Hebrews chapter 7 comments; Melchisedec, Aaron, and Christ

 

Hebrews 7:1 ¶  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him; 2  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually. 4  Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 5  And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham: 6  But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises. 7  And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 8  And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. 9  And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10  For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him.

 

Here is the scene as revealed in Genesis.

 

Genesis 14:18  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. 19  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: 20  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

 

By suggesting that Christ is a type of Melchisedec, Paul has made it so that He is of an order higher than that of Aaron and the priests as He is a king AND a priest. There is no mention of the king of Salem’s genealogy or his lifespan. Christ, as the Son of God, or God in the flesh ultimately needs no geneaology like the Aaronic priesthood to justify Himself. It is Melchisedec’s priesthood that has no beginning or end, as Christ’s is in type, not his life, ancient commentators propose, as reported by John Gill.

 

Psalm 110:4  The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

 

Paul likens the tithes that Abraham paid to Melchizedek as equivalent to the Levitical priests making that tithe and honoring Melchizedek and Christ in type long before the priests were even born.

 

Hebrews 7:11 ¶  If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 12  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. 13  For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar. 14  For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 15  And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, 16  Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life. 17  For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. 18  For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. 19  For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 20  And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: 21  (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 22  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. 23  And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: 24  But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. 25  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 26  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27  Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. 28  For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

 

In a classic argument for Dispensationalism Paul expresses his idea that the Aaronic priesthood was valid only in the time that the Law given to Moses was in force for the Hebrews, before Christ’s resurrection. Christ then continues the eternal priesthood of Melchisedec. The New Testament is now in force, not the Old.

 

Galatians 3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

26  For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

 

The Hebrew priests were men with all of the faults of men. Look at Eli and his sons. Christ is perfection, without blame or spot. This was foretold and promised in Psalm 110:4, noted previously, that a priest after the order of Melchisedec would come, to take the place of the Aaronic priesthood. In addition, the priesthood of Aaron was of the tribe of Levi and yet Christ arose from the tribe of Judah of which there is no mention of a priesthood arising from.

 

Genesis 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

 

The priests, being mere men, made sacrifices continually for the Israelites’ sins, but Christ, being perfect and eternal, made one sacrifice of Himself for the sins of mankind, which was sufficient for all eternity.

 

 

Bible Study with Fred, Mark 12, verses 28 to 34, part 2, love the Lord thy God

 

30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

You must first love God with everything you have. That is the foundation upon which everything else is predicated. “This is the first commandment” regardless of how many modern Bible versions delete those words.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

The question for the Christian is how is the love for God manifested? What is evidence that a Christian loves God? Some would tell you that it means following the orders of the church organization’s ruler’s in Rome. Some would say that it means doing what your Pastor tells you to do. Some would say that it means complying with their own personal convictions or doing what they tell you to do and supporting their convictions, beliefs, and calling with your money, time, and service.

There are those who say that dying for the cause of Christ proves your love. However, if you died as a martyr simply because you believed that earned you a “ticket to heaven” does that mean that you love God? Or yourself?

What are the physical manifestations, the physical evidence that a person loves the Lord their God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength? The apostle John said it clearly.

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

This idea ties the first and greatest commandment to the second. One proof of the love for God is revealed in how you love your neighbor. There’s no way around it. If you love God as you say you do, then love your neighbor. In the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10, one’s neighbor is said to be whomever he encounters. Anyone is your neighbor.

But, you say, my brother or sister in Christ, and my neighbor are not necessarily the same. Paul and James reinforce this command, however.

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

For the Christian, caring for people other than yourself, whether in the body of Christ or without, is the evidence that you love God. It is not your profession of faith. It is your active love for others. Christians, who for purposes of political ideology, profess a disdain for charitable, as in voluntary, giving because “those people” whomever “those people” are don’t deserve it, or who will not help someone or care for someone or do good for someone because they aren’t in agreement with them should not profess they love God. They don’t.

1Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:

31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

This is the second commandment. You can’t please God by denying Him and then going off to do good works, to save children in Africa, etc. etc. You must first love God, then your neighbor. I spent fourteen years as a Christian before I understood that I did not love God. It took my daughter’s suicide note to make me realize that she, in her agony, could make a profession that I, who remained alive, could not.

Then, later, I read John Wesley’s sermon, “The Almost Christian”. Now, I am certain that I was saved by Christ back on March 19, 1986 but, like most Christians, I was immediately taken prisoner of war by Satan in full collusion with my flesh. I was useless. My daughter had received Christ as her Saviour on October 7, 1990 but I had spiritually neglected her and starved her. As God’s representative in her life I had failed to ever point toward God. To her, as she cried out, God had abandoned her, in spite of her love for Him. That was because I had spiritually abandoned her. It is a great evil that “Christian” parents commit. It was her death that woke me up. What a horrible price to pay, what a horrible wakeup call. Don’t need God to break you in order to understand.

First, God, then others. It’s a circle. Loving others is evidence you love God. Hatred, paranoia, fear, bigotry, and constant anger are not evidence you love God. Oh, yeah, and your “self” is not mentioned. The key to healthy children and healthy adults is not self-esteem. It is other-esteem. The key to proving your love for Christ is found in your attitude and behavior toward other people.

32 And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

“There is one God” regardless of how many modern Bible versions delete those words based on a few corrupt Egyptian manuscripts.

Proverbs 24:7-10 comments; in the day of adversity

 

Proverbs 24:7 ¶ Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate. 8 He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person. 9 The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.

The fool has nothing to say, particularly in the place of judgment, which I’ve shown in previous Proverbs was the gate. In fact, “the gate” or gates is a place of judgment.

Deuteronomy 16:18 Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

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.

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.

Zechariah 8:16 These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:

This should give you a heads up for what this verse means in Matthew;

Matthew 16:18 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.

The very thought of foolishness is sin and the evil person shall be called mischievous. It is a statement on our world today that these words have been downgraded to mean so very little. We’ve already discussed previously what a scorner is and in these verses he is also shown to be a fool. He is proud and even haughty and is someone who deals in proud wrath (Proverbs 21:24). And when he leaves, contention goes with him (Proverbs 22:10). He will not hear rebuke and can’t be corrected (Proverbs 13:1).

 

Proverbs 24:10 ¶ If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

This is an indictment of most of us who go through troubling times. We are told we are sick and its possibly life threatening and instead of running around the doctor’s office and praising God that we’re going to get to go home, maybe, we cry and plead with God to keep us HERE for some more time with our loved ones who should be going where we’re going anyway if we’ve done our duty so our parting will be only a brief moment in time. But, the Bible gives us an example of that sentiment so we don’t feel too bad about our worry.

Philippians 1:21 ¶ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. 23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: 24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

Again, we are jobless, perhaps, or in dire financial straits for other reasons and instead of simply resting in Christ when He has promised us;

Philippians 4:19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

We worry and fret about how we’re going to pay bills we didn’t ask God if it was alright for us to accrue in the first place, for material possessions that were a reflection of our worship of Self rather than God’s will. And yet, God has always provided what we actually needed to survive and to glorify Him.

And again, we find that we have a chronic illness. Perhaps it’s aging. Perhaps something debilitating when we are younger and desire to be more active. We are told;

2 Corinthians 12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

But, our usual response might be self-pity, worry, and a constant looking to modern medicine to relieve the symptoms of our disorder. Now, it’s human to be concerned, to worry. I was raised by two worrywarts and that tends to rub off onto you. But, even in the death of a loved one, a child, for instance, or a spouse, we have this;

1 Thessalonians 4:13 ¶ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

 

The hymn goes, “I hear the Savior say, Thy strength indeed is small, Child of weakness, Watch and Pray, Find in me thine all in all….”

