Author: Charlie Garrett

Deuteronomy 9:7-17 (And the Mountain Burned With Fire)

Charlie Garrett Deuteronomy (Written)

Deuteronomy 9:7-17
And the Mountain Burned with Fire

In today’s passage, Moses takes us through the account of what occurred when he was on Mount Sinai after the initial giving of the Ten Commandments. Moses is recounting this story to give weight to a point that he made in the passage we looked at last week.

For Israel, they should pay heed to what is said because it still applies to them today – in several ways. They have the same nature and character that Moses proclaimed then, and which he will explain today. They also have the same need for mercy that was needed towards the end of our passage.

It is the repeated theme of the Bible, man needs release from sin, sin comes through law, and therefore, man needs release from the law. If that doesn’t happen, all that man can expect is a sad ending when he is forever separated from the goodness of God.

But please understand, this is our default position because of what Adam did. God doesn’t want it this way. That is evidenced in the fact that He has gone through the entire plan of redemption, as is outlined in the Bible, to have our default setting changed. For those of us who have come to Christ, that is done. For Israel as a people, that time is yet ahead…

Text Verse: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the Lord. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.” Jeremiah 31:31-33 

Israel, the people who God covenanted with, failed to see the importance of Christ Jesus. In their rejection of Him, they remained (and remain to this day) a people bound to the law. It is a law that demands a penalty for violating it.

Moses understood that, and today he will begin to take action to rectify it for his people. But they remained a people under the law. Yes, they were granted temporary release, year by year, under the provisions of the renewed covenant they received, but even that only anticipated a future, final, and full release that can only be found in their Messiah. Someday, they will get it right.

For now, the lesson of the law continues, as does a short chiasm that we began last week. We can look at that in review before we get into our sermon verses –

Deuteronomy 9:6-13 – Breaking the Covenant
While Moses was on the mountain of God (6/3/2008 – refined in 2020)

a 9:6 You are a stiff-necked people
—- b 9:7, 8 You who came out of Egypt provoked the LORD to wrath
——-c 9:9, 10 I received two tablets of stone when on the mountain 40 days and nights
               X 9:10 the words which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the
                   midst of the fire
——-c 9:11 At the end of 40 days and nights, the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone
—–b 9:12 The people who came out of Egypt acted corruptly and disobeyed the LORD
a 9:13: Indeed, they are a stiff-necked people

As you can see, the center of the chiasm speaks of the words of the Lord that were spoken from the midst of the fire. And, you can see that the outer parts of the chiasm speak of Israel as a stiff-necked people. The two thoughts together don’t bode very well for Israel.

Do they want to remain under this law? Do you? The very thought is suicidal because we are all a bit like Israel. We are stiff-necked and incapable of submitting ourselves to such a weight and a burden.

We all have choices to make, and we will continue to look over the choice of the law today. Hopefully you will decide to opt for another avenue, one with a light and easy yoke that you can readily submit to. That is the one Christ Jesus offers. It is a precious truth that is 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. Written with the Finger of God (verses 7-10)

7 “Remember! Do not forget

The translation is correct. There is a stress on the words: zakor al tishkakh – “Remember! Do not forget.” The words are second person singular. Moses is speaking to the people collectively. He is heavily stressing his words in order to ensure that Israel does not ever feel they deserve what they have received. In fact, exactly the opposite is true. Not only did they not deserve being granted the inheritance, the opposite is the case.

The promise was to the fathers, and they, as a group, were the recipients of it. And yet, it is they, Israel, who should have been completely destroyed for their behavior. Moses wants them to not only know it for what he will convey concerning their past actions, but for their state at any given time in the future…

7 (con’t) how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath

The words of this verse take us back to last week’s passage –

“It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 6 Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.” Deuteronomy 9:5, 6

Moses said that inheriting the land was not because they were righteous or upright in heart. Rather, they are a stiff-necked people. He is now reminding them of that fact. It is they, Israel, who provoked the Lord their God to wrath. Again, the words are in the singular. He is the Lord God of Israel, and it is they as a nation that provoked Him to wrath. But more, it was…

7 (con’t) in the wilderness.

Israel had been in bondage in Egypt. The fact that they were in the wilderness meant that they were not in Egypt any longer. That didn’t come about by their own power – for they had none. Rather, as Moses said to them in Chapter 7 –

“…you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt: 19 the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and the wonders, the mighty hand and the outstretched arm, by which the Lord your God brought you out.” Deuteronomy 7:18, 19

Moses is building his case, step by step, to solidify the facts of Israel’s history, its state before the Lord, and their state as the people of the Lord. They are, but it is only because of His covenant promises, and not because of anything of value in them. They had proven it to be otherwise…

7 (con’t) From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place,

A transition takes place in these words. The Hebrew says, “l’min ha’yom asher yatsata meerets mitsrayim ad boakem ad ha’maqom hazeh – from the day which you (singular) departed from land Egypt until you (plural – you all) came to the place, the this.”

This change to the plural will continue into Chapter 10. He goes from speaking to all the people collectively to speaking to them all individually. In essence, “from the day that you, Israel, departed from the land of Egypt until all of you Israelis came to this place.”

