Category Archives: Expositions
Jerusalem Built as a City Joined to Itself
“Jerusalem, which has been built—as a city;
one which has been joined together to itself.”
(Psalm 122:3)
The actual city of Jerusalem is interesting in its layout. The city walls enclose multiple inter-connected hills and mountain peaks, which were joined as a single layout. Literally, it is a city that has been “joined together to itself.” And because of its geography, multiple walls, and internal access to fresh water, the Romans considered this city to be the most defensible city in their empire. Were it not for intense in-fighting and squabbling amongst rival factions, some have suggested that it would have been difficult for Rome to have sacked the city in 70 AD.
Once again I am going to make an intentional jump in comparison, connecting the city of Jerusalem to the institutional church—both being the place of meeting for the worship of the people of God. Assuming we can grant this connection, it is remarkable how similar the two can be. Churches are made up of people who come from various backgrounds of life: different economic strata; different levels of education; different experiences; different age groups; different cultural backgrounds, etc… People who might never socialize together were they left outside of the church are brought together within the church for the worship and glory of Jesus Christ. Jesus, himself, describes the church using the analogy of a body with all of its many parts—all joined together and interconnected for a single purpose. Like Jerusalem, the church has been “joined together to itself” in Jesus Christ.
Yet, to take the analogy further, how often we find ourselves divided within the body due to petty disagreements and differences. How often we find ourselves warring against the bonds that bind us together. How often the secular world is able to conquer the church because the church has broken down its own defenses and destroyed its own unity. Beloved, how sad it is that we are often guilty of doing the enemies work for them!
With all of the varied gifts and strengths that God has given to the church, the church should never find itself overcome by the world—her spiritual walls are too thick and her natural territory is too defensible. We should be able to stand strong against any onslaught that the enemy might bring in our direction. How often we fail. Loved ones, be reminded by the words of the psalmist—we are a church that has been joined together with itself; may we work to strengthen and encourage that unity, not to undo the strength we have been afforded.
Blest be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like that to that above.
Before our Father’s throne
We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one
Our comforts and our cares.
-John Fawcett
“I am no longer in the world, yet they are in the world, and so I come to you. Holy Father, guard them in your name which you have given to me in order that they may be one just as you and I.”
(John 17:11)
Standing in Your Gates
“Our feet are standing in your gates,
Jerusalem.”
(Psalm 122:2)
At first, this might sound like a pretty mundane statement—of course your feet would stand within the gates of Jerusalem—they would do so several times each year when you went down to Jerusalem for the festivals. But there is more to this statement than the literal image of the psalmist physically standing in Jerusalem’s gates. To begin with, the idea of standing carries with it some theological significance. Where one “stands” marks with whom one will be numbered. King David begins Psalm 1 with the statement that those who do not “stand” in the way of sinners will be blessed. Psalm 76:7 (76:8 in the Hebrew text) declares, “who can stand before you from the onset of your anger.” Again, this speaks not only of physically standing up (though that is included), but also speaks of one being able to stand upright and without blame before the judge of creation coming in wrath over sin.
Thus, when the psalmist speaks with joy of standing in the gates of Jerusalem, it speaks of how he was being numbered amongst the other people who belong to God’s great city. The psalmist is proclaiming not simply that he has made the trek up to Jerusalem but he belongs there and that sense of belonging is a good thing for he is numbered amongst other faithful pilgrims who also belong to this great city.
In a sense, we can once again parallel the heart of this passage with our place in the church. All too often people “go to church” but never feel a sense of belonging to the church. How we need to change that mindset in our culture. Not only must we strive to be numbered amongst the righteous by God’s own grace, but also to be seen as amongst those who really belong to Jesus Christ by word and action and that our feet would indeed be numbered amongst those who stand in the gates of the church of Jesus Christ.
Let us Go to the House of the Lord
“A Psalm of Ascents; of David.
I rejoiced when ones said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of Yahweh!’”
(Psalm 122:1)
This psalm begins with a wonderful statement that is alien to the experience of many American Christians: “I rejoiced” when it came time to go to the house of the Lord. Now, your temptation might be to argue with me and say that every Christian is now a temple of the Holy Spirit, so there is no longer any “going up” to the temple in Jerusalem (or elsewhere) and thus one cannot make a parallel between the Temple and the Church building. All of that may be true on a surface level, but let’s hear the heart of the psalmist. Why is he glad to go to God’s house? Not only is it the place where he can enter into God’s presence, but it is also the place where he can gather with other believers in fellowship and in common worship and it is a place where he can go and sit under the instruction of the priests of God’s Word. Though there are some theological nuances that we must be careful with, there really are a number of similarities in sentiment as to why the psalmist is rejoicing—this gathering is something that he has been looking forward to for a long time. Hmmm…can we say the same thing about our gatherings on Sunday morning with the other believers? Do we look forward to Sunday all week long, or is Sunday worship just something we do?
This is an important question to ask in a culture where the mindset that many take is that they can worship on the golf course just as well as they can worship in the pew. It is also an important question to ask in a culture where the institutional church is being rejected and being replaced by the “emergent” church—a group that rejects the institutional church altogether. So how do we answer this question? Is it a good thing for us to gather with other believers in the Christian age or must this psalm be relegated to the Jewish church?
To begin with, we must never forget that Christian fellowship was given to the church for her edification. The church is described as a “body with many parts” in 1 Corinthians 12 as well as a building made up of many stones in 1 Peter 2. This idea sets before us the initial reality that if we are going to be believers in Jesus Christ, we are going to have to do so in community and in relationship with other believers. In addition, this community and fellowship is not something that we are to dread, but instead is something that “makes our joy complete” (1 John 1:4). Indeed, the hymnist is correct when he refers to the church as a “happy throng.”
