"Let Reuben live, and not die; and let not his men be few." (Deuteronomy 33: 6)
Moses gave one last blessing to the Twelve Tribes of Israel before He died.
He would not go with them over the River Jordan into the Promised Land because he struck the Rock instead of speaking to it, as the Lord had required him.
In Moses' final prayer, God's grace abounds toward Reuben, despite the previous rebuke of Jacob during his final days.
While Reuben had said "Thou shalt not excel", which includes the connotation of very few remaining after him, Moses declares "Let Reuben live."
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Behold the Son -- He Lost It All That You May Receive It All
3Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:
4Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch." (Genesis 49: 3-4)
Throughout the Old Testament, one prominent type reduces the firstborn at the expense of a younger child.
Cain was born first, but Abel offered the righteous sacrifice.
Ishmael was Abraham's first on, but Isaac the younger was the child of promise.
Ephraim the younger brother received the right hand blessing, instead of Joseph's elder son Manasseh.
Gideon was the youngest child in the lowest house in the least tribe of Israel.
Jacob I loved, but Easu I hated, so write Malachi.
Returning to Reuben, we Behold the Son losing his first-born blessings.
This is a type of Jesus, who became sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
4Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch." (Genesis 49: 3-4)
Throughout the Old Testament, one prominent type reduces the firstborn at the expense of a younger child.
Cain was born first, but Abel offered the righteous sacrifice.
Ishmael was Abraham's first on, but Isaac the younger was the child of promise.
Ephraim the younger brother received the right hand blessing, instead of Joseph's elder son Manasseh.
Gideon was the youngest child in the lowest house in the least tribe of Israel.
Jacob I loved, but Easu I hated, so write Malachi.
Returning to Reuben, we Behold the Son losing his first-born blessings.
This is a type of Jesus, who became sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
Behold the Son -- He Loves His Father and Sits at His Right Hand
"And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. 37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. 38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." (Genesis 42: 35-38)
The previous post focused on the goodness of God that we see when we Behold the Son Jesus.
Yet we can also draw something else very powerful when reading this wonderful passage.
That a son would risk his own sons' loves shows not so much what a careless father he is, but the certainty that he would bring beloved Benjamin back to his bereaved Father Jacob.
We see here a wonderful picture of God's love for us, in that He was willing to offer up His own Son for us (dedicated and wonderful)
More importantly, we see the love of the Son, so much so that He was willing to give up everything to appease his father's concern.
Jesus loves His Father, and for this love He died on the Cross for us:
"Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22: 42)
While Reuben did not have to make the ultimate sacrifice of delivering up his sons, God the Father delivered up His Son for us:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
When we Behold the Son, we must see how much He loved His Father.
Now, Reuben was pledgding to protect Jacob's youngest son Benjamin, whose name means "Son of my right hand".
Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, ministering on our behalf:
"34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 34)
In fact, every believer is also seated at the Father's right hand in Christ:
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)
When you Behold the Son, know and believe that this Son loved the Father, enough that He gave up everything for you, that you would see Him at the right hand of the Father, that you could receive and reign in life in Him (Romans 5: 17; 1 John 4: 17)
The previous post focused on the goodness of God that we see when we Behold the Son Jesus.
Yet we can also draw something else very powerful when reading this wonderful passage.
That a son would risk his own sons' loves shows not so much what a careless father he is, but the certainty that he would bring beloved Benjamin back to his bereaved Father Jacob.
We see here a wonderful picture of God's love for us, in that He was willing to offer up His own Son for us (dedicated and wonderful)
More importantly, we see the love of the Son, so much so that He was willing to give up everything to appease his father's concern.
Jesus loves His Father, and for this love He died on the Cross for us:
"Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done." (Luke 22: 42)
While Reuben did not have to make the ultimate sacrifice of delivering up his sons, God the Father delivered up His Son for us:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
When we Behold the Son, we must see how much He loved His Father.
Now, Reuben was pledgding to protect Jacob's youngest son Benjamin, whose name means "Son of my right hand".
Today, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father, ministering on our behalf:
"34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 34)
In fact, every believer is also seated at the Father's right hand in Christ:
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 4-6)
When you Behold the Son, know and believe that this Son loved the Father, enough that He gave up everything for you, that you would see Him at the right hand of the Father, that you could receive and reign in life in Him (Romans 5: 17; 1 John 4: 17)
Behold the Son -- See Him Who Offers Everything to Us
"And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. 37And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. 38And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave." (Genesis 42: 35-38)
Reuben loved his father so much, that he was willing to sacrifice his own sons if he did not bring back Jacob's beloved son Benjamin (Son of my right hand)
In total, Reuben had four sons, in this order:
"And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi." (Genesis 46: 9)
Reuben offered to slay Hanoch and Phallu should he not return Benjamin unharmed, were named with
"Hanoch" comes from the Hebrew "chek", which means "taste, or palate"
"Phallu" means "astonishing, wonderful"
When we Behold the Son, we taste the wonderful, which Jesus freely offers us:
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." (Psalm 34: 8)
Reuben's pledge to offer his own sons should not give anyone an impression of desperation, but rather of certainty -- Reuben would bring back Benjamin, Jacob's beloved, without hurt. Jesus' death on the Cross should also serve as the certainty that in Christ, we find every need met, every security provided, and every hope realized, for Jesus became sin, that we might receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5: 21). Jesus became rejected (Matthew 27: 46), so that we might be accepted (Ephesians 1: 6). He became poor so that would would be rich (2 Corinthians 8: 9).