The words of this clause define the term of the previous clause, “in the wilderness.” They provoked the Lord to wrath when they left Egypt, and they continued to do so, even until the place where they now sat, right on the border of the inheritance. The period extends throughout the entire time of their specific calling as a people.

As this is so, it also includes their time since the giving of the law. They had entered into the covenant with the Lord, and yet they continued to provoke Him to wrath after that.

7 (con’t) you have been rebellious against the Lord.

Rather than “’against’ the Lord,” it reads mamrim heyitem im Yehovah – “rebellious you have been with Yehovah.” Using the word im, or with, makes the act especially personal. They are His people, and He is their God, and yet they were constantly rebellious with Him.

It is reflective of the meaning of the name Israel, or He strives with God. The striving can be with God, for God, or with God, against God. Moses notes they had been rebellious with Him, against Him. As this happened even until the present time, it means that the law was not something that brought them any nearer to Him. Rather…

8 Also in Horeb

u-b’khorev – “And in Horeb.” The sense of the word “and” is “even.” In other words, “Even in the very sight of the mountain where the Lord’s glory was on display, and where you received the law. Even there…”

8 (con’t) you provoked the Lord to wrath,

It is the same word that was just used in verse 7 –

7 – “You (singular, Israel) provoked the Lord your God to wrath.”
8 – “You all (plural) provoked the Lord to wrath.

Moses is probably doing this to let every person know that they are equally to blame They cannot blame their fathers. They cannot blame “everyone else.” And, they cannot blame just a few miscreants. Rather, each and every person must shoulder a part of the blame of provoking the Lord to wrath. There He was, on top of the mountain, right in full sight. As it said in Exodus 24 –

“The sight of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.” Exodus 24:17, 18

Just because Moses was the only one at that time receiving the law, the presence of the Lord was right there, in full sight. Despite this, they provoked the Lord to anger even then…

8 (con’t) so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you.

Here Moses uses a word, anaph, that he introduced into the Bible in verse 1:37. He used it again in verse 4:21. It comes from a primitive root meaning, “to breathe hard.” In both instances, he was referring to the anger of the Lord against him, but on account of the doings of the people.

Now, he says that the anger was bakem, or “in you,” meaning with the people themselves. The Lord’s fury was so great that it was as if He was huffing against them for what they had done. Moses now recounts exactly what brought that about, saying…

 9 When I went up into the mountain

ba’aloti ha’harah – “In my going up the mountain.” Saying, “In my going up,” it ties the words to the previous verse which said, u-b’khorev, or “And in Horeb.”

The last thing Moses would have considered is that in His going up the mountain, the very mountain in which the people were located and where they saw the awesome display of the Lord – while he was up there – they would fall into apostasy. In fact, Moses highlights the reason for his going up. It was…

9 (con’t) to receive the tablets of stone,

These words were specifically stated in Exodus 24 –

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11 But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.” Exodus 24:9-12

Not only had the people seen the display of the Lord, but Aaron, Aaron’s two oldest sons, and seventy chosen leaders of Israel had also gone up and eaten a meal in the presence of the Lord. This is especially important to remember when we get to verse 20. It was only after these events that Moses then ascended alone with Joshua to receive…

9 (con’t) the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you,

lukhot ha’berit asher karat Yehovah imakem – “tablets the covenant which cut Yehovah with you (plural).” Moses is continuing to make this personal for each and every person before him now. It is true that many were born after the event happened, and yet he is indicating that they are all complicit in what occurred.

The Lord had cut a covenant with them, Moses was going to get the tablets that contained the very words of that covenant, and to bring them back as a witness to the people of what they had agreed to. Moses next describes his situation during that time…

9 (con’t) then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

This is recorded in Exodus 24:18. It was during this time that Moses received all of the details for the construction of the tabernacle and everything associated with it, including who would fabricate everything, who would minister as priest, and so on.

The number forty in Scripture signifies “a period of probation, trial, and chastisement.” This was certainly the case for Israel while Moses was on the mountain. They were under probation and they failed to measure up. They stayed below, eventually committed their great sin, and as it says in Exodus 32 –

“‘Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.’ 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Exodus 32:5, 6

While they were below with their false god feasting, Moses was on the mountain with the Lord fasting. As he says…

9 (con’t) I neither ate bread nor drank water.

This was not previously recorded in the Exodus account. Moses fills this detail in for the people to see the contrast between themselves and their conduct, and him and his conduct, before the Lord. This time of probation and trial parallels that which Jesus faced after He was baptized –

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 4:1-11

10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God,

After the Lord laid out the details of the law, He delivered a written copy of it to Moses. The words are similar to Exodus 31 –

“He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.” Exodus 31:18

In Exodus 31, it calls them shene lukhot even – “two tablets stone.” Here it says shene lukhot ha’abanim – “two tablets the stones.” This shows us that the words are not simply copied from Exodus, but that Moses is recalling to mind what he was given.

It is a subtle proof of Mosaic authorship. If this was written by another person who simply copied the Exodus account, it would have said the same thing both times. In both, however it says ketuvim b’etsbah Elohim – “written in finger of God.” This term, “in finger of God,” is then explained in Exodus 32 –

“The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.” Exodus 32:15, 16

It is God who accomplished the task of writing the words upon the stone. It is not that Moses received the words and then chiseled out what he was told, but that the Lord Himself engraved the words upon the stone. In this, the same word for write, katav, is used both here and in Jeremiah 31 – our text verse.

