Author: Lamar Austin

Today’s Bible readings are from Exodus 36, John 15, Proverbs 12 and Ephesians 5.

For the construction of the tabernacle there was a cadre of skilled workmen (Exodus 36:1-2) and plenty of resources (36:3-7).  In fact, the people had such generous willingness to give that there was “more than enough” (v. 5) and Moses asked them to stop giving (vv. 6-7), every building manager’s dream!

This follows the pattern of God’s giving to us.  God gives us much more than we ever need, and our giving is simply a response to His. (David Guzik)

They then built the curtains (vv. 8-19), boards and bars (vv. 20-34) and veil and screen (vv. 35-38)–all the boundaries–from the materials provided by the people.

Dutch theologian Herman Witsius (1636 – 1708) notes that it took God six days to create the universe and it took the craftsmen of Israel six days to build the tabernacle.

In John 15 Jesus speaks of the intimate relationship we can have with God through the image of the vineyard.  In this image, the Father is the vinedresser, Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.  Abiding in Jesus, like a branch is connected to the vine–drawing life from it–is the way that we bear fruit.

The expectation is that we would bear fruit, even “more fruit” (v.2) and “much fruit” (v. 8).  We cannot bear fruit unless we stay attached to Jesus.

When branches (believers) don’t bear fruit they are “taken away.”   Is this parallel to v. 6 where they are “thrown away” and “thrown into the fire,” or something different.

James Montgomery Boice (among others) believes that the ancient Greek verb airo, translated, takes away is more accurately translated lifts up.  The idea is that the Father lifts up unproductive vines off of the ground (as was common in the ancient practices of vineyard care).  Those caring for ancient grape vines made sure to lift them up off the ground that they might get more sun and bear fruit better.

Also, according to Derrickson, “the viticulture process that Jesus described in verse 6 took place in the fall, whereas the process He mentioned in verse 2 happened in the spring” (Viticulture and John 15:1-6, Bibliotheca Sacra 153:609 (January-March 1996, p. 50-51).

But what about verse 6?  Is it referring to unfruitful believers or unbelievers being cast into hell, or does it refer to unfruitful believers who are now considered useless (not pressing the fire image too far)?

The image is dropped in vv. 12-17, but Jesus continues in the theme of a close relationship with him (as “friend”).  Here the emphasis is on loving one another, the prime fruit of an abiding disciple.

Jesus then talks about their relationship with the world (vv. 18-27), that the world will hate them, but the Spirit will be with them.  They shouldn’t expect anything but persecution from the world, because it hated (hates) Jesus as well.

Proverbs 12 speaks of the value of righteousness (12:1-12) and avoiding trouble (12:13-28).

In Proverbs, one who is right (or wise) in his own eyes sees no need to seek instruction or counsel from others and is thus also unwilling to listen to reproof.  Proverbs strongly warns against this (see 3:5-7), because no one is immune to self-deception (see 16:2; 21:2), which can lead to the nearly hopeless state of having a hard heart (see 26:12). (ESV Study Bible)

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.” (12:25)

What good word can you speak into an anxious person’s life today?

Ephesians 5 continues the theme of progressive sanctification.  We are to “walk in love” (5:1-2) and “walk in the light” (5:3-20).  This will then affect all our relationships, beginning with marriage (5:21-33).

“All God’s gifts, including sex, are subjects for thanksgiving, rather than for joking.  To joke about them is bound to degrade them; to thank God for them is the way to preserve their worth as the blessings of a loving Creator.” (John Stott, Ephesians, p. 193)

Because we are light (new nature), we should walk in the light.  Part of that is continually discerning God’s will (5:10), making the most of every opportunity (5:16) and being filled with the Spirit (5:18).

“Be filled with the Spirit” (5:18) is a present, passive command.  This means that it is not optional, that it must be continuous (present tense) and that it happens to us.  A more precise translation is “be being kept filled with the Spirit.”

How are we filled with the Spirit?  There are no instructions here but we would assume that we must first confess our sins, then offer our bodies as living sacrifices, then ask the Spirit to take control of us.

Having explained the basic admonition to be filled with the Spirit (vv. 15-21), Paul next applied the implication of this exhortation to various groups of Christians.

He addressed six groups: wives and husbands (5:22-33), children and parents (6:1-4), and slaves and masters (6:5-9). In each of the three pairings, the first partner is responsible to be submissive or obedient (5:22; 6:1, 5).  However, the second partner is also to show a submissive spirit.  All are to relate to one another “as unto the Lord” (5:21).

The command to wives is to submit to their husbands, which I believe is the joyful disposition to support and respond to her husband’s leadership.

The command to husbands is to sacrifice themselves for their wives.  Husbands must take the responsibility to lead their wives, which is neither tyranny nor milquetoast.  If he loves her, he will lead her for her good.

This reflects the relationship between Christ and the church.  The church submits to Christ, Christ gave up His life for His bride.

Jesus also exhibits both submission (the way we show love to those above us in the hierarchy of life) and sacrifice (the way to show love to those equal to or below you in the hierarchy of life).  He submitted to His Father in the garden and died on the cross for us.

Today’s Bible readings are from Exodus 35, John 14, Proverbs 11 and Ephesians 4.

Exodus 35-40 is the actual building of the tabernacle.  The plans had been given (25-31) so now they take up an offering to build it and the money pours in (35:1-29).  Moses prefaces his appeal for the materials to build the tabernacle with “Whoever is of a generous heart…” (v. 5).  They were willing to give, they gave what they could and gave it to the LORD.  Everything that was needed was provided because of willing, generous hearts.

