Author: Charlie Garrett

Acts 2:40

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Tuesday, 30 November 2021

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Acts 2:40

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 recorded words of Peter’s discourse are ended, but this is not all that he said to the people as is evidenced by the words, “And with many other words.” What this means is that what was deemed appropriate by the Spirit to be conveyed was included in the passage, but nothing else. Everything in Scripture has a set purpose. Nothing is left out that should have been included, and nothing superfluous is added in.

What is recorded from Peter’s words was sufficient to convey why the event of speaking in tongues took place, what it signified, proof that it was prophesied in advance, how it pointed to the work of Christ Jesus, how the Scriptures prophesied of the work of Jesus, what that work led to (meaning His exaltation), and what was necessary for those standing before Peter to be saved from the wrath that would most surely come upon the people for having crucified their Messiah.

The recorded account is fully sufficient to meet the purposes of being a proper witness against Israel concerning their actions and their guilt. It is also a witness that the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuoth) has found its fulfillment in the work of the Lord.

With these things sufficiently explained and their truths established, it says of the many words of Peter’s that are left unrecorded that “he testified and exhorted them.” The Greek words give the sense of a complete and encouraging testimony. In other words, Peter left no questions unanswered, and what he said was fully sufficient to convince, if those who heard were willing to pay heed. Included in his exhortation, Peter included a stern warning, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

In other words, the wrath of God was aroused against Israel, just as had happened so many times in their past. Each time, their Scriptures carefully recorded the surrounding events, testifying to them why the things that happened to them came about. Their standard was the Law of Moses, and when they departed from it, they were explicitly told what the resulting punishment would be. And yet, nothing is recorded in their Scriptures – meaning the Old Testament – to explain their second exile.

This means that either Israel was left without explanation, in their own writings, as to why they were exiled, or it means that Sacred Scripture does record the reason, but they have failed to accept that body of Scripture as divinely inspired.

In other words, the Old Testament is an incomplete account of Israel’s history. Only with the New Testament do Moses’ words, to which Israel is bound, now have any meaning for the modern nation. Indeed, the Old Testament tells of Israel’s modern restoration, but it does not tell why they needed to be restored. Only with their rejection of Christ do the past two thousand years of their history make any sense.

This is what Peter is implying when he calls them a “perverse generation.” The word translated here as “perverse” is skolios. It literally means “crooked.”  HELPS Word Studies defines it as “crooked (bent) because dried out (like a piece of parched wood); (figuratively) morally twisted (warped) because lacking the oil of the Holy Spirit – hence, unacceptable to God (His standards).”

The definition is a perfect fit for what occurred in Israel. They lacked the Holy Spirit, as evidenced by the lack of speaking in tongues at the fulfillment of the Feast of Pentecost. As such, they were unable to accept God’s standard as presented to them in the Person of Jesus Christ. Their thoughts were crooked and there would be no hope for the nation. Only those who stepped away from the national mindset could be saved.

Life application: There is an interesting set of patterns that is found in Scripture, and which connects what occurred in the wilderness wanderings of Israel to the Roman exile of Israel. Israel was offered Canaan, the Land of Promise. Before they entered, men were selected to spy out the land. When they returned, a bad report was spread throughout the camp and the people rebelled.

At that time, the Lord promised to destroy the congregation through exile in the wilderness. They would continue to fall dead during that period until all that generation was gone. Only after that would Israel then enter into Canaan. The Bible is clear, both in Numbers – and as is explained in Hebrews – that they were punished because they lacked faith –

“Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’” Hebrews 3:10, 11

&

“For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.” Hebrews 3:16-19

The pattern is repeated in the coming of Christ. The people did not believe Him. In their unbelief, they were not given the rest that is found in Jesus Christ. For those who do believe, they have entered God’s rest (Hebrews 4:3). The entire account of Israel’s Roman exile was typologically anticipated in the wilderness wanderings. They, as a nation, were removed from God’s presence because of their unbelief.

However, the nation eventually did cross the Jordan and enter. Likewise, Israel will someday come to Christ in faith and enter into His rest. The pattern is explained in the Numbers and Deuteronomy sermons at the Superior Word website.

One of the main themes of this, however, is that Moses did not enter into the promise, but died outside of Canaan in the land of Moab. Moses represents the law. As such, a clear and unambiguous picture is made for us. By the law, no person can enter into God’s rest. They must come by faith in Christ alone.

If you are stuck in a law-observant church, meaning observing the law in part or in whole, you must remove yourself from that doctrine. What is taught by the Seventh Day Adventists, the Hebrew Roots movement, and so on is the highest form of heresy because it denies the all-sufficient work of Jesus Christ. Be sure to never add deeds of the law into your theology in an attempt to please God. He is pleased with you based on your faith in the work of His Son.

Only after being saved are your works credited for rewards. These are not works of the law, but works as outlined in the New Testament epistles. Have faith in Christ Jesus and be pleasing to God.

Lord God, Your word is a wonderful testimony to Your working in and through Jesus Christ. Help us to be sound in our thinking and to know in our hearts that You have done everything necessary to reconcile us to Yourself. Help us to put away our arrogance by trying to do what He has already done. Help us to find our sufficiency in His work alone. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 2:39

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Monday, 29 November 2021

For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:39

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 just instructed the men of Israel what they needed to do in order to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. At first, it might seem contradictory to do something in order to receive a gift, but that was seen to be incorrect. A gift is not necessarily something everyone will get. Only those who meet the qualifications for receiving it will. In the case of those of Israel who had just crucified Christ Jesus, they had to prepare themselves in order to be eligible by repenting (changing their mind). Today, we too must be prepared, meeting the qualifications that are set forth for us as outlined in the epistles.

Understanding this, and having seen what Peter instructed the people before him, he notes to them, “For the promise.” This is certainly referring to the reception of the Spirit. It is what Peter cited in verse 2:17 –

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;”

However, and whether they understood it or not, this promise is based on the establishment of a New Covenant. Peter was fully aware of this, having sat with Christ as He proclaimed it. But those there before him will receive that instruction in due time if they accept the terms set forth to receive the gift. This New Covenant was prophesied by Jeremiah, and it is what allows the pouring forth of the Spirit –

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.” Jeremiah 31:31

In the establishment of this New Covenant, the Spirit has been poured out. It is the promise Joel referred to. As such, Peter continues, saying that it “is to you and to your children.”