When adversity arrives, and for many of us, it has been a guest in our homes for many years, that is when our faith is an example to others who are not saved. All of your church attendance, soul winning, and passing out tracts will pale in comparison to the effect your witness has when you are facing tribulation in faith and hope and expectation of God’s mercy and justice and grace. It is very difficult to put on a happy face especially in troubles that you know you could have done more to prevent, that are so much your own fault. Perhaps you smoked for dozens of years, or drank alcohol, or didn’t take advantage of opportunities you had to put your financial house in order, eat properly, exercise, or take care of your health, or any one of a number of things but now, here you are, face to face with trouble.

 

When the day of adversity comes that’s when the truth or falsehood of your proclamations of your faith in Christ are made apparent. We have no strength within ourselves. Our strength is Christ. Will you be a witness to His mercy and goodness in the day of adversity or will you be just like every other human being in the world with nothing to look forward to beyond death’s door but the misery of Hell and the Lake of Fire? I suppose the question can be asked, if you faint in the day of adversity, did you really believe at all? There are two things that reveal faith or faithlessness more than any others. One, is your willingness to take wrong and not to seek revenge. Two, is your faith and joy in the day of adversity. I think if you examine yourself closely, you’ll find that most Christians fall short in some way. Thank God that He understands.

Mark 12:28-34 comments, part 1, The Lord our God is one Lord

 

Mark 12:28 ¶  And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29  And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: 30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. 32  And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: 33  And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 34  And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.

28 ¶ And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Of the many possible reasons that modernists remove “of all the commandments” from this verse in their Bibles is possibly the desire to deny the fact that there is only one God, one Lord. But, besides getting a copyright who can say what their motives for altering and removing verses are? See Deuteronomy 6:4.

Deuteronomy 6:4 ¶ Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

First step. There is one God. Here is where I part company with the hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy,” with its line “God in three persons, blessed Trinity.” The trinity is the three parts of one person, one God.

God consists of three parts, as we and the higher animals do.

God has a soul, the seat of self-identity and self-will.

Leviticus 26:11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.

Psalm 11:5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.

Isaiah 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.

You know that God has a Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit also called the Holy Ghost (a spirit and a ghost do not have physical bodies bound by the laws of nature). We also know that God the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ is the body of God, the visible image of the invisible God.

2Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

An image is the appearance of someone as made clear in Genesis.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…

Just as an angel is the presence of someone or something which is actually somewhere else.

Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

When angels don’t represent something like a church it appears as a man and there are no angels with wings in the Bible.

Judges 13:6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:

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 1:19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

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.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the angel of God, the angel or appearance of the Lord.

Judges 13:21 But the angel of the LORD did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD. 22 And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

Judges 6:22 And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face. 23 And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Acts 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

Judges 2:1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Humans also have a body, soul, and spirit.

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Man’s spirit is how he knows God if his spirit has been made alive and how he is known by God.

Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Animals can have souls or self-identity and will as opposed to simply reacting to chemical and light and heat stimuli like we assume an earthworm would.

Numbers 31:28 And levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war which went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep:

Job 12:10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

They also have spirits.

Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

Back to the trinity. The three parts of God can, unlike ours, act physically independently of each other. We die if they are separated in us.

Mark 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

1John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

I have shown that these three parts of God are still God but distinct in their actions and purposes. It is only by faith in His perfection in the flesh and in His resurrection from the dead as a man in the flesh that we can have eternal life. But, God is one, that’s the point of this passage.

Proverbs 24:5,6 comments; by wise counsel

 

Proverbs 24:5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength. 6 For by wise counsel thou shalt make thy war: and in multitude of counsellors there is safety.

John Gill points out that you can sometimes do by wisdom and strength what strength alone won’t accomplish.

Ecclesiastes 9:13 ¶ This wisdom have I seen also under the sun, and it seemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it: 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Gill goes on to say that with the knowledge of Christ and growing closer and closer to Him one should grow stronger and stronger.

Seek out the wise counsel of the Bible to wage spiritual war against sin and wickedness in your life. Cross reference verse by verse and seek out a multitude of counselors.