Behold the Son, and see the One who gave Himself for us, and through Him we receive all things (Romans 8: 31-32)
Reuben loved his father so much, that he was willing to sacrifice his own sons if he did not bring back Jacob's beloved son Benjamin (Son of my right hand)
In total, Reuben had four sons, in this order:
"And the sons of Reuben; Hanoch, and Phallu, and Hezron, and Carmi." (Genesis 46: 9)
Reuben offered to slay Hanoch and Phallu should he not return Benjamin unharmed, were named with
"Hanoch" comes from the Hebrew "chek", which means "taste, or palate"
"Phallu" means "astonishing, wonderful"
When we Behold the Son, we taste the wonderful, which Jesus freely offers us:
"O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him." (Psalm 34: 8)
Reuben's pledge to offer his own sons should not give anyone an impression of desperation, but rather of certainty -- Reuben would bring back Benjamin, Jacob's beloved, without hurt. Jesus' death on the Cross should also serve as the certainty that in Christ, we find every need met, every security provided, and every hope realized, for Jesus became sin, that we might receive His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5: 21). Jesus became rejected (Matthew 27: 46), so that we might be accepted (Ephesians 1: 6). He became poor so that would would be rich (2 Corinthians 8: 9).
Behold the Son, and see the One who gave Himself for us, and through Him we receive all things (Romans 8: 31-32)
The World Beholds the Son: Convicted of Sin
"And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 22And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required." (Genesis 42: 21-22)
When the ten sons of Jacob went down to Egypt to get corn for their father and their families, Joseph the new ruler of Egypt, disguised himself so that they did not recognize him (Genesis 42: 7).
When all the troubles fell upon the ten brothers, from Joseph's accusation that they were spies, to demanding that one of their brothers stay and bring down their youngest, they recalled the wrong which they had committed against their brother Joseph.
Yet Reuben boldly declared what they were suffering.
Reuben identified their brother Joseph as "the child", which in Hebrew is "yeled", a boy, a youth, a child - -someone who is defenseless, someone who did no wrong.
Like Joseph, Jesus the Son of God did no sin, yet He became sin for us that we would receive His righteousness (2 Corinthian 5: 21)
Jesus did not deserve this death, but He died for us that we would be saved from death in our own trespasses, because of Adam and our own failings.
The ten brothers represents the world, those who do not believe, those who do not recognize the Savior. Let no one presume that the world walks about with no sense of guilt or shame for their sin. Paul writes:
"18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them." (Romans 1: 18-19)
"Hold the truth" is better translated "supress the truth", yet no one can escape a conscience which demands satisfaction for the wrongs which we have committed.
Jesus even told His disciples that His Holy Spirit would convict the world of three things:
"8And when he [The Comforter] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16: 8-11)
The world is covicted of sin, because they believe not on Jesus. Just as the same sin, the same blood-guiltiness still held onto the ten brothers, so too the world that does not believe on Jesus is convicted of sin when they Behold the Son.
Yet for us in Christ, we are no longer convicted of sin, because we believe on Him. Today, the Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness and reminds us that the Devil is judged.
When the ten sons of Jacob went down to Egypt to get corn for their father and their families, Joseph the new ruler of Egypt, disguised himself so that they did not recognize him (Genesis 42: 7).
When all the troubles fell upon the ten brothers, from Joseph's accusation that they were spies, to demanding that one of their brothers stay and bring down their youngest, they recalled the wrong which they had committed against their brother Joseph.
Yet Reuben boldly declared what they were suffering.
Reuben identified their brother Joseph as "the child", which in Hebrew is "yeled", a boy, a youth, a child - -someone who is defenseless, someone who did no wrong.
Like Joseph, Jesus the Son of God did no sin, yet He became sin for us that we would receive His righteousness (2 Corinthian 5: 21)
Jesus did not deserve this death, but He died for us that we would be saved from death in our own trespasses, because of Adam and our own failings.
The ten brothers represents the world, those who do not believe, those who do not recognize the Savior. Let no one presume that the world walks about with no sense of guilt or shame for their sin. Paul writes:
"18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them." (Romans 1: 18-19)
"Hold the truth" is better translated "supress the truth", yet no one can escape a conscience which demands satisfaction for the wrongs which we have committed.
Jesus even told His disciples that His Holy Spirit would convict the world of three things:
"8And when he [The Comforter] is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." (John 16: 8-11)
The world is covicted of sin, because they believe not on Jesus. Just as the same sin, the same blood-guiltiness still held onto the ten brothers, so too the world that does not believe on Jesus is convicted of sin when they Behold the Son.
Yet for us in Christ, we are no longer convicted of sin, because we believe on Him. Today, the Holy Spirit convicts us of righteousness and reminds us that the Devil is judged.
Behold the Son -- Know that He Was Hurt for You (and Hurts With You)
"29And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?" (Genesis 37: 29-30)
In Hebrew culture, to "rend one's clothes" was a sign of deep mourning for the death of a loved one.
Reuben, in another type of our Lord Jesus, represents the compassion eternal and unending which God has for us.
As our High Priest seated in heavenly places on our behalf, He understands everthing that we have been through:
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4: 15)
Even in the Old Testament, even when His people Israel faced great privation and strain for their sins, God never stopped sharing His love for them:
"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (Jeremiah 31: 3)
Just as God cares about the birds and the flowers, He cares about us, too:
"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6: 26)
and then
"30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6: 30)
Jesus suffered every sin, disease, and hurt for us at the Cross:
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53: 3-5)
When you Behold the Son, know and believe that He knows our hurts, and He took every hurt at the Cross for us.
In Hebrew culture, to "rend one's clothes" was a sign of deep mourning for the death of a loved one.
Reuben, in another type of our Lord Jesus, represents the compassion eternal and unending which God has for us.
As our High Priest seated in heavenly places on our behalf, He understands everthing that we have been through:
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4: 15)
Even in the Old Testament, even when His people Israel faced great privation and strain for their sins, God never stopped sharing His love for them:
"The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." (Jeremiah 31: 3)
Just as God cares about the birds and the flowers, He cares about us, too:
"Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" (Matthew 6: 26)
and then
"30Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Matthew 6: 30)
Jesus suffered every sin, disease, and hurt for us at the Cross:
"He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53: 3-5)
When you Behold the Son, know and believe that He knows our hurts, and He took every hurt at the Cross for us.
