Bible Studies

Heart-Murder!

June 13, 2004/in Sermon on the Mount, Book of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount — Late A.D. 31/by John

Anger is a choice! It is experienced in most marriages. “I hate you!” “I hate you!” “You love the children more than do me!” said Joe. “They are all that you care about.” “I wish I had never married you!” And depending on how his wife, Karen, responds Joe may call her names. And if Karen responds to that, he may insult her and ridicule her character. Anger is a powerful feeling! Many of us have wished our parents or friends were dead because they hurt us. How do you handle your anger? Our society has many suggestions about how to handle our anger. Some advise us to suppress our anger and others recommend we express it. John Powell said, “When I repress my emotions, my stomach keeps score.” Anger? Jesus introduces the subject with . . .

You have heard that the ancients were told, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER” and “Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I say to you . . .“ Matthew 5:21-26 (NASB)

You Have Heard

In Matthew 5:20, Jesus has just finished telling the crowd sitting on the hillside that unless their righteousness is greater than that of their spiritual leaders they will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. And before that, He told them He came to fulfill the Law – not destroy it. So Jesus is ready to correct the false teaching of the Pharisees and Scribes. He is ready to reveal the unrighteousness of these “pastors” and “church leaders.”

“You have heard that the ancients were told.” The ancients were the Jewish spiritual leaders who had lived in time past. As an example, the Jews called two of their famous rabbis, Hillel and Shammai, “fathers of antiquity.” So Jesus quotes these religious leaders, “‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER‘ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.‘” This statement was like delicious food mixed with a little poison. Most of the statement was true but not all. The first part was the sixth commandment as given by God. It is recorded in Exodus 20:13 and repeated in Deuteronomy 5:17. And God’s penalty for murder was given in Exodus 21:12,

He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. Exodus 21:12 (NASB)

The ancient religious leaders had altered the penalty. So what else is new! They had also altered the fifth commandment about honoring father and mother to say, ” . . . honor with words only.” They taught that it was not what happens on the inside that is important but what occurs on the outside. They apparently taught that God only required that you not physically murder someone else.

But I Say

They missed God’s point. They missed the intent of the sixth commandment and they made man’s civil court the standard – not God. So Jesus corrects their teaching,

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty [liable] before the court; and whoever shall say to his brother, “Raca,” shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever shall say, “You fool,” shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. Matthew 5:22 (NASB)

Jesus concentrates on the core issue of the heart and puts the focus back on God. He makes three simple statements. First, Jesus says the penalty for being angry without a holy reason is judgment by the court. He starts by using the exact same phrase the ancients use, “liable to the court,” and switches “anger” for “murder.” Feelings build when arguments get worse and Jesus knows this. This is why He adds “Raca” in His next statement and increases the penalty to an appearance before the Sanhedrin. The first penalty was a trip to the local court of 36 judges. Here the angry person appears before the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court with 70 judges. They could issue the severest penalties, including death. Raca is an Aramaic word. It was a common word used by the people for insulting someone – to say the other person was “empty-headed.” It was accompanied with anger and contempt. As with any great argument, it escalates even more, and it is interesting that Jesus increases the next penalty for calling someone a MOROS. The Greek word MOROS had the idea of being a fool and lazy. It appears to show contempt for the person’s character. Raca targeted the head and MOROS appears to target the character. What was Jesus’ penalty? It was “hell-fire.”

This sounds like our couple Joe and Karen. The argument started small and escalated. Was Jesus serious about these judgements? Some will ask, “How could a court know our thoughts?” Well, an earthly court may not but God knows! Matthew 12:36-37 tells us that God will judge us for “every careless word.” Does He know our thoughts? Yes, He does (Genesis 24:42-45), and God knows our heart.

Your Heart?

Jesus went past the external physical act of murder. He went after “heart-murder.” Murder in the heart! Can I ask, “Who is your heart angry towards – a sister or brother?” How about dad or mom, a former husband or wife, a pastor or friend, an employer, or some stranger? Yes, you may not have expressed it, but you are just as guilty. God is looking at your heart. Has your stomach been keeping score?

But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. Matthew 15:18-19 (NASB)

Murder starts in the heart. Anger is murder in the heart! So how is your heart? Is there an old, old hurt somewhere in your heart that you have never dealt with?

Responding To Anger

Now Jesus shows us how to deal with anger. What is surprising is that His examples are focused on people who are angry with us. All too often when there is tension, ill feelings and anger towards another, we let it go because we do not want to deal with it, or we tell ourselves there is really nothing we can do about it. Martin Luther says it well, “The heathen world says, “A broken arrow forever retains its crack.” We tell ourselves there is nothing we can do about it.

Jesus Disagrees

In the next two verses, Jesus says that if in the middle of our worship we remember that someone has something against us, God does not want us to remain. Our worship is muddied by anger. He wants us to go to the one we have offended and seek peace. God does not want our worship, until we have made peace.

Jesus next illustration (Matthew 5:25-26) has the same core idea. Here the picture is a civil lawsuit and you are guilty. Jesus says go and make peace. Jesus is serious. He has been talking about our anger. It is not enough to be concerned about our anger; we are to be concerned about another’s anger toward us when we have offended him or her. Are you wondering why Jesus said this? I believe Jesus’ point is this, if you go to the one you have offended and find peace, your anger and his or her anger will disappear. If you are not willing to go to that one and seek peace, it says something about your heart. Is it possible there is anger? Murder in your heart?

Conclusion

Sometimes we seek peace with one whom we have offended and do not find it. All Jesus asks us to do is try (Romans 12:18 ). When anger comes into your heart towards another, do three things: 1) Admit your sin to God (1 John 1:9). 2) Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see what other related sins are in your heart. 3) Go prayerfully to your brother and seek peace. If you are serious about forgiveness, you will go seeking peace. When peace is found, love will be restored and anger will flee away. Anger is a choice (Ecclesiastes 7:9; Colossians 3:8; James 1:19).

Examine Your Righteousness

June 13, 2004/in Sermon on the Mount, Book of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount — Late A.D. 31/by John

Nick and Joe had been good Jewish boys. Or, at least we can assume they had been. In their youth, they probably longed to be accepted by God and to be like their religious leaders. These “men of God” were the spiritual leaders of the community. The people regarded them as godly men – men to be respected and honored. In order for Nick and Joe to become spiritual leaders, they had to prove they could follow the ritual laws. They were required to apply for admission, and if accepted they had to agree to follow the laws of purity and tithes. But along came Jesus and Nick, that is, Nicodemus and Joe, that is, Joseph of Arimathea, began to wonder about what they had been taught. They may have been present when Jesus said,

For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:20 (NASB)

Surpass Who?

How would you have felt if you were present and you were a Pharisee or a scribe. The Pharisees were regarded by the people as the experts in how to apply the Bible to everyday life. The Pharisees had developed the oral law (Halakah) from the scriptures using allegory in order to apply scripture to everyday life. They accepted the Torah, the Prophets and the Writings as the Word of God. They believed scripture was authoritative or binding on men and women. They agreed God was one God and there was life after death (resurrection). They believed in angels, demons and in future punishment. They were the experts in scriptural truth and were the progressives of their day.

Initially, both the Pharisees and the priests wanted the people to be “as righteous as the priests.” So they gave the people religious rules to follow. The Pharisees withdrew from “sinners” in an attempt to be accepted by God. They knew evil was bad. So they withdrew from the diseased, the physically disadvantaged, widows, the gluttonous, drunkards, tax-collectors, and adulterers. What a shock Jesus’ words must have been for any Pharisee who was listening.

Jesus also included the scribes. Both the Pharisees and Sadducees had scribes as part of their sect. It is not clear to whom Jesus is referring. But the scribes were the highly educated religious leaders. They had to complete a course of study for several years – starting in their youth. Ordination occurred at the age of 40 years at which time they could make their own religious decisions and serve as judge at criminal and civil cases. They were the final authority.

If Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were present, they must been shocked when Jesus said, “Unless your righteousness surpasses . . . I wonder if they slept that evening.

Our English word “surpass” misses the real meaning of this word. The Greek word is perisseuo. It means “to have abundance,” “to lavish,” or “to make over-rich.” Maybe the best five word meaning is “more, more, more, more, and more.” Jesus was saying that unless “your righteousness is more, more, more and more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you are not going to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

What was the response of the crowd? Some may have been discouraged, because there was a Jewish saying, “If only two people go to heaven, one will be a scribe and the other a Pharisee.”

