Author: Charlie Garrett

Acts 13:50

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Looking out window of Vermont State Capitol.

Monday, 30 January 2023

But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. Acts 13:50

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

The previous verse noted that “the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region.” Because the gospel is a message of freedom, and because Satan and his followers hate freedom, blowback from the apostle’s efforts was inevitable. This had repeatedly been the case since the first proclamation of the gospel by Peter in Acts 2. With the successful efforts of Paul and Barnabas in the region, the resulting antagonistic attitude of the opposition grew. Luke now records who was behind it, beginning with, “But the Jews.”

The contrast between Paul and Barnabas, who are both Jews, and “the Jews” noted here is bold and striking. Despite being Jews, Paul and Barnabas have a message to convey that goes beyond the Jewish people. The Jews do not. Their message is one of bondage. If there are those who are not Jews who accept their message, they are brought into a position of subservience, not freedom.

On the other hand, the message of Jesus allows people to remain who they are in a manner that is not seen in the message of the Jews. The gospel calls for a change in heart toward God, and it is offered to anyone of any station in life. This is not the case with the Jews as is seen in the next words. They “stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city.”

The Jews did not go out into the streets and alleys and proclaim freedom from sin. Instead, they established themselves in a city, brought their religion with them, and allowed the prominent and wealthy to join them, thus gaining influence at the higher levels. Though a bit long, the words of Charles Ellicott explain this situation –

“The fact stated brings before us another feature of the relations between Jews and Gentiles at this period. They ‘compassed sea and land to make one proselyte’ (Matthew 23:15). They found it easier to make proselytes of women. Such conversions had their good and their bad sides. In many cases there was a real longing for a higher and purer life than was found in the infinite debasement of Greek and Roman society, which found its satisfaction in the life and faith of Israel. (See Notes on Acts 17:4; Acts 17:12.) But with many, … the change brought with it new elements of superstition and weakness, and absolute submission of conscience to its new directors, and thus the Rabbis were often to the wealthier women of Greek and Roman cities what Jesuit confessors were in France and Italy in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Here we get the darker side of the picture. The Jews stir up the women of the upper class, and they stir up their husbands. The latter were content apparently to acquiesce in their wives accepting the Judaism with which they had become familiar, but resented the intrusion of a new and, in one sense, more exacting doctrine.”

It is these Jews, with a finger on those who were politically established and who possessed great wealth, that “raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas.” Here, Luke uses a word, epegeiró, for the first of two times in Scripture. It signifies “to rouse upon.” In other words, their influence is used upon the minds of the people to stir them up against the message that has been conveyed. In their arousal, it is to a state of persecution against Paul and Barnabas.

The type of persecution the apostles faced is not stated, but exacting examples of such persecution will be seen as Acts continues. Quite often, it will be because of the Jews who oppose them.

A notable example of this is found in Acts 19. In that chapter, there was a great disturbance that resulted from Paul’s sharing of the gospel. In proclaiming Jesus as God, it means that idols are false gods. Because of this, a state of friction arose in Ephesus because of the great idol that was worshipped there. Smaller images of the great statue of Diana were made for people to purchase. But if the gospel flourished, these idol makers would lose their source of revenue. Hence, those who made them stirred up the masses. There it says –

“And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander motioned with his hand, and wanted to make his defense to the people.” Acts 19:33

The Jews used the situation in Ephesus as a pretext to silence the spread of the gospel. But even more, this may be the same Alexander who continued to harass Paul as noted in 2 Timothy –

“Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.” 2 Timothy 4:14, 15

If this is the same Alexander, he not only wanted to silence the gospel because he had rejected it, but he also profited off the sales of these idols. That could be inferred from his being a coppersmith. It is this same attitude that caused the Jews to stir up those in Antioch against Paul and Barnabas. From there, Luke notes they “expelled them from their region.”

With the message widely spread in the area, and with the Jews exerting their influence over those in power, the Lord knew that it was time for the apostles to move on. What initially seems like a defeat will prove to be another victory as Chapter 14 opens. The apostles will move on and bring the message to another area where a great multitude will again receive their message.

Life application: The Jews brought their situation upon themselves. Exactly as the Law of Moses said would occur, they went into an extended period of punishment for their rejection of Jesus. But it should not go without noting that this included Paul too. He was as opposed to the message of Jesus as anyone. And yet, the Lord, through His grace and mercy, brought Paul to Himself –

“For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. 14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.” Galatians 1:13-17

This is further explained by Paul to Timothy –

“And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, 13 although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. 14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 1:12-14

Paul was given grace and mercy, and he used it to the glory of God from that moment on. And despite his anger at the state of his people in rejecting Christ Jesus, he understood their attitude because he had shared in it. His first allegiance was always to Jesus, but he also remained troubled in his heart over the state of his people (See Romans 9:1-3).

This should be our attitude as well, both to the Jews and to the Gentiles who have rejected Jesus. We should be angry at their state of rebellion and their active resistance to the gospel. But we should also be troubled in our hearts at their pitiful state of condemnation. In other words, we should be willing to go in both directions.

We should strive against them as they attack the message while striving with the gospel’s proclamation in hopes that some may be saved. Let us do our best to be responsible with our state in Christ in this manner. Hold fast to the truth of the gospel proclaiming it and allowing it to have the effect that God intends for it at any given time and place.

