Author: Charlie Garrett

Acts 2:26

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Tuesday, 16 November 2021

Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. Acts 2:26

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).

Peter began his quoting of Psalm 16 in order to defend the fact that it was not possible for death to hold Jesus. For many of the people there that day, this was probably necessary because of what is recorded in Matthew 28 –

“Now while they were going, behold, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all the things that had happened. 12 When they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, 13 saying, ‘Tell them, “His disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.” 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will appease him and make you secure.’ 15 So they took the money and did as they were instructed; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.” Matthew 28:11-15

The truth of the resurrection was quickly covered up by the elders. Thus, it would be pointless to believe in a dead Messiah. However, Peter is careful to explain that Jesus did, in fact, resurrect, and he now defends this by citing Scripture to prove that it was prophesied to occur all along. As such, he continues with the next lines of the psalm, saying, “Therefore my heart rejoiced.”

The Greek reads dia touto, or literally: “Through this.” In other words, through the entire time of Christ’s passion, and despite the horrors that came upon Him, there was still a joy in His heart. The word “because” or “therefore” conveys the idea well enough.

The citing of the psalm by Peter is based on the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus noted here in verses Acts 2:23, 24. The previous words of the psalm spoke of the Lord being always before the face of His Messiah and there at His right hand to strengthen Him from being shaken. Because of this, the response – even in His time of greatest distress – is a heart of rejoicing.

The word used is euphrainó. It comes from two words signifying “good” and “moderation as regulated by a personal perspective.” Thus, it means “having a merry outlook (cheery state of mind) because feeling the sense of victory (‘inner triumph’)” (HELPS Word-studies). Our modern word euphoria carries a similar sense. Christ, even before and during the passion He suffered, was able to sense victory because of the presence of the Lord with Him and guarding Him through the ordeal.

Considering that Peter is speaking to an audience that was fully aware of the tortures of crucifixion, seeing it on open display for those who disobeyed Rome, the words must have been almost beyond comprehension. But Peter continues with His words, saying, “and my tongue was glad.”

Here, the word glóssa, or tongue, is used, whereas the Hebrew reads, “and rejoices my glory.” The idea between the two (tongue and glory) is found elsewhere in the psalms –

“My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake, my glory!
Awake, lute and harp!
I will awaken the dawn.” Psalm 57:7, 8

“O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.” Psalm 108:1

The tongue is that which expresses the inward thoughts of man. Thus, it is that which sets man apart as glorious because he is a rational, cognitive being. With the tongue (his glory), the psalmist praises God. Understanding this, Jesus’ tongue (His glory) rejoiced even in His time of greatest suffering. The word translated as “rejoices” is agalliaó. It signifies to exult or be full of joy. The incredible part of this description is that the psalms elsewhere speak of the tongue of the Messiah in a much different way.

While Jesus was on the cross, He said, “I thirst” (John 19:28). In the psalms, the result of His thirsting is explained –

“I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.” Psalm 22:14, 15

Even in this terrible state of thirst that is so complete that His tongue clung to His jaws, His tongue was still in a state of rejoicing. It shows the absolute trust and confidence He had in the coming victory.

With that considered, Peter next says, “Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.” The Greek reads “on hope,” thus providing elegant symbolism that will be noted in a moment. This is the last of four times that the particular word, translated as “rest,” is found. The other three uses are from the synoptic gospels and refer to the nesting of birds –

“Then He said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.’” Luke 13:18, 19

The word literally signifies “to camp down.” One has a tent that he has pitched, and he climbs inside and rests. The idea then is that of peaceful rest. What is being said here is that the most tumultuous turmoil-filled moments of the life of Christ Jesus were moments where He possessed a state of peaceful rest, lying on a bed of hope-filled anticipation of success, expectation of glory, trust in His God, and confidence that what was happening was the right use of this time in His life. Of these words, Vincent’s Word Studies states, “My flesh shall encamp on hope; pitch its tent there to rest through the night of death, until the morning of resurrection.”

This is just what the author of Hebrews states in order to give his reader the same confidence as Christ –

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2

To the audience listening to Peter’s words, if they accepted his message, it would cut to their very heart at the enormity of what he was conveying.

Life application:  The word translated as “rejoices” above is used by Peter concerning how we should be in our own afflictions, tying them into the afflictions of Christ –

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” 2 Peter 4:12, 13

Christ set the example that we are then to follow. Even in the times of the most horrifying persecution, Christians have been known to cry out the most beautiful melodies of love to their Lord. The anguished cries of pain are intermingled with words of hope and joy – “Lord God, I am yours, be glorified through the tortures I face. Receive my spirit Lord Jesus because my body is destroyed.”

There is an exceeding joy that exists in those who truly hold the hope of Christ in their hearts. Knowing that nothing in heaven or earth can separate us from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus our Lord is what makes it possible. Do you possess this confidence? To what measure is it so? Cultivate it. You never know if it will be necessary in the days ahead.

O God, through the sufferings of Christ, came the glory of the resurrection and exaltation! And because of His work, we can also possess the same confidence He had. Help us to grow in our faith, and to rest on our hope, knowing that we have a better home awaiting us in Your glorious presence. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Acts 2:25

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Monday, 15 November 2021

For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Acts 2:25

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).

Peter has just spoken of the ministry, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of the Lord. Now, he will defend the statement that “it was not possible that He should be held by” death. He will do this by citing David from the psalms. As such, he begins with, “For David says concerning Him.”

The meaning of “concerning” is “in reference to.” What David wrote is in reference to the coming Messiah, as if He is writing about Himself. In other words, when reading the psalm, what David wrote at first appears to be referring to himself. David’s psalms are often from a first-person perspective, and they are centered around events in his life, and are often so personal in nature that it is obvious he is referring to himself. The 51st psalm (cited in the previous commentary) is such an example.

And yet, it is understood by Israel that the Scriptures, which include the psalms, are inspired by God. At times, they certainly carry a double significance – meaning they are personal, but that they also anticipate the coming Messiah. At other times, it is understood that they are certainly referring directly to the coming Messiah. They are prophetic in nature and speak of what is to occur in Him.

Peter will now cite Psalm 16 to make his case concerning Christ, and thus provide evidence that what occurred among the disciples was ordained of God. Both Acts and the Psalms will be cited in their entirety now. The Psalm is cited by Peter from the Greek version of the OT –

“I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.” Acts 2:25-28

This is the original from the Hebrew –

“I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will rest in hope.
10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11

With the verses now cited, Peter continues, saying, “I foresaw the LORD always before my face.” This is not saying that He is seeing the Lord beforehand. Rather, it is stated from a personal reference point. In essence, “I see the Lord right before Me.” This is reflected in the Hebrew, “I have set the Lord always before me.”