Moses again recognized “Bezalel” and “Oholiab” as unusually skillful artisans, whom God had gifted and appointed to lead the construction work (35:30—36:2).

In John 14 Jesus seeks to comfort them at the news of His departure.  First, he tells them they will not be separated forever, that He is going to His Father’s house to prepare a place for them (just like what happened in the engagement period between Jewish groom and bride) and would return to take them there (vv. 1-4).

Then, he promises them the Holy Spirit (vv. 16-17), to be their comforter.  Jesus had been their comforter, now they would have someone just like Him but with two distinct differences: (1) he would never leave them and (2) he would live in them.  What a blessing, to never be without the Comforter!

Third, he promises them that like Him, though they might die, they would live (v. 19).  Death wasn’t the end, but a new beginning.  They would see Him risen from the dead and that should comfort them that they will rise from the dead.

Dwight L. Moody once told his friends

“Some day you will read in the papers, ‘D. L. Moody of East Northfield is dead.’  Don’t you believe a word of it!  At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now…”

And C. S. Lewis said of the children who had been the main characters in the Chronicles of Narnia series, that they had now grown to adulthood and died in a train accident:

“All their life in this world and all their adventures had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.”

Finally, Jesus promises His disciples peace.  They would really need peace because Jesus would warn them that persecution was heading their way.  It would be God’s peace, not the world’s peace that was offered to them.  The world’s peace is shallow and short-lived.

I cannot imagine God pacing back and forth, wringing his hands, saying, “What now?  What am I going to do?”  He is always calm precisely because He is God and has everything, and I mean everything, under control.

It is that peace He gives us and we can experience it when we trust that God is with us and that He is working all things out for our good.

See Jack Dawson’s Peace in the Midst of the Storm for a visual demonstration of this kind of peace.  There is a video that explains some of the hidden imagery.

And Ron Hutchcraft tells this story (I don’t know if it is true)

Years ago a major art gallery sponsored a competition for painters.  They were offering prizes for the best painting on the subject of “Peace.”  As attenders browsed through the entries, most had decided that a one certain painting was almost sure to win.  It portrayed this lush green pasture under a vivid blue sky, with the cows grazing lazily and a little boy walking through the grass with his fishing pole over his shoulder.  It really made you feel peaceful.

But it came in second.  The painting that won was a real surprise.  The scene was the ocean in a violent storm.  The sky was ominous, the lightning was cutting across the sky, and the waves were crashing into the rock walls of the cliffs by the shore.  No peace.  But you had to look twice to understand what was going on.  There, about halfway up the cliff, was a birds’ nest, tucked into a tiny hollow in the rock.  A mother bird was sitting on that nest – with her little babies, tucked underneath her, sleeping soundly.  That was peace!

Anybody can have “peace” when the conditions are perfect, but we need the kind of peace that can weather the storms…and that is the peace that God gives.

Proverbs 11:1-8 focuses on matters of financial and personal security.  The riches of the wicked that will not save them (v. 4) and the false balance whereby a wicked man increases his income (v. 1) are contrasted with the just weight (v. 1) and righteousness (v. 4). Similarly, the pride (v. 2) and crookedness (v. 3) that lead people to ruin are contrasted with the humble attitude (v. 2) and integrity (v. 3) that guides people through the troubles of life.

11:5-6 parallel each other (The righteousness of the blameless/upright) and emphasize a common theme of the section: the faithfulness of the righteous guides (vv. 3a, 5a) and delivers them (see vv. 4a, 6a, 8a, 9b) from the fate of the wicked.

Wise investments are also the dominant theme of 11:16-31.  In 11:18 the wicked sows wickedness and reaps what he does not expect (“deceptive wages,” cf. Rom. 6:23): divine punishment rather than blessing.  The righteous, on the other hand, “sows righteousness” and reaps what he sows: blessing (cf. Gal. 6:7).  The former reward is often deceptive and disappointing, but the latter is truly satisfying.  Haman reaped a bitter harvest for his wicked sowing, whereas Jesus received nothing but glory for His sowing.

11:24-26 speaks of giving which is not loss, but gain.

If God rewards the righteous with blessings in this life (11:31, and He does, “how much more” will He repay wicked sinners before they die!  No one sins with impunity.  We reap what we sow.  God will judge every sin.

While ungodly people may appear to prosper and live carefree lives, they do not experience the blessing of fellowship with God, which is the greatest blessing human beings can enjoy in this life (cf. Phil. 3:7-11).  Job is an example of a righteous man who experienced great reward before he died, as did Abraham, David, Paul, and a host of others.  Several of the wicked kings of Israel and Judah illustrate the alternative.  Peter quoted this proverb (1 Pet. 4:18).

Ephesians 4 begins the practical portion of this epistle.  In chapters 1-3 Paul described what God has done for us and we might say that our position is in view and that we are seated in the heavenlies.  The dominant theme of Ephesians 4-5 is our walk, our practice, while Ephesians 6:10-20 calls us to stand.  The “therefore” at the beginning of 4:1 shows that our practice is based on our position, our character on our calling, imperatives are built on indicatives.

Ephesians 4:1-16 is organized in a large parallel known as a chiasm. The first part of this parallel (verses 1-6) deals with the unity of the church. The second part of this parallel (verses 7-16) deals with the diversity of the church.