Help us, Lord God, to never be shy about being Christians. May we faithfully proclaim that we are saved believers of Christ who will stand on His gospel no matter what. Those who oppose it will receive what they are due. And those who accept it will be granted Your mercy and forgiveness. May our words go forth! From there, they will do as You have purposed. Help us to be responsible and to speak out so that this can happen. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Joshua 14:1-5 (No Part to the Levites)

Charlie Garrett Joshua (Written)

Artwork by Doug Kallerson.

Joshua 14:1-5
No Part to the Levites

In 1972, the Miami Dolphins, under coach Don Shula, had what became known as “the Perfect Season.” They went 14-0. Many of the players became household names. I remember watching them and being excited about the team despite not really caring much about sports. One can kind of get caught up in something like that.

But despite having a perfect season, each player was imperfect, and each game had its own flaws. There were fumbles, there were interceptions, and so on. And so, there is the dichotomy between the imperfect team and their perfect season. The two are seemingly at odds with one another, and yet they really aren’t. Out of imperfection, perfection arose.

The Bible shows us what is perfect and what is flawed. At times, it shows us this explicitly, and at times it does so in veiled ways. It also shows us how something that is seemingly imperfect can be made perfect. We’ll see something along those lines in our verses today.

Text Verse: “How then can man be righteous before God?
Or how can he be pure who is born of a woman?
5 If even the moon does not shine,
And the stars are not pure in His sight,
6 How much less man, who is a maggot,
And a son of man, who is a worm?” Job 25:4-6

Despite often not speaking rightly about the Lord, the questions of Bildad the Shuhite are still valid. How can man, who is by nature unrighteous, be considered righteous before God? In understanding the work of Christ, we can know that with God, it is possible.

How can a person who is born of a woman be pure? Being a human implies bearing sin, simply because sin is transmitted from father to child. So, how can one who is born of a woman be pure? With God in Christ, that too is possible.

As for stars not being pure in the sight of God, that depends on the nature and meaning of the word “star.” One thing that is tainted and impure can be emblematic of another thing that is not. We have seen that in typology innumerable times in our study of the Old Testament.

For example, Joshua may have been a fallen, sinful man, but he could still anticipate and picture the perfect, unblemished Lord Jesus. Likewise, despite the imperfection of the individual members of the team, the Miami Dolphins were still able to have the perfect season

This sermon is entitled No Part to the Levites, but that is only in relation to a tribal land grant, one that reveals imperfection. And yet, in the imperfection of the land inheritance of the tribes of Israel, there is still a note of a double measure of spiritual perfection. How? Well, stick around and we will evaluate the matter.

Nifty things such as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. And They Divided the Land (verses 1-5)

These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan,

After designating the inheritance east of the Jordan to the three-and-one-half tribes, the narrative now turns to the inheritance in the land of Canaan proper. This is the land…

1 (con’t) which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them.

It is of note that Eleazar (God Has Helped) is placed prior to Joshua. The reason for this goes back to Joshua’s inauguration –

“And the Lord said to Moses: ‘Take Joshua the son of Nun with you, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him; 19 set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and inaugurate him in their sight. 20 And you shall give some of your authority to him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient. 21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the Lord for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him—all the congregation.’” Numbers 27:18-21

Eleazar is the one to determine the will of the Lord. He then conveys that will to Joshua. One must know the will of the Lord prior to abiding by that will. In the case of the division of the land, it will come from the Lord through the hand of Eleazar.

From there Joshua will oversee the process and direct it through the fathers of the tribes. The word translated as tribe, mateh, signifies the genealogical aspect of the tribe rather than the political aspect.

As for the fathers of the tribes, it is rather surprising that they have already been named and designated for this purpose in Numbers 34:16-28. Although that passage was not too long before entrance into Canaan, the narrative now follows after seven years of war within the land.

And yet, it can be assumed that they have all survived in order to receive their inheritance and portion it out to their tribes. Were it not so, a replacement would have been named.

2 Their inheritance was by lot,

b’goral nakhalatam – “In lot their inheritance.” This is now the first of twenty-six times that the goral, or lot, will be mentioned in Joshua. The word comes from an unused root meaning to be rough, such as a stone. Hence, it is a pebble used for the purpose of determining lots. At times, it is used to indicate a portion or destiny, such as “this is my lot in life.”

2 (con’t) as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe.

This is what was specifically detailed in Numbers 34:16-29 and which was summed up with the words, “These are the ones the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance among the children of Israel in the land of Canaan” (Numbers 34:29).

Hence, the narrative now is given to show strict obedience to the words set forth by the Lord through Moses. Notably in those verses, however, there is no mention of Reuben, Gad, or the other half-tribe of Manasseh. The reason for that is…

3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan;

This was specifically stated in Numbers 34:14, 15. Their land had been subdued and the inheritance was given, provided they helped the other tribes to subdue their inheritances west of the Jordan.

What is notable concerning these stated allotments is that though there are twelve tribes recorded as receiving an inheritance, there are actually thirteen land allotments:

Two and one-half east of the Jordan = 3
Nine and one-half west of the Jordan = 10

The number thirteen in Scripture signifies “rebellion, apostasy, defection, corruption, disintegration, revolution, or some kindred idea” (Bullinger). This is pretty much the constant theme of Israel throughout their years. The number of their inheritances forms a picture of their attitude and their conduct before the Lord.

Despite this, there is one more tribe to consider…

3 (con’t) but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them.

This defines the fourteenth division which is spread among the thirteen divisions. This is the third time in just two chapters that this has been stated. Levi is given no land inheritance. However –

“Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the Lord God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them” (13:14).

“But to the tribe of Levi Moses had given no inheritance; the Lord God of Israel was their inheritance, as He had said to them” (13:33).