The meaning is that the Lord (Yehovah) is always present with Him and is therefore ready to help Him and deliver Him. As this is from the Messiah’s reference, we can understand that even in the anguish of His coming death, He will be delivered. Hence, we can think of Christ’s time in mournful prayer and yet obedient submission to the will of the Lord. It is a note of encouragement and comfort which is then bolstered by the words, “For He is at my right hand.”

The right hand is the position of power. It is the position of honor. It is the position of dignity. The Lord is by His Messiah, ready to help and defend Him, and to exalt Him in due time. In the 110th Psalm, after the completion of His work, the positions are switched from that of verse 2:25, and the Messiah is set at the right hand of the Lord (Yehovah) –

The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
2 The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion.
Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Psalm 110:1, 2

Charles Ellicott states of this position referred to now, “The Psalmist thought of the Eternal as the warrior thinks of him who, in the conflict of battle, extends his shield over the comrade who is on the left hand, and so guards him from attack.” It is a correct thought and is supported by the words of Psalm 91 –

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.’” Psalm 91:1, 2

Jesus, the Messiah, has placed His trust in the eternal God and knows that He is safe. As such, Peter continues the quote by saying, “that I may not be shaken.”

The idea here is “shaken in mind” or “shaken in faith.” The Messiah would remain confident through the ordeal set before Him because He had the Lord before Him, even at His right hand. Paul’s words to the Thessalonians reflect the same thought –

“Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, 2 not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.” 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2

Christ had an ordeal to face, and He set His eyes on the prize that lay ahead, not being shaken from it through fear or a love of the present world.

Life application: The level of our faith (not necessarily saving faith, but faith in the continued hand of the Lord in our lives) can be determined in seeing how we respond to trials, pains, difficulties, and the like. Are we moaning about every little thing that affects us personally, even when we hear of people with immensely greater trials around us? If so, we are doing nothing to build them up in their greater need, and it demonstrates a weakness in our reliance on the Lord.

Life is messy, it can get very complicated very quickly, and it can turn disastrous in a moment. Because of this, and because we have absolutely no control over the next moment of our lives, we are wise to leave everything in the Lord’s hands, surrendering to His will, relying on Him, and setting Him always before us.

We can do this by simply talking to Him throughout the day. We can do this by engaging with His word when we rise, when we drive (audio Bible, please!), when we have a break from work, and when we are ready to sleep. His word will inform us, guide us, comfort us, and encourage us.

The time we put the Lord before us will reflect our priorities. If we are not thinking about Him, we are engaging the world. And the world will never give us the true courage we need to conduct our affairs from an eternal perspective. Set the Lord before you and be encouraged in Him. Christ set the example, even when facing death. Let us follow Him in His steadfast reliance on the Lord.

Glorious God Almighty, may we always place You before us, trusting in You and Your promises because of the finished work of Christ. He trusted in You and was not moved. And You brought Him through His ordeal, seating Him at Your right hand. We now have the assurance that we too will be brought safely to You. Let us remember this as we face our own trials, woes, and difficulties. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 28:15-29 (The Blessings and the Curses, Part II)

Charlie Garrett Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 28:15-29
The Blessings and the Curses, Part II

Last week, we saw the promised blessings that Moses said would come upon the people if they simply paid heed to his words and obeyed the Lord. He gave the sure and great promises that they would be exalted, prosperous, and filled.

And in their history, this did come upon them at times. But the main thing to consider is that even when they strayed, they still remained. He brought judgments upon them, but He never allowed them to be utterly swept away.

This demonstrates the amazing patience, longsuffering, and indeed the mercy of the Lord. But there is more to it than that. It also displays the covenant-keeping nature of the Lord. We know this is true because the Lord got so tired of man’s rebellion in Genesis that He destroyed all but eight of the entire race.

Through them, He started anew, and through a continueagud select line of people He slowly revealed His plans and purposes for man. Eventually, He established His covenant with Israel, and He set forth the blessings and the curses noted in our ongoing evaluation of Chapter 28.

Text Verse: “‘Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,’ says the Lord God.” Ezekiel 14:22, 23

We are only beginning a long series of curses in the words we will look at today. But one thing is for sure, Israel failed to do what Moses exhorted them to do. And the curses came following hard after them. And yet, Ezekiel – a priest in exile – notes that the Lord kept a remnant who would be brought out. A remnant signifies continuance.

Paul writes of the remnant of Israel that exists in the church age in Romans 11, and he also notes that a remnant will be saved in Romans 9. The implication is that despite their continued failings, and despite their continued rejection of Christ, Israel continues.

Think it through, if a remnant of Israel will be saved, that means that there will be a much larger Israel for them to be saved from. In other words, Israel continues – whether in obedience or disobedience – to this day. A “remnant” implies a larger whole.

This is what we have in the world today – a people preserved by God, even though they are not right with their God, so that He can keep His covenant promises to them. This is the lesson of the Bible. God is faithful even when we are not.

Great truths 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. Cursed Shall You Be (verses 15-19)

15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God,

After all the words of blessing in the first fourteen verses, these words now carry their own highly ominous tone, even before the rest of the verse is uttered. Notice the immediate contrast to what it says in verse 1 –

  1. “And it shall be if hearing, you hear in voice Yehovah your God.”
  2. “And it shall be if not you hear in voice Yehovah your God.”

In verse 1, there was an emphasis, “if hearing you hear.” Now, it only says, “if not you hear.” One can sense that there is a disregard of the emphasis, and there is instead not even a lackadaisical hearing of what the Lord says. If they so fail…

15 (con’t) to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today,

The words are identical to the corresponding clause, but with one addition –

  1. “to observe carefully all His commandments”
  2. “to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes”

Moses adds in v’khuqotav, or “and His statutes.” This is an enactment, or something prescribed.” One might say, “an ordinance.” For example, the Passover is called such in Exodus 12:14. All commands are to be obeyed, and all ordinances are to be adhered to. If Israel fails in this, then it shall be…

15 (con’t) that all these curses

The word translated as “curse,” qelalah, is the same as that used in the previous chapter when the blessings and the curses were to be proclaimed upon Mt. Ebal. It signifies “vilification.” However, this is not referring to the curses mentioned there. Rather, it speaks of what is to be stated in the coming verses. Moses says that it is these that…

15 (con’t) will come upon you and overtake you:

The words are identical to the corresponding words of verse 2 with two exceptions. The word “blessings” is substituted with the word “curses,” and the word translated as “and overtake you” is spelled with an additional letter, a vav, in this verse now.