The Lord wrote the law upon the tablets of stone, and He promised that He would write His law upon the people’s hearts. Each step of the process is intended to show us our need for Christ, and of how God will work through Him to make our reconciliation complete.

10 (con’t) and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain

In other words, the tablets contained the Ten Commandments that were spoken out by the Lord in the presence of all of the people. Just what was conveyed to them was exactly what was written.

What this means is that what was recorded there was to be feared. The people feared the display of the Lord, but the display was to alert them to the nature of the Lord in relation to His law. The words of this clause and the next form the center of the chiasm we looked at earlier. The terror and power were conveyed because of the giving of the law. That is seen in the next words…

10 (con’t) from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

The people were assembled to hear the law. The fire accompanied the speaking forth of the law, and it is from where the words issued forth. The fire was to impress upon their minds the nature of the word of the Lord. As it says in Jeremiah 23:29, “‘Is not my word like a fire?’ says the Lord.”

The word of God, written on tablets of stone
It is His word and we must obey
But for our sins, He will atone
Yes, our transgressions and sin He will put away 

This is possible when we have faith in His promise
It is what pleases Him – faith in His word
When we are not like a doubting Thomas
He grants forgiveness when our faith is heard 

This is the marvel of what God has done in Christ
He offers us life where once death reigned
He set the value and the condition has been priced
Through faith in His Son, eternal life can now be gained

II. You Had Sinned Against the Lord Your God (verses 11-17)

11 And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.

One can see the purpose of the set period of forty days here. As noted, it is a period of probation, trial, and chastisement. Moses didn’t know this. He simply went up the mountain and received the law. He was totally unaware of what was occurring at the base of the mountain, and his reaction shows that he never expected such a thing to occur.

He, representing the law, thought that obedience to the law was possible. But the Lord already knew that this was not the case. The Lord had set the period of time, that period was now complete, and He gave to Moses the tablets as a witness to the fact that what the people heard was exactly what the people had violated.

In fact, He ties the handing over of the tablets to Moses in with exactly that thought, as is seen in the next words…

12 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here,

The words follow closely after Exodus 32:7, 8 and they carry a sense of urgency: qum red maher mizeh – “Arise! Descend quickly from this (place).” This is then followed by the same surprising words from Exodus…

12 (con’t) for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly;

The Lord says ammekha, “your people.” As seen in Exodus, this carries one of two possibilities – 1) The Lord is telling Moses that the people have sinned and they require a mediator to intercede for them. Or, 2) the Lord has disavowed them. The covenant which united them was broken and they are no longer His.

It is actually a mixture of both. The Lord distanced Himself from the people, but He knew the tie of Moses’ blood relationship was permanent. In verse 14, He offers a new beginning through Moses, but because of Moses’ faithfulness to his people, the Lord will continue the covenant between Himself and Israel. For now…

12 (con’t) they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them;

saru maher – “they have turned aside quickly.” Using the same word, maher, or quickly, the Lord is tying in the command to Moses with the actions of the people. If they have turned so quickly from the proper path, you must quickly appear before them. Time is of the essence, because…

12 (con’t) they have made themselves a molded image.’

Not only had they made a molded image, but they had substituted it for the Lord. Aaron had said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” After that, he said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” In other words, he had equated the calf to Yehovah.

The irony of this action was immense. Israel had waited for the Lord’s promise to Abraham for over four hundred years. And yet, they could not wait for Moses’ return from the Lord for a mere forty days. Their shortsightedness and rebellion reflected the nature of their hearts. Moses continues, showing this…

13 “Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people.

The Hebrew doesn’t say “spoke,” it says, “And the Lord said to me, saying.” The difference is minor but significant. When using amar, or said, it signifies participation by the one being addressed. In this case, the participation will be revealed in the next verse.

For now, these words close out the chiasm that began in verse 6. Moses told the people that they were stiff-necked. He then set about to explain to them why this was so. Even at the most important of all times, while camped around the mountain of God – and just after having received the law from the midst of the fire – the people rebelled against the Lord and provoked Him to anger.

If nothing else were to be held against them, this would be enough to prove that they were, in fact, stiff-necked, just as the Lord had said, and just as Moses had repeated. They were unwilling to bend their necks and submit to the yoke of the Lord’s law. Such an attitude rightly deserved the Lord’s punishment…

14 Let Me alone,

hereph mimeni – “Desist from me.” The word is raphah. It conveys the idea of letting go or to slacken. The Lord begins testing Moses through this word. “If you will back off, I will take action against them…”

14 (con’t) that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven;

The Hebrew is plural – “heavens.” It says in both Exodus and Deuteronomy that the Lord spoke to the assembly from the heavens. That was from the fire, and so now the meaning behind the fire is revealed. The Lord who spoke to them from the fire out of the heavens would turn that display of fire into judgment, blotting out their name from under those same heavens. Next…

14 (con’t) and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’

This is where the use of amar is significant. The Lord “said” to Moses. That includes a sense of participation. After completing His destruction of Israel, the Lord would then build up a new nation through Moses. If Moses desisted from the Lord and stood back while He destroyed Israel, the Lord would then build up a house through him. But Moses was having none of that…

15 “So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire;

It is two separate clauses, but the symbolism has to be taken as a whole. The mountain represents the governmental authority of the Lord. Moses, or He Who Draws Out, draws out from the Lord the law of the Lord. It is he who descends from the place of governmental authority where, as it says, v’hahar boer baesh – “and the mountain is burning in the fire.”