Because the Trinity is united and everything God has done for us unites us, we are to be united.  The attitudes of humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance in love is our part.

But that unity is not uniformity.  We are all given different gifts and those gifts enable us to build up the body.  Spiritual leaders are given (v. 11) to equip the saints for ministry, not to do all the work themselves.

The goal is maturity and unity (diversity is not divisiveness) so that we are not carried away by every “wind of doctrine.”

So we are called to walk according to our calling–in unity and diversity, but we are also called to walk differently than the Gentiles (unsaved).  Having “learned Christ” (4:20) we are to (1) put off the old self, (2) be renewed in our minds, and (3) put on the new self.  This threefold pattern is carried through chapter 4 into chapter 5.

Some have called Ephesians 4:25-32 Four Rules for Fighting Fair:

1. Speak the truth to one another (v. 25)
2. Reconcile quickly (vv. 26-27)
3. Use edifying language (v. 29)
4. Be willing to forgive (vv. 30-32)

In each case Paul tells them what to put off and what to put on, and usually gives a reason (renewing of the mind, understanding why).

For example, in Ephesians 4:25 Paul tells them to put away speaking falsehood (lying, deception) and put on telling the truth and then tells them “for we are members of one another.”  Since we are members of one another, lying rips the fabric of that relationship.

See if you can pick out each of the three steps in the remaining verses.

Today’s readings are from Exodus 34, John 13, Proverbs 10 and Ephesians 3.

Exodus 34:6 is the first of many (Num. 14:18; Psa. 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; Joel 2:13) brief revelations of God’s character, what we might call the “softer side” of God.  The Lord “passed before him” as in 33:19, 22.  We don’t know what he saw, but he heard these wonderful words: “”The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness” (Exodus 34:6).

This revelation of the character of God to Moses forever puts away the idea that there is a bad God of the Old Testament which is in contrast to the good God of the New Testament.  God’s character of love and mercy and grace is present in the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. (David Guzik)

Moses’ immediate response was to bow low and worship (v. 8) and again appealed for God’s presence to go with them (v. 9).  So Yahweh renewed the covenant with Israel, promising to bring them victoriously into the land but commanding them neither to make covenants with the Canaanites nor worship their gods.  They were to keep the festivals (v. 18, 22-24) and sabbath (v. 21), dedicate the firstborn animal (vv. 19-20) and firstfruits (v. 26) to Yahweh.

Moses spent 40 days and nights (fasting!) with Yahweh (v. 28), and when he came down, his face was shining with God’s glory (v. 29).  Moses relayed God’s commands, then put a veil over his face (cf. 2 Cor. 3:7-18).

The blessing of God’s people rests on the faithful lovingkindness of God and the intercession of their leaders: Jesus Christ and human leaders. We cannot stress too much the importance of the kind of intercession that Moses modeled on this occasion. If God has given you a ministry of leadership, your intercession for those you lead, or your lack of it, will directly affect their welfare. (Thomas Constable)

John 13 begins the Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17).  Jesus is alone with His disciples (without Judas, the betrayer most of the time).  He wants to prepare them for living and ministering without Him.

First, Jesus shares the “last supper” with His disciples.  At the “first supper,” the feeding of the 5,000, the Jews wanted to exalt Jesus as King; at this supper, He identifies Himself as sacrifice.

John’s description of the time of the Last Supper seems to conflict with that of the Synoptics.  They present it as happening on Thursday evening, but many students of the fourth Gospel have interpreted John as locating it on Wednesday evening (13:1, 27; 18:28; 19:14, 31, 36, 42).  The Last Supper was a Passover meal that took place on Thursday evening.

Jesus begins by washing their feet, something a servant, or one of the disciples, should have done.  Jesus didn’t serve them because He felt inferior to them.  He knew (1) “that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father” (v. 1); (2) “that the Father had given all things into his hands, and (3) that he had come from God and (4) was going back to God” (v. 3).

Although He was the supreme and exalted Son of God, he “rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist” and began to wash the disciples’ feet.

Of course, we see here two people that are hard to serve: (1) someone who doesn’t want to be served, like Peter, and (2) someone who has (or will) hurt us, like Judas.  If I would have had foreknowledge that someone was going to betray me, I would have twisted their ankle.  But Jesus did not.

Jesus did this because “he loved them to the end” (to the uttermost) and he wanted to teach them a lesson of serving.  “Do like I have done to you.”

Jesus then sends Judas away (vv. 18-20) and Judas departed (vv. 27-30).  I would assume that Jesus celebrated the “Lord’s Supper” after Judas departed.

Jesus gives them a “new commandment” (vv. 31-35).  The old commandment had to do with love as well, but it was “love your neighbor as yourself.”  This one aims higher–“love one another as I have loved you.”  In particular, serve one another like I just served you.

This chapter ends with the prediction of Peter’s denial (vv. 36-38).  Peter intended to die for Christ and wanted to, but in the end his will failed him.

We might say that Judas’ denial of Jesus was deliberate and planned; Peter’s denial of Jesus was accidental and spontaneous.  Peter’s denial was terrible, but it wasn’t the same as what Judas did. (David Guzik)

Before Peter could die for Jesus, Jesus must die for Peter.

Most of us don’t understand the weakness, the darkness, that resides within us.  Mark Sayer’s book on leadership, Facing Leviathan shows how neither the hero model of leadership nor the bohemian model of leadership really works, but rather this servant leadership expressed by Jesus.

