Author: Charlie Garrett

Revelation 19:15

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Tuesday, 13 July 2021

Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Revelation 19:15

The narrative now continues to describe the rider dressed in white mentioned in the previous verses. The description says, “Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword.” This is the same description given in verse 1:16 –

“He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

To get a fuller understanding of the symbolism, refer back to that commentary. In short, the sword proceeding from His mouth gives the sense that Christ will cut out all that is false and all that is contrary to the truth. Of the sword, it next says, “that with it He should strike the nations.” This was alluded to in Isaiah 11:4 –

“But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,
And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;
He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.”

Such terminology is found elsewhere in the Old Testament and earlier in Revelation as well (for example, see Revelation 2:27). Continuing on, John prophesies about Christ’s coming rule, saying, “And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.”

The words are emphatic. It is Christ, and He alone, who will ultimately rule the nations. Though the millennium will be a time of great wonder in comparison to our current age, it does not mean that there will be only peace and harmony without any disobedience. This is understood from passages such as Zechariah 14 –

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. 18 If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” Zechariah 14:16-19

Hence, there will be a need for the rod of iron spoken of. As such, the specific prophecy concerning this time was made in the second psalm –

“I will declare the decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
8 Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” Psalm 2:7-9

Continuing on, John next says, “He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

The treading of the winepress was referred to in Revelation 14. That symbolism is brought in again here, and it is reflective of the words of Isaiah 63:3. It is Christ who pours out the anger of God on the disobedient. The fact that “the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God” is mentioned shows how repulsive sin is to the Creator.

He has made His goodness and His perfect nature manifest to the people of the world, but that has been openly rejected and actively worked against in our wickedness. Christ is the One who will trample out this disobedience, and who will maintain harmony during the millennial reign.

Despite His rule and despite the ideal conditions of the world in which man lives, the wickedness of man’s heart will be shown to have been unchanged. From the fall, through the various dispensations, and into the millennium, the depravity of the human heart and man’s desperate need for Jesus Christ is on full display.

Life application: The right to rule the nations belongs to Jesus, the right to judge those nations belongs to Jesus, and therefore the right to destroy the ungodly nations belongs to Jesus as well. God is a God of mercy and longsuffering, but His patience has an end. It was true when He destroyed the world in the flood. It was true when He destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. It was true when He used Israel to destroy the nations of Canaan. And it was also true when He turned His judgment on Israel after continuous disobedience.

The world of today has all but rejected Him and, in due time, He will come for His faithful at the rapture. After this, the events which have unfolded thus far in Revelation will come to pass. But instead of humble repentance, the world will only turn further away from Him. And so, He will come in His glory with His faithful believers to be glorified in them at His return. He will be glorified in the eyes of His followers in how He judges, and He will be glorified in those He judges through their destruction.

The word of God, the Holy Bible, is likened to a sharp two-edged sword in Hebrews 4:12. If this is the proper symbolism to be taken, then Jesus will merely speak and by the breath of His mouth He will strike the nations. Paul appears to indicate just this in 2 Thessalonians 2:8 –

“And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”

The very Word which the nations have rejected will become the implement of their destruction.

The saying “to whom much is given, much will be expected” rings true. The Bible is the most published book in all of human history, and its pages fill the homes of the world, even the unbelieving world. With the internet today, any person can access, read, and study it. In it is sure proof of the infallible word of God. Therefore, to reject it is to reject the God who gave it.

This powerful word will be spoken by Jesus and the nations will fall. During and after His return, “He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.” The shepherd carries an iron rod to beat attacking animals and thus protect His sheep. And so, Christ will shepherd His people in safety. It is His world, and He is the Defender of His flock. No accusation of unfairness will hold when He judges, and the world will submit to His judgment and rule.

It is important to remember here that Jesus is returning to the land and the people of Israel. The world will have come against them, and it is this antagonistic world to which His rod is directed. Thus, in a sweeping display of judgment, we read the words of the subject verse.

The gentle, humble, and loving Creator and Savior has become the Executor of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The world that now mocks Jesus, and finds Him either a joke or a cosmic pushover, will stand in horror as He personally destroys all wickedness and roots out everything that causes evil. This is the great, awesome, and splendid God who deserves all of our praise, honor, and respect.

We can give it to Him now, or we can stand condemned for rejecting His gracious offer of peace which came at the cross of Calvary. I choose life… I choose JESUS.

O God! How glorious You are and how splendid is Your message of peace to the people of the world. Surely, no one has any right to cry “Unfair” when You come to judge them for rejecting You. We can only avow that Your way is right and that in faithfulness and righteousness You make every decision. Hallelujah to You! Amen.

 

 

Genesis 1,26-31 (Ein wenig niedriger als Engel)

Charlie Garrett Deutsch/German

Genesis 1,26-31 (Ein wenig niedriger als Engel)

Ich mag es, jeden Tag kleine Witze zu machen, die ich auf Facebook poste. Vor ein paar Wochen habe ich dies gepostet: „In der heutigen lebenden Welt gab es über 7 Milliarden Chancen, die Evolution beim Menschen zu beweisen; alle gescheitert. Wenn wir die Tiere hinzufügen, waren es Billionen. Episches Scheitern.“ Es gibt nichts in den archäologischen Aufzeichnungen, das auch nur den geringsten Hinweis auf Evolution in irgendeiner Form von Leben belegen könnte.

Das Höchste, was die Aufzeichnungen zeigen, sind Veränderungen innerhalb der Arten, um sich an die aktuellen Umweltbedingungen anzupassen. Manche Leute nennen das „Mikroevolution“, aber selbst das ist ein falscher Begriff; “Anpassung” wäre viel besser. Ein gutes Beispiel dafür wäre die Größe der Menschen, die in Japan leben. Als mein Vater in den 50ern dort lebte, war er einen Kopf größer als alle anderen im Bus. Als ich in den 80ern dort war, war ich größer als alle alten Leute, aber die jüngeren waren nicht anders als die jungen Leute in Amerika.

All dies war das Ergebnis einer besseren Ernährung. Als ich dort ankam, war McDonalds eingezogen und sie waren überall. Der Reis der vorherigen Generationen begrenzte ihre Größe, aber der Big Mac änderte dies alles und so passten sich die Menschen entsprechend an. Aber es hat nie irgendeine evolutionäre Entwicklung gegeben.

Wenn die Evolution wahr wäre, würden wir in den Billionen von Lebensformen, die mit jeder Generation kommen und gehen, nicht wenige, sondern Tausende von Entwicklungen in jeder Generation sehen. Aber keine ist aufgetreten… nicht eine. An der Spitze der Artenleiter steht und war immer der Mensch. Und das Lächeln jedes neuen Babys ist ein weiterer Nagel im bereits gut genagelten Sarg der Evolution. Am Ende ist eine fehlerhafte Prämisse gleich einer fehlerhaften Schlussfolgerung.

Die Schöpfungsordnung ist so, wie sie war, weil Gott sie so bestimmt hat. In der zweiten Hälfte des sechsten Schöpfungstages erschuf Gott den Menschen. Seitdem wurden einige Menschen als Dummies und einige als Genies geboren, aber keiner hat sich nach dem evolutionären Modell entwickelt. Unter bestimmten Umständen treten jedoch ungewöhnliche Veränderungen auf –

Der Film „The Rain Man“ basiert auf einer realen Person namens Kim Peek. Was er kann, ist wirklich erstaunlich. Er hat über 12.000 Bücher gelesen und erinnert sich an alles darin. Aus diesem Grund ist er als “Kimputer” bekannt. Er liest tatsächlich zwei Seiten gleichzeitig – sein linkes Auge liest die linke Seite und sein rechtes Auge liest die rechte Seite.

Er braucht ungefähr 3 Sekunden, um zwei Seiten durchzulesen und er merkt sich alles darauf. Er kann sich Fakten und Wissenswertes aus 15 großen Fachgebieten von Geschichte über Geographie bis hin zum Sport merken. Wenn du ihm ein Datum in der Geschichte nennst, kann er dir sagen, welcher Wochentag es war, und er erinnert sich auch an jedes Musikstück, das er jemals gehört hat.

Ein weiterer Mensch mit dem Savant-Syndrom (Inselbegabung), Daniel Tammet, ist einer der wenigen der Welt mit dieser hochfunktionierenden autistischen Sonderform der Inselbegabung. Er hat außergewöhnliche mathematische und sprachliche Fähigkeiten. Berühmt wurde er, als er Pi auswendig auf 22.514 Dezimalstellen rezitierte. Zahlen sind für ihn etwas Besonderes, weil er eine seltene Form der Synästhesie hat, bei der er Zahlen tatsächlich so sieht, dass sie ihre eigenen einzigartigen Formen, Farben, Texturen und Haptiken haben.

Er kann das Ergebnis einer mathematischen Berechnung „sehen“ und er kann „fühlen“, ob eine Zahl eine Primzahl ist. Er hat sogar gezeichnet, wie Pi aussieht – eine hügelige Landschaft voller verschiedener Formen und Farben. Er spricht 11 Sprachen, darunter Isländisch.

2007 forderte ihn ein Dokumentarfilm heraus, die Sprache in einer Woche zu lernen. Sieben Tage später wurde er erfolgreich im isländischen Fernsehen auf Isländisch interviewt. Und es ist möglicherweise die komplizierteste Sprache der Welt und eine, die viele Muttersprachler nur schwer beherrschen.

Menschen mit dem Savant-Syndrom haben unterschiedliche Begabungen – Bildhauerei, Kartierung, Malerei, Musik, mathematische Berechnungen, Sprachenlernen usw.

Das Savant-Syndrom (auch „Inselbegabung“ genannt) tritt in verschiedenen Formen auf. Beim angeborenen Savant-Syndrom tritt die außergewöhnliche Savant-Fähigkeit in der frühen Kindheit auf. Beim erworbenen Savant-Syndrom treten bei normalen Personen nach einer Kopfverletzung, einem Schlaganfall oder einem anderen Vorfall im Zentralnervensystem (ZNS) unerwartet erstaunliche neue Fähigkeiten auf, typischerweise in den Bereichen Musik, Kunst oder Mathematik, wo vor dem Vorfall keine solchen Fähigkeiten oder Interessen vorhanden waren. Mit anderen Worten, diese Fähigkeiten wurden aus dem herausgeholt, was bereits in ihren Köpfen existierte.

