Special / Holiday (Written)

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Revelation 5:12
Worthy Is the Lamb Who Was Slain

Read Revelation 5
(Typed 24 March 2025) Religious pluralism is defined as “the acceptance and coexistence of multiple religious beliefs and practices within a society, emphasizing that various religions can provide meaningful paths to spiritual fulfillment and fostering tolerance and understanding among diverse faiths” (AI Overview).

In a nutshell, religious pluralism teaches that different, even contradictory, religions are equally valid and provide their own suitable and acceptable path to restoration with God.

Religious syncretism is defined as “the blending of different religious belief systems or the incorporation of beliefs from one tradition into another, often resulting in a new or modified religious practice or belief system” (AI Overview).

Religious syncretism is a pick-and-choose approach to religion – “This aspect of this religion is appealing, and so I will add it to my approach to religious expression.” For example, the Roman Catholic Church has adopted this path throughout the centuries.

Such expressions include Santeria, Haitian Voodoo, Kongo Syncretism, etc. Indigenous festivals are observed, various local confessions and approaches to healings are maintained, and native sacred objects are incorporated into the faith.

A stunning example of this was seen in 2019 when the Pope held the Amazon Synod at the Vatican. At that gathering, the Andean fertility goddess Pachamama was revered and adherents were welcomed to bow before the carvings in reverence, prayer, and petition.

The Pope himself acknowledged the deity and held his own observances of it in the Vatican Gardens.

Text Verse: “So shall He sprinkle many nations.
Kings shall shut their mouths at Him;
For what had not been told them they shall see,
And what they had not heard they shall consider.” Isaiah 52:15

Such practices by the Pope and others are not unique to Roman Catholicism. They are more pronounced, however, because of the size, scope, and authority of the denomination in the world.

Because of its worldwide presence, the world views Roman Catholicism as the leader of the Christian faith, and they see the Pope as the ultimate representative of it. Therefore, his acceptance of pluralistic and syncretistic doctrines allows people to more readily accept such teachings.

There are a variety of reasons why pluralism and syncretism are accepted within religions and societies. One is an attempt to provide harmony between otherwise warring factions. Religious battles have led to the deaths of innumerable people over the millennia.

Other reasons include control, power, accumulation of wealth, naivete, a refusal to acknowledge that God has the right to judge according to a set plan that is exclusive of personal merit, etc.

The list could go on and on because, for every person who wants to do his own thing, there must then be an allowance for that new thing if pluralism is to remain valid.

But there is a problem within this greater framework of hoped-for global kumbaya. That problem is the truth that various religious expressions do not allow the practice of other religions. They make exclusive claims that are at odds with the idea of pluralism.

This is certainly true with Islam, for example. However, one of the allowable tenets of Islam is that it is acceptable for adherents to lie in order to further the goals of the faith. Therefore, as Islam enters into societies, unless it simply takes over by the sword and subdues its foes, adherents can make claims that are untrue in order to meet their ultimate goals.

For this reason, among others, Islam is given a pass in societies and is gathered into the fold of naïve pluralistic societies that desire peace and security while demonstrating their tolerance for those who are “less fortunate,” “oppressed,” etc.

The real stickler for the world, therefore, is not the slow and carefully plotted overtaking of the world by Islam or even communism, which is its own sort of religious expression. Rather, the stickler is found in adherents to Scripture as is recorded in the Holy Bible. They are those who refuse to bow their knee to the concept that “all paths lead to God.”

This is intolerable to a society and a world that is supposedly marching toward a state of complete tolerance. Unfortunately, when there is something intolerable blocking such a goal, it must be eradicated. The book of Revelation details what will happen to those who refuse to bend their knee to this “tolerant” society that is yet future to us now.

Reading Revelation 5, one can see how incompatible the true Christian faith, meaning accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, is to religious pluralism. This has not gone unrecognized in Christian societies.

Over the years, those who refuse to accept Christ, who are unqualified to minister, or who just don’t care about proper theology have entered into the ministry, causing Christianity to degrade.

Some have entered with the set goal of destroying sound churches from within. It has been a constant battle in all Christian-centered Western societies.

As soon as the reformation got its foothold in one area or another, someone would begin the march toward weakening the faith of the various denominations and churches. In America, the freedom of religious expression allowed Christianity to bloom in an amazing way, seemingly securing it from any such decline.

But the very mechanism that has allowed freedom of religion has helped bring the faith to a state of complete confusion. For example, Joseph Smith had the same book in his hand that Dwight Moody held. Mormonism is Christian in name only, but that name allows it to be considered under the Christian umbrella.

Even churches that started out doctrinally sound but later want to deviate from biblical precepts are slowly allowed to do so without a great deal of controversy, except by those who hold to a proper evaluation of Scripture in its intended context.

For example, the first woman to be ordained as a Protestant minister in the US, Antoinette Brown Blackwell, set a precedent that is unbiblical. However, the event became the first of an unstoppable tide of apostasy from what is biblically acceptable. Despite that, someone had to ordain her, and so the corruption was already in place before the day of her ordination.

Since then, churches and denominations have continued to degrade from adherence to Scripture to the point where many are, like Mormonism, Christian in name only.

Their rites and rituals gather together people who have never experienced the saving message of grace that is found in Jesus Christ. Instead, they are led astray into what Paul would call the “doctrines of demons.”

Pluralism, syncretism, and the loosening of doctrines within the church for the sake of accommodation have brought the Christian faith to a state of high confusion and moral degradation that can only be corrected through a return to the acceptance of and adherence to Scripture alone for the conduct and faith practice of adherents.

That is not expected to take place before the Lord comes for His church. Rather, that is just a note of how it could come about for those who care enough to depart from the false religious expressions they have been following.

Because of the high level of biblical illiteracy in our nation, people looking for a church here in Sarasota, for example, may decide on Sunday morning to go to a Mormon church or a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses because it is close and convenient.

Without knowing anything about the Bible or what it proclaims, they may enter the doors of such a church, think it represents the Christian faith, and spend the rest of their lives never coming to know Jesus Christ for who He is and what He has done to redeem man.

When considered in its intended light, Revelation 5 reveals a truth that is undeniable. This truth spans all nations, cultures, societies, and people. It also spans all ages since the first man walked on earth. Verse 3 said that no one in heaven or on the earth was able to open the scroll or look at it.

Buddha could not do so. Confucius could not do so. Muhammed could not do so. No pope, priest, or preacher could do so. No king, prime minister, or president could do so. Nobody could.

The words signify total unworthiness. No person within any religious or societal structure that has ever existed was found worthy. Not only could none take it in his hand or loose its seals, but all were deemed unworthy to even take a momentary glance at the scroll.

The state of either positional or moral unworthiness of all beings in creation excluded such a glance. Angels, for example, may be morally qualified, but their position as spirits excludes them.

Humans may be positionally qualified, being of the seed of Adam, but their moral state as fallen beings who have inherited original sin excludes them. None are found worthy. The list includes these categories:

• No one in heaven – No human being who has ever lived and who is currently in the heavenly realms is qualified. Enoch, the seventh man from Adam, was translated directly to heaven because he “walked with God” – unworthy. Elijah, the great prophet of Israel, also went directly to heaven in a chariot of fire – unworthy. No angel in heaven as well. Due to their state in creation – unworthy.
• No one on the earth – Think of the people on the earth today whom you may admire. A great evangelist – unworthy. The US president – unworthy. Some other noted pastor or politician – unworthy. You – unworthy. Me – unworthy. Repeat this for the other 7 or 8 billion people on earth – all unworthy.
• No one under the earth – Every human who has ever existed since the creation of Adam and who is now resting in the dust from which they came. Just think about it! Great men of God, great world leaders, missionaries, evangelists, heroes of the Bible – all unworthy.

And not only are we all unable to open the scroll, but we also aren’t even worthy to look at it.

All humans have inherited Adam’s sin directly in three ways: Legally – we are legally in Adam because He is our federal head. Potentially – the very fact that we could exist as human beings brings us into direct contact with Adam. Seminally – all humans who actually exist (from the very moment of conception) are stained with Adam’s sin, having inherited it as a result of the fall. Death, which is the wages of sin, proves this. Even infant babies aren’t excluded.

As an important note, this verse disproves the immaculate conception of Mary. If Mary were born and had remained in a sinless state, then she would be… worthy. But no one, including Mary the mother of Jesus, is found worthy according to Revelation 5.

This frightening passage should leave all of us humbled. We have no claim to boast before God because we are unworthy. No wonder it says that John wept bitterly. He literally burst into tears. As the NKJV renders it, “So I wept much.”

In the Greek, the pronoun is emphatic, while the verb is in the imperfect tense. One might say, “And I, even I, just kept weeping exceedingly.” When he realized the state of man before the holiness of God, he understood the eternal disconnect that stood between the two.

What seems like an easy walk in the presence of God while on earth is found to be a catastrophic, unhealable wound when standing before Him in heaven. John wept uncontrollably “because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll.”

The contents of the scroll remain securely closed from the eyes of all men. The inheritance lost by Adam is left unattainable. The words here have a sense of finality, like those of Leviticus 18:5 –

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

The promise was made. Men born under the law came and went, year after year. There were prophets, kings, priests, and holy men who lived under this law, and yet they all died. The grave received them and held them firmly in its grasp.

Because of the lack of worthiness in humanity, only life in a fallen world, followed by death and separation from God, is the result. The contents of the scroll are to remain forever out of the reach of the fallen sons of Adam. The infection of sin has precluded life from continuing either under the law or apart from it. Woe is the state of man without the intervention of God’s Christ!