Proverbs 10

The purpose of Proverbs 10:1-5 is to encourage the pursuit of one’s labors in righteousness, which excludes acquiring gain by unjust means (v. 2a) or squandering it by sloth (vv. 4-5).  At the center of these verses is the reason: The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry.  It is the Lord who provides (v. 3), and through righteousness he delivers not only from hunger but also from death(v. 2b).  The encouragement of the whole section to walk in righteousness is framed by the appeal to be a son who is wise (v. 1a) or prudent (v. 5a) rather than foolish (v. 1b) or shameful (v. 5b).

Although set in clusters, vv. 6-32 as a whole act to contrast the righteous and the wicked in order to illustrate that “righteousness” (v. 2) is the path for a wise son.

Proverbs 10:4 says “the hand of the diligent makes rich.”  While Proverbs 10:22 says “the blessing of the LORD makes rich.”  “The one notes the primary source of wealth; the other points to the instrumental source of wealth.  Neither can be effective without the other.  The sluggard looks for prosperity without diligence; the atheist looks for prosperity only from being diligent.” (Charles Bridges)

If you want to explore the Proverbs in more depth, you can receive Daily Proverb in your inbox each day.

Anybody up for a good mystery?  The New Testament has plenty.  This chart is from Thomas Constable…

Ephesians 3 is about the mystery which is the church.  Paul had introduced this subject in 2:11-22, talking about the “one new man” which God had created out of believing Jews and believing Gentiles.  A biblical “mystery” is something made known which had been unknown in the past (v. 5).

6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

This had not been revealed in the Old Testament.  Jesus referred to the church in Matthew 16:18, “I will build my church” and Matthew 18:17 “tell it to the church” but does not explain what He is referring to.  It was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when the Holy Spirit baptized believers into Jesus.

This mystery is not only significant for the church itself, but was an amazing spectacle to the “rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (v. 10).

Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians is that their inner man, their spirit, might be strengthened to be able to comprehend the incomprehensible–the height, depth, length and breadth of Christ’s love for us.

These verses and other verses about God’s passionate love for us are vitally important for God to reveal to our hearts so that we “know and rely upon the love of God” (1 John 4:16) each moment.  When we are grabbed by God’s love, when we truly know it and feel it and rely upon it, then our love for Him will grow deeper and stronger, enabling us to say “no” to temptations and “yes” to God’s will.

And God is able to do this, if we ask

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever.  Amen.

Take that by faith and pray for it.  Ask others to pray Paul’s prayer for you as well.

Today’s readings are from Exodus 33, John 12, Proverbs 9 and Ephesians 2.

Exodus 33 consists of the people’s repentance (vv. 1-11); Moses’ intercession (vv. 12-16) and God’s agreement to go with Israel and reveal His glory to Moses (vv. 17-23).

Moses has just been informed that God would send Israel to Canaan with the promise of safe passage, with the Lord’s angel going before them, but without YHWH in their midst (Exodus 33:1-3).  Israel was overwhelmed with grief by this news (33:4-6).  God’s dwelling in their midst was what made them distinct, and now because of their stiff-necked sin, God was pulling back.

Are you disturbed at the prospect, however remote, that God’s presence might be withdrawn from your life because of your sin?

This separation is confirmed in 33:7-11, when Moses describes the kind of distant access Israel would be subjected to, now that the tabernacle plans had been destroyed (Exod 32:19).

When Moses intercedes, he prays for God’s presence, which is the most important thing (as we will see again in Numbers 13).  He prays according to God’s promises.  This is always important, that we link our prayers not to our merits or even our needs, but to God’s promises.  Moses also prays to learn more about God.

13 Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.”

Moses won a “yes” answer from God when he asked for the special presence of God to remain with Israel on the way to the Promised Land (Exodus 33:12-17).  He also won a confirmation of the promise from God and an affirmation of close relationship.  Yet he was still not satisfied. He wanted more in his personal relationship with God. (David Guzik)

This hunger for more is the true mark of revival.

A. W. Tozer, in his book The Pursuit of God has this prayer:

O God, I have tasted Your goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more.  I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace.  I am ashamed of my lack of desire.  O God, the Triune God, I want to want You; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still.  Show me Your glory, I pray, so I may know You indeed.  Begin in mercy a new work of love within me…  Give me grace to rise and follow You up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

When Moses asks to see God’s glory (v. 18), God tells Moses that he will make His goodness pass before Moses (v. 19), but he cannot see God’s face or else die (v. 20).  Moses was placed in the cleft of the rock (v. 21) and saw Yahweh’s backside (v. 23).

Paul, in Philippians 3, wanted to be “found in Christ,” for that is the only place where we find protection from the wrath of God against our sins.

John 12 begins with Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfume and wiping them with her hair.

Love’s extravagance!

Let’s look at each part:

“Costly perfume” — According to the Archaeological Study Bible, one pint of nard would have cost about a year’s wage for a day-laborer.  Cheaper by far is one of the most expensive perfumes in the world today — Joy, by Jean Patou.  Henri Alméras designed and brewed the perfume in 1929.  He mixed jasmine odor and rose in the perfume.  Each 30 ml perfume in the bottle includes the extraction of 10,000 jasmine flowers combined with 28 dozen roses. It sells for only (!) $800 per ounce.

“anointed Jesus’ feet” — This was unusual.  Usually the head was anointed.

“wiped them with her hair” — This is almost scandalous.  A proper woman would not show her hair in a public setting.

Of course, Judas objected.  He began by stealing from the “common purse” and ultimately betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.