Das bedeutet, dass jede Person potenziell dieselben Fähigkeiten hat – alle. Aber wir werden durch die Beschränkungen behindert, die uns auferlegt werden – wie ein Getriebe in einem Auto. Wenn wir die Einschränkung aufheben oder „zur richtigen Ausrüstung wechseln“, könnten wir auf die gleiche Fähigkeitsstufe zugreifen

Einleitung:

Wie wir in den letzten 25 Versen in Genesis gesehen haben, hat Gott alles der Reihe nach von den einfachsten bis zu den komplexesten Wesen erschaffen. Zuerst schuf er Himmel und Erde. Danach schuf Er Licht, dann ein Firmament und dann trennte Er das Wasser vom Land. Danach erschuf Er das Gras, die Kräuter und die Bäume und dann die großen Lichter am Himmel.

Dann machte Er die Meerestiere und die Vögel und danach die lebenden Kreaturen auf dem Land – „Rinder und Kriechtiere und Tiere der Erde“. Nach all dieser wunderbaren Schönheit, Ordnung und Komplexität hatte Gott noch etwas zu erschaffen.

Alles andere war für die Ankunft dieses letzten Teilnehmers vorbereitet, in dem großen, sich entfaltenden Drama des Universums, in dem wir leben.

Textvers:

Sooft ich den Himmel ansehe, das Werk deiner Hand, / den Mond und die Sterne, die du gemacht hast:  Was ist ein Mensch, dass du an ihn denkst, / ein Menschenkind, dass du es versorgst? Du hast ihn nur kurz unter die Engel gestellt / und krönst ihn mit Ehre und Pracht.
Psalm 8,3-5

Möge Gott heute durch sein Wort zu uns sprechen und möge sein herrlicher Name immer gepriesen werden.

I. Die Krone der Schöpfung

²⁶Dann sprach Gott: “Lasst uns Menschen machen als Abbild von uns, uns ähnlich. Sie sollen über die Fische im Meer herrschen, über die Vögel am Himmel und über die Landtiere, über die ganze Erde und alles, was auf ihr kriecht!”

Gottes letzter Teil der geschaffenen Ordnung war der Mensch. Der Mensch ist der komplexeste und anspruchsvollste Organismus im Universum und mehr noch, der Mensch trägt das Bild Gottes. Hier, im ersten Kapitel der Bibel, sehen wir einen anderen Aspekt von Gott, der Seine Natur offenbart. In dem Bericht heißt es: „Lasst uns Menschen machen als Abbild von uns, uns ähnlich.“

Alles in der Schöpfung ähnelt in gewisser Weise dem Schöpfer, aber die Bibel verkündet, dass der Mensch nach Gottes Ebenbild geschaffen ist. Was bedeutet es konkret, nach Gottes Ebenbild geschaffen zu sein? Sehen wir uns einige Möglichkeiten an, wie wir als Gottes Bildträger Ihn widerspiegeln –

Mental -Wir haben die mentale Fähigkeit, Dinge zu folgern, Dinge zu erforschen und rational zu handeln. Wir haben Vernunft und wir haben einen freien Willen. Dies ähnelt Gottes Intellekt und jedes Mal, wenn wir unsere geistigen Fähigkeiten konstruktiv einsetzen, um zu erfinden, zu schreiben, zu malen, zu genießen, zu rechnen usw., spiegeln wir Gott auf diese Weise wider.

Moralisch – Wir haben ein Gefühl von Rechtschaffenheit, Gerechtigkeit, Barmherzigkeit, Wahrhaftigkeit usw. und handeln danach, weil es von Gott kommt, nach dessen Bild wir geschaffen wurden. Mit anderen Worten, diese moralischen Grundsätze sind nicht willkürlich.

Stattdessen erkennen wir, wenn wir moralisch handeln, an, dass wir nach Gottes Ebenbild geschaffen wurden und Er der ultimative Ausdruck unserer Moral ist, auch wenn wir unsere moralischen Entscheidungen nicht immer richtig treffen. Paulus erinnert uns im Römerbrief Kapitel 1 daran, wenn er vom Zorn Gottes spricht, der sich wegen unserer falschen moralischen Gedanken und Handlungen gegen uns richtet.

Wenn wir unsere Moral positiv ausüben, spiegeln wir die richtige Moral wider, die uns von unserem moralisch perfekten Gott eingegeben wurde. Die Ablehnung der Abtreibung spiegelt das Bild Gottes wider, weil sie das von Ihm geschaffene Leben schützt. Wenn wir stehlen, entfernen wir uns von Gottes Bild, das Aufrichtigkeit und Gerechtigkeit ist.

Wenn Gesellschaften oder Menschen gerechte Gesetze schreiben, Böses bestrafen und angemessenes Verhalten fördern, bestätigen sie, dass ein höherer Standard existiert, der Gottes Bild widerspiegelt. Wenn wir unsere Talente auf eine Weise einsetzen, die Ihm Ehre bringt, spiegeln wir Sein Bild wider.

Gesellschaftlich – wir wurden von dem Gott, der Gemeinschaft versteht, für Gemeinschaft geschaffen. Denk daran, was in dem Vers, den wir uns ansehen, gesagt wurde – „Lasst uns den Menschen in unserem Bild machen, nach unserem Ebenbild …“ Gemäß der Bibel gibt es nur einen Gott. Aber die Bibel erklärt sogar im Alten Testament, dass es in Gott eine Gottheit gibt – drei Personen in einer Essenz. Diese drei existieren in ewiger Harmonie und Liebe. Der Begriff „uns“ in diesem Vers bestätigt dieses Konzept und bestätigt auch Gottes soziale Natur.

Als Gott den Menschen erschuf, tat Er es, um mit ihm Gemeinschaft zu haben. Es gab keine Notwendigkeit, uns zu erschaffen, aber aufgrund Seiner Güte und Seiner sozialen Natur tat Er es. Diese großartige Tat von Genesis 1 zeigt, dass Er ein Wesen ist, das Gemeinschaft schätzt. Unsere Gemeinschaft untereinander spiegelt daher die sozialen Qualitäten Gottes wider. Jedes Mal, wenn ein Mann eine Frau heiratet, einen Freund findet, ein Kind umarmt oder in die Kirche geht, zeigt er diesen Teil von Gottes Bild in seinem Leben.

Wir sind nicht nur nach Gottes Ebenbild geschaffen, sondern Gott sagte auch: „Lasst sie herrschen über die Fische des Meeres, über die Vögel der Lüfte und über das Vieh, über die ganze Erde und über alles Kriechen, das auf der Erde kriecht. ”

Gott hat dem Menschen die Herrschaft über die anderen Geschöpfe der Erde gegeben. Obwohl diese Kreaturen wunderbar gemacht sind und vom Menschen zu pflegen sind, stehen sie nicht auf der gleichen Ebene wie der Mensch. Leider haben die Menschen die Pflege von Tieren auf ein von Gott nie beabsichtigtes Extrem gebracht. Aktivistische Organisationen wie PETA und sogar die UNO fordern, dass Tieren die gleichen Rechte wie Menschen zugesprochen werden und kippen damit, was Gott bei der Erschaffung des Menschen verordnet hat.

Uns als Hüter der Welt Gottes wurde das Recht und die Verantwortung gegeben, mit den Tieren der Erde umzugehen. Sogar in der Bibel zur Zeit der Richter Israels erkannte Gott an, dass Tiere in Schach gehalten werden mussten, um die Menschen, die im Land lebten, nicht zu überrennen –

Dazu wird der Herr, dein Gott, Hornissen unter sie senden, bis die Übriggebliebenen und diejenigen, die sich vor dir versteckt hielten, umgekommen sind. Lass dir nicht grauen vor ihnen, denn der Herr, dein Gott, ist in deiner Mitte, ein großer und furchtgebietender Gott. Und der Herr, dein Gott, wird diese Völker nach und nach vor dir vertreiben; du kannst sie nicht rasch aufreiben, sonst würden sich die Tiere des Feldes zu deinem Schaden vermehren.
Deuteronomium 7,20-22

In Genesis wie auch anderswo in der Bibel soll ein Tier, das einem Menschen das Leben nimmt, vernichtet werden, weil es den Bildträger Gottes getötet hat. Und das gleiche gilt für den Menschen. Wenn ein Mann einen anderen Menschen absichtlich tötet, muss ihm das Leben genommen werden, weil er eine Person getötet hat, die nach Gottes Bild geschaffen wurde.

Leider schreien viele liberal denkende Menschen – wie PETA mit Tieren – gegen die Hinrichtung von Kriminellen, die Kapitalverbrechen begehen, aber die Bibel ist vollkommen klar, dass das Blutvergießen einer Person nur durch das Blut der Person, die den Mord begangen hat, gesühnt werden kann. Wir lehnen diese Gesetze auf eigene Gefahr ab, weil sie nicht aus menschlichen Regierungsgesetzen stammen, sondern aus Gottes ewigen Gesetzen, die auf seinem Bild basieren.