God's Dreams for us Come True in our Lives, No Matter What
"Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams." (Genesis 37: 20)
Many of us have dreams. Some of them are based on our past experiences, or the present appraisal of our skills, or the future that we would like to see in our lives, or the future that we wish we could have.
Joseph dreamed great dreams, which even he did not quite understand. Yet before he dreamed anyything, he knew that he was precious and beloved of his father:
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him." (Genesis 37: 3-4)
A coat of many colors speaks of God's grace and favor, much like the rainbow, God's covenant with Noah and the world that He would never be angry with the world again, enough to rain down a flood. (Genesis 9: 8-15)
Without a doubt, this love allowed Joseph to receive great dreams from God:
"5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words."
For their hatred and their jealousy, Joseph's brothers cast him into a pit, plotting to kill him, and to put an end to his dreams.
What the brethren did not realize, and which Joseph would learn after rising from one post after another in leadership, is that their attempt to kill him and his dreams actually made sure that they would happen, plus more. After many years, through trials and blessings and mishaps, Joseph became the second in command in Egypt, and "Savior of the World" (Genesis 41: 45). When Joseph the ruler of Egypt revealed himself to his brothers, he declared:
"Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." (Genesis 45: 5)
God gives us beyond what we can ask or think:
"20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3: 20-21)
When God gives us a dream, He has more than our own profit in mind. More importantly, we should never fear that when mishaps or setbacks fall upon us, that God has stopped loving us, or that the dreams which He has given us or dead. In fact, those very setbacks will set up you up for greater glory and the greater good of all in Christ.
God's Dreams for us Come True in our Lives, no matter what the circumstances.
Many of us have dreams. Some of them are based on our past experiences, or the present appraisal of our skills, or the future that we would like to see in our lives, or the future that we wish we could have.
Joseph dreamed great dreams, which even he did not quite understand. Yet before he dreamed anyything, he knew that he was precious and beloved of his father:
"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. 4And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him." (Genesis 37: 3-4)
A coat of many colors speaks of God's grace and favor, much like the rainbow, God's covenant with Noah and the world that He would never be angry with the world again, enough to rain down a flood. (Genesis 9: 8-15)
Without a doubt, this love allowed Joseph to receive great dreams from God:
"5And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. 6And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: 7For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. 8And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words."
For their hatred and their jealousy, Joseph's brothers cast him into a pit, plotting to kill him, and to put an end to his dreams.
What the brethren did not realize, and which Joseph would learn after rising from one post after another in leadership, is that their attempt to kill him and his dreams actually made sure that they would happen, plus more. After many years, through trials and blessings and mishaps, Joseph became the second in command in Egypt, and "Savior of the World" (Genesis 41: 45). When Joseph the ruler of Egypt revealed himself to his brothers, he declared:
"Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life." (Genesis 45: 5)
God gives us beyond what we can ask or think:
"20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3: 20-21)
When God gives us a dream, He has more than our own profit in mind. More importantly, we should never fear that when mishaps or setbacks fall upon us, that God has stopped loving us, or that the dreams which He has given us or dead. In fact, those very setbacks will set up you up for greater glory and the greater good of all in Christ.
God's Dreams for us Come True in our Lives, no matter what the circumstances.
Behold the Son -- He Will Preserve You From Death (And Set You up for the Good Life)
18And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. 21And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. 23And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; 24And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. (Genesis 37: 18-24)
By this time, Jacob-Israel had all twelve sons, including his beloved Joseph and Benjamin, the children of his old age, the children whom he had received from his beloved Rachel.
By this time, Joseph had received many dreams which foretold that he would be a great leader (Genesis 37: , and that his brothers, and even his mother and father, would bow down to him. His brothers so resented his favored position with their father Jacob, that they conspired to kill him.
Reuben, however, was not aware of this plot, and even intervened to protect him from death.
When we first beheld the son and received Him as our Savior, he saved us from death:
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10: 9)
and
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9: 28)
and
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3: 18)
Most importantly:
"1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 1-6)
Just as Joseph was first throne into a pit and sold into slavery, only to be taken from a dungeon, where he was unjustly imprisoned, so too everyone of us in Christ have been taken from the bondage of sin and death to sit in heavenly places in Christ.
Behold the Son, and even in your worst moments, you can know and believe that God's love is setting you up for the good life.
By this time, Jacob-Israel had all twelve sons, including his beloved Joseph and Benjamin, the children of his old age, the children whom he had received from his beloved Rachel.
By this time, Joseph had received many dreams which foretold that he would be a great leader (Genesis 37: , and that his brothers, and even his mother and father, would bow down to him. His brothers so resented his favored position with their father Jacob, that they conspired to kill him.
Reuben, however, was not aware of this plot, and even intervened to protect him from death.
When we first beheld the son and received Him as our Savior, he saved us from death:
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10: 9)
and
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Hebrews 9: 28)
and
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit" (1 Peter 3: 18)
Most importantly:
"1And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:" (Ephesians 2: 1-6)
Just as Joseph was first throne into a pit and sold into slavery, only to be taken from a dungeon, where he was unjustly imprisoned, so too everyone of us in Christ have been taken from the bondage of sin and death to sit in heavenly places in Christ.
Behold the Son, and even in your worst moments, you can know and believe that God's love is setting you up for the good life.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Behold the Son -- Do Not Sleep With Fear
"And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay
with Bilhah his father's concubine: and Israel heard it. Now the sons of
Jacob were twelve: 23The sons of
Leah; Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar,
and Zebulun: 24The sons of
Rachel; Joseph, and Benjamin: 25And the sons of
Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid; Dan, and Naphtali: 26And the sons of
Zilpah, Leah's handmaid; Gad, and Asher: these are the sons of Jacob,
which were born to him in Padanaram." (Genesis 35: 22-26)
God renamed Jacob not once but twice "Israel", affirming his new identity no longer as a "grabber" but a "Prince with God, who had struggled yet prevailed to receive from Him. Jacob had also returned to Beth-El, where he had first met God moving in His life. Returning to recognizing God as first place in His life also protected him from future attacks from the surrounding pagan peoples (Genesis 35: 1-5)
Then Reuben did something very bad: he slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, the maid of Reuben's mother Leah.