Vav is the sixth letter. It is the number of man, especially fallen man. In picture, a vav is a tent peg. The meaning of vav is “add,” “secure,” or “hook.” One can only speculate here, but with the total number of curses set forth in contrast to the number of blessings, it appears that what will “overtake” Israel will be added to greatly.

It is probably not coincidence that the judgment for Israel’s (and our) sins is especially highlighted in the darkness that covered the earth beginning with the sixth hour when Jesus was on the cross. In Matthew 27:45, it says, “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.”

The innocent Man, took the judgment of the curses which fell upon fallen man. This additional vav may be an anticipatory hint of what was coming in the ministry of Christ.

As far as the sins overtaking Israel, exactly that is what is spoken of towards the end of the Old Testament, as testified to by Zechariah –

“Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.”’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.
5 “Your fathers, where are they?
And the prophets, do they live forever?
6 Yet surely My words and My statutes,
Which I commanded My servants the prophets,
Did they not overtake your fathers?
“So they returned and said:
‘Just as the Lord of hosts determined to do to us,
According to our ways and according to our deeds,
So He has dealt with us.’”’” Zechariah 1:4-6

It is not as if Moses didn’t warn the people. They just failed to pay heed. For now, Moses begins with the curses…

16 “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

The words of verses 16-19 are the antitheses of what was stated in verses 3-6. It is a six-fold repetition of the word “cursed.” Like the blessings, the number of curses is more than six. These are a short summary that will be expanded upon afterwards.

Here, Moses uses the word arar. It is a verb that signifies to bitterly curse. Using this word, Moses says they will be cursed in both the city and the country – literally, the field. As such, this covers domestic employment, that of industry inside the walls of the city, and that which is agricultural, or outside of them.

They are warned that all areas where Israel puts its hands to work, the work of their hands will be cursed. The words here are identical, letter to letter, to verse 3, except “blessed” is changed to “cursed.” Next…

17 “Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

Moses now swaps the blessings of verses 4 and 5. Verse 5 corresponds to this verse now. If you remember from the previous sermon, probably what is meant by Moses is that –

1) the basket that carries the first of the produce is emblematic of all of the harvest. As the firsts are be cursed, so will be the entire harvest. It will fail miserably. And 2) the bowl that is used for making bread (the staff of life) will fail to be filled, implying famine. In other words, there will always be people hungry and malnourished by the lack of food as only empty containers sit before them.

Other than the substituted words “blessed” and “cursed,” the verses are identical, letter for letter. Next…

18 “Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

In this verse, it is letter for letter identical to verse 4, but with two exceptions. The word “blessed” is substituted with “cursed,” and Moses now leaves off “and the increase of your herds.”

“Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase [lit: fruit] of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

“Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

As such, these are five curses detailing one category, that of reproduction. However, in the Hebrew, the first three are termed “fruit, while the fourth is termed “increase,” and the fifth is termed “offspring.”

The idea is that nothing will bear fruit or increase so that even the few people who may be left to occupy the land will face lack. The land will become wholly unproductive. With that stated, Moses next says…

19 “Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

Again, the words are identical, letter for letter, to verse 6, only with the exception of replacing “blessed” with “cursed.” As in verse 6, the Hebrew reads, “in your coming in,” and “in your going out.”

The meaning is that in one’s coming in, there will be no strength. There will be the desire to lay down and curl up from the frustrations of life. There will be no joy, no health for the family, no contentment, no peace, and so on.

And in one’s going out, there won’t be enough strength to put one’s hand to the plow (if there is even an animal to pull it). There will be tiredness, deprivation, and want as the eyes look to desolate fields with nothing springing forth.

With cursing I shall curse you
And you shall be cursed by Me
When you fail to observe and to do
You shall be cursed by Me abundantly

You follow a path that doesn’t lead you to Me
Instead, you constantly turn either left or right
You fail to follow My ways diligently
And to keep Me in the center of your sight

Oh Israel, the blessing is waiting for you
If you would just heed the word that I have spoken
If only you would follow the path that leads to life anew
And I would heal the hearts, desolate and broken

II. With Madness and Blindness and Confusion (verses 20-29)

20 “The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke

The translation is sloppy. Definite articles precede nouns, and there is a striking alliteration used by Moses: Yeshalakh Yehovah bekha eth ha’meerah eth ha’mehumah v’eth ha’migeret – “Will send Yehovah in you the curse, the confusion, and the criticism.”

I translated it that way to maintain the alliteration which provides a heightened sense of the disaster set to come upon the people. The use of the articles also provides its own marked emphasis. The individual words Moses chose are –

Meerah. It is the noun form of the word arar that has been repeatedly used in the past few verses. It will be seen just five times. The next time is in Proverbs 3:33, and which perfectly describes what will come upon Israel –

“The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He blesses the home of the just.” Proverbs 3:33

The last two times it will be seen are in Malachi 2:2 and 3:9, and which also beautifully fit with the theme which Moses puts forth from his lips at this time.

Mehumah. This is its second use. It comes from hum, an onomatopoetic word signifying to murmur or roar. The first was in Deuteronomy 7:23, where it speaks of just the opposite. Instead of this being inflicted on Israel when they are disobedient, it will come upon their enemies –

“But the Lord your God will deliver them over to you, and will inflict defeat upon them until they are destroyed.” Deuteronomy 7:23

Migereth. This is its only use in the Bible. It comes from the verb gaar, meaning to rebuke. Thus, I translated it as “the criticism.” In the use of these three words, Moses is bringing to the highest sense the commotion of life, mind, and attitude that will come upon Israel, and he notes that it will be…

20 (con’t) in all that you set your hand to do,

The words literally state, “in all outstretching your hand which you do.” One can imagine stretching out the hand for grain and bringing back a viper, stretching out the hand for something cold and burning it instead, and stretching out the hand for a bite to eat and having it come back filled with thorns. No matter what is done, only the curse, the confusion, and the criticism responds…

20 (con’t) until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly,

The words are exactingly translated here. Moses repeats the word “until” for emphasis, and then he adds in “quickly” to acknowledge that the terror will be sudden and abrupt. And all of this will be, as Moses astonishingly says…

20 (con’t) because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me.

mipene roa maalalekha asher azavtani – “from face evil your doings which you have forsaken Me.” Moses places His words into the position of the Lord – “you have forsaken Me.” To forsake Moses is to forsake the Lord, and in that, there will be only a curse left behind. The thought is repeated in the Old Testament, where the word of Moses is directly equated to the word of the Lord, such as in 2 Kings –

“In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8 and I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers—only if they are careful to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.” 2 Kings 21:7, 8

The idea of forsaking Moses is found in the New Testament when Paul went to Jerusalem to meet with James and the elders. This is found in Acts 21 –

“And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, ‘You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; 21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.’” Acts 21:20, 21

The word there in Acts means “apostasy from Moses.” It is quite clear that there was a misunderstanding by these men of the significance of what Christ had done.

