Bible Study on James 2, verses 8 to 13, the power of mercy

 

James 2:8 ¶  If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9  But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11  For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12  So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. 13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

James calls the second of the most important laws that Jesus Himself underscored the royal law, the law of Christ, as John Gill noted.

Matthew 22:37  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38  This is the first and great commandment. 39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

James warns them and us not to elevate the rich above the poor in regard to their standing in Christ.

Leviticus 19:15  Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

To break only one commandment is to break all of them, James insists. This is further evidence of the need for Christ as we will all break one of God’s commands from the Law given to Moses regularly, I suspect. Without Christ we are helpless and hopeless before a Holy God. We should act as we should, under Grace, in keeping with our position before God.

He gives a warning that if you expect mercy you better show mercy and God’s mercy is greater than judgment and our mercy is more important than our judgment. I can see the truth of this as we are all worthy of God’s condemnation and those who are His are blessed by His grace and mercy.

Clearly in the churches James was referring to there was this duplication of the social statuses of the world at large, which the Holy Spirit, through James, is telling us not to permit within the church. I would put forth things as objected to by God such as the old habit of having a prominent pew with a plaque denoting the names of rich donors who had provided it. I’ve seen that in old churches. It is suspect, to say the least. Such distinctions have no place in the church.

Bible Study on Genesis 19, verses 27 to 38, the daughters of Lot

 

Genesis 19:27 ¶  And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD: 28  And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace. 29  And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Genesis 19:30 ¶  And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar: and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters. 31  And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth: 32  Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 33  And they made their father drink wine that night: and the firstborn went in, and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 34  And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. 35  And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. 36  Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. 37  And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. 38  And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name Benammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

For Abraham’s sake, God saved Lot. I’ve already discussed what remembered means in this context in comments on 8:1. Whether or not it is doctrinally true in the age of the church there have been many sermons about adult children being drawn to Christ by the Holy Spirit because of the fervent prayers and heart-felt love of a parent.

Lot was afraid to say in Zoar. Perhaps, as he came out of Sodom, the terrified people blamed him for the destruction, maybe believing in their gods’ anger causing the destruction. But, he ended up in the mountain that he feared.

One explanation for what happens next is that Lot’s daughters, in this vast scene of utter destruction, felt completely alone and desolate and simply used their father to provide them with children. They knew he would not do such wickedness willingly so they got him roaring drunk.

Another explanation is that Lot’s daughters were raised in the immoral and depraved climate of Sodom where sex and religion were united. They thought that the ways they had seen and known, the earth religion, was lost to them lest they take action themselves. Notice the passage;

31  And the firstborn said unto the younger, Our father is old, and there is not a man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth:

The results of this godless and evil rape by the girls of their father are the nations of Moab and Ammon, who will play roles later as the Hebrews try to claim their Promised Land and then even later in the history of Israel.

Here is an important point in understanding the Bible. God acknowledges the results of sin without accepting the sin.

Deuteronomy 2:19  And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not, nor meddle with them: for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession; because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.

For instance, God ordained that a marriage was to be between one man and one woman.

Genesis 2:24  Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

His will was for Himself to be king over Israel but they wanted a human king like other countries.

1Samuel 8:7  And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

And yet God did not abandon the offspring of a king who had multiple wives, even a son that was the offspring of adultery and murder.

1Kings 1:11  Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

God doesn’t create culture, the practices of a family, a community, or ethnic group, and He didn’t create civilization. God modified culture and civilization already created by man, bringing commandments to bear on it to alter it and move it toward His standard, sometimes even in small ways. Your country, your culture, your civilization is not holy, is not special, and is not blessed of God just because you have a few churches in it and some of your people claim to believe in Christ or a God of First Causes. But, in the Bible, God worked with men and women where they were and in the conditions they inherited from their forebears. Some of these conditions and cultural practices we find wicked today and clearly against God’s will. God doesn’t justify a cultural practice by acknowledging it and modifying it to be more merciful.

It must be remembered that the Bible is about God’s reconciliation of man to Himself and not about justifying your social order or nation-state’s policies, a nation that will one day cease to exist.

But, the point is that what happened with Lot and his daughters happened and there is no way around it. It was wicked but God wove the consequences of it into His plans, something He knew and did from before He created the world without justifying it or preventing it. The Holy Spirit paints a picture of mankind in the Bible, warts and all. This picture shows a vile and wicked creature, degenerate in his practices and lacking in faithfulness toward God. But, God is merciful in spite of man’s wickedness. Our Creator is merciful to the created thing that turned on Him. I am thankful for that.