What Revelation 5 has implicitly referred to is the doctrine of original sin. The effects of sin have permeated every person who was ever born. Only a sinless being would be qualified to replace the failings of Adam. But where would such a person come from?

Humans come from humanity. Humanity is stained with Adam’s sin. The equation seems to rule out any possible remedy. John’s pained tears continue to flood the minds of people to this day because they are recorded in God’s word.

We can look back on an ocean of tears that have flowed around the entire globe as new translations are prepared for people to read and consider their complete unworthiness before God. However, in hearing the gospel and understanding its message, hope is restored for those who understand what God has done for them.

This is because the message to John concerning his tears was, “Do not weep.” If the unworthiness to open the scroll of those in creation is what brought John to his current state, then the words “Do not weep” must provide a remedy to that state.

Without stopping to allow John to question why, the elder continued his words, saying, “Behold, the Lion.” In Scripture, the lion signifies various things depending on the type of lion and how it interacts with the surrounding context.

However, John’s mind probably would have immediately scanned his knowledge of the Hebrew writings and focused on one particular reference. This is because the elder continued with the words “of the tribe of Judah.”

This wasn’t an actual lion then, but a metaphor for a Man, one who would come through, Judah, the fourth son of Israel. Every Jew who attended the synagogue would be familiar with the prophecy –

“Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He bows down, he lies down as a lion;
And as a lion, who shall rouse him?
¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
Until Shiloh comes;
And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” Genesis 49:9, 10

The elder’s words clearly identify the One being spoken of as the fulfillment of the prophecy from Genesis 49. John is being reminded of Scripture. In remembering the word of God, the downtrodden soul can refocus on what is good, right, and hope-filled.

This reminder may have then reminded John of other messianic prophecies seen in the Hebrew Scriptures, such as the promise of an everlasting throne being bestowed upon the line of David in 2 Samuel 7. It is to Judah that these great promises were made. Thus, this Lion of the Tribe of Judah is the fulfillment of those prophecies.

As a confirmation of this, the elder further describes this Lion as “the Root of David.” As a note, this term is often wrongly applied by scholars to say that Christ is a root that springs out of David. This is incorrect.

A root is the basis for what springs out of it. A seed first goes down into the soil to find anchoring and moisture. From there, the roots are established, and the plant then proceeds upward.

Elsewhere, the Messiah is called a Branch, signifying One who would come from a plant, extending out. This would be a descendant. In this case, however, the Root refers to One who comes before.

Thus, not only does this One descend from Judah (and obviously from David who was given the kingly promises), but He is the Source of David – the Root. This is confirmed later in Revelation 22 where Christ says He is both “the Root and the Offspring of David.” It is what is referred to in Matthew 22 –

While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
They said to Him, “The Son of David.”
⁴³ He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:
⁴⁴ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’?
⁴⁵ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” ⁴⁶ And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
-Matthew 22:41-46

In His words, Jesus was showing that not only was the Christ to come from David, but He is also the Creator of David. It is of this One that the elder next calls out, saying that He “has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

The Greek word translated as “prevailed” signifies to overcome, overpower, or stand victorious. It is a word that implies the fighting of a battle. This One has been in a battle, and He has prevailed. In His prevailing, He has earned the right “to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”

That which was sealed and inaccessible could now be made manifest. The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has been found worthy! John, cease your tears. Let your heart rejoice, and in your rejoicing, multitudes will rejoice with you. There is hope!

What appeared to be a loss for humanity has become a victory, but only because of the intervention of God. The incarnation of Jesus Christ was the only hope for man because all men are conceived in sin through Adam, receiving his fallen nature.

All of the other beings in creation – be they spirit or animal – are in a different category, and they are unworthy to accomplish for man what man had to do. And so, Jesus came through a woman (He is fully Man) and by the Holy Spirit (He is fully God).

In this, He did not inherit Adam’s sin. He was qualified to accomplish the task set before Him. From there, the gospel shows that He was also capable of doing so. He was born sinless, and He lived without ever sinning.

In this, He prevailed. He is the great King, the Lion of the tribe of Judah. He is JESUS! And He has come to claim what is rightfully His. And yet, when He is to receive His scroll, the heavenly scene suddenly changes.

There, in the midst of the throne, it says there is “a Lamb as though it had been slain.” The words are paradoxical. How can a Lamb be standing despite being as if it had been slain?

The word translated as “Lamb” is the diminutive form of a sheep, thus it is a little lamb. There are two aspects to this then. The first is innocence. In the sacrificial system of Israel, this was what was required for the Passover lamb –

“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.” Exodus 12:5

Further, the same thing is said of the twice-daily offering at the tabernacle/temple –

“Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually. ³⁹ One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.” Exodus 29:38, 39

A first-year lamb conveys the idea of innocence. It is weak, cannot protect itself, and would normally follow its mother along, needing her to direct its every step. This one, however, is “as though it had been slain,” using the word sphazó. It signifies butchery for food or sacrifice.

Being in the midst of the throne, the focus of both the heavenly government and the earthly witness of God’s dealings with man is directed to this Lamb that was as if it had been sacrificed. And of this Lamb, John says it is “having seven horns and seven eyes.”

In the Old Testament, the horn comes from the word qeren. That is from the verb qaran, signifying “to send out rays,” meaning “to shine.” This then conveys the idea of prominence, exaltation, and strength. And this is how the horn is used in 2 Samuel (and elsewhere) –

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
³ The God of my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
My stronghold and my refuge;
My Savior, You save me from violence.” 2 Samuel 22:2, 3

The eye, or in Hebrew ayin, is that which is outflowing, and thus that which gives an appearance. For example, a spring or fountain is called “an eye” because it is where water issues forth from.

Using this idea of appearance, the eye is used along with many descriptors – “an evil eye,” “a bountiful eye,” “the lust of the eyes,” “eyes full of adultery,” and so on. However, in this case, the appearance of the Lamb is that of innocence and substitutionary death, which is radiated out in power and exaltation.

Concerning the number, seven, it is the number of spiritual perfection (completeness). John takes these two things together, horns and eyes, and says that they “are the seven Spirits of God.”

These seven spirits of God reflect His perfect power, exaltation, and appearance. In other words, this Lamb reflects those attributes of God perfectly. In His being a Lamb (innocent), and in His being slain (substitutionary death), these attributes of God are perfectly revealed.

One can see a reflection of what the Lord said to Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Just as Christ’s strength is made perfect in weakness,” through the apostle, the perfection of God’s strength is displayed in the humility of Christ, the Lamb. It is this depiction of Christ by which the seven Spirits of God are “sent out into all the earth.”

It is the innocence (sinlessness) and death of Christ by which God has most purposefully revealed Himself. Despite all of the power, wonder, and majesty of the created order, the highest and most glorious expression of Himself, in all of time and in all of His handiwork, is in the innocent crucified Christ.

As for the scroll which is to be opened, it is a will or title deed. In Hebrews 9:16, it says, “…where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.” Jesus Christ gave up His perfect life to establish the New Covenant and to regain the title deed to fallen humanity.

The scroll that is to be opened will contain judgments upon the world, and the One who opens it will be the executor of those judgments. When they come, the people of the world will not be able to ask why the executor isn’t also participating in these judgments.

The record of His crucifixion testifies that He already has. He already took the judgments of God upon Himself so that the world could be saved. The rightful judgment and punishment we deserve were meted out to Him on behalf of those who will accept His payment.

Jesus Christ came in sinless perfection and lived without sin under the Law of Moses, a law that promises life to the man who can do the things of the law. Jesus performed under the law perfectly, and He gave His life in fulfillment of that law. Being sinless, He resurrected.

And because He was also made a substitutionary offering for the rest of humanity, those who come to Him through faith in what He has done will likewise be given eternal life. Those who don’t will receive what they deserve for rejecting His gracious offer.

And those who have never heard the gospel message will have to stand on their own merits before God at the judgment. But it has already been seen that none are worthy. Inherited sin means that only the expectation and anticipation for us is that of being found guilty and then being eternally separated from God.

The concept of religious pluralism is completely dismissed when one understands what God in Christ has done. The idea of religious syncretism is found to be utterly repulsive when considered in the light of the cross of Jesus Christ.

Only Jesus is worthy because only Jesus is the God/Man. And as the Lord says in His word –

“I am the Lord, that is My name;
And My glory I will not give to another” Isaiah 42:8

Because of His worthiness, both in accomplishment and in glory, the slain Lamb came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

In the Greek, there is a change in the tenses of the verbs, which is skipped by most translations, and yet it makes the entire scene much more graphic. The Greek goes from the aorist to the perfect tense –

“And He came, and He has taken the scroll out of the right hand of Him who is sitting on the throne.”

One can imagine anyone approved to do so coming before the throne, just as is seen in any royal setting. For example, Esther was granted permission to stand before King Ahasuerus in the book of Esther –

“Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king.” Esther 8:3, 4

In this heavenly scene of Revelation 5, the Lamb came before the One on the throne. He has been granted this royal privilege. But there is a specific reason for His approach. In His coming, it says, “and He has taken the scroll.”

One can see the definitive nature of the act. Not only did the Lamb come forward, but when He came, His worthiness was highlighted. The completed and definitive act of receiving the scroll, as indicated in the words “has taken,” demonstrates that it occurred and is fully accomplished. Worthy is the Lamb!

The metaphors are marvelous to consider. Christ is as a Lion. He is as a Lamb. He is the One on the throne. He possesses the scroll, and He passes it to Himself upon the completion of His earthly ministry.