Every time we see Mary, she is down at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:38-42 learning; John 11, praying; John 12 worshiping).  Barclay mentions three significant things communicated by Mary’s worship–it was extravagant; it was humble; it was unself-conscious.

John 12:12-36 is John’s record of the triumphal entry.  Jesus rode in on a donkey, a symbol of peace, when he could have ridden in on a horse, symbolizing war.

John is the only gospel writer to tell us that Greeks sought out Jesus.  They wanted to see Jesus.

“We would see Jesus.”  What a wonderful thought for pastors as they step into their pulpits.  And what a wonderful thought for each of us as we live our lives in front of our families, our neighbors, our co-workers.

Philip and Andrew presented them to Jesus.  His first response is that “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.”  Apparently this appearance of Gentiles before this Jewish Messiah was the tipping point.  Up until now it had not been his hear (John 2:4; 7:6, 30; 8:20).

Then Jesus said…

24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

In order to bear spiritual fruit, we must die.  We cannot protect our life and experience growth in our life.  We must “hate” our life by putting ourselves at risk.

This chapter ends by showing the unbelief of the people (John 12:37-50).  So many signs had been performed, but they did not believe, so Jesus pronounces the Isaiah “curse” on them, which merely explains why they did not believe.

Part of the reason for their unbelief was the fear of man, that they would be unpopular if they did believe in Jesus (12:42-44).

David Guzik then summarizes the last verses:

These are the last words in John’s gospel from Jesus to the public.  In this last speech to the multitude, Jesus emphasized the themes of all His previous preaching in John.

He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me: Jesus stressed His unity with God the Father.

I have come as light into the world: Jesus stressed His own truthfulness, and the need man has to follow Jesus.

I do not judge Him: Jesus stressed His love and acceptance for the sinner; yet the word that I have spoken will judge Him — there are inescapable consequences for rejecting Jesus.

I have not spoken on My own authority: Jesus stressed His own submission to God the Father. His authority flowed from His submission to God the Father.

Proverbs 9

Proverbs 9 contrasts wisdom and folly in a very symmetrical structure.  Verses 1-6 correspond to verses 13-18 remarkably.  This chiastic form of presentation sets off the central verses (vv. 7-12) as the most important in the chapter.  Both Wisdom and Folly invite the youth to seek them.

The purpose of the similarity is to highlight the differences, which present Lady Wisdom as clearly desirable in all respects.  The description of Lady Wisdom is given more space (12 out of 18 verses), contains a summary of her teaching (vv. 6-10), and has her narrating the consequences of her way (vv. 11-12).  Notice her preparation in vv. 1-2.  She offers her own preparations (reality), whereas folly offers stolen goods (v. 17, illusion).

The description of Lady Folly, by contrast, while emphasizing the emptiness of her character (v. 13), lacks any of her crooked instruction (i.e., nothing follows the address and appeal in vv. 16-17), and has her end narrated about her rather than by her (v. 18).  (ESV Study Bible)

Unlike gracious Wisdom, who sends out her servants with invitations (v. 3), pompous Folly sits there like the queen of the town and expects us to be impressed (v. 14). She does have an undeniable appeal: “Stolen water is sweet” (v.17).  Our foolish hearts relish sin as exciting and glamorous.  But the truth is this: folly’s menu is water and bread (v. 17), sweetened only by “the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Heb. 11:25), while Wisdom’s feast is wine and meat (v. 2), leading to eternal life (v. 6).  (ESV Gospel Transformation Student Bible)

These two rival invitations bring this section of Proverbs to a climax.  The youth (reader) must now make a decision: Which one will he or she follow?

Wisdom has a starting place–the fear of the Lord.  G. Campbell Morgan wrote:

“We are ever beginning; every morning we start afresh; every task we take up is a new start; every venture in joy or in effort, must have its commencement.  Then let every beginning be in the fear of Jehovah.  That is Wisdom, and it leads in the way of Wisdom.”

And…

“In every city, on every street, by every door of opportunity, these two voices of wisdom and folly are appealing to men.  To obey the call of wisdom is to live.  To yield to the clamor of folly is to die.  How shall we discern between the voices?  By making the fear of Jehovah the central inspiration of life.  By yielding the being at its deepest to Him for correction and guidance.”

Ephesians 2 begins with the bad news (2:1-3)–before God’s grace presented Christ to us and enabled faith in us, we were dead (v. 1), disobedient (v. 2), depraved (v. 3) and doomed (v. 3).  BUT GOD–the most beautiful words on earth!

But God reversed all that…the good news is that now we made alive (v. 5a), seated in the heavenlies (v. 6) and will experience “immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness” throughout eternity (v. 7).

According to vv. 8-9 the basis of our salvation is God’s “grace” (unmerited favor and divine enablement; cf. Rom. 3:22, 25; Gal. 2:16; 1 Pet. 1:5).  The instrument by which we receive salvation is “faith” (i.e., trust in Christ).  Faith is not an act or work that earns merit with God, which He rewards with salvation.

What is the gift of God?  What does “that” or “this” refer back to?  Gift if neuter, but “grace” and “faith” are both feminine.  Probably it refers to the whole preceding clause that describes salvation (cf. 1:15; 3:1).

E. K. Simpson says…

“If we breathe, it is because life has been breathed into us; if we exercise the hearing of faith it is because our ears have been unstopped.  We are born from above.  Spiritual life is not of the nature of a subsidy supplementing dogged exertion or ruthless self-flagellation, but a largess from the overflowing well-spring of divine compassion, lavished on a set of spiritual incapables.”