Bad Righteousness?

The righteousness or holiness Jesus was rejecting was the righteousness taught by these highly respected leaders. Jesus corrected their false teaching. He came to fulfill the Law – not destroy it (Matthew 5:17-19). These leaders were destroying scripture by adding and taking away from it. Now the people probably thought Jesus did destroy it because Mark tells us the people said,

What is this? A new teaching with authority! Mark 1:27 (NASB)

What kind of holiness does Jesus approve? We will discover the answer in the next verse, Matthew 5:21. But for now, we want to ask, “What kind of righteousness was Jesus rejecting?” We find the answer to this question in the gospels. In Matthew 23:14, Jesus rebuked them because they would steal a widow’s home and yet make long prayers on the street corners to appear holy (Matthew 6:5). Jesus rebuked them for working hard at small, unimportant details of conduct while being blind to true holiness (Matthew 23:24). Their righteousness was rejected because it had included seeking the favor of the people (Matthew 23:28). Christians do the same today. Have you ever publicly prayed and worried what others thought of your prayer? Some Christians will not pray because they fear rejection. Or, have you ever struggled over “some small things” and ignored Biblical things God wants you to do?

Many Christians today need to hear Jesus’ words,

Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. Mark 12:37-38 (NASB)

We usually focus on the “chief seats” and “places of honor” but did you notice the phrase “respectful greetings?” How often we want someone to praise our good deeds – to recognize our good works – how often are we offended because someone did not recognize what we did? Or, how about the long robes? The long robe says, “I am a priest, a pastor, a rabbi, an academician, or a religious man.” The scribes and Pharisees missed it! The honor, respect and adoration of the common people had replaced their pursuit of God.

Jesus also warned the Pharisees about their neglect of justice, mercy and faithfulness (Matthew 23:23). He rebuked them for adding their oral tradition to the Bible (Mark 7:5). Jesus rebuked them for not really understanding the scriptures and turning away those who wanted to know. Wow!

NO! NO!

Jesus concluded with “you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus uses the strongest negative possible in the Greek language. He uses a double negative, “you shall no not ever enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus’ holiness is not about what you do on the outside. The scribes and Pharisees thought God was interested in the external. God is more interested about the true person on the inside,

But the LORD said to Samuel, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 (NASB)

Conclusion

Jesus’ message to us is that God is more interested about who we are on the inside. That is the message of the beatitudes. Many people strive to serve God or do for God out of fear or to gain His favor. That is how the scribes and Pharisees started. But the Christian already has the favor of God. That is God’s grace – “undeserved favor.” We are His children (John 1:12) and He is a loving Father who will discipline us when we sin (Hebrews 12:4-13). We can never lose His favor. That is what Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea found. John 19:38-39 tells us they became disciples of Jesus. Joseph was a secret Christian and apparently Nicodemus became a public one. They found a greater righteous – they found forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. And it is God Who changes the inside (Philippians 2:12-13) to holiness in order to make the changes on the outside (James 2:14-26).

Notes:

Pharisees – The Pharisees are found for the first time in history at the time of Jonathan (160-143 B.C.). The name Pharisee means “Separated Ones.” Why they were given this name is unknown but it may be due to their pursuit of holiness by separating themselves from those they considered to be “sinners.”

Membership. Among the religious sects, they were the largest. They were the religious party of the man in the synagogue (business men, artists, etc.).

Beliefs. The Pharisees were the progressives of their day when compared to the Sadducees. They believed in the entire Old Testament or the scriptures which included the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy), the Prophets and the Writings. They considered scripture to be authoritative, that is, if scripture says it, we should obey it. They sought to apply the scriptures to everyday situations. This led to an allegorically or symbolic approach to understanding scripture. They developed what was known as the oral law. The oral law was as important to them as the written scriptures for which Christ rebuked them. They believed there was only one God. They believed in angels, demons, obedience to the law, resurrection, punishment after death except for the holiest (a sort of purgatory). They were missionary minded. Apparently the Pharisees originally considered the people to be as holy as the priests.

Reputation. They were highly respected and honored by the Jewish people. The people regarded them as very pious men. They controlled the synagogues (religious place of worship) and consequently the mass of people. They were regarded as the religious authorities of the day.

Sadducees – The Sadducees are visible in history around 200 B.C. and disappeared after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Their name means “Righteous Ones,” “Zadokites,” or “judges.”

Membership. The members of this sect were the chief priests, highly ranked priests and aristocratic laymen. They were the aristocratic party. Not all priests were Sadducees. Some priests also belonged to the Pharisees as did some rich laymen.

Beliefs. The Sadducees were the conservatives of their day. Yet, they rejected much of the Old Testament or scriptures and believed only the Torah was authoritative. They opposed the Oral Law of the Pharisees. They rejected the idea of life after death. They did not believe in angels, demons, punishment after death and did not believe God really cared about people. They held to a literal interpretation of the Torah. They held to past beliefs, strict observance of the Torah and they firmly believed in absolute freedom for man to choose as he wished.

Reputation. They had responsibility for the Temple (religious place where sacrifice occurred) and its ministry. It appears they were not as highly regarded as the Pharisees. The Sadducees were political and exercised great political control.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

June 6, 2004/in Book of Daniel/by John

One Sunday morning after the worship service a woman approached the pastor and thanked him for the encouraging sermon he had preached. Struggling to respond he said, “Oh, do not thank me, but thank the Lord.” He waited for what seemed to be a long minute and then she answered with, “Well, I thought about that, but the sermon was not THAT good!” We laugh at the situation but the pastor’s point is true. It is God’s Spirit that produces good in our lives. Yet not everyone will agree or realize that God should receive the credit. We will see shortly that Nebuchadnezzar has his own view!

God Honors An Unbelieving King

During our last study we saw that God had revealed a dream to Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel 2:29 told us that Nebuchadnezzar had been on his bed thinking about the future and that God can read our thoughts. Have you ever wondered if God can read your thoughts? Then this verse answers your question.

As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. Daniel 2:29 (NASB)

God knew his thoughts. Thoughts he had while in bed; and God answered his wish – he did not even pray. God graciously reached out to this man one more time, to a man who did not worship Him. The king did not believe in the one true God but in many gods. Stop to think – God gave the first outline of the future to one who did not worship the one true God. Now if God cared for one who did not love Him, how much more does He love His saints. God is good!

Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know the meaning of his dream but his “wise men” had failed him. So he decided to kill them. But Daniel asked for time to discover and interpret the dream. After Daniel and his friends prayed, God gave the dream and its interpretation to Daniel. Then Daniel returned to the king and told him that God had given him the dream along with the interpretation. Daniel rejected any personal glory or credit and gave it all to God.

The Dream Revealed

Then Daniel proceeded to describe the dream.

You, O king, were looking and behold, there was a single great statue; that statue, which was large and of extraordinary splendor, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was awesome. The head of that statue was made of fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. You continued looking until a stone was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay, and crushed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time, and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth. This was the dream . . . Daniel 2:31-36 (NASB)

The dream is about a statue with a head of gold, a chest made of silver, a waist and hips made of bronze, legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay. A stone smashes the statue and turns into a mountain. What a strange dream! This last symbol would have had meaning to Nebuchadnezzar since the Babylonians believed that the earth was a mountain and called it E-KUR which means “Mountain House.” Babylon was a city with many gold idols. No wonder the king must have been eager to know the meaning of the statue.

The Interpretation

Daniel then continued and explained the meaning of the statue.

. . . now we shall tell its interpretation before the king. You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength, and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. Daniel 2:36-38 (NASB)

Babylonian Empire

The head of gold is Nebuchadnezzar or the Babylonian Empire. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar the only reason he had been successful in conquering people and nations was that He, God, had done it. The prophet Jeremiah explained this when he recorded the Lord’s words,

For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “I have put a yoke of iron on the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him. And I have also given him the beasts of the field.” Jeremiah 28:14 (NASB)

Nebuchadnezzar did not do this on his own. It was actually God who gave him the victory and authority. This is a great reminder for us. When we accomplish something we consider to be wonderful, we need to thank God for doing it through us. We need to give Him the credit.

And after you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. Daniel 2:39 (NASB)

Media-Persia & Grecian Empires

The next two kingdoms are silver and bronze which history tells us are Media-Persia and Greece. Later we will see that Daniel also called them Media-Persia and Greece.