“…but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them” (14:3).

And so, despite there being no land inheritance for Levi, there actually is an inheritance for them. As such, the number of inheritances now extends to fourteen, the number Bullinger defines as “a double measure of spiritual perfection” and “the number associated with the incarnation.”

One can see that despite Israel’s rebellion and apostasy in the earthly realm, because of Levi, the Lord has placed His stamp upon them in the spiritual realm. The wisdom of God is carefully revealed in everything that is seen in these tribal allotments.

Next, the note of how one tribe became two is stated again…

4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim.

If this were not detailed in Scripture, there would be an imperfection of division, both as tribes and in land grants. However, Jacob adopted the two sons of Joseph, thus giving him a double portion of land. But this then brings in another multiple of fourteen. Though there are twelve natural sons of Jacob, there are fourteen reckoned to Israel –

Twelve: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.

Fourteen: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph (and Manasseh and Ephraim), and Benjamin.

This then corresponds to twelve/fourteen apostles –

Twelve: Simon/Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Lebbaeus (Thaddaeus), Simon the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot.

Fourteen: Simon/Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Lebbaeus/Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, Judas Iscariot (replaced by Matthias), Saul/Paul.

As for the imperfection of the land inheritance for Israel, that is seen in the next words…

4 (con’t) And they gave no part to the Levites in the land,

This is based upon what has already been repeatedly said and which was noted again in verse 3. No tribal land inheritance is given to the tribe of Levi because they will be spread out among the tribes as those who minister the law among the people.

This was first prophesied by Jacob in Genesis 49 –

“Simeon and Levi are brothers;
Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place.
6 Let not my soul enter their council;
Let not my honor be united to their assembly;
For in their anger they slew a man,
And in their self-will they hamstrung an ox.
7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce;
And their wrath, for it is cruel!
I will divide them in Jacob
And scatter them in Israel.” Genesis 49:5-7

Because of what they did in Genesis 34 by killing the males in Shechem, Jacob prophesied over these two sons that they would be divided and scattered.

Though seemingly a negative, the reason for their scattering within Israel occurs for Levi because of their bravery before the Lord at the time when Israel made the golden calf to worship –

“Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, ‘Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!’ And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 And he said to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.”’ 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 Then Moses said, ‘Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.’” Exodus 32:25-29

Levi took up arms against his own brothers. This was reckoned to them as the reason for a particular blessing from the Lord which is that He would be their inheritance. To understand that, one must then understand how this came about.

At the Exodus, the Lord killed the firstborn of Egypt, including both man and beast. As He spared them in Israel, the law of the firstborn was enacted –

“And it shall be, when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 that you shall set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. 13 But every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” Exodus 13:11-16

The firstborn of all belonged to the Lord and was to be sacrificed to Him. To avoid the obvious difficulties of such a situation, the firstborn males were to be redeemed.

Next, in Numbers, the selection of the Levites in place of the firstborn of Israel was made. Hence, they would belong solely to the Lord and not be reckoned for a tribal land inheritance –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 6 ‘Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them ceremonially. 7 Thus you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purification on them, and let them shave all their body, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean. 8 Then let them take a young bull with its grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, and you shall take another young bull as a sin offering. 9 And you shall bring the Levites before the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall gather together the whole congregation of the children of Israel. 10 So you shall bring the Levites before the Lord, and the children of Israel shall lay their hands on the Levites; 11 and Aaron shall offer the Levites before the Lord like a wave offering from the children of Israel, that they may perform the work of the Lord. 12 Then the Levites shall lay their hands on the heads of the young bulls, and you shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering to the Lord, to make atonement for the Levites.
13 ‘And you shall stand the Levites before Aaron and his sons, and then offer them like a wave offering to the Lord. 14 Thus you shall separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. 15 After that the Levites shall go in to service the tabernacle of meeting. So you shall cleanse them and offer them like a wave offering. 16 For they are wholly given to Me from among the children of Israel; I have taken them for Myself instead of all who open the womb, the firstborn of all the children of Israel. 17 For all the firstborn among the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast; on the day that I struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them to Myself. 18 I have taken the Levites instead of all the firstborn of the children of Israel. 19 And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the work for the children of Israel in the tabernacle of meeting, and to make atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come near the sanctuary.’” Numbers 8:5-19

At that time, it still has not been recorded that Levi would receive no land inheritance. That is first seen in Numbers 18 –

“Then the Lord said to Aaron: ‘You shall have no inheritance in their land, nor shall you have any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the children of Israel.
21 “Behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tithes in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meeting. 22 Hereafter the children of Israel shall not come near the tabernacle of meeting, lest they bear sin and die. 23 But the Levites shall perform the work of the tabernacle of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a statute forever, throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance. 24 For the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer up as a heave offering to the Lord, I have given to the Levites as an inheritance; therefore I have said to them, ‘Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.’” Numbers 18:20-24

As is seen there, it is Aaron – meaning the priestly class – who was told that he would receive no land inheritance and Levi would be attached to them in the service of the Lord. The Levites were to stand between the people and the priests in the service of the tabernacle while the priests ministered between the people and the Lord.

Because of this service, those tithes that were presented to the Lord as a heave offering, meaning the third-year tithes, were to belong to the Levites. These tithes were considered the Lord’s portion. As such, it is said that the Lord is Levi’s inheritance.