Hier sind einige der wunderbaren Fakten über unsere Gestaltung, die Gott am sechsten Schöpfungstag tat. Sie zeigen, wie schön wir geformt sind –

  1. Die Verdauungssäuren des Magens sind stark genug, um Zink aufzulösen. Zu unserem Glück erneuern sich die Zellen in der Magenschleimhaut jedoch so schnell, dass die Säuren keine Zeit haben, sie aufzulösen.
  2. Die Lunge enthält über 300.000 Millionen Kapillaren oder winzige Blutgefäße. Wenn sie aneinandergereiht würden, würden sie sich über 1500 Meilen (241 Km) erstrecken.
  3. Menschliche Knochen sind beim Tragen von Gewicht so stark wie Granit. Ein Knochenblock von der Größe einer Streichholzschachtel kann 9 Tonnen tragen. Ob du es glaubst oder nicht, das ist viermal so viel, wie Beton tragen kann.
  4. Das größte Organ des Körpers ist die Haut. Bei einem erwachsenen Mann bedeckt sie etwa 20 Quadratmeter. Die Haut schuppt sich ständig ab und jeder Mensch verliert im Laufe seines Lebens etwa 40 Pfund (18 Kg) an Haut.
  5. Die durchschnittliche Person in Amerika isst 50 Tonnen Lebensmittel und trinkt etwa 11.000 Gallonen (41.640 Liter) Flüssigkeit während ihres Lebens.
  6. Jede Niere enthält 1 Million einzelne Filter. Sie filtern durchschnittlich etwa 2,2 Liter Blut pro Minute und scheiden täglich etwa 2,5 Liter Urin aus.
  7. Die Fokussierungsmuskeln der Augen bewegen sich etwa 100.000-mal pro Tag. Um deine Beinmuskeln genauso zu trainieren, müsstest du jeden Tag 50 Meilen (80,5 Km) laufen.
  8. In 30 Minuten gibt der durchschnittliche Körper genug kombinierte Wärme ab, um eine halbe Gallone (ca. 2 Liter) Wasser zum Kochen zu bringen, und die Mehrheit der Poren befindet sich auf dem Kopf… jetzt weißt du, warum manche Leute so hitzköpfig sind…
  9. Ein einzelnes menschliches Blutkörperchen benötigt nur 60 Sekunden, um einen kompletten Kreislauf durch den Körper zu machen.
  10. Eine Vorhaut von beschnittenen Babys, die die Größe einer Briefmarke hat, braucht 21 Tage, um Haut wachsen zu lassen, die eine große Fläche bedecken kann und bei der Behandlung von Verbrennungspatienten eingesetzt wird. Dr. James McGuire, Leiter der Wundversorgung am Fuß- und Knöchelinstitut der Temple University sagte: “In manchen Fällen können wir vier Fußballfelder Haut aus einer Babyvorhaut herausholen. Wenn man sich darum kümmert, kann die Haut wachsen und wachsen.”
  11. Die Haut auf der Handinnenseite und den Fingern ist aus mehreren Gründen einzigartig: Sie hat keine Haare.
    Sie enthält Fingerabdrücke, die für jeden Menschen einzigartig sind.
    Sie ist normalerweise nicht pigmentiert und kann sich nicht bräunen.

Sie ist robust und widerstandsfähig, aber dennoch empfindlich, und sie ist durch eine Zwischenschicht aus Faszien mit den darunter liegenden Knochen verankert. Diese Anordnung verhindert, dass die Haut der Handfläche wie ein Gummihandschuh herumrutscht, wenn wir unsere Hände zum Greifen und Drehen benutzen.

Wir könnten den ganzen Tag mit erstaunlichen Fakten über die Komplexität des menschlichen Körpers fortfahren, der eine Form ist, die von einem unendlich intelligenten Wesen erschaffen wurde. Eben dieses intelligente Wesen verstand nicht nur, wie wir am Ende funktionieren würden – z. B. sehen, riechen, schmecken, sprechen usw. -, sondern gab uns auch Dinge, um diese Fähigkeiten anzuregen, wie Blumen, Lächeln, kalte Duschen an heißen Tagen und heiße Duschen an kalten Tagen.

Er hat uns Grillen und Vögel gegeben, um uns in den Morgenstunden zu erfreuen, und jeden Tag malt er einen neuen Sonnenaufgang und einen neuen Sonnenuntergang zu unserem Vergnügen in den Himmel.

Wir können all das und noch viel mehr schätzen, weil Er uns so geformt hat. Wie König David so weise sagte –

Denn du hast meine Nieren gebildet;
du hast mich gewoben im Schoß meiner Mutter.
Ich danke dir dafür, dass ich erstaunlich und wunderbar gemacht bin;
wunderbar sind deine Werke, und meine Seele erkennt das wohl!
Psalm 139,13-14

In unserem heutigen Textvers sagt der Psalmist: „Du hast ihn ein wenig niedriger gemacht als die Engel.“ Das scheint uns in eine geringere Kategorie als die Engel zu stellen, aber wenn du zum Hebräerbrief Kapitel 1 gehst, sagt er dies –

Zu welchem von den Engeln hat Er denn jemals gesagt: »Setze dich zu meiner Rechten, bis ich deine Feinde hinlege als Schemel für deine Füße«? Sind sie nicht alle dienstbare Geister, ausgesandt zum Dienst um derer willen, welche das Heil erben sollen?
Hebräer 1,13-14

Obwohl wir “ein wenig niedriger als die Engel” sind, sind es die Engel, die die Aufgabe haben, den Menschen zu dienen, die das Heil erben werden. Engel wurden erschaffen, aber sie sind Geister, denen es an Potential fehlt. Auf der anderen Seite hat der Mensch Potential und es ist unbegrenzt in Menge und Vielfalt. Und über all den anderen Potentialen, die der Mensch besitzt, steht die Fähigkeit, erlöst zu werden.

Wir leben in einem gefallenen Zustand in der Welt, aber Gott hat Engel in unser Leben gestellt, um uns zu dienen, wenn wir an den Punkt der Erlösung gekommen sind. Von diesem Punkt an können wir ableiten, dass die Engel auf eine Art und Weise arbeiten, die wir nicht einmal kennen, um uns auf unserem Erlösungsweg zu leiten.

Die Krone von Gottes wunderbarem Schöpfungsplan,
ist Gottes Ebenbild, bekannt als Mensch, als Frau und Mann,
Engel kümmern sich unbewusst um seine Bedürfnisse,
und das Gebiet der Erde ist unter seiner Obhut ohne Kompromisse.

So besonders, wie Gott ihn hat gemacht,
Der Mensch hat sich vom Schöpfer abgewandt, Seiner nicht mehr gedacht.
Und so gibt es einen Riss zwischen Gott und dem Menschen,
Beim Versuch, diesen Riss zu überwinden stoßen wir an unüberwindbare Grenzen.

Doch Gott tat das Werk, den Menschen mit ihm zu versöhnen,
Er sandte seinen Sohn Jesus, um uns in Gerechtigkeit zu krönen.
Und so können wir wieder in seinem herrlichen Licht stehen
Wegen des Erlösers, den wir am Ende dann sehen.

II. Männlich und weiblich

²⁷Und Gott schuf den Menschen in seinem Bild, im Bild Gottes schuf er ihn; als Mann und Frau schuf er sie. 

Obwohl dieser Punkt offensichtlich und unnötig sein sollte, scheint es, dass in der verwirrten Welt, in der wir leben, die Menschen nicht einmal das Offensichtliche begreifen können. Gott schuf den Mann als Mann und Gott schuf die Frauen als Frauen. In dem Versuch, dies zu leugnen, hat das moderne Denken fast alles auf die Spitze getrieben, was nie beabsichtigt war, nur um den Unterschied zwischen den Geschlechtern zu leugnen.

Trotzdem haben Männer Eigenschaften, die für Männer geeignet sind, und Frauen haben Eigenschaften, die für Frauen geeignet sind. Keiner ist besser als der andere, aber beide passen zu dem, was Gott für die Zwecke geschaffen hat, für die er sie geschaffen hat.

Allein was das Gehirn angeht, gibt es riesige Unterschiede zwischen uns… als ob das nicht schon offensichtlich sein sollte.

In Beziehungen neigen Frauen dazu, effektiver zu kommunizieren als Männer. Sie konzentrieren sich darauf, eine Lösung zu finden, die für eine Gruppe funktioniert, sprechen über Probleme und nutzen nonverbale Signale wie Tonfall, Emotionen und Empathie, während Männer eher aufgabenorientiert, weniger gesprächig und isolierter sind. Stell dir das vor, Männer… weniger gesprächig als Frauen. Hmmm

Männer haben es schwerer, Emotionen zu verstehen, die nicht explizit verbalisiert werden, während Frauen dazu neigen, Emotionen und emotionale Hinweise zu erahnen. Diese Unterschiede erklären, warum Männer und Frauen manchmal Schwierigkeiten bei der Kommunikation haben und warum Männerfreundschaften anders aussehen als Freundschaften unter Frauen. Gott sei Dank ist das so.

Männer verarbeiten normalerweise besser in der linken Gehirnhälfte, während Frauen dazu neigen, zwischen beiden Hemisphären zu verarbeiten. Dieser Unterschied erklärt, warum Männer normalerweise stärker mit der linken Gehirnhälfte arbeiten und eine aufgabenorientierte Perspektive verfolgen, während Frauen typischerweise Probleme kreativer lösen.

Ich habe den Eindruck, dass ihre kreativen Problemlösungstechniken am besten zur Geltung kommen, wenn sie Autofahren, und das ist der Grund, warum ich mich entscheide zu fahren, wenn ich mit meiner Frau zusammen bin…

Männer verarbeiten Sprache normalerweise in ihrer dominanten Hemisphäre, aber Frauen verarbeiten sie in beiden Hemisphären. Ich denke, das macht Sinn, denn ich habe den Eindruck, dass Frauen viel mehr zu sagen haben als Männer. Wenn sie andere Sprachen lernen können, dann können sie überall, wo sie unterwegs sind, ohne Unterbrechung weiterreden.

Frauen haben eine dickere parietale Region des Gehirns, die die Fähigkeit, Objekte geistig zu drehen, behindert. Die Forschung hat diese Fähigkeit bereits bei Babys im Alter von 5 Monaten nachgewiesen, so dass Umwelteinflüsse nichts mit dieser Fähigkeit zu tun haben. Wenn also jemand zu einer Frau sagt, sie sei dickköpfig, liegt er möglicherweise nicht weit daneben…

Um ehrlich zu sein, ist meine Tochter aber definitiv die Ausnahme von dieser Regel. Sie kann ein dreidimensionales Puzzle in ihrem Kopf konstruieren, ohne es jemals anzufassen. Dann kann sie es beim ersten Mal ohne jede Anstrengung zusammensetzen. Ich hingegen kann diese Dinge meist auch nach längerer Zeit nicht lösen.