Bilhah means "frightened" or "to be troubled."
When we behold the Son, we have no reason to fear:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
Just as the LORD changed the identity of the Patriarch "Jacob" to "Israel", so to every believer in the Body of Christ has been transformed from dead in trespasses to alive in Christ (Ephesians 2: 1-6)
When we forget who we are in Christ, we fall into sin. Paul severely rebuked the Corinthians for the frequent perversions, by reminding them who they are in Christ:
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Corinthians 6: 1-2)
and then
"9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11)
"And so were some of you". . . The key is always to remember who we are in Christ!
"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6: 15-17)
We are joined to Christ through the Holy Spirit. Why would we live beneath this privilege and commit fornication with anyone? Why even sleep with fear?
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
\
Today, every believer in the Body of Christ has a new identity, is a new creation in Christ. When we rest in this perfected love, then fear is cast out of our lives (1 John 4: 18)
Do not sleep with fear - Behold the Son, and His love will banish every fear in your life!
God renamed Jacob not once but twice "Israel", affirming his new identity no longer as a "grabber" but a "Prince with God, who had struggled yet prevailed to receive from Him. Jacob had also returned to Beth-El, where he had first met God moving in His life. Returning to recognizing God as first place in His life also protected him from future attacks from the surrounding pagan peoples (Genesis 35: 1-5)
Then Reuben did something very bad: he slept with his father's concubine Bilhah, the maid of Reuben's mother Leah.
Bilhah means "frightened" or "to be troubled."
When we behold the Son, we have no reason to fear:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
Just as the LORD changed the identity of the Patriarch "Jacob" to "Israel", so to every believer in the Body of Christ has been transformed from dead in trespasses to alive in Christ (Ephesians 2: 1-6)
When we forget who we are in Christ, we fall into sin. Paul severely rebuked the Corinthians for the frequent perversions, by reminding them who they are in Christ:
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Corinthians 6: 1-2)
and then
"9Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. 11And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6: 9-11)
"And so were some of you". . . The key is always to remember who we are in Christ!
"Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (1 Corinthians 6: 15-17)
We are joined to Christ through the Holy Spirit. Why would we live beneath this privilege and commit fornication with anyone? Why even sleep with fear?
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)
\
Today, every believer in the Body of Christ has a new identity, is a new creation in Christ. When we rest in this perfected love, then fear is cast out of our lives (1 John 4: 18)
Do not sleep with fear - Behold the Son, and His love will banish every fear in your life!
Reuben -- Behold the Son, Receive His Love, and Be Fruitful
The Second episode involving Reuben entails a gift which he gives to his "tired" mother Leah:
"And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes." (Genesis 30: 14)
"Mandrakes" renders the Hebrew word דּוּדָאּים "love apples", with the root word "Dod" which means "Beloved".
Rabbinical traditions submit that Reuben was probably four or five years old when he found and delivered the "love apples" to his mother Leah. The same fruit, according to customs, suggested that such fruit could cure infertility in a woman, and for that reason Rachel wanted them.
Leah's reply was less than lovely:
"15And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 16And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night." (Genesis 30: 15-16)
It was never Rachel's fault that Jacob loved her more than Leah. Despite her bitterness, God still blessed Leah.
When we Behold the Son and receive His gifts of love, then the love that we seek from others will not be hard to get. When we behold the Son Jesus, His love takes away our fatigue, or our "
tiredness".
Leah ended up bearing three more children:
"And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 19And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah." (Genesis 30: 17-21)
The first child listed, Issachar, means "reward", followed "Zebulun", which means "abide", and then the one daughter, Dinah, whose name means "Avenged."
When you See the Son and receive His gifts of love, you bear much fruit. You receive a great reward from God, you abide in Him, and you can be sure that you will be avenged for any wrong which you have suffered:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: -15)
A branch is nothing without the vine, and in the same way, our total identity and dependence on Christ allows us to be fruitful with striving or struggling. Just as "tired" Leah stopped striving and received the gift of love from her son, and thus moved her sister to allow her to lie with Jacob once again, so to when we stop striving in our own efforts and see God's love for us, we stop striving for things and start thriving in Him.
See the Son, your true vine, and let His love make you fruitful in every way.
Paul prayed that all of us would receive a greater revelation of God's love for us:
"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
When you know how much God loves you, then you can expect the following:
"20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Ephesians 3: 20-21)
See the Son, Receive His Gift of unconditional, unending love (Cease from your tired striving), and you will receive beyond what you ask or think.
"And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest, and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes." (Genesis 30: 14)
"Mandrakes" renders the Hebrew word דּוּדָאּים "love apples", with the root word "Dod" which means "Beloved".
Rabbinical traditions submit that Reuben was probably four or five years old when he found and delivered the "love apples" to his mother Leah. The same fruit, according to customs, suggested that such fruit could cure infertility in a woman, and for that reason Rachel wanted them.
Leah's reply was less than lovely:
"15And she said unto her, Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? and wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son's mandrakes. 16And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him, and said, Thou must come in unto me; for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes. And he lay with her that night." (Genesis 30: 15-16)
It was never Rachel's fault that Jacob loved her more than Leah. Despite her bitterness, God still blessed Leah.
When we Behold the Son and receive His gifts of love, then the love that we seek from others will not be hard to get. When we behold the Son Jesus, His love takes away our fatigue, or our "
tiredness".
Leah ended up bearing three more children:
"And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. 18And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. 19And Leah conceived again, and bare Jacob the sixth son. 20And Leah said, God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons: and she called his name Zebulun. 21And afterwards she bare a daughter, and called her name Dinah." (Genesis 30: 17-21)
The first child listed, Issachar, means "reward", followed "Zebulun", which means "abide", and then the one daughter, Dinah, whose name means "Avenged."