Yet the joy of the church does not come from fellowship with other Christians; one can find that at a variety of social gatherings. The joy comes from Jesus Christ. Not only is Christ in our midst, he is binding us together as one body of Christ to his own glory and honor and to our joy and satisfaction. Indeed, we ought rejoice when our brother or sister in the faith says, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” For that is an invitation not only for joyful fellowship, but for joyful fellowship before Jesus Christ’s throne of grace as one body—united in faith before a living God. Let us rejoice and be glad!
Angry with God’s Mercy (Jonah 4:1)
“And it was evil to Jonah—a great evil—and he burned over it.” (Jonah 4:1)
In case you hadn’t noticed Jonah’s attitude toward the Ninevites by his lackluster sermon in Nineveh, the true feelings of our wayward prophet come out as we move to the final chapter of this story. Most of our English versions water down the wording of this verse some, putting Jonah in a little better light; only Young’s Literal Translation seems to grasp the full strength of the situation when they translate it, “It was grievous to Jonah.” Literally, the Hebrew reads that it was evil to Jonah and then emphasizes again that it was a great evil to Jonah! Just as the Ninevites’ idolatry was evil in the eyes of God; God’s mercy toward the people of Nineveh was evil in the eyes of Jonah. And not only that, his anger burned toward God on account of this mercy. You can almost picture Jonah, standing at the edge of the city with clenched teeth and fists, his face red with rage, and steam coming out of his ears. This guy is about to explode.
It is easy to want to find excuses to water this image down a bit. Nobody likes to see one of the Biblical heroes completely lose his cool—especially when it comes to God’s mercy. But the reality is that Jonah was human and Nineveh was the winter capital of the Assyrian Empire, people that the Jews desperately hated. These two nations were fierce enemies and no good Jew in his right mind would want to see the people of Nineveh blessed. These people of Nineveh were violent pagans and idolaters; there was nothing in them that seemed redeemable in the eyes of Jonah. Yet, these people repented and God showed them mercy. This kind of thing was just simply not right and proper! God had some teaching to do with his prophet.
It is easy to jump on Jonah’s case and start wagging our fingers in accusation. Oh, how sophisticated we have become in sending missionaries to all the corners of the earth. See how we have such a broad view of God’s mercy toward the nations! At the same time, what about those ministries to people groups we don’t particularly like? What about ministries to the street people in our culture or to the prostitutes? What about ministries to the drug users in our culture or to the gay community? Sometimes we are a little less comfortable about the mercy of God when dealing with these folks. Probably about the closest we can get to how Jonah felt toward the Ninevites would be the feeling of a black pastor working with Ku Klux Klansmen or that of a white pastor working with Black Panther members. Jonah was more than out of his comfort zone; he was in enemy territory.
Yet, beloved, that is exactly the way God works! When Jesus gave the apostles the great commission, he did not qualify what “all the corners of the earth” meant—he simply said, “go.” When we begin to come to terms with just how grievous our own sin is, then how can we who have already received the mercy of God begrudge another from receiving it? Oh, how we are like Jonah, though, when we see God’s blessings poured out somewhere other than on ourselves. Beloved, let us keep Jonah always before us as a reminder that we should rejoice in the mercy of God to all who would repent and believe—let us rejoice as the angels rejoice when one sinner comes to faith—even if that sinner is one we don’t particularly like.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be;
Let that grace now, like a fetter,
Bind my wandring heart to thee.
Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it—
Prone to leave the God I love:
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for thy courts above.
-Robert Robinson
Is God Changing His Mind? (Jonah 3:10)
“And God saw their works, that they had turned from their way of the evil, God grieved over the evil which he had threatened to do to them and he did not do it.” (Jonah 3:10)
Now, before you go running off to burn all of your copies of John Calvin’s Institutes and to declare to me that this verse proves that God changes his mind, let’s stop for just one minute and see what it is that is going on in this passage and place it in the context of the rest of God’s revelation. As well, let us keep Ephesians 1:11 and Job 23:13 before us, being reminded that God has ordered all things (not just some, but all) according to his will. Also, God’s will is perfect and right and he does not need to go back to the drawing board periodically to modify his plan to suit the happenings of the world.
God is infinite, timeless, changeless, and boundless; there is no measuring him or constraining his will and plan. At the same time, we are finite and bound by time. For us, there must always be a chronological sequence of actions and reactions—we understand cause and effect, not infinite design. Thus, God condescends to us within history, not because history in some way binds him, but because he wishes to be understood and this is the only way we will understand his revelation. Thus, at times, when God’s activities are described in manners like this, they are described in terms of cause and effect that we might be able to understand what it is that God is doing.
Thus, the language here is not the language of God changing his mind, but it is describing in terms that we can comprehend, all that is going on. Was God’s threat to destroy the city a real one then? Yes, indeed! At the same time, God intentionally moved on the hearts of the king of Nineveh and the people of the city and brought them to repent of their sins. God is a God of mercy, and in bringing them to repentance, he relented of his threat to destroy the city (at least for a time). This is the mercy of God.
Beloved, this mercy of God is the most important thing that you walk away with from this verse or even this chapter of Jonah. God is merciful and kind and those who repent of their sins and turn to God through his son, Jesus Christ, will find forgiveness—that is not just a nice, theological statement, but this is revealed fact. What God has promised, he will do and he does not change his mind mid way through the process. Friends, cling to the mercy of God that is in Jesus Christ. Remind yourself that if God is willing to forgive even the Ninevites, he will also be willing to forgive you of your sins and even the most vile pagan of his or her sins as well. There is no sin too terrible that the blood of Christ can not wash it clean—this is God’s promise to us, and oh, what a blessed promise it is!
Arise, my soul, arise,
Shake off your guilty fears;
The bleeding Sacrifice in my behalf appears;
Before the throne my Surety stands,
Before the throne my Surety stands,
My name is written on His hands.