God is revealing Himself through His Christ, but the account uses apocalyptic symbolism to convey aspects of Him. The lamb speaks of innocence. A slain lamb speaks of sacrifice. The innocence and the sacrifice are what have made His coming forward and taking the scroll possible.

In coming forward, this innocent One who was sacrificed (but who is obviously alive), is said to take the scroll “out of the right hand.” The right hand is the position of power and authority. Again, as cited before, this looks back to Jesus’ own words at the end of the book of Matthew –

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

God has returned this title deed to Himself through the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He is the One on the throne, He is the Lamb that was slain, He is the Lion who has prevailed. The incarnation of Jesus Christ is in full view in this heavenly scene.

What is presented in Revelation 5 is a similar expression to what was already presented to Israel in Daniel 7 –

“I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, One like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
¹⁴ Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13, 14

The right to receive and open the scroll has been given to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is the King of kings. This right has been given to the Lamb of God who fulfilled the law on behalf of fallen man, paying the penalty for their sins at the Cross of Calvary.

His blood was shed as a substitution for those who are willing to accept Him. The guilt is transferred, and the sins are removed. As such, the righteousness is then transferred from God to man.

Think of it! The infinite righteousness of God that is needed for man to again be in the presence of the infinitely righteous God is transferred to us through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. Of what value is religious pluralism? Such a thought only expresses death leading to death.

But Jesus has won the victory and gained the right to the title deed. He alone has paid the price for those who call on Him. He offers mercy based on His paying this price, and He has provided the grace by exalting all who accept the call.

The choice is made and now the scroll can be opened. When it is, the entire earth will be affected by the result. Big events are on the horizon. The Lion has prevailed, and the Lamb has been found worthy. He is great, and He is glorious. He is JESUS!

As for the description of the slain lamb that came forward, saying that he has “seven horns and seven eyes,” these were explained as being “the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.”

In Revelation 4:5, it said, “Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” In other words, these “seven Spirits of God” that burned before the throne – illuminating the splendor of God – have now become the active agents of the Lamb that will go forth in judgment.

The eyes see every hidden thing and the horns will execute the judgment upon the unrepentant world. This Lamb will no longer be the meek and mild suffering Servant. He will become the One who comes to bring destruction to all who have rejected Him. He is the Lion and the Lamb. He is Jesus.

The cure and the remedy to our fallen state is found in God’s giving of His Son to pay the sin debt we as humans owe. The portrayal of the wrath of God, which is so often found in the Bible, does not mean that God’s nature is wrathful.

Rather, it means that our sin brings about a state of enmity between the perfectly loving God and ourselves. Wrath, as we perceive it from Scripture, is the natural outcropping of sin not being dealt with. God’s perfection necessarily demands our perfection.

Because God’s perfection can only be realized in us through the eradication of imperfection, there must be a means by which this can be realized. This is the process that the Bible speaks of and reveals.

When man was created, he was in a state of perfection. However, he was also in a state of lack, something that is not an imperfection. To lack nothing would mean we were God. Lack is a state of existence we all possess.

One thing man lacked was the knowledge of good and evil. Without this knowledge, man cannot appreciate God in a manner that provides reciprocal love and respect. God saw that the correcting of this lack was worth the trouble that would naturally accompany its acquisition.

And so, God gave man a law. In disobeying that law, which God knew would take place, man “missed the mark” of perfection. In other words, sin entered the world. It is this state of imperfection that requires the process of reacquiring perfection.

The giving of more law, meaning the Law of Moses, didn’t help the situation for Israel. Rather, it only exacerbated it. But it was a necessary step. In fulfilling the law, Christ Jesus was able to bring us back to the state of perfection that God requires.

This is because Jesus is God. Therefore, those in Christ are now included in His perfect righteousness, the righteousness of God. There is no more “missing the mark” because there is no more law by which that can take place.

This is why no other religious expression can restore us to God. They fail to deal with the state of sin in man. They may address the issue, but they fall short of the necessary requirements of God, which can only stem from Himself.

What God in Christ has done is not something arbitrary or random, as if it can also come about in some other way. Rather, it is pinpointed, targeted, and mutually exclusive of any other path or attempt at reconciliation.

Any other avenue, by default, includes the work of others because it does not rely solely on God. This is why the Bible says –

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9

When you think about religion in your life, think logically, soberly, and carefully. In so doing, you will desire what God has done through Christ Jesus. It is the necessary process that will lead you to the necessary perfection that will restore you to God. This is because it is accomplished through our Savior. And our Savior is JESUS!

This past week remembered the Passion of Jesus. Friday remembered His crucifixion. Today, we remember His resurrection. Each of these demonstrates to us that we have value in the sight of God.

I wonder how that can be possible when I think of my own fallen and sin-stained life before Him. And yet, even though I question why God would save me, I do not question that He did. He went through the entire process of redemption, culminating in Jesus’ cross and resurrection. As this is so, I know with every fiber of my being that I have been saved.

May you carry this reassurance with you always as you live in the presence of God, sealed with His Holy Spirit because you trusted – by faith – in the full, finished, final, and forever-sufficient work of our Lord. He is JESUS!

Closing Verse: 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. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippines 2:5-11

Next Week: Song of Songs 5:1-8 Pretty great stuff, fer sher… (My Hands Dripped Myrrh) (12^th Song of Songs sermon)

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

A Celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

This is the gospel which was preached to you
It is also the one you received and on which you stand
It is the gospel of salvation, providing life that’s new
And which will carry you to the promised Holy Land

What is delivered to you is what was before received
That Christ died for our sins according to God’s word
He was buried and He rose, and so we have believed
And many witnesses testify to this message you have heard

Now, if Christ is preached that He is risen from the dead
How can some among you say the resurrection isn’t true?
If there is no resurrection after Christ was crucified and bled
Then our faith as well as yours is certainly askew

And if so, we are found false witnesses of God
Because we have wrongly testified of this mighty deed
And our faith is futile, no heavenly streets we’ll trod
And we are still dead in our sins; fallen Adam’s seed

Even more, those who have fallen asleep in the Lord are gone
And we are the most pitiable creatures the world could ever look upon

But indeed, Christ is risen from the dead
He is the Firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
And as death came through one man, Adam, our federal head
So Christ will make all alive; our souls He will keep

There is an order to the Resurrection call
Christ was first, the pattern for the rest when He comes
When He does, He will make a shout out to us all
And we will rise as if to the sound of heavenly battle drums

Then comes the time, when He delivers the kingdom to the Father
When all rule, authority, and power have come to an end
The last enemy to be destroyed is death, never more to bother
Then the Son will to the Father eternal rule extend

But you ask, “What will we be like after our time of sleep?
After we have been buried in corruption’s pit so deep?”

Our body is sown in dishonor, but it will be raised in glory
It is sown in weakness, but raised in power – the resurrection story

The first man Adam became a living being, it is true
The last Adam became a life-giving Spirit, life to me and you

And as was the man of dust, created so long ago
So are those likened unto him, also made of dust
And as is the Man, the Lord from heaven, you know
That we shall bear His image for eternity just as we’ve discussed

Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God
Nor can corruption inherit that which is incorrupt
Be we shall all be changed, and so, heavenly streets we’ll trod
In the twinkling of an eye, the change will be abrupt

When the last trumpet sounds, we will be taken to glory
We shall all be changed, completion of the gospel story

Where O Death, O where is your sting?
When Christ our Savior, us to Himself does He bring

Where O Hades, O where is your victory?
When Christ translates His children to eternal glory

The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin the law
But thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord
My beloved brethren be steadfast in all you’ve heard and saw
And cling confidently to God’s eternal word

Know for certain that your labor is not in vain
Be of good cheer, Christ is coming again

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

Matthew 4:12-16
A Great Light

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. ¹³ And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:
¹⁵ “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:
¹⁶ The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”

(Typed 2 December 2024) The sermon text seems to have little to do with the birth of Jesus. We’ll discover that it does later. But even the surface text is comprised of words that wonderfully express the contrast between what the Bible considers good and bad.

The clauses in verse 16 compare darkness to the shadow of death. Both clauses provide light as a contrast. Elsewhere in the Bible, darkness is seen to be a metaphor for a spiritually dead state because of sin. Light, however, is given as a state of perfection, holiness, moral purity, and life.

At times, when someone doesn’t have the truth, he is said to be without light. To have light shine is to reveal the truth. The Apostle Paul lacked the truth, but then suddenly, light shone around him from heaven in such dazzling brightness that it blinded him.

His sin-stained life was literally stunned by the overwhelming brightness of the perfection of God in Christ, the risen Jesus. The contrast between the two highlights how far away from the truth Paul was.

With his conversion, Paul saw the true Light for who He is. He became the apostle to the Gentiles to lead them from the same state of spiritual darkness that he suffered under. Simeon beheld the Child Jesus and he prophesied this would take place…

Text Verse: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation
³¹ Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
³² A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.” Luke 2:29-32

Simeon’s words reflect the tenor of Isaiah 49:6 where Isaiah spoke of the restoration of Israel and the light of the Messiah being provided to the Gentiles. As for the law, it is not considered a light, except as it is included in the greater body of writings which comprise the Lord’s word.

If the law itself was a sufficient light, there would have been no need for a Messiah. That should clue people into the purpose of the law, but it escapes many. Thus, they become mired in the same darkness in which Paul found himself.

Rather, the word of God in both testaments refers to the Lord as Light or being the Source of light. For example, Psalm 36:9 says of the Lord, “in Your light we see light.” It is a way of saying that life, something associated with light, is found in the light of the Lord.