When you See the Son and receive His gifts of love, you bear much fruit. You receive a great reward from God, you abide in Him, and you can be sure that you will be avenged for any wrong which you have suffered:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (John 15: -15)
A branch is nothing without the vine, and in the same way, our total identity and dependence on Christ allows us to be fruitful with striving or struggling. Just as "tired" Leah stopped striving and received the gift of love from her son, and thus moved her sister to allow her to lie with Jacob once again, so to when we stop striving in our own efforts and see God's love for us, we stop striving for things and start thriving in Him.
See the Son, your true vine, and let His love make you fruitful in every way.
Paul prayed that all of us would receive a greater revelation of God's love for us:
"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
When you know how much God loves you, then you can expect the following:
"20Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen" (Ephesians 3: 20-21)
See the Son, Receive His Gift of unconditional, unending love (Cease from your tired striving), and you will receive beyond what you ask or think.
Reuben -- Behold the Son for His Love, not for the Love of Others
Reuben was the first born son of Jacob, later named Israel, Prince with God.
His name means "Behold a Son". In connection with Reuben, we find many types which teach us that as we behold Jesus the Son of God, we receive great things, yet when we look away from the Son, bad things can befall us. Yet let us never forget that even when we look away, He never stops looking at us, loving us, and living through us!
Let us first consider Reuben's origins, starting with drama between his mother Leah and
Leah, the first wife of Jacob, was not Jacob's first choice. He loved Rachel, the younger daughter of his uncle Laban.
The Bible records the stark difference between the two:
"16And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 18And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." (Genesis 29: 16-20)
Leah was "tender eyed". Her name means "weary" or "tired." Jacob loved Rachel, however, and the seven years he worked seemed like nothing to him because of his love for her.
Yet he received Leah first as his wife, and she was not loved, as Rachel.
Yet the LORD loved her:
"And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. 32And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me." (Genesis 29: 31-32)
When Reuben was born, Leah though that she would get the love of her husband. God does not want us to look to His Son in order to find or to earn the love of others. His love is perfect, and nothing else in the world can compete with His Love, in which we receive all things:
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2: 15)
This love gives us consummate victory:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)
The Apostle John explains the fullness of this love in his First Epistle:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
and
"9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 9-10)
Furthermore:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 17-19)
See the Son, who loves you enough that He gave, and gives, and ever will give Himself for you, and you will not feel the need to do anything to get the love of other people.
His name means "Behold a Son". In connection with Reuben, we find many types which teach us that as we behold Jesus the Son of God, we receive great things, yet when we look away from the Son, bad things can befall us. Yet let us never forget that even when we look away, He never stops looking at us, loving us, and living through us!
Let us first consider Reuben's origins, starting with drama between his mother Leah and
Leah, the first wife of Jacob, was not Jacob's first choice. He loved Rachel, the younger daughter of his uncle Laban.
The Bible records the stark difference between the two:
"16And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17Leah was tender eyed; but Rachel was beautiful and well favoured. 18And Jacob loved Rachel; and said, I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter. 19And Laban said, It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man: abide with me. 20And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her." (Genesis 29: 16-20)
Leah was "tender eyed". Her name means "weary" or "tired." Jacob loved Rachel, however, and the seven years he worked seemed like nothing to him because of his love for her.
Yet he received Leah first as his wife, and she was not loved, as Rachel.
Yet the LORD loved her:
"And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren. 32And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction; now therefore my husband will love me." (Genesis 29: 31-32)
When Reuben was born, Leah though that she would get the love of her husband. God does not want us to look to His Son in order to find or to earn the love of others. His love is perfect, and nothing else in the world can compete with His Love, in which we receive all things:
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2: 15)
This love gives us consummate victory:
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us." (Romans 8: 37)
The Apostle John explains the fullness of this love in his First Epistle:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3: 16)
and
"9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 9-10)
Furthermore:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19We love him, because he first loved us." (1 John 4: 17-19)
See the Son, who loves you enough that He gave, and gives, and ever will give Himself for you, and you will not feel the need to do anything to get the love of other people.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Witness for the Truth -- Not Conservativsm
The most fruitful discussion all but confirmed that a man's energy is better spent preaching the eternal, not debating the political or discussing the cultural.
Getting people to vote conservative is like witnessing for Christ, one local leader told me.
Indeed.
If that is the case, then where does the preeminence belong? With Christ, of course!
I resisted this for so long. I was convinced that I could support the more conservative political candidates, and Christ could be the perfect culmination.
Yet the more that I consider the problems which frustrate people today, the more apparent it becomes that the state, the political process, the debating culture, the campaign mantras cannot save anyone.
The need for those who are dependent on the state in any way, shape, or form is not a political party which says -- "We will not give you free stuff."
The answer is the one who gives all things freely with Himself:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
Men and women are looking for fulness and purpose, stability and certainty.
Such things are not just a passing wish, but a necessity which only God can meet.
God has met those needs, and moreso, in Christ.
Indeed, conservatism will follow naturally once men and women understand that the fulness which they seek, which they need, cannot be found in people, places, things in this world:
"15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For 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. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2: 15-17)
Man has eternity in his heart (Ecclesiastes 3: 11), and only eternity will suffice. Man must see this eternal need, that this eternal need cannot be met in finite ends.
For the record, the red states gone redder manifest a culture which recognizes Christ and Him Crucified, while blue states have ignored His power.
Does this make me a champion of Republican causes? Not at all. Any state can just as well abuse its power in the name of "God" as well as "Good."
Witnessing for the Truth, Jesus Christ, is necessary. Conservatism will follow, or not.
Getting people to vote conservative is like witnessing for Christ, one local leader told me.
Indeed.
If that is the case, then where does the preeminence belong? With Christ, of course!
I resisted this for so long. I was convinced that I could support the more conservative political candidates, and Christ could be the perfect culmination.
Yet the more that I consider the problems which frustrate people today, the more apparent it becomes that the state, the political process, the debating culture, the campaign mantras cannot save anyone.
The need for those who are dependent on the state in any way, shape, or form is not a political party which says -- "We will not give you free stuff."