-Charles Wesley
Fasting (Jonah 3:7-9)
“And he made a proclamation, saying, ‘From the learning of the king and his great ones—neither man or beast, nor cattle or flock should taste anything. Let them not pasture nor let them drink water. Rather, they shall cover themselves with sackcloth—man and beast—they shall call to God in strength, and each man shall turn from his way of the evil and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and turn from his wrath and we will not perish.” (Jonah 3:7-9)
And here we have the king’s proclamation and call to national repentance (or at least city-wide repentance). The proclamation begins with a rather formulaic introduction—“from the learning of the king and his great ones.” We could probably translate this more idiomatically as: “according to the wisdom of the king and his nobles” or “This is the discernment of the king and his advisors.” The general idea is to clearly communicate the authority that this proclamation has. Not only, thus says the king and those governors that are under him in power, but assuming that the king is either the wisest or has access to the wisest men in the area—here is the wisdom of all of these fellows.
The king’s response is to call a fast. Fasting is an important element in the Christian faith that we often ignore in our self-centered culture. When Jesus was preaching what we know as the Sermon on the Mount, he made the assumption that faithful believers did fast. His language is unambiguous, he does not say “if you fast,” but Jesus clearly states, “when you fast” (Matthew 6:16). Given the importance that scripture places on fasting, it would do us well to build an understanding of just what fasting is and what it should be used for.
Perhaps it would be best, though, to first set out a few things that fasting is not. First of all, fasting is not accidental. Because you had a busy day and decided to work through lunch does not mean that you had a fast. Because you forgot to take lunch with you does not mean that you had a fast. As a young man, when my parents were serving liver or tuna-fish casserole for dinner, I often told them that it was my evening to fast as a way of getting out of eating dinner. Though I called these things fasts, they really were nothing of the sort.
Fasts are also not to be done for the praise of men. When fasting, Jesus says, the people around us should not recognize that we are fasting—that is unless they are fasting with us (see Matthew 6:17-18). Fasts are not to be detrimental to your health. God means for our times of fasting to build us up in faith, not for them to tear us down. That means that if you have serious dietary restrictions like diabetes or anemia, you should consult with your doctor before embarking on a time of fasting (it is worth noting that I do know of people with diabetes who do fast, but who take special precautions when doing so). Also, if you happen to be recovering from a sickness or are fighting an illness off, you need to eat to keep up your strength and you should consider postponing your time of fasting until you are well. Though fasting may be done during a time of intense grief and mourning, as a whole, it should be a positive experience, not a detrimental one.
Lastly, fasts should be irregular. They should be the exception in the life of the believer, not something that you do in the course of habit. When we do things on a regular basis, our fallen human nature begins to take things as a matter or routine and habit, and that often decreases the value of such an experience to the participant. Fasting is meant to stretch you and teach you to rely more strongly on the provision of God—routine does not do this.
The point of fasting is not simply that you are giving up food for a time, but that you are subjecting your physical body for spiritual purposes. All too often our lives are dictated by the desires of our flesh. We eat when we get hungry and we sleep when we get tired. In fasting, you submit your body to the needs of your spirit.
Fasting is something that can be done individually or corporately. What we have here in the Jonah account is an instance of a corporate fast and it is done in conjunction with a national tragedy (in this case, the preaching of Jonah). There are certainly plenty of reasons in our day that would spur on a corporate time of fasting within the church. The world threat of terrorism that is going on today, the wholesale slaughter of unborn babies in our own nation, and the way the evangelical church in our culture is losing the purity of its witness are a few examples that might spur us to fast as a body of believers.
On an individual level, scripture gives us a number of examples of reasons to fast. Fasting is something that is done in connection with intense grief over the effects of sin, as David fasted for his dying child after his sin of adultery (2 Samuel 12:16). It is to bear witness to our contrition and humiliation before God, as was part of the king’s motivation in Nineveh. It is meant to stir up our devotions and to set our minds to God, especially when it comes to matters of spiritual discernment. Before choosing Paul and Barnabas to go as missionaries, the church in Antioch was involved in fasting to guide their wisdom (Acts 13:2). In turn, Paul and Barnabas fasted and prayed before choosing elders in the churches they established (Acts 14:23).
Yet, we must always keep before us the fact that while fasting is an important part of the life of the believer as well as being an important aid to prayer, it is not a sure-fire means to getting what we want. God is not a gumball machine in the sky, just because you put a quarter prayer in, does not mean that you will get a sweet treat out. God has ordained all things from before the beginning of creation and when you pray, led by the Holy Spirit, you are praying for those things that God desires you to pray for. You are not changing God’s mind, but are gloriously being allowed to participate in the redemptive plan of God. Often, God will use prayer and fasting to put your heart and mind in the right place so that he can work through you. Never forget what God spoke through the prophet Joel: “rend your hearts, not your garments.”
Beloved, never forget the importance of fasting, but when you do so, do so for the right reasons. Never do it out of a sense of personal holiness, but do it in brokenness. Never do it for the praise of men, but do it in secret—God will know the motivations of your heart. God places no value in empty ritual, but seeks to conform you to his heart, and fasting is one of the means that he uses to do just that.
Those who are Far Off: Zechariah 6:9-15
“And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord.”
-Zechariah 6: 15a, ESV
The prophet has given us a great and grandiose picture of the coronation of the coming Messiah in this passage. A crown with many diadems will adorn the royal head of our master, the Lord Jesus. But Zechariah does not end only looking toward the far future, he closes this passage with a reminder that Yahweh has not forsaken them to failure even in their age. Yes, this reconstruction of the temple is only a shadow and a pointer to the temple of Christ that will come, but it is a reminder that God is faithful to his covenant people. More help is on its way. Ezra will come and Nehemiah will be on his heels.