The same fire of verse 10, where the Lord spoke mitok ha’esh, or “from midst the fire,” is referred to here. Moses represents the law coming from that place of government authority in judgment. As it says…

15 (con’t) and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.

u’shene lukhot ha’berit al shete yadai – “And two tablets the covenant upon two my hands.” The wording is precise and specific. The tablets were resting upon his hands. Unless they were teeny, or unless he worked out with Schwarzenegger – neither of which would be the case, and both for obvious reasons – they were on his hands and resting upon his breast as he carried them down the mountain.

The symbolism is perfectly clear. The law, the law broken by Isreal – open and in full view – is coming down the mountain of governmental authority from the fire of judgment, and thus only judgment should be expected. The voice spoke from the fire, the words of command were given, and the people feared greatly.

But their fear was misplaced. It wasn’t in the law, but in the display that accompanied the law. However, the display only came because of the giving of the law. Lesson: the law can only bring judgment; it cannot bring life.

16 And I looked, and behold,

The translation is precise. Moses was literally astonished at what he beheld. He had gone up the mountain to receive the word of the Lord at their request. When they made that petition, the Lord said –

“I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They are right in all that they have spoken. 29 Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” Deuteronomy 5:28, 29

Moses was surely proud of them for their heart, and he left them feeling secure that they would persevere in that state while he was gone. And yet…

16 (con’t) you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf!

Here is Moses coming down, as instructed, with the tablets of stone. What is written in stone is permanent; it cannot be erased. The very words inscribed on the tablets were broken by the people who had agreed to them.

The law stood as a witness against them, and against what they had done. The first two of the Ten Commandments testified to this. They had another god before the Lord, and they had made it as an image, calling it the Lord. Within the span of a mere forty days, they had failed in their probationary test…

16 (con’t) You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you.

Moses repeats the word of the Lord to him from atop the mountain. The people had turned aside maher, or quickly. Earlier, we saw that Jesus was baptized and then He immediately went through his forty days of testing. This is what happened to Israel, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians –

“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’” 1 Corinthians 10:1-7

The people had been baptized into Moses in the cloud and the sea. They were driven into the wilderness and presented with the law, and within forty days they failed. Jesus was baptized into Moses (to fulfill all righteousness) by John, a prophet of the Law of Moses. He was driven into the wilderness while under the law, and through forty days of testing, He prevailed. For now, Moses says…

* 17 (fin) Then I took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.

In Exodus, it says that Moses broke these at the foot of the mountain. Here, it says that he broke them before their eyes. They must have seen him coming at some point, and jointly looked towards him. At this time, and because of his anger at what he saw, he threw them down in their sight.

This shows that his act was purposeful. He didn’t just drop them in a fit of passion, but what he did was intentional and specifically for them to see him do it. It, thus, signifies the annulment of the covenant.

In their agreeing to the law and then breaking it, the word of God was made of no effect. But just as important, it is actually a petition for mercy. If he wanted Israel destroyed, as the Lord suggested He would do, Moses would have brought the tablets forward and held them over the people, showing them that the coming punishment was just and asking for it to be meted out.

Rather, in their breaking of the covenant, Moses, as the designated mediator, was anticipating its annulment by destroying what the Lord had written on the tablets. This act of breaking the tablets is never mentioned in the negative by God later. In other words, it is to be considered as a justifiable act by Moses. As the mediator, the Lord has seen his actions and will next hear his petition for mercy.

But what we see here is giving us a picture of a portion of the story of redemption. It is a picture of our spiritual state. The laws of God are fixed and unchanging, but they can be annulled. In this, God knew that Moses would break them.

This first set of tablets pictures Adam. The tablets were made by God and engraved by God. Adam was created by God and he was given a law by God, but he broke that law. What Adam needed after that was mercy. What Israel needs is mercy as well. This is what Moses will petition for in our next set of verses and it is what will be granted.

In Chapter 10, we will see how this will be accomplished in another pictorial display. What is important to understand here is that the law of God is set. It cannot be amended by man. It can either be adhered to, or it can be annulled by God who gave it, but we either have to meet the law, or we will face the judgment of God. This is the message of the Bible.

God has given law to man, man has broken that law, and man stands condemned before God because of that. Israel’s reception of the Law of Moses only highlights that fact. It is God’s standard, and it must be met. But God gives us an option as to how that can come about.

We can attempt to meet His standard on our own, or we can meet it vicariously, through another. God does give us that option. In the first option, we will fail, and we will be condemned. In the case of the second option, if we choose the right Substitute to fulfill its demands for us, we will be saved.

