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In this issue: 4.
A Spiritual Man for Spirit-Wrestling
Edwin & Lillian Harvey (USA)
5.
Expository Preaching and the Grace of God
Ken Legg (Australia)
7.
Faith: The Sixth Sense (Part 3)
Reinhard Bonnke (CfaN)
9.
Faith-builders Bible Study Luke 2:21–52
Derek Williams (UK)
13.
In Depth Study – Zechariah 11
Mathew Bartlett (UK)
16.
Benaiah the Mighty
Haydn O. Williams (UK)
18.
D-Day Anniversary
Mathew Bartlett (UK)
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A Spiritual Man for SpiritWrestling
An extract from ”Kneeling We Triumph” by Edwin & Lillian Harvey BUY ON KINDLE! £3.86 Reproduced by kind permission of Harvey Publishers. Image© Elultimodeseo
We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness (wicked spirits) in high places (Eph. 6:12). Who can fight this prayer battle? A very short answer can be given to that question. The New Testament makes clear that the wrestler with the forces of evil must be a spiritual man, for only he can understand the battle and the equipment necessary for it. A carnal Christian begins the fight defeated. A natural man cannot side with God. But what is a spiritual man? The late Dr. J. Elder Cumming described him as “a man in whom not only his own spirit takes the lead in selfgovernment and discipline, but in whom the Spirit of God is dwelling in person and power;
and he does this above all—he has been and is ‘receiving’ the Spirit of God as in control and mastership, redressing the balance of powers within, and through the man’s own spirit subordinating all the carnal and worldly, bringing him into conformity with Christ.” His own spirit, gathering to its aid all human faculties, under the government and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, moves out on to the spiritual battlefield to stand with God, and through prayer, make possible the interposition of divine powers to crown with success the work of grace. But where is this prayer battle to be won? In the closet, in the quietness of personal communion with God. To be in touch with Him is to come into the light, and to be there is to see what He sees. . . . The battle against the powers of darkness must be won on the believer’s knees. “Brother,” wrote Dr. Hudson Taylor to Dr. Goforth, “if you are to win that province (North Honan), you must go forward on your knees.” The closet must give to prayer vitality, and vitality springs from Calvary in action in the believer’s life. The fight against the foes of God must be joined to unflinching opposition to all known sin. No minimizing or toleration of personal inherent weakness can be permitted, save at great peril. If the Cross is not a sanctifying force in the heart, it will give no driving, delivering momentum in the prayer battle in the world. In the 4
measure in which personal identification with Christ in resistance to sin and self is real and deep, will there be victory over the schemes and agencies of Satan. The power of prayer, to effect a spiritual revolution in a church or nation, depends upon the length we are prepared to go in allowing the Holy Spirit to apply to our own characters the revealing, as well as the sanctifying force of the Cross. . . . Full surrender to God for the work of intercession is without doubt the first and clamant imperative. The basis of victorious prayer, as it is equally the ground of triumphant living, is disclosed in the command, “Yield yourselves unto God.” Calvary is meaningless or resultless, unless it creates such a spirit of yieldedness as permits of the Holy Spirit accomplishing the purpose of the sacrifice of the Savior. Prayer is translated into a real fighting force against evil, as the Cross, through the Spirit of God, succeeds in making actual in the life of the believer freedom from the domination of the selflife. In the measure in which Satan can find the old Adam nature his ally in the heart, must there be a hindrance to the power of God, and a resultant weakness in the attitude and action of the believer. Personal victory over every form of sin conditions our ability to stand with God in definite aggressiveness of spirit against His enemy.—Gordon B. Watt.
What is the safeguard against error? How can we ensure we do not fall into any of these traps? I believe that one of the things which helps protect us from error is expository teaching. Expository teaching is the practice of unfolding the truth of passages or sections of the Bible systematically, verse by verse. This brings a well-rounded presentation of Scripture over a period of time and is much more likely to expose a congregation to the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27; 2 Tim.3:16).