From this tithe of the land, the Levites were then to offer up a tenth of that for the priests –

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 26 ‘Speak thus to the Levites, and say to them: ‘When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them as your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it to the Lord, a tenth of the tithe. 27 And your heave offering shall be reckoned to you as though it were the grain of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the winepress. 28 Thus you shall also offer a heave offering to the Lord from all your tithes which you receive from the children of Israel, and you shall give the Lord’s heave offering from it to Aaron the priest. 29 Of all your gifts you shall offer up every heave offering due to the Lord, from all the best of them, the consecrated part of them.’ 30 Therefore you shall say to them: ‘When you have lifted up the best of it, then the rest shall be accounted to the Levites as the produce of the threshing floor and as the produce of the winepress. 31 You may eat it in any place, you and your households, for it is your reward for your work in the tabernacle of meeting. 32 And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the best of it. But you shall not profane the holy gifts of the children of Israel, lest you die.’” Leviticus 18:25-32

What is presented to the Levites is a tithe to the Lord. What is then presented to the priests, the tithe of the tithe, is reckoned as if it was the actual produce of the Levites, even though they had no land inheritance. Therefore, even though they had no land grant, those tithes from the third-year tithes are given as if they had their own land.

With this understood, the reason for their receiving no land inheritance is more perfectly seen. Their siding with the Lord at the incident of the golden calf became the defining moment which fulfilled the prophecy of Jacob, and which allowed them to receive the Lord as their inheritance.

Moses spoke of this as he blessed the tribes before his death. In his blessing upon Levi, a portion of his words said –

“Who says of his father and mother,
‘I have not seen them’;
Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,
Or know his own children;
For they have observed Your word
And kept Your covenant.” Deuteronomy 33:9

To more perfectly understand Moses’ words, those lines from Deuteronomy concerning Levi should be reexamined…

*Who says of his father and mother,

Levi is referred to by a verb prefixed by an article: ha’omer l’aviv u-l’imo – “The sayer to his father and to his mother.” Here, it is referring to Levi as if he is an individual, a collective in the singular. He says…

*‘I have not seen them’;

It is singular: lo’reitiv – “Not I have seen him.” The mother is the wife of the father and so the singular stands for both. The father and the mother are there, but it is as if they are not seen, and they are not regarded. The same attitude is again seen in the next words…

*Nor did he acknowledge his brothers,

v’eth ekhav lo hikir – “And his brothers no regard.” Moses says that even though Levi had brothers, his mind was not on them when called to do what he must do. Moses is making a point about Levi’s priorities. Moses next says…

*Or know his own children;

v’eth banav lo yada – “And sons no know.” Any children of Levi are as if they are not even his when he is called to act. Levi doesn’t see the parents before him, doesn’t regard the brothers around him, and he doesn’t know his own sons.

Despite them being the closest of family relationships, Moses speaks of Levi’s priorities. What is it that Levi has put first? To tell us, Moses slips into the plural…

*For they have observed Your word

ki shameru imratekha– “For they have heeded Your word.” The plural now speaks of the people of the tribe. They are Levi, but they are also Levites. The actions of the people are being highlighted.

The word of the Lord takes precedence over even the closest of family relationships. If parents, siblings, or even children come between a person and the Lord, they are to be overlooked, disregarded, and treated as a stranger. Nothing can come between the faithful and the word of the Lord. Levi accepted the premise and applied it…

*And kept Your covenant.

uberitekha yintsoru – “And Your covenant they have guarded.” The covenant of the Lord, which is based upon the word of the Lord, must take priority. To not heed it is to find death. To heed it is to find life. All family relations will end, but the covenant and the word remain. Levi was presented with a choice at the time of the golden calf, and they chose the side of the Lord.

Levi put the word of the Lord, and His covenant, first. They went throughout the camp without recognizing faces, and they slew any who came before them. Because of this, they and those attached to them were granted the high honor of the priestly class.

Their zeal for the Lord was a highlight among all of the failings of Israel, and – indeed – all the failings of Levi, including those of Moses and Aaron. What they did was a demonstration of what the Lord finds pleasing above all else, meaning faith in Him and attendance to His word.

It is for this reason that Levi was particularly chosen to not receive any land inheritance. There is a perfection in the numbering of the tribes (14) and an imperfection in the number of earthly land grants (13) that only becomes perfect when the Lord is included in the inheritance, revealed through the spiritual inheritance of Levi.

One might ask, “How can perfection come from imperfection?” Indeed, it was essentially the question implied in the Red Heifer sacrifice, and that is implied here again in the designation of land grants. The answer is, “When the Lord is involved, that which is imperfect can be perfected.”

In this case, it is because of the separation of Levi and yet the inclusion of Levi. They were not counted for a land grant. However, they were given property…

4 (con’t) except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property.

This is dealt with several times, but the provision for Levitical cities is found in Numbers 35 –

“And the Lord spoke to Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho, saying: 2 ‘Command the children of Israel that they give the Levites cities to dwell in from the inheritance of their possession, and you shall also give the Levites common-land around the cities. 3 They shall have the cities to dwell in; and their common-land shall be for their cattle, for their herds, and for all their animals. 4 The common-land of the cities which you will give the Levites shall extend from the wall of the city outward a thousand cubits all around. 5 And you shall measure outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, on the south side two thousand cubits, on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits. The city shall be in the middle. This shall belong to them as common-land for the cities.’” Numbers 35:1-5

And again, in the next verses, the Lord designated some of their cities as cities of refuge, and then designated the total number of cities to be given them –

“Now among the cities which you will give to the Levites you shall appoint six cities of refuge, to which a manslayer may flee. And to these you shall add forty-two cities. 7 So all the cities you will give to the Levites shall be forty-eight; these you shall give with their common-land. 8 And the cities which you will give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel; from the larger tribe you shall give many, from the smaller you shall give few. Each shall give some of its cities to the Levites, in proportion to the inheritance that each receives.” Numbers 35:6-8

All of these cities will be named and appointed in the coming chapters of Joshua. However, the fact that they receive no individual tribal inheritance is most appropriately dealt with now, before the division of the lands to the other tribes.