Again, it follows directly with the next half of the verse that Peter cited from Joel –

“Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.” Joel 2:17

The people of Israel were to receive the promise, and it was one that extended beyond a single generation. It would continue from that point on, testified to by the words “and to your children.” It implies a new order of things had come to pass. From there, Peter then says, “and to all who are afar off.”

The words “afar off” mean “at a distance” or “unto a long way.” The idea of “to you and to your children” is temporal in nature. The idea of “to all who are afar off” is spatial in nature. It is an all-encompassing thought then. Whatever Peter is thinking of, and whatever the Jews standing there were thinking of, cannot be fully known. Any or all of them may be thinking only of Jews of the dispersion and not of Gentiles at all. However, the words are words of prophecy, therefore, the full scope of their meaning does not necessarily have to be understood at this time. For example, in John 11, it says –

“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.’ 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:49-52

Caiaphas prophesied concerning the nation of Israel, but John clearly indicates that what he prophesied extended beyond the nation. Thus, by default, it extends to the Gentiles. The same is true here, whether Peter and those before him realized this.

Peter and the others had already been told that they were to carry the gospel to the Gentiles. That is clearly recorded in Matthew 28 –

“‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Matthew 28:18-20

The sentiment is also reflected in Jesus’ final words to those gathered with Him in Acts 1:8. However, as Acts continues on, it will be seen quite clearly that Peter did not fully understand this. There is a developmental process that is identified in Acts that shows that the apostles and disciples were learning as they went. Paul, however, will be taken from outside of this group and given a direct commission apart from their slowly developing understanding. This way, the focus of one group, though bearing the same gospel, will be more user-friendly to one audience, while that of the other will be more acceptable and palatable to another audience.

When the two sides meet up, such as is recorded in Galatians 2, it will be seen that Peter, not Paul, must continue to develop in his theology to come to the same level of understanding concerning what is going on as that of Paul. For now, and even if Peter and those before him did not understand that the words applied to the Gentiles, it does not negate the fact that they do. Paul makes this clear in his words of Ephesians 2 where he clearly shows that the words apply to Gentiles who were once outside of the commonwealth of Israel –

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:11-18

As such, and understanding that this promise applies to both Jew and to Gentile, Peter concludes with the words, “as many as the Lord our God will call.” The promise extends to whoever the Lord calls. The words of prophecy are not limited by man, but by God. It is He who determines the extent of the call. As such, and even if a prophecy is misunderstood, it is God’s prerogative that stands.

With this understood, a person could take a Calvinistic stand on the words “the Lord our God will call” and say, “See, this proves that a person must be regenerated in order to believe. Only then can he be saved.” This would assume the “call” is active (God actually reaches out to the individual and selects him for salvation), and the assumption would be incorrect.

It has already been seen that God sets forth the conditions for salvation. In the case of these Jews before Peter, it was with a particular requirement based on particular circumstances which are not to be considered normative for today. As far as the call being referred to, meaning salvation through the gospel, the call has been made by Jesus in the giving of the gospel. It has been recorded in Scripture as directed by the Holy Spirit. God has made the move, and now that call – which is passive – must be responded to.

Therefore, the words “as many as the Lord our God will call” find their extent based on that. The fact is that the church age will end at some point. Therefore, to say, “as many,” is a parameter set by God. Suppose there is an island that has never been evangelized. If it is expected to take a certain number of missionaries a certain amount of time to evangelize them all, it may be that the rapture will happen before they are all evangelized.

As such, “as many as the Lord God will call” will only apply to those who were evangelized before the rapture. This doesn’t mean that God actively chose some and actively rejected some (Calvinism). Peter says that God was not willing for any to perish, but that all should turn and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). However, because of the timing of redemptive events, it did not come about. This is the extent of Peter’s words now. It is a passive, not an active, calling from God.

Life application: One thing that can be highlighted from Peter’s words of this verse is the universal nature of the calling of God through the gospel. It is a constant problem with cults and sects that they believe certain things belong only to certain people – such as spiritual gifts, salvation, and so on – and that this is based on limitations they have assumed from Scripture or from their own imaginations.

In fact, this is generally the main indication of an incorrect doctrine. The truth of the matter, however, is that salvation is offered to any and to all who meet the requirements set forth by God. His requirement in the church age is that a person must believe the gospel. In this, the Spirit is given in full measure to the person who believes.

The Church of Christ, for example, says that a person must be baptized in order to be saved. That is not a requirement set forth in Scripture, even if Peter told the people to be baptized at a certain time (Acts 2:38). One must determine what is normative, meet the requirements for that, and he will be saved.

Anytime someone or somebody claims an exclusivity that is not clearly stated in Scripture (those who read the King James Version only, only Jehovah’s Witnesses, only Mormons, only the elect (when taken out of context), must be baptized into the Church of Christ, and so on), then be sure to compare their “onlyism” with Scripture. When it is determined that it is not to be found, then run to get away from that body.

God does not show favorites. He saves everyone who comes to Him through the parameters He sets forth. Be sure to know what those parameters are (know the gospel) and meet them. When you have, you are saved. This is what God expects for salvation. From there, be sure to continue to learn what God expects from His word for those who have been saved through the gospel. Grow in doctrine, pursue holiness, and walk circumspectly in this world. Oh, and be sure to tell others the message of hope that is found in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Lord God, thank You for the simplicity of the gospel. Thank You that it is clear, understandable, and available to any and to all who are willing to simply believe its words. You have done the work. Help us to accept this and to be saved through the precious blood of Christ. Amen.

 

 

 

Deuteronomy 28:38-44 (The Blessings and the Curses, Part IV)

Charlie Garrett Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 28:38-44
The Blessings and the Curses, Part IV

The people of Israel obviously failed to uphold the words of this law, because they were sent into exile. Can anyone here disagree with that? The Lord, directly through Moses, and through the prophets, warned Israel to pay heed.

They were given all the information they needed in advance to live rightly, and all of the warnings that explained what would happen if they didn’t. They had only themselves to blame when the disasters that are stated came upon them.