Another truth to remember is that because we have not been saved by our good works, neither can we be lost by our bad works.

Verse 10 gives another reason salvation is not from man or by works.  Rather than salvation being a masterpiece that we have produced, regenerated believers are a masterpiece that God has produced.

“Good works” are not the roots from which salvation grows, but the fruit that God intends it to bear.  God has not saved us because of our works (vv. 8-9), but He has saved us to do good works (v. 10).  God saves us by faith for good works.  Good works are what God intended for us to practice, with His divine enablement.  He intended that we “would walk in them,” as a pedestrian walks along a path, even before He saved us (cf. 1:4).  This verse reveals that God is ultimately responsible for our good works (cf. Rom. 9:23; Phil. 2:13). (Thomas Constable)

I’ve quoted G. Campbell Morgan twice already today.  Here is another quote that expands on Ephesians 2:10…

“God has foreordained the works to which He has called you.  He has been ahead of you preparing the place to which you are coming and manipulating all the resources of the universe in order that the work you do may be a part of His whole great and gracious work.” (AZ Quotes)

Doesn’t that make you want to say “Yes” to all God has for you?

The remainder of Ephesians 2 shows that salvation is not merely about individual regeneration.  It is also about corporate reconciliation.  We are brought into a relationship not only with God, but with other believers.

Of course, the great dividing wall in the first century Mediterranean world was between Jews and Gentiles.  Of course, we talking about Gentile believers here.  However, the Jews were very ethnocentric (or racist).  It took a lot of convincing (Acts 10-11, 15) for Jewish Christians to believe that even Gentiles, if they believed, could be considered part of the same body, the body of Christ.

So Paul talks about the reality of that union of all believers, no matter what race, in Christ (vv. 11-13), then explained exactly what that involves (vv. 14-18) and ends with the consequences (vv. 19-22).

Prior to the cross, Gentiles were “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (2:12).

BUT NOW another wonderful intervention of God has occurred–“in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (2:13).  Everything that once divided them had been abolished.

The “dividing wall” had been brought down just like the Berlin Wall in 1989.  The “dividing wall” (soreg) was the low-standing wall in the temple area that barred the Gentiles from getting too close to the temple.

This is the best image I could find of the temple mount.  It is from JW.org

On the cross, Christ put to death the hostility between Israel and the other nations.

Thomas Constable writes:

Jesus Christ had two purposes in ending Jewish Gentile hostility.  First, He wanted to “create” one new man, the church (v. 6), out of the two former groups, Jews and Gentiles (v. 11).  Here the “new man” is not the individual believer but the church, the body of Christ (cf. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Col. 3:10-11; Heb. 12:23).  In the church, God does not deal with Gentiles as He did with Jews, nor does He deal with Jews as He did Gentiles.  Jews do not become Gentiles, nor do Gentiles become Jews.  Rather, God has created a whole new (Gr. kainon, fresh) entity: the church.

Jesus Christ’s second purpose for ending Jewish Gentile hostility was to bring (“reconcile”) Jewish and Gentile believers to Himself in “one body”: the church.  The Old Testament never spoke of Jewish and Gentile believers as being in “one body.”  Ironically, the Cross in one sense terminated Jesus, but Jesus terminated the enmity between Jews and Gentiles “with (through) the Cross.”  Not only have Jews and Gentiles experienced reconciliation with one another (vv. 14-15), but they have also experienced reconciliation with God by the Cross (v. 16).  The Cross satisfied God’s justice; it propitiated Him (cf. 1 John 2:2).

God’s plan for believers included the building of a new entity after Jesus Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension (cf. Matt. 16:18).  It was to be the church.  The church is not just a continuation and modernization of Israel under a new name but a new creation (v. 15).  In the church, Jewish and Gentile believers stand with equal rights and privileges before God.  Membership in this new body is one of the great blessings of believers in the present age, along with individual blessings (vv. 1-10).  Paul glorified God for that blessing in this section of Ephesians.

John Stott enjoins us:

“I wonder if anything is more urgent today, for the honour of Christ and for the spread of the gospel, than that the church should be, and should be seen to be, what by God’s purpose and Christ’s achievement it already is—a single new humanity, a model of human community, a family of reconciled brothers and sisters who love their Father and love each other, the evident dwelling place of God by his Spirit.  Only then will the world believe in Christ as Peacemaker.  Only then will God receive the glory due to his name.

Today’s readings are from Exodus 32, John 11, Proverbs 8 and Ephesians 1.

Exodus 32 reveals Israel breaking covenant with Yahweh.  They had pledged their obedience, saying, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient” (Exodus 24:7) but here they reveal that, like us, our faithfulness is like the morning dew.

With Moses delayed upon the mountain, they impatiently desire a god to lead them onward.  Aaron plays along, offering to make an idol, a golden calf.

This ancient bronze bull figurine may have been covered in gold leaf.

Dr. Curtis Ward thinks this may have been the mold used to make the calf idol.

The “calf” provided a visible symbol that the Israelites could and did identify as their “deliverer” (“This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt”).

“Throughout the remainder of the Pentateuch, the incident of the worship of the golden calf cast a dark shadow across Israel’s relationship with God, much the same way as the account of the Fall in Genesis 3 marked a major turning point in God’s dealing with humankind” (John Sailhammer, The Pentateuch, p. 310).