Then there will be a fourth kingdom as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces. Daniel 2:40 (NASB)

Roman Empire

The fourth kingdom is symbolized by iron. History tells us that this is the Roman Empire. It conquered Greece. In this verse we are told this kingdom is strong since iron “crushes and shatters all things.” The point God is making is that this kingdom is the strongest of the four kingdoms. Each kingdom is made of stronger metals but God says each one is also inferior than the proceeding one. Strength and greatness are not the same as far as God is concerned.

And in that you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but it will have in it the toughness of iron, inasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with common clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of pottery, so some of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be brittle. And in that you saw the iron mixed with common clay, they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, even as iron does not combine with pottery. Daniel 2:41-43 (NASB)

Future Form of the Roman Empire

When we come to the feet, the focus is on the ten toes. We will see later that the feet represent a kingdom and the ten toes are ten kings. Since the feet are iron and the toes are made of both iron, and clay, this is a continuation of the last kingdom – the Roman Empire.

The Spirit of God said the iron and clay will combine in the seed of men but not adhere to one another. What is being described is a group of different nations, kings, or peoples (for example English, French, Spanish, German, American, Italian, etc.) coming together and acting as one power. Today we would call this an alliance or a coalition. The United Nations is a coalition and the coalition formed after September 11, 2001 is another example.

We will learn more about this kingdom later in Daniel. For now, we should remember that this kingdom is a return of the old Roman Empire in a different form.

And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever. Inasmuch as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God has made known to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy. Daniel 2:44-45 (NASB)

Eternal Kingdom

The stone represents the last kingdom. It is God’s kingdom. Daniel has been describing real, earthly, literal kingdoms which conquer each other. We will see later this kingdom is also a real, earthly, literal kingdom.

Babylonian Empire Medo-Persian Empire
Empire of Greece Empire of Rome

It hits the feet and the statue disappears – the statue represents human power, government, and authority. God’s message is that some day He will finally take over and establish His kingdom forever. With those comments, Daniel was finished.

Conclusion

My family and I developed a game we called Cahoots. We would play the game with some our guests and used it to introduce Jesus Christ. We explained there was nothing supernatural about it. The game required that one of my children to step out of the room while one of our guests selected an object in the room. Then my daughter would return and I would start naming various objects in the room and she would eventually identify the object from a list of objects I named. We allowed our guests to place restrictions on what I said, the number of objects I named, who named the objects – any limits they wanted. My daughter would almost always identify the selected object correctly. Some believed she was reading their thoughts. She did not. Our guests were impressed.

Imagine how the king must have felt. He was sitting their listening to this young man, a recent captive, reveal his thoughts. Thoughts he had while in bed. Nebuchadnezzar was impressed! He was so impressed that he . . .,

. . . fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s court. Daniel 2:46-49 (NASB)

The king did not respond like the woman to the pastor saying, “. . . . the sermon was not THAT good! The king responded by worshipping Daniel. He thought Daniel’s interpretation was supernatural and it was.

Did Daniel allow the king to worship him? It appears that Daniel rebuked the king between verse 46 and 47 (it is not recorded) for worshipping him since the Hebrew text says the king was “answering.” I think Daniel did this because it appears the king immediately started to make excuses. The king honored his promise in Daniel 2:6 gave Daniel gifts and a promotion.

But as honorable as he was, Nebuchadnezzar missed the point just as we often do. We forget that God is the Designer and we are just the vessel He works through. When Daniel first started speaking to the king, he told the king the dream and its interpretation was from God. Daniel’s point was it is not me! But just like us, the king still missed the point and he worshiped the servant not the Sender. He worshipped the dust and not the Creator.

All too often Christians want the credit for what God’s Holy Spirit has done through them. We see God causing spiritual growth in the lives of people, folks coming to the Lord, or experience something wonderful through us and we find it hard to give all the credit to God. Some years ago, a man commented during a Bible study that he deserved the credit. He explained that he had studied and labored; if God used it, he deserved part of the credit. Daniel disagrees!

It is said that Alexander the Great was standing and watching Diogenes and after awhile asked Diogenes what he was doing. When asked, the older man answered, “I am searching for the bones of your father, but I cannot determine the dust of your father from the dust of the slaves.”

When all of our labor is over, what credit do we gain in this life? When I pass from this life into heaven, I want to hear, “You have been a good and faithful servant!” I have no need to rob God in this life. I want to be like Daniel and give all the credit to God – to give My Creator all of the glory!

Comments or Questions?

Fulfilling The Law

June 6, 2004/in Sermon on the Mount, Book of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount — Late A.D. 31/by John

Jesus was a false teacher to the Jewish rabbis. His teachings did not agree with what they taught and He was not a member of the scribes, Pharisees, or Sadducees. Much had already happened before Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus had been baptized, tempted in the wilderness, sought after by maybe thousands for healing and had been confronted by these religious leaders. Jesus had already corrected the religious leaders when a crowd was present. It was the rabbis who were the false teachers and not Jesus. The conflict must have been obvious to the people.

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law, until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-19 (NASB)

Abolish The Law?

The beatitudes which Jesus taught disagreed with the rabbis’ teachings. For example, the Rabbis would have never taught that those who hungered and thirsted for righteousness would be satisfied. For them it was what you did – it was how much money (alms) you gave that pleased God. It was your efforts and contributions that gave you favor with God – that was satisfaction. Christians can fall into the same trap today. Jesus even disagreed with the great Jewish Rabbi Hillel who had said, “My humility is my greatness, and my greatness my humility.” To the crowd sitting on the hill Jesus taught, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The religious leaders had corrupted the Word of God. In Luke 16:16 Jesus implies His teaching was different,

The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached. Luke 16:16 (NASB)

They considered Jesus to be a heretic, and it appears from Matthew 5:17-19 that the crowd sitting on the hillside may have been wondering the same thing. The crowd may have been quietly whispering to one another while He taught.

Why He Came

Jesus responds with, “Do not think I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets . . . but to fulfill.” The Greek word Jesus uses for “think” has the idea of “coming to a conclusion.” Jesus was saying, “Wait, do not conclude that I am came to change the Law.” Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Now some have read this passage too quickly and concluded that Jesus did kept the sacrificial system. If we read Jesus’ words that way, we have a problem. We would need to rebuild the temple, follow the feast days, have a Levitical priesthood, and do the sacrifices. But that is not necessary since Jesus made the sacrificial system obsolete when He died and returned to life,

For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment [the Law] because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God . . . For if that first covenant [the Law] had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second . . . When He said, “A new covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear . . . By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD . . . Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 7:18-19; 8:7, 13; 10:10-12, 18 (NASB)

Animal sacrifices were symbolic of Jesus’ future death – symbolic of His shed blood. Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29); and Hebrews says that after His death, animal sacrifices were no longer needed. This is why He came. He came to fulfill the Law – this is the meaning and purpose of the Law.

Jesus also fulfilled the Law in another way. He corrected their false teaching about the Law, and we will see that He continues to correct their teaching during the Sermon on the Mount. For example, in Matthew 5:21 He corrects their teaching about God’s intent for the sixth commandment, “You shall not commit murder.” In Matthew 5:27, he corrects their legalistic concept of what it means to not commit adultery. Jesus does not eliminate the Law – He fulfilled it both in purpose and in teaching (Matthew 7:12).

Strokes And Dots

If the crowd wondered if Jesus thought the Law had changed, He corrects their thinking when He tells them the Law will “not pass away,” not even the smallest stroke or dot in the Hebrew language. Jesus uses a double negative in the Greek, OU MA. It is the strongest combination possible. It literally means “no no never.” He is showing His heart and motive. Jesus came to fulfill – not to change the Law. He came to correct the false teachers – even their Rabbis. Jesus cared about truth. Do we?

Least In The Kingdom

But Jesus does not stop there. In essence He says that if anyone removes a stroke or dot he or she will be least in the kingdom. This reminds us of James 3:1-2 which says,

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man. James 3:1-2 (NASB)

Teachers can “remove portions of scripture” or “change scripture” by the way they teach it or do not teach it. That was what the Pharisees were doing. Why is Jesus so serious? It is His Word.

Conclusion

Jesus came (Mark 1:38) to fulfill the very Law He gave – a divine Law that is absolutely unchangeable until heaven and earth pass away. Jesus has warned us to be accurate in what we tell our friends, children, neighbors or those at church about the meaning of His Word. He has asked us to diligently study it, memorize it, and meditate on it so that we can. Let us be faithful and seek His truth!