How often we tend to get discouraged and frustrated with God. We act as if God has abandoned us to our state and are completely oblivious to what God has in the works. How often we pitch in the towel before the event has run its course? And how often have we had to beg forgiveness for out own lack of faith when we see God’s providence delivering us from the very jaws of our enemy.
We need passages like this to remind us that we do not stand out on the battlefield alone. We are not only surrounded by a cloud of witnesses but reinforcements are on the way. We should never fear loosing our last arrow, throwing our last spear, or breaking our last sword in the battle against the enemy for new supplies will arrive as we need them. Yet we will never be able to stockpile them. Just as the Israelites received manna in the desert as a daily provision, so we too will receive provisions from God as they are necessary. What a wonderful God that we have that monitors our daily needs and is in the business of constant provision.
The next time we are tempted to cry out like the martyrs in heaven, “how long,” let us turn to this passage and remember that reinforcements are on their way. Instead of crying out “how long,” we ought to cry out “where can I serve you next.”
Strong Horses: Zechariah 6:1-8
“When the strong horses came out, they were impatient to go and patrol the earth.”
-Zechariah 6: 7a, ESV
How impatient are the angels of God that have been ordained to extend Justice to the world and how great is God’s grace, even toward unbelievers, in staying their hand until His time is at hand. And the impatience of the angels is not a sign of their weakness. They are responding properly and correctly to the way we as a people have abused and misused the very name of God. Swift justice is deserved upon mankind, yet God’s long-suffering patience is such that he would endure the abuse of man so that the full number of elect will be brought into the kingdom. What amazing grace we have received!
In Zechariah’s day, the angels were permitted partial success, and God is yet restraining their destructive work. How the judgments pile on the head of unbelievers. Not only do they live in rebellion to the true and righteous law of God, but they interpret the staying of God’s hand as more time granted for them to revel in their wickedness. They squander their time rather than repent of their ways.
Yet, we in the church have also been guilty of being lax in proclaiming God’s message of grace and judgment to the culture around us. Think about it, Scripture remembers Noah the carpenter as a preacher of righteousness (2 Peter 2). He had no pulpit and no congregation of thousands that came to hear him preach. He simply had his faithful lifestyle and the testimony of the ark which he built. His evangelism was successful toward his family, and there is also much to be said for that. How often we are willing to compromise the truth of the gospel in order to be liked. The praise we should seek is not that of men, but the title of “good and faithful servant,” offered by Christ.
The Lady in the Basket: Zechariah 5:5-11
“And he said, ‘This is Wickedness.’ And he thrust her back into the basket and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.” -Zechariah 5: 8, ESV
The contrast that Zechariah paints here is stark. While wickedness in the land both then and now is not small, for it is a great stench that rises up from the idolatry of our land, it shows the comparative smallness of wickedness in comparison to God’s goodness, holiness, love, and righteousness. We are also reminded that no matter how bad things get, God is always in control for he wrote the book in the first place. The lead weight on the lid to the basket is also a reminder to us of the weight of the law when brought to bear on sin. While sin may seem great, it is nothing, and those consumed by sin are simply being kept for the final judgment and punishment in the lake of fire.
We must be faithful in our witness to the world that there is hope and redemption, but that it is not in the basket, rather it is in him who controls the outcome of that basket. There is hope in Jesus and in Jesus alone.
Fulfilling the Law, not Abrogating It: Zechariah 3
“Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” -Zechariah 3: 4b, ESV
If only our dispensational brothers would read the Old Testament. They would see God’s hand at work consistently throughout redemptive history. We get a foretaste here in this passage of Christ’s imputed righteousness in the life of the believer. In fact, the angel who is speaking here is the very pre-incarnate deity himself! Who would have been more qualified to take sin from Joshua? The one who would face trials and torment in ministry and then face the horrors of God’s wrath on the cross happily pronounces the benefits of his completed work (while not complete in a temporal sense, it was complete based on the surety of God’s ordaining work before creation).
We see this image magnified in Revelation where it is not just one priest who is given new clothes, but now we see the priesthood of all believers washing their clothes in the blood of Christ. There is nothing we have done or could do to merit this for our clean clothes are not an act of our own hands. It is Jesus Christ himself that drapes his clean clothes over us. We, who place our faith in Christ, stand judged on Christ’s righteousness, not our own.
It is of great encouragement, as we look through the Old Testament, to see these themes developing. It is a reminder that God is not fickle or capricious as the dispensationals would suggest, but he is deliberate in his ways. Christ came not to establish a new thing; he came to “fulfill the law” not abrogate it.
Villages without Walls: Zechariah 2
“Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls, because of the multitude of people and livestock in it. And I will be to her a wall of fire all around, declares the Lord, and I will be glory in her midst.” -Zechariah 2: 4b-5, ESV
The promises of God for his church are a delight to find, are they not? The fulfillment of this prophesy is not in the post-exilic period as some would suggest, but no, it is in Christ, where God has drawn peoples of all nations to himself. Through the preaching of the gospel, the boarders of Jerusalem have been expanded to cover the corners of the globe. And while the people of God do face the fires of persecution, those fires sanctify, and God has promised to hold us fast, that not one of the elect would slip through the fingers of Christ. The new wall cannot be breached by powers or principalities; no force on earth of around it can breach these new walls; and God’s glory, as revealed in his Son and through his Holy Spirit, is in our midst! There is great hope and encouragement for the Christian within the words of this text.
The question that we need to ask is whether we are living like it. You see, while the full number of elect are coming into the kingdom, we still are looking toward the future, when God’s glory would be fully revealed to every tribe and nation and that this world will be remade without the curse of sin. While we are in the “already” but are still looking for the “not yet,” Satan takes aim on our lives. Do we live like we are heirs to the promise, with confidence in the wall that God has placed around his church? Or do we whimper with fear when trials and tribulations arise? Brethren, let us face them head on. The promises of God have been decreed before creation and while may not have been realized temporally, are as sure as if they have already happened. We can trust and rely on them.