And the only suitable Substitute for that to accomplish this is Jesus Christ. Only He was born without original sin, and only He fulfilled the law perfectly. It is only through Christ that we can meet God’s perfect standard, and so I would ask you today to consider this and to be sure that you settle your eternal destiny with God right away. Call on Christ, be forgiven for the sins of your soul, and be reconciled to God through the perfection of His Christ, our Lord Jesus.

Closing Verse: “You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; 3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” 2 Corinthians 3:2, 3

Next Week: Deuteronomy 9:18-29 During this time, will Israel be restored? (Forty Days and Forty Nights Before the Lord) (33rd 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.

And the Mountain Burned with Fire

“Remember! Do not forget how you provoked
The LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness
From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt
———-until you came to this place
You have been rebellious against the LORD; you are such a mess

Also in Horeb you provoked the LORD to wrath
So you remember, and as you did do
So that the LORD was angry enough
With you to have destroyed you

When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone
The tablets of the covenant which the LORD made with you
Then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights
I neither ate bread nor drank water; neither did I do

Then the LORD delivered to me two tablets of stone
———-written with the finger of God
And on them were all the words, from the day when you all
———-were trembly
Which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain
From the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly

And it came to pass
At the end of forty days and forty nights, as time does track
That the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone
The tablets of the covenant, to take back

“Then the LORD said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here
For your people whom you brought out of Egypt
Have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way
———-which I commanded them
They have made themselves a molded image; into idolatry
———-they have tripped

“Furthermore the LORD spoke to me, saying
‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people
———-what more about them can I say?
Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name
———-from under heaven
And I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they

“So I turned and came down from the mountain
And the mountain burned with fire on that day
And the two tablets of the covenant
Were in my two hands as I headed your way

And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against
———-the LORD your God
Had made for yourselves a molded calf! A terrible thing to do
You had turned aside quickly from the way
Which the LORD had commanded you

Then I took the two tablets
And out of my two hands them I threw
And broke them before your eyes in my outburst
Because of my anger at you

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

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

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7 “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. 8 Also in Horeb you provoked the Lord to wrath, so that the Lord was angry enough with you to have destroyed you. 9 When I went up into the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which the Lord made with you, then I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. I neither ate bread nor drank water. 10 Then the Lord delivered to me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly. 11 And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the Lord gave me the two tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant.

12 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Arise, go down quickly from here, for your people whom you brought out of Egypt have acted corruptly; they have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them; they have made themselves a molded image.’

13 “Furthermore the Lord spoke to me, saying, ‘I have seen this people, and indeed they are a stiff-necked people. 14 Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of you a nation mightier and greater than they.’

15 “So I turned and came down from the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands. 16 And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the Lord your God—had made for yourselves a molded calf! You had turned aside quickly from the way which the Lord had commanded you. 17 Then I took the two tablets and threw them out of my two hands and broke them before your eyes.

 

Revelation 7:3

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Sunday, 6 December 2020

saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” Revelation 7:

These are the words of the “angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God” from the previous verse. Before analyzing them, it should be noted that because there were four angels and He then came, it means He is now the fifth angel in the scene. EW Bullinger defines the number five, saying –

——————————————

Five is four plus one (4+1). We have had hitherto the three major Offices of the Godhead. Now we have a further revelation of a People called out from mankind, redeemed and saved, to walk with God from earth to heaven. Hence, Redemption follows creation. Inasmuch as in consequence of the fall of man creation came under the curse and was “made subject to vanity,” therefore man and creation must be redeemed. Thus we have:

Father
Son
Spirit
Creation
Redemption

These are the five great mysteries, and five is therefore the number of GRACE.

——————————————

Five, being the number of grace, is exactingly seen in this Angel. He is the Redeemer of His people, and it is by faith in Him that one is sealed as a sign and a guarantee of this redemption. He is Jesus, the Giver of God’s grace.

He now instructs with a loud voice the four angels who are holding back the four winds of the earth, “saying, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees.’” In this, it is evident that the judgments to be unleashed upon the earth will affect everything, and there will be great destruction as the winds accomplish their tasks. This would include everything that the earth produces and all that is established on the earth. It is a time of grace, regardless as to its actual length. Understanding this order, the voice next says, “till we.”

The use of the plural indicates that the process of sealing is not done solely by the Angel crying out. Rather, it is similar in thought to the sealing of those to be saved before the destruction of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 9 –

——————————————

Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly weapon in his hand.” 2 And suddenly six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-ax in his hand. One man among them was clothed with linen and had a writer’s inkhorn at his side. They went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
3 Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; 4 and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”
5 To the others He said in my hearing, “Go after him through the city and kill; do not let your eye spare, nor have any pity. 6 Utterly slay old and young men, maidens and little children and women; but do not come near anyone on whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. 7 Then He said to them, “Defile the temple, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and killed in the city.

——————————————

As these things are symbolic of truths that occur in the spiritual realm, it may be that the word “we” is referring to Jesus as the Redeemer and the Holy Spirit as the Sealer, as is the case noted by Paul several times, such as –

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” Ephesians 1:13, 14

A process is set forth with intent. It is looking to “have sealed the servants of our God.” These are people who will be sealed because of faith in Christ’s accomplished work. They will be brought into the household of God, and in their salvation, they will become witnesses of the truth of God in Christ Jesus.