Hooked By A Dream

May 30, 2004/in Book of Daniel/by John

A young woman was murdered on a farm and was buried in a barn. Those who missed the young woman assumed that she had left the town and was living somewhere else. The murder was not suspected and so went undiscovered. But the young woman’s mother started having dreams. It was always the same dream over and over again. Each time the dream told the mother to go and search this particular barn. Disturbed by the dream, the mother finally went and discovered her murdered daughter. The murderer was identified, went to trial, was sentenced and executed. Now, how did this happen? Where did the mother’s dream come from?

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

Nebuchadnezzar had a dream too! His dream was different. It was about a metal statue. The dream started when he started wondering about the future (Daniel 2:29). Night after night he had the same dream. He could no longer sleep. Finally, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to know the meaning of the dream. He must have sensed there was significance to his dream.

Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him. Daniel 2:1 (NASB)

Babylon was a glorious place according to ancient historians and from Isaiah we have this description,

. . . Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the glory of the Chaldeans’ pride . . . Isaiah 13:19 (NASB)

The ancient historian Herodotus said that Babylon was more magnificent than any city in the known world. Babylon was a place of beauty which featured one of the seven wonders of the ancient world – the Hanging Gardens. God had also given Nebuchadnezzar an empire greater than the Assyrian Empire. His empire was a military superpower. Was Nebuchadnezzar thinking about his fame, wealth, and military strength when he started worrying about his future?

All we know is that he wanted to know the future, and he called his team of wise men together to see if they knew the meaning of his dream. Only he did not know that he was calling on the wrong team of men.

Then the king gave orders to call in the magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the Chaldeans, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. Daniel 2:2 (NASB)

The Wise Men

These men were educated in the Laws of Hammurabi, the Assyrian Dream Book, astrology, mathematics, economics, and religious literature. They maintained a record of the economic trends of the empire in the Chronicles of the Market Places. Babylon also had a vast library of knowledge, which archaeology has uncovered. As a result, it is not surprising that the Babylonian dynasty was called the “Master of Wisdom” (Wiseman, D. J. Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon, The British Academy. 1983. p. 86.). Today, some assume that a man or woman with educational degrees is intellectually brilliant.

But that is not necessarily true, as we are going to see in just a minute. In many cases it just means that they have completed a course of study as a result of hard work. Nebuchadnezzar, frustrated and wanting to sleep, finally called for the wise men.

And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is anxious to understand the dream.” Daniel 2:3 (NASB)

The wise men reacted as most of us would. They asked the king to tell them the dream.

Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” Daniel 2:4 (NASB)

Nebuchadnezzar’s magicians, the conjurers, sorcerers and Chaldeans are surprised when he uses the old carrot and stick routine. He threatens them with punishment and then tries to motivate them with rewards.

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. “But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” Daniel 2:5-6 (NASB)

The king doubted their ability to honestly interpret his dream. That may be the reason he waited so long to take his dream to them. Ancient historians state that mistakes were made in divination just as in medicine. Cicero said there was error, superstition, and fraud in divination. A historian writes that Sennacherib separated some diviners into groups in order to determine if their report was truthful (Oppenheim. Ancient Mesopotamia. Univ. of Chicago Press. 1983). Nebuchadnezzar must have been disappointed before with bad information from his wise men too!

The False Prophets

In recent years, Nostradamus, a sixteenth century medical doctor, has been hailed as a great modern day prophet. Books have been written about his prophecies. The media has featured him. But many are not aware that most of his supporters disagree about the interpretations of his prophecies. In fact, the majority of his supporters agree that he is accurate less than 50 percent of the time. His prophecies are referred to as “quatrains” and were written in French. Among his supporters, less than 10 percent agree upon the meaning of the quatrains and less than 6 percent agree that any have been fulfilled. The symbolism in Nostradamus’ quatrains has to be tweaked to make them “prophetic.” God has said the test of a true prophet is that he is never wrong (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). This means that Nostradamus is not a true prophet. When we come to the book of Daniel, we do not need to tweak them. Daniel is a true prophet of God.

Only The Gods

But the magicians, conjurers, sorcerers and Chaldeans insist the dream be shared.

They answered a second time and said, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that the command from me is firm, that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only one decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt words before me until the situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any magician, conjurer or Chaldean. Moreover, the thing which the king demands is difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it to the king except gods, whose dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.” Daniel 2:7-11 (NASB)

But Nebuchadnezzar did not trust them. He explained that if they could reveal his dream then he would believe they could interpret his dream. The Chaldeans tried to escape. In the past they had pretended to be something they were not. Now they were trapped and Nebuchadnezzar responded in anger and ordered them to be killed.

Because of this the king became indignant and very furious, and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for Daniel and his friends to kill them. Daniel 2:12-13 (NASB)

He was not only disappointed with them – he had lost faith in his wise men. So why keep them?

Compassionate Prophet

Apparently, Daniel and his friends were not allowed to come before the king, since this was their first year in the king’s personal service (Daniel 1:19). This would have been their internship year. When Daniel the prophet learned what had happened and of the order to kill the wise men which included himself and his friends, he had compassion not just for the lives of his friends but for the unbelieving wise men too! Daniel felt compassion for men who were involved in the occult and pagan worship. What a lesson for us! God calls us to love even those who disagree with us religiously. Daniel did! Daniel responded by asking to speak to the king.

Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king’s bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the decree from the king so urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king. Daniel 2:14-16 (NASB)

The Lord granted Daniel favor with the king and he was given time to discover the dream and to interpret it. So Daniel left and returned to his friends and they asked God for help.

Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, in order that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; Daniel answered and said, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, For wisdom and power belong to Him. And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, And knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, And the light dwells with Him. To Thee, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, For Thou hast given me wisdom and power; Even now Thou hast made known to me what we requested of Thee, For Thou hast made known to us the king’s matter.” Daniel 2:17-23 (NASB)

God was merciful and revealed the dream and its interpretation to Daniel. How did Daniel respond? Daniel understood that he did not do it. He understood that God did not need to reveal the dream nor its interpretation. Daniel was thankful! It is great lesson for us. How often do we take pride in what God has done through us? Daniel did not! He gave the credit to God in his prayer.

I Am Important

Daniel was now ready to go to the king, but he must go through Arioch.

Therefore, Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and spoke to him as follows: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king’s presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king.” Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel into the king’s presence and spoke to him as follows: “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who can make the interpretation known to the king!” Daniel 2:24-25 (NASB)

Arioch was not like Daniel. He told the king that he – Arioch – had discovered someone who could reveal the dream. Arioch must not have been present when Nebuchadnezzar met with Daniel the first time. Arioch wanted the king to believe that he, Arioch, was needed and valuable. Arioch wanted the king’s favor so he took credit for something he did not do. He disgraced himself. Has that ever happened to you – someone takes credit for something you did? How did it make you feel? Most of us would become angry. We would say it is not fair. But God calls us to not seek credit.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time . . . 1 Peter 5:6 (NASB)

It is a great reminder that we need to give credit to others and not seek it for ourselves, even when we think we deserve it. This is called self-sacrifice.

Daniel’s response was wonderful. He started by reminding the king of his request and the failure of his wise men.

The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered before the king and said, “As for the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither wise men, conjurers, magicians, nor diviners are able to declare it to the king.” Daniel 2:26-27 (NASB)

But Daniel did not do this to gain favor with the king. He was preparing the king to meet the one true God.

However, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days. This was your dream and the visions in your mind while on your bed. As for you, O king, while on your bed your thoughts turned to what would take place in the future; and He who reveals mysteries has made known to you what will take place. But as for me, this mystery has not been revealed to me for any wisdom residing in me more than in any other living man, but for the purpose of making the interpretation known to the king, and that you may understand the thoughts of your mind. Daniel 2:28-30

Conclusion

To whom did Daniel give credit? Before Daniel shared the dream, he gave all the credit away. Daniel did not want to take credit for something someone else – God – had done through him. What a contrast! Arioch wanted credit in order to gain favor, and Daniel gave it all away to God.