It was evident even from Chapter 10 when Peter went into the house of Cornelius that things had changed, but the leadership was still unable to fully grasp that in coming to Christ, one doesn’t forsake Moses (meaning the Law of Moses), but instead finds the fulfillment and end of Moses.

It is this that the author of Hebrews, most probably Paul, clearly sets down in his epistle. As Moses wrote of Christ (John 5:46), and as he commanded that when Christ came (meaning the Prophet of Chapter 18), the people were to listen to Him. Those who failed to do so would be so judged.

As Christ established a New Covenant in His blood, He rendered the Old (meaning the Law of Moses) obsolete. He annulled it and it is now set aside. As you can see then, to reject Christ is to reject Moses. He is the fulfillment of all that Moses taught.

However, until that time came, the people were to adhere to the law as laid down here. To fail to do so would bring upon them the curses now being set forth. They did fail, and the curses came upon them, exactly as spoken forth by Moses. But their failure to do so also became the lesson for God’s people, the tutor, which is intended to lead us to Christ.

The coming verses further explain the content of verse 20, giving examples of how the Lord world accomplish what is said there. That begins with…

21 The Lord will make the plague cling to you

yadbeq Yehovah bekha eth ha’daver – “May He cause to cling Yehovah in you the pestilence.” Like in verse 8, the first word of the verse is a jussive. It is basically an indirect command. Moses is thus essentially calling out for the Lord to do this in response to Israel’s rebellion.

Moses calls for them to be overtaken by ha’daver, or “the pestilence.” It is a noun, dever, coming from the word davar, meaning to speak. It is as if the spoken word of the Lord will cling to them and consume them, as is next noted…

21 (con’t) until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess.

Here the word is “ground” not “land.” This is not referring to exile, but to death where Israel lives. The connection seems to be that the word of the Lord is as a destroyer. It drives together what it purposes and thus when He speaks, the pestilence issues forth when the people are so driven together. As a contagion, it moves quickly from person to person.

What this pestilence is cannot be known for sure. The Greek rendering of the verse translates it with the generic word “death.” As such, it is something terminal once it affects a person.

That becomes evident through the word translated as “cling,” which signifies to stick like glue. It is a horrifying thought that nothing will remove it and no suitable remedy for it will be found. This is what the Lord specifies as one of His four severe judgments in Ezekiel 14. There it says –

“For thus says the Lord God: “How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword and famine and wild beasts and pestilence—to cut off man and beast from it?” Ezekiel 14:21

Jeremiah, in particular, uses this word time and again – more than any other prophet – when referring to the judgment of the Lord upon the people. Such a plague is the expected outcome of high crowding, low nutrition, and unsanitary conditions that would normally be expected during the siege of cities within the land. Next, Moses says…

22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew;

Here, Moses lists seven horrifying maladies that would come upon the people. Each is prefixed by an article, revealing the specific nature of the calamity. The first is ba’shakhepheth, or “in the consumption.” This is the second and final time the word is used. It comes from the word shakhaph which is a type of gull. As the gull is a thin bird, the picture is clear – emaciation. The person just wastes away from the disease.

The next is ba’qadakhat, or “in the burning fever.” This is also the second and final time the word is seen. It is derived from qadakh, to kindle.” Thus, it is a febrile disease such as burning ague. The fever will simply burn the person up.

The next is ba’daleqet or “in the inflammation.” The word is found only here in the Bible. It comes from the word dalaq meaning to burn or to hotly pursue. It is another burning disease, probably more intense than the first, and maybe directed in a different way than the previous, such as the entire body instead of the head. It could also be a type of rapidly consuming cancer.

The next is ba’kharkhur, or “in the violent burning.” This is also found only this once in Scripture. It comes from the word kharar, to be hot or scorched. Thus, if a burning in the body, it is the most extreme of the three categories. In such a state, the vital organs of the person would simply melt from the heated stress on the body.

However, it could also be referring to the burning of the mind. In other words, insanity coming upon a person because of the terrible times that have come upon the people. Thus, it is as if the mind is hotly enraged.

Next, Moses notes ba’kherev, or “in the sword.” The sword is another of the four severe judgments noted by Ezekiel. It is worthy of note that the three letters that spell this word can also be translated as “drought,” and that is how the Latin Vulgate, the Arabic, and Samaritan Pentateuch translate this.

As that implies heat, it is a reasonable possibility for what is described here, and it would fit the overall theme of heat well. Further, it is also something that would be attributed as a plague from the Lord directly, rather than indirectly as the sword of an enemy would.

However, as this would be the only time that the sword is mentioned in this chapter, and as it is such a common judgment upon Israel throughout the prophets, “sword” may be the correct rendering.

The next two words are plagues that target the food of the people. The first is ba’shidaphon, or “in the scorching.” This is a new word in Scripture, sh’dephah. It will be seen six times. It comes from shadaph, meaning to scorch or blight. Ye olde King Jimmy Version translates this as “blasting.”

This probably refers to the scorching east winds that are known to come upon the land. Rather than naming the wind itself, it would then refer to the result of what the wind causes. This seems likely based on the use of the word in 2 Kings 19 –

“Therefore their inhabitants had little power;
They were dismayed and confounded;
They were as the grass of the field
And the green herb,
As the grass on the housetops
And grain blighted before it is grown.” 2 Kings 19:26

Next listed is ba’yeraqon, or “in the mildew.” This word is new also, and it will also be seen just six times. All but one time, it will be translated along with the previous word. It signifies mildew or paleness, coming from yereg, meaning green, greenish, or yellow.

One can get the idea of unhealthy sickliness. It is a paleness whether of people or of plants that indicates the onset of death. Of these, Moses next says…

22 (con’t) they shall pursue you until you perish.

The Lord will send these plagues upon the people, coming hard after them, so that they will be consumed. It may be that He would send them in rapid succession as well, which would certainly bring madness to the minds of the people as they faced the rushing onslaught. And all because they failed to acknowledge the Lord who established them and blessed them.

23 And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron.

Here, it should say “land” rather than “earth.” It speaks of the state of the entire land given to Israel. It will be under a curse, and it will be unproductive. This is a close repeat of Leviticus 26:19 –

“I will break the pride of your power;
I will make your heavens like iron and your earth [land] like bronze.”