With that noted and understood, this section is complete with the words…

*5 (fin) As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

This is a preemptory statement anticipating the actual division of the land as recorded in the coming chapters. Each step of the process is logical and necessary to first lay the framework for what is anticipated and to then actually comply with the command that was given by the Lord through Moses.

You shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary
Upon Your priesthood, it shall fall
Those who are unclean but who come to Me
You shall bear it for one and all

And You shall attend to the duties of the Sanctuary
And the duties of the altar, that terrible cross
That no wrath may come upon those who belong to Me
You shall bear it, and of them, there shall be no loss

Behold, I have taken You from among all the firstborn
Only You are the First-begotten of Me
Your body shall be bruised, and it shall be torn
But through it, You shall make holy those for My Sanctuary

II. Pictures of Christ

The division of the land is an obvious anticipation of Christ’s dividing the inheritance to the saints. The dividing is said to be by Eleazar (Whom God Helps), Joshua (The Lord is Salvation) the son of Nun (Propagate, or Increase), and the fathers of the tribes.

In Numbers 27, it noted that Eleazar would inquire before the Lord for Joshua at the judgment of the Urim, meaning Lights. Although it cannot be known for certain, it seems likely based on that Numbers passage that this is what is used as the lot for determining the land divisions.

In type, Jesus is both the High Priest of the New Covenant and the Leader of the people of God, filling both roles. It indicates that He is the One who obtains the revelation from God and who then exercises the authority over what God has determined.

Once the will of the Lord is known, Jesus in His Mediatorial Role, then Jesus, in His role as the Savior, carries through with the action. And both of these anticipate Christ in His deity who both knows and then performs the counsels of God.

As noted in verse 3, the combination of the tribes east and west of Jordan comes to thirteen land allotments. The number reflects the state of the people, steeped in rebellion, apostasy, and so on. However, in the same verse, the Levites are mentioned, noting that they have no inheritance among Israel.

And yet, that must be taken in light of the other verses that indicate they do have an inheritance, just not a land inheritance. Their inheritance is the Lord. Within Levi are the priests and the Levites. The priests anticipate Christ in His priestly role. The Levites anticipate Christ representing the Firstborn.

The offerings to (and of) the tabernacle have all been seen to anticipate Christ, He is the first and best of all of those things offered. In Christ, God has given them as a gift to the world. Levi, being the fourteenth inheritance, is like the glue that makes everything else bind together.

In Levi, as Bullinger noted, is the double measure of spiritual perfection and the anticipation of the incarnation. As noted in verse 3, despite Israel’s rebellion and apostasy in the earthly realm, because of Levi, the Lord has placed His stamp upon Israel in the spiritual realm.

This is only an anticipation of Jesus who actually performs these functions. He is the One who makes the inheritance both possible and complete for Israel, and thus for all people.

In verse 4, it mentioned Joseph being divided into two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. In remembering the meaning of the names, the anticipations of Christ are seen.

Joseph is derived from two words that indicate “He Shall Add” and “Take Away.” Joseph then anticipates Christ who takes away man’s reproach and then adds him to God’s people. He is then divided into Manasseh and Ephraim.

Manasseh means “To Forget” but it also means “From a Debt.” He pictures Christ who came to pay Adam’s debt and who, in the process, allows that debt to be forgotten before God.

Ephraim means “Twice Fruitful”, but it also means “Ashes.” He pictures Jesus. He is twice fruitful in the land of His affliction, prevailing over the law and thus becoming the Savior of both Jew and Gentile, but His work also meant that sin was judged in Him; thus the ashes, signifying His afflictions.

The specific inclusion of the names of Joseph and his sons is given as a reminder of what the Lord has done and how it is revealed in the assignment of the tribal inheritances. Without this reminder, the perfection of the numbering of the tribes for the land inheritance would not be properly aligned as it should be.

But with its inclusion, the typology for our own spiritual inheritances is revealed. And then it immediately gave the reminder that Levi had no part in the land. Because Levi, who anticipates Christ, has the Lord as their inheritance, there is no need for a land grant.

Likewise, the only thing Christ is said to inherit is found in Hebrews 1:4 where “He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” This is a note that through His resurrection, He has proved that He is the Son of God and thus the full inheritance of the Father belongs to Him.

In other words, just as the Lord is Levi’s inheritance, so the Lord is Jesus’ inheritance. What belonged to the Lord from Israel passed to and through Levi. What belongs to the Lord from redeemed humanity passes to and through Jesus.

In verse 4, it noted that despite not having a land inheritance, Levi was given cities to dwell in. This was detailed in Numbers 35. These cities are interspersed throughout all of Israel on both sides of the Jordan.

As seen, the allocation of these will be detailed later in Joshua, but the sense of this is that if Levi anticipates Christ in so many ways, this must as well. And that is stated by Paul in 2 Corinthians 6, which says –

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.” 2 Corinthians 6:16

The actual residing of Levi among Israel was to keep the people’s focus, understanding, and thoughts concentrated on the Lord. They were to minister to the people in the things of the Lord, keeping them properly educated in the law and so forth. Someday the fulfillment of that will be seen when we dwell in heaven and Christ dwells in us and walks among us.

