cain, as one who was of the evil one, rejected God’s promise of future judgment and lived his life as an unjust man who did not fear God. His offering to God was rejected because he was an unbeliever who did not give God the best that he had (cf. Exod. 34:26). We should likely regard Cain as the forefather of those Pharisees who were hypocritical unbelievers in Jesus’ day—cf. Jesus’ statement to the Pharisees that they were of their father, the devil (John 8:44).

Instead of repenting when God graciously counseled him, Cain persisted in his unbelief. Because he did not fear God and believe what he knew about God, he later murdered his brother Abel. Cain did so because his (Cain’s) deeds were evil.

3. We then come to Enoch, the next great exemplar (based on those who are mentioned in Heb. 11) of a just man living by faith (Gen. 5). Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Scripture reveals that God took him because he was pleasing to God (Heb. 11:5).

In Jude 14-15, we learn that Enoch was a preacher who proclaimed a message that essentially was a continuation of the great promise made to Adam and Eve about the Lord’s coming to judge through her Seed. Enoch thus was a just man who lived by faith in God’s promised coming to judge, a promise that he never saw fulfilled.

4. By faith, Noah also believed in and preached about God’s upcoming judgment for more than a century before it actually came (Heb. 11:7; 1 Pet. 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:5; cf. Gen. 6:3). He thus was another just man who lived by faith in God’s promise of His future judgment.

5. Abraham received the promise of the gospel (Gen. 12:3). Interestingly, God also informed him at this time that He would curse those who cursed him. He thus received another promise of God’s future judgment of the wicked.

Somehow, he also knew and believed in the righteous judgment of the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25) and witnessed a foretaste of the future destruction of the wicked that He will execute (Gen. 19). Based on these passages, we see that Abraham’s living by faith as a just man included his belief in God as the righteous Judge who would render future judgment against the wicked.

Based on our study of Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham we should understand that just people must live believing and acting upon their belief in the future coming of God to judge the wicked and save the just.

6. We now zoom ahead to Habakkuk 2. The prophet expressed his concern that God had not judged Israel for her unfaithfulness (Hab. 1:1-4). God responded by saying that He was going to judge her by using an even wickeder people, the Babylonians (Hab. 1:5-11). This caused greater perplexity for the prophet (Hab. 1:12-17).

God answered by saying that His judgment on the wicked Babylonians would also come in His time and that the righteous by faith must wait patiently and faithfully for it to come (Hab. 2:2-5). In its original context, therefore, the statement the just shall live by faith is an exhortation to a life of faithfulness while awaiting the fulfillment of God’s promises concerning His judgment of the wicked and His salvation of the righteous and doing so despite how unlikely their fulfillment may seem in your present circumstances.

From what we have learned from this analysis of Hab. 2:4 in its larger biblical context, we see that for just people to live by faith includes living faithfully while believing in God’s promised future judgment of the wicked. The full title of our Sunday school series The Just Shall Live by Faith: A Faith That Works reflects this biblical truth.

7. Our new SS series actually is closely tied to the series that we just concluded in Hebrews 11. Let’s turn back to the end of Hebrews 10 so that we can see this close connection. Based on Heb. 10:35-39 followed by 11:1, the faith that is specifically in view is faith in the Second Coming that will bring destruction for those who draw back and salvation for those who live by faith.

8. Survey of future weeks:

Romans 1 – righteous standing apart from works

Galatians 3 – justification by faith, not law; a right understanding of a frequently misused term legalism

Hebrews 10 (and James) – persevering faith leads to righteous works

Final judgment – works play a major role in that judgment Rom 2:6-11

9. Objectives: When the nine weeks are done, what do we want to accomplish?

evangelistically: explain properly to lost people how faith and works interrelate in how we come to God
sharpen our skills in using these passages for personal edification/correction as well as for helping others; counseling self and others, including working with believers who may have lapsed into erroneous thinking about faith/works
challenge others to live righteously in keeping with their righteous standing before God
motivate ability to address these issues

See the other lessons here

In Ministry, Sunday School

How God’s Amazing Protection of a Philistine King Should Affect Our Praying

June 1, 2013

Genesis 20 relates Abraham’s initial (recorded) encounter with Abimelech king of Gerar. Through studying the record of God’s confrontation of Abimelech after this encounter, we should learn how His amazing protection of this Philistine king should affect our praying.

ABRAHAM’S ENCOUNTER WITH ABIMELECH

Although this account involves God, Abraham, Sarah, Abimelech, all his servants, and even sheep and oxen, its main characters are God, Abimelech, and Abraham.

Abraham Lies to Abimelech about Sarah

Because Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was very beautiful (cf. Gen. 12:14), Abraham feared for his life as he traveled through pagan places (Gen. 20:11). He instructed Sarah to say that he was her brother (Gen. 20:13c), which was partially true because she was his half-sister (Gen. 20:12).