When you teach, preach, serve, lead, or minister in the church in different ways, what motivates you? Do you want to draw others to yourself or to God? In the gospel of John, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd and then describes a thief or a robber when He says,

He who is a hireling, and not a shepherd . . . leaves the sheep, and flees, and the wolf snatches them, and scatters them. He flees because he is . . . not concerned about the sheep. John 10:12-13 (NASB)

The thief or robber comes to get for himself or herself and does not care for the people in the church. They only care for themselves. That is why they run. Jesus is trying to make the point that He cares for us. He has described good shepherds and those who are not. When you minister, do you seek to draw credit away from God and to yourself? Are you a thief or a robber? Do you steal the credit that belongs to God and seek to draw others to yourself and not to God? If so, you are a robber! God does not want men and women who are in the ministry for themselves – robbers. He wants those who will sacrifice themselves for Him. Men and women who will deny themselves and draw others to Him. He wants Daniels!

Comments or Questions?

Be Salt and Light

May 30, 2004/in Sermon on the Mount, Book of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount — Late A.D. 31/by John

In eight short beatitudes Jesus described the character of a true disciple. A true disciple was a spiritually poor and mourning man before God. He longed to be like God and he would suffer for it. Jesus wanted the transfixed crowd on the hillside to know the inner characteristics of a disciple and the cost. But Jesus was not finished. He moved on to describe the responsibility of a true disciple to his world. Jesus did not encourage the disciples to withdraw from the world and hide in Christian social groups or self seclusion. This was the great error of Monasticism. It encouraged Christians to hide from the world in order to seek perfection or a higher level of religious experience through self denial, poverty, celibacy, and obedience. Jesus did not encourage the disciples to withdraw from the world.

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lamp stand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16 (NASB)

Salt of the Earth

In Jesus’ day salt was obtained from various places including the Dead Sea. It was not pure salt since it was a mixture of other natural chemicals. Modern salt is a combination of salt plus other chemicals. Salt was used in Jesus’ day to preserve food, flavor food, and help seal a dirt roof against the rain, for example. It was common in ancient times for salt to be piled in the streets when it was no longer useful. It is interesting to know that salt was used in ovens to cause the fire to burn hotter. Even today, salt is sometimes used to fuel the fire until a chemical reaction occurs that makes the salt useless. Pliny the Elder said,

The salt from the Dead Sea can lose its savory quality and become dull.

Was Jesus referring to food salt or oven salt or something else? We do not know. But it is clear the crowd knew about the useless “salt” in the streets.

The Greek word Jesus uses for “tasteless” is moraino. It is a curious word meaning “foolish, to play the fool, insipid, dull, flat or deficient. In Rabbinic literature salt is associated with wisdom. Did Jesus have a second meaning to His statement? Was He implying that a foolish disciple has no impact on his world? While the statement is true, we do not know His intent. What is clear is that a saltless disciple according to Jesus is good for nothing. Jesus did not stop there. He did not JUST say that a saltless disciple was “good for nothing.” He said a saltless disciple was “good for nothing, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot.” That describes how useless a tasteless disciple really is. Disciple, be salty!

Light of The World

How can disciples know they are tasteless? Jesus answers the question with the next story. He starts by telling them they are the “light of the world.” They are like a city on top of a hill and like a lamp on a lampstand. Jesus is referring to common everyday things.

In Jesus day, there was a city called Safed in the north-west of Galilee. It was “a city set on a hill” and could have been in view while Jesus was teaching. The Talmud tells us that it was a signal station used to announce a new moon. Fire signals were used hill after hill to signal the coming of the new moon. This city could not be hidden since its purpose was to be seen everywhere.

The lamp Jesus mentions was a small lamp designed to be put on a lampstand to provide light in a room. What makes this illustration very meaningful is that the typical Jewish home was a one room building, and when the lamp was set on the lampstand, it would gave light to everyone in the home.

But Jesus did not say they were a small lamp in a room. He did not say they were a light on a hill to be seen throughout Israel. Jesus said His disciples were the light of the world. The Bible tells us that God is light (1 John 1:5) and Christians are sons of light (Ephesians 5:8-13; John 12:35-36) because we have believed in Jesus Christ. They are no longer children of darkness (John 8:12-13). If you are a Christian, are you a monastic hiding your light?

Salt and Light

Jesus said each disciple is salt and light. Salt was a warning against being good for nothing and light was used to show us how to be good for something. What do you think it means to be good for something? What does it mean to be salt and light? You might be surprised. Jesus answered this question when He said,

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NASB)

Jesus wants others to see your good works! Jesus used the Greek word, Emprosthen means to be “in front of.” He wants the light of His disciples to be in front – right in the face of others – in the direct view of their eyes. What does Jesus want them to see?

Ephesians 5:9 tells us! Ephesians refers to it as the fruit of the light. The fruit of the light is three things: goodness, righteousness and truth. The Holy Spirit says,

. . . is pleasing to the Lord. Ephesians 5:8 (NASB)

And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. Ephesians 5:11-12 (NASB)

Conclusion

Have you ever wished to please the Lord? Then be a light to the world. Be a godly example of goodness, righteousness and hold to Biblical truth. Did you notice that righteousness includes avoiding “things which are done by them in secret?” He did not just say do not watch these things, do not say these things, do not do these things. He said do even not talk about them. What about Biblical truth? Jesus is going to talk about that next . . .

How is your light shining? The keeper of a lighthouse at Calais was boasting of the brightness of his lantern from the lighthouse which could be seen ten leagues at sea. A visitor said to him, “What if one of the lights would go out?” – “Never, – impossible!” He cried, horrified at the thought. “Sir,” he said, pointing to the ocean, “yonder, where nothing can be seen, there are ships going by to all parts of the world. If tonight one of the my burners went out, within six months would come a letter, perhaps from India, perhaps from America, perhaps from some place I have never heard of saying on such a night, at such an hour, the light of Calais burned dim, the watchman neglected his post, and vessels were in danger. Ah, sir! Sometimes in the dark nights in stormy weather, I look out at sea, and feel as if the eyes of the whole world were looking at my light. Go out? – burn dim? – NEVER!”

Comments or Questions?

God’s Desire for Us

May 23, 2004/in Book of Daniel/by John

At a school in Ireland, a clergyman is reported to have asked a group of children, “What is holiness?” A poor, dirty, ragged-clothed young Christian child jumped up and said, “Please, your Reverence, it is to be clean inside!” That is a wonderful definition, “To be clean inside” – morally clean. As we saw in our last study, the Israelites missed this point. Most of the kings of both Israel and Judah were doing evil before God. The prophets of God had warned them to stop, but they did not listen. So God brought the Assyrian and then the Babylonian Empires down to take Israel and Judah into captivity. The prophet Isaiah explains why this happened with, “For they have brought evil on themselves” Isaiah 3:9 (NASB). God wanted their holiness, but they had ignored Him.

Opening of Daniel

At the opening of our last study in Daniel, we discovered that Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem. What a way to start a book. What an incredible opening! The book opens with a military battle.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. Daniel 1:1 (NASB)

This was judgment. God’s judgment came in 605 B.C. as illustrated in the chart entitled “Events of the Conquest” in the Appendix (also see an outline of Daniel in the Appendix). We are told that Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem during the third year of Jehoiakim’s reign. But Jeremiah 46:2 says this occurred in the fourth year of Jehoiakim’s reign. The difference is that the Babylonians counted the first year as the ascension year and the next year as the first year of a king’s reign. This fact is found in the first and second chapters. In the first chapter, Daniel says that he was trained for three years (Daniel 1:5) before he entered the king’s service (Daniel 1:18). So the chapter marks the end of Daniel’s third year of captivity, but Daniel 2:1 says this is also the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. Nebuchadnezzar has been the ruler for three years: one ascension year plus two years as king. Daniel, the author, was trained to count the reign of a ruler as a Babylonian would. He counted Jehoiakim’s reign in the same way.

Nebuchadnezzar’s military victory was not something God happened to allow. God caused it to happen. He gave the kingdom of Judah to Nebuchadnezzar along with the vessels from His temple.

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god. Daniel 1:2 (NASB)

Nebuchadnezzar brought the vessels to the temple of his god in Shinar, the ancient name for Babylon. What an incredible set of events! God gave Jehoiakim to Nebuchadnezzar. God gave the vessels from the temple and He gave some Jews, His people, as captives. God did this! He gave the king, temple vessels, and people whom He loved to a man who did not believe in the true God, to a man who was named after and who served the god Nabu.

Then God called Nebuchadnezzar “My Servant” (Jeremiah 25:9). This is, humanly speaking, unbelievable. This account reminds us how much God hates our sin.