Bible Study on James 2, verses 1 to 7, judges of evil thoughts

 

James 2:1 ¶  My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2  For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3  And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4  Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5  Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 6  But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? 7  Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?

The Christian religion does not honor distinctions of class, gender, or ethnicity with regard to value before Christ.

Galatians 3:28  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

In our world, rich and powerful go together. We don’t elect a factory worker to be president nor is he asked to be the CEO of his company although in America he might work up to that position. In the world that James lived he tells Christ’s followers why would you make such distinctions important when the very people you are emulating despise you, bring you before magistrates, and blaspheme the name of Christ? Here James declares against prejudice and discrimination because someone is different from you, whom you perceive to be inferior. This is part of James’ appeal to the Christian to be genuine and real, being like Christ. This is about superficial differences of class and appearance, though, not about character and behavior.

As an aside, judges of evil thoughts can be understood as judges with malicious thoughts but that seems clear from the context. Gay, which used to be a reference to happy or light of heart but became to be used to denote people who engage in homosexual behavior, can here be viewed as elegant or expensive.

Bible Study on Genesis 19, verses 12 to 26, looking back at Sodom

 

Genesis 19:12 ¶  And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: 13  For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it. 14  And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law.

Genesis 19:15 ¶  And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city. 16  And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. 17  And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. 18  And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord: 19  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: 20  Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live. 21  And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. 22  Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. 23  The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

Genesis 19:24 ¶  Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; 25  And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

Genesis 19:26 ¶  But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Lot’s daughters were clearly betrothed and not married as we understand it as they were said to have not known man. To be betrothed in the ancient world was considerably more of a commitment than being engaged today. They were, for all practical purposes, married but without the pleasure of sexual union as that had to wait. It must be understood that the betrothal was a contract between two families that carried the same weight as marriage. It wasn’t necessarily a personal, romantic choice as much as it was a business deal, as binding as marriage and referred to as such.

 

Leviticus 19:20  And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

Deuteronomy 20:7  And what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle, and another man take her.

So, Lot’s daughters were virgins but had husbands who did not possess them physically yet. Notice also that sons-in-law were considered also to be sons.

            The angels told him to give his daughters’ husbands the warning to get out. Because of Lot, these wicked people are being given a chance. But, it seems that not ten good people can be found in this city. The angels declare their intention to destroy Sodom because of its wickedness. Lot’s sons-in-law, however, think he’s joking. You can imagine what would happen if you were to tell your children that two angels visited you and announced that they were about to destroy your town for its wickedness. They would think you had lost your mind, would they not? But, this is prepared for them because of how evil they had chosen to be.

The day dawns, the time of judgment has come. But Lot lingers. Who wouldn’t with two betrothed daughters whose husbands were refusing to leave? The angels give him no choice and removed him, his wife, and his two daughters out of the city.

They tell him not to look back. That would be very hard for anyone. Lot is afraid to follow their command to escape to a nearby mountain. Remember the mountain that the fleeing armies of Sodom and Gomorrah fled to in 14:10? Although afraid of something about it, some evil perhaps, he will wind up there anyway and great evil will overcome him. By requesting permission to flee to a small village the angels agree to spare it for his sake although all of the other towns of the plain are destroyed as if in a nuclear holocaust we might imagine. Lot’s wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, a part of this judgment. What sorrow she must have felt. What horror? Everyone you know and everything you owned is being destroyed.

This brings to mind that we are not to look back although we do it all the time. We lament and regret what we did and did not do that has brought us to a place of loss. We grieve for what could have been. But, we are not to look back. Our sins are forgiven and we are to look forward and to trust God’s justice and judgment.

In the context of deciding whether to follow Him immediately or to take care of unfinished business first Jesus said;

Luke 9:57 ¶  And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58  And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59  And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60  Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61  And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62  And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Paul declared his desire to look ahead this way.

Philippians 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended [that is to know Christ as Christ knows him] : but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

In leaving this world behind and escaping the judgment God has planned for this world Jesus makes this note.

Luke 17:24  For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 25  But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. 26  And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27  They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28  Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29  But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30  Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. 31  In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. 32  Remember Lot’s wife.

We are not to look back. Our greatest times, our most perfect joy, is ahead of us, with Christ. We may not understand now why a child refuses Christ, a parent, a friend, and we may grieve at their loss, but, in the end, we must keep looking forward. Too many Christians in America are crying about where their country is headed, wanting to elect a national messiah or some sort of national pastor, continuing to look back at some fictitious time when all Americans were God-fearing and upright. They rip verses out of context in the Old Testament regarding Israel and keep ranting about “turning America back to God”. They keep looking back at Sodom.