While they were staying in Gerar (Gen. 20:1), Abraham said that Sarah was his sister (Gen. 20:2a). As a result, Abimelech sent and took Sarah (Gen. 20:2b).

God Confronts Abimelech in a Dream

In a dream at night, God confronted Abimelech with the surety of his dying (Gen. 20:3; cf. 20:7) because of what he had done: “Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife” (20:3). Abimelech, however, had not yet come near her and asked the Lord if He would “slay also a righteous nation?” (20:4).

Asking this question, he queried the Lord in a remarkably similar fashion to how Abraham had earlier pled with the Judge of the all the earth about His righteous dealings with the righteous and the wicked (Gen. 18:23-32). Through this inquiry, Abimelech asserted to the Lord that he believed that he was righteous in what he had done regarding Sarah.

Furthermore, he protested to the Lord that Abraham had said that she was his sister and that Sarah herself also said that he was her brother (Gen. 20:5a-b). Remarkably, he further asserted his uprightness in what he had done: “In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this” (20:5c).

God responded to him with an acknowledgement that he indeed had done what he did with integrity: “Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart” (Gen. 20:6a-b). God did not, however, stop with this acknowledgement, for He added a profound revelation about His protection of him that he otherwise would never have known anything about: “For I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her” (Gen. 20:6c-d). (Before considering this stunning revelation further, it is helpful to treat the rest of the account briefly.)

God then commanded Abimelech to restore Sarah to Abraham because he was a prophet, and informed him that Abraham would pray for him so that he would live (Gen. 20:7a). He also warned him that he and his entire household would surely die if he would not restore her (20:7b).

Abimelech Confronts Abraham

Following God’s dealing with him in a dream, Abimelech confronted Abraham about what he had done in bringing such a great sin on Abimelech and his kingdom (Gen. 20:8-10). Abraham explained that he thought that no one among them feared God and that they would kill him because of his wife (Gen. 20:11).

He added that Sarah actually was his half-sister and that she had become his wife (Gen. 20:12). He then explained the kindness that he had requested that Sarah would show him by saying that he was her brother wherever they would go (Gen. 20:13).

Abimelech Restores Sarah to Abraham

Abimelech did much more than just return Sarah to Abraham; he also gave Abraham sheep, oxen, and male and female servants (Gen. 20:14). Moreover, he gave him permission to settle in his land wherever he would like (Gen. 20:15) and 1000 pieces of silver on behalf of Sarah (Gen. 20:16).

God Heals Abimelech and His Household through Abraham’s Prayer

The account ends with God’s healing Abimelech and his entire household through Abraham’s praying for them (Gen. 20:17). They now bore children, after God had stopped closing their wombs because of Sarah (Gen. 20:18).

DISCUSSION

Several profound gems of truth are embedded in this otherwise somewhat obscure account. First, contrary to Abraham’s negative expectation, there was at least one person in Gerar (Abimelech) who did fear God and understood that it would have been sin for him to take another man’s wife. Long before the Ten Commandments had been given, therefore, even pagans knew that adultery was sin.

Second, somehow Abimelech knew and believed that the Lord was a righteous judge who would not slay a righteous nation. We are not told how this pagan king knew this information, but it is amazing that he knew it, believed it, and even appealed directly to God based on his belief of this truth!

Third, Abimelech protested to God his innocence in what he had done, and amazingly, God attested to his innocence. Yet, despite that divine attestation of his innocence, Abimelech had sinned by what he had unknowingly done.

Fourth, and perhaps most profoundly of all, this passage teaches us that God protected this pagan king from sinning against Him by keeping him from actually having relations with Sarah! We, therefore, learn that for His own purposes, God sometimes keeps even pagans from sinning against Him!

Furthermore, through God’s saying, “I also withheld thee from sinning” (Gen. 20:6), we learn that Abimelech’s not coming near Sarah was the result of both his integrity and God’s protection of him. Thus, the righteous actions of this lost man stemmed from a mysterious and fascinating interplay between human actions and divine working.

APPLICATION

The teaching of this passage suggests many applications, some of which I may treat in other posts. At this time, I would like to focus on its implications for our praying as believers.

God kept Abimelech, a Philistine, from sinning unknowingly against Him by committing adultery with another man’s wife. Because God does not tell us exactly how He prevented him from doing so, we should conclude that our knowing that information is not as important as our noting what God did on behalf of this pagan man.

On that reading, our learning about God’s keeping this pagan from sinning against Him should motivate us to pray that God would keep us from sinning against Him! I have no doubt God that would be very pleased with His people who allow this passage to shape their prayer lives in this way.

I have begun to make the request that God would keep me from sinning against Him a regular part of my prayer life and encourage you to do the same thing.

In Discipleship, Exposition, Prayer, Theology

Better Health through Making Healthful Dietary Changes: A Testimony by Daniel Hendrix

May 31, 2013

My friend Daniel Hendrix and I work together at Majesty Music. When he recently shared with me how much weight he has lost, I asked him to share a testimony of the changes that he made to lose weight and improve his health.