This is a serious offense against Yahweh, a betrayal of His redemption and covenant (cf. Acts 7:38-42).  He offered to destroy the Israelites and start over again with Moses (v. 10).  But Moses interceded (vv. 11-13) between Yahweh and the Israelites.  He reminded Yahweh of His actions for Israel in delivering them, how it would smear His name among the nations to destroy Israel now, and of His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

So “the LORD relented.”  Some versions have “changed His mind.”  Does this deny God’s immutability or foreknowledge?  One way of looking at this is that it is an anthropopathism, a way of explaining God’s ways in terms of human emotions.  Another way of explaining it is that God didn’t really “change” His mind, but took a different path to reaching His foreordained conclusion.

Thomas Constable explains that approach…

Within the plan of God, however, He has incorporated enough flexibility so that, in most situations, there are a number of options that are acceptable to Him.  In view of Moses’ intercession, God proceeded to take a different course of action than He had previously intended.

Ephesians 1:11 says that God causes everything to work out the way He wants it to (cf. Rom. 8:28).  He foreordains what comes to pass, but Scripture doesn’t say that He foreordains how everything will come to pass, or when it will come to pass, or by whom it will come to pass.  Prayer and evangelism are two of the means that God has ordained, that is, human activity, whereby what He has foreordained comes to pass.  In these activities, people become partners with God in bringing His will to happen in the world.

Occasionally, my wife has called me at work and asked me to pick up a gallon on milk on my way home.  When this happens, I take a different route than I would normally, but I end up at home nonetheless.  Perhaps this is similar to how our praying affects God as He carries out His will.

That may not be satisfying to everyone, because the text does say, “God relented” or “changed his mind.”

See John Munro, “Prayer to a Sovereign God,” Interest 56:2 (February 1990):20-21; Thomas L. Constable, “What Prayer Will and Will Not Change,” in Essays in Honor of J. Dwight Pentecost, pp. 99-113; and Robert B. Chisholm Jr., “Does God ‘Change His Mind’?” Bibliotheca Sacra 152:608 (October-December 1995):387-99.

“In only two of the thirty-eight instances in the OT is this word used of men repenting. God’s repentance or ‘relenting’ is an anthropomorphism (a description of God in human forms [sic form]) that aims at showing us that he can and does change in his actions and emotions to men when given proper grounds for doing so, and thereby he does not change in his basic integrity or character (cf. Pss 99:6; 106:45; Jer 18:8; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 3:10; James 5:16). The grounds for the Lord’s repenting are three: (1) intercession (cf. Amos 7:1-6); (2) repentance of the people (Jer 18:3-11; Jonah 3:9-10); and (3) compassion (Deut 32:36; Judg 2:18; 2 Sam 24:16[; 1 Chron. 21:15])” (Walter Kaiser, Exodus, p. 479).

And Cole says…

“We are not to think of Moses as altering God’s purpose towards Israel by this prayer, but as carrying it out: Moses was never more like God than in such moments, for he shared God’s mind and loving purpose.”

So Moses confronts Aaron and Aaron makes excuses (32:21-24).  Moses offered the challenge, “Who is on the LORD’s side?” and the Levites responded.  They then went through the camp and killed 3,000 people.  Moses confronted the people with their “great sin,” offered to make atonement for them and went back to intercede with Yahweh (32:30-32).  God’s response is that He would deal with the sinners, but Moses was to lead them to the place they had been promised (32:33-35).

John 11

Although his close friend Lazarus was seriously ill (v. 2), Jesus did not immediately go to help him even though he dearly loved Lazarus and his sisters (vv. 3-5).

What does Jesus mean by “This sickness does not lead to death”?  If Lazarus was already dead (which is quite possible), this is still a weird way to say it.  Given the fact that Jesus will later promise a life that overcomes death (v. 26), He may have meant the “second death” (Rev. 20:6), eternal death.  Again, this is not a normal way to communicate this idea.

Spurgeon says that the Lord “speaks of things, not as they seem to be, nor even as they are in the present moment, but as they shall be in the long run.”

Jesus stayed another couple of days, so that Lazarus would be in the grave four days and this miracle would glorify God and the Son.

Why 4 days?  There was a Jewish custom that the spirit hovered around the body for three days, but left on the fourth.  In other words, Lazarus was REALLY DEAD.

When Jesus spoke of returning to Judea, His disciples thought it was a crazy idea (v. 8).  Jesus responded that He had time to do what needed to be done (v. 9) and that Lazarus would rise again (v. 10).  In this conversation, Jesus affirmed that Lazarus was dead.

“So we may learn that He often permits us to pass into profounder darkness, and deeper mysteries of pain, in order that we may prove more perfectly His power.” (G. Campbell Morgan)

So Jesus traveled to Bethany near Jerusalem.

When Jesus arrived, Martha expressed her faith that Jesus could have healed Lazarus, if he had gotten there sooner (vv. 21-22).  Jesus simply said…

23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha thought he meant the resurrection of the dead for all believers, but Jesus meant she would see him again in this life.  Jesus does, however, give the promise that all believers will rise.

“Death comes to the ungodly man as a penal infliction, but to the righteous as a summons to his Father’s palace: to the sinner it is an execution, to the saint an undressing.  Death to the wicked is the King of terrors: death to the saint is the end of terrors, the commencement of glory.” (Spurgeon)

When Mary came to meet Jesus, she was weeping and expressed her own faith that Jesus could have healed Lazarus (vv. 32-33).  When Jesus came to the tomb of Lazarus, he wept (11:35).