Eventually, the prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile of the people came to pass. But along with those things, came their prophesied return to the land, just as they were told would come about. In fact, the things spoken were so precise that Daniel knew exactly when to pray for restoration –

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.” Daniel 9:1, 2

As such, Israel couldn’t say, “Well, we are finally getting what we deserve by being returned to the land.” No, the best they could say is, “Well, despite our unfaithfulness, the Lord has been faithful to us.” But once they were in the land, they again neglected the Lord. Hence, the bad spoken of in the law continued after their return…

Text Verse: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,’ says the Lord. 9 ‘You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.’” Haggai 1:7-11

Despite their neglect of the Lord, He sent them prophets to tell them what to do, and He promised to bless them as they did it. It’s all one giant lesson that, unfortunately, still has not been learned by them.

They were exiled a second time according to everything stated in the law. They only have themselves to blame for the past two thousand years of misery. Yes, it is more than common for them to blame those woes on pretty much anything else but themselves, but that is how it is.

And now that they are back in the land, they are certain that it was because they somehow deserve it, or because of their own smarts, power, or ability. They are just like their fathers at the time of Haggai. But their unfaithfulness does not, once again, negate the faithfulness of the Lord.

I say this sermon after sermon, and it is a word to them. But it is also a word to those in the church who completely fail to get it. They dismiss Israel of today, being back in the land today, as an aberration. Or they simply reject that there is any connection between the two.

A little more study (and trust in God’s word) and a little less reliance on nonsense, and they would get it right, just as Israel should. How sad that we can’t. But all of this serves a purpose. And we will see that purpose, once again, in today’s verses. When everything is placed in relation to Christ, it all makes sense.

Along with that is His word that puts such things into their proper perspective. There are an immense variety of tools to help us do that. One of them will be seen in the verses today, parallelism. I will explain it now, and then we will get right into the passage.

Parallelism is a type of construction found in sentences where clauses or complete sentences carry the same grammatical structure. Parallelism can help explain what is actually being conveyed when words or thoughts are otherwise difficult to pin down. Further, the syntactical similarities can be used to provide rhetorical effect.

Now, we will proceed. Great things, such as parallelism, 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. Four Points of Loss (verses 38-41)

38 “You shall carry much seed out to the field

The words of this verse are set in contrast to those of verse 28:11 –

“And the Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground, in the land of which the Lord swore to your fathers to give you.”

It takes a certain amount of grain to sow an entire field. The thought of carrying out food that could be eaten, especially at the beginning of the harvest season when supplies would be dwindling, would be tough especially if things weren’t going so well.

The weight of the bag would seem heavy – “I could have a lot of meals with this…” But one cannot reap unless he first sows. And so, much seed is carried out to the field. During the time of Israel’s disobedience, it would be better to just eat the grain and die…

38 (con’t) but gather little in,

What is promised as a blessing for obedience is now stated as a curse for disobedience. In it is a word found only this one time in Scripture, translated as “consume.” It is khasal, coming from a primitive root meaning to eat off.

The idea being set forth in these words is that at the beginning of the cycle, the farmers would take bags and bags of seed saved from the previous crop, and they would sow it into the field. However, at the end of the harvest, there would be little to show for all of the effort. This will be the case as noted by Isaiah because of the sins of the people –

“Woe to those who join house to house;
They add field to field,
Till there is no place
Where they may dwell alone in the midst of the land!
9 In my hearing the Lord of hosts said,
‘Truly, many houses shall be desolate,
Great and beautiful ones, without inhabitant.
10 For ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath,
And a homer of seed shall yield one ephah.’” Isaiah 5:8-10

The disastrous nature of Isaiah’s words is realized in what the homer and the ephah represent. The weights are described in Ezekiel 45 –

“The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, so that the bath contains one-tenth of a homer, and the ephah one-tenth of a homer; their measure shall be according to the homer.” Ezekiel 45:11

If an ephah is one-tenth of a homer, and if an entire homer yields only one ephah, then there is to be such a loss of grain in the harvest season that the yield will not be enough to even sow one-tenth of the land the next year, even if nothing was used for food or selling. The output speaks of total disaster. Of the reason for the disaster in this case, Moses says…

38 (con’t) for the locust shall consume it.

The locust plague upon the land is spoken of in several places. At times, it is symbolically used to represent invading armies. But the thought of the locust is generally that of destroyed produce –

“What the chewing locust left, the swarming locust has eaten;
What the swarming locust left, the crawling locust has eaten;
And what the crawling locust left, the consuming locust has eaten.” Joel 1:4

The reason for the coming of the locust has already been explicitly stated here in Deuteronomy 28:15, saying, “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.” That is then reflected in the words of Amos –

“‘I blasted you with blight and mildew.
When your gardens increased,
Your vineyards,
Your fig trees,
And your olive trees,
The locust devoured them;
Yet you have not returned to Me,’
Says the Lord.” Amos 4:9

The symbolism here is that of the failure of the people under the law. A great harvest indicates obedience and prosperity. As the curse is promised, and as it is said to have come upon the people, it is an overall note of Israel’s failure. The harvest season fails to produce. This is in contrast to what Christ sets forth. Even before the completion of His ministry, His sowing of seed anticipated the magnitude of His harvest –

“Then He said to them, ‘The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” Luke 10:2

&

“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest! 36 And he who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.” John 4:35-38

The idea of the prosperity of the harvest after first sowing one’s seed (Christ in His death, and those who follow Him) is reflected in the psalms –

“Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
6 He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.” Psalm 126:5, 6

For now, along with the lack of harvest because of the great devourer of the fields, the locust, another calamity is noted…

39 You shall plant vineyards and tend them,

A vineyard is planted in the hopes of gathering grapes. It is something that requires attention and care, but it is also dependent on the right conditions to be healthy, such as the right moisture for the type of vine.

Israel is told that they will, in fact, plant vineyards. They already knew the land was favorable for this when the spies were sent into the land many years before. Upon their return, they brought a cluster of grapes as evidence.

Thus, Moses acknowledges that this will be the regular practice of the people henceforth. However, in disobeying the Lord and in the failure to adhere to His word, there will be consequences…

39 (con’t) but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes;

The translation adds two unnecessary articles: v’yayin lo tishteh v’lo teegor – “and wine no you shall drink, and no you shall gather.” To say “the wine” implies there is wine, and to say “the grapes” implies there are grapes to gather. But both thoughts are erroneous.

There will be no grapes to gather, and thus there will be no wine to drink. The words speak of complete futility concerning the effort put forth.