As we contemplate the significance of Christmas, we should consider more than a Baby lying in a manger, but what that Baby signifies. Light is just one aspect of His superlative greatness. It is the aspect that we will consider today concerning the Lord Jesus, the Child of Christmas. He is the great Light who has come to illuminate the world with the splendor of God.

This truth is carefully and exactingly highlighted 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.

~~~~~~~

The incarnation of Jesus Christ came about at this time of year, right around the time known in John 10:22 as the Feast of Dedication. This can be deduced from an exacting timeline given in the Bible, but it must be elicited from passages in both Testaments.

This timeline shows us that Jesus was born in the September/October timeframe, corresponding to the Feast of Acclamation recorded in Leviticus 23:23-25. Backing up from this time, the number of days for human gestation brings one to the end of December in our modern calendar.

Thus, Jesus’ incarnation was at this time of the year, corresponding to the Feast of Dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights. The Light of the World entered into the darkness, preparing to illuminate the way for man.

This pattern is seen time and again in Scripture. The Bible says in 1 John 1:5, “that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” In Genesis, on the first day of creation, it says –

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
³ Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” Genesis 1:2, 3

There was darkness, and then there was light. But if God is light, then that means He purposefully created with darkness so that afterward, the light could be revealed. He was setting a pattern for us to understand what would come later, meaning things coming from outside to accomplish something inside, as well as light overcoming darkness.

Adam was created outside of Eden and was only afterward placed in the Garden. Adam is never equated to light, but through his misdeeds came the pall of spiritual darkness.

Abraham was called, and only then did he enter into the land of Canaan. Paul says –

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’ ⁹ So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Galatians 3:8, 9

In Canaan, Abraham received the gospel, meaning the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. And what does Paul equate the gospel to? The answer is found in 2 Corinthians 4:4, where he refers to “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Light had come into Cannan.

Jacob was called into Canaan from Padan Aram, being renamed Israel as he entered the land. Israel was to be the bearer of light, meaning the hope of God in Christ.

From there, Israel, the nation, was birthed in Egypt (see Exodus 4:22), and only then were they brought into Canaan. The land of spiritual darkness was being prepared, through Israel’s time of darkness under the law, to receive that light, a light that would be emitted to the whole world –

“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation to His people
By the remission of their sins,
⁷⁸ Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us;
⁷⁹ To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:76-79

The Light of God in Christ, Jesus, came from outside of this darkened earthly realm and entered into it. The patterns of the past were given to show what God would do. From that springboard, a new direction is given, but following the same pattern.

Believers are called outside of the New Jerusalem in anticipation of being brought in. But Paul says that we are as lights in the world in Philippians 2:15, meaning we were lights brought forth in the darkness. The light of God in Christ continues through His people as they bring the light of the gospel to this world darkened from sin.

Understanding these things, we can more fully appreciate the verses of our sermon text…

¹² Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.

Akousas de ho Iēsous hoti Iōannēs paredothē anechōrēsen eis tēn Galilaian – “And Jesus, having heard that John – he was surrendered, He withdrew into the Galilee.” These words follow directly after Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Unlike Adam, who had failed and succumbed to the devil’s testing, Jesus had prevailed over it. With these temptations behind Him, it next says, “And Jesus.”

Some manuscripts, and thus some translations, do not include the name Jesus here. For example, the Berean Literal Bible says, “And having heard that John had been arrested, He withdrew into Galilee.”

As always, there are those who claim one text or another is correct, but the context is completely understandable either way. Jesus is the Subject of the words. Of Him, it next says, “having heard that John – he was surrendered.”

The word is paradidómi. It gives the sense of giving or turning over. Thus, it can be putting someone in prison, entrusting someone with goods, betraying someone, etc. The word simply means to surrender.

John was arrested or surrendered to the prison. This event is not necessarily chronological. Matthew presents things in more of a categorical manner. Of this, Charles Ellicott notes the following –

“Between the 11th and 12th verses there is a great break, and it is well to remember what passed in the interval: (1) the return to the Baptist, and the call of the six disciples (John 1:29-51); (2) the marriage at Cana, and the visit to Capernaum (John 2:1-12); (3) the cleansing of the Temple; the interview with Nicodemus, and the last testimony of the Baptist (John 2:13 to John 3:36). At this stage comes in the imprisonment of John (mentioned here, but not narrated till 14:3-5) and the consequent journey through Samaria to Galilee (John 4:1-42). The verse now before us may be noted as implying a ministry in Judæa, which for some reason the writer does not narrate.” Charles Ellicott

Jesus continued His ministry. Eventually, He heard of John’s imprisonment, and so it says, “He withdrew.”

The word is anachóreó. Strong notes that the “underlying idea perhaps is of taking refuge from danger or of going into retirement.” In other words, Jesus is withdrawing to the Galilee. This would keep His ministry from overexposure in Judea until the right time for His ministry to come to its completion. It next says, “into the Galilee.”

Most translations do not include the article. Rather, they simply say Galilee. But even in the Hebrew, the location is normally preceded by the definite article. It is a region, the Galilee, first noted in Joshua 20:7. It signifies a circle or circuit. In 1 Kings 9:11, it included twenty cities that were given to Hiram, king of Tyre, by Solomon.

Because it designates an area, “the Circle,” inclusion of the article more appropriately defines the area when it is included in the Greek text.

Of this verse, the Expositor’s Greek Testament says, “In a few rapid strokes the evangelist describes the opening of the Messianic work of Jesus in Galilee. He has in view the great Sermon on the Mount, and the group of wonderful deeds he means thereafter to report, and he gives first a summary description of Christ’s varied activities by way of introduction.”

This statement is somewhat misleading. As noted above in Ellicott’s commentary, Jesus carried out His ministry for some amount of time in the area of Judea. However, Matthew’s focus is more categorical than chronological. It is good to remember this when evaluating the gospels in order to avoid theological misunderstandings.

At times, the actual chronology of when Jesus said things can be difficult to determine because of how the gospels present their narratives. Therefore, it is better to have a side-by-side comparison of the content of the gospels before jumping to erroneous conclusions.

With such a side-by-side comparison, the events of Jesus’ life make a much fuller and more understandable picture from a chronological perspective. Such comparisons can be found right online, so when you are trying to sort things out, do a search, and you can explore things in that manner. With that noted, Matthew continues with…

¹³ And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

kai katalipōn tēn Nazara elthōn katōkēsen eis Kapernaoum tēn parathalassian en horiois Zaboulōn kai Nephthalim – “And having disregarded Nazareth, having come, He dwelt in Capernaum, the seaside, in borders Zebulun and Naphtali.” After Jesus heard that John was arrested, He withdrew to the Galilee. The narrative continues with, “And having disregarded Nazareth.”

The Greek spelling of Nazareth here is Nazara. It is only spelled this way here and in Luke 4:16 when the people of the town heard Him speak, were offended by His words, and tried to cast Him off a cliff, rejecting Him and His ministry.

Matthew speaks of a visit to Nazareth in Matthew 13, which seems to parallel Luke’s account. This identical spelling between the two is a clue that the two accounts are, in fact, referring to the same event.

The meaning of the name Nazareth is highly debated. Most Lexicons and Concordances admit its origin is unknown. Scholars think it is likely the origin comes from the Hebrew word netser, a branch, or nazar, to consecrate oneself.

From there, Old Testament references to these words are used to force meaning into the text to explain Matthew’s words that say, “that [hoti] a Nazarene He will be called” (Matthew 2:23). However, this is unnecessary.

Matthew wasn’t quoting Scripture as translations imply by using quotation marks, rather, he was making a point about the writings of Old Testament prophets, such as Isaiah 9:2. Isaiah is saying the light is Christ, and being called a Nazarene is a fulfillment of this prophecy.

For example, if a prophecy noted someone would be a famous surfer in Sarasota, and he was actually living on Siesta Key, they may say, “He will be called a Siesta Surfer.” As Siesta Key is a part of Sarasota, the prophecy would make complete sense to those who understood it.

This explains why hoti, that, is included in Matthew’s words. If he was citing a prophecy, the word would not be needed. But it is an explanatory pronoun. If Joseph had moved to Tiberius instead of Nazareth, the words of Matthew would still speak of the fulfillment of the words of the prophets. For example –

“…that it should be fulfilled having been spoken through the prophets, that a Tiberian He will be called.”

With this understanding, and with no need to force meaning into the name Nazareth, Abarim derives it from a verbal form of zara, to scatter. This form is used several times in the Old Testament, such as in Numbers 5, where it says v’nizr’ah zara – “And scattered seed.” Thus, they translate Nazareth as Scattered or Sown.

As for Jesus’ movement as recorded in this verse, some people think there were two visits to Nazareth, allowing Him to now leave the city. Others think the visit recorded in Luke 4, Mark 6, and Matthew 13 each refer to the same visit.

As noted, Matthew is not necessarily presenting a chronological narrative, so it is likely all of the visits are the same. Despite this, pretty much every translation of Matthew 4:12 says “left,” “leaving,” “having left,” etc., as if He was there and then departed from Nazareth.

The word, however, is kataleipó. The word means “to leave down.” Thus, it signifies to abandon, forsake, neglect, leave, etc. Here in Matthew 4, it probably means “passed by.”

In other words, Jesus was in Nazareth, as recorded in Matthew 2:23. It is where He grew up. Matthew 3:13 notes that Jesus came from the Galilee to John. One would assume that means He left Nazareth, which is in the Galilee, and went to John to begin His ministry.

Now that He is returning to the Galilee (4:12), one would expect Him to return to Nazareth. Instead, He passes by, or disregards, Nazareth, forsaking it as His base and dwells in Capernaum instead. The word is used this way in Acts 21:3 –

“And having sighted Cyprus, and having disregarded it on the left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre. For there the ship was to be unloading the cargo” (CG).

Properly translating the word in this manner resolves the difficulty presented by all translations. Understanding this, it next says, “having come, He dwelt in Capernaum.”

The name is derived from the Hebrew word kaphar, a village, and Nakhum, the Hebrew name of the prophet Nahum. His name comes from nakham, to sigh, meaning to breathe strongly. As such, it is a word signifying to console, comfort, reconsider, etc. Each case is determined by the context.