Wie du sehen kannst, sind wir nicht nur körperlich unterschiedlich, sondern Männer und Frauen sind auch geistig unterschiedlich. Das Verständnis der Unterschiede zwischen Männern und Frauen ist Teil des Verständnisses unserer unterschiedlichen Rollen als Menschen, als Partner und als Mitglieder der Gemeinde.

Ein Mann ist niemals vollständig ohne eine Frau und eine Frau ist ebenso unvollständig ohne einen Mann, aber zusammen sind die beiden dazu gemacht, eins zu sein. Wir werden darüber mehr sprechen, wenn wir in einer zukünftigen Predigt in Genesis Kapitel 2 einsteigen.

Eine weitere Anmerkung zu diesem Punkt ist, dass die Bibel niemals den Wert der Frauen herabsetzt, sondern sie stattdessen hervorhebt. Allerdings weist die Bibel auf kulturelle Unterschiede zwischen den Geschlechtern hin, wie z.B. die jüdische Kultur, die griechische Kultur, usw. Nur weil kulturelle Unterscheidungen gemacht werden, bedeutet das keineswegs, dass sie universell anzuwenden sind. Nur wenn ein Vers präskriptiver Natur ist (vorgeschrieben), muss er auf Männer und/oder Frauen angewendet werden.

III. Was Gott verordnet hat

²⁸Und Gott segnete sie; und Gott sprach zu ihnen: Seid fruchtbar und mehrt euch und füllt die Erde und macht sie euch untertan; und herrscht über die Fische im Meer und über die Vögel des Himmels und über alles Lebendige, das sich regt auf der Erde!

Kapitel 2 befasst sich mehr mit der persönlichen Beziehung zwischen einem Mann und einer Frau und das Thema Ehe wird besser bis dahin aufgehoben. Allerdings gibt dieser Vers das Muster für physische Beziehungen vor. Gott sagte ihnen: “Seid fruchtbar und mehret euch”. Was hier implizit gesagt wird, ist, dass Sex für die Menschen der Welt gedacht ist, aber dass er zwischen einem Mann und einer Frau bestimmt ist.

Die Erde kann nicht mit Menschen gefüllt werden, die sich mit Homosexualität beschäftigen. Stattdessen schuf Gott uns als Mann und Frau zum Zweck der Fortpflanzung, um die Erde zu füllen. Alles, was dem widerspricht, ist eine Perversion dessen, was Gott bestimmt hat. Berichte wie die Zerstörung von Sodom und Gomorra werden speziell aufgezeichnet, um das Problem der Homosexualität zu behandeln.

Unglücklicherweise sagen die Befürworter der Homosexualität – um zu verdrehen, was dort geschrieben steht – dass das, was im Sodom-Bericht angedeutet wird, eine kriegerische und abweisende Haltung der Menschen ist, nicht die Homosexualität. Würden sie einfach ihre Bibel weiter durchlesen würden, dann würden sie feststellen, dass die Bibel diese Passage an anderer Stelle interpretiert –

… und dass er die Engel, die ihren Herrschaftsbereich nicht bewahrten, sondern ihre eigene Behausung verließen, für das Gericht des großen Tages mit ewigen Fesseln unter der Finsternis verwahrt hat; wie Sodom und Gomorra und die umliegenden Städte, die in gleicher Weise wie diese die Unzucht bis zum Äußersten trieben und anderem Fleisch nachgingen, nun als warnendes Beispiel dastehen, indem sie die Strafe eines ewigen Feuers zu erleiden haben.
Judas 1,6+7

Das Gesetz Moses gibt uns auch Einblicke in die Materie –

Wenn ein Mann bei einem Mann liegt, als würde er bei einer Frau liegen, so haben sie beide einen Gräuel begangen, und sie sollen unbedingt getötet werden; ihr Blut sei auf ihnen!
Levitikus 20,13

Wenn wir von dem sprechen, was aus der Schöpfung offensichtlich ist, einschließlich zwischenmenschlicher Beziehungen, sagt Paulus im Buch der Römer dies –

Darum hat sie Gott auch dahingegeben in entehrende Leidenschaften; denn ihre Frauen haben den natürlichen Verkehr vertauscht mit dem widernatürlichen; gleicherweise haben auch die Männer den natürlichen Verkehr mit der Frau verlassen und sind gegeneinander entbrannt in ihrer Begierde und haben Mann mit Mann Schande getrieben und den verdienten Lohn ihrer Verirrung an sich selbst empfangen.
Römer 1,26-27

Eine weitere Anordnung Gottes, die wir zuvor gesehen haben, wird auch in Vers 28 erwähnt, als Gott sagte, dass der Mensch “Herrschaft haben soll über die Fische des Meeres, über die Vögel des Himmels und über alles Lebendige, das sich auf der Erde bewegt.”

Dem Menschen ist die Herrschaft über die Tiere der Erde gegeben worden, sowohl für ihre Pflege als auch für ihre Kontrolle. Das tierische Leben auf die gleiche Ebene wie den Menschen zu heben, bedeutet eigentlich, Gott zu entehren, weil Gott den Menschen nach seinem Bild geschaffen hat. Indem man behauptet, dass Tiere in ihren Rechten mit dem Menschen vergleichbar sind, verneint man damit die eigentliche Autorität von Gottes eingesetzter Hierarchie.

Als Gesellschaft ist es richtig, aktiv gegen jeden Versuch vorzugehen, Tieren Rechte zu geben, die über die normale Fürsorge und Kontrolle hinausgehen, die von Gott selbst verordnet wurde. Ebenso ist es für Christen richtig, sich allen Versuchen entgegenzustellen, die Rechte und Ansprüche von Homosexuellen innerhalb einer Gesellschaft zu normalisieren.

Themen wie diese bedeuten nicht, dass wir gleichgültig sind, weder gegenüber Tieren noch gegenüber denen, die in Homosexualität verstrickt sind. Aber es bedeutet, dass wir das, was Gott verordnet hat, über das stellen sollen, was der Mensch begehrt, wenn es Gottes Naturgesetzen entgegenspricht.

Letztendlich werden verbale und physische Angriffe gegen Christen in den kommenden Jahren nur zunehmen, wenn wir uns gegen Verletzungen von Gottes Geboten wehren. Aber es müssen Entscheidungen getroffen werden und jeder muss im Voraus bestimmen, was akzeptabel ist und was nicht und dann bereit sein, angesichts harscher Kritik und sogar Angriffen zu diesen Prinzipien zu stehen.

IV. Es war sehr gut

²⁹Und Gott sprach: „Siehe, ich habe euch alles samentragende Gewächs gegeben, das auf der ganzen Erdoberfläche wächst, auch alle Bäume, an denen samentragende Früchte sind. Sie sollen euch zur Nahrung dienen;
³⁰aber allen Tieren der Erde und allen Vögeln des Himmels und allem, was sich regt auf der Erde, allem, in dem eine lebendige Seele ist, habe ich jedes grüne Kraut zur Nahrung gegeben!“ Und es geschah so.
³¹Und Gott sah alles, was er gemacht hatte; und siehe, es war sehr gut. Und es wurde Abend, und es wurde Morgen: der sechste Tag.

Am sechsten Tag schuf Gott alle Tiere der Erde und er schuf den Menschen und vollendete damit seine schöpferische Leistung. Diese Verse sind dann eine Erinnerung daran, was für den Menschen zum Essen zur Verfügung stand. Dies scheint miteinzubeziehen, dass es zu dieser Zeit nichts Giftiges in den Kräutern, den Körnern oder den Früchten gab. Stattdessen war alles für alle Lebewesen essbar – was man von der ursprünglichen Schöpfung erwarten würde, bevor Sünde und Tod in die Welt kamen.

Nach seiner Ankündigung über die Nahrung, die für das Leben auf der Erde zur Verfügung steht, erweitert Gott den Kommentar der vorangegangenen fünf Tage, als er sagte: “Es war gut.” Stattdessen sagt Gott hier: “V’hine, tov meod“. “Und in der Tat, es war sehr gut.”

Vor dem Sündenfall muss es ein ungemein prächtiger und schöner Ort gewesen sein. Und auch nach dem Sündenfall, aber vor der Sintflut, muss die Welt in einem außergewöhnlich schönen und lebensfreundlichen Zustand gewesen sein. So wird es auch in der tausendjährigen Herrschaft Christi sein, wenn Gott vieles von dem wiederherstellt, was vor so langer Zeit verloren gegangen ist.

Matthew Henry sagt in seinem Kommentar zu diesem Teil der Schrift: “Die Zeit, da dieses Werk vollendet wurde: Der Abend und der Morgen waren der sechste Tag; also hat Gott in sechs Tagen die Welt gemacht. Wir sollen nicht anders denken, als dass Gott die Welt in einem Augenblick gemacht haben könnte. Er, der gesagt hat: “Es werde Licht”, und es wurde Licht, hätte auch sagen können: “Es werde eine Welt”, und es wäre eine Welt entstanden, in einem Augenblick, im Handumdrehen, wie bei der Auferstehung.”

Mr. Henry sagt, dass Gott alles sofort hätte tun können, aber er entschied sich, es in einer Abfolge zu tun und das aus bestimmten Gründen. Wie wir letzte Woche feststellten, schuf Gott vom Unkompliziertesten zum Komplexesten, was uns dazu ermutigen sollte, dasselbe mit unseren eigenen Werken zu tun und alles, was wir tun, immer weiter zu verbessern.

Gott hat sein Werk auch in 6 Tagen vollbracht, um uns einen guten und richtigen Lebenszyklus zu zeigen; indem Er einen Tag in der Woche zur Erholung und Entspannung frei nimmt. Und außerdem sind diese sechs Tage repräsentativ für ein größeres Bild in der Erlösungsgeschichte. Gott beendete seine Werke am sechsten Tag und ruhte, wie wir in der nächsten Predigt sehen werden, am siebten Tag. Wenn wir das nächste Woche analysieren, werden wir uns wieder den Grund dafür ansehen.