In this clause is a new word, agar, meaning “to gather.” It will be seen here and twice in the proverbs (6:8 and 10:5). It comes from a primitive root signifying “to harvest.” There will be no such gathering because of the lack of grapes…

39 (con’t) for the worms shall eat them.

It is singular: ki tokelenu ha’tolaat – “for shall eat them the worm.” Because of the singular, the tola, or crimson grub worm, is set forth as the destroyer. It will come forth and ravage the efforts of the people. In the prophets, the vineyard is set forth as a people group. The fruit is the product of that group, and the wine is a cultural expression such as joy, debauchery, wrath, and so on.

Though a bit lengthy, this is well-expressed in Isaiah 5 –

“Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a vineyard
On a very fruitful hill.
2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.
3 ‘And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
4 What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,
Did it bring forth wild grapes?
5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:
I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;
And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will lay it waste;
It shall not be pruned or dug,
But there shall come up briers and thorns.
I will also command the clouds
That they rain no rain on it.’
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.” Isaiah 5:1-7

The vineyard is Israel and Judah, the people of God. Jesus then takes this example, and shows that what the Old Covenant failed to do, He would accomplish in the giving of the New Covenant –

“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” Matthew 21:33-41

Jesus’ words speak of the leaders of Israel under the law. In saying that he would give the vineyard to other vinedressers, He was not saying that the church would replace Israel. Rather, He was referring to the covenant arrangement.

Israel and Judah would be led under a new type of leader (Jeremiah 31:31) of which the Gentiles would participate in as well – sharing in the commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12). As for “the worm,” which destroyed the vineyard, it is a picture of Christ –

“But I am a worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 ‘He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!’” Psalm 22:6-8

The symbolism was clearly seen when we looked at the book of Jonah where the tola, or crimson grub worm, pictured Christ destroying the plant that grew as shade over Jonah’s head. The vineyard of God’s people under the law would be destroyed, but the vineyard of God’s people would remain, tended to by new dressers of the vine.

40 You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory,

This is to be taken as an axiom. Moses has already said that the land is filled with olive trees –

“So it shall be, when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build, 11 houses full of all good things, which you did not fill, hewn-out wells which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant…” Deuteronomy 6:10, 11

This implies that the olive trees are well-established. Unlike vineyards that need a lot of attention, olive trees need some pruning and the like, but they should generally be hardy enough to produce olives once they are up and running. They are considered to be rather low-maintenance plants.

When Israel moves in, they will have olive trees, and the trees should produce accordingly. However, in their disobedience…

40 (con’t) but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil;

v’shemen lo tasuk – “and oil no you shall anoint.” This is a new word, suk, meaning to anoint. It comes from a primitive root signifying “to smear over.” Hence, it is the act of anointing.

As before, there will be the hope of harvest, and the heartbreak of having none. To anoint oneself is to enjoy the luxury of the olive upon the body. It is a blessing beyond just eating, but of tending to the body in a way that both blesses the individual and excites those around as well –

“Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.” Ruth 3:2, 3

Such will not be the case for disobedient Israel. And Moses explains why…

40 (con’t) for your olives shall drop off.

It is singular: ki yishal zetekha – “for plundered your olive.” Pretty much every translation, including the Greek, gives the sense of the olives simply failing – dropping off, casting off, and so on.

However, that might require the verb nashal to be used in a way not intended. As such, this may be a form of the verb shalal, which means “plunder,” “spoil,” “booty,” and so on.

I would prefer this, rather than them simply “dropping off” for a particular reason. If you’re still awake, and if the Lord hasn’t come for us at the end of the next verse, I will enlighten you as to why.

No matter what, there will be no anointing from the olive. In the Bible, the olive clearly evinces the idea of a witness. For example, this is said of the “two witnesses” of Revelation 11:3 who are then explained in Revelation 11:4 –

“These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth.” Revelation 11:4

But these two witnesses are more fully explained in Zechariah 4 –

“So I said, ‘I am looking, and there is a lampstand of solid gold with a bowl on top of it, and on the stand seven lamps with seven pipes to the seven lamps. 3 Two olive trees are by it, one at the right of the bowl and the other at its left.’ 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, ‘What are these, my lord?’” Zechariah 4:2-4

“Then I answered and said to him, ‘What are these two olive trees—at the right of the lampstand and at its left?’ 12 And I further answered and said to him, ‘What are these two olive branches that drip into the receptacles of the two gold pipes from which the golden oil drains?’
13 Then he answered me and said, ‘Do you not know what these are?’
And I said, ‘No, my lord.’
14 So he said, ‘These are the two anointed ones, who stand beside the Lord of the whole earth.’” Zechariah 4:11-14

The olive goes from the idea of being a witness, to the idea of anointing and being anointed. This then is explained in the same metaphor by Paul concerning the failure of the Old Covenant to the supremacy of the New (the Christ) covenant. This is seen in who the “witness” is that is “anointed” to convey its message.

“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, ‘Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.’ 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” Romans 11:16-24

The words of Paul neither indicate that the Jews have been replaced by the church, nor do they indicate that there is one gospel to the church and one to Israel.

The point is that Israel continued with the law and is no longer a suitable witness to what God is doing in Christ. Christ has come, and those who received him (predominantly Gentiles) are now the witness. Someday, the matter will swing back in the other direction when Israel is brought into a right (New) covenant relationship with the Lord.

The two witnesses of Zechariah and Revelation, Enoch and Elijah it is believed, reflect this union. Enoch is not a Hebrew, Elijah is. Both testify to the work of God in Christ for all people. As I noted, a minute ago, this idea of being a witness (the olive tree) goes to the idea of anointing and being anointed (the olive oil) –

“Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22

Israel is currently broken off as a witness, and they lack the anointing of the Spirit. All of this is seen in the curses of Deuteronomy 28 as is spoken forth by Moses. Next…

41 You shall beget sons and daughters,

Israel has continued on for millennia. The fact that they have testifies to the truth of the words of Moses now. They will have sons and daughters. Were it not so, there would be no Israel. However, in times of disobedience, it would be quite often the case that they would be deprived of them. Moses, in advance of such times, calls out the warning…

41 (con’t) but they shall not be yours;

The sense is wrong. In begetting children, it means that they are their children. Rather, it reads: v’lo yihyu lak – “and no shall be to you.” Even though they belong to those who beget them, they will not be with their begetters. It is the state of being deprived of one’s continuance. Thus, there is the sense of complete desolation in this regard. The name ends. And there is a tragic reason for this…

41 (con’t) for they shall go into captivity.

ki yeleku ba’shviy – “for they shall go in the captivity.” The word “captivity” is brought alive. It has become the foe of the people, carrying away their sons and daughters. The chances of ever returning to one’s family, home, city, and country are infinitesimally small, and they grow smaller with each day that passes. As Moses has already said of this earlier –

“Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand.” Deuteronomy 28:32

Moses reaffirmed and explained what he has already stated. Israel cannot say they were not warned. As far as this verse, the idea of begetting sons in a new way, and with a new and unbreakable bond of sonship is found in Christ through the New Covenant –

“He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” John 1:10-13

“And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, 50 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.’ 51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.” John 11:49-52

The number of verses that speak of this unbreakable and eternal bond between a Parent and His children is abundant. What Israel could not be assured of, meaning keeping their children under the Mosaic code, was only reflective of their state as children of God.