Eating Less Healthfully in My Early Years

“You only live once!” I have heard this statement incessantly throughout my life, and I have usually heard it in the context of nutritional choices. When presented with options of what to eat or drink, people tend to use this phrase to encourage the consumption of a nutritionally inferior food product or to justify overeating.

An experience I had as a teenager on a church youth outing exemplifies the former. I was quite thirsty from a day of walking around in the hot sun, so I contemplated buying either a bottle of water or a sugary soft drink. The youth pastor himself came walking up to me as I was trying to decide, so I asked him for his sage advice. “Well, you only live once, Daniel; get whichever tastes best,” he replied. I bought the soft drink. I had two options, and I chose the one with fifty-two grams of sugar!

This is just one account, but it is typical of the first twenty-five years of my life; I would generally choose the less healthful of two options. The practice of consuming whatever brings immediate pleasure without thought of future consequences is prevalent in modern American culture, and I was completely caught up in it until recently.

Gaining Much Weight in College

When I went to college, I weighed 160 pounds, which is about where I should be. “Wait a minute, Daniel; I thought you said you had an unhealthful diet?” Well, I did, but I was incredibly active. Before I went to college, I worked outside for eight hours a day, so I could eat all the junk food I wanted and not gain weight. It actually worked out quite well for me; I could practice my love of eating without fear of getting pudgy in the middle!

All of this changed when I went to college. I was no longer burning more calories than I could take in. By the time I graduated, I was just above 185 pounds—I had gained over twenty-five pounds!

If you understand the diet I had, however, it should be no surprise. I would drink three or more soft drinks a day, eat fast food every day, and eat snacks whenever I desired. I had this same diet before college, but now it had caught up to me because of a lack of exercise. You would think that I would have been seeking to lose weight, but I had become content with carrying twenty-five extra pounds.

Hearing of Close Relatives with Diabetes Motivated Me to Change My Dietary Habits

In 2009, two years after I graduated, news came that two of my closest relatives had been diagnosed with diabetes. One of these two is only five years older than I am. This really struck a nerve, so I decided to start changing my diet.

Cutting out soft drinks and drastically reducing the consumption of restaurant food

It started very modestly. Simply by cutting soft drinks out of my diet, I lost ten pounds in a year. Now I was 175 and feeling a lot better. I was still eating a plethora of processed foods, and I did not increase my exercise regimen, but I had lost weight nonetheless.

Between 2011 and 2012, I drastically reduced my consumption of restaurant food. Granted, some of this was due to monetary reasons, nevertheless I saw my weight drop ten more pounds. At the beginning of 2013, I was steadily holding my weight of 165 pounds, which was well within the range I should be.

Getting more nutrients through an increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and a drastic reduction in meat consumption

“Okay, so the story is over, right?” Wrong. There is still an issue of nutrition. Losing weight is great, but I had not figured in proper nutrition. I had dramatically reduced my caloric intake, but I had not increased my intake of necessary micronutrients. As a result, I was constantly running out of energy and having to consume copious quantities of energy drinks. Every day by around 3:00 PM, I was ready for a nap. I also had constant stomach troubles. Sometimes my stomach would hurt so much that I would have to call out sick from work. My body was crying out for proper nutrition!

Early in 2013, my wife and I saw several documentaries about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, particularly in their raw form. I was quite interested in the idea that the nutrients in many plant-based foods can actually have a positive effect on preventing diabetes, the disease that has affected several in my family.

My wife and I decided to increase our consumption of fruits and vegetables, so we bought a juicer and started down the path to better nutrition. Later, after our health improved dramatically, we drastically reduced our meat consumption.

Reaping Multiple Health Benefits from These Dietary Changes

I am now under 160 and feeling great! I have experienced a dramatic change in not only my energy levels but also in my overall quality of life. For one thing, I can count on one finger the number of times I have had a bad stomachache since switching to a mostly plant-based diet.

Another positive effect is that I sleep much better at night. Losing twenty-five pounds has shrunk the soft tissue around the back of my throat, increasing oxygen flow and drastically reducing vibrations.

I truly feel more energetic and alert throughout the day. It stands to reason that taking care of your body means giving it the nutrients it needs not only to survive but also to thrive!

Encouraging Others toward Making Healthful Dietary Changes

This testimony is meant solely for encouragement. I am not asserting that my dietary choices are perfect, or that I have all the answers; I am merely sharing my experiences to help others who may have similar health concerns.

If you are like I once was, and you eat meat nearly every meal, perhaps this article will get you thinking. Perhaps you will be encouraged to introduce more fruits and vegetables into your diet.

If you are overweight, you should know that making positive changes in your eating habits could lead to great results down the road. It may take you years to get to where you need to be, but if I can do it, nearly anyone can. Just stick with it and take it one day at a time.

It is true that you only live once on this earth, but this is all the more reason to eat right and take care of your body!

In Discipleship, Health, Testimony

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