As we go about our day, let us turn our thoughts to heavenly things, trusting in the promises as God has revealed them to us within the words of his great love letter to us, the Bible.
The Four Craftsmen: Zechariah 1:18-21
“Then the Lord showed me four craftsmen.” -Zechariah 1: 20, ESV
It is useful to remind ourselves how the Lord always has things well in control. Here were the people, back in Jerusalem with the edict to rebuild the temple and the city walls, the people have floundered in their responsibility, and God reminds the people through Zechariah that help is on the way. The rebuilding of a city is a monumental task and required skill not only in the building but skill in the management of the builders. Looking back at this from modern eyes, we can only cry out to the people, “Hold fast brothers! Nehemiah is on the way!”
Yet, if we satisfy ourselves with Nehemiah and his group as being the ultimate fulfillment of this prophesy, we significantly underestimate God. Nehemiah will come, that is true, but the wall that is ultimately rebuilt hardly provides a permanent defense against their enemies. Soon the Greeks will come. Then the Romans will come. Later, the Romans will sack the city and destroy the temple with it never to be rebuilt again. Today there is an abomination built upon the old temple mount.
Of course this is not the final fulfillment, but it is a partial one. Nehemiah and his group are a reminder to the people that God is still with them and they point to the greater work that God will do in the giving of an eternal temple. The very word of God took on flesh; God the son walked with his people. And oh the craftsmen that God would send out from his son. A dozen apostles would be sent out (11 who were called during his ministry and Paul who was called after his resurrection), four gospels would be written, and the church would blossom, being built up with living stones by these craftsmen and spreading throughout the world. No longer would the horns of oppression scatter the people of God away from their promised land and from their temple, for the Spirit of God would dwell within them.
It is that same Holy Spirit that dwells in us today as the people of God. The God that saved us from our sins on the cross is the same God that pursued us and brought us to faith, and is the same God that pursued Zechariah, showing him such a series of visions. Brethren, this is the master craftsman at work. It is God himself who has ordered all things according to the perfect wisdom of his will that has written the very pages of history. This is the very God that we have come to worship. Oh, what a blessed redeemer! He is the God of ages past, of here and now, and for all the future. Let us rest in him.
I Saw the Night: Zechariah 1:7-17
“I saw the night and behold, a man riding on a red horse!” –Zechariah 1: 8a
It may seem to be an odd expression to “see the night.” But isn’t this so often the gift that God gives to his servants? We look out into this world and we begin to recognize how dark it really is out there. Even when the sun is shining brightly, if the people of God are suffering, then darkness abounds. It is impossible for the unbeliever to understand this, for their eyes have grown accustomed to the darkness of their sin, but when the eyes of a Christian are opened they will often become overwhelmed by the darkness around us.
This is the same idea, I believe, that Jude is getting at when he speaks of the fallen angels being bound in darkness until final judgment. They are bound, but bound on earth. How is this earth dark? For when you have been in the presence of the Lord of Glory, even the brightest day on earth is but pitch-blackness.
Yet, God does not leave his people to mourn over the darkness alone. Here he sends Zechariah a series of visions. The pre-incarnate Christ has come to him riding on a warhorse, surrounded by angels on warhorses. This is a vision that is a reminder to all of us that though this world might be dark with sin, God is still sovereign over it. God is in command of all things. It is also a reminder that if we look to Revelation 6, we will see the power of these horsemen and the things which they have been doing as they have been at work in the world. These images in Revelation, then, are no demonic horsemen, but angelic heralds of judgment at the beck and command of the Son of God!
Though we oftentimes feel the darkness of the world closing in on us, let us be reminded whose hands we are in. God is in command of the night as well as the day. It is interesting that “Carpe Diem!” is the cry of the secular world. “Seize the day,” indeed! Yet, a life consumed by sin does not know the light of day at all. Our cry as Christians, in a sense, should be “Carpe Noctum!” for it is our job, as Christians, to seize the night, shining the light of Jesus Christ into this sin-darkened world and proclaim the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Not only can we seize the night, but we can also walk confidently in it, knowing that the God we proclaim is the God who is in control of all things.
Works of Men and Works of God: Zechariah 1:1-6
“Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers?” -Zechariah 1:5-6a, ESV
What a contrast that is set before us by the prophet. All of the works of man will eventually fade, but God’s works and his word will last forever. As mighty as many of the prophets were, they died. Abraham died; Moses died; Elisha died; Isaiah died; our generation will die. Yet, God’s word will remain; it will remain unchanged; and it will still carry with it the power and authority that it had from the very day it was spoken through the various inspired writers. If Moses was nothing more than a faithful servant in God’s house, in what have we to boast? Nothing save the cross of Christ.
How often, when we read the Bible, do we focus on the various characters of the story? What did King David do next? Will Elijah survive the attacks on the prophets? How will Nehemiah get the people to work? These are important questions to ask, but when we ask these questions, let us never forget that these men were nothing more than servants of the All-Mighty God.
In turn, we need to ask ourselves just where we are placing the emphasis in our own lives and in our own ministries. Do we see the ministries as something that we are doing? Or is the ministry God’s and we simply have the blessing of being able to participate? Do we conceive of ourselves as being anything more than an unworthy servant? If we do, we are placing the emphasis on things that will not last (namely ourselves). Let us seek to place all of the emphasis in our lives on something that will last forever, and that is God and His word. And even though in the new heavens and the new earth, the written word and the law will pass away, he who fulfilled the law perfectly will be in our presence and we will be able to commune with the very Word of God face-to-face.