On the other hand, what God has done in Christ in the New Covenant is reflective of our eternal security in the arms of our heavenly Father. Thank God for Jesus.

As you are still awake (well, most of you), and as the Lord has obviously not come for us, and because we have now completed this verse, I promised you an explanation of the verb concerning the olives noted in the previous verse. Why do I think it is shalal, plundered, and not nashal, to drop off? The reason is the parallelism used by Moses in the verses we have so far looked at –

  1. You shall carry much seed out to the field
  2. but gather little in
  3. for the locust shall consume it

 

  1. You shall plant vineyards and tend them
  2. but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes
  3. for the worms shall eat them

 

  1. You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory
  2. but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil
  3. for your olives shall drop off (rather: your olive shall be plundered)

 

  1. You shall beget sons and daughters
  2. but they shall not be yours
  3. for they shall go into captivity

 

In seeing the results of the four actions, it is apparent that the word “plundered” is most probable. Each has had an external action taken against it – the locust consumes, the worm eats, your olive is plundered, your children go in the captivity. Therefore, the word shalal is probably the best choice for the Hebrew.

It would be improper to be dogmatic about this, but the parallelism calls out for this rendering. In this, you can see the importance of looking at such passages in this light. When you study the word, look for these internal cues, and you will be in the sweet spot of at least knowing that you may have a particular insight not readily seen in a cursory reading of what is before you.

Of these past four verses, Micah calls out the curses of all four of them to the people, but in a different order: children, grain (sowing), olives, and then the produce of the vine –

“You shall eat, but not be satisfied;
Hunger shall be in your midst.
You may carry some away, but shall not save them;
And what you do rescue I will give over to the sword.
15 You shall sow, but not reap;
You shall tread the olives, but not anoint yourselves with oil;
And make sweet wine, but not drink wine.” Micah 6:14, 15

The sad state of not attending to the law, even after being warned through the prophets, is the lot of Israel. Someday, they will see the futility of the law and understand their need for Christ Jesus who has set before redeemed man a new and better hope.

Here am I and the children God has given Me
Because of the work I accomplished before Him
We are united as an eternal family
When before, such a state seemed tenuous, even grim

What the law could never do because it was weak
I accomplished with My own glorious right hand
For any who will an eternal relationship seek
Come to Me and it shall be so; the union shall stand

Here am I and the children God has given Me
Because I prevailed over the law that was set against you
When they nailed My body to that tree
It was in fulfillment of what I was sent to do

Come and partake of the wonder of this family
Come and be My children; yes, come unto Me

II. Lower and Lower (Verses 42-44)

The words of our three final verses today are pretty much the opposite of the blessings stated in verses 12 and 13 –

“The Lord will open to you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. 13 And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.” Deuteronomy 28:12, 13

For now, instead of the Lord opening His good treasure from the heavens, He will open His stores of destroying insects…

42 Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land.

The translation is deficient for several reasons: kal etsekha uperi admatekha yeyaresh ha’tslatsal – “Every tree yours, and fruit your ground shall possess the cricket.” The word tree is singular, the word “land” is better rendered as “ground,” and the word “locusts” is both singular (with an article), and it is a different creature than what was just seen in verse 38. It is ha’tslatsal, or “the cricket.”

It is a new word, tslatsal, that comes as a reduplication of the word tsalal, meaning to tingle or quiver. By reduplicating it, one gets the sense of whirring or chirping. This word will be seen six times and the other uses will help give the sense – cymbals, fishing spears (harpoons which rattle together), and whirring wings (Isaiah 18:1).

I chose “cricket,” to disassociate it from the locust, but it could be some insect that buzzes, like flies. Whatever they are, they are identifiable by their sound, and they would consume the vegetation readily. Because the word also means “cymbals,” one would think “cricket” to be a good choice.

As far as what they do, the word used is yarash. It signifies to possess or inherit. As such, it means that it has taken over the trees and fruit as a possession. There are other words that signify “consume,” and so the thought may be that they come and eat the fruit to the point it is useless without actually eating it all.

As far as trees, there are types of mole crickets that can damage root systems. Hence, I am still going with them as the offender. As I am not a renowned entomologist, please do not buzz with excitement over my translation. In the end, it may be moth-eaten or swatted down like a fly.

What seems obvious is that, like the trees and fruit of Israel when the people did not heed the Lord’s words, man under law is simply unable to flourish or to bear proper fruit. Paul says just this in Romans 7 –

“Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.” Romans 7:4, 5

Next, in contrast to being “above only, and not beneath,” as it said in verse 13, Moses says…

43 “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you,

ha’ger asher b’qirbekha yaaleh alekha malah maelah – “The stranger who in your midst shall rise above you, upwards, upwards.” In verse 13, Moses’ words were simply put and not superlative. When they were right with the Lord, Israel would be above, but they would not consider themselves overly exalted.

In other words, no matter how “above” they were in relation to others, they were always under the Lord. But Moses’ words now are in the superlative. In not putting the Lord first above them, the stranger who was in their midst – meaning right among them – would be exalted above them and continue to rise above them. At the same time…

43 (con’t) and you shall come down lower and lower.

v’atah tered matah matah – “and you shall go down, lower, lower.” Again, Moses speaks in the superlative. Israel won’t just go down, but they will continue to go down. There will be no hope of ever rising from their undignified state. One cannot first help but think of Christ’s contrast to this –

“(Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)” Ephesians 4:9, 10

Christ voluntarily placed Himself under the law. In doing so, He descended even to death. But in His fulfillment of the law, He has ascended to the highest point of all. For those in Christ, the same is true. To be “in” Christ (in Your midst, O God), means to be raised with Him –

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6

In contrast to them are those who hold to the law for their justification, trusting in “self,” because the law is of deeds. As Jesus says, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33).