Bible Study on James 1, verses 19 to 27, pure religion

 

James 1:19 ¶  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20  For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23  For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24  For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25  But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26  If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. 27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

Good commonsense advice is given here. Engage your ears before your mouth and think carefully before you respond, be longsuffering, and slow to loosing your temper. Throughout Proverbs Solomon gave similar advice. Our wrath, our abiding anger, is from our flesh and not from God. So, in this chapter we’ve noted how sin and wrath are not “gifts from God,” but from our own flesh and do not lead us in the way God would want us to go but away from God.

In verse 21 James refers to removing filthy sin from your life and John Gill says that it is like a reference to being circumcised, removing that skin. Naughty and naughtiness have changed meaning over the centuries to mean something less than what they mean in the Bible, which is corrupt and worthless. Notice how James refers to the saving power of God’s word.

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

When the word of God is received it becomes a part of our spiritual heart and has power over our sin.

Psalm 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

A recurrent theme of James is that he is telling believers to walk the walk and not just talk the talk. This is a very important idea presented in James, to be true to Christ in all you do, not just all you say. He says it’s like looking in a mirror and then forgetting what you look like, the attractive and the ugly parts.

The person who claims to be a Christian, believes God’s word, and who obeys Christ is blessed indeed. In spite of his focus on actions he does underscore the importance of controlling our speech. The way Christians speak and what they say is also an important topic to James; not boasting of yourself, not gossiping, not backbiting, not causing harm to other Christians, etc. as John Gill pointed out.

Then, James defines pure religion, as he calls it, as actions you do, in particular caring for the widows and orphans in the church and keeping oneself from the filth of the world’s ways. This is not necessarily about a works religion but your faith being expressed in more than just your words and declarations. This is a very important point for James.

Bible Study on Genesis 19, verses 4 to 11, the evil designs of the men of Sodom

 

Genesis 19:4 ¶  But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter: 5  And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them. 6  And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him, 7  And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly. 8  Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof. 9  And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door. 10  But the men put forth their hand, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut to the door. 11  And they smote the men that were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great: so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

Compassed means to encircle, to surround, which is obvious from the phrase compassed the house round.

Joshua 6:11  So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.

All people from every quarter doesn’t necessarily mean every single person in the city. Common sense tells us this but also the Bible itself uses two definitions of all. There is all without exception as in the following where it is God’s desire that all humanity be saved but we know that many reject Him.

1Timothy 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Then, there is all without distinction. Instead of saying men came from every quarter, as we would, Moses writes it the way he did. Notice a similar passage in that regard here as we doubt that every single person in Judaea came to the Jordan so that the land itself was empty of people. It is simply not to be understood that way;

Mark 1:5  And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

Or here next we don’t expect that every single person in the village or town was at the door but that people came from everywhere.

Mark 1:33  And all the city was gathered together at the door.

We use this type of hyperbole when we say, “everyone,” often meaning not that there is no one who doesn’t but simply referencing many.

These people want to know Lot’s guests, clearly demanding that they be delivered to be gang-raped as in the later case where a gang of thugs representing the town of Gibeah of Benjamin behaved badly.

Judges 19:25  But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

To our amazement and disgust, Lot offers his two virgin daughters instead. This reflects the baseness of this ancient culture, certainly not reflecting well upon Lot. We get an idea of the degeneracy of Sodom’s culture in this scene and the careless value placed on the sex act and the worth of women. But we also get a glimpse of the importance and the honor placed on hospitality and how one felt responsible for the welfare of the stranger one took into his house. The example of depravity only gets worse.

The mob rejects Lot’s offer and casts disparaging comments on his time as a judge, sitting in the gate, obviously resenting his, a foreigner’s, presence. They promise to do worse to him for not complying with their collective will than with the men they want delivered to them. This is about power and domination, not sexual desire. Rape, heterosexual or homosexual, is unfinished murder, an exercise of power and domination over another, not simply out-of-control lust.

Before things get bad for Lot the angels, the men, rescue Lot and strike the crowd blind but they are in a full fury and rage now and still try to get at the door through which Lot has been saved. This suggests that the blindness affected their ability to see the door, not that all their vision just went black, as they are still trying to force the door, apparently, and just can’t find it now.

In verses 4 and 9 we have examples of how the word even is used for two things that are the same thing in the phrases the men of the city, even the men of Sodom and the man, even Lot. Remember a past example of this type of the use of even.

Genesis 6:17  And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

Bible Study on James 1, verses 13 to 18, the Father of lights

 

James 1:13 ¶  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16  Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

I’ve already spoken of how to take the meaning of verse 13. Again, though;

James 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: [with evil, of course, as the verse is to be understood].