Matthew Henry says that as you grow in the knowledge of Christ you grow in grace.

2Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Colossians 1:9 ¶ For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

In the Bible, the Holy Spirit uses images of war to relate to our struggle in the spiritual world. In fact, the Christians warfare is not carnal or of the flesh. We are not to wage war with weapons like the world does…

 

2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

…. but with the sword of the Spirit, which are the words of God, and prayer, with God speaking to you through it and you speaking to God.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Again, as a sword that wages war spiritually…

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The more victory you have over sin the more Satan wants to crush you. As you draw closer to God in Christ through His words in this Book you will find defeat on the side of you that must live in the world. Job loss, heartbreak, grief, bankruptcy, friendlessness, disease, accidents, and alienation from those you love can come at any time and for many reasons; some of which are your fault and some of which are not. As the Lord gives you more and more of Him the world has less and less use for you. Waging this spiritual war becomes more difficult in the flesh because of the demands of the flesh. But, you aren’t supposed to war in the flesh.

 

It’s hard to imagine yourself having victory when you are unemployed and the only options that seem to be available to you are jobs that won’t support anyone living outside of a lean-to in the woods. It’s hard to imagine victory when your every concern for others is tainted by your own personality defects and fear. It’s hard to imagine victory when you can’t even support yourself much less those who depend on you. It’s hard to imagine victory when you’re sick, growing older and weaker, and struggling with the flesh’s eventual downfall.

But, it’s in those times when victory is at hand, nearby, and just ahead. When you step back from your trials, which may be 90% your own fault from past sinfulness and years of wrong thinking, or you may be a casualty of a changing world and your growing older. But, when you step back from your trials and tribulations and examine yourself spiritually you may find that you are growing closer to God, that you are hungering more for the things of God as the things of the world grow dimmer and dimmer. You may find that victory is in your grasp because God is handing it to you. He has won the victory for you, changing your attitude toward sin and self.

You might find, as you wage this war of the soul, that a wise man or woman is strong and a man or woman of knowledge increases their strength, that with Christ’s wisdom you can win this war and with the over 31,000 verses in HIS Bible you have an abundance of counselors and that by just reading it and hearing it read and preached He will speak to you about things that have no relation to the list of names in 1st Chronicles or the construction of the tabernacle in Exodus, but by the reading of God’s very words, believing, and submitting to them God will give you the war, the victory won in Christ.

Psalm 101 comments; reject wickedness and the wicked

 

Psalm 101:1 ¶  «A Psalm of David.» I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. 2  I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. 3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. 4  A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person. 5  Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. 6  Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. 7  He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. 8  I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.

 

David makes some big promises here, well intentioned, but ambitious, nonetheless. He is, indeed, a man after God’s own heart (1Samuel 13:14). He seeks to be a just ruler.

 

2Samuel 8:15 ¶  And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

 

Proverbs 20:28 ¶  Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

 

When I was young I wanted to attend the United States Air Force Academy and even was awarded a congressional nomination to it although, in the end, the Academy turned me down due to my S.A.T. Math scores not being high enough. Still, part of their honor code goes like this, “I will not lie, steal, or cheat, nor tolerate anyone among us who does.”

 

Since the 1960s, though, statements like this have become politically incorrect in our day-to-day world. In the 1990s when President Clinton was having his day of scandal one party kept saying that character didn’t matter. This would have been unthinkable to say even a generation before that time. 

 

Would it were that Christians today would hold themselves to a high moral standard as well as those around them! I was taught in a philosophy class in college that ethics are what a society aspires to while morals are how they actually live. If a society’s ethics are high and they reach toward them in spite of failing they are a healthy society. But when ethics are dragged down to the level of morals the society is sick. We live in a sick society which cares not for a standard at all.

 

Our Founders, the Founders of this country, lived in a world where they wanted the right to do what they ought to do. We live in a world where people just demand the right to do whatever they want.