Though speaking to the leaders of the law, being leaders implies having followers. If you reject Christ, you, by default have placed your hope elsewhere. The only way for Israel to get out of the bind they are in is to come to the One who can raise them to Himself.

And finally, instead of lending to other nations and being the head, as stated in the blessings, the curse will bring the opposite…

44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him;

The word “he” is in the emphatic position. “HE shall lend to you.” The one who was in the midst of the people, and who was the borrower, is the one who now has risen above Israel, and he is the lender.

So much will this be the case that there is no time when Israel would lend to him. Whatever Israel possessed, it would be unneeded by the stranger who had risen above them. Likewise…

*44 (fin) he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.

Again, “he” is in the emphatic position, “HE shall be the head.” It is an embarrassment of the highest sense. The great and exalted nation of the Lord has become the very tail of everything that is going on because they have rejected the Lord who established them.

The words of this final verse seem to recall the words of Isaiah –

“For the people do not turn to Him who strikes them,
Nor do they seek the Lord of hosts.
14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel,
Palm branch and bulrush in one day.
15 The elder and honorable, he is the head;
The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err,
And those who are led by them are destroyed.” Isaiah 9:13-16

Israel was promised to be the head, but in not seeking the Lord, they would be the tail. And even the head of Israel, its leaders, would be a part of the tail. In failing to come to Christ and remaining under law, one can only expect this position, and the fate of being cut off.

In contrast to this is Christ, who fulfilled the law, He is now the Head. It is a term used of Him repeatedly in the epistles, such as –

“And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.” Colossians 1:18

As such, those who are in Christ, even though once strangers to the covenants, are raised to an exalted position in Him.

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:11-13

This is what it means to be a part of what God has done in Christ, or to reject what He has done in Him. The law is a tutor. It was given as such, and it was never to be considered a means to an end, except as it is fulfilled in Christ.

However, Israel is responsible to this law until they are willing to exalt the One to whom the honor of this law belongs. It is only in Messiah that a true and right understanding of what it means to be right with God is realized.

God promised the covenant blessings, and He was faithful to provide them as long as Israel was living even remotely in accord with what they were commanded. And God is just in bringing upon them the curses when they are not.

All of this is a lengthy lesson for the world to read about and then to choose what is good and right. The law is good and holy, but it cannot make man – who is already infected with sin – good and holy. But its fulfillment can. Thank God for Jesus who lived it out, died under it, and established a new and better hope for us through His shed blood.

And thank God for Jesus who proved it by coming out of that tomb and giving us an everlasting hope. The contrast is made, and it is complete – the law or grace. Choose wisely. Christ has done it all for you, if you will just reach out to Him.

And remember to pray for Israel who is the subject of these verses, in the sense that they are obligated to what is said until they get it right. Until they do, they will have many woes to go through, and many will never see the good that God has prepared for them. Pray for their eyes to be opened when you pray for the lost in your own life.

Closing Verse: “What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law.” Romans 9:30-32

Next Week: Deuteronomy 28:45-51 More bad for Israel here in these verses, and that ain’t no jive… (The Blessings and the Curses, Part V) (81st 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 IV

“You shall carry much seed out to the field but gather little in
———-for the locust shall consume it
You shall plant vineyards and them you shall tend
But you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes
For the worms shall eat them, this shall be their end

You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory
Hoping for a great crop
But you shall not anoint yourself with the oil
For off shall your olives drop

You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours
For they shall go into captivity at My hand
Locusts shall consume all your trees
And the produce of your land

“The alien who is among you shall rise
Higher and higher above you
And you shall come down lower and lower
Because you were neither faithful nor true

He shall lend to you
But you shall not lend to him, your finances shall fail
He shall be the head
And you shall be the tail

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…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

38 “You shall carry much seed out to the field but gather little in, for the locust shall consume it. 39 You shall plant vineyards and tend them, but you shall neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. 40 You shall have olive trees throughout all your territory, but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off. 41 You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity. 42 Locusts shall consume all your trees and the produce of your land.

43 “The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. 44 He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.

 

 

 

Acts 2:38

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Sunday, 28 November 2021

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

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).

Acts 2:38 is a marvelous verse to practice your memorization skills. Let’s see how you do. What are the five basic rules of biblical interpretation that you have been asked to remember? They are:

Is this prescriptive (does it prescribe something)?
Is this descriptive (does it only describe something)?
What is the context?
What is the context?
What is the context?

The answers to these questions will help resolve an untold number of errors in theology that have arisen because of this single verse. The verse is based on the question asked by those gathered before Peter while listening to his discourse, which was, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

The question was asked in response to the obvious fact submitted to them that they had crucified Jesus, their Messiah. This made them enemies of Him. In the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, they had been excluded, proving this fact. Salvation had been presented to Israel, and they missed the offer. And yet, their actions are the very thing that made their salvation possible.

The answers are that the passage is prescriptive. It is prescribing something for those standing before Peter (and before the Lord as they were at a pilgrim feast in the presence of the Lord). The passage is also descriptive. It is describing what occurred and who is involved in what is occurring. The context is that this is Peter speaking to the “men of Israel.” Not a single Gentile is involved, nor will any be involved in the entire passage. As such, it is prescriptive for those standing there, but not for anyone else who is not involved in the events at that moment.

The context is also that the people standing before Peter are all a part of the body of Israel who had crucified their Messiah. The context is also that some of those of Israel (not those in the crowd being addressed, but rather the disciples) had received the Spirit while others had not. And so forth.

As these things are true, and as the events at the conversion of others – throughout the rest of Acts – are completely different, then despite this passage having a prescription tied to it, the prescription is only for this particular event. It is not a prescription for any other event. It is not normative for the church age. Rather, it is now only a descriptive account for those who receive the completed New Testament.

In other words, and stated plainly, what is said here now – and in the verses to come – was a one-time event that is not to be made into doctrine for the church age. It does not apply (it is not normative) for our doctrine today. With that hopefully understood, the account recorded by Luke proceeds, saying, “Then Peter.”