Zechariah’s Night Visions: Introduction
To understand the prophet Zechariah, one must have an understanding of the historical context in which that prophet was writing. In 539 BC, King Cyrus of Persia overthrew the Babylonian Empire and a year later, sent a group of about 50,000 exiles home to Jerusalem with wealth, supplies, and a mandate. The mandate was that they rebuilt the temple of God so that they could worship.
These exiles returned to find Jerusalem in ruins and the land overrun by pagans. While they began work on the temple, they soon decided to put their own houses in order before putting the house of God in order. In about 515 BC, God sent two prophets to light a fire under these exiles to put them back to work. The first was Haggai, whose message was given to chastise the people and to get them back to work. The second was Zachariah, whose message looked toward a future kingdom and Messiah, reminding the people that God is faithful and that He is still at work, bringing about his promises.
In the beginning of Zechariah, then are a series of visions. These visions form the context of this series of devotions. The visions are highly messianic and apocalyptic at the same time. There is a good bit of the book of Revelation that draws upon these images that we are given here in Zechariah.
In the short term, they would finish the temple as a result of the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah, though the temple would be a poor copy of Solomon’s, which had been destroyed. Later, God would send another servant, this time a leader of men and not a prophet, to lead the people in rebuilding the wall around the city of Jerusalem. This man would be named Nehemiah. You can read the historical accounts of these events in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.
Exhortation: Evangelize
“Now, show mercy to those who doubt; save others, snatching them from the fire; show mercy mixed with fear, hating even the garment stained by corrupted flesh.”
(Jude 22-23)
Jude’s guide for evangelism: Jude moves on to exhort us to make our faith active with an outward expression of faith. Now, there are some who suggest that these exhortations are directed to the faithful in addressing believers who are in various stages of drifting away. While this may be the case, I suggest that in the context of the mission of the Church, these exhortations are a guide for bringing converts into the fold. The church to which Jude is writing has fallen into error because of these false teachers. Error usually is a gradual process, so there are probably quite a few within the congregation that are not saved. Jude is providing this as a tool to deal with these people that are in their midst.
First, we are to be merciful to those who doubt. As God has shown us mercy in our sin, so we need to show mercy toward others. This does not mean that everyone can believe whatever they want, but it means that we also cannot shove our beliefs down someone else’s throat. If change needs to take place, and their conversion is genuine, then the Holy Spirit will do his work in their life. Note that the word that we translate as “doubt” is the Greek word diakri÷nw (diakrino), which means “to consider, evaluate, or doubt.” Jude is making a contrast between the thoughtful doubter who is still wrestling through the question of faith and the mockers who think and speak like unreasoning animals.
Second, we are to snatch others from the fire. When warnings do not work, sometimes a lifeguard is needed. People are saved through hearing the Gospel read and preached, we are to be actively at work in the field of evangelism. The real work is done by the Holy Spirit, but God has blessed us with the privilege of taking part in the process. Thus preachers are commended to faithfully preach the word and believers are commended to faithfully live out that word in the presence of others. Friends, if you are a born again believer, you have a witness or a testimony that can be used by God to draw others near to himself. The question we must ask is whether we are willing to share that testimony with others.
Third, we are to show mercy mixed with fear. Remembering that Godly fear is a humble awe and reverence toward him. We are to always remember from where God has lifted us up as we deal with people where they are, but to be on our guard lest we fall into their pit. Remember once again that God has shown you great mercy. Mercy is best defined as doing for someone else what they cannot do for themselves and what you have no obligation to do for them. That describes what Jesus did for us while we were still sinners, will you demonstrate that kind of mercy to a dying world?
Fourth, we are to hate even the clothing stained by sin. Clothing, in the Biblical mindset, represented status and position. Believers are given Christ’s righteousness to wear as a robe. Unbelievers wear the stained garments of their sinful life. When we evangelize, we are to hate the sin, not the sinner, but must never be tempted to put on the clothes of a sinful life. We are to be holy as God is holy. In turn, it is not only sin that we are to hate, but also the lustful desires that lead to sin. These desires often clothe the blackest sins with fleshly finery. We are to separate ourselves from the corruption that leads to these sins.
Exhortation: Stand Firm
“But you, beloved, yourselves being built up in the most holy faith, praying by the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, receiving the mercy of our Lord, Jesus Christ—eternal life.”
(Jude 20-21)
He begins the exhortations with guides for spiritual health within the congregation. We are to build ourselves up in the faith. This is different than the puffing up that the false teachers were doing. But building up is done through teaching, Bible study, fellowship, worship, and prayer. It is the laying of a sure foundation upon which our faith can be solidly built.
Secondly, we are to pray by the Holy Spirit. It is a reminder of what Paul teaches us that the Holy Spirit is a guide to our prayers and it is a reminder the Holy Spirit is the third part of the Trinity and an integral part of our salvation, actively working in our lives through the process of sanctification.
Thirdly, we are to keep ourselves in God’s love. Jude is not trying to replace God’s grace, but is linking grace and love together as one goes hand in hand with the other. And he is not suggesting that those who are truly saved can lose their salvation, rather he is saying that when we walk in disobedience, we earn God’s rebuke; we are to walk faithfully, striving for a “well done, my good and faithful servant.”
And Fourthly, we are to rest in the final salvation that Jesus Christ has assured. The judgment of God against unrighteousness means salvation for those who have been saved. What does the mercy of God look like when it is applied to a person’s life? It fully manifests itself in eternal salvation—eternal life in the presence of God himself. What more could we hope to ask?
Exhortation: Remember
“But you, beloved, remember the things that were foretold by the apostles of our Lord, Jesus Christ. For they said to you, ‘In the end times there will be mockers chasing their own desires and impiety.’ It is these who cause divisions. Natural ones, they do not have the Spirit.”