Everything mentioned about Levi throughout the books of Moses and now into Joshua is given to help us understand the work of Christ on our behalf and then to point us to our relationship with God because of Him.

Every detail concerning Levi, as a tribe, their duties, concerning their inheritance, all of it, is given in anticipation of Christ to come. It is an incredible thing to consider, but it is not unexpected. God used this imperfect tribe that is a portion of the imperfect people known as Israel to reveal to us the perfection of Christ Jesus.

What an amazing thing He has done and is doing in His word as we travel through it. From one turn of the page to the next, there is a continuous stream of wonder and delight. Thank God for His precious word and thank God for Jesus Christ who is revealed in that word. Indeed, thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord.

Closing Verse: “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.” Romans 3:21, 22

Next Week: Joshua 14:6-15 What is recorded in the Bible about Joshua is pretty swell… (He Wholly Followed the Lord God of Israel) (30th Joshua sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who has defeated the enemy and who now offers His people rest. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

No Part to the Levites

These are the areas which the children of Israel
Inherited in the land of Canaan, land where they could
———-sing and dance
Which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of
———-the fathers of the tribes
Of the children of Israel distributed to them as an inheritance

Their inheritance was by lot
As the LORD had commanded, so he did prescribe
By the hand of Moses
For nine tribes plus Manasseh’s half-tribe

For Moses had given the inheritance
Of the two tribes and the half-tribe for their livin’
On the other side of the Jordan
But to the Levites he had no inheritance among them given

For the children of Joseph were formed tribes:
———-Manasseh and Ephraim
And they gave no part to the Levites in the land
Except cities to dwell in, with their common lands
For their livestock and their property, just as was planned

As the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did
And they divided the land laying out the grid

Lord God, turn our hearts to be obedient to Your word
Give us wisdom to be ever faithful to You
May we carefully heed each thing we have heard
Yes, Lord God may our hearts be faithful and true

And we shall be content and satisfied in You alone
We will follow You as we sing our songs of praise
Hallelujah to You; to us Your path You have shown
Hallelujah we shall sing to You for all of our days

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them. 2 Their inheritance was by lot, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. 5 As the Lord had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

 

 

 

Acts 13:49

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Cam checking out a guy leaning on a musket.

Sunday, 29 January 2023

And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. Acts 13:49

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

By citing Isaiah, Paul and Barnabas have noted that the message of Christ was to be a light to the Gentiles, leading to salvation to the ends of the earth. In their stating this, the Gentiles of Antioch of Pisidia “were glad and glorified the word of the Lord.” From there, it noted that those who believed were appointed to eternal life. Now it says, “And the word of the Lord.”

This certainly has the full meaning of “The Lord God of Israel who has come in the person of Jesus Christ.” In other words, it was the “word of the Lord” through Isaiah that made the Gentiles rejoice. And it was the word concerning the Lord Jesus, as the fulfillment of the words of Isaiah, that brought them to salvation. Hence, “the word of the Lord” is the full message of the God of Israel.

If one of the people listening said, “Why do we need to be saved?” Paul or Barnabas could tell them about the fall of man in Genesis. If one of them in the audience said, “But all paths lead to God,” one of the apostles could speak about the exclusivity of salvation because it is the work of God and not of man. As this is so, then God – who is not fickle – would not accept any other path than that designated by Him.

The word of the Lord from the Hebrew Scriptures would provide the baseline for understanding what the situation of man was and what God was doing about correcting it. The word of the Lord concerning Jesus would explain what God had brought about in fulfillment of that plan. With this in mind, it next says that this word of the Lord “was being spread.”

The word used here, diapheró, signifies “to carry through.” For example, when the head of John the Baptist was brought before Herod, the word pheró was used. It was carried to him. The prefix dia signifies “through.” This is what happened in Acts 5. The early persecution of the church did not dissuade the gospel’s proclamation. Rather, it enhanced it. The apostles dug in and continued to proclaim the word. In Acts 5:16, it says –

“Also a multitude gathered from the surrounding cities to Jerusalem, bringing sick people and those who were tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

This also happened after the death of Stephen, the persecution at that time only increased the spread of the gospel –

“At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” Acts 8:1

As the leaders of Israel persecuted the early church, it spread. Now with the opposition to the message of Paul and Barnabas by the Jews in Antioch, the gospel has continued to spread in a great new way, going forth to the Gentiles. These men carried the word through each area they went which was “throughout all the region.”

Of this, Charles Ellicott notes, “This clearly involves a considerable period of active working. It was not in Antioch only, but in the “region” round about, the border district of the three provinces of Phrygia, Lycaonia, and Galatia, that the new faith was planted.”

Life application: Just when people think they have their fingers pressed upon God’s people and His word, they find that their actions have increased the spread of the gospel. If people are willing to be chased from their homes for being Christians, they will continue to be Christians where they are chased to. When they get where they are going, they will be more, not less, willing to share their faith.

This has been proven true throughout history. For those who truly believe the word, there will only be an increased passion to share their message when asked who they are and what brought them to where they are. It is true that this happens with false religions and false sects of Christianity as well, but this is something that must come about because of the fallen state of the world.

Mormonism flourished in the US because of the religious protections provided for those who practiced it. This is also true with numerous other aberrant cults that arose around the same time. But the true message of the gospel also was allowed to expand as well. People have choices to make, and they are responsible for what they believe. The onus is on man to think through what is presented, to accept what is right, and to be saved in believing what is true.