 

We should not tolerate wickedness or wicked people. We should pray for them, try to convince them of their error, but they should never be in office, on the school board, or in any kind of leadership position. Will we set no wicked thing before our eyes, live to a high standard, and demand a high standard of those around us while still having compassion for those who have fallen? What kind of people are we Christians in America today? Are we more Cultural Marxist than Christian? Are we more libertines than moral people. I ask you to consider your attitude toward sin and toward those who wickedly proclaim it as their manner of living.

Mark 12:18-27 comments; He is the God of the living

 

Mark 12:18 ¶  Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, 19  Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 20  Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. 21  And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise. 22  And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also. 23  In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife. 24  And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? 25  For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. 26  And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27  He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

18 ¶ Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, 19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. 21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise. 22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also. 23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.

Here, on the authority of a small number of corrupt manuscripts, modern versions delete “therefore, when they shall rise,” mirroring the Gnostic heresy that there is no physical resurrection of the dead.

The Sadducees, here, are said to not believe in a resurrection of the dead either. In Acts we learn that the Sadducee is like the modern Christian who thinks the Judeo-Christian tradition is good for our country but doesn’t believe in the supernatural, who believes the Bible contains a positive moral code but doesn’t believe in inspiration or preservation, and the philosophical Christian who, like one of America’s founding generation, Thomas Jefferson, doesn’t believe the deity of Christ or any miracle.

Acts 23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

The Sadducees want to expose Christ’s teaching to the ridicule of the skeptic. Perhaps they believed He’d say something like the woman was the wife of all of the men in eternity or make some pronouncement about spiritual marriage like the Mormons do today. Whatever they thought He would say they were sorely mistaken.

The modern skeptic will say something smarmy about angels with wings and ask you if you’ve ever seen one or know anyone who has seen an angel like John Travolta in the movie Michael and do you really believe in these creatures? They’ll ask the question, not for an answer, but for an opportunity to ridicule.

24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? 25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.

Marriage is an earthly institution, an orderly way by which man and woman come together in the flesh. It is an institution bound by a physical body of flesh. Physical offspring are often the result, even the intended result, of many marriages. The alternative is sin, fornication, in having no regard for the gravity of child-rearing or a commitment for life. Most American Christians mistake government sanction of the arrangement for the institution ordained by God. Yet, they are two completely different things which only come together by the common use of the word “marriage” which doesn’t mean the same thing to the Bible believer as it does to the government, and never has.

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.

Spiritual beings exist under a totally different set of rules which we can’t possibly understand in this finite frame in which we live. The resurrection body will not be driven by the same forces that complicate so many of our lives, not pushed by the same needs, and urges. Jesus makes it clear that marriage is an earthly institution, although ordained by God, but still confined to the realm of the flesh.

The Sadducees weren’t prepared for this answer.

As for angels, there are no angels with wings in the Bible. An angel is an appearance of someone who is someplace else.

Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

It can be either the physical appearance of a spiritual being such as God Himself.

Judges 2:1 And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Acts 27:23 For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Jesus Christ, who is the visible image of the invisible God, is the angel of God.

Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

Galatians 4:14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

It can be the appearance of a physical being in the spiritual world.

Matthew 18:10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Satan is not a fallen angel. He is a cherub.

Ezekiel 28:14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

The cherubim are beast-like creatures, probably the prototypes for all living things. Read Ezekiel, chapters 1 and 10.

Ezekiel 10:20 This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the river of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

They surround the throne of God in the spiritual realm of heaven.

Revelation 4: 6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

Jesus accused the Sadducees of not knowing the Scriptures and it is easy to see that most Christians today have the same problem with reading comprehension and a hard heart that the Sadducees had.

26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Here, Christ blasts their lack of belief in a resurrection. God’s dead are alive in the spiritual world. They will receive resurrection bodies. It is the doctrine of the Adoption.