Expository Preaching and the Grace of God by Ken Legg Image © Georgios Kollidas
There are many false gospels but there is only one true gospel, i.e. the gospel of grace (Acts 20:24; Gal.1:6). Many believe that doing certain things will get them more power – e.g. praying, fasting, giving, sacrificing, etc. But Paul said that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. If we believe the true gospel God’s power will work in our lives. No wonder then that the enemy has done all he can to distort the gospel message in order to keep God’s people weak and
ineffective. In fact the gospel of grace was already being corrupted in the New Testament Church. For example, as soon as Paul had established churches in the region of Galatia Judaizers followed after him teaching that grace and law must be combined. Paul said: ‘Fall for that trick and you will fall from grace; the power of God will no longer work in you.’ But introducing the leaven of legalism is not the only way the gospel of grace was under siege. Some went in the opposite direction and turned it into licentiousness (Jude 4). Paul had to warn against this also (Rom.3:8; 6:1-2, 15-16). 5
Expository preaching was used almost exclusively in the first centuries of the Christian Church. Other forms of teaching were virtually unknown. It fell into decline during the Dark Ages but was revived by the Reformers. Sadly, today, other forms of preaching such as topical sermons, motivational talks, pop-psychology and a variety of fads and strange doctrines have replaced expository teaching. This has opened the way for many unfortunate trends in the church. For example, eisegesis has replaced exegesis. Exegesis is to expound the Word so as to let its true meaning naturally come forth. Eisegesis is to come to the Word with a preconceived idea or agenda and try to read that thought into the Scripture. Sadly this happens regularly in many churches each week as
pastors share their ‘vision’ (agenda) and raid the Bible to find a text to hang it on.
Expository teaching lasting fruit
bears
Departure from expository preaching has left us with much bad fruit including Biblically illiterate Christians, a growing demand for counselling, exploitation (rather than exposition) of the Scriptures, an inability to detect false teaching, etc. Conversely, a return to expository teaching will result in many positive benefits. For example preaching will major on majors and minor on minors, sensitive and difficult subjects which are normally avoided will be addressed, congregations will become more grounded in the Word, believers will be set free by the truth and generally become more sound and established in their faith (most error arises from texts which are taken out of their context or when essential truths are not taught).
Expository preaching and the gospel of grace Getting back to the gospel of grace, two tendencies seem apparent in the church today. First, the fundamental truth concerning the believer’s identity in Christ is not being taught. It would seem that many preachers are totally unacquainted with the positional
truths as taught by Paul, for example in the first chapters of his epistles to the Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, etc. Therefore sermons are always focused on behaviour modification, i.e. how we should live and behave. Such preaching generally tends towards legalism and condemnation. But then there are some grace preachers who are so afraid of legalism that there is never any instruction or exhortation in their preaching. They basically teach passivity and in doing so disempower the very people God has empowered for life and godliness. In my book Grace: The Power to Reign I liken both these approaches to trying to cut a piece of paper with one blade of a pair of scissors. Scissors are only effective when both blades close against each other to produce a cutting effect. When Paul taught the gospel of grace he used the ‘two blade’ approach. First he taught the wonderful truths of our new creation identity in Christ. Then he exhorts us to bring forth, through faith, the new life that we now have in Christ. Expository preaching would ensure that both blades are used and that there is a cutting edge to our ministry. Here is an example of this. When we commenced our ministry in Africa in 2006 it became clear that the greatest need in the churches there was for sound 6
teaching. There were so many extra-biblical teachings which were holding people in bondage and causing havoc. In response to this we set up approximately 35 DVD schools of ministry in several nations teaching the gospel of grace by expounding parts of the New Testament (this is also available in Australia under the name of Leggacy). Many leaders have been dramatically changed through this process. The gospel of grace not only says things, it does things; and when the whole counsel of the gospel is preached it transforms lives. Expository preaching resists the temptation to go for quick-fix results. It takes more time, but it bears lasting fruit. Order ‘Grace: The Power to Reign’ PDF AUS $9 Print AUS $19
Faith: The Sixth Sense by Reinhard Bonnke Image Š Grace21
Article reproduced with kind permission of Christ for all Nations 7
Part 3 - Faith and Sight Faith is also the eye through which we see the unseen. Physical optics will not enable us to perceive God. He is a Spirit. Mortal eyes are too weak to discern “the invisible God,” “the King eternal, immortal, invisible” (Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17). We have to relate to Him as He is. “He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). In faith, we find a better way of seeing. Our eyes can play tricks. Even Plato, the greatest of the Greek philosophers, said nothing is ever actually how it looks to us. But Moses “endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). If he believed only what we saw, what would a blind man believe? Radio waves fill your room, but you might never know it if you didn’t have a receiver. One of God’s great Bible names is the Lord is there. God is invisible Spirit, and that is that. It is as useless to argue and expect God to be what He is not as it is to expect the moon to be made of green cheese. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). They are on the track of truth. If we want to know God, that is how, because that is what He is like. Wanting a visible God has led people to vast mistakes. People have made God in their own image, which the God of the
Bible certainly is not and which contradicts the second commandment. (See Exodus 20:4.) It has led to idolatry and the setting up of images and icons. Today, some treat the living earth as God. They can see it, and they have a pretty big god, but the God of the whole earth is still much bigger.
one healing, one miracle, one deliverance from addiction is evidence of Him. But we do not have just one. Millions of people are healed, millions are delivered, millions of prayers are answered, and millions have experiences that can only be attributed to Jesus Christ, who is risen from the dead.