(Jude 17-19)
A third time Jude uses the word beloved to refer to the people in this church. It is a reminder to us that Jude is not writing here as an angry schoolmaster reprimanding unruly children. Rather, Jude is writing as a faithful brother in Christ, seeking to preserve his family from the dangers that surround it. Jude reminds us that false teachers will abound, which should be a constant reminder to us today. And we should not be surprised by their arrival, but ever watchful to keep our fellowship pure. Then Jude offers us two kinds of exhortations: inward and outward.
It is important for us to remember all of the things that the Apostles and Prophets have said. All of scripture is God-breathed and profitable to prepare the believer for every good work (see 2 Timothy 3:16-17). It is our only guide and standard for life and faith. It will keep us from error and a faithful study of it will prevent us from being seduced by the false teachers who fill the world. The problem is that though we have the Bible available to us in a different translation for every day of the month, we don’t take time to read it or to study it. We see that as the pastor’s job. Yet, who will police the pastor that he does not fall into error and lead others in the same direction? It must be the men and women sitting in the pews who are always seeking a clearer understanding of the truth. Recognize that mockers will come and that they will wreak havoc in the fellowship, but be prepared to deal with them when that happens. That preparation comes by the careful study of scripture.
Warning of Coming Judgment
“And Enoch, the seventh son from Adam, prophesied these things saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with his holy myriads with him to bring judgment against all, to convict all human life of all their works of impiety, which they did impiously, and concerning all the cruelty that impious sinners spoke against Him. These are grumblers and complainers, walking according to their cravings and their mouths speaking boasts, flattering to gain advantage.”
(Jude 14-16)
This is the second time that Jude quotes from non-canonical literature. Here he quotes from the Apocalypse of Enoch, pointing to the second coming of Christ with his angels to judge the wicked (if you want a picture of those myriads of angels take a peek at Revelation 5:11). Do you notice a theme in this section? Impious, impious, impious… Sin is impious and sin brings death. It is only by being born again in Jesus Christ that we can be saved from the wrath that is to come. Woe, Woe, Woe. Revelation also contains three woes (Revelation 8:13). Three is a number of completion or fullness. Here we find the fullness of the woes of sinful man. These men have made full and complete their ungodliness and impiety and their judgment to come will be equally full and complete.
Make careful note of verse 15. When Christ comes again, he will execute judgment against all mankind, not just the evil ones. The Apostle John tells us in Revelation 20 that God will judge all mankind according to their works, and all whose names are not written on the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his minions. No one can stand upon his own works, it simply cannot be done because of indwelling sin. Only Jesus Christ has earned salvation by his works and he alone offers a way to paradise, being clothed in his righteousness. That comes through faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. There is no other way to avoid the punishment that we deserve.
The elect, those whose names are written on the Lamb’s book of life and were written there from before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4), are the ones who will escape judgment, but all else will face eternal damnation. These, Jude reminds us again, are grumblers and complainers who chase after their own cravings. The word that we translate as “cravings” is the Greek word e˙piqumi÷a (epithumia), which refers to cravings or lusts, more times than not, for things that are forbidden. Also Jude points to judgment for the flatterers. This is the word qauma¿zw (thaumazo) in Greek, which literally means “to marvel” or “to be amazed.” This is not subtle flattery, but loud, boisterous flattery designed to inflate the ego of the listeners.
This is not to categorically state that all that are guilty of grumbling or flatterers are going to Hell, what it reflects is the idea that these things should not reflect the heart of the believer. God forgives us when we stumble and repent of our sins, yet if we remain hardened and unrepentant, we will face eternal punishment.
All of Jude’s warnings can begin to weigh on you. He warns you from the past, the present, and the future. But there is a reason that we are given warnings—they often keep us from harming ourselves. When I was in the Boy Scouts, I took Life-Saving Merit Badge. A great deal of the badge dealt with water rescues. But one of the things that the instructor impressed upon us was the value of preventive measures. Those measures begin with clearly posted warning signs. The letter of Jude is one of those signs.
Before we shift gears into Jude’s exhortation to the faithful of the church, I want to drive home the need to beware. There are spiritual predators who seek to fill your pulpits and they will seek to guide you down a false path. Watch closely through the eyes of scripture and prayer, not being impressed by flash or new ideas but holding true to the faith that was taught by the Apostles and handed down through the ages.
The Nature of These Men
“They are a stain to your love feasts, eating without fear, shepherding themselves; they are waterless clouds, blown by the wind—unfruitful trees in late autumn—twice dead and uprooted. They are wild waves at sea, foaming up their own shame, wandering stars for whom the dark gloom of eternity has been kept.”
(Jude 12-13)
Eating without fear: These men have fully engaged in the “love feasts” or the aÓga¿ph (agape), which given its context both here and in historical literature, is most likely what we call Holy Communion today. Paul writes a stern warning against those who would approach the Lord’s table in an unworthy manner and goes as far as to say that those who do eat and drink judgment upon themselves (1 Corinthians 11:27-30). Unbelievers sometimes balk when we fence the communion table, preventing them from participating, but we do that not to exclude them, but to save them from imminent judgment. To the unbeliever, the communion cup is a cup of poison and judgment, it should be understood that it is a blessing that we withhold communion from those who would take it wrongly.
But this warning is important for believers to here as well as unbelievers. This is because those who would come to the communion table still holding sins or hatred against a brother, being unrepentant, also heap judgment upon themselves. We need to come to the table with great joy at the privilege that has been offered to us, but at the same time, we should approach God with fear and trembling, trusting in his grace and not taking that privilege and gift for granted.
Shepherding Themselves: These men have assumed the role of pastor without any concern or care for the sheep—they just want a paycheck to satisfy their own lusts. If a shepherd is not vigilant, the sheep will soon be devoured. These men are reckless with the flock that they tend and are more interested in the condition of their bellies than the spiritual condition of their flock.