Romans 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

Proverbs 24:3,4 comments; precious and pleasant riches

 

Proverbs 24:3 ¶ Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established: 4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

First, we need to clear up this mess about how a house is defined in the Bible. The word is often used in reference to a family comparing it to a building even though it can be just the physical structure based on the context. But, the first mention of the word house in any form is;

Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

That verse did not say that Noah was to bring his three bedroom one story ranch style home into the Ark. It was talking about his family. And again;

Exodus 1:21 And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

And again, God did not provide low interest loans for the midwives to build two story colonials in the Egyptian suburbs. He gave them their own families. Now, on to the New Testament and the covenant under which Christians operate. While once again you can have house mean the structure in which you live or in which you live and in which you have your church body meet for worship and all of the churches met in someone’s house in the New Testament as there were no separate buildings set aside for church until late in the second century. Here, a pastor or bishop is to rule his own family well.

1Timothy 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

And here,

1Timothy 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

The wife has the responsibility for guiding the family as the husband would have traditionally had to work although remember, as it was in our own colonial days, the family was a basic unit of production, whereas now it is considered a basic unit of consumption. If you are really conservative you’d find some cottage industry that you could do from home and sell to the community or the world with the family working together. This was true in ancient Rome as it was in Colonial America. The idea of father going off to work in town while wife stayed home and dusted is new, not traditional. The predominant industry in our country’s earliest days was agriculture and the goods were produced in the home for use by the family and the surplus was sold if a town was nearby. When the industrial revolution hit us full force everything was turned upside down. The family life that most of you all think of as traditional today is a relatively new invention.

 

But the Proverb points out that by wisdom a house or family is built and established by understanding. The Christian family must be built on the wisdom that is Christ. Christ must be the center of the home and everything done is for His glory and honor.

Job 32:8 But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

For a Christian family to be established, God has to give them understanding. None of this is accomplished by your good intentions. It is accomplished by your reliance upon and submission to the words of God read and heard from this Book and preached in sermons heard regularly lest your own flesh carry you off in your reading into some heretical thinking. Preaching should steer us on a straight course but the Bible itself is the vehicle in which we travel.

The church is not the building. It is the people.

1Corinthians 10:32 Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:

1Corinthians 14:23a If therefore the whole church be come together into one place,

1Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The confusion comes because there are verses that liken the family to a structure, a house, and the church as a structure. It’s certainly not improper to talk about going to church but we have to always know what we’re talking about lest we confuse the church, the people, with that ecclesiastical organization in the Vatican. Remember, the individual Christian is the temple of the Holy Ghost.

 

1Corinthians 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

The word, chamber, refers to a room in a physical house.

Genesis 43:30 And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there.

So, the Holy Spirit can use references to a physical structure of a physical house to show us how we, the church, the body of Christ on earth are to be built. Precious and pleasant riches is a beautiful statement of how a church, a part of God’s family, the body of Christ on earth, is by His knowledge to be decorated and filled. God’s word is precious. Worship is precious and pleasant to God. Our testimony is precious and pleasant to God. Our mouths should be filled with praise and thanksgiving. These things are pleasant and precious to God. Our hearts should be filled with the love for God in Christ. That is precious and pleasant to God. Our prayers are precious and pleasant. We all, individually, come together at regular times as the body of Christ to worship as a group. This is precious and pleasant to God. The knowledge of God is the only lasting knowledge, the only knowledge of eternal value. By this knowledge we will fill our rooms.

So, we have seen how Christians are likened to a body with arms and legs, hands and feet, with the head as Christ in heaven, and we have seen how the body of Christ, the church, the house of God, is likened to a home with windows, doors, a floor and walls, with rooms filled with precious and pleasant things. Is that not beautiful or what?

We are told also to think on certain things.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

We are told what is the proof of or the fruit of the Spirit of God if it truly dwells inside of us.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

So, let us build this house with God’s wisdom, establish it with God’s understanding, and fill its rooms by the knowledge of God with the pleasant and precious riches of His word, and the sweet things that God holds as valuable and good. It will be filled to overflowing, you can be sure.