The very nature of how the gospel is communicated calls out for man’s response – “Believe and be saved. But be careful what you believe.” There is one message of salvation that is found in the one gospel message.

Lord God, just when the world thinks it has stopped the message of Jesus from going any further, it finds out that it has not only gone further, but it has flourished. Your word has stood the test of time, and it has spread to the uttermost part of the earth. It is so wonderful to be a part of Your glorious plan of the ages. Thank You for Jesus who has made this possible! Amen.

 

 

Acts 13:48

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

War Memorial, Vermont Capitol.

Saturday, 28 January 2023 

Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. Acts 13:48

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Paul and Barnabas cited to the Jews the words of Isaiah, demonstrating that the gospel going to the Gentiles was anticipated even in their own Scriptures. Now, Luke continues by saying, “Now when the Gentiles heard this.”

This is the great throng of Gentiles that were mentioned in verses 44 & 45, there called “almost the whole city.” They were obviously listening to the words spoken between the apostles and the Jews of the synagogue. They were elated that these men who brought the good news of Jesus’ salvation had identified them as also being recipients of God’s favor in Christ. With that, it next says, “they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord.”

Both verbs are imperfect and demonstrate that the words didn’t just bring about a sudden rush of emotion which then ended. Rather, “the Gentiles were rejoicing and were glorifying the word of the Lord.” They began to rejoice and continued to do so. They also glorified the word of the Lord and they continued to do so.

With this going on in their hearts, some of the most abused words in Scripture concerning the doctrines of election and predestination are next cited by Luke, saying, “And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.”

What one believes about these doctrines will immediately set forward in the mind what that person believes is being conveyed. It is obvious that the Pulpit Commentary sides with the Calvinistic view –

“This can only refer to the predestination or election of God, viewed as the moving cause of their faith.” Pulpit Commentary

Both election and predestination are mentioned by Paul. Thus, they are valid doctrines. The way in which they are explained is the issue. Paul mentions election in Romans 9 and 11. He speaks of the elect elsewhere as well. He refers to predestination in Romans 8 and Ephesians 1.

Those who side with Calvin will, like the Pulpit Commentary, say that God was the force behind both their belief and their salvation unto eternal life. Essentially, their argument is that God chose them to be saved, He caused them to believe, they believed, and they were saved.

On the other hand, there is the view that man has free will to believe or to reject what has been presented. Those who believe are the elect. Essentially, the argument is that God seals them with the Spirit upon belief, a cause of their own movement, and they are then saved by God.

There is quite a bit more involved in this but going with those two main views as the initial bias in the words presented in this verse of Acts, even translations reflect what is presupposed. Notice the difference in a few translations –

*and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. NLT
*and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. KJV
*And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. NKJV
*and all those who had been appointed (designated, ordained) to eternal life [by God] believed [in Jesus as the Christ and their Savior]. Amplified
*Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord. CEV
*Everyone who had been prepared for everlasting life believed. God’s Word
*Meanwhile, all who had been destined to eternal life believed, ISV
*and all who were pre-destined to the Life of the Ages believed. Weymouth
*and did believe — as many as were appointed to life age-during. YLT

The order of the words in Greek is only followed by one version listed here, YLT. The Greek reads, “And believed, as many as were appointed to life eternal.”

To put the word “appointed” before “believed” automatically biases the mind that the appointment came first, whether that is the case or not. To say as the Weymouth, “were pre-destined,” may be true based upon Paul’s noting that there is a doctrine of predestination, but without proper explanation, and placing it before “believed,” biases the mind even further.

Of these words, Albert Barnes goes through each instance of the word tassó, or “appointed,” and concludes that “The word is never used to denote an internal disposition or inclination arising from one’s own self. It does not mean that they disposed themselves to embrace eternal life.”

He continues with his thoughts, saying, 1) “they were disposed or inclined to this from some other source than themselves;” 2) “They were then inclined by an influence from without themselves, or so disposed as to embrace eternal life. … It was not a disposition or arrangement originating with themselves, but with God.” 3) “It was nothing but God’s disposing them to embrace eternal life.”

In other words, he is convinced that these people had no choice in their salvation. They were moved by God, they believed, and then they were saved. But without citing every instance of the word, we can see that his analysis is flawed. For example –

“Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.” Acts 15:2

It was “determined” that Paul and Barnabas were to go up to Jerusalem. Does that mean that this was done without the will of Paul and Barnabas? Absolutely not! It was a decision that was rendered based on a difficulty that had arisen. Also –

“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.” Acts 28:1

Here, a day was appointed for people to come and hear the word of the Lord. Nothing is said about the disposition of the people, whether they had to come or not, whether the meeting would be held even if Paul lost his left arm that morning, and so on. It is simply an appointment that is set forth for something to occur.

In the case of those believing, God had set forth an edict, “Believe in my Son and you will be granted eternal life.” Those who believed were then appointed to eternal life. How can we know that this is correct? It is because the words of Acts 13:48 are not isolated from the surrounding context. They are a part of what was occurring right among the people, and they are set in contrast to what was said in Acts 13:46 –

“Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.’”

The contrast is not to God’s pre-ordaining these Jews to condemnation apart from their will, but rather in accord with their will. They judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. The Gentiles believed and thus judged themselves worthy.

Further, the word “believed” in Acts 13:46 is in the active voice. The people actively believed. However, the word “appointed” is in the middle voice. The Greek middle voice denotes that the subject is both an agent of an action and somehow concerned with the action. Hence, these people were disposed to believe based on what they heard. God initiated the action through the word. The apostles spoke forth the word. The people heard the word and then believed. There is no hint of the Calvinistic doctrine of forced salvation to be found in the words of this verse.