Secular Education

God then proceeds to tell us that He allowed Daniel to be educated in Babylon.

Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the royal family and of the nobles, youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding, and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court; and he ordered him to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. Daniel 1:3-4 (NASB)

Daniel was a youth. I wonder how he felt being taken away from his family, transported hundreds of miles, and then coming to a godless city of great beauty and wealth. This city was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. I wonder how he felt? Was he afraid, lonely, uncertain or worried? Probably! But unknown to this young man, God had plans for him.

The first step was a secular education. There is nothing wrong with a secular education. There is only a concern for a young man or woman’s faithfulness to God. This young man was faithful as we will see. Just imagine. Daniel must have been taught a different view of creation. The Babylonians did not believe in the creation account found in the Old Testament. Daniel was to learn a different language, a different concept of God, and a different standard of living.

Secular Influence

Daniel’s Babylonian guide was Ashpenaz. He was the chief of the eunuchs. Was Daniel made a eunuch? We do not know. This official was responsible for taking care of the education of Daniel and his friends.

And the king appointed for them a daily ration from the king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be educated three years, at the end of which they were to enter the king’s personal service. Now among them from the sons of Judah were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name Belteshazzar, to Hananiah Shadrach, to Mishael Meshach, and to Azariah Abed-nego. Daniel 1:5-7 (NASB)

He also changed Daniel’s name and the names of his friends: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Their Hebrew names referred to Jehovah God, but their new names referred to Babylonian gods. But God did not intervene. What a lesson for Christians. All too often we want to create an environment that is “free” from non-Christian influence in the belief that this will make us better Christians or more holy. The truth is, victory in spiritual warfare makes us better Christians. God was preparing Daniel.

Daniel Revealed

Many have wondered if Daniel ate the Babylonian food or food approved by the law given by Moses. Daniel objected to the food he was asked to eat.

But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials, and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.” But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then let our appearance be observed in your presence, and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. And at the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables. Daniel 1:8-16 (NASB)

If Daniel was rejecting food not approved under the Mosaic Law, why did he reject the wine? Or, did he want to avoid food offered to Babylonian gods? Foreign gods are not gods according to the New Testament (Galatians 4:8). There is only one God. The answer is, “We do not know for sure why Daniel rejected the food!” There is no clear, satisfactory answer. What we do know is that Daniel did not want to “defile” himself. Daniel was seeking holiness! That is the key point. That is the message of these verses.

Therefore Daniel asked for permission not to eat the food or drink the wine and God granted Daniel favor and compassion. Have you ever wanted favor and compassion in a difficult situation? Proverbs has the answer for us.

My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments . . . Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:1-6 (NASB)

In this passage the Holy Spirit calls us to knowledge of His Word, faithful obedience and love. When God calls us to faithful obedience, He is calling us to a holy life. When He calls us to faithful obedience. He is calling us to love. These things appear to be true of Daniel.

God’s Favor

So God granted Daniel favor and compassion and He granted all four young people knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom.

And as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. Daniel 1:17 (NASB)

Three years past between verses seventeen and eighteen. The day came for them to be evaluated by the king.

Then at the end of the days which the king had specified for presenting them, the commander of the officials presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. And the king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s personal service. And as for every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. Daniel 1:18-20 (NASB)

God had granted Nebuchadnezzar victory over Jehoiakim. He granted Daniel favor with his overseer, the youths knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, and the result was favor with the king. Dr. J. Vernon McGee adds this,

I want to submit to you that the Bible was not written by a bunch of . . . men who were ignorant. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of Egypt. The Egyptians were quite advanced; they knew the distance to the sun, and they knew that the earth was round. It was a few Greeks who came along later and flattened out the earth. They were the “scientists” in that day, you see. Science taught that the earth was flat. The Bible never did teach that; in fact, it said it was a circle (see Isa. 40:22). Daniel, too, as a young man was outstanding. He must have rated high on the list of these young men who were given tests in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, was up in that bracket intellectually also. All these were brilliant young men who were exposed to the learning of their day. I get weary of these so-called [intellectuals] who act as if the Bible was written by a group of ignoramuses . . . Daniel was nobody’s fool. He was a brilliant young man and he was taught as few men have been taught . . . Thru the Bible with J. Vernon Magee, Vol III

Conclusion

Daniel was brilliant and holy. The kings of Judah and Israel caused the kingdoms to fall into captivity by their evil. Here we have a young man who seeks to be holy, and God responds by making him one of the great prophets of the Old Testament.

When Queen Victoria reigned in England, she would occasionally visit some of the “humble cottages” of her subjects. One time she entered the home of a widow. Later the poor woman was taunted by her neighbors, “Granny, who is the most honored guest you have ever entertained in your home?” They expected her to say it was Jesus. But to their surprise she answered, “Her Majesty, the queen.” They were surprised and asked, “Did you say the queen? Ah, we caught you this time! How about Jesus?” To that, the woman responded, “No, He is not a guest. He lives here!”

Daniel could have sinned and done what he wanted. He was away from home, away from parents and away from church – unseen by all who knew him. This reveals Daniel’s real heart. He risked his life to be holy. God was not a visitor in His life. Do you live your Christian life as if God is a visitor?

Comments or Questions?

Persecuted for Jesus

May 23, 2004/in Sermon on the Mount, Book of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount — Late A.D. 31/by John

Men and women of all ages and classes have suffered as Christians: noble senators, educated bishops, nursing mothers, feeble men, respected teachers, young virgins, poor slaves, skilled craftsmen and honored pastors. The early Christians were severely tortured because they believed and followed Jesus. Society was not tolerant; it was offended. During the Decian persecution, A.D. 249-251, thousands of Christians were systematically persecuted. History tells us “Christians” and “pastors” were given the opportunity to renounce their faith, offer incense to other gods or give up their sacred books. Many did. Those who did were called the lapsi or the “Lapsed” because they had returned to paganism. Those who gave up their sacred books were called “traditores” or traitors. Meanwhile, history records that other Christians with whom they had worshipped died by fire and other exotic forms of death. Yet, when it was all over, the traitors and the lapsi sought restoration to the church.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:10-12 (NASB)

Running The Race

These two beatitudes promise Christians who have suffered for Jesus down through time a great reward in heaven. In the previous beatitude Jesus told us to be peacemakers with all men, including our enemies, but not to the point of compromise. In these two beatitudes, Jesus makes it clear that true Christians will suffer for holiness and because they follow Jesus.

What kind of persecution was Jesus talking about? Jesus was talking about ongoing, non-stop persecution that hurts body and pride. Jesus used a Greek word, dioko, which has the sense of being pursued and persecuted. It is a picture of someone who has been aggressively hunting you and they are still seeking you to hurt you. Have you ever been persecuted like this because you have tried to live a holy life – to do what Jesus wants of you? Today some Christians are too willing to be lapsi.

Persecution For Righteousness

Jesus is talking about suffering for righteous conduct. Sometimes we suffer not because of righteousness but because of our own sin and bad conduct towards others. Sometimes we suffer because we are angry or make bad decisions. Jesus did not say, “Blessed are those who are objectionable Christians.” He did not say, “Blessed are the hateful;” “Blessed are those who make bad money decisions;” “Blessed are the hot tempered” or “Blessed are the self-centered.” Listen to 1 Peter 3:17,

For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 1 Peter 3:17 (NASB)

He is talking about those who are persecuted for holy living. Listen to 2 Timothy 3:12,

All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB)

God does not say that we must BE living a holy life. He says we will suffer if we DESIRE to live a godly life. Do you desire to flee immorality, sensuality, anger, and disputes (Galatians 5:19-21) and greed, strife, gossip, disobedience to parents, and haters of God (Romans 1:29-32)? God wants us to desire to be like Him. In 1 Peter 1:16 He says that He wants us to be like Him, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” God wants your heart. He wants our heart to desire to be holy like Him. Flee sin by being filled with the Holy Spirit and by pursuing Him. Why do others hate Christians? Romans 1:32 says they want us to be like them! When we refuse to be evil, we are persecuted in different ways. Sometimes it is physical. Sometimes it is not.

Insults And Persecution

The last beatitude in the Sermon on the Mount includes another form of persecution: curses, insults with insulting, evil language, and mockings. This is the meaning of the Greek word (oneidizo) for “insults.” This word was used in Matthew 27:44 to describe the abuse Jesus suffered from the robbers. It was abusive and unpleasant.