This desire for the invisible to become visible, of course, is where the gospel steps into the picture—because God did become visible. The apostle John wrote, “[He] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). In fact, John’s Gospel is all about seeing. In the first chapter alone, he makes eighteen references to seeing, writing about knowing as seeing. Similarly, in one of his letters, he began: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). John saw in Christ the Word of life, but some did not, and they crucified Him.
When I step on a platform in Africa or India or anywhere else, often—without any touch from me—the blind begin to see, the deaf begin to hear, the dumb begin to speak, the cripples begin to walk, and those who were driven to madness by evil spirits are released. It is not psychology, for even babies are healed in the womb. The greatest result is deliverance from sin and guilt and the transformation of people’s attitudes and personalities. Truly, Jesus saves.
Not seeing is no reason for not believing. Nobody sees radiation. We wait for its effects. Nobody sees God, but millions find the effects in their lives. Unexpected and miraculous things sometimes happen— things that can only be from Him. Even one answered prayer, 8
BUY: Faith The Link With God's Power
The Faith-builders Bible study series The ‘Faith-builders Bible study series’ has been developed a useful resource for today’s students of God’s Word and their busy lifestyles. Pastors, home or study group leaders and indeed for anyone wishing to study the Bible for themselves will benefit from using Faith-builders studies. Each volume is the result of many years of group Bible study, and has been revised again and again to be relevant, challenging and faith building whilst remaining clear and easy to understand. Each chapter has thought provoking questions to aid study and sample answers are provided. Below is an extract from the study notes for Luke 1:57-80
Luke Chapter 2:21–52
By Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett (UK) Image © Rorem The Presentation of Christ
Mark Chapter 2 (abstract)
2:21 At the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, By he Derek was named Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. In obedience to the Law of Moses the child was circumcised when he was eight days old—a tradition which went back to Abraham (Genesis 17:12)—and the family follows what may have been the custom in those days to name the child at his circumcision. One again Luke is careful to emphasise Jesus’ status within the Jewish faith— before adding that he had in fact been given the name Jesus by the angel Gabriel before He was conceived. It was unusual for children to be named by God before conception, and so a certain meaning must be attached to
each occasion. The only occasion in the Old Testament was the naming of Ishmael and Isaac Williams & Mathew Bartlett (Genesis 16:11; 17:19); names which express God’s covenant faithfulness for his people–He had both made Sarah laugh and also heard Hagar’s cry. Jesus provides an even greater expression of God’s covenant love, being sent to ‘save his people from their sins’ (Matt. 1:21).1 In the New Testament only John the Baptist was named in a way
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It is not clear in 1 Chronicles 22:9 if Solomon was named before birth, but by comparison with 2 Samuel 12:24-25 he appears to have been named after birth, as were Gomer’s children in Hosea 1:4-9. On other occasions, God is seen to be ‘foretelling’ names rather than bestowing them, as in Isaiah 45:1. 9
similar to Jesus in Luke 1:13; and perhaps this was to confirm his status as the forerunner of (UK) Image © Rorem Christ. It is possible that Luke wants to underscore his earlier point that although Jesus became a Jew like any other, he was more than that – he was the son of God (Luke 1:31-32). 2:22-23 Now when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male will be set apart to the Lord." ) Still in keeping with Jewish custom, after Mary’s days of purification was completed according to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12:2-6) they brought Jesus up to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the
Lord (Exodus 13:2; 12-15). The redemption of the firstborn reminded Israel of the death of the firstborn in Egypt and how they had been saved through the blood of the Passover lamb to become God’s own people. It is appropriate that Jesus, being the firstborn of Mary, should be associated with these historic events as he was the one who would become the Passover sacrifice to redeem us from sin and death (1 Cor. 5:7). Notice too how the Jews of this period viewed the Temple as the house of God, the place in which God would meet with them (see 2 Chronicles 7:16); a fact which becomes important in Luke’s narration of the time when Jesus visited the Temple again aged twelve (Luke 2:42-52). 2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to what is specified in the law of the Lord, a pair of doves or two young pigeons. They offered a sacrifice to the Lord of a pair of turtle doves or pigeons, one for a burnt offering the other for a sin offering; this verse more than any other reveals that Mary and Joseph were poor (Leviticus 12:6-8).