Thus, his name means something like Compassion, Comfort, or Consolation. Hence, the name of the location is Village of Compassion or something similar. As the base for Jesus’ ministry, it is a beautiful parallel to Him and His work. Of the location, it next says, “the seaside.”

The word is found only here in Scripture, parathalassios. It is derived from para, beside or by the side of, and thalassa, sea. Thus, “seaside” is a literal translation. Of this location, Wikipedia says –

“…a fishing village established during the time of the Hasmoneans, located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It had a population of about 1,500 in the 1st century AD. Archaeological excavations have revealed two ancient synagogues built one over the other. A house turned into a church by the Byzantines is held by Christian tradition to have been the home of Saint Peter.

The village was inhabited continuously from the 2nd century BC to the 11th century AD, when it was abandoned sometime before the First Crusade. This includes the re-establishment of the village northeast of the earlier location in c. 700, during the Early Islamic period.”

It was rediscovered in 1838 but not identified as the same location until later. Of this location, it next says, “in borders Zebulun and Naphtali.”

Zebulun means Glorious Dwelling Place. Naphtali means My Twistings or My Wrestlings. As will be seen, this move to Capernaum in this particular area of inheritance within the tribes of Israel is made by Jesus to fulfill prophecy.

Before going on, it should be noted that because of the way translations are made, it becomes almost a herd mentality to continue to translate things the same as everyone else. Otherwise, a variation by one translation may seem completely out of place and might even be a source of derision.

But if Jesus only made one trip to Nazareth, there must be an explanation as to why He didn’t actually go to Nazareth and then depart from there in Matthew 4. The word used to explain this, when properly translated, provides that explanation.

It is best not to get stuck in the herd mentality but to go where the narrative actually leads. In Matthew 19:5, the same word as used here in Matthew 4:13 is used when citing Genesis 2:24. A man will depart, kataleipó, from his father and mother and be united to his wife.

This does not mean that he has to physically depart from them. In fact, throughout history, such has not been the case. Rather, a man is to depart from them in the sense of them being his top priority. His primary allegiance to them is disregarded for the sake of his wife. His duties to her become the main priority.

As a life lesson, never stop considering what the word is telling you. Don’t reject anything off hand when it may be correct, but also don’t be duped by those who claim to have new or secret knowledge that nobody else has.

Rather, take everything with a grain of salt until you have personally checked things out. This is wise. It is the prudent way of avoiding many pitfalls in your theology and in your walk with the Lord.

¹⁴ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

hina plērōthē to rhēthen dia Ēsaiou tou prophētou legontos – “That it might be fulfilled, the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet, saying…” Matthew next begins with, “That it might be fulfilled.”

In other words, the movement of Jesus to Capernaum in the regions of these two tribes of Israel was actually a fulfillment of prophecy in Scripture. Concerning where the prophecy is, Matthew tells us with the words, “the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet, saying.”

Some say Nazareth is a town located within Naphtali. However, some place it in the tribe of Zebulun. The ancient borders are not completely known. Either way, it is rather certain that Capernaum was located in the territorial allotment of Naphtali. Between the two places He lived, the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words, as will next be described, is certainly realized in Jesus’ life and ministry.

There are many literary styles in Scripture, including prophecy. Matthew claimed that Isaiah prophesied these things. One proof that God’s hand is behind the word is prophecy.

Things are stated by Him, and then they come to pass. Many prophecies have been fulfilled. Others are in an ongoing process of being fulfilled (such as God’s promises to keep Israel as a people). And others are yet future to us today.

Because of the innumerable prophecies that have already been fulfilled, we can be sure of several things:

The word is reliable. God has spoken, and what He says faithfully comes to pass. Thus, it proves that He is fully in charge of the future as it unfolds.

Jesus is the Messiah. God promised a Messiah. He has given prophecies in His word that tell when He would come, what would be the situation with Israel at His coming (and afterward), what family He would descend from, what His birth would be like, the things the Messiah would do, etc. Only Jesus qualifies concerning the fulfillment of these prophecies. Also, no person can ever fulfill them in the future based on the way God has arranged things.

Past performance assures us of future results. Because the word is trustworthy in the fulfillment of prophecy, we can be certain that those things which have not yet been fulfilled will be as well. And this isn’t just true with exacting prophecies but also with general and specific promises.

In the word, we are told that there will be a rapture. We can rest in that promise, being assured that it will come to pass. We are told that those in Christ who have died before us will be raised to eternal life. We should not worry one iota that it might not happen. God has promised us eternal life in a state we cannot yet understand. One without pain, fear, or death.

God’s past performance is a reliable testimony that His promises about the future for His people will be realized.

Do not fret, fear, or be uneasy about where life is taking you. Rest in the truth that God’s word will stand. Jesus has prevailed, and we will, too. Hold fast to this as the world around us continues to spin out of control. It really isn’t out of control at all.

God is allowing man to take the course he chooses until the time when He will set things straight. With those things to reassure us, we continue with Matthew’s words which cite the prophecy of Isaiah…

¹⁵ “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles:

Gē Zaboulōn kai gē Nephthalim hodon thalassēs peran tou Iordanou Galilaia tōn ethnōn –

“Land Zebulun and land Naphtali,
Way of the sea, beyond the Jordan –
Galilee of the Gentiles.”

These words are the specific words of prophecy by Isaiah, which begin with, “Land Zebulun and land Naphtali.”

The words come from Isaiah 9, the first seven verses of which are filled with descriptions of the coming Messiah. Matthew’s citation is not directly from the Hebrew or the Greek. Rather, it appears that he was writing from memory and giving the substance of the idea.

Isaiah’s words are directed to the area of two tribes that sat north in the land of Israel. Naphtali extended to the northern border of Canaan. Its eastern border rested along the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. Zebulun’s border ran next to Naphtali in approximately its southwest area. Isaiah’s words are addressed to this particular area, next noting, “Way of the sea.”

The sea is speaking of the Sea of Galilee. There is a route that leads to these areas by going around the sea, but so close to the sea that it is considered a sea highway. The next words of Isaiah, “beyond the Jordan,” are usually ignored or completely misunderstood.

The word is peran. It means over, on the other side, beyond, etc. It answers to the Hebrew noun ever, the region across or beyond. Both give the sense of a location that is opposite to the point of reference. However, Naphtali and Zebulun are within the borders of Canaan. Therefore, it seems like the thought is erroneous.

Why would a prophecy about these two tribal inheritances be given as if from across the Jordan when Isaiah was in Jerusalem on the west side of the Jordan?

Because of this, the words are ignored at times. Some say that they are speaking of the two areas as a base for Jesus’ evangelism on the other side of the Jordan (something not indicated by the words of Isaiah). Others will note it means something like what Albert Barnes says –

“This does not mean to the east of Jordan, as the phrase sometimes denotes, but rather in the vicinity of the Jordan, or perhaps in the vicinity of the sources of the Jordan.” Albert Barnes

Such a notion is incorrect. The word means the other side, beyond, etc., and it is used here as if from the area east of the Jordan. It does not mean “in the vicinity of.” The answer comes from looking at the fuller words of Isaiah in the surrounding context. Isaiah 8:1-10 refers to the invasion of Assyria. For example –

“Then I went to the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then the Lord said to me, ‘Call his name Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz; ⁴ for before the child shall have knowledge to cry “My father” and “My mother,” the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria will be taken away before the king of Assyria.’” Isaiah 8:3, 4

The rest of Isaiah 8 will first describe this invasion, and then it will describe the state of the people within the land, ending with the words, “Then they will look to the earth, and see trouble and darkness, gloom of anguish; and they will be driven into darkness.” It is from this springboard that the majestic words of hope come forth in Isaiah 9.

Therefore, the words “beyond the Jordan” refer to the area of the land of Israel’s northern kingdom, which included Zebulun and Naphtali, but they are spoken from the perspective of Assyria, which is east of the Jordan. It is in this area that hundreds of years later, the Messiah would bring hope to a land that had been through so much anguish and darkness at the time of Isaiah.

It is a land that still languished spiritually at the time of the coming of Christ Jesus. Understanding the reference to Isaiah’s words clears up the otherwise seemingly incomprehensible words. From this springboard, Matthew continues with, “Galilee of the Gentiles.”

This area contained land given to the Gentile king of Tyre, Hiram, as recorded in 1 Kings 9. It was later invaded by Assyria, and the people of the northern kingdom were taken into exile. From there, the Assyrians took Gentile people and moved them into this area, as noted in 2 Kings 17:24, 25.

Because of problems within the land, one of the priests of Israel was sent back to instruct these new inhabitants on how to live there properly (1 Kings 17:27, 28). The account next says –

“However every nation continued to make gods of its own, and put them in the shrines on the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in the cities where they dwelt. ³⁰ The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, the men of Cuth made Nergal, the men of Hamath made Ashima, ³¹ and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. ³² So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. ³³ They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.” 1 Kings 17:29-33

The pagan practices never departed from the area, and it always remained a place without the light of the Lord. This is why the Jews of Jesus’ time who lived in the north, and who would travel to Jerusalem, would avoid Samaria.

It was a place that developed its own worship of the Lord with its own modified version of the writings of Moses, known as the Samaritan Pentateuch. It is to this land of spiritual gloom that Isaiah’s prophecy is directed…

*^{16 (fin)} The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,
And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death
Light has dawned.”

ho laos ho kathēmenos en skōtei eide phōs mega kai tois kathēmenois en khōra kai skia thanatou phōs aneteilan autois –

“The people sitting in darkness, it saw Light – great,
And sitting in a country and death-shadow,
Light – it arose upon them.”

The words begin with “The people sitting in darkness,” and they explain the situation described in the previous verse.