History says that John Huss (A.D. 1415) was burned at the stake because he believed the Bible was infallible, authoritative and supreme. He declared that Christ was the head of the church. Before he died he was urged to recant, and he replied, “What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood.” Others have received insults, such as John Calvin, who was declared to be a legalist. Many Christians have been cursed and lied about for holding to the truth and following their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Rewards

Heaven With A Reward

Many Christians since the time of Jesus have feared all forms of persecution. Some have reacted in anger and hostility. But God calls us to be at peace with others as much as possible (Romans 12:18) and never flinch from living a godly life (2 Timothy 3:12) or standing for and defending the truth of God (2 Timothy 2:1-3; 2 John). Just before Jesus’ death, He told His disciples they would suffer because the disciple is not greater than his master (John 15:18-19). Jesus’ point is that if He suffers, why should we feel that we should escape? Are we greater?

Christians do not like insults, rebukes, slander, anger, bad reports, rejection and persecution. This has always been true. It was true of Jesus’ disciples, and it was true of Joseph of Arimathea,

And after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. John 19:38 (NASB)

It has always been scary to be a Christian. After Jesus had been arrested, scripture says Peter denied that he even knew Jesus three times (John 18:15-27). Actually, Peter may have been the brave one because the other disciples just left (Matt 26:56). Christians have always been afraid to speak out because no one likes to be insulted or persecuted.

Conclusion

True Christians will suffer and there will be times we will become a secret disciple. But that does not please our Lord. The early church had a solution: they called it boldness. In Acts 4:29 they asked God for boldness,

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Acts 4:29 (NIV)

They prayed for boldness during persecution. They did not ask for it to stop. They ask for boldness to keep going. They chose suffering. But when it became intense, Acts 8:1 says they fled. They fled preaching the gospel just as Jesus had told His disciples (Matthew 10:23).

We need to ask the Holy Spirit for boldness (Acts 4:31) to live a righteous life. We need to commit ourselves to be bold and accept suffering for Jesus. Pray that God gives us boldness to not become lapsi, or yield to the spirit of tolerance, or anything that is contrary to holiness, truth and the pursuit of being like Jesus Christ. Imagine the great rewards that await us along with the other saints.

Comments or Questions?

God Has Spoken In the Book of Daniel!

May 16, 2004/in Book of Daniel/by John

They have invaded us! They have conquered us, stolen from our temple, and captured thousands of our people! Those must have been just a few of the thoughts of some of the Israelites who watched Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army march through the streets of Jerusalem after they had defeated Pharaoh Neco and his Egyptian army. Nebuchadnezzar and his army had come to conquer and control the land of Judah. Now he came to humiliate their King Jehoiakim by making him his slave and stealing from the temple. Before Nebuchadnezzar left Judah, he made Jehoiakim a puppet governor to control the land Nebuchadnezzar now claimed for his own. The once proud nation under King David and King Solomon was now in the control of the Babylonian Empire.

God’s Hand

Daniel picks up this historical event in the first two verses.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.” Daniel 1:1-2 (NASB)

Nebuchadnezzar was an emerging power and Jehoiakim was a wicked king. Daniel begins with two kings, one defeated and the other a conqueror because God helped him win. The Holy Spirit tells us that God “gave” Jehoiakim to Nebuchadnezzar. Psalm 127:1 reminds us that Nebuchadnezzar would not have won without God’s help.

Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain. Psalm 127:1 (NASB)

Nebuchadnezzar did not know that he had been helped. He did not know that he was to soon discover God through one of his captives.

Overview

Daniel is about kings and godly men who remained faithful to the true God. It is about dreams and prophecies concerning five nations. It is a book about God, Satan, and demons. It is a book that will give us confidence that the Bible is God speaking to us.

We will see the signs of the times and explore the future. When we finish with Daniel, we will continue into Revelation, Lord willing, to understand the events in our future.

The Battle Ground

Daniel has been a battle ground between those who do not believe in God and those who do. Those who do not believe in God cannot accept miracles and biblical prophecies, including Daniel. So they have attacked the date and authorship of Daniel. They say that the book was written after the historical events occurred.
What has occurred is that they have ignored the facts and have refused to answer questions that point to their error. Here are some of the facts.

Dead Sea Scrolls. When was Daniel written? The Dead Sea Scrolls provide the first proof that the book of Daniel existed before 165 BC, since Daniel was found among the manuscripts at Qumran. This early date is the result of radiocarbon dating of the Dead Sea manuscripts of Daniel. They imply that earlier copies of the book with older dates already existed. This is important because Daniel predicted the fall of Babylon (605-539 B.C.), Media-Persia (539-331 B.C.), Greece (331-146 B.C.) and then Rome (331-146 B.C.). Daniel also predicts the time of Jesus’ death (33 A.D.). The Dead Sea Scrolls prove that at least one prophecy, the prophecy about Jesus’ existence on earth to be real.

The Septuagint. There is another proof that the book of Daniel existed before Jesus was alive on this earth. This proof involves the Septuagint, which is also known as the LXX. The LXX is a Greek translation of the Old Testament. Jewish tradition says that seventy scribes translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek between 285 BC and 247 BC. Since the Septuagint contains the book of Daniel, we know that the book of Daniel existed even earlier in time.

Book of Josephus. Josephus states that the book of Daniel was shown to Alexander the Great when he approached the city of Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XI, chapter VIII, section 5). History says that Alexander the Great approached Jerusalem around 331 BC. This means that the book of Daniel existed before this event. It predicted that Jerusalem would be conquered by Greece. Some critics will accept Josephus’ other accounts as being accurate, yet dispute this fact.

The Jewish Tradition. Long standing Jewish tradition says that the book of Daniel existed before 450 BC. While this is not solid proof, it is consistent with the next fact.

Ezekiel’s Reference. Most critics widely accept the book of Ezekiel as being written between 586 BC and 538 BC. What is fascinating is that the author, Ezekiel, refers to Daniel in Ezekiel 14:14, 20. This implies that Daniel was alive during his time. Daniel claims to be the author (Daniel 12:4) of the book which bears his name and to have lived during the life of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 1-2) and Darius (Dan. 9:1). This implies that Daniel was a contemporary of Ezekiel and lived to see the fall of Babylon (Daniel 5:30-31).

Internal Evidence. For decades, the critics said the proof that Daniel was written near Christ’s time is found in the Greek names of musical instruments recorded in the book and in the fact that a portion of Daniel was written in Aramaic. After excavations in Babylonia and Assyria, it has become clear that the musical instruments (lyre, sackbut, and trigon) mentioned in Daniel 3 do not have Greek names (which would argue for a later date for Daniel), but Babylonian names from the seventh century (600 B.C.). These instruments originated in Old Persia and were then assimilated by the Greeks.

To the embarrassment of the critics, excavations have also proven that the Aramaic of Daniel was an Imperial Aramaic of the seventh century (600 B.C.) and not the Aramaic found later. The Babylonians did read and write in Aramaic (Daniel 2:4). With the Dead Sea scrolls and recent archaeological findings, the critics of Daniel are having to reconsider their objections. Future discoveries are proving the criticisms to be in error and not objective.

Substantial historical evidence exists to prove that Daniel was written before the prophecies about Greece, Rome and Jesus were fulfilled.

The Kings and Prophets of Israel.

The Warning

The opening verses of Daniel are a warning to us. The nation of Israel had been a divided nation after King Solomon sinned and went after other gods (1 Kings 11:9-13). Two new kingdoms were created after his death as God had decreed. One was a new, smaller kingdom of Israel in the northern part of Canaan and the second kingdom was Judah in the southern part. This was the result of King Solomon’s sins and not the sins of the people.

The kings of the new Israel and Judah continued ignoring God and worshipping other gods. They “did evil.” The chart below shows which kings did evil before God (1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles). The kings of Israel were the worst and so God disciplined them first and brought the Assyrian Empire down to remove the vast majority of the people to a foreign land. The kings of Judah were better, but only two kings were considered to be “good.” The last good king was King Josiah – a wonderful king. Listen to this!

And before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. 2 Kings 23:25 (NASB)

God never said this about David or Solomon and He did not say this about any other king. Did you notice the first and last part of the passage? There was no king like him before or after him. He loved God with all his heart, soul, and might. That is what Jesus has called us to do.