Bis dahin lasst uns daran denken, dass diese Welt Gottes Schöpfung ist und der Mensch geschaffen wurde, um in ihr zu wohnen, sie zu füllen, sie sich zu unterwerfen und für sie zu sorgen. Lasst uns diese Aspekte von Gottes Plan beachten, während wir das Wasser nutzen, das Er uns zur Verfügung stellt, die Nahrung, die Er uns gibt, und das Terrain unter unseren Füßen, während wir auf den Straßen und Hügeln des Lebens gehen.

Alles, was wir sehen, fühlen, riechen, schmecken, hören und spüren, ist ein Geschenk von und aus Gott, und jedes demonstriert Seine Intelligenz, Weisheit und Liebe. Wie der Psalmist sagte: “Lobe den Herrn, o meine Seele!”

Es war sehr gut, sagte unser Gott
und nickte seiner wunderschönen Schöpfung zu, ganz flott.

Der Mensch hat ein Zuhause und einen Platz zum Leben,
Ich habe alles für Ihn vorbereitet und ihm gebe ich es mit Segen.

Ich weiß, er wird seinen eigenen Weg gehen
und dass ich am Ende den Tag retten muss,
du wirst es noch sehen!

Aber wenn er die Liebe sieht, die ich in meinem eigenen Sohn zeige
werde ich sein Herz wieder gewonnen haben.
Nach dem Schrei an diesem Kreuz… ist es vollbracht! … den Kopf ich jetzt neige.

Wir werden es wieder perfekt und ohne Makel sehen,
Aber besser als es vorher war, wartet ab und seht!
Denn der Mensch wird in demütiger Ehrfurcht stehen,
vor dem Werk Jesu, der an der Tür des Himmels steht.

Alle, die hindurchgehen, werden sich an Ihm erfreuen
Preisen Sein Werk der mächtigen Kraft und sich nicht scheuen.

„Für die Ewigkeit wird der Mensch leben
In der vollkommenen Freude – nur ich kann sie geben!
Das Wasser des Lebens ist für alle umsonst,
Das Geschenk des ewigen Lebens du bekommst,
wenn du nur glauben willst dem Werk meines Sohnes für dich am Kreuz
und du deine Sünden mir gegenüber bereust.“

„v’hine, tov meod.“ – “Und in der Tat, es war sehr gut.“

Revelation 19:14

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Monday, 12 July 2021

And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Revelation 19:14

The previous verse revealed the Lord returning in vengeance, symbolized by His robe being dipped in blood. The words now speak of those who will follow Him, saying, “And the armies in heaven.”

There is debate as to who these are, but the words of Scripture elsewhere reveal that they are the saints. In other words, they are those who have been redeemed by the Messiah. When Christ returns, His redeemed will return with Him. That they are His saints is seen in the next words, saying, “clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

This speaks of the imputed righteousness of Christ. Those who have been cleansed and purified by Him are those who wear the white garments. This description has been seen several times in Revelation, such as in 3:4&5; 4:4; 6:11, 7:9; 7:13-17; & 19:8. The linen has been seen on others in Revelation, but the description here appears particularly suited to those who have been purified by Christ. It is these who “followed Him on white horses.”

The Greek is in the imperfect tense. It more specifically says, they “were following Him.” In this, it gives the sense of an advancing movement of the armies. The white horses speak of rule and authority. Paul, writing to Timothy said –

“If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.” 2 Timothy 2:12

This is the thought of the white horses. Thus, the white horses go beyond the idea of victory (something assured in Christ), but they extend to ruling with Christ.

In the previous verse, Isaiah 63 was quoted where it said –

“I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.”

From this, it can be argued that Christ alone brings vengeance on the people and that those riding with Him have no part in the battle. But the symbolism of Isaiah and Revelation is just that. One cannot expect that Christ is literally stomping in a winepress. Rather, it is symbolism to speak of Him gaining the victory over His enemies.

Elsewhere, the Lord is said to gain the victory even though Israel participated in the battles where those claims are made (see Judges 20:25, for example). How the exact events will play out is unstated, and so only speculation can be given. Whether the Lord alone conducts the warfare, or whether His armies join in the battle is a matter that will be known at that time. For now, it is clear that the Lord ultimately is the Victor of what will occur.

Life application:  The Bible is a book of progressive revelation. It doesn’t arbitrarily introduce random thoughts that are key to the redemptive narrative. Things may come out of order at times, but the key points of the narrative will follow a logical introduction, development, and progression to what is presented. Understanding this helps us to make right decisions about important concepts. A very good example is from Genesis 6 which speaks of the “sons of God.”

In Genesis 6:2, it says that “that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose.” There are various opinions as to who these “sons of God” are – the sons of Adam through Seth who remained faithful to the Lord, angels, aliens, etc. A poor analysis will lead to the wrong conclusion. In other words, one must look at the progressive nature of God’s revelation to understand that it is, in fact, actual humans, not angels or other beings.

Nothing concerning angels had been introduced into the narrative, and specific points in the narrative that had already been provided were given as clues to who these “sons of God” were. Later passages in the Bible then confirm what is said in Genesis 6.

This is important to understand because it bears directly on this verse in Revelation. Who are the “armies in heaven” that are following Jesus? The answer is often given as “angels.” This is an incorrect analysis because the very context and progression of the book of Revelation (and of passages given earlier in Scripture) shows us who it is. It is the redeemed of the Lord already described in preceding verses. This is why this progression of thought has been given.

In Revelation 4:1, the rapture of the church occurred. From 4:2 until 19:13, the church has been out of the picture, except as they are noted with Jesus, in heaven, not on earth. The intervening verses where earthly visions have been revealed have referred to the tribulation, the final seven-year period of Daniel’s “seventy weeks” noted in Daniel 9. This seven-year period has now ended, and Christ is returning to set up His millennial kingdom. And it is the bride of the Lamb who is returning with Him.

Others have been noted as receiving white garments during the tribulation, and their state has been explained to some extent, and it will continue to be explained later as well (such as in Revelation 20:4).

This verse says these armies are clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Such are garments of righteousness mentioned in the preceding verses of Revelation. Another point concerning those coming with Christ is what was noted in chapter 17. The ten kings of the end-times empire are said to wage war with the Lamb. This isn’t possible until the Lamb actually returns which is now being stated in Chapter 19.

When they fight against the Lamb, it notes this in 17:14 – “These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” Thus, it is clear that these are believers in, and followers of, Jesus – not angels.

And as added support, we read this from the hand of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 – “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Although this doesn’t mean that all believers will be with the Lord at all times and forever, as if we are sitting in a room together. However, if we “shall always be with the Lord,” then it seems clear that this includes following Him to His glorious victory.

When we return with Him, we will also be riding on white horses. Thus, we are sharing in His victory as those who reign with Him. This in no way diminishes the victory as His alone, but rather glorifies it. As Paul writes in Romans 8:37 – “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

It brings both honor and glory to Jesus for His saints to return with Him in this capacity because it is noting that He is the One who stood in victory over our sinful state, cleansing us and bringing us near to God through the purifying power of His shed blood. This is the reward and honor of being a faithful follower of Jesus Christ – sharing in His victory and glory. Hallelujah to the Lamb! Hallelujah to JESUS!

Lord God, help us to properly look into your word and to evaluate it as it is presented. Help us to not come to unfounded conclusions because of what we want to believe, but rather lead us to make logical conclusions based on what You have presented. You are the God of order, and Your word reflects this. Thank You for the beautiful words of life it presents to us. Amen.

 

 

Deuteronomy 20:10-20 (Conduct for War, Part II)

Charlie Garrett Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 20:10-20
Conduct for War, Part II

In today’s passage, we will finish up Moses’ words of this chapter concerning proper conduct for war. What is stated in the Old Testament is for Israel to conduct their affairs according to the dispensation in which they lived.

These rules for warfare, however, actually extend into our dispensation in their own way. The day before typing this sermon, Jim opened the church and mentioned messianic believers. At times, there is a difference between messianics and Hebrew Roots.

In other words, there are some good messianic congregations that completely get God’s offer of grace as is revealed in Yeshua (the Hebrew name of Jesus). And then, there are messianics who are exactly who Paul was referring to in the book of Galatians. They are no different than those of the modern Hebrew Roots movement.

I got an email about Jim’s comments from a nice lady, but one who was being led down the wrong path in this regard – “Dear Charlie, The gentleman who gave opening comments, yesterday, made a rather uninformed remark, re: messianic Jews. Their entire basis is to live as first-century Christians did. THAT is WHY they keep G-D’s seven Holy Feasts. Moses tells us these are The Lord’s feasts, not “the Jews feasts”…. Here is a post you might want to share with your friend. Sincerely, and with Love, XXX (a messianic Jew.)”

First, it is irrelevant if she is a messianic Jew or not. That means nothing. Adherence to Scripture is what identifies a right believer who is in Christ. Secondly, I didn’t bother sending the post on to Jim. The verses were completely out of context. One of them was our text verse for today…

Text Verse: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:8, 9

My response to her was as you may expect – “There is a difference between a person observing the feasts as a cultural expression, meaning as a Jew might within the culture, and a person who is attempting to merit the Lord’s favor through adherence to the Law of Moses.

The Feasts of the Lord are fulfilled in the Lord. They are no longer to be observed as a part of faith in Christ because Christ is the fulfillment of them. (Hebrews 7:18, 8:13, and 10:9). The Law – in its entirety, is annulled, obsolete, and set aside. It is nailed to the cross (Colossian 2:14).

The feasts, the Sabbath, the dietary laws – all are set aside through the work of Christ (Colossians 2:15, 16). If you are attempting to merit God’s favor through Law observance, you are exactly who Paul is writing about in Galatians 1:6-8. He is not arguing for law observance, he is saying it is anathema.

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:19 – “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.”

Circumcision is a mandate of the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:3). Therefore, Paul cannot be speaking of the Law of Moses when he refers to “keeping the commandments of God.” Christ died in fulfillment of the law. What do you intend to add to that for your righteousness?