The Assyrians came in and conquered the land, removing the northern ten tribes for their faithless conduct before the Lord. In place of them, pagans from around the Assyrian empire were brought in. They worshiped all the gods of their homelands, bringing great spiritual darkness when they did.

Many of these false religions were intermingled with the customs and religion of the Jews, as it said –

“They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away.” 2 Kings 17:33

This lack of properly worshiping the Lord continued throughout the years. This verse uses a present participle, sitting. Translations that render it as “sat” do a disservice to the intent. They were sitting and continued to sit.

The light of the worship of the Lord under the law did not permeate the darkness in which they sat. Something greater was needed to pull them out of the state of darkness in which they were stuck. But when Christ came, this area of darkness, “it saw Light – great.”

It is referring to Jesus and His ministry. This area was His main focus for an extended period. And it wasn’t just to the Jews, even though that was the primary calling. An example of Jesus bringing light to others is found in John 4, where He was presented as the Messiah to the Samaritans in Sychar.

Throughout the region, there was only darkness, and this included the religion of the Jews in the synagogues. They had been taken over by the religious leaders who misdirected the people with their false, self-centered teachings. These received the greatest rebukes from Jesus. As He said to them –

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15

Thus, the words of Isaiah continue, referring to the masses of this region, “and sitting in a country.” The people were sitting in darkness, and the darkness is here equated to the country. The area is within the original borders of the land of Israel, and yet there was only darkness.

Something greater than the law was needed to move them into a right relationship with the Lord, as the words of the prophecy next note, “and death-shadow.”

The Greek is two separate nouns: skia, a shadow, and thanatos, death. Taken together, they translate the single word found in the Hebrew of Isaiah, tsalmaveth – “death-shadow.” The death referred to carries a double connotation. It is the spiritual death that results in the physical death of humanity.

In other words, without the spiritual life of Christ, man is destined to die. This is what Jesus came to change. He came to give light and life to His people, bringing them out of the spiritual death in which they lived and from the physical death that all suffer because of it.

The words of the prophecy say of His coming, “Light – it arose upon them.” The words are beautifully explained by John as he opened his gospel narrative –

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. ⁹ That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.” John 1:4-9

In Jesus’ appearing, the words of Isaiah are fulfilled. He is the Great Light that came into the world and who appeared in the spiritually dark lands noted by Isaiah. In John 7, it says –

“Then the Pharisees answered them, ‘Are you also deceived? ⁴⁸ Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in Him? ⁴⁹ But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.’
⁵⁰ Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, ⁵¹ ‘Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?’
⁵² They answered and said to him, ‘Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.’” John 7:47-52

These religious leaders had the words of Isaiah right before them, and yet they refused to accept what he had written because it did not fit their presuppositions about the Messiah.

This is still the case today. Why are there some who follow the doctrines of Calvinism and some who completely reject Calvin’s main points? Why are there people who accept that you can lose your salvation, while others teach salvation is eternal?

Many believe in a rapture, while others reject the notion as silly. And even among those who accept the premise of a rapture, there are disagreements on the timing of the event.

This is a teeny portion of various disagreements within Christianity over doctrine. In fact, it is an infinitesimally small portion of them. Why is this?

There are several reasons. One is that people are arguing from different viewpoints about the source of what they believe. Some hold to Scripture alone, but they may hold to a single source text of the Hebrew or Greek or to a single English translation.

Some think that the church has been given ongoing authority to set doctrine, while others accept that the Bible is the sole source of doctrine for believers. But this still leads back to “which source text or translation.”

Even if a standard is agreed on, if one fails to take the Bible in its proper context, there can be no agreement on how doctrine is presented. If Jesus speaking to Israel under the law is used to make a doctrinal point in the church, and if that conflicts with what Paul says in his epistles, then there will be a disagreement on a particular doctrine.

And, of course, there are those who simply pull doctrines out of thin air and teach them as if they are biblically correct. These may be based on emotions, sensational events, or desires for power or money. In using those as the basis for instructing others who are uneducated in proper theology, people are captivated and brought into often disastrous situations.

We must each decide what standard we will accept as authoritative. As God has said His word is authoritative, that is the safest place to find the truth. From there, each step of the way, we should consider our next step carefully while fixing our eyes on Jesus, whom the Bible says is “the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).

If we do this, our priorities should be right as we continue our walk before God. Let us do this above all else as we seek His face in the Great Light of the face of Jesus Christ our Lord, as Paul notes in 2 Corinthians 4:6.

This light had to start somewhere. Reading these words of Matthew, who cites earlier words of Isaiah, tells us a story that is deeper than the surface text. By taking the names and details of verses 12-16, we are given a picture of this.

And Jesus (Salvation), having heard that John (Yehovah Has Been Gracious – the final witness to Israel) – he was surrendered, He withdrew into the Galilee (the Liberty – signifying freedom from the law). ¹³ And having disregarded Nazareth (Sown – the nation of Israel), having come, He dwelt in Capernaum (Village of Compassion), the seaside, in borders Zebulun (Glorious Dwelling Place – the heavenly promise) and Naphtali (My Wrestlings – the completed work of Christ). ¹⁴ That it might be fulfilled, the ‘having been spoken’ through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁵ “Land Zebulun and land Naphtali,
Way of the sea, beyond the Jordan (the Descender – Christ’s
incarnation) –
Galilee (Liberty) of the Gentiles.
¹⁶ The people sitting in darkness, it saw Light – great,
And sitting in a country and death-shadow,
Light – it arose upon them.”

The Lord, the Descender, came from heaven, united with human flesh, fulfilling all that was necessary to bring us back to a state of perfection that is acceptable to God. But to descend means from somewhere, meaning from God.

Just as in the Genesis 1 account, the Light that existed in God entered into the darkness of His creation. He did this in the form of a human being. But the Light came at the Feast of Dedication, the Festival of Lights, the time that we celebrate Christmas.

The Light that shone in Israel and that dawned upon the Gentiles is the Lord God. When we celebrate Christmas on the 25^th, we are not really celebrating the birth of a baby born in Bethlehem. Rather, we are acknowledging the most incredible moment in all of human history: the uniting of the eternal Creator with His creation in the womb of a woman.

What Israel missed, for the most part, is what the Gentiles have come to understand intimately. Someday, Israel will understand too, but that day is yet ahead. For now, we can and should rejoice in the wonderful workings of God where He saw fit to join with us in this struggle against darkness and to prevail for us so that we can join Him in perfect fellowship for all eternity.

Thank God for the Child of Christmas and for the Light of the world, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Closing Verse: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” Luke 1:35

Next Week: *Malachi 3:5, 6 It is a truth that cannot be refuted… (For I, Yehovah! Not Transmuted) (7^th Malachi Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He sent His own Son into the world to reconcile you to Himself. Remember the enormity of what that means each day of your life. And then, follow Him and trust Him as He continues to do marvelous things for you and through you.

The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts

Unto us a Child is born
A time to rejoice and not to mourn

Unto us a Son is given
The One to lead us from death to a’livin’

And the government will be upon His shoulder
Every eye will see Him; every soul will be His beholder

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom’s realm
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever – He at the helm
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this

And His name will be called Wonderful
The Counselor and Mighty God is He
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, pure and white as wool
Of the increase of His government and peace, no end shall we see

Do not be afraid, for behold
I bring you good tidings of great joy
Which will be to all people, forever told
The wondrous story, the birth of a Boy

For there is born to you this day
In the city of David, a Savior, it is He
Christ the Lord whom heaven’s hosts obey
The Messiah has come; and now you may go and see

And this will be the sign to you:
You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes
Lying in a manger, a glorious view
The Christmas Child whom our Heavenly Father bestows

A Child like no other has come to dwell among us
He shall lead us in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake
And His name is called out, His name is JESUS
Come, and of the Heavenly Child partake

He is God’s gift and heaven’s treasure
He is Immanuel – God with us
And He bestows upon us grace without measure
The Christmas Child, our glorious Lord – JESUS!

Hallelujah and Amen…

 

 

 

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

Psalm 42:5
For I Shall Yet Praise Him

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house; ¹⁴ and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, ¹⁵ when the Sabeans raided them and took them away—indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
¹⁸ While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, ¹⁹ and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”
²⁰ Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. ²¹ And he said:
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked shall I return there.
The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
²² In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. -Job 1:13-22

In 1776, and under a completely different context, Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called The American Crisis. It was a call to stir up the American army, which had faced defeats as they faced the British during the Revolutionary War. In his words, Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” It was such a poignant and stirring line that it has remained embedded in the American psyche ever since. It was also a key impetus for inspiring the army to cross the Delaware and attack the Hessian Army stationed at Trenton, New Jersey, becoming the American’s first significant victory of the war.

Job faced the times that tried his soul, and he prevailed over the battle that Satan brought against him by remaining steadfast in his faithful devotion to God, despite the inordinate amount of loss he faced.

But Satan was not through with him as Chapter 1 closed out. Rather, he continued to incite Job to sin against the Lord by attacking his physical body, covering him with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. All he was left with was potsherds to scrape his miserable, festering skin, pain from each swipe of a boil, and a nagging wife who implored him to “Curse God and die.” The latter being the greatest punishment of all. And yet, his words back to this treacherous woman vindicated his faith that God was just –