Moses reverses the metals to show that the punishment will be universal in nature. Of these two metals, bronze represents judgment while iron represents strength, be it in binding together, in government, in hard service, or in bondage.

In this, we see judgment in the sky, meaning barren skies with no clouds or rain, scorching heat radiating down on the people, and so on. This, in turn, will lead to an unyielding earth that is caked and dead. Digging through it to find new sources of water will be like digging through rock itself.

Times of drought are recorded in the Bible, testifying to judgment upon the people, but this was also the state of the land after the Roman exile. In the destruction of the cities, which included Jerusalem and the sanctuary there, the Romans built siege works.

In doing so, they cut down the trees of the land. In this, the natural rain cycles of the land were disrupted. If any rains fell, they were not enough to support crops and produce. This continued on until the return of Israel to the land. In their return, they began planting trees, and the cycle of former and latter rains returned to the land.

Mark Twain spoke of the nature of the land as he passed through it, penning a confirmation of the prophesies uttered forth by Moses. Further, the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary of 1871 says –

“This want of regular and seasonable rain is allowed by the most intelligent observers to be one great cause of the present sterility of Palestine.”

The Lord spoke directly in Leviticus, and through Moses in Deuteronomy, about these things. As such, the famines of Israel must be ascribed to the deliberate action of the Lord in fulfillment of His word. In continued reference to the state of the land, Moses speaks on…

24 The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust;

With the heavens shut up in judgment, and with the ground without any moisture, any loose soil would turn into powder, and the dust below the topsoil would be exposed. Everything is in a state of complete desiccation. And because of that…

24 (con’t) from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.

The Hebrew says, “the heavens.” It is an indication that the sky in all directions would be filled with the powder and dust. This is not specifically speaking of the sharav, or khamsin, winds that often rage over the middle east. Such is a normal occurrence that simply arises and overwhelms the land from time to time. What Moses refers to here is a consequence of the state of the land.

The result of even a normal breeze would be that of constant debris flying about. The desiccated topsoil would be picked up and tossed around, and the dust below it would as well. One would always be covered in a layer of grime as it stuck to the sweat of the body, and there would be no comfort from the grinding of the debris into the skin. A French traveler in the 1600s is cited by Adam Clarke –

“Thevenot, a French traveler, who had observed these showers of dust, etc., says, ‘They grievously annoy all they fall on, filling their eyes, ears, nostrils, etc.’” Adam Clarke

Existence in such a land would be dirty, difficult, and demanding. And it could be avoided if the people would simply pay heed. But the warnings continue to come for those who fail to do so…

25 “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them;

This is the antithesis of verse 7 –

“The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”

Instead of victory, there will be a total routing of Israel. They will head in every direction, utterly defeated by their enemies. Already in Deuteronomy, the Lord has promised to go out with Israel, and to destroy their enemies –

“When you go out to battle against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you, do not be afraid of them; for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 20:1

This is now explicitly qualified. The Lord will be with Israel, if Israel is with the Lord, obeying His commands and observing his statutes. To fail means destruction before the foe, and more…

25  (con’t) and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth.

Here is a rare word, zaavah, it is found only here and in Ezekiel 23:46. It is a transposition of the word zevaah, meaning a trembling, or an object of terror. The KJV translates it as “shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.”

This is unlikely. The idea of exile is the highest disgrace and the greatest curse to come upon the people. It will be noted later toward the end of the curses. This now is referring to the state of Israel among the kingdoms.

They will be defeated in battle, and they will then be treated like a football that gets punted between all the kingdoms who oppress them. This is recorded as occurring during their history prior to exile where they were subject to paying tribute to Moab, Assyria, Egypt, and so on. And more…

26 Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth,

The words are singular, and instead of “air” it says, “the heavens” – “And it shall be your carcass to food to every bird in the heavens and to the beast of the earth.” Moses is speaking to Israel in the singular, as a united body that will be subject to the prey of the bird and the beast. The use of the singular draws this out in a notable way. And of these creatures, it says…

26 (con’t) and no one shall frighten them away.

Being devoured by animals was considered one of the most ignoble ways to die. So much so that we read this account at the time of King David when the sons of a woman were put to death before the Lord –

“Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.” 2 Samuel 21:10

This woman would not allow the beasts to eat her sons, because she understood the significance of the curse Moses speaks of now. On the other hand, Israel was promised again by Jeremiah that this fate would befall them as he repeated the same words that Moses uses in this verse –

“And the carcass of this people hath been for food To a fowl of the heavens, and to a beast of the earth, And there is none troubling.” Jeremiah 7:33 YLT

Because of their unfaithfulness to the Lord, the curse of Moses was set to come upon them. Along with this, Moses next says…

27 The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch,

Moses now speaks of four separate afflictions. The first is the shekhin, or boil. It is singular in the Hebrew, thus designating a class of boil – the “boil of Egypt.” It is an eruption of the skin. It is what Job had all over his body, and it is what Hezekiah had, but which was cured by applying a poultice of figs.

The next is the ophel, or tumor. The word ophel means “a mound,” or “a hill.” Thus, it is that which mounds up on the body. The KJV takes it as a specific type of mound using the archaic word emerod, or a hemorrhoid.

After that, is noted the garav, or scab. This is its third and last use in the Bible. It comes from a root meaning “to scratch” as from itching, and so it is a painful affliction of the skin.

Finally, is the kheres, or itch. This is a new word that will only be seen four times. The other three times, it will be translated as the “sun.” James Strong thinks the connection may be that of scraping oneself with a potsherd which is round, resembling the sun. I would think it is an affliction of the skin, like prurigo, that resembles the sun, being bright red, or orange, and round.

Of these four terrible afflictions, Moses says…

27 (con’t) from which you cannot be healed.

When the affliction sets in, it will be because the hand of the Lord sent it. It will occur at a time when the land is devoid of proper medicines due to scarcity, and it will be an affliction that so many people have that it will become endemic in the society. Along with these terrors…

28 The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart.

In addition to the physical just mentioned, come more afflictions of the body and the mind. The first is shigaon. It is a new word signifying madness or furiousness. It will be seen in 2 Kings 9:20, where a person drives his chariot in furiousness, and again in Zechariah 12 where the Lord promises to strike every horse with confusion and every rider with madness during a future battle –

“‘In that day,’ says the Lord, ‘I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.’” Zechariah 12:4

The next word Moses uses is ivaron. It signifies blindness, and it will be seen only one more time, also in Zechariah 12:4 –

“‘In that day,’ says the Lord, ‘I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.’” Zechariah 12:4

This is probably Moses’ way of referring to blindness of the mind, thus matching the other two afflictions which are mental, rather than physical torments.