 

We are tested and tempted when we ourselves are drawn away from God by our own lusts, enticing as bait for a fish. Lust births sin and sin, when it completes its work, leads to death. James warns us that good comes from God, that which leads us in our walk with Him, showing that what our lusts produces is the opposite of what God faithfully offers us without fail. We are His offspring and a sort of firstfruits of all of His creatures. Consider these verses.

 

1John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

Romans 6:23  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Colossians 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

We are born again by the will of God Himself.

John 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

We are not tried or tested by God with the expected and desired result of watching us fall but we are tempted by our own lusts and God is not the author of such. Do not accuse God of sin, as one commentator said. God tests us to prove us, to strengthen us, and to give us more resolve, not to destroy us.

Hebrews 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, 18  Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called: 19  Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Bible Study on Genesis 19, verses 1 to 3, there came two angels

 

Genesis 19:1 ¶  And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2  And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. 3  And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

The two angels that were with the Lord went on to the city. Angels are not strange manlike creatures with wings. They look like men when not representing the church or something else.

Revelation 21:17  And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

Daniel 9:21  Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Luke 1:26  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

 Lot sat in the gate indicating that he had become a judge in Sodom to judge disputes and help manage the city’s affairs. Sitting in the gate as a position of judgment is defined in the Bible. It was a place to meet with the elders of a city.

Deuteronomy 21:19  Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

It was a place of the king’s authority.

2Samuel 15:2  And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

2Samuel 19:8  Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, Behold, the king doth sit in the gate. And all the people came before the king: for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

1Kings 22:10  And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a void place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

The mention of the gate is equivalent to the deciding of judgment.

Amos 5:15  Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate: it may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph.

So, in the following, often misunderstood verses because Christians are not taught to cross-reference verses anymore due to the proliferation of humanistic Bible versions that eliminate cross-references, the gates of hell is a reference to the judgment that casts one into perdition. This judgment will not affect the true church of Christ. The church is established upon Peter’s confession of faith, upon Jesus Christ, the Rock (1Corinthians 10:4).

Matthew 16:15  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Lot’s concern for these foreigners is quite apparent. They must not lodge in the street, for we know that it was a dangerous place, probably no less dangerous than a street in Baltimore, The Bronx, or Chicago today. This type of thing is shown again in Gibeah in Judges 19 as I’ve already mentioned.

Bible Study on James 1, verses 2 to 12, part 3, pray for wisdom and understanding

 

PART THREE For verse 5, I always suggest that people pray for wisdom and understanding before reading or studying God’s word as He promises to do that. That does not mean that you can’t be in error in your interpretation but you will be amazed at how God applies His word to your life and even to your immediate circumstances if you care to hear from Him through your spirit from His Spirit.

James goes on to say to have confidence in the knowledge that God gives you and don’t fail to believe because a person of two minds who is never sure can’t expect to receive anything from God. Having humility in what you think God has given you and being uncertain and constantly wavering are two different things. The latter person is inconstant in their ways and not knowing God’s word is unsure if what they feel that God has given them, that spiritual wisdom and understanding, is true or a figment of their own imagination.

Matthew 7:7 ¶  Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8  For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9  Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10  Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

John 14:13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Let the poor man rejoice when he is lifted up and let the rich man rejoice when he is brought low as our physical bodies are all events in space-time and like the grass we wither away.

To reinforce a doctrine, again, temptations have been mentioned on many occasions. The word temptations here is not a reference to our modern notion of being tempted by something like gazing at the air-brushed images on the magazine rack in the grocery store or gossiping. This, in context, is about the traps that are out there that encourage us, attempt to trick us even, to defile our worship of God. A temptation urges us to worship it rather than God. It is also a trial, suffering, and grief that causes us to doubt our faith. In fact, it is anything that damages our faith and trust in God.

 

A personal disaster and grief, persecution for one’s faith, elevating something like sex, education, employment, or material possessions above God, and sin itself are temptations to turn away from the faith. But Paul comforted us with this in reference to worshipping idols but, I think, applicable to all temptations.

 

Again; 1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. 14  Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

 

The crown of life mentioned here is one of several crowns mentioned in the New Testament. Modern fundamentalists often refer to these as physical crowns the believers receive while older commentators like John Gill insist that these are symbolic of eternal life and eternal happiness in Christ’s presence, not physical headpieces.

1Corinthians 9:25  And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

John writes about crowns.

Revelation 3:11  Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Paul, James, and Peter talk about crowns.

Philippians 4:1  Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

1Thessalonians 2:19  For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?

2Timothy 4:8  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

1Peter 5:4  And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

Are these crowns figurative, metaphors for the glory we await or are they literal crowns that can be removed as in the following verse?