This designation, servant, is used to speak of those who minister the gospel to others. The word is one that Paul, James, Peter, and Jude each use as a title when referring to themselves. Paul designates several others as such as well. The word is doulos, and it signifies someone who belongs to another. He is a bonded slave without any of his own ownership rights. It is used by Paul in this manner, including when referring to Jesus in Philippians 2 –

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:5-8

These to be sealed are thus to be considered bondservants of Christ for the purpose He has determined. With this understood, like the typology from Ezekiel 9, these servants are to be sealed “on their foreheads.” Some translations incorrectly say, “in their foreheads.” It is a mark upon the head which is clearly visible (in a spiritual sense). They are known for their faith in Christ. Having acknowledged Him, they are marked as His.

The nature of the mark is revealed later in Revelation 14:1 –

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

Life application: After the task of marking the people in Ezekiel 9 was accomplished, by the one with the inkhorn, the others were told to destroy anyone without the mark. The mark in that account is the Hebrew word tav.

The word is the same as the 22nd letter of the Hebrew aleph-bet. The ancient tav was in the shape of crossed sticks, resembling a cross. In other words, these “servants of God” in this verse in Revelation have accepted the work of Jesus Christ and are being sealed just as those in Ezekiel’s time were. This seal isn’t necessarily a visible mark, but a change in attitude; an understanding in their minds of who Jesus is and their role in His work.

Such a mark is given with the inner sealing of the Holy Spirit. These people are being saved by God, and for His purposes. Hence, it is defined in Revelation 14 as being that of the Father’s name. What God has done in Christ, and through the cross of Christ, is a witness in these servants.

As noted, the term for “servants” signifies a bondservant (or a slave). Such a person was often captured during battle. These to be sealed are won in the great battle for the human soul. It is the spiritual battle between light and darkness. These people of the tribulation period are to be sealed, having been brought into the marvelous light of the glory of Jesus Christ before the angels are unleashed to bring destruction on the earth.

At this time in human history, during the church age, we too must be sealed by the Holy Spirit. That can only happen by placing one’s faith in Christ according to the gospel. None deserve what God offers in Christ, but when that grace is received, it is a guarantee of salvation. This is because God is pleased to save them. Through Christ, He has done the work. He is the God/Man. He is JESUS.

Lord God, it is ever so comforting to know that we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit from the moment we accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We know that You don’t make mistakes and, therefore, we are eternally saved despite our failings. When we stumble and fall, we can still trust that You have already forgiven us of our sins. Great and wonderful You are, O Lord! Amen.

 

 

Revelation 7:2

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Saturday, 5 December 2020

Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, Revelation 7:2

John continues here with the scene that was newly presented in verse 7:1 which saw the four angels who were holding back the four winds of the earth. Now, another angel is introduced. As John says, “Then I saw another angel.” This does not have to be another angel in the sense of a being who has never been seen before, but simply another angel coming into this new scene that began in verse 7:1.

The word “angel,” (in Greek, aggelos) as has been explained previously, simply means “messenger.” It is one who brings tidings. The comparable Hebrew word (malak) is used, at times, to speak of the Lord (Yehovah) of the Old Testament, such as in Malachi 3:1 where it is used twice. In that passage, once it refers to the coming of John the Baptist, and once it refers to the coming of Jesus Christ –

“’Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,’
Says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1

This angel is said to be “ascending from the east.” Rather than “from the east,” the Greek reads, anatolēs hēliou – “from the rising of the sun.” Scholars debate who this angel is, but the wording seems sufficient to answer the question. Returning again to Malachi, this time Chapter 4, there it says –

“But to you who fear My name
The Sun of Righteousness shall arise
With healing in His wings;
And you shall go out
And grow fat like stall-fed calves.” Malachi 4:2

In that verse, the word “arise” is translated from zarach, a verb with the same basic meaning as the Greek anatolé. This is the same Lord described in Malachi 3:2 as an Angel, and who is now in Malachi 4:2 said to rise as the “Sun of Righteousness.” Thus, the implication is “from the east.” This then is equated to Christ in Luke 1:78 –

“Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us.” Luke 1:78

There, the word “Dayspring” is anatolé, the same word translated as “rising” in the analysis above. With this understanding so far, John next says, “having the seal of the living God.” The same word, sphragis, translated as “seal,” is found also in 2 Timothy 2:19 –

“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’”

This Messenger carries the seal of the living God. Paul says that the seal by which believers are identified indicates that the Lord, meaning Jesus, “knows those who are His.” The corresponding verb, sphragizó, is used when referring to the sealing of believers with the Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:13, and Ephesians 4:30. This sealing comes by faith (believing) in Christ.

The purpose of the seal of the living God here in Revelation will be explained in the coming verses. It is to seal one hundred and forty-four thousand of the tribes of Israel. That is then explained in verse 14:1 –

“Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

John next notes, “And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea.” This Messenger is giving instruction to the angels of the four winds, meaning He has control over the elements to withhold or let loose destruction. This is an attribute of the Lord as well. When He spoke, the storm on Galilee abated. At His command, the elements obey – symbolized by the four angels of the four winds.