Simeon’s Prophecy 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon who was righteous and devout, looking for the restoration of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
At that time an old man named Simeon living in Jerusalem; he was both righteous and devoutly religious and the Holy Spirit was upon him (in other words he was regarded as a prophet). There is a thought that among the Jews of this second Temple period, although they had returned from exile centuries earlier, they were still felt themselves to be in exile. The glory and blessing of a bygone age had not been restored to them. They were suffering under Roman occupation. Over time, the hope of the restoration of the blessings and purpose of God became linked with the prophecies concerning God’s coming servant, the Messiah. This explains why Simeon, in waiting for the restoration of Israel, was expecting a person-the Messiah—since the ideas were (quite rightly) linked. 2:26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he had seen the Anointed One of God, the Messiah. 2:27-28 So Simeon, directed by the Spirit, came into the temple courts, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, Simeon took him in his arms and blessed God, saying,
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On the day that Jesus was brought by his parents to be presented to God in the Temple, the Holy Spirit moved Simeon to go there also. The Holy Spirit revealed to him that the child Jesus was the Messiah, and so taking Jesus up into his arms he praised God and prophesied. 2:29-32 "Now, according to your word, Sovereign Lord, permit your servant to depart in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples: a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel. Simeon was now ready to die, as his words indicate: ‘now let your servant depart in peace’. This may indicate that he saw the coming of Jesus as God’s keeping of his covenant promise and sufficient grounds for him to enter eternal blessing (an idea which, in keeping with Jewish thought of the time, was probably linked with future resurrection). He held in his arms the saviour of the world; the one to bring the salvation which God had promised to all people (Isa. 52:10); to the Gentile nations to whom he would bring the knowledge of God (light and revelation) as well as being the glory (boast) of the Jews, the fulfilment of God’s promise to them (see Isa. 42:6 and Isa. 49:6). 2:33 So the child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him.
Mary and Joseph were devout but simple people. Although they knew that Jesus was the ‘son of God’, his mission had not been fully explained to them; and so they were amazed at the fresh revelation in what Simeon had said. 2:34-35 Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "Listen carefully: This child is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed — and a sword will pierce your own soul as well! Simeon then blessed the family, and addressing Mary said that her child was destined to be a rock of offence, a stumbling stone to cause many in Israel to fall by their rejection of him as the Christ (see Rom. 9:32-33; 1 Peter 2:8), revealing where they truly stand with God (the thoughts of their hearts). On the other hand those who receive him will be raised up to become the sons of God (John 1:12-13). Finally, Simeon forewarns Mary of the heartbreak Jesus would cause her through his sufferings and death.
Anna Witnessing 2:36-37 There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having been married to her husband for seven years until his death. She
had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. While Simeon was still talking to them, a prophetess named Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher, came up to them. She was eighty-four years of age and had become a widow only seven years after her marriage. It is unlikely that she lived in the temple but she was always there given herself to fasting, praying and worshipping God. 2:38 At that moment, she came up to them and began to give thanks to God and to speak about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. Whether she heard Simeon’s prophecy or not we do not know, but she came and continued the prophecy, praising God and witnessing to those in the Temple who were also awaiting expectantly for the Messiah.
Jesus on His Father’s Business 2:39 So when Joseph and Mary had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. The verse seems to suggest that after Mary and Joseph and completed all that needed to be 11
done in accordance to the Law they immediately returned to Nazareth. However, Matthew recounts that they stayed on in Bethlehem until the visit of the Magi, after which they fled for a short time to Egypt from the edict of Herod. Only then could they safely return to Nazareth. See footnote.2 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him. It was as a child growing up in Nazareth that Jesus became healthy in body and strong in spirit. The grace (abundant favour and spiritual blessing) of God was upon Him. 2:41-42 Now Jesus' parents went to Jerusalem every year for the feast of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. Every year Joseph and Mary went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the
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Does Luke gloss over the material used by Matthew as unimportant to his narrative, deliberately avoid it for diplomatic reasons (see the witness given to Herod in Acts 26), does he regard it as spurious or was he simply unaware of it? In any case, it is not entirely implausible to reconcile both accounts as I have briefly done. It is remarkable that Joel B. Green makes no mention of this anomaly in his comment on 2:39, The Gospel of Luke (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), p. 152
Passover (Exod. 23:14-17). When Jesus was twelve years old they took Him with them up as usual to Jerusalem. Note that there was no requirement for boys to attend at age twelve; Luke is simply relating that he was twelve at the time of this particular incident. The rabbis encouraged whole family attendance at Passover whenever possible as per Exodus 12:26-27.3 2:43-45 But when the feast was over, as they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but (because they assumed that he was in their group of travelers) they went a day's journey. Then they began to look for him among their relatives and acquaintances. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. After the Passover was over Joseph and Mary began their journey home but unbeknown to them Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem. They thought that He was somewhere in the returning company with their relatives so they were not concerned for Him until the end of the day when he should have returned to them for the night. When they searched for him but could not find Him they returned to Jerusalem.