Peter has been the leader of the twelve. It is he who has spoken out all of the words since verse 2:14, and he continues with the instruction. Luke then records that he “said to them.” The word “them” is speaking of the “men of Israel.” The masculine speaks for the whole and Peter’s words will be inclusive of women who are given the same instruction.

It is the body of people who had just crucified Jesus. They had rejected Him openly. In Israel, unlike any other body of people, there is both an individual salvation and a corporate salvation. The individual salvation is evident in Scripture elsewhere, but it is proven by the coming of the Holy Spirit upon some and not upon others.

The corporate salvation is spoken of throughout all of Israel’s history, and it is confirmed by the words of Jesus and of the apostles. The nation bears collective guilt for its actions. This is based on their agreement to the covenant set forth at Mount Sinai, a covenant that is still binding on them today until they – as a nation – enter into the New Covenant in Christ’s shed blood –

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

The words of Jeremiah are addressed to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. The words are only dealing with them, even if Gentiles are also brought into this New Covenant. Other prophets, Jesus, and the apostles clearly indicate this.

This is the context – Peter, Israel, Israel’s rejection and crucifixion of Christ, some receiving the Holy Spirit and some not receiving the Holy Spirit. This is what had occurred only a short time earlier –

Pilate said to them, “What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?”
They all said to him, “Let Him be crucified!”
23 Then the governor said, “Why, what evil has He done?”
But they cried out all the more, saying, “Let Him be crucified!”
24 When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
25 And all the people answered and said, “His blood be on us and on our children.”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified. Matthew 27:22-26

As such, these words of Peter now are based on this event. The words apply to corporate and to individual Israel, but they do not apply to anyone else, including individual Jews, at any other time. But the precept does apply to the corporate body for all time. With this understanding, Peter states, “Repent.”

This is one of the most misunderstood and misused words in all of Christianity. The Greek word is metanoeó. It means “to change one’s mind or purpose,” “to think differently after,” and so on. It does not mean actually doing any work at all. It is simply a changing of the heart (the heart signifying the reasoning process of a person in the Bible).

Peter is telling the people (it is second person plural, and thus he is speaking to each person as much as to all of the people gathered before him) to change their minds. The question is, “About what?” The answer is, “About Jesus, the Messiah, and their rejection of Him.” They had to repent of this. Their mind was, “Crucify Him. He is not our King.” Their change in mind must correspond to that – “We believe! He is our Messiah!”

The word “repent” is prescriptive for Israel who had just crucified Jesus. It is not prescriptive for anyone else who has not first rejected Jesus. In other words, these two examples will help –

  • John walks up to Tom and tells him about Jesus. Tom had never heard of Jesus. Tom does not need to repent of anything. He needs to simply believe the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:3, 4) and he will be sealed with the Holy Spirit, and he will be saved (Ephesians 1:13, 14).
  • Tom has heard the gospel. Tom has rejected the gospel. Tom must “repent” of his former rejection (change his mind), believe the gospel, and Tom will be saved.

This is the context of Peter’s words. Israel (individually and collectively), who had just crucified their Messiah, must repent. For those who will do so, Peter then says, “and let every one of you be baptized.” The question here is “what baptism” is being referred to. It does say in verse 2:41 that those who received his words were baptized. That is certainly speaking of water baptism.

The word “baptize” is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizó. It signifies to immerse. The people were to have an immersion in water. However, it is not the water baptism that saves. Christ’s finished work is what saves. Peter makes this clear in 1 Peter 3 –

“There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.” 1 Peter 3:21, 22

The Weymouth Version translates these words as “with a view to remission of your sins.” This then is in accord with both the idea of baptism of the Holy Spirit which occurs when one believes and the water baptism which is a later outward demonstration of what has occurred.

The expectation for this guilty group of people is to first change their minds. It is to then make a public acknowledgment of this change in mind by being baptized.

The main question to be resolved is, “Does this mean that these people must be water baptized in order to receive the Spirit, or does it mean that these people will receive the ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ based upon their faith and that the water baptism then follows as an outward display of the inward change?”

The text says later nothing of their receiving the Spirit after being water baptized in verse 2:41. What appears to be the case is that the formula of Mark 16:16 is evidenced here –

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

When one believes and is baptized, salvation is realized. However, when one does not believe, condemnation remains. Hence, baptism is conditional upon belief. In other words, it follows necessarily that these people will be baptized into the Holy Spirit when they demonstrate faith.

One might suppose that this one time in Scripture Peter is making baptism in water a requirement for salvation (which would be contrary to the whole tenor of Scripture). If such was believed, it would still not be a normative thing for the church. Water baptism is a symbolic act of washing away the sin and defilement. This is not something that is required for salvation by anyone else after this.

Hence, what Peter must be saying is that these people will be saved when they turn to the Lord, they will receive the baptism of Holy Spirit, and then they are to be water baptized as the outward sign of their new life in Christ as was directed by Jesus in Matthew 28:19.

Next, Peter says this baptism is to be “in the name of Jesus Christ.” The Greek reads “upon the name.” Where would the people now stand? Upon the name of Caesar? Or will it be upon the name of the One they had rejected?

The crucified Christ, He who was openly rejected by the people – and upon whom His blood remained (see Matthew 27:25 above) – is now to be the One who provides forgiveness and salvation to those who just repented. This is perfectly evidenced in the next words, which say, “for the remission of sins.”

The blood atonement of Christ is set forth, clearly and unambiguously, in these words. The Lord was crucified, their actions had caused it, and their repentance of that will allow for atonement for their sins. The word translated as “remission” is aphesis. It signifies “dismissal,” “release,” “pardon,” “complete forgiveness,” and so on.

For those who repent and who are subsequently baptized from this group of people, a change will take place which will be explained in a moment. But notice that two things are required for the people standing before Peter to receive that change – 1) repent, and 2) be baptized. The repentance must occur, but so must the baptism. There must be a complete separation from the old and an acceptance of the new for them BECAUSE they were guilty of having rejected Christ along with their nation.

This is why what occurs here is not normative for the church age. It only applies to these people, at this time, in order to establish the complete separation between the two. Some of these people may never have heard of Jesus. Some of them might have heard and sympathized with Him. But the point is that the nation bears the guilt, and it is to instruct the nation that these requirements are set forth. It is instructional for Israel, and it is a testimony to bear witness against them for all time.