If this is what you are trying to convey to me, I wish you well in your efforts. It is an infinite ladder to climb, and you have a very short life to attempt to get to the top. You will not make it. Rest in Christ (Hebrews 4:3) and give up on your attempts at self-righteousness. Charlie”

She came back and was very gracious, promising to watch the sermons I linked to her concerning the Feasts of the Lord. I hope she will take them to heart. She, and her doctrine, are typologically seen in our verses today. It was great that I didn’t have to even think of an opening for the sermon, it came right to me in an email from someone whose email fits the typology.

Important things like keeping things in context and resting solely in the grace of Jesus Christ rather than on one’s own righteousness 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. The Cites Which are Very Far from You (verses 10-14)

The words now assume that everyone in the army is acceptable for battle. The first nine verses were given to prepare the army for the engagement by removing any who had cause to not wage war.

Those who had built a new house and not dedicated it, those who had planted a vineyard and not eaten of it, those who were betrothed and who had not married the woman, and those who were fearful and fainthearted and who would thus discourage the other soldiers were all given exemption from service.

With that accomplished, the battle was to be engaged with those who remained and were brought forth in order to battle a city. However, instead of just arbitrarily destroying cities, the sanctity of human life – even the lives of non-Hebrew people – was to be considered first and foremost. As it now says…

10 “When you go near a city to fight against it,

ki tiqrav el ir l’hilakhem aleha – “When you approach unto city to wage war.” The words now will be further explained in verses 16-18 as meaning any cities not found within the borders of Canaan. This would be war for the sake of expansion, as retaliation against aggression, and so on. The Old Testament is filled with references of such instances of battles outside of Canaan.

Israel was not limited to Canaan alone, and they were given the right to wage warfare as they saw fit. In such instances where they were specifically drawn up against an enemy within a city…

10 (con’t) then proclaim an offer of peace to it.

Once arranged for the battle, and once the enemy was fully aware of what lay ahead, an olive branch was to be first extended to that city. As it says, v’qarata eleha l’shalom – “and you have called to it to [with regard to] peace.”

Such offers were not limited to the people of Israel in their waging war, but are also seen as Israel’s enemies came against them. An example of this is found in 2 Kings 18 when the Assyrians came against Jerusalem. Before attacking the city, peace was offered to the people –

“Then the Rabshakeh said to them, ‘Say now to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the great king, the king of Assyria: “What confidence is this in which you trust? 20 You speak of having plans and power for war; but they are mere words. And in whom do you trust, that you rebel against me? 21 Now look! You are trusting in the staff of this broken reed, Egypt, on which if a man leans, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 22 But if you say to me, ‘We trust in the Lord our God,’ is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah has taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, ‘You shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem’?” ’ 23 Now therefore, I urge you, give a pledge to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give you two thousand horses—if you are able on your part to put riders on them!” 2 Kings 18:19-23

Such an offer of peace was not without conditions, though. In the case of Jerusalem, if they accepted the offer, they would be subject to the Assyrians. In that subjection, they would eventually be exiled from their land, as they are told in advance of the coming battle…

“Then the Rabshakeh stood and called out with a loud voice in Hebrew, and spoke, saying, ‘Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29 Thus says the king: ‘Do not let Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you from his hand; 30 nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the Lord, saying, “The Lord will surely deliver us; this city shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” ’ 31 Do not listen to Hezekiah; for thus says the king of Assyria: ‘Make peace with me by a present and come out to me; and every one of you eat from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree, and every one of you drink the waters of his own cistern; 32 until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive groves and honey, that you may live and not die. But do not listen to Hezekiah, lest he persuade you, saying, “The Lord will deliver us.” 2 Kings 18:28-32

As can be seen from this and other such instances interspersed throughout the Old Testament, it was more advantageous to all to avoid the battle if possible. There would be less chance of death to the soldiers, more plunder for the victors, and so on. Even Jesus refers this general sentiment in one of His discourses –

“Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:31-33

For these other nations, this offer was optional, and it was not always used. However, for Israel, it was mandatory. By their law, they were required to first offer peace to the city they were about to engage in battle. Once that offer was made and accepted, the benefits of it would be immediate and they would be highly favorable – to both person and to property.

As I said, the first and most immediate benefit would be that the soldiers would not face any chance of death during the siege. And more, sieges were costly. Supplies would have to be brought in for extended periods of time, and during times of attack, even the weaker of the city could use the fortifications to their advantage –

“Then Abimelech went to Thebez, and he encamped against Thebez and took it. 51 But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women—all the people of the city—fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower. 52 So Abimelech came as far as the tower and fought against it; and he drew near the door of the tower to burn it with fire. 53 But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull. 54 Then he called quickly to the young man, his armorbearer, and said to him, “Draw your sword and kill me, lest men say of me, ‘A woman killed him.’” So his young man thrust him through, and he died. 55 And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed, every man to his place.” Judges 9:50-55

In conducting warfare, death is the anticipated and accepted result. In conducting siege warfare, it could come even from the hands of someone who would not otherwise participate in a battle. Such an offer of peace, therefore, provided benefits beyond the plunder inside the city. Therefore, it is both the smart choice for any army, but it was also the precept of law for Israel…

11 And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace,

It is certainly the favored option. For Israel, it meant no extended siege, no chance of losing soldiers, and a free hand in what would come next. For those who accepted the offer, and for the Lord who created them, it meant their lives would be spared, the certain intent of the command in the first place.

11 (con’t) and open to you,

Obviously, the condition of peace means free reign for the victors. The goods of the city would be under the authority and disposition of Israel. The people would be subject to them, and they would face a much different life than they faced moments before, but they would have life. The results of the choice are…

11 (con’t) then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you.

The word translated as tribute is mas. It does not signify a payment by one kingdom to another. It deals with subjection of the individuals. As a noun it more rightly signifies a forced slave. It is derived from masas, meaning “to dissolve,” or “to melt.”

In other words, an unconditional surrender has taken place. As such, the people would be under the heavy burden of forced labor because they had become slaves of Israel. Thus, it would be as if they were melting from their efforts. As the old saying says, “To the victor goes the spoils.”

The life had been spared, but it would be a difficult one. Because of this, some may opt for another avenue when offered such terms. For them, Moses gives instruction…

12 Now if the city will not make peace with you,

When a city decided that they may prevail for whatever reason, the offer of peace would be rejected. This could be for any number of reasons. One that was innovatively brought about was by Hezekiah. When the Assyrians came to attack, the water was diverted away from the besieging army –

After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem, 3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 2 Chronicles 32:1-4

However, this wasn’t Hezekiah’s main area of confidence. Rather, it was one way of depriving the enemy of its ability to effectively engage in siege warfare.

Another reason for declining an offer of peace was a reliance on the stronghold itself, as well as the abilities and capabilities of the defenders. In the case of Hezekiah, he not only was set in a well-fortified city with well-suited men, but he ultimately had confidence in the Defender of Israel –

“And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance. 6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying, 7 ‘Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.’ And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.” 2 Chronicles 32:5-8

For Hezekiah, turning down the offer of peace proved the right choice. The Lord Himself intervened and destroyed one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians in a single night. At other times, Jerusalem was out of favor with the Lord, and they suffered at the hands of those they failed to yield to.

Likewise, those cities that failed to accept Israel’s offer of peace would have to face their own bad choice as well…

12 (con’t) but war against you, then you shall besiege it.

The decision had to be weighed by those inside. It is certain what the consequences of turning down the offer of peace would be, and that would surely weigh heavily upon the people inside. But it would also further the resolve of them as well. The battle, on either side of the walls, would not be an easy one. An example of a city being besieged in this manner is found in 2 Samuel 11 –

“Then David said to the messenger, ‘Thus you shall say to Joab: “Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.” So encourage him.’” 2 Samuel 11:25

Rabbah, was east of the Jordan, and thus outside of Canaan proper. Therefore, it would not be subject to the laws coming in verses 15-18. Despite what is said by Moses in the coming verses, it appears that the law was not exactingly adhered to. For now, the actions taken by David against Rabbah were –

“Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, ‘I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city’s water supply. 28 Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.’ 29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it. 30 Then he took their king’s crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance. 31 And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.” 2 Samuel 12:26-31

From this account, it appears that the law was not adhered to exactingly, unless those who were put to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes were women and children. This is because…

13 And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword.

It is the Lord who ultimately brings the victory. The people refused the offer of peace, the law is written, and the penalty mandated by the law was to be upheld. Therefore, when a city refused the offer of peace, the law called for every male (ostensibly every male of age, but maybe even the young ones) to be struck down.

The Hebrew reads l’pi kharev – “to mouth sword.” It is the normal description used, and it signifies that the sword is a devouring instrument. As it cuts, it is as if the soul of the person is eaten up. This was the prescribed doom for the males, however…

14 But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself;

The verse begins with raq. It is an adverb that gives a limiting sense. Thus, it signifies something like “Only.” It is a way of separating the previous group from that which is to be spared.

Despite what happens to the men, who took the challenge, lost, and thus forfeited their lives, these others were to be spared and become plunder for the people. An example of the disposition of these groups is found in Numbers 31 when Israel fought against Midian. The plunder of people and other spoil was to be divided among all of Israel as defined in that passage.

14 (con’t) and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you.

The spoils of war would become food for the people. And again, Moses makes a point of noting that it is plunder given to them by the Lord. The obvious implication is that without the Lord, such a victory would not be possible. Therefore, the people were to be obedient to the precept.

The sanctity of life must be observed by you
I set the guidelines which you must live by
Do all of the things I tell you to do
If you think on the reasons for each, you will understand why

But even if you don’t understand
You are to obey that which you are told
Things are to be done based on what I have planned
And for you, things will properly unfold

I am the Lord Your God and what I instruct is right
So be obedient to the word and do as you are told
In this, you will find favor in My sight
And for you, things will properly unfold

II. Cities of Canaan and Trees for Food (verses 15-20)

15 Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.

The meaning of this is that such warfare, as has just been described in the previous verses, was to be conducted on any nation outside of the land of Canaan. In contrast to them are the “cities of these nations,” meaning all cities within the borders of Canaan as described in Numbers 34. For them, something different was expected…

16 “But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance,

Again, the word raq is used. Only. This is to make a complete distinction between what has been said, and what will now be said. A limitation is being imposed.