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2:46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. After three days of anxious searching they found Jesus in the court of the temple sitting among the teachers of God’s law, listening to them and asking them questions. 2:47 And all who heard Jesus were astonished at his understanding and his answers. Perhaps it was not so much to discover answers as the desire to discuss the works of God that led Jesus to ask questions. Certainly, all those who heard Him were amazed at His understanding of the law and the scriptures and the way that He answered the rabbis. 2:48 When his parents saw him, they were overwhelmed. His mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously." When Joseph and Mary finally found him their anxious emotions came to the fore, and his mother blamed him for causing them great apprehension. 2:49-50 But he replied, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know that I must be in my Father's house?" Yet his parents did not understand the remark he made to them.
Green, p. 155 12
When we consider Jesus’s answer to Mary we must remember that she and Joseph knew who Jesus was, the Son of God. That is why he asked them ‘why did you seek for me? Didn’t you know that I must be in my father’s house (or some translations “doing my Father’s work?”)’ But they were not able to understand the significance of what He said to them. He may have come down to earth from heaven, but his fellowship was still with the Father as it always had been, both in terms of seeking his presence and doing his work. 2:51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart. So Jesus returned with them to Nazareth and behaved as an obedient son. Mary kept all these things in her heart. 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people. Jesus continued to increase in wisdom and understanding; as well as in age and size; and in favour with God and people.
Our In Depth Study Zechariah Chapter 11 By Mathew Bartlett Photo © Jacob Gregory
Scripture taken from the NET
Bible®. This article is an extract from The Prophet of Messiah – a Zechariah Bible Commentary
Buy Paperback £3.73
The Mighty will be Humbled 11:1-3 Open your gates, Lebanon, so that the fire may consume your cedars. Howl, fir tree, because the cedar has fallen; the majestic trees have been destroyed. Howl, oaks of Bashan, because the impenetrable forest has fallen. Listen to the howling of shepherds, because their magnificence has been destroyed. Listen to the roaring of young lions, because the thickets of the Jordan have been devastated. At first reading this passage appears to deal with God’s judgement of the nation of Lebanon, but this is not altogether certain. Many earlier commentators regarded the allusion to Lebanon and cedars as a reference to the temple in Jerusalem which had been lined with cedar from Lebanon. This temple had been burned by the king of Babylon many years before the exile, and so an insertion of a prophecy at this point by Zechariah
would suggest that he was rehearsing history in order to make a point. An alternative view is that the destruction of Herod’s temple by Titus is prophesied here, but this seems less likely.
The Rejection of the Good Shepherd
Cedars and tall trees in the scripture represent human pride and sinful independence of God, and were often used to depict proud and cruel leaders (e.g. Isa. 2:13). Similarly, images of shepherds and lions are used to designate rulers (e.g. Jer. 25:34-37; Jer. 50:44). God will always humble the proud; as he did through the sacking of Jerusalem by the Babylonians and as he would do again through its destruction at the hands of the Romans. Could this be another warning from Israel’s history, as God foresees the nation, albeit now returned from exile and for a time eagerly serving him, reverting to the old ways of pride, idolatry and corruption?
This section clearly refers to the nation of Israel and its spiritual leaders (shepherds). Zechariah has been appointed by God as a shepherd over Israel (Matthew Henry refers to him as a type of Christ in this regard) in order to tend and feed them. Unfortunately, as he is permitted to know from the start, they will not respond to his shepherding, and as a result God has already decided, figuratively in this instance, to set them apart for slaughter, meaning they would be rejected by him.
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11:4 The LORD my God says this: "Shepherd the flock set aside for slaughter.
11:5 Those who buy them slaughter them and are not held guilty; those who sell them say, 'Blessed be the LORD, for I am rich.' Their own shepherds have no compassion for them.