The third affliction is timahon – it is also a new word signifying astonishment or consternation, coming from tamah, meaning to be astounded or dumbfounded.

In this, it will be l’vav, or “to heart.” Thus, it signifies a confusion of the mind’s ability to reason out what is happening. This word will also be seen only one more time, and it will also be in Zechariah 12:4 –

“‘In that day,’ says the Lord, ‘I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness.’” Zechariah 12:4

One can see that in the great battle in the end of days, the Lord will take the same vengeance against His enemies that Moses now promises will be brought against Israel. The Lord is perfectly fair and just in how He executes His judgments upon or for Israel, depending on how they respond to His word. Finally, we read…

29 And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness;

As the previous verse referred to mental impairment, this follows along with that. The sun at noonday is when everything is the clearest. The shadows are almost nonexistent. But just as a blind man gropes in the darkness of his eyes, Israel would grope for clarity and a remedy for the trouble they faced.

And yet, no remedy will be found. There will only be an inability to rise above the helpless state in which they find themselves…

29 (con’t) you shall not prosper in your ways;

One could think of a country with spiraling debt, hyperinflation, and facing a total economic meltdown. They would grope for an answer to the situation, but no matter what they did, the result was always that things got worse, not better.

This is the state that Moses promises Israel will face when they reject the Lord. No matter what way they take, and no matter what option they choose, they will only face a worsening of their crisis. In such a state…

29 (con’t) you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually,

Without the ability to correctly evaluate a situation, there is no way to correctly perform in order to alleviate it. Therefore, those who take prey in such a situation will do so to Israel. It is reflective of the words of Judges 6 –

“Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian for seven years, 2 and the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel. Because of the Midianites, the children of Israel made for themselves the dens, the caves, and the strongholds which are in the mountains. 3 So it was, whenever Israel had sown, Midianites would come up; also Amalekites and the people of the East would come up against them. 4 Then they would encamp against them and destroy the produce of the earth as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents, coming in as numerous as locusts; both they and their camels were without number; and they would enter the land to destroy it. 6 So Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.” Judges 6:1-6

Until Israel is hemmed in and plundered enough, they would keep their necks stiff and their hearts unyielding, but when things would get bad enough, they would cry out to the Lord for deliverance. This is the way it has been, and this is the way it will continue to be. Until they come to Him, Moses warns…

*29 (fin) and no one shall save you.

The Hebrew reads: v’ain movoshia – “And no savior for you.” Apart from the Lord, Israel has no savior. Moses promises them that if they depart from Him, salvation will not be found. Only in seeking Him out will deliverance be possible.

But this is the lesson that permeates Scripture concerning all humanity. Adam rejected the word of the Lord. In this, woe and affliction came upon him. That has continued unabated in human history. Israel was given as a lesson for humanity, and that lesson is ongoing today.

Their rejection of Christ has brought people from all over the world to the place where salvation is found. Until Israel wises up and seeks the Lord they once crucified, their troubles will continue unabated. The fact that they are back in the land and seemingly doing ok does not in any way mean that things are ok for them.

They are being brought to the point where they will, as a nation, face the possibility of utter destruction. And that is written in their own Scriptures. That would not happen if they were right with the Lord, and so the curse for them is ongoing.

Until they acknowledge what they have done, and until they make it right by calling out to Christ for deliverance, they will not prosper as a people. In seeing this, and in understanding it, this should clue each of us in all the more to the fact that we each, just as Israel as a nation, need Jesus.

If the blessing and curses toward Israel are true, and if Jesus Christ is the focus of them coming, and because Jesus has been presented to the world as its one and only Messiah, then we must pay heed. This is the story of Israel. It is a story for each of us to learn from. And so may you learn it today – to the glory of the Lord who is the Giver of every good blessing, or of the finality of man through the curse.

Closing Verse: “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:11, 12

Next Week: Deuteronomy 28:30-37 When they open their purses, they will be empty… (The Blessings and the Curses, Part III) (79th Deuteronomy Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. But He also has expectations of you as He prepares you for entrance into His Land of Promise. So, follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Blessings and the Curses, Part II

“But it shall come to pass
If you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God
———-pay heed, my words are true
To observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes
———-which I command you today
That all these curses will come upon you and overtake you

“Cursed shall you be in the city
And cursed shall you in the country be

“Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl
“Cursed shall be the fruit of your body
———-and the produce of your land
The increase of your cattle
And the offspring of your flocks as well, please understand

“Cursed shall you be when you come in, without a doubt
And cursed shall you be when you go out

“The LORD will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke
In all that you set your hand to do, so shall it be
Until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly
Because of the wickedness of your doings in which
———-you have forsaken Me

The LORD will make the plague cling to you
So to you I address
Until He has consumed you from the land
Which you are going to possess

The LORD will strike you with consumption
With fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever too
With the sword, with scorching, and with mildew
They shall pursue you until you perish – even you

And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze
And the earth which is under you shall be iron
———-such a state will be employed
The LORD will change the rain of your land to powder and dust
From the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed

“The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies
You shall go out one way against them, hightailing it off to Perth
And flee seven ways before them
And you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth

Your carcasses shall be
Food for all the birds of the air, so to you I say
And the beasts of the earth
And no one shall frighten them away

The LORD will strike you
With the boils of Egypt, that plague will be unsealed
With tumors, with the scab, and with the itch
From which you cannot be healed

The LORD will strike you with madness
———- (and that is just the start)
And blindness and confusion of heart

And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man
———-gropes in darkness
You shall not prosper in your ways, this much is true
You shall be only oppressed and plundered continually
And no one shall save you

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…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15 “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:

16 “Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

17 “Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.

18 “Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.

19 “Cursed shall you be when you come in, and cursed shall you be when you go out.

20 “The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me. 21 The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. 22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. 23 And your heavens which are over your head shall be bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. 24 The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed.

25 “The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 Your carcasses shall be food for all the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and no one shall frighten them away. 27 The Lord will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. 28 The Lord will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart. 29 And you shall grope at noonday, as a blind man gropes in darkness; you shall not prosper in your ways; you shall be only oppressed and plundered continually, and no one shall save you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 2:24

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Sunday, 14 November 2021

whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. Acts 2:24

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).

Peter has been describing the work of Christ, including His crucifixion and death. With that noted, he now notes the second half of this greatest combined event in human history. There was the cross-death and there was the triumph over it. Peter says, “whom God raised up.”