Mark 12: 13-17 comments; render unto Caesar

 

Mark 12:13 ¶  And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words. 14  And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? 15  Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16  And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. 17  And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

13 ¶ And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.

The fundamentalists and the politically oriented religious party try to catch Him. Just imagine what it looked like to God when Pensacola Christian College testified against Kent Hovind, consorting with the IRS to imprison an evangelist who had had great success in debating against evolution. PCC and the Federal Government are far apart in their beliefs but united in attacking someone working for Christ.

14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

Here is the question for us in this time. Do we pay taxes or not? Is not the authority unlawful and isn’t the IRS illegal according to our Constitution? Yes, it is. Wasn’t the amendment that permitted taxing our income the way it is done gotten by lying and corruption? Yes, it was.

15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. 16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. 17 And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.

Here is your answer. You might refuse to pay your taxes for personal reasons, as a form of rebellion. Maybe it’s a form of protest. But don’t refuse to pay your taxes and use God as an excuse. You register your church as a tax-exempt organization so you can get your people to donate money to your church organization so that they can deduct it from their taxes. You make your church an agent of the state and, in essence, ask the IRS’ permission for certain allowances, and then you complain. Once you make yourself an agent of the state you have no right to complain about the state (government). If Christians didn't participate in the credit economy and seek tax exemptions and the same benefits as everyone else from Caesar, in other words if they didn't support the corrupt system by helping to bankroll it these issues wouldn't arise.

What is Caesar’s? Anything he wants to take since he has the force to take it. If you don’t like the tax code, work to change it through the courts. Don’t refuse to pay. Don’t shoot the tax collector. If you choose to enter into a barter arrangement don't trumpet it and draw attention to yourself.

What is God’s?

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

These aren’t taxable.

What is not Caesar’s? Worship of the king or of the state is not Caesar’s. This is something American Christians seem to be misguided on. Your children belong to God. They are not Caesar’s. You are responsible for their education in God and if you surrender them to the state you are wicked and worship the state. The state has no regard for God. If you turn your children over to the state you are willing to have the Godless civil religion indoctrinate your children against God.

Pay your taxes, obey the laws that don’t go against your commission to preach the Risen Saviour to the lost, educate your children in Christ, pray privately, read your Bible, live in a Godly fashion, or display the fruits (proofs) of the Spirit of God in you.

Psalm 30 comments; thou hast healed me

 

Psalm 30:1 ¶  «A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David.» I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me. 2  O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me. 3  O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. 4  Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

 

Extol means to lift up in praise which is contrasted with the Lord lifting up David in saving him from his enemies. Here also in verse 1 we see how a Psalm is linked as synonymous with a Song in the introduction. Remember also Psalm 18.

 

Psalm 18:1  «To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said,» I will love thee, O LORD, my strength.

 

Many times after this a Psalm will be called a Song.

 

Some Jewish commentators, because David did not build the Temple himself but Solomon did, suggest that this is a dedication of David’s dynasty to purge it from sin after Absalom’s rebellion. The conspirators were destroyed and the civil war ended. David cried out to God and God delivered him from the grave.

 

Verse 5 can be thought of prophetically of the sorrows of life and the joy of resurrection or the rapture of the church although we must be careful of the order of things in verses 4 and 5 as the church is delivered from God’s wrath upon the earth. This is a hymn of praise and thanksgiving we can remember in times of difficulty.

 

Psalm 30:6 ¶  And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved. 7  LORD, by thy favour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong: thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. 8  I cried to thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication. 9  What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise thee? shall it declare thy truth? 10  Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper. 11  Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; 12  To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

 

At the height of David’s glory and power he declared that he would never be moved from it and in that pride he experienced great trouble. He acknowledged that God had made him what he was and when it seemed like God had turned away from him David was worried. He cried to God what good is it to you if your anointed dies. He pleaded for mercy and God responded favorably. David is one very thankful king.

 

This would be a positive prayer for us to adapt to our situation in times of great stress, coming to God in our humility putting our pride aside.