Photo from Gospel Devotions

This would be a typical tomb in the first century.  This would be inside a cave and bodies of family members would be wrapped and placed in one of the three burial chambers you see here.  After one year when the flesh has gone away, they would gather the bones in burial boxes (ossuaries) and put them on a “shelf” inside the family tomb.

In v. 33 we read that Jesus “was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.”  Both words have the idea of a guttural but vocal response of deep emotion.

It means that Jesus wasn’t so much sad at the scene surrounding the tomb of Lazarus. It’s more accurate to say that Jesus was angry.  Jesus was angry and troubled at the destruction and power of the great enemy of humanity: death.  Jesus would soon break the dominating power of death.

Jesus was angry, but at what?  The context provides some help in identifying the cause of His anger.  Evidently as Jesus viewed the misery that death inflicts on humanity and the loved ones of those who die, He thought of its cause: sin.  Many of “the Jews” present had come from Jerusalem, where Jesus had encountered stubborn unbelief.  The sin of unbelief resulted in spiritual death, the source of eternal grief and mourning.  Probably Jesus felt angry because He was face to face with the consequences of sin, and particularly unbelief. (Thomas Constable)

But He did weep as well.

His weeping doubtless expressed outwardly the sorrow that contemplation of sin and its consequences produced in His heart.  Jesus’ “tears” are proof of His compassion for fallen humanity (cf. Luke 19:41).

He could not have been weeping over the loss of His friend Lazarus, since He was about to restore him to life.  Likewise it is unlikely that He was just weeping compassionately with Martha and Mary, since He was about to turn their grief into rejoicing.  Nevertheless empathy undoubtedly played some part in Jesus’ weeping.

In the resurrection of Lazarus we see the supreme power of Jesus Christ over death, the final stronghold of Satan.

This miracle illustrated Jesus’ ability to empower people with new life (cf. 14:6).  He had previously raised the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:15), and brought Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:25; Mark 5:42; Luke 8:55) back to life, but Lazarus had been dead four days!

Some note that Lazarus’ resurrection is similar to our regeneration, while needed to be loosed from the grave clothes approximates our sanctification.

The chapter ends with two responses to this astounding miracle–belief and unbelief.  It’s just not true that miracles definitely produce faith.

Proverbs 8 is a defense of wisdom. The sage returned to the figure of Wisdom that he used at the beginning of this part of Proverbs (1:20).

The argument of this section develops as follows. Wisdom would be every person’s guide (vv. 1-5; cf. Gal 5:18, 22-23).  She is morality’s partner (vv. 6-13), the key to success (vv. 14-21), the principle of creation (vv. 22-31), and the one essential necessity of life (vv. 32-36).  Chapter 8 contains the longest sustained personification in the Bible.

Though described as with God, wisdom is not asserted to be God.  Such a presentation is consistent with personification, a literary metaphor in which a thing or an abstraction is represented as a person. (Common examples of personification in our ordinary lives include Mr. Clean, Aunt Jemima, the Jolly Green Giant, etc.)  So “Lady Wisdom”  is not the female side of God, nor is she a feminine deity in her own right. Instead she praises God; she calls people to heed her teachings and so to find life.  Wisdom shows the character of God, and God will give wisdom to all who learn from the Proverbs.

Some believe that vv. 30-31 describes the co-creative work of the Father and the Son, delighting in the creation.  Although it represents what actually happened, it is best not to equate wisdom with the Son, because in v. 22 it was created.

Ephesians 1 begins with an amazing description of our spiritual blessings in Christ (1:1-14), followed by a prayer that our eyes might be opened to these benefits (1:15-23).

Ephesus is in the center of the map, on the western coast (Aegean Sea) of Asia Minor.  Ephesus was a wealthy port city in the Roman province of Asia.  It was a center of learning and was near several key land routes.

Paul’s first visit to Ephesus was on his second missionary journey (Acts 18:18-21).  It was a short visit around 52 A.D.  On his third missionary journey he spent nearly three years in Ephesus (Acts 19), then later returned to say farewell to the elders of the church (Acts 20:17-38.  He had great fondness for the Ephesian church.

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to the churches in Ephesus and the surrounding region c. A.D.62 while imprisoned in Rome (Acts 28). During this time he also wrote Colossians and Philemon.  All three letters were sent with Tychicus and Onesimus.  He would later write 1 and 2 Timothy to Timothy, the pastor of the Ephesian church.  And John writes to them in Revelation 2:1-7.

Paul tells us that those “in Christ” (a key phrase) receive these spiritual blessings: being chosen (v. 4), being predestined to adoption (v. 5), redeemed and forgiven (v. 7), given an inheritance (v. 11), sealed by the Spirit (v. 13) and He is the pledge of our inheritance (v. 14).

Note both the presence of the Trinity–the Father (vv. 3-6), the Son (vv. 7-12) and the Spirit (vv. 13-14) as well as the repeated “to the praise of his glorious grace/to the praise of his glory” (vv. 6, 12, 14).

Ephesians and Colossians, as well as 2 Peter, all communicate the completeness of what we already have in Christ:

• Ephesians 1:3, “who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (ESV)
• Colossians 2:10, “you are complete in Him” (NKJV)
• 2 Peter 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life” (NIV)

Paul’s prayer in 1:15-23 reveals that we don’t need to ask for more, just ask that our blinders might come off in order to really see and experience all He has done for us.