Peter next says, “and you shall receive the gift.” A gift is something one cannot earn. It is grace and nothing more. And yet, Peter has said they must do something in order to receive it. The apostles had received the gift. It simply came upon them. But it did not come upon the others. This means that the reception of the gift is conditional.

If someone says, “I have ten thousand squiggalmidoos and they are free to anyone who meets these criteria,” it doesn’t mean that it is not a gift. It means that they must be in a certain category. If one of the requirements is to have blond hair, then none but those with blond hair are eligible. Those with blond hair, along with any other set requirements, will be able to receive the gift.

For those standing before Israel, the apostles had met the requirements. The others had not. For those who had not, they must first meet the categorical requirements. Once they were satisfactorily met, they would receive the gift. There are no works here. There are only set requirements. And the gift they would receive would be that “of the Holy Spirit.”

This is salvation. It is the sealing of the person for redemption. It is receiving the full, final, and forever forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of Christ. It is moving from the Mosaic Covenant (the Law of Moses) to the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. It is the covenant that speaks of the non-imputation of sin and the surety of reconciliation with God for all eternity.

The words here are prescriptive for those at the time. They are descriptive after the event. The context is Israel who crucified the Lord, and the prescriptions are necessary but are not normative.

We are not to take what is said in Acts 2:38 and change the parameters. Even if Peter is speaking of water baptism (which is probably not the case), the requirement would not apply in any other context, and it certainly does not apply to salvation today. The epistles convey to us what is required for salvation. They tell the people of the world what God expects of them in order to be in a right standing with Him.

Life application: Acts is a descriptive account of what occurred. The prescriptions within that historical record are not necessarily (and are almost never) normative for the church age.

Understand and maintain proper context within your theology and you will be in the sweet spot.

Lord God, help us to be in the sweet spot concerning our doctrine and theology at all times. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.

 

 

 

 

Acts 2:37

Charlie Garrett Acts (Written)

Saturday, 27 November 2021

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Acts 2:37

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).

With Peter’s statement, which summed up his discourse that God had assuredly made Jesus both Lord and Christ, the response is quick and definitive. Luke records, “Now when they heard this.” The words are surely in reaction to everything Peter has said since verse 2:14. His discourse, influenced by the Holy Spirit, was perfectly suited to elicit what follows, which is that “they were cut to the heart.”

The word used, katanussó, is one not found elsewhere in Greek literature except in the Greek translation of Genesis 34:7. It is an intensified form of a word meaning “to pierce.” Thus, it is to pierce all the way down or all the way through. HELPS Word Studies then defines it as to be “emotionally stunned.” As it is the heart that is identified, it is as if a spear was thrust right through the heart so that there is a complete severing from the state of mind that existed only moments before. The idea can almost be felt in the use of the word from Genesis –

“And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his livestock in the field; so Jacob held his peace until they came. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and very angry, because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, a thing which ought not to be done.” Genesis 34:5-7

The sons of Israel had one attitude and, suddenly, their entire state of mind had completely changed. This is the idea now. Those that heard Peter, and who took his words to heart, had gone from laughing and blaming what they heard on the effects of new wine, to a state of complete shock that they were responsible for the crucifixion of their Messiah. Thus, the response is that they were deeply stunned “and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles…”

The words are not without purpose. As has already been seen, in Israel, the testimony of “two or three” witnesses is necessary to establish a matter. There are twelve standing as a united force of agreement, demonstrating that Peter’s words are fully supported, and they are validated by the precept of the Law of Moses.

With such a large number of witnesses, backing up the words of Peter, and with the greater weight and evidence of the proper use of Scripture to come to a right conclusion concerning the words of prophecy, those who have heard have every reason to believe the discourse was true. They were all guilty of shedding innocent blood. But more, it was the innocent blood of God’s Messiah who was prophesied in Scripture.

Scripture itself pointed at them and essentially called out, “You have done exactly what was prophesied in advance.” As such, they called out to Peter and the others, “Men and brethren.”

It is the same expression seen in Acts 1:16 and Acts 2:29, andres adelphoi, “men, brothers.” In the middle of Peter’s speech, after citing Joel and before citing David, Peter had called them this. He was drawing them into the bond of brotherhood that Israel was called to demonstrate. His audience had not received the Spirit, but they were still brothers according to the flesh, and Peter had indicated as such as a way of influencing their thoughts as he spoke.

The words of Paul concerning Israel reflect this bond that exists between the people –

“For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, 4 who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” Romans 9:3-5

The response of the people to Peter’s words indicates that they fully accepted his words and that they were in fact brothers to be hearkened to. They had gone from accusing the apostles of being drunk to seeking their very advice in how to correct the terrible predicament that they now found themselves in. As such, they called out, “what shall we do?”

They had the guilt of bloodshed resting upon them, but it was obvious that this could be expiated. Otherwise, what would be the point of the Christ rising again? If they had killed Him and He remained in the grave, there might be no remedy, but because He lived, there must be a greater purpose that they had missed. As such, their forgiveness must be a part of the plan that was set in motion by God, even from the fall of man.

Life application: It is often said that the Jews killed Jesus and thus they are no longer God’s people. But this flies in the face of the covenant-keeping nature of the Lord, and of future prophecy which clearly indicates that the guilt of Israel will be atoned for.

In Acts 2, the people are cut to the heart at hearing what they had done. Zechariah shows that someday this will be a state that permeates the entire nation. When they realize that they have borne the guilt of the blood of the Messiah for millennia, they will be cut to the heart, and they will mourn over what they have done –

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. 11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning at Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 And the land shall mourn, every family by itself: the family of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; 13 the family of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the family of Shimei by itself, and their wives by themselves; 14 all the families that remain, every family by itself, and their wives by themselves.” Zechariah 12:10-14

The words of Zechariah 12 refer to the future and they will come to pass. Israel will have a national piercing of the heart, and they will finally come to realize what they had done. For each person today, Jew or Gentile, the most important question that we can ever answer is in relation to the gospel message. “What shall I do?”

When the gospel is presented, it can either be accepted or it can be rejected. The choice is up to each individual. Choose wisely. Choose life. Choose God’s offer of forgiveness found in Christ.

Lord God, thank You for the offer of peace that You have extended to us. Thank You for the gospel! What a blessed assurance we possess because of the forgiveness found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.