The answer is the one who gives all things freely with Himself:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
Men and women are looking for fulness and purpose, stability and certainty.
Such things are not just a passing wish, but a necessity which only God can meet.
God has met those needs, and moreso, in Christ.
Indeed, conservatism will follow naturally once men and women understand that the fulness which they seek, which they need, cannot be found in people, places, things in this world:
"15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For 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. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (1 John 2: 15-17)
Man has eternity in his heart (Ecclesiastes 3: 11), and only eternity will suffice. Man must see this eternal need, that this eternal need cannot be met in finite ends.
For the record, the red states gone redder manifest a culture which recognizes Christ and Him Crucified, while blue states have ignored His power.
Does this make me a champion of Republican causes? Not at all. Any state can just as well abuse its power in the name of "God" as well as "Good."
Witnessing for the Truth, Jesus Christ, is necessary. Conservatism will follow, or not.
Adonijah vs. Solomon -- From Knowing the Father to Knowing the Son: The Explanation
Now that the three clear stages of growth in terms of revelation have been established, let us search out the blessed truths hidden in the different loyalties in First Kings Chapter One.
5Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him.6His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.7He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him.8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah." (1 Kings 1: 5-8)
Here is the outline explaining the names for Adonijah's camp:
Adonijah -- "Jah is my Lord"
Joab -- "Jah is Father"
Zeruiah -- "Jah is appearing"
Abiathar -- "Yah is superfluity" - "athar" implies the overwhelming presence of sweet-smelling sacrifices.
Here is the outline of the names and explanations of those who remained true to David and His successor Solomon:
David -- "Beloved"
Solomon -- "Peace" -- Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2: 14)
Zadok -- "Righteous"
Benaiah -- "Jah is Wisdom"
Jehoiada -- "Jah Knows"
Nathamn -- "Giver"
"Shimei" -- "Jah is Fame"
Rei -- "Jah is Friend"
As for the mighty men, try four hundred! (1 Samuel 22: 1-4)
For those who start out in their walk, the see God as Lord - and He is. Yet the Lord wants us to see Him as the source of every good thing. The Lord wants us to depend on Him and draw from Him everything:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 31-34)
and
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4: 13)
then
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 19)
and
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Revelation 22: 13)
Under Adonijah, the emphasis rest on the Father, and all that He is. There is an appearing of Jesus, but the Father wants to reveal more, which rests in His Son!
So let us look to those who followed David the Beloved, and his Son Peace:
Jesus is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1: 30). Through Christ, we not only know the Father, but we can trust that He knows us, too! In Christ, we understand the Giving Heart of the Father. We find our fame in Christ, and He is the fame of the Father. We know the friendship of God through His Son:
"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." (John 15: 15)
With Christ, we have all the protection that we need -- more than four hundred mighty men!
Grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. See Jesus, see more of Him, and let him establish you in all things.
5Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him.6His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, “Why have you done so?” And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.7He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him.8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah." (1 Kings 1: 5-8)
Here is the outline explaining the names for Adonijah's camp:
Adonijah -- "Jah is my Lord"
Joab -- "Jah is Father"
Zeruiah -- "Jah is appearing"
Abiathar -- "Yah is superfluity" - "athar" implies the overwhelming presence of sweet-smelling sacrifices.
Here is the outline of the names and explanations of those who remained true to David and His successor Solomon:
David -- "Beloved"
Solomon -- "Peace" -- Jesus is our peace (Ephesians 2: 14)
Zadok -- "Righteous"
Benaiah -- "Jah is Wisdom"
Jehoiada -- "Jah Knows"
Nathamn -- "Giver"
"Shimei" -- "Jah is Fame"
Rei -- "Jah is Friend"
As for the mighty men, try four hundred! (1 Samuel 22: 1-4)
For those who start out in their walk, the see God as Lord - and He is. Yet the Lord wants us to see Him as the source of every good thing. The Lord wants us to depend on Him and draw from Him everything:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 31-34)
and
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4: 13)
then
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 19)
and
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." (Revelation 22: 13)
Under Adonijah, the emphasis rest on the Father, and all that He is. There is an appearing of Jesus, but the Father wants to reveal more, which rests in His Son!
So let us look to those who followed David the Beloved, and his Son Peace:
Jesus is our righteousness (1 Corinthians 1: 30). Through Christ, we not only know the Father, but we can trust that He knows us, too! In Christ, we understand the Giving Heart of the Father. We find our fame in Christ, and He is the fame of the Father. We know the friendship of God through His Son:
"Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." (John 15: 15)
With Christ, we have all the protection that we need -- more than four hundred mighty men!
Grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord. See Jesus, see more of Him, and let him establish you in all things.
Adonijah vs. Solomon -- From Knowing the Father to Knowing the Son
The names in the Bible reveal types and shadows of God's grace, contrasting the New Covenant from the Old Covenant, but also outlining the growth in grace which everyone child of God receives through Christ, throwing reading God's Word, through receiving a growing revelation of the Truth who sets us free (John 8: 32).
First, a full reference in the First General Epistle of John:
"12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." (1 John 2: 12-14)
We are all children of God because our sins are forgiven for Jesus's sake. This status of "child of God" is the same for every member of the Body of Christ.
New believers in the Body of Christ know the Father. That is both good and wonderful. Yet even God the Father wants us to grow in grace and knowledge of Him through His Son:
"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14: 7)
and then
"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" (John 14: 9)
God the Father wants His Son to have full preeminence:
"17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 17-20)
So, we grow in grace as we know Jesus! To be a young man, we see that Jesus has defeated every enemy in our lives, and the Word of God abides in us. To be a father, we see Jesus as all in all, Him who has been from the beginning:
"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1: 1-4)
First, a full reference in the First General Epistle of John:
"12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." (1 John 2: 12-14)
We are all children of God because our sins are forgiven for Jesus's sake. This status of "child of God" is the same for every member of the Body of Christ.