One of my fears is that when we ordain men to the Gospel ministry, we pay more attention to the facts they know than to the man’s character. This is a recipe for disaster. Robert Murray M’Cheyene once stated that the greatest need of his congregation was his personal holiness. How true that is!
Waterless clouds: A cloud that is without rain may look pretty from a distance, but when up close you will quickly realize that they have no substance. They are valueless and will drift along with the winds of change. Oh, how this speaks of many American pastors today! How many ministers of the Gospel really cherish the Gospel they have been called to preach? How many would lay down their life to preserve the truth of the Gospel? How many pastors have the spiritual depth and density to truly feed their congregations? When sermons are filled with fluff, it is likely that the preacher is filled with the same. Jesus said that those who would come to him in faith would become fountains of water (John 7:38). As the Holy Spirit waters the believer in abundance, the believer’s cup runneth over with rivers of living water. To use the language of 2 Peter, these men are dry wells.
Fruitless trees: Not only do these trees bear no fruit, making them useless, but it is late in autumn and they have no sap in their veins to nourish growth and they are uprooted, never to see growth again. These men are twice dead, they are dead to sin here on earth and they are dead spiritually, an enemy of the giver of life. As Jesus said, the branches that do not bear fruit will be cut off, and they will wither and die being separated from the sap, and then, they will be thrown into the fire (John 15:1-8). Friends, our Lord has told us that we are to judge a tree by its fruit (Matthew 7:15-20), these men are not only bearing no fruit, but there is no hope for them to bear fruit—they are twice dead. Be alert to those who would come in your midst in a like manner.
Wild waves: The ocean waves are loud and chaotic. Their shame and immorality is like the foam at the top of a breaker. They rage wildly in their sin without trying to hide it. They crash to the shore and they toss everything and everyone caught in their breakers around wildly. There is no safety to be found in these waters, only destruction. Remember that even in Jude’s day the sea was a place of danger and mystery, and so too are these false teachers.
Wandering stars: The language of stars is often used of angels, and in the context of verse 6, this implies that the false teachers will share the same fate as the fallen angels. They will be lost in darkness and damned forever. The believer will spend eternity with Christ, the unbeliever will spend eternity separated from Christ. Christ is true light and apart from him there is no light at all. Flames, weeping, gnashing of teeth, the worm consuming, separation from all that is good and right, and darkness—not a pretty image.
And none of this paints a pretty picture of the people who have become leaders in the church to which Jude is writing. This is a dark time for them. These men are destined for Hell in more ways than one and the church has fallen into their trap. Yet, these descriptions are sadly contemporary. Many churches, as well as whole denominations, have been seduced by men like this. We must be ever vigilant that we do not allow anyone to lead us or our congregation down such roads. We need to be keenly aware of who we ask to lead us. We need to watch to see whether these men are ones who will build up Christ’s body or only their own. We need to see whether they will bring unity or discord. We need to see whose agenda they are working toward. And most importantly, we need to see whether their life is pointing toward Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. These are not only questions that should be asked of pastors, but should be asked of all the members of Christ’s visible church. And, we absolutely must be asking them about our own lives.
The Three Woes
The Three Woes:
“Woe to them who have traveled the way of Cain, and to them who have committed the error of Balaam, who have dedicated themselves to wages, and to those who perished in Korah’s rebellion.”
(Jude 11)
1) The way of Cain: Instead of taking the way of Christ, these false teachers are taking the way of Cain. Cain resented the purity of his brother’s sacrifice, and sought to destroy it. He perverted worship and he allowed pride to reign in his life.
2) Balaam’s Error: Instead of following the truth of Christ, Balaam sought to curse God’s anointed for his own gain and sought to mislead the Israelites into disobeying God’s law. He perverted the truth of doctrine for his own benefit. In addition, Balaam also taught Balak how to seduce the young Israelite men and bring them into sin (Revelation 2:14).
3) Korah’s rebellion: Instead of seeking to live as Christ, Korah sought to usurp rule and authority from Moses and the true priesthood. He perverted the life of the people of God, bringing disorder to the church.
These men are all apostate and brought destruction to the people who followed them. Woe to them, they are perverters of worship. Woe to them, they are perverters of the fellowship of God’s people. Woe to them, they are perverters of the leadership of Christ’s church. All of these men put their pride and personal desires ahead of the good of God’s people. Each of these men were destroyed for their sin.
The Preacher's Study 
Doxology
Feb 23
Posted by preacherwin
“Now, to him who has the power to keep you free from stumbling, and to set you before his glory, blameless and with a shout of joy, To the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Lord—be glory, majesty, power and authority, before all the ages, now, and into all eternity! Amen.
Personally, I think that this is the best benediction found within all of scripture. It is a reminder that at the end of the day, everything points to Jesus. He is our keeper and he will present us before God’s throne glorified and without compromise. The picture given in verse 24 is worth its weight in gold. Jude tells us that when we will be presented before God the father it will be with shouts of joy. The term that he uses here is the Greek word aÓgalli÷asiß (agalliasis), which literally refers to a “piercing exclamation.” This term is used in the Greek version of the Old Testament 19 times (18 times in the Psalms plus Isaiah 51:11) and in each case, the word is used in connection with worship. When we approach the throne in heaven, it will be with great shouts of worship and praise, if this is so, I wonder why we tend to be so quiet in our worship here. This is also an act which brings God great joy. The Puritan, Thomas Watson once said, “When God calls a man to himself, it is an act that he never repents of.” God rejoices in the completion of his work—in bringing lost sinners to himself, and heaven rejoices with him (Luke 15:10). Friends, love the God that has offered salvation to you. Cling to him. Immerse yourself in his word. To God be the glory, forever and ever!
Posted in Expositions, Jude
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Tags: Commentary on Jude, Doxology, Everything points to Jesus, Heaven Rejoices, Jude 24-25, Jude Commentary, Jude's Doxology