This verse implies that corruption had again become rife among the people of God, with bribery in law courts and possibly the reduction of poor debtors and their families to be slaves alluded to here. Moreover, it was the spiritual leaders of the nation who profited from this corruption; and so brazen were they in their evil doing that they dared to bless God for the money they had made dishonestly. 11:6 Indeed, I will no longer have compassion on the people of the land," says the LORD, "but instead I will turn every last person over to his neighbor and his king. They will devastate the land, and I will not deliver it from them." Where such implacability dominated the land, God had to make clear that he would show no mercy to those who showed no mercy to others. This puts Jesus’ words ‘Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy’ into its historical context. Jesus was challenging the corruption and extortion of his times, and insisting, as does James, that ‘mercy triumphs over judgment’ (James 2:13). 11:7 So I began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter, the most afflicted of all the flock. Then I took two staffs, calling one "Pleasantness" and the other "Binders," and I tended the flock. Yet it was not to the corrupt leaders but to the poor and oppressed people of Israel to whom the shepherd was sent – even as Christ came to proclaim good news to the poor, to heal the sick and give sight to the blind. Zechariah, again depicting Christ, fed the people God’s word as a good shepherd on
the basis of grace and lovingkindness (‘pleasantness’ and ‘binders’ stand for that by which God binds and unites us to himself in Christ, namely his love). 11:8 Next I eradicated the three shepherds in one month, for I ran out of patience with them and, indeed, they detested me as well. The good shepherd is here seen deposing three other shepherds in a verse about which scholars simply cannot agree – in fact many admit they can never identify these three shepherds. What is clear is that God’s face is set against the religious leaders who devour his flock. It is also apparent that although the good shepherd did so much to tend and feed the sheep on the basis of grace and love, yet they became obstinate and hardened, rejecting the rule of their shepherd in favour of the oppression of their leaders! In a similar way, the Jewish of Jesus’ time rejected God’s will and purpose (Luke 7:30) and Jesus as the promised Messiah (Mark 12:20; Luke 17:25). 11:9 I then said, "I will not shepherd you. What is to die, let it die, and what is to be eradicated, let it be eradicated. As for those who survive, let them eat each other's flesh!" Because they rejected him, the shepherd in turn rejects the flock and leaves them to fend for themselves. This is the gravest principle of God’s dealings with humankind. Those who harden, resist and rebel are given over to their own stubborn hearts and become reprobates, unable to be redeemed for they have silenced 14
the pleading and loving voice of God.
To reject the good shepherd is to invite disaster, a picture which Jesus also built upon in John 3:36.
11:10 Then I took my staff "Pleasantness" and cut it in two to annul my covenant that I had made with all the people. The image here is not of God’s onesided annulling of his covenant. The picture is somewhat more complex. The good shepherd had announced to them God’s message of love and grace, but they put themselves outside of his covenant by rejecting that message. Until Christ, the Jews were in covenant with God, but Christ established the new covenant to replace the old, which was meant to be a shadow of the new. It was not that God had rejected Israel, but that he had always intended for them to embrace the new covenant as a continuation, or fulfilment and completion of the old. Yet some did not accept Christ, the good shepherd, and the way of salvation which he had made for them on the cross, and so the prophet announces that not only were they not in convent relation to
God in the new covenant sense, but they had by rejecting Christ negated their involvement in the old covenant as well. The Jews who believed continued to be part of God’s people, although now in an even fuller sense; yet the Jews who rejected Christ no longer had any relationship to God. He would no longer be their shepherd. They were cut off from among their people (Acts 3:23). Note that Paul emphasises the possibility of their being restored to covenant if they did not persist in unbelief but turned in faith to Christ (Rom. 11:23). 11:11 So it was annulled that very day, and then the most afflicted of the flock who kept faith with me knew that that was the word of the LORD. There were those, a small flock, who are described as the poorest and most afflicted among the people (1 Cor. 1:27-29) who remained faithful to the good shepherd even as a small group remained loyal to Jesus of Galilee (Acts 1:13-14). It is interesting to note how this theme relates to that of the opening verses 11:1-3, in as much as the proclamation that Christ’s death is the means of inclusion in God’s new covenant people quells all the pride of man and appeals to the poor and weak. 11:12-13 Then I said to them, "If it seems good to you, pay me my wages, but if not, forget it." So they weighed out my payment — thirty pieces of silver. The LORD then said to me, "Throw to the potter that exorbitant sum at which they valued me!" So I took the thirty pieces of
silver and threw them to the potter at the temple of the LORD. Here is the famous prophecy used by Matthew to describe the betrayal of Judas Iscariot. By doing so Matthew is tapping into the imagery of the good shepherd. For the background of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas was Jesus’ rejection by Israel; and the price of his betrayal was thirty pieces of silver. Although this was the price of a slave, it was still a large amount of money. God’s law ensured that human life carried a high price (Exod. 21:32). Matthew explains the fulfilment of the latter part of this verse in terms of Judas returning the money to the temple, and the chief priests using it to by the potter’s field as a burial ground for foreigners. This indicates the level of contempt in which the religious leaders held their good shepherd. They valued Christ as much as they valued contaminated burial ground for despised Gentiles. 11:14 Then I cut the second staff "Binders" in two in order to annul the covenant of brotherhood between Judah and Israel. Disunity would be the result of the rejection of the good shepherd. Jesus expands on this theme, including not only the break up between Judah and Israel but also that which occurs within families, where some would be Christ’s and others not (Matt. 10:35-36). It was just such a division which led to the separation of the Christian church from Judaism in the first century. 11:15 Again the LORD said to me, "Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. Those who would not heed the good shepherd would be the prey 15
of the foolish shepherds. Everyone needs a spiritual leader. If we will not come to Christ we will remain in Satan’s power (Eph. 2:2). False religion is recognised by its lack of grace and love. The false shepherds care only for themselves and not the flock, as Jesus warned ‘the thief comes not but to steal and to kill and destroy’ (John 10:10). 11:16 Indeed, I am about to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not take heed to the sheep headed to slaughter, will not seek the scattered, and will not heal the injured. Moreover, he will not nourish the one that is healthy but instead will eat the meat of the fat sheep and tear off their hooves. Verse 16 serves in a way as a promise, for what the foolish shepherd does not do is by inference what the good shepherd will do for his people – caring, gathering, healing and feeding them. 11:17 Woe to the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! May a sword fall on his arm and his right eye! May his arm wither completely away, and his right eye become completely blind!" Those who deceive and lead humankind away from the truth were called ‘blind guides’ by Christ who insisted that they and their followers would both ‘fall into the pit’ (Matt. 15:14). The false teachers will share in God’s punishment because of their opposition to Christ who longs to gather the people like sheep who are lost without a shepherd.