The inheritance is Canaan. Thus, all the cities within Canaan fall within the parameters of Moses’ words now. And as such, all people within those cities are included in what is commanded. This is something that has already been commanded by Moses in Chapter 7. And that is…

16 (con’t) you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive,

lo te-khayah kal neshamah – “no you shall let live all breath.”

The words here are as clear as crystal, but they do need to be qualified. The mandate is upon the people. Every man, woman, and child was to be included and no exceptions are given.

At the word of the Lord, it could include all the animals as well. Such was the case with the city of Jericho –

“So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.” Joshua 6:20, 21

However, exceptions for the animals were made for other cities –

“Now the Lord said to Joshua: ‘Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land. 2 And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its cattle you shall take as booty for yourselves. Lay an ambush for the city behind it.’” Joshua 8:1, 2

The circumstances were totally up to what the Lord determined, but the circumstances never gave exceptions for sparing the people of the cities. Despite this, Adam Clarke incorrectly states –

“After all, many plausible arguments have been brought to prove that even these seven Canaanitish nations might be received into mercy, provided they,

  1. Renounced their idolatry;
  2. Became subject to the Jews; and,
  3. Paid annual tribute: and that it was only in case these terms were rejected, that they were not to leave alive in such a city any thing that breathed.”

It is true that Israel failed to exterminate the inhabitants, and such things came about. It is also true that Israel made agreements not allowed under the law with various people, such as Rahab the harlot, and people groups, such as the Gibeonites. However, these are instances of failing to uphold the law as it is spoken forth.

The mandate was for extermination. Despite Israel’s failure in this, good came forth, such as Rahab entering into the line of David and ultimately that of the Lord Himself. The original mandate, however, is set forth clearly and unambiguously…

17 but you shall utterly destroy them:

ki hakherem takharimem – “for accursing them, you shall make them accursed.” The word is kharam, and it signifies to devote to destruction as an offering to God. When kharam is pronounced, whatever the Lord included as kharam was to be utterly destroyed. It is the same words spoken in Chapter 7 –

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, 2 and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them.” Deuteronomy 7:1, 2

17 (con’t) the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite,

Unlike Chapter 7, Moses leaves off the Girgashites, naming only six, instead of seven, nations. It is actually a sweet note of authenticity because anyone adding stuff into the word would have been careful to ensure the list was always the same. Moses felt no such constraints. This mandate is, as Moses says…

17 (con’t) just as the Lord your God has commanded you,

This takes the reader all the way back to Exodus 23 –

“For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.” Exodus 23:23

The Lord said He would cut them off, but he then said just a few verses later that Israel would do so –

“For I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” Exodus 23:31-33

This synergistic (working together) task of exterminating the inhabitants is seen time and again. Interestingly, the list of nations Moses gives here in Deuteronomy 20 is the same as that just noted from Exodus 23, except the order is different. Again, it is a sweet touch of authenticity that the words are original.

Another parallel to what the Lord said in Exodus 23, and which Moses now repeats in Deuteronomy 20, is seen in the next words…

18 lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods,

The Hebrew is more specific: l’maan asher lo yelamedu etkem laasot kekol toavotam asher asu lelohehem – “to end purpose which no they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done to [with regard to] their gods.”

The Hebrew, in this one verse of the entire passage, has gone from the second person singular (you Israel) to the second person plural (you all). The idea is that each person is libel to be infected by any person that is spared. Once that person is, he can then spread the infection to others.

Thus, the mandate is complete annihilation of all of the inhabitants. This is the great reason. Not only have they done these things, but they will then infect Israel and cause them to do these things. In such a state, Moses says…

18 (con’t) and you sin against the Lord your God.

v’khatatem l’Yehovah elohekem – “And you sin to [with regard to] Yehovah your God.” The thought here is not that they would serve the gods of these people groups, but that they would incorrectly serve Yehovah. The contrast is seen in the words lelohehem and l’Yehovah – “to their gods” and “to Yehovah.”

It is true that Israel would, and did, serve the other gods of Canaan. But this is dealing with incorrectly serving the Lord. This then follows in type to proper service of Jesus. He is the same Lord, but we now have the Substance of Whom Israel’s shadow only anticipated.

To improperly serve the Lord meant that they were not fulfilling the typology of Christ to come. For us to improperly serve the Lord means that we are failing to honor Christ who has come. For Israel only one means and mode of worship was acceptable. For us, only one gospel is acceptable –

“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” Galatians 1:6, 7

Though the circumstances have changed, and though the dispensation is different, the overall message of unity of worship remains the same. There is one proper path, and there are all others. With that understood, the most complicated verse of the chapter now arrives…

19 “When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it,

The words are plain and obvious. The passage has been speaking of warring against cities and how to conduct such warfare. In this case, Israel is besieging a city during a war for an extended period of time in order to take the city. In such a case…

19 (con’t) you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them;

This has to be taken in relation to what is said in the next clause concerning eating, and in verse 20 where trees for food are spoken of. Moses is not referring to all trees, but of food trees here. Israel is told they are not to destroy food trees by cutting them down in order to conduct war. That they are fruit trees is next stated…

19 (con’t) if you can eat of them,

ki mimenu tokel – “For of them you can eat.” There is benefit to be derived from the trees apart from building siege works. The siege is long, and these trees can serve a purpose in this extended siege. Therefore…

19 (con’t) do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food.

The difficultly of the Hebrew here has caused a multitude of possible translations. The words say, “and them no do you cut down for the man tree the field to come in from your face in the siege.”

Some suggestions are:

“for the tree of the field is man’s food.”
“for (the life) of man is the tree of the field.”
“for is the tree of the field a man to come before you in the siege?”
“for the man, the tree of the field cannot offer resistance.”
“it is there for this, namely, your support, that it (the city) may be besieged by you.”

The interrogative seems to be the best way of looking at this: Is the tree of the field a man that it should come before you in the siege? You are benefitting from it, it will not join the enemy and fight against you, so do not cut it down.

The point is that a battle is being fought, there is an extended siege against a strong city, and the trees that are for food, meaning that which bears fruit, are to not be cut down.

Without taking the typology too far, it must be noted that trees are equated with people at times. There are those who bear fruit, and there are those who do not. An example of this is found in Psalm 1 –

“He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.” Psalm 1:3

From a New Testament perspective, one might look at this verse in relation to Paul’s words concerning warfare in 2 Corinthians 10. While we are waging war and pulling down strongholds, we shouldn’t destroy the work of those who are bearing fruit.

They are productive even if they are not actively engaged with us in our own battle. As Jesus said it succinctly, “For he who is not against us is on our side” (Mark 9:40). Moses’ words concerning trees certainly extends to this spiritual application in our Christian warfare. With this in mind…

*20 (fin) Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.

There is a strong emphasis in the words, “Only – tree which you know that not tree for food, it, you may destroy.” The tree which is not for food is set in complete contrast to those that are. Of such trees, they may be chopped down and employed in building siegeworks.

Again, the words here tend to look to the words of Jesus in the coming ministry. Though speaking under the law to Israel, the precept remains the same –

“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 9 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Luke 3:8, 9

The fact that Jesus brought up Abraham shows that He is referring to righteousness by faith, not through the law. Those who share a false gospel of works-based righteousness, such as the Hebrew Roots movement, can be – as it were – cut down and used in the siege.

In other words, they become the very instruments for defeating the enemy. Using their doctrine as an example of what is useless for man, they are to be cut down – verbally destroyed – in order to provide the proper employment of the gospel to destroy the enemy.

The lesson is that of apologetics, meaning using that which is of no value as an example to argue against in order to defend the faith and to then go on the offensive.

As we close out Deuteronomy 20, it is good to remember that what is presented here concerning warfare is not as it initially appears. Israel is not being given a pass to destroy other nations at will. They are given specific guidelines in order to conduct warfare.

As these guidelines are a part of the law, failing to uphold them brings exactly the opposite of life and prosperity. Those who were set for destruction are because the Lord determined it was to be so. Those who are not were to be treated in the manner set forth by the law.

War is a part of the human experience, and Israel was to be the Lord’s executor of judgment at times. And, at times, Israel had judgment brought upon them for failing to properly conduct its affairs. Those Jews of today who use Scripture to demonstrate that they are the Lord’s people, and are above His judgment, are self-deluded.

And the people of the world who look at Israel as some sort of horrible group of people because they destroyed the inhabitants of Canaan have simply failed to understand that what they did was in obedience to the Lord.

It is, therefore, not the Jews that they are reviling, but the God of the Jews, the Lord, that they bring accusation against. Everything must be taken in light of Scripture, or it will be tainted. But more, even that which is in Scripture must be taken in its proper context or it will be tainted.

I opened today by mentioning a person who was being misled by exactly the types of people that are being typologically prefigured in the cutting down of the non-fruit-bearing trees. Just because someone says they are of the Lord, it does not mean it is so. Those who are the Lords are those who bear fruit to the Lord, believing by faith. And those who bear fruit do so when they live in faith, not by works of the law.

As I said during the sermon, to improperly serve the Lord means that we are failing to honor Christ who has come. For Israel only one means and mode of worship was acceptable. For us, only one gospel is acceptable. There is no other. Be sure to wage your warfare according to the rules set down in the New Testament.

We are soldiers, we are in a war, and we must conduct ourselves with right doctrine and in the means and mode directed by the Lord for those who have been saved by the blood of Christ, to the glory of God the Father.

As an added bonus, I will go over the points of the meme that was sent to me…

————————-

CALLING ALL PASTORS

*In Galatians 2, Paul Says that there is only one gospel and those who teach a different one are under a curse. In 2 Peter 3:14-17, Peter warns that many will misinterpret Paul’s difficult to understand writings, resulting in lawlessness and destruction. Are you absolutely certain that you’re not misrepresenting Paul?

Heading. First point. Paul says there is only one gospel. That is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4. It is based on faith, nothing else. He then goes on to minutely detail the heresy of reintroducing the law, using circumcision as a baseline for this in Galatians.

Heading. Second Point. Peter’s words in 2 Peter 3 concerning Paul are exactly what Paul speaks of when he rebukes Peter in Galatians 2. It is as clear as crystal what Paul says to Peter there –

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.