New believers in the Body of Christ know the Father. That is both good and wonderful. Yet even God the Father wants us to grow in grace and knowledge of Him through His Son:
"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14: 7)
and then
"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" (John 14: 9)
God the Father wants His Son to have full preeminence:
"17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 17-20)
So, we grow in grace as we know Jesus! To be a young man, we see that Jesus has defeated every enemy in our lives, and the Word of God abides in us. To be a father, we see Jesus as all in all, Him who has been from the beginning:
"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1: 1-4)
Why Adonijah was Killed -- No Wilfull Return to Sin
17And
he [Adonijah] said, Speak, I pray thee [to Bath-Sheba], unto Solomon the king, (for he will not
say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
18And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king." (1 Kings 2: 17-18)
Adonijah's name means "Jah is my Lord"
When you know that "The LORD" is your Lord, there is no going back to a life of sin:
"What, shall we sin, that grace may yet more abound? God forbid." (Romans 6: 1)
and
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 11)
When you believe on Jesus, that He is the propitiation of your sins (and He is the propitiation of the sins of the entire world, too! -- 1 John 2: 2) then you are saved (Romans 10: 9), and you are taken from dead in your trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2: 1-2, 5-6)
We receive Christ's own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5: 21). In fact, we become sons of God in Christ (1 John 3: 1), a new creature (Galatians 5: 6)
So, we are dead to sin (Colossians 3: 1-4), and thus called not to respond to our flesh, but rather walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 16)
Yet Adonijah willfully asks to marry Abishag, whose name means "Source of Error/Wandering".
We are called to rest in Christ, not work under the law, or chase after grievous idols and false gods.
When Solomon, a type of our Lord Jesus, heard that Adonijah wanted to marry Abishag, he replied:
"Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. 24Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died." (1 Kings 2: 23-25)
There can be no god to rival the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6). For the believer who has declared: "Jesus is my Lord", there is no more wandering, without death being the result:
"The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin." (Proverbs 10: 16)
More importantly:
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 23)
Instead of our labor of righteousness, we bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10: 5), for by His work, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
Why Adonijah was killed? To fulfill the type of a man who has gone from dead in his trespasses to alive in Christ, there is not willful return to a life of wandering in sin and error, for we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin (Romans 6: 11)
Adonijah's name means "Jah is my Lord"
When you know that "The LORD" is your Lord, there is no going back to a life of sin:
"What, shall we sin, that grace may yet more abound? God forbid." (Romans 6: 1)
and
"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 11)
When you believe on Jesus, that He is the propitiation of your sins (and He is the propitiation of the sins of the entire world, too! -- 1 John 2: 2) then you are saved (Romans 10: 9), and you are taken from dead in your trespasses to alive and seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2: 1-2, 5-6)
We receive Christ's own righteousness (2 Corinthians 5: 21). In fact, we become sons of God in Christ (1 John 3: 1), a new creature (Galatians 5: 6)
So, we are dead to sin (Colossians 3: 1-4), and thus called not to respond to our flesh, but rather walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 16)
Yet Adonijah willfully asks to marry Abishag, whose name means "Source of Error/Wandering".
We are called to rest in Christ, not work under the law, or chase after grievous idols and false gods.
When Solomon, a type of our Lord Jesus, heard that Adonijah wanted to marry Abishag, he replied:
"Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. 24Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died." (1 Kings 2: 23-25)
There can be no god to rival the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9: 6). For the believer who has declared: "Jesus is my Lord", there is no more wandering, without death being the result:
"The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin." (Proverbs 10: 16)
More importantly:
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 23)
Instead of our labor of righteousness, we bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10: 5), for by His work, we are made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
Why Adonijah was killed? To fulfill the type of a man who has gone from dead in his trespasses to alive in Christ, there is not willful return to a life of wandering in sin and error, for we are to reckon ourselves dead to sin (Romans 6: 11)
Rest in His Peace for Him to Position You
In First Kings Chapters One and Two, Beloved King David is old and ailing.
In the haste of his servants, they provide him a young virgin named Abishag (Source of Wandering) to comfort him, but David does not have sex with her.
For every Christian, the source of Wandering occurs whenever we think that something, somewhere, or someone else besides the eternal and ever-present and ever-rich Lord can supply our needs.
In Christ, we find our true rest:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest [lit. I will rest you]." (Matthew 11: 28)
and
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4: 11)
In the midst of David's "errors", his son Adonijah attempted to usurp the throne:
"Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him." (1 Kings 1: 5)
When a man exalts himself, he will come to no good:
"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 14: 11)
The mind that everyone of us should have, is the same mind as Christ Jesus:
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2: 5-11)
A type of Jesus, Solomon, the heir designated to rule after David, did not parade himself, nor did he even advocate for his place as king.
His mother Bath-Sheba pleaded on his behalf before King David, as did Nathan the prophet, the same prophet who had convicted David for adultery with the same woman whom he was now pleading with (2 Samuel 12: 7). This picture of Nathan and Bath-Sheba pleading before David for Solomon is a perfect picture of God's grace:
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." (Romans 5: 20)
and
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8: 28)
What did David do? He did not attack Adonijah. He did not even bother sending others to attack him.
Instead, he had Solomon crowned king!
"And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. 35Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. 37As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David." (1 Kings 1: 32-37)
"Zadok" means "righteous" - when we receive the truth that in Christ we are established in eternal righteousness, we know and believe that we are more than conquerors in Him (Romans 8: 37), and thus no weapon formed against us can prosper (Isaiah 54: 17)
David the king then designates that his son Solomon shall ride on his own mule. A trumpet would be blown, signaling that the work is done, and then Solomon would be placed on David's own throne. No greater show of respect and honor could rival what David designated would be done for His Son Solomon.
"38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 40And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them."
Not just Zadok, not just those who followed Solomon, but all the people also celebrated -- more than the mere fifty that Adonijah assembled to himself:
"In the multitude of people is the king's honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince." (Proverbs 14: 28)
Solomon did not fight for his "rights". He did not clamor for respect, or even fight with Adonijah. He rested in the grace and truth that his father would set everything right:
In the haste of his servants, they provide him a young virgin named Abishag (Source of Wandering) to comfort him, but David does not have sex with her.