Life application: Context matters. There is a surrounding context to the words of this verse that drives the meaning and intent of what is being said.

Proper translation matters. There is an order in which the words are presented in the original Greek text. Realigning those words may not be appropriate if they will bias the reader or provide a false sense of what is being presented.

Theology matters. Obtaining proper theology on a subject means taking it from the entire body of Scripture. In other words, the immediate context is important, but the overall context is the final decider of what is being presented. As an example, the Bible does not say the following –

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever is predestined apart from his free will and then believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The Bible also does not say –

“And Enoch walked with God after being regenerated to believe Him; and he was not, for God took him.”

Such words cannot even be inferred from what is said. Nor can they be inferred from the surrounding text or, more especially, the overall context of the Bible. Rather, they are clear and precise statements that are like an almost innumerable list of other such statements found in Scripture that tell the reader of the Bible that he has a responsibility to respond to the call of God in his life.

Lord God, thank You that You have offered us Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. And more, You have given us the choice to believe or disbelieve. Your greatness is displayed in this. You do not force Yourself upon Your people but appeal to them, asking us to reason with You and do what is right. Thank You for this. Amen.

 

Acts 13:47

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Freedom and Unity. Vermont State Capitol.

Friday, 27 January 2023

“For so the Lord has commanded us:
‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles,
That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Acts 13:47

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

In the previous verse, Paul and Barnabas chided those at the synagogue, noting that henceforth they would turn to the Gentiles. With that noted, their words continue with, “For so the Lord has commanded us.”

The apostles, in their turning to the Gentiles, are not without authority to do so. They are acting at the command of the Lord. But instead of citing the words of Jesus in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19 about making disciples of all nations, they appeal to the Hebrew Scriptures.

The reason for this is that these Jews have already rejected the idea of Jesus being their Messiah and they have blasphemed His name. To cite Jesus’ words as their authority would simply bring scoffing from the Jews. Instead, they turn to the great prophet Isaiah as they had done on the previous Sabbath. Their citation clearly calls for the word of God to go forth to the nations, saying, “I have set you as a light to the Gentiles.”

The words are cited from Isaiah 49:6 –

“Indeed He says,
‘It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant
To raise up the tribes of Jacob,
And to restore the preserved ones of Israel;
I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles,
That You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Isaiah 49:6

Paul and Barnabas directly equate the words of Isaiah to the coming Messiah. Even if the words of Isaiah were referring to himself at the time, something that could be debated, it was understood that they also had a messianic fulfillment. Thus, their clear intent is that the Messiah would not only come to accomplish His work for Israel but that it would extend to the entire world. That is seen in the next words of the quote, which read, “That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.”

The same phrase is found in Acts 1:8. The Greek is singular and so it should read, “That you should be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth.” The intent of the words of Isaiah is absolutely clear. The Messiah’s work was to extend beyond the borders of Israel, even to the most remote region on the planet, wherever that may be. This is precisely what Jesus instructed the people just prior to His ascension –

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The work of Jesus Christ was first sent to the people of Israel, but its scope was always intended to extend to the entire world. The logical order of evangelism was followed as directed by Jesus, and it is carefully documented in Acts by Luke, showing that His directives were meticulously followed. With the rejection of the word by the Jews at Antioch of Pisidia, the word was to continue to be proclaimed to those who would hear it.

This same pattern will continue to be followed by Paul as he moves from city to city. Those Jews who accept his gospel presentation will be saved. Eventually, the whole Jewish community will have made their decision, and then Paul will continue by evangelizing the Gentiles. One body will grow out of both classes in each area where a church is established.

Life application: One of the heretical sects that has arisen in the recent past ridiculously teaches that the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 refer to the evangelization of the nations by Israel during the tribulation and even millennial period. The reason for this is that it includes words concerning baptism. This heretical cult doesn’t believe that baptism is a necessary thing for Christians to do.

And yet, the same group participates in the Lord’s Supper, another mark of inclusion in the New Covenant. The thinking is convoluted and depraved. The same Lord who commanded the Lord’s Supper based on His death, burial, and resurrection, also commanded that believers be baptized based on His death, burial, and resurrection.

The words of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 13, when taken together with Jesus’ words in Matthew 28, Luke 24, and Acts 1, clearly reveal that the evangelization of the nations during this timeframe is exactly what Jesus was referring to. As this is so, then baptism is a set and expected part of the believer’s walk before the Lord.

Don’t be led astray by those who may have a purposeful agenda to destroy the work of the Lord and obedience to it by His people because of an agenda against the Jewish people. The Jews rejected Jesus, they have been punished for their rejection of Jesus, and the message has continued on among the Gentiles during that time of rejection. The Old Testament Scriptures anticipated all of this.

In failing to understand (or intentionally rejecting) the whole picture of what is spoken of in the Old, it is no wonder that such aberrant cults arise. Believe in the Lord Jesus, receive baptism as a sign of that belief, and actively participate in the Lord’s Supper as a memorial of the sacrificial work of the Lord until He returns for His people, just as the Lord has commanded.

Lord God, may we clearly think through what You have presented to us in Your word. The Old Testament gives instructions that are more fully revealed and explained in the New. May we take the time to be aware of what Your word says in both testaments so that we can make reasonable conclusions about our walk before You all our days, glorifying You through obedience to Your word. Amen.