“But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?’ In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” Job 2:10

In 1979, Steve Martin starred in the movie The Jerk. He was a white boy born as a poor black child, lacking any skills or abilities that could elevate him out of a life of mediocrity. And yet, through a series of events, he became extremely wealthy. But as such things go, it was all lost just as quickly as it appeared. When their downfall came about, he said to his wife, played by Bernadette Peters, that it was just money, and they could make more of that. Her response was, “I don’t care about losing all the money. It’s losing all the stuff.”

Is that what our life is to be remembered for? Stuff?

For me, it is Monday, 7 October. It is 4:30 am, and I have walked the dogs, read the Bible (over two cups of coffee), and quickly surveyed a property that has been our home since 1993 and the home of my father for another fifteen or so years beyond that.

In the previous ten days, we have gone through the most significant flooding of our lives. Dad moved onto the island in 1948. There have been storms, and there have been times of green grass and then high tides, but there was never a time where the high tides overflowed the island and completely swept away the green grass as it retreated… until late September of this year. And yet, within just a few days of that ending, we are set to face another hurricane, most likely as a direct or near-direct hit. Monday morning at 2 am, the forecast places the storm upon arrival as a category 3 with a significant storm surge.

The only question is whether it will veer a bit south, a bit north, or come directly at us. Each has positives and negatives concerning winds and tides, but none appear appealing at this point. And more, this storm will not just affect the coastal homes of the west coast of Florida as Helene did. Rather, every person in this church – even Ron and Shannon, who live many miles north and far inland will be on my mind because of the track once landfall is made.

Every person in this church is a burden upon my mind as I sit in the dark and type. Along with them are family and friends throughout the area. But what else does this day represent? A storm lies ahead, but 365 days ago, on this day, a storm of a different kind swept through parts of Israel when they were brutally attacked by a terrorist force bent on killing the people of Israel.

The Islamic forces of Hamas murdered, raped, and tortured the people they encountered. We have time to at least prepare for the next few days and decide what we will do as the storm approaches. Those people, like Job, simply faced the satanic onslaught as it came about, and they had to face the consequences of it once it had passed by. Many in Israel found out what was truly important at that time. And the nation as a whole had to decide what to do about what transpired. Their response, and the battles they continue to face, are a part of the unfolding drama of the prophetic scenario known to God all along.

As for those of us in the path of Hurricane Milton, time will tell what the result of its passing will be. As for Helene, we – meaning my father, Hideko, and I – have gone through that. It was a truly trying ordeal. As we watched the house fill with water, we heard appliances – one after another – fail. The washer-dryer unit, which wasn’t even running, came on and started to churn. Within a couple of minutes, it burned up. A freezer in the garage sparked and died.

The waters rose more and came into the house. Suddenly, there was a heavy smell of ozone, and the refrigerator gave off some scary rattling noises and died. What could we do? I got Dad to come from his house to ours, we all retreated upstairs, and we waited to see what the outcome would be.

Throughout the night, something kept happening that I will never forget. I called it “the sound of car death.” Different houses have been built on different levels of dirt brought in from the mainland in hopes of beating such an event, but for most, it wasn’t enough.

As the minutes turned to hours, again and again, there would be the steady beeping noise of a car alarm as the waters began to reach the electronics. The beeping would continue for a while and then become erratic, like a child who wasn’t getting his way over the toy he wanted Mommy to give him. And then, within a few minutes, the whining would stop… the car had died.

The next morning, and for the next days afterward, we saw Porches, Lamborghinis, Maserati’s, and other cars worth more than our house towed away to be made into other useful things, like razor blades and tin cans. One could almost hear the repetition of the words of Bernadette Peters… “It’s losing all the stuff.”

Along with the cars, tons and tons (and tons) of household goods were carried out to the roadside and heaped unceremoniously in piles that I eventually called “the walls of sorrow.” Scrappers came through each day, taking whatever their eyes alighted on. That reduced the level of junk a bit. But the walls of sorrow continued to grow for the next week as people came into town to survey the damages in these, their winter homes.

As a side note to highlight our own situation, and something you might find comical, as we watched the things stored up for a lifetime slowly being destroyed by the waters, I remember seeing a brand-new pack of Bounty paper towels bobbing around in the garage. Hideko had bought them just a couple of days before, and they were unopened when the storm hit. The ruin of those paper towels affected me more than almost anything else. We had used the washer/dryer for a year (it was Hideko’s retirement present).

We had used the refrigerator for eons. It was set to go anyway. The sofa had been slept on innumerable times, and every dog we had with us for thirty years probably threw up on it a dozen times in order to stake its rightful claim over it. But those Bounty towels were never opened. It was like taking $20.00 and just lighting it on fire. The waste seemed so… so… so pointless. Surely, these are the times that try men’s souls. The loss of the HMS Bounty didn’t seem as important to me as the loss of those paper towels call Bounty.

We have to consider each event as it comes, process it in whatever way it affects us, and then live with what happened. This is true for something as insignificant as a big pack of Bounty towels that wound up on the side of Midnight Pass Road without ever having served the purpose for which they were made.

As I sit here on Monday morning, I wonder if the coming storm will lift up those towels and the tons and tons of other things sitting out there, as yet uncollected, and deposit them, once again, all over our property.

And what about the people in the church? The storm is coming, and each one of them will probably face it to some extent. Will these, my family in Christ, be ok? All I can do is type, pray, and place my hope in the Lord’s hands for each of them.

The psalmist gave us words to consider in such times –

¹ As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So pants my soul for You, O God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?
³ My tears have been my food day and night,
While they continually say to me,
“Where is your God?”
⁴ When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go with the multitude;
I went with them to the house of God,
With the voice of joy and praise,
With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him
For the help of His countenance.
⁶ O my God, my soul is cast down within me;
Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon,
From the Hill Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls;
All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
⁸ The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime,
And in the night His song shall be with me—
A prayer to the God of my life.
⁹ I will say to God my Rock,
“Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
¹⁰ As with a breaking of my bones,
My enemies reproach me,
While they say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God. Psalm 42

The rest of the week, like our very next moment of existence of each moment we live, is unknown to me. And so, shall I fret as we await the coming storm? Shall I call out and curse God if things don’t go well? Shall I throw a temper tantrum at the God who created all things and who temporarily gives them to us to enjoy?

Rather, I have determined now that in whatever comes, I shall yet praise Him. He alone is worthy of that. He alone determines the end from the beginning. When Sunday morning arrives, if it arrives for us as individuals and for us as a church gathering, I would hope that regardless of what transpires, each of you will say, “The Lord is my Rock. He is my Fortress, my Defense, my Hope, and my Hiding Place. Through the days of my life, I shall yet praise Him.”

What is stuff? For the most part, it is a distraction from our relationship with God. If we are wise, we can incorporate the things of our lives into that relationship. When a large and delicious meal is set before us, we can thank Him for it. Should we be in a foxhole with C-rations, we can thank Him for that. And if the week ahead finds any of us eating a meal provided by Samaritans Purse as we sit under a tent, having lost everything, we can thank Him for that as well.

Life, the spark of life that impels us forward, is not about stuff. Our lives will be judged based on our response to the things that occur around us and the situations in which we interact throughout our days, not on the amount of stuff we collected and idolized. If our responses and interactions acknowledge the goodness of the Lord while we are in the land of the living, He will justly and adequately reward us according to His goodness in relation to our faith. It is Monday morning for me as I type.

I am already trying to process the week ahead in ten thousand possible permutations of what could be. I am already mourning with those who are mourning. I am already burdened with those facing loss. I am already grateful for the storm that… that didn’t happen (oh! To pray and dream!).

To pass this week, as with each day of our lives as they occur, I am looking forward to it with the Lord as a part of it. Cursed God and die? It shall never be! You speak as one of the foolish women speaks!

In the Revolutionary War, many men gave everything to secure a land and a freedom for those who followed. On October 7^th, 2023, many of Israel saw the futility of life without God as loved ones were taken from them.

When Hurricane Helene pushed north in late September, lives were uprooted, towns and villages were swept away, and many lives were lost. Some were faithful Christians, while others rejected that path. Eternal destinies were set as lives were extinguished through raging floodwaters.

In Butler, Pennsylvania, a president was spared while Corey Comperatore lost his life protecting his family. Corey was a saved believer in Christ, no one is really sure about President Trump. Which is in the better position right now? Life is about choices.

Now, another storm is just ahead. And if this sermon is given on Sunday, the 13^th of October, it will be just behind. It has been my main goal and purpose in life these past years to prepare people for just such an event, actually, for the choices that should be made before such an event. Why do bad things happen to “good” people? First and foremost, the question is flawed. Jesus Himself told us this –

“Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’
¹⁷ So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’” Matthew 19:16,17

The words of Jesus speak of an ultimate standard of goodness. The same word, translated as good, is used to speak of people elsewhere in a comparative sense. Jesus says in Matthew 12 that a good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, brings forth good things. Barnabas is called a good man in Acts 11:24.

These and numerous other examples are given as comparative uses of the word good. But in the eyes of God, apart from His Son, there are none truly good. The defect of sin remains in us, and we are prone to being anything but good.