Benaiah the Mighty 1 Chronicles 11:22 Brief extract of a forthcoming book based on studies by the late Haydn O. Williams. Image © Dvest
Among King David’s many brave fighting men, there were some who were known as ‘the mighty’; warriors who were renowned for their courage. Among these there was a man named Benaiah son of Jehoida. His life provides us with an interesting picture of the Lord Jesus.
The Meaning of his Name The name Benaiah means ‘Jehovah has built’. As those engaged in God’s work we must all depend on the Lord to establish the work of our hands (Psalm 90:17), for we can do nothing of ourselves. As the Psalmist also reminds elsewhere ‘unless the Lord builds the house they labour in vain that build it’ (Psalm 127:1). Similarly, Jesus said, "I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." I'm sure that the Lord was also behind the building of Benaiah, shaping him into the mighty man he was, for he prospered during the reign of David. He was one
of the so-called ‘three mighty men’, who were honoured by King David above the thirty, and he was given charge over David's personal bodyguard. For a while Benaiah served as a Captain over one battalion of 24,000 Israelite men (1 Chronicles 27:5) but he was so successful that he was eventually given charge of the whole army of Israel (1 Kings 2:35).
He was the Son of Jehoida Jehoida was a priest, although he was also called a valiant man, someone of note. The fact that Benaiah was the son of someone noteworthy makes us think of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God. Benaiah’s father was known for his great and good deeds, just as God our Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is known for his deeds as the almighty creator. His works and glory are seen throughout the whole universe. So here I see one aspect of our portrait of the Lord Jesus. 16
He was Enemies
Victorious
Over
Here is the next part of the picture of the Lord Jesus which the life of Benaiah provides. What we read of Benaiah reveals that he was a mighty man and a conqueror; he overcame and defeated many of Israel’s strong enemies. Let us note some of the great victories that made Benaiah well-known as a mighty man. Two Lion-like men of Moab These two men were heroes among their own people, strong men, since ‘lion-like’ speaks of strength. Just one of them would be too much for the average solider to overcome, but Benaiah overcame two of them at once. The nation of Moab began as the result of the act of incest in Genesis 19:37. Hence these lionlike men present us with a type of the flesh, our fallen sinful nature. The sinful human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (Jer. 17:9).
The fallen nature which we have inherited from Adam is far too strong for us to overcome in our own strength. We were all in defeat, unable to save ourselves; but the Lord Jesus overcame sin, being tempted in all points like we are, yet remaining without sin (Heb. 4:15). True, the flesh is a great enemy, but like Benaiah, Christ was victorious on our behalf, so that we might be free from its tyranny. A Lion in a Pit on a Snowy Day A snowy day—this was not a very convenient day to meet a lion! Yet Benaiah not only met the lion, he killed it in its own den. In Scripture, God’s enemy the devil is described as being like a lion (1 Peter 5:8). This again reminds me that Jesus Christ met the devil in the wilderness, having fasted for forty days and forty nights. Yet even then in his weakest state, Jesus overcame him (Matthew 4:1–11). Then the final triumph came when the Lord Jesus went to the cross of Calvary and overcame Satan through his unique death, which would free us from our sins (Hebrews 2:14–15). Then, just as Benaiah came up out of the snowy pit victorious over the lion, so the Lord Jesus Christ arose from the stone-cold tomb as the mighty conqueror over death and hell. He says, ‘I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for
evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death’ (Rev 1:18). Jesus Christ is our great champion, who has overcome death, hell and the grave on our behalf. Benaiah Giant
Killed an
Egyptian
The Egyptian who confronted Benaiah on this occasion was of great height, being almost 7 ½ feet tall. This giant of a man would have been intimidating to most warriors, yet Benaiah wrested the spear from the giant’s hand—killing him his own spear. In the Scripture, Egypt serves a type of the world. It was Egypt that enslaved the children of Israel; just as many people today are enslaved by the world and its pleasures, with all its allurements and promised glory. Our Lord Jesus overcame the world, for he defeated all that the Egyptian represents. Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, but Christ refused them (Luke 4:5– 8), thus overcoming the world, the flesh and the devil. It is because of this that we too can overcome the things of the world, setting our hearts instead on things above, where Christ now sits at God’s right hand, and has been given the name above every other name. The Scripture exhorts Christians: ‘Love not the world, neither the 17
things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.’ (1Jn 2:15-17) If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Col 3:1-3)
He was Exalted Above Others As a result of his victories, Benaiah was exalted. David counted him among his mighty men, and he was promoted and given positions of leadership. Eventually, of course, Solomon (King David’s son) made him the general, leader of the entire host of Israel. This final part of the picture also reminds me of the Lord Jesus Christ, who because of his atoning work on the cross was exalted far above all principality and power and given the name above every other name. There is no one greater than our Lord Jesus, either in this age or in the eternal ages to come (Phil. 2:5– 11; Eph. 1:19–23).