Thus, this Messenger is another revelation of the Lord Jesus. It is why the book is called the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The many aspects and manifestations of Him are being presented to us so that we can have faith that what was spoken of Him in the Old Testament, and what is spoken of Him in the New, is a reliable witness to who He is.

Life application: In Genesis 3:24, we read, “So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the Garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” Later, when the temple was built in Jerusalem, it was oriented east and west. The Most Holy Place was to the extreme west and so worshippers appropriately would face west, away from the rising sun. One reason for this was certainly to prevent idolatry of the rising sun. Instead, the people would look to God for their life.

It was also to allow for the coming promised Messiah, to be the one to rise from the east in order to make entrance into God’s paradise possible once again. The east, qedem in Hebrew, signifies both the direction and “aforetime,” meaning eternity past. Micah 5 tells us that Jesus is the One who would come “from of old,” meaning “from the east,” using the word qedem –

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.” Micah 5:2

In Ezekiel 10, the glory of the Lord departed from the temple because of the idolatry of the people. When it did, it left going out over the threshold which is on the east. In Ezekiel 43, when describing a future temple, the glory of the Lord returns from the east.

These, and many other clues, are given in Scripture to reveal the coming of Messiah. In the future, there will be a group of Jewish people who will come to understand this and accept Him as the Messiah they had long rejected.

The coming verses will explain what will be done to and for them. Believers today are marked with the seal of God, which is the Holy Spirit, the moment they put their trust and faith in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1 tells us that this seal is a deposit or guarantee of our future redemption. As God is sealing us, there is no greater seal possible. It is given as a guarantee, and therefore our salvation is eternal; it can never be lost. The Angel in this verse carries such a seal – an everlasting mark of God’s faithfulness. This Angel is JESUS!

What a majestic and splendid display to behold! We can look to the pages of the Bible and see a heavenly drama being played out before our very eyes. It is awesome to our souls to be allowed to peer into these events and see the very workings of the heavenly throne room, if we will just pick up the word and read it. Thank You, O God, for Your wonderful, precious, and superior word! Amen.

 

Revelation 7:1

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Friday, 4 December 2020

After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Revelation 7:1

The words now arrive at the beginning of Chapter 7, and immediately there arrives a brief interlude between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. “After these things” shows a progression of thought and time. And so, what is coming now is sequential to what has occurred with the other seals. Whether it is sequential to John only, meaning he is being shown these things one at a time even though they overlap, or whether the events of the opening of this seal are sequential to the previous ones is uncertain. However, the events coming through verse 8 are most likely at the beginning of the tribulation period and so the first option seems correct.

With this option probable, one can see the error in thinking of those who hold to a “mid-tribulation,” or “pre-wrath” (or even post-tribulation, and etc.), view of the events. Taking these events as purely chronological in order to justify one’s position on the timing of the rapture is unsound. Rather, the scenes are most probably categorical, even if some logically happen in a chronological order (such as the releasing of the four horsemen).

The proper way to evaluate the timing of the rapture is to do so from the writings of Paul who first conveyed the mystery of the rapture (1 Corinthians 15:51), and who then further explained the timing of eschatological events in 1 & 2 Thessalonians. To understand the timing of those events, a short explanation was given on the Superior Word commentary of Revelation 6:2.

With this understanding, John begins with, “After these things.” This most likely means, “After the things I just saw,” not “And what will occur in the future will happen after the things that have been seen.” This is the next logical event to be revealed as a category. In this, John says, “I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth.”

This is not intended to mean that the Bible proclaims a square earth, it doesn’t. In Isaiah 40:22 the Bible speaks of the “circle of the earth,” meaning an orb, not a cube or flat square. In the book of Job, the Bible says that the Lord “hangs the earth on nothing.” The four winds then, like other references in the Bible, merely speak of the four general directions of the earth; not set points.

John says these angels are “holding the four winds of the earth.” As is consistent, the number four here matches the overall use of it in Scripture. The number is defined by EW Bullinger saying –

“Creation is therefore the next thing—the fourth thing, and the number four always has reference to all that is created. It is emphatically the number of Creation; of man in his relation to the world as created; while six is the number of man in his opposition to and independence of God. It is the number of things that have a beginning, of things that are made, of material things, and matter itself. It is the number of material completeness. Hence it is the world number, and especially the ‘city’ number.”

In this, one can see that the “world number,” four, fits exactingly into what is being described. Next, the word “holding” comes from the Greek word krateó. It signifies holding firmly. There is a restraining power that is being directed.

These winds are certainly from the perspective of the land of Israel, or more specifically in relation to the people of Israel. That will be seen in the coming verses. They are forces that affect the peoples of the world in a negative manner. Thus, holding them back allegorically provides a temporary restraining of the events. Quite a few references in the Old Testament substantiate this. In Daniel 7, we read –

“I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.” Daniel 7:2

There, the Great Sea is the mass of humanity, and the winds are what churn and rile them up. Another example of the winds affecting the people is found in Jeremiah, where it is used metaphorically to scatter Israel –

“I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy;
I will show them the back and not the face
In the day of their calamity.” Jeremiah 18:17

They are also used to scatter the other peoples of the world, such as –

“Against Elam I will bring the four winds
From the four quarters of heaven,
And scatter them toward all those winds;
There shall be no nations where the outcasts of Elam will not go.” Jeremiah 49:36

A “destroying wind” is even said to have come against Babylon (Jeremiah 51:1) in the day of her doom. With this symbolism defined from the Old Testament typology, John continues his words, saying, “that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree.”