However, if we go by the comparative sense of the word, we can and do ask why God allows the good to suffer. We question how God can be just when evil things happen to us. But consider the premise! Where do we live? Some of us chose to live in Florida. Now that… that is good.

We enjoy the benefits of the land we have chosen to live in. And. yet, there is not a person with a modicum of reason in his head who doesn’t know that Florida is prone to hurricanes. Should we move here and suddenly expect to be exempt from such an ordeal now that we have graced this land with our presence? What about those in Asheville, North Carolina? They moved in, and all was good. They lived their lives with God or apart from God as they so choose. Their choice of home was “good,” and they were “good” in whatever comparative sense filled their heads.

But is it reasonable to expect God to send the floodwaters upon Asheville and exempt the “goodest of the good” while sweeping away the less “good” because they weren’t quite as good as those gooder than them?

When a person goes water skiing, there is a chance that he will –

Have a heart attack.
Get bit by a shark and bleed out.
Get run over by the boat that is supposed to pull him along for a day of fun.
Hit a rock or a dock and come to a sudden end.
Etc.

Are these things God’s fault? Is God expected to bubble-wrap humanity so that they are free from such things? If God said, “No, I don’t want you water skiing. It’s just too dangerous,” you would shake your fist in His face and tell Him to mind His own business.

You probably did it with your own parents a time or two when they told you “No” over something not so intelligent that you were planning to do. But when your boyfriend slams into a dock and dies from sudden trauma, there is always God to blame… to question… to be angry at for allowing such a thing to happen. “I hate God. He took my wife from me.” I have personally heard this. Maybe you have, too. It is always God’s fault when tragedy arises, but it is almost never to His credit when the good things of life come about. “I achieved!” “I won!” “I earned!” “I built!”

How rare and wonderful it is to the ears of the Lord when someone gets his “I’s” corrected, and he finally sees things properly and as they should be. Why do bad things happen to good people? They don’t. Good things happen to us despite our lack of any true goodness.

Only in Christ, and only by the power of His goodness, can we even be looked at by God with the slightest hint of favor. If you don’t believe that, try reading Genesis 6. In fact, let’s see about all those comparatively “good” people and what God thought of them at that time –

“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. ⁶ And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. ⁷ So the Lord said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ ⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” Genesis 6:5-8

After only fifteen hundred years of man on earth, he had so corrupted his ways that there was no remedy left but to destroy him. And so, in the year 1656 Anno Mundi, the rains fell, the great storehouses of the deep, filled with the wrath of God, exploded forth, and the world went into a cataclysmic period of complete destruction.

All of the “good” people, comparatively speaking, on the planet didn’t measure up. Today, there are “good” people in Tel Aviv. Mom says, “He’s a good boy, and I am so proud of him and his husband.” In Los Angeles, there is a “good” District Attorney, respected by his colleagues and by every criminal he fails to prosecute. His walls are lined with awards and accolades, he wields power and authority, and he is a “good” man, comparatively speaking. In North Korea, there is a “good” leader, worshipped by his people as a living god and who wields complete authority over his “good” people.

Kamala Harris is a “good” person who will defeat evil Trump, who has come to destroy the “good” way of life introduced by those on the left. Donald Trump is a “good” person who wants to protect the “good” values of Americanism and democracy.

Each person before the flood was “good” on some unknown curve that was established within his own mind or within the minds of those around him. Each person on the planet today thinks he is “good” in some comparative way.

Why do bad things happen to “good” people? Ask those of the pre-flood world. Ask those who were in the seats of United Airlines Flight 175 that flew into the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11^th, 2001, at 9:03 am. Or better yet, ask those who flew that plane into the tower.

Why did some of us suffer loss this past week? Why are my father and Doctor Bridges 91 years old while others have died at 87 or… 21, or… 3? Where does our standard of “good” come from? If it isn’t from God, then we have a faulty impression of goodness. And when we carry this impression around, of course, we will blame God when our favorite animal dies. “O God is so cruel.”

We have spent the entire life of that dog, from the moment it was a newborn puppy until the last moment of its life thinking about how great it is that we have this dog, never considering thanking the God (the God we don’t believe in) for allowing us to enjoy it while it is alive.

But the moment the dog dies, we blame God, tell Him that we hate Him (even though we don’t believe in Him!), and angrily and sadly bury it in the back yard. And then we go in and have a big steak for dinner, never considering that the cow on our plate was just as much a unique animal as the dog we just buried.

Last year my “good” wife (the best in fact ☺️) got cancer. Should we have blamed God for interrupting our “good” life? Last year, our house plumbing – all of it, water and sewer – exploded. Our “good” lives were upheaved. Should we have blamed God?

Twice in three weeks, we are facing possible complete annihilation of our home. Should we just give up, raise our fists to the heavens, and blame God? We are “good” people. Why doesn’t God give us a break? What about the “bad” guy down the road? Should God put up a wall to protect us and wash him away?

Why do bad things happen to “good” people? Because we make choices in a world of uncertainty. We choose to live in Florida. We choose to live in Sarasota. We choose to live on Siesta Key. We choose to continue to stay in a house that was built 76 years ago with substandard building materials. We choose the cars we drive, the workplace we go to each day, the route we take to get there, the store we shop at, and so much more. Life is a stream of choices in a world that is preset for certain events to occur at certain times to direct the course of history as it marches toward an inevitable conclusion that is already recorded in the pages of God’s word.

We have the overall blueprint, but we lack the details. And so, we make choices… “good” people (well, comparatively) in a fallen world. Many chose not to come to church today, or any Sunday in fact, and worship the Lord who created them.

Some choose to rob, murder, rape, and so forth. And yet, there is someone out there who will say, “He is a good person. He didn’t mean it.” They will rationalize away the crimes based on their past lives, the unfairness of the skin color they were born with, or for a thousand other reasons, and they will appeal to society that they are “good” people.

What happened to you this past week? Did you suffer loss? Praise the Lord for what you had. Thank Him it wasn’t worse. Did someone you know die? Thank the Lord that you were blessed to know that person. Did you come out unscathed completely? Praise Him for the blessing and pity those who were dealt a different hand.

It’s Monday morning. I’m sermon typing. I was just sent photos from a friend in Israel. Twice this week, he had to go into a bomb shelter while missiles flew in from the north. He sent pictures of bomb craters, a bombed-out car, pieces of shrapnel, windows pelleted with holes, etc.

In the next message, he said, “So I hear that the hurricane that’s coming tomorrow will push 18 feet of water from the shore line and 2-3 feet up beyond sea level. Are you guys evacuating?” He’s being bombed from the skies at random times and from random angles, and he is concerned about us in Florida. Does this “good” guy deserve the hatred leveled against him simply because he exists as a Jew (a Jesus-believing Jew, BTW) in the land of Israel? Is his concern for us in Florida rational while he actually faces greater uncertainty from moment to moment than we will in the days ahead? One thing is for sure: if we are alive and able, on our respective days of worship, that is where we will be – Yosi and me, on other sides of the ocean, praising the same Lord who has granted us the time and places of our lives in His presence.

We will be worshiping, praising, and serving the Lord who gave us this temporary, uncertain life. It is a life filled with loss – floating Bounty paper towels, if you will – that is completely uncontrollable. But it is a life worth living in the presence of God no matter how bad it gets, and no matter how good it can be.

We will praise Him in the storm, and we will thank Him for the abundance. He is the Creator and we are the created. The pot has no right to complain against the potter, “Why did you form me like this?” He formed us. We must live within the parameters of existence for which we are formed.

These may be the times that try men’s souls, but these are the days of our lives. We have to live them. And so, let us live them in a way that honors God. We have every right to mourn. Jesus wept. He surely wept over the madness of rejecting Him for the things of this world. He has come to show us the very heart of God the Father. Instead, we blame God the Father… for everything bad. And we ignore Him during the times when all is good.

Jesus wept. We, too, can mourn. Abraham mourned for the loss of Sarah. David mourned over the loss of Absalom. Why? Everyone else thought he was a loser, and indeed he was. He usurped his father’s throne, came after him to kill him, and wound up dead himself. And in his dying, David mourned –

“O my son Absalom—my son, my son Absalom—if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!” 2 Samuel 18:33

What prompted David to so tenderly love such an unlovable person? What force, what thought, what eternal love impelled God to send His Son to die for such unlovable, unworthy, unholy creatures as us? What kind of love impelled the God who destroyed the entire world by the flood to send Jesus to die for billions and billions of Absaloms?

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

When hoary time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall;
When men who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call;
God’s love, so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.

Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry;
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
-Frederick M. Lehman

For some, these indeed are the times that try men’s souls. But is our life about a bunch of stuff? Is it about petting puppies while having steak? Is our life about the house we live in, the refrigerator we possess, or the car we drive?

And why do bad things happen to good people? It’s because God has allowed it to be so. Though He slay me, yet I will trust Him. He is God, I am the work of His hands, and so I will trust Him. May this be your state as well? Today and every day, let us entrust our souls to God, who formed and fashioned us for His purposes.

And may He be glorified on our lips, in our actions, and throughout our days. May it be so. We have a meeting with Him in due time. May that day be one of joy and rejoicing because of the simple faith that pleases Him more than anything else.

Jesus! Jesus! Jesus! Thank God for Jesus, who truly makes us “good” in the sight of God. Because of Him, we can forever plumb the mysteries of why things are the way they are, knowing that all things meet a plan and a purpose that extends far beyond our current days of uncertainty, sadness, and loss.

Closing Verse: And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. ³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.  -Romans 8:28-30

Next Week: Judges 20:36-48 An amazing story to tell, line by line… (No King in Israel, Part IX) (56^th Judges Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. It is He who judges His people according to their deeds. So, follow Him, live for Him, and trust Him, and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Hallelujah and Amen…