Revelation 4:10  The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne…

Or is it just these elders who have physical crowns of authority and rule?

Bible Study on Genesis 18, verses 16 to 33, part 2, the iniquity of Sodom

 

PART TWO Sodom is guilty of great wickedness.

Ezekiel 16:49  Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. 50  And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.

We will be shocked at the homosexual gang rape threatened by the men of Sodom coming soon but the Bible shows this wickedness was not unique to Sodom. The men of Gibeah, Israelites of the tribe of Benjamin, will threaten the same and then commit heterosexual rape and murder on a Levite’s concubine in Judges 19. We must understand that this world’s religious and social system was fraught with sexuality and power/domination rituals such as gang rape to enforce the power of a group of people over even a stranger passing through.

From Sodom we get the word sodomite for a male temple prostitute in contrast to a whore which denotes a female temple prostitute.

Deuteronomy 23:17  There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.18  Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

Even today, in some quarters, a male prostitute is called a dog in slang.

Men would enter a pagan temple in the Ancient Near East and toss a coin into a temple prostitute’s lap to have sex with them as part of their worship of Baal and Ishtar. Greek writers, Herodotus and Lucian, tell us of this practice as a symbol of Ishtar’s union with Tammuz. It is evident from the Bible that this was the form of worship that God abhorred and wanted erased.

So, Sodom was proud, rich, lazy, and without compassion for the poor, passing on the perverted religious practices of the age that probably started at Babel or even more likely from the fallen sons of God in the Pre-Flood world who found the daughters of men desirable. It is even noted in some sources that every woman who came of age was expected to visit a temple to act as a religious prostitute at least once.

Temple prostitution even plays a part in the Greco-Roman world of Paul and the early Christians. Certainly, the thousand short-haired temple prostitutes at the Temple of Aphrodite in nearby Acro-Corinth had an impact on the Corinthians church’s requirement that their women have long-hair so as not to be confused with a temple prostitute. Read 1Corinthians 11:1-16 but pay attention to verse 16 that shows this was not necessarily an issue with other Christian churches.

Abraham pleads with God most likely for the sake of his nephew, Lot, and God promises that if there are just ten righteous men in this city he will spare it. Apparently, even that is too much to ask of Sodom. Lot, who it is later revealed is disgusted by the behavior of the people of the city he has chosen to abide in, will be saved from its judgment.

2Peter 2:6  And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 ¶  And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8  (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9  The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

Bible Study on James 1, verses 2 to 12, part 2, temptations

 

PART TWO reference Luke reading In these things, Satan tempted Christ with the lust of the flesh regarding hunger [see Deuteronomy 12:15 for lust and hunger], the lust of the eyes regarding power and glory of man’s kingdom, and the pride of life with the temptation to display His supernatural power.

 

These are types of the temptation that disobedience to God put in the hearts and minds, the spirits, of Adam and Eve.

 

Genesis 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

 

It is what the Christian must face and oppose to truly love and serve God.

 

1John 2:15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh [good for food], and the lust of the eyes [pleasant to the eyes] , and the pride of life [a tree to be desired to make one wise], is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

In addition to James’ thoughts on the matter Paul gave us a promise as quoted earlier.

1Corinthians 10:13  There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Such a test of your faith is designed to create patience, the longsuffering attitude that makes you useful for God, in the face of an evil world.

Verse 4 defines perfect as complete, lacking nothing.

2Chronicles 8:16  Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD, and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.

Colossians 4:12  Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Bible Study on Genesis 18, verses 16 to 33, if I find in Sodom fifty righteous

 

Genesis 18:16 ¶  And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom: and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way. 17  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; 18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? 19  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him. 20  And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; 21  I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know. 22  And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

18:23 ¶  And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? 24  Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? 26  And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. 27  And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: 28  Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. 29  And he spake unto him yet again, and said, Peradventure there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty’s sake. 30  And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Peradventure there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. 31  And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Peradventure there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty’s sake. 32  And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake. 33  And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left communing with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

First, God acknowledges that Abraham will become a mighty nation, a people, he will command his family to faithfulness to the Lord, and he and his family will be faithful to God. Through the people that come from Abraham the entire world will be blessed. As we know, through Abraham the entire world was given the opportunity to know the God who created them even most chose instead a mythical god or gods to worship who reflected their own morality, their own political views, their own culture, fear, paranoia, and bigotry. Many who worship in churches, mosques, temples, and synagogues today are simply worshipping a reflection of themselves rather than the God who actually created them and all things.

God here gives Abraham an opportunity to plead for mercy for the small number of people who may not deserve the judgment Abraham knows Sodom so richly has earned.