The resurrection isn’t just an event where God bypassed the normal course of human events. Nor was it a miracle of restoring life, such as occurred with those Jesus brought back from death as is recorded in the gospels. It was the necessary and logical outcome for Jesus, as will be explained. For now, the words, “whom God raised up,” are referring to the working of each member of the Godhead. Paul states in Romans –

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4

However, Jesus had already referred to His own hand in the resurrection in John –

“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” John 10:17, 18

And yet, Paul again ascribes the resurrection to the Holy Spirit in Romans 8 –

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:9-11

In these and other verses, we are shown that each member of the Godhead participated in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It was this immense and intentional power of God that was directed to bring the human body of Christ back to life, as Peter says, “having loosed the pains of death.”

The word translated as “loosed” signifies exactly that. When a donkey or ox is untied, it is loosed. When laces are untied on one’s shoes, they are loosed. Jesus said that “the Scripture cannot be broken” in John 10:35. It is firmly bound, and it remains binding. Death is a bind upon human beings. When the body dies, the soul is left bound in that state. Without an external force, it cannot be unloosed.

But even before death, the soul is bound to death. The animation of the body is not a permanent thing. Rather it continues until the body dies, but the binding of the soul does not change. This is evidenced in Christ’s reanimation of the bodies of the son of the widow of Nain recorded in Luke 7. It is evidenced in His raising of Lazarus in John 11. Such instances of restoring the body to life were not permanent as it is understood that both eventually died again. If they didn’t, they would be a sensation wherever they traveled to, even to this day.

The reason these things are true is because, as Paul says in Romans 6:23, “the wages of sin is death.” What this is clearly and unambiguously saying is that human beings die as payment for sin. It is the earned wage of it. But this then is understood to include every human at every age, and thus the Bible implicitly refers to the doctrine of “original sin.” This is explained by Paul in Romans 5:18 –

“Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation.”

It is explicitly stated by David in the 51st Psalm –

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” Psalm 51:5, 6

This is why when babies die, they do not resurrect. And it is why child sacrifice is so abhorrent to God. The sin of our first father, Adam, has been transmitted to all human beings because the human species has a terminal infection in it. That infection is passed from father to child, and it ultimately ends in the death of the body. But that infection is tied to the soul which is bound to the sin of Adam, and which separates man from God. Christ Jesus came to correct this in human beings.

It is in this work of God in Christ that the “pains of death” are loosed. Vincent’s Word Studies explains the word translated as “pains,” saying –

“The meaning is disputed. Some claim that Peter followed the Septuagint mistranslation of Psalm 18:5, where the Hebrew word for snares is rendered by the word used here, pains; and that, therefore, it should be rendered snares of death; the figure being that of escape from the snare of a huntsman. Others suppose that death is represented in travail, the birth-pangs ceasing with the delivery; i.e., the resurrection. This seems to be far-fetched, though it is true that in classical Greek the word is used commonly of birth-throes. It is better, perhaps, on the whole, to take the expression in the sense of the A. V., and to make the pains of death stand for death generally.”

Whatever the sense of the word, the pains center on death, and the loosing of death is the key point to consider. But this is only speaking of the physical body of Christ, as will be explained. For now, and with that understanding, Peter remarkably tells his audience that the pains of death were loosed from Him “because it was not possible that He should be held by it.”

This is the key point of the entire outcome of the birth, life, and death of Christ. But it must be understood from what has already been stated.

Abraham was given the covenant of circumcision in Genesis 17 –

“This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” Genesis 17:10, 11

The Lord noted that circumcision is a “sign.” A sign is something that points to something else. Jews consider circumcision as the thing itself. They point to their circumcision and say, “Because I am circumcised (signifying being a Jew), I am righteous.” This is incorrect. The “sign” does not call attention to itself, but rather points us to the fulfillment of the sign.

The implication in cutting the male organ is that the sign anticipates the cutting of sin. It tells us that sin travels from father to child. As every person has a father, it means that sin is inherited by every person (as noted in Psalm 51 above).

After the giving of the sign, the Lord eventually gave Israel the Law of Moses. This was His standard by which Israel was to live. And, in fact, He promised – explicitly – that life would be given if a man could perform the law –

“You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.” Leviticus 18:5

It is a promise of the law. The man who does the things of the law will live. To live is to not die. It is an explicit statement that speaks of righteousness leading to life, because “the wages of sin is death.”

When Christ came, He did not come to the Japanese. Nor did He come to those in Germany. Rather, He came as a descendant of Israel after the giving of the law. Thus, He was born under the law. However, He had no human father. Thus, no sin was transmitted to Him. The “sign” of circumcision was fulfilled in His coming. The line of sin was “cut” because His Father is God. As such, He was capable of living by the law, something no other person had done – proven by their deaths. Every person born under the law for the previous 1400+ years had died because “the wages of sin is death,” and all of them had sin and committed sin. Peter will further explain this in the verses to come.

In the virgin birth, Christ was born without sin. But being born under the law, Christ had to live without sin in order to fulfill the law. This is what the gospels were given to show. Christ not only was born sinless, but He lived perfectly before His Father without sinning –

“Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47 He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” John 8:46, 47

The record of Christ’s sinless life is documented, the book of Acts speaks of it, and the epistles explain it. But the resurrection proves it. Peter said, “it was not possible that He should be held by” death. If the wages of sin is death, and if Christ was born without sin and lived without ever sinning, then it was indeed impossible for death to hold Him. In Him was life, the life was never cut because of sin, and therefore the life remained in Him.

Therefore, and because of this, the power of God was brought to bear on the lifeless human body of Christ in fulfillment of the words of the law, “which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 18:5). The promise of the Lord (Yehovah) is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Life application: Because the promise of the Lord found in Leviticus 18:5 is fulfilled in the resurrection of Jesus, it signifies that the law is fulfilled in Him. As such, in Him is life. From this point, the gospel of Jesus Christ says that if you believe in this fulfilled work of Jesus, you will be imputed His righteousness. The fulfillment of the law will be reckoned to you.

As it is law by which sin is imputed (see Romans 5:13), and as a person who believes in the work of Christ is now “in Christ,” it means that sin is no longer imputed to that person –

“that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19

This then means, exactingly and unambiguously, that a person who is saved is saved forever (eternal salvation). If we who are in Christ are no longer imputed sin, and if “the wages of sin is death,” then those who are in Christ can never die again. However, this is not referring to physical death, but the rebinding of the soul. These physical bodies will either die, or they will be cast off at the rapture, as explained by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15.