*1. Paul always kept the Sabbath (Acts 17:2, Acts 18:4).

  1. Paul did not “always keep the Sabbath” as claimed by the meme. He went into the synagogues on the Sabbath because that is when Jews met, not because he felt it necessary to observe the Sabbath. In fact, he argues for the EXACT opposite in Romans 14:5, 6, Colossians 2:16, and elsewhere. Hebrews (certainly written by Paul) says, in the middle of several chapters of discussing the Sabbath, that in Christ we find our rest. He meticulously demonstrates that Christ is the fulfillment of the Sabbath and those Jews who have not come to Christ have not found their rest. They are still living out the shadow, of which Christ is the Substance.

*2. Paul kept the Feasts (Acts 20:6, Acts 20:16).

  1. This is misleading. Paul observed this feast, and it says he did for a particular purpose. Paul is clear about why he did things in 1 Corinthians 9 –

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the  aw, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without  aw toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

The context of what Paul says matters.

*3. Paul instructed us to keep the Feasts (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

  1. Paul never instructed anyone to keep the feasts. If you read what he says, he is quite clear on this. Christ is our Passover. He then refers to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a pilgrim feast that anticipated our time in Christ. In this, we are to live out the fulfillment of the feast of Unleavened Bread in “sincerity and truth.”

*4. Paul believed all of the Torah (Acts 24:14).

  1. Yes, Paul believed all of the Torah. So what? I believe all of the Torah and have taught on it for ten years now from Genesis 1:1. Anyone who doesn’t believe all of the Torah and claims to be a Bible believer is a dolt. Are we supposed to build an Ark like Noah? Context matters.

*5. Paul said that we establish the Torah (Romans 3:31).

  1. Yes, Paul said that we establish the Torah. He also says in the same paragraph that we do so by faith in Christ, not by deeds of the law (vss 27. 28)

*6. Paul taught from the Torah (Acts 28:23).

  1. Yes, Paul taught from the Torah. The Old Testament was the only Scripture that existed at the time. Jesus is rather clear. It points to Him, and Moses wrote about Him – John 5:39 / John 5:46. This is what Paul so carefully explains.

*7. Paul obeyed the Torah (Acts 21:24, Romans 7:25).

  1. This point has to be taken in context, and this meme provides no context. Paul says in Romans 6:14 that we are not under law, but under grace. He repeats that in the next verse. He gives the same sentiment in 1 Corinthians 9:21. He also says in Galatians 3:10 that the Law brings a curse. Paul gives an example of the law in Galatians 4 using Sarah and Hagar as a teaching tool. Moses was giving insights into what God would do in Christ. It ain’t law observance.

*8. Paul took delight in the Torah (Romans 7:22).

  1. Paul took delight in the Torah. Of course, he did. So do I. It is the very body of law from Moses that tells us of what God would do in Christ. Anyone who doesn’t delight in the Torah is lost in poor theology, or just lost.

*9. Paul told us to imitate him (1 Corinthians 4:16, 1 Corinthians 11:1).

  1. Paul told us to imitate him. That is what I have been doing since I met Christ – steering people away from this heresy known as Hebrew Roots. It cannot please God because it is contrary to the message of God in Christ.

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Closing Verse: “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Next Week: Deuteronomy 21:1-9 The matter has been fully decided… (And Atonement Shall Be Provided) (61st 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.

Conduct for War, Part II

“When you go near a city to fight against it
Then proclaim an offer of peace to it
And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace
And open to you, to this they do commit…

Then all the people shall be who are found in it
Placed under tribute to you, and serve you
———-to this, they shall commit

Now if the city will not make peace with you
But war against you, then you shall besiege it
———-coming against that horde
And when the LORD your God delivers it into your hands
You shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword

But the women, the little ones, the livestock
And all that is in the city, all its spoil – yes, it is true
You shall plunder for yourself
And you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which
———-the LORD your God gives you

Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you
Which are not of the cities of these nations, so you shall do

“But of the cities of these peoples
Which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance
You shall let nothing that breathes remain alive
But you shall utterly destroy them – a termination dance

The Hittite and the Amorite
And the Canaanite and the Perizzite too
And the Hivite and the Jebusite
Just as the LORD your God has commanded you

Lest they teach you to do
According to all their abominations, which they applaud
Which they have done for their gods
And you sin against the LORD your God

“When you besiege a city for a long time
While making war against it, it to take
You shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them
If you can eat of them, an exemption you shall make

Do not cut them down to use in the siege; that would be rude
For the tree of the field is man’s food

Only the trees which you know
Are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down
To build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you
Until it is subdued, until you have destroyed that town

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…

 

10 “When you go near a city to fight against it, then proclaim an offer of peace to it. 11 And it shall be that if they accept your offer of peace, and open to you, then all the people who are found in it shall be placed under tribute to you, and serve you. 12 Now if the city will not make peace with you, but war against you, then you shall besiege it. 13 And when the Lord your God delivers it into your hands, you shall strike every male in it with the edge of the sword. 14 But the women, the little ones, the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you shall plunder for yourself; and you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which the Lord your God gives you. 15 Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.

16 “But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, 17 but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.

19 “When you besiege a city for a long time, while making war against it to take it, you shall not destroy its trees by wielding an ax against them; if you can eat of them, do not cut them down to use in the siege, for the tree of the field is man’s food. 20 Only the trees which you know are not trees for food you may destroy and cut down, to build siegeworks against the city that makes war with you, until it is subdued.

 

 

 

 

 

Revelation 19:13

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Sunday, 11 July 2021

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:13

The marvelous depiction of Christ at His second coming continues to be described by John. The verse begins with, “He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood.”

Of these words, there are two general thoughts on the meaning. The first is that it is referring to His crucifixion and the blood of that act. The second thought is that it is referring to the blood of His enemies. Based on the immediate context, that of judging and making war, it is probable that the second option is being referred to. In this, it fulfills the shocking Old Testament symbolism given by Isaiah –

“Who is this who comes from Edom,
With dyed garments from Bozrah,
This One who is glorious in His apparel,
Traveling in the greatness of His strength?—

‘I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.’
2 Why is Your apparel red,
And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress?
3 ‘I have trodden the winepress alone,
And from the peoples no one was with Me.
For I have trodden them in My anger,
And trampled them in My fury;
Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments,
And I have stained all My robes.
4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart,
And the year of My redeemed has come.
5 I looked, but there was no one to help,
And I wondered
That there was no one to uphold;
Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me;
And My own fury, it sustained Me.
6 I have trodden down the peoples in My anger,
Made them drunk in My fury,
And brought down their strength to the earth.’” Isaiah 63:1-6

Isaiah’s prophecy refers to the Lord’s judgment in salvation. It is to be remembered that the focus of Revelation 4:2–19:10 has been the tribulation period, leading up to the Second Coming. It is during this time that the final seven years of Daniel’s prophecy of “seventy sevens” takes place. Thus, the focus of attention is on the nation of Israel.

Jesus is returning to them in order to set up His millennial kingdom. As such, Isaiah’s prophecy will be fulfilled. Israel has called on their Lord and He is responding – destroying her enemies and working salvation on their behalf. The symbolic nature of His garments being stained in the enemy’s blood demonstrates that He has acted in order to rescue them.

The second clause of the verse next says, “and His name is called The Word of God.” This is the only time that this full expression of His name is given. Hebrews 4:12 uses the same wording, but that is referring to Scripture rather than Christ the Person.

Elsewhere, He is simply called “the Word” (John 1:1-14), or “the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). The writings of John have developed a picture of the nature and characteristics of Christ. This name, the Word of God, is not the same as that referenced in the previous verse where it said, “He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.” Rather, this is an explanation of that, just as the name provided in verse 19:16 will be an explanation of it.

One can explain something in part without knowing the fullness of what is being explained, and this is the idea here. The Word of God reveals to us a partial view of who Christ Jesus is. We can know that through the Word God made all things (John 1:2, Colossians 1:16). We can know that by the power of the Word all things are held together (Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 1:3), and so on.

However, these explanations do not exhaust all of who He is because God is infinite. Because John has used the name “the Word of God” here, we are informed that everything about God is associated with who Christ Jesus is. The thing to be focused on is not so much the totality of what the name signifies, but why is the name stated here?

The answer is probably because God, who is revealed in the Old Testament Scriptures – and whose very nature states that He cannot lie – is expressing Himself through the Person of Jesus Christ to His people who had missed the significance of who He is in His first advent. The same Jesus who was crucified (and thus whose garments were at that time dipped in blood) is the same Jesus who is faithfully returning to defend those who rejected Him, once again dipping His garments in blood to demonstrate who He is – the fulfillment of the prophecies in their own Scriptures.

As He is the Word of God, He is their God because they were the stewards of the word of God, meaning Scripture. It is Scripture that presented Him. It is by Scripture that He is revealed. It is Scripture that prophesied of His coming. And it is Scripture which prophesies of His second coming. He is the Word of God.

Life application: The concept of Jesus returning to Israel permeates the Old Testament writings, and it is the fulfillment of Jesus’ own words, meaning that He will return when they call out to Him –

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Luke 13:34, 35

In having said this, He is Faithful and True to fulfill His promise. His robe will be dipped in the blood of His enemies when He comes to save His people because He is the Word of God.

The word which God speaks is revealed in and fulfilled by the Person of Jesus Christ. From the first sentence of the Bible, right to the last, Jesus Christ is the Word of God. He is the Creator, Redeemer, Savior, and Deliverer. He is our All in all.

As you read the Bible, the most relevant question you can ask is, “How does this point to Jesus?” Every book, every chapter, and every verse is written in order to show us God’s plan of redemption in human history, and all of it can only be properly understood when viewed through the lens of God in Christ. He is the Word of God. He is JESUS.

Oh, God! How precious it is to read Your word and to discover Jesus everywhere we look. You have presented Your great love for us by sending Him to show us who You are and what You are like. And then You have given us your word to reveal Him to us! What a wonderful, magnificent story of love and hope. Hallelujah and Amen.