D-Day Anniversary 71st Anniversary of the Normandy Landings by Mathew Bartlett Image © Dana Rothstein | Dreamstime Stock Photos This month sees 71st anniversary of Dday. Operation Overlord, as it was called, led to the establishing of a beachhead in Normandy from which allied troops would push German forces back behind the Seine and eventually liberate Europe from Nazi tyranny. In military terms, the “d” in “D-day” simply denotes a certain day on which the operation began. It does not stand for a particular word starting with “d”. So D-day refers to June 6th 1944, the day when Operation Overlord began, a day later than planned. I wonder if you realise that God has his own D-day? The “d” in God’s D-day stands for deliverance. God launched a mighty operation to deliver men and women from the tyranny of sin to bring us the freedom of forgiveness. Because of His love for us, God sent his own son into the world to create a kind of beachhead among men, from which He would eventually bring about our deliverance. The eternal Son of God broke into time when he was born as a baby in Bethlehem. The Lord Jesus Christ grew up and as a man he further advanced the cause of deliverance. Everywhere he went he healed the sick, giving sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf and casting out demons. In the words of the apostle Peter “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and he went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Ultimately, Jesus mission to deliver us from our sins led him to the cross at Calvary. There the Son of God carried away our sin in his own body on the cross. Every person in the world has sinned, and it is our sin that separates us from God.
The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” - eternal separation from God in a place of punishment. This led to Jesus undertaking his bold offensive against the power of sin and darkness. He gave his life so that we might have eternal life. He let himself be bound and led away that we might be set free. He took the punishment we deserved on the cross. The Bible says “he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The punishment which brought our peace was upon him. And God has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Just as it is right to remember those men and women who gave their lives in the liberation of Europe during world war II, so it right for us to remember the Son of God, who gave his life to set us free from sin. God’s D-day brings our deliverance. But that’s not all. Operation Overlord was not abandoned because of the level of sacrifice required. The allies suffered heavy losses on the first day, but they boldly pressed on and ultimately their bravery and determination was rewarded with Victory. In fact, leading up to the offensive, a code was used for Operation Overlord consisting of a simple Morse code signal. The opening bar of the first movement to Beethoven’s fifth symphony provided the “dot - dot - dot - dash” required to convey the message: “V for Victory.” On God’s “D-day” our Saviour also won the victory. After he died, the Lord Jesus Christ was buried, but on the third day he rose to life and was seen by hundreds of his disciples. Now that Christ is alive forevermore, his victory is complete - he has triumphed over sin, death and hell.
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This is a victory he longs to share with you and me. Since after all, it was for our sake he went to battle at the cross. He defeated sin that we might be forgiven; he conquered death that we might have eternal life; and he vanquished hell so that we might enter heaven. So with Christ, sin can’t defeat us, hell can’t swallow us, and death can’t hold us—what an overwhelming victory! And it was obtained for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. If you too would like to have part in this victory, there is one very important thing you must do. The Bible says “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” You must trust the victory that Christ has obtained for you, through his death and rising again, and you must make him Lord of your life. The code name for the land offensive on “D-day” was “Operation Overlord”. If you want pardon for sin, a right relationship with God and eternal life, then you must take Christ as your “LORD over all”. Trusting in Christ and yielding to him as Lord means that you have what the Bible calls “salvation”, that is all the results of His victory are yours. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as YOUR Lord and Saviour? If not, why not do so right now. Turn to the Lord in prayer and say, “Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that died and rose again to take away my sins. Right now I accept you as Lord of my life, and I thank you that as I do so you will forgive my sin and save my soul. Thank you for making me one of God’s children, as in my heart I believe that God raised you from the dead. Help me, Lord, to confess before others that you are now my Lord and Saviour.” Amen.
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