The meaning here is explained by the next verse where another angel will imply that the winds now being held back are destroying winds, but they are not to be released until a particular matter is resolved on earth. Once that is accomplished, the winds will be unleashed to consummate their intended purposes.

Life application: The vision that John is seeing is telling the people of the world that there will be a time of calm before the storm of chaos and destruction. This restive period was seen by Zechariah hundreds of years before John received his vision –

“We have walked to and fro throughout the earth, and behold, all the earth is resting quietly.” Zechariah 1:11

Unfortunately, for those who experience this time of calm, it will assuredly lead them into a false sense that all is ok with the world. Whatever happened at the supposed “rapture” of the Christian church will be explained away through the strong delusion prophesied by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:11. It will supposedly be a time to get on with life and all will be fine.

Such however will not be the case. The world will devolve into a calamitous sea of chaos, mayhem, anarchy, and death. This is the cost of refusing to be included in what God offers now through His gospel of peace. It is available today, and it comes through the glorious giving of our Lord and Savior. He is JESUS!

Lord God, after the rapture of the church, the world will believe it has the peace it seeks, and the people will delude themselves by it. Even today, we rage against You and look to cast off Your sovereign rule. Forgive our stubborn and rebellious hearts, and help us to hold fast and faithfully to You. No matter what is coming, those who have called on You through Christ Jesus will be safe. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revelation 6:17

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Thursday, 3 December 2020

For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” Revelation 6:17

There is an emphasis in the Greek that is missing in this translation. It literally says, “the day, the great.” Thus, a rendering such as the Weymouth Version is appropriate. In that translation, the emphasis is rendered almost as a proper name –

“for the day of His anger–that great day–has come, and who is able to stand?”

Also, some Greek translations say “their” while others say “His.” As two entities are referred to in the previous verse (the one on the throne and the Lamb), the word “their” is fine. But because they are both manifestations of Christ, saying “His” is fine as well. Either way, the time of the Lord’s wrath is what is being spoken of.

With these variations noted, John says (using the Weymouth Version), “for the day of His anger–that great day–has come.” The Lamb who was crucified for the sins of the world has been rejected. His church has been taken home, and worldwide enmity towards Him and His gospel of peace is left. Because of this, only His anger can be poured out on those who have failed to believe. The love seen in the shed blood is now anger towards the rejection of that offering.

With the coming of this great day in mind, a question is presented, “and who is able to stand?” If the One on the throne has presented the Lamb, and the Lamb is rejected, then what shall be the end of those who have rejected Him? The question is being raised based on the categories given in verse 15. There are the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man. Who can stand before the Lamb?

The answer is given in Chapter 7, and it involves two separate categories who will be presented there.

Life application: There are verses in the Bible that seem to contain oxymorons because they don’t fit our thinking of how things are. For example, each in Christ is asked to be a “living sacrifice.” A sacrifice, by its very nature, is something that dies. Someone not understanding the significance of the Christian life cannot grasp such a concept. But the informed believer knows that we are to be “dead to sin,” and to offer our lives to God apart from the body of sin and death that is in the world and which is in our flesh.

Likewise, we have here what would otherwise be considered an oxymoron – the wrath of the Lamb. How can a lamb demonstrate wrath? For some, even the “wrath of God” makes no sense. They can only see the Creator as a big fluffy pushover who dotes on us and gives us candy and prosperity. But God is holy. Our sin, no matter how small, is an affront to God. Multiply that by the billions of people on earth who have rejected Him, and His righteousness demands justice.

God doesn’t change during this process. Think of a column that is fixed and unmoving. On one side of the column is written “peace” and on the other side is written “strife.” If you are on the “peace” side, then peace reigns down on you, but if you move to the “strife” side, then you have become the object of punishment and pain. This is how we interact with God. We change in relation to Him; He does not change in position to us. When we are covered in Christ, we are on the “peace” side, but without His covering, we remain on the “strife” side.

As we are at strife with God because of original sin, we can never again be on His good side by anything we do. It is an eternal change, and only an eternal correction – one from outside of the created order – can rectify the situation. This is Jesus. He is the payment for an infinite crime of sinning against an infinite Creator.

In the tribulation, the world will have rejected Jesus and therefore it will taste the fruits of that rejection – the wrath of the Lamb. One cannot be right with God without accepting Jesus Christ. He is “the way, the truth, and the life.” No one comes to the Father except through Him. He is the path to reconciliation with our Creator. He is JESUS.

Lord God, it is certain that a finite crime against You bears an infinite penalty. It is certain that we can never pay the fine necessary to be right with You. But we know that Jesus could – He is fully God and fully Man, and He is qualified to do so. May we be wise and accept His payment on our behalf. Thank You for the Lamb of God; thank You for Jesus! Amen.