The words of Peter today dispel two lines of incorrect theology/doctrine taught within the church. The first is that a person can lose his salvation. This is as impossible as it was for death to hold Christ. The second is that we are obligated to the Law of Moses in part or in whole (Hebrew Roots, Seventh Day Adventists, et al). If we were bound to the law, sin could be imputed. Paul says that is not the case in so many ways that it is incredible that people hold to this heretical doctrine.

Grace has been granted to those who call on Christ. Do not be anxious that it can be taken away, and do not put yourselves again under the yoke of bondage which is the Law of Moses. Be sound in your doctrine and be firm in your faith – to the glory of God who redeemed you through the perfect and pure shed blood of Christ!

Lord God! How incredible it is what You have done through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

 

 

Acts 2:23

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Saturday, 13 November 2021

Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; Acts 2:23

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).

Peter now gets to the point concerning the error of the Jews in what has occurred. He just noted that Christ was “attested by God” because of the “miracles, wonders, and signs” that He accomplished. This is something that they were all perfectly well aware of. In fact, this is what the two men on the road to Emmaus poignantly asked of the Lord after His resurrection as they walked –

“And He said to them, ‘What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are sad?’
18 Then the one whose name was Cleopas answered and said to Him, ‘Are You the only stranger in Jerusalem, and have You not known the things which happened there in these days?’|
19 And He said to them, ‘What things?’
So they said to Him, ‘The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death, and crucified Him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened. 22 Yes, and certain women of our company, who arrived at the tomb early, astonished us. 23 When they did not find His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said He was alive. 24 And certain of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but Him they did not see.’” Luke 24:17-24

Calling the Lord a “stranger” was a way of saying, “It’s the only explanation for you to not know these things.” As this is so, the men of Israel were perfectly well aware of the ministry of the Lord, and yet Peter next directly says to them, “Him, being delivered.”

This is referring to Christ. The word translated as “being delivered” is an adjective. A more literal rendering would be “betrayed.” Hence, “Him, betrayed…” This is the explanation for what occurred. The word is connected to the coming words “you have taken,” not to the words “by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.”

In other words, the betrayal was by the Jewish people. It wasn’t just that Christ got caught up in circumstances that ended in His death, but that He was purposefully given over by Israel. Despite this, Peter notes that this occurred “by the determined purpose.”

The word “determined” is translated from the Greek word horizó. One can see the root of the word “horizon.” Being a verb, it signifies “to set limits on.” There was an eternal purpose of God that set the boundaries for what would occur because God had ordained it to be so. The word is used again in Acts 17:26 where the meaning is clearly explained from the text –

“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.”

As such, the process of redemption was certainly the result of the “foreknowledge of God.” Here is a new word in Scripture, prognósis. One can see the obvious connection to our modern word of the same spelling. God’s foreknowledge allows Him to set the boundaries for all things to work out in accord with His redemptive plans. With that understood, Peter now states the words that are connected to the idea of being “betrayed” as noted above. He says, “you have taken.”

Here is a word used only once in Scripture, ekdotos. It is an adjective in the singular. Hence, it more appropriately reads, “[man] delivered.” In other words, it is referring to Jesus. With that understood, the NKJV next reads, “by lawless hands.”

The translation is incorrect. It says, “by hand lawless.” The word “hand” is singular. The guilt of the nation is highlighted in these words. It doesn’t matter if every person standing there had done this. Nor does it matter today, two thousand years later, that none of the people now alive were there. The guilt is national guilt. Hence, Peter’s words are addressed to all.

Further, the word “lawless” is precisely translated. It signifies “without law.” At times, it is rendered “ungodly.” What occurred was a lawless act by the hand of the people. They had the law. The law clearly speaks of Jesus (see John 5:39 and 5:46). Thus, the delivering up of Jesus was a lawless act. As such, guilt is imputed because of it. There can be no forgiveness of the act apart from the atonement process.

What is evident is that the believers did have their guilt atoned for. This is clearly substantiated by the pouring out of the Spirit upon them. As the others did not, it means that their guilt remained unatoned for. Peter will explain to them how this can happen, and he will do it by referring to both an individual (e.g., Acts 2:38) and a national (e.g., Acts 3:19-26) atonement. Of this lawless hand, Peter next says, “have crucified.”

Again, Peter uses a word found only here in Scripture, prospégnumi. It signifies “to fasten to” and it refers to the act of nailing (fastening) Christ to the cross. The word is in the plural signifying that each person (you all) bears the guilt. Even if it was only Roman soldiers who took the hammer and nail and fastened Christ to the cross, each person was responsible for that having come about.

The guilt is national and it is all-encompassing. From the oldest man to the newborn baby, the nation bears the guilt. Remember, Peter is a Jew speaking to his people. He is not so much making an accusation as he is stating a point of fact. Again, this is obvious because the disciples who received the Spirit are a part of this body. And yet, they are set apart to God because of their belief in the work Christ accomplished. With that understood, it is exactly Christ’s work that allowed for them to receive the Spirit. As Peter says, “and put to death.”

The crucifixion led to the death. But the death is because of the crucifixion, and the crucifixion was because the people had fastened Christ to the cross. Everything is tied up in this act, including the atonement of those who believed.

Hebrews says that “without shedding of blood there is no remission.” The fact that those who followed Christ had received the Spirit signifies that their guilt was remitted. The fact that those who had not followed Christ had not received the Spirit means that their guilt remained. The only difference between the two is the disciples’ faith in Christ. As such, it demonstrates that Christ’s death was an atoning sacrifice for sin. The guilt is removed through faith in His work. This will continue to be seen as the narrative unfolds.

Life application: As seen in the evaluation of this verse, though it is not explicitly stated, the blood atonement of Christ is clearly evidenced in the words of Peter. Those who deny this and who claim that Peter never referred to blood atonement (hyperdispensationalism) are clearly mistaken. One does not need to explicitly state a point of doctrine for it to be understood.

The doctrine of original sin is never explicitly stated in Scripture. The word “Trinity” is never stated in Scripture. And the word “rapture” is never explicitly stated. However, all three of these doctrines are clearly implied. Such is the case with the blood atonement of Christ in Peter’s words. There are those who stand forgiven and who received the Spirit. There are those whose guilt remains, and they did not. The only difference between the two is faith in the work of Christ.

There is one gospel. To say there are two is a heresy. Don’t be a heretic. Accept the one gospel of Jesus Christ and be saved from the wrath of God that is to come upon the world.

Glorious, almighty, and most wonderful Lord God – thank You for having sent Christ Jesus to die for our sins. Thank You for the sealing of the Spirit that comes when we believe that it is so. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.