And He said to him, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.” Matthew 22:37 (NASB)

Josiah destroyed everything that stood between him, the people of Judah and God. But that did not change God’s plan to bring Nebuchadnezzar down and destroy Jerusalem and Judah.

However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. 2 Kings 23:26 (NASB)

There is a great lesson here for us . God works through leadership. Sinning leaders bring God’s discipline on a nation. The principle is the same with fathers and single parents who are sinning. Sinning church leaders blunt the blessing of the Lord on the church. Oh, the leader can “minister” for the Lord but he/she “ministers” without the Lord’s full blessing.

Eventually, God disciplines the leader and maybe the people, the family, or the church. So God gave the kingdom of Israel to the Assyrians and about one hundred years later He gave Judah and its sinning leaders to Nebuchadnezzar. Was this fair? Here is God’s answer.

Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. Isaiah 3:9 (NASB)

In the following verse, leaven symbolizes sin.

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 1 Corinthians 5:6-7 (NASB)

The leaders are the models. They set the example and the people follow. The kings sinned and here is what happened in the kingdom of Judah.

For My people have forgotten Me, They burn incense to worthless gods And they have stumbled from their ways, From the ancient paths, To walk in by-paths, Not on a highway . . . Jeremiah 18:15 (NASB)

God had been calling them to repent but they did not.

Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, that I may repent of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds. Jeremiah 26:3 (NASB)

So God used Nebuchadnezzar to discipline Judah. Nebuchadnezzar was not a man who followed God. He worshipped other gods, including his chief god Marduk. God used Nebuchadnezzar to bring the Jewish captives to Babylon. Babylon means the “Gate of god” or the “Gate of the gods.” They would be here for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:12-13). God used this man to defeat Jerusalem and bring the Jewish captives to a godless place. Nebuchadnezzar was God’s servant (Jeremiah 25:9) – God’s tool. The message for us is that God uses evil nations, terrorists, thieves, murders, to bring us to Himself. God calls us to believe in Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Do you believe in Jesus Christ? If you do not, God says that you at war with Him (Romans 5:10). But you can make peace with God by believing in Jesus Christ.

Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ . . . Romans 5:1 (NASB)

God says that we must believe that Jesus is God, the only true God. You must believe that you are a sinner and that peace is found only when Jesus forgives your sins. We must also believe that Jesus returned to life. If you do, the war is over. Your sins are forgiven and now Jesus calls you to submit to Him. Praise the Lord. If you would like to learn how to have your sins forgiven, visit the page “Searching for God.”

Comments or Questions?

Peacemakers Are Sons of God

May 16, 2004/in Sermon on the Mount, Book of Matthew, Sermon on the Mount — Late A.D. 31/by John

Gandhi was “The Father of the Nation, the Apostle of Peace” in the eyes of some men and women. He was called the Mahatma (“great soul”). He was considered India’s conscience. His ideas and approach to nonviolent confrontation, or civil disobedience, not only captured independence for India, but have influenced many political activists throughout the world. Yet, ironically, he was assassinated in Delhi on January 30, 1948, by a Hindu fanatic who thought he was pro-Muslim and pro-Pakistan. Over a million people attended his funeral, and he was cremated at Raj Ghat on the banks of the Holy Yamuna River. He pursued civil liberation from the British and found it. Down through the ages of time, our world has known great men in the military, in science, and in the arts and philosophy. Regardless of their contribution or success, almost all have desired peace. Yet, peace has been momentary and illusive. There has only been One who has offered real peace – spiritual peace, and He is Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount He told us who have found peace,

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 (NASB)

The Peacemakers

After reading the Sermon on the Mount, some have thought that Jesus was a pacifist – someone who yielded to everyone. Why? Because Jesus encouraged His listeners to not murder, nor be angry, or hate (Matthew 5:21-26). In Matthew 5:38-42 He calls us to defer to others with

You have heard that it was said, “AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.” But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone wants to sue you, and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. And whoever shall force you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you. Matthew 5:38-42 (NASB)

Was Jesus a pacifist? Listen to Him in Matthew 10:34,

Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34 (NASB)

Or, how about

Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. Matthew 11:21-23 (NIV)

Speaking of the religious leaders of His day, He said,

Woe to you, because you are like unmarked graves, which men walk over without knowing it. Luke 11:44 (NIV)

These are words that can incite anger. If Jesus is not a pacifist, what does He mean by “peacemaker”? The answer is not in the English reading Bible. The answer lies in the Greek word Jesus uses for peacemaker – a rare Greek word that ONLY occurs here in Matthew 5:9. The Greek word has the idea of “one who restores peace, favors good understanding, settles quarrels and stops conflicts.” It was a word used only of emperors who bring about peace. A peacemaker is one who comes alongside, who seeks to understand the reasons of the conflict and helps two people to come to peace.

Prince Of Peace

On the night Jesus was born the angels said,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests. Luke 2:14 (NIV)

During Christmas this verse is often quoted, but did you notice what it says? God only gives peace to those He favors. In John 14:27, Jesus, speaking to His disciple, says,

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. John 14:27 (NIV)

God gives us peace. How? What kind of peace? Jesus gives the answer in Luke 7:48, 50 when He tells a woman,

Your sins have been forgiven . . . Your faith has saved you; go in peace. Luke 7:48, 50 (NASB)

That woman was spiritually at war with God (Romans 5:1, 10-11) until she met Jesus who forgave her sins and gave her peace with God. You see, the peace that is most important to Jesus is spiritual peace, not political or civil peace. In fact, God will use strife to help us see that we need Him because there is no one else (Acts 4:12), no man, no woman, no saint, no one but Jesus who can rescue us from the judgment we deserve because of our disobedience to Him. Only Jesus is the real peacemaker. He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), and He sets people free from their sins. Are you at peace with God? Have you been rescued from the penalty of your sin? Are you free at last? Do you have peace at last?

Sons Of God

When God forgets your sins, He calls you a child of God (John 1:12) – a son of God (Galatians 3:26). We become sons of God by faith in Jesus Christ. As we have seen in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has been giving us the characteristics of true Christians. He has told us how true Christians behave. He is not telling us how to become a Christian. He is telling us how to relate to God and how Christians treat others. In this beatitude Jesus tells us that the real peacemakers are the sons of God. In Matthew 5:3 He has said the “blessed one” will see the kingdom of heaven. In the next and following verses, the “blessed one” will be comforted, inherit the earth, be satisfied, receive mercy, and see God. Now He says the “blessed one” will be called the son of God. These things are only true of Christians! Is your life characterized by being a peacemaker?

Conclusion

Now if Christians are peacemakers, then the opposite must also be true. Those who are always angry and those who create disunity and conflict must not be sons of God. Do you have the attitude of an “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”? Do you hate an enemy or take others to court? Do you keep a record of wrongs done to you? Is Romans 12:17-18 true of you,

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Romans 12:17-18 (NASB)

Are you a son of God? If you are, peace will not always be possible because people will sometimes hate us because we speak God’s truth and desire to be holy like God (2 Timothy 3:12). The ultimate test that you are a son of God, a real peacemaker, is when you seek to make peace between men and women and God,

And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:18 (NASB)

The sons of God sow the message of peace to others. Jesus came to bring us spiritual peace. The test that you are a son of God is that you seek peace with other people and you desire to bring them to peace with God. A true son of God wants others to find peace with God through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Free at last. Peace at last.

Comments or Questions?

Archives

You Have Heard

But I Say

Your Heart?

Responding To Anger

Jesus Disagrees

Conclusion

Surpass Who?

Bad Righteousness?

NO! NO!

Conclusion

Notes:

God Honors An Unbelieving King

The Dream Revealed

The Interpretation

Babylonian Empire

Media-Persia & Grecian Empires

Roman Empire

Future Form of the Roman Empire

Eternal Kingdom

Conclusion

Abolish The Law?

Why He Came

Strokes And Dots

Least In The Kingdom

Conclusion

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

The Wise Men

The False Prophets

Only The Gods

Compassionate Prophet

I Am Important

Conclusion

Salt of the Earth

Light of The World

Salt and Light

Conclusion

Opening of Daniel

Secular Education

Secular Influence

Daniel Revealed

God’s Favor

Conclusion

Running The Race

Persecution For Righteousness

Insults And Persecution

Heaven With A Reward

Conclusion

God’s Hand

Overview

The Battle Ground

The Warning

Conclusion

The Peacemakers

Prince Of Peace

Sons Of God

Conclusion

To The Glory of God

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