For every Christian, the source of Wandering occurs whenever we think that something, somewhere, or someone else besides the eternal and ever-present and ever-rich Lord can supply our needs.
In Christ, we find our true rest:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest [lit. I will rest you]." (Matthew 11: 28)
and
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief." (Hebrews 4: 11)
In the midst of David's "errors", his son Adonijah attempted to usurp the throne:
"Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him." (1 Kings 1: 5)
When a man exalts himself, he will come to no good:
"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." (Luke 14: 11)
The mind that everyone of us should have, is the same mind as Christ Jesus:
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2: 5-11)
A type of Jesus, Solomon, the heir designated to rule after David, did not parade himself, nor did he even advocate for his place as king.
His mother Bath-Sheba pleaded on his behalf before King David, as did Nathan the prophet, the same prophet who had convicted David for adultery with the same woman whom he was now pleading with (2 Samuel 12: 7). This picture of Nathan and Bath-Sheba pleading before David for Solomon is a perfect picture of God's grace:
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound." (Romans 5: 20)
and
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8: 28)
What did David do? He did not attack Adonijah. He did not even bother sending others to attack him.
Instead, he had Solomon crowned king!
"And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. 35Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. 37As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David." (1 Kings 1: 32-37)
"Zadok" means "righteous" - when we receive the truth that in Christ we are established in eternal righteousness, we know and believe that we are more than conquerors in Him (Romans 8: 37), and thus no weapon formed against us can prosper (Isaiah 54: 17)
David the king then designates that his son Solomon shall ride on his own mule. A trumpet would be blown, signaling that the work is done, and then Solomon would be placed on David's own throne. No greater show of respect and honor could rival what David designated would be done for His Son Solomon.
"38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 40And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them."
Not just Zadok, not just those who followed Solomon, but all the people also celebrated -- more than the mere fifty that Adonijah assembled to himself:
"In the multitude of people is the king's honour: but in the want of people is the destruction of the prince." (Proverbs 14: 28)
Solomon did not fight for his "rights". He did not clamor for respect, or even fight with Adonijah. He rested in the grace and truth that his father would set everything right:
"6Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men:
7For better it is
that it be said unto thee, Come up hither; than that thou shouldest be
put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen." (Proverbs 25: 6-7)
and also
"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips." (Proverbs 27: 2)
The celebration thrown for Solomon rivaled the "coronation" of Adonijah:
"41And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?" (1 Kings 1: 41)
Then a messenger told Adonijah and his conspirators what had happened:
"And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
50And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar." (1 Kings 1: 49-50)
Those who exalt themselves shall be humbled. Adonijah went from crowning himself king to running scared, and Solomon did not have to "do anything" to establish himself.
The more that we trust in our Father's Love, which we can know and believe because of all that Jesus has done for us, the more that we can rest assured that He will take care of our enemies and honor us, even when those who oppose us seem to have the upper hand.
Rest in the Peace of Christ, and Let Him position you!
Even When We Err, God Blesses Us Part V
After David was reminded of his oath, after Nathan the prophet also confirmed what Bath-Sheba had shared with him, then David said:
"28Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. 29And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, 30Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever." (1 Kings 1: 28-31)
David remembered that God had brought Him out of all distress.
"Distress" is first mentioned in Genesis:
"And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went." (Genesis 35: 3)
Jacob utters this word after his two sons Simeon and Levi have slaughtered an entire village, because one of the men had raped their sister Dinah.
Jacob was not supposed to reside in that place in the first place, yet as soon as Jacob returned to seek the Lord, the God of Beth-El, he was protected from any future assaults against him.
God will always call to remembrance what He has done for us, which brings us out of all trouble. For this blessed cause Paul writes:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5)
Christ and Him Crucified, our Giver and His Crucifixion, the Place where God's oath was confirmed for us.
Abishag represents the wandering that we will fall into when we are cold and do not recall God's love.
Paul wrote this prayer of hope to every believer the following:
"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
"28Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. 29And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, 30Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever." (1 Kings 1: 28-31)
David remembered that God had brought Him out of all distress.
"Distress" is first mentioned in Genesis:
"And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went." (Genesis 35: 3)
Jacob utters this word after his two sons Simeon and Levi have slaughtered an entire village, because one of the men had raped their sister Dinah.
Jacob was not supposed to reside in that place in the first place, yet as soon as Jacob returned to seek the Lord, the God of Beth-El, he was protected from any future assaults against him.
God will always call to remembrance what He has done for us, which brings us out of all trouble. For this blessed cause Paul writes:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2 Corinthians 10: 3-5)
Christ and Him Crucified, our Giver and His Crucifixion, the Place where God's oath was confirmed for us.
Abishag represents the wandering that we will fall into when we are cold and do not recall God's love.
Paul wrote this prayer of hope to every believer the following:
"14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3: 14-19)
Even When We Err, Christ is Leading Us -- Abishag Part IV
David the King remained "The Beloved" of God, King of Israel.
The one phrase that is repeated throughout First Kings Chapter One -- "He Did Not Know"
"4And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not." (1 Kings 1: 4)
This verse speaks to sexual intimacy with Abishag.
Yet another troubling development was taking place during the waning years of King David. While Abishag, who caused David to err, was comforting him, the elder son Adonijah then attempted to usurp the throne:
"5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. 7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah." (1 Kings 1: 5-8)
Adonijah even caused a number of men loyal to David to them become loyal to himself.
Bath-Sheba, The daughter of the Oath, then informs David the Beloved about what is happening:
18And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:" (1 Kings 1: 18)
He did not know -- he was wandering in error.
Then Nathan the prophet comes in right after:
"22And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in." (1 Kings 1: 22)
"Nathan" means "Giver". God keeps on giving and blessing us, even when we are in error, even when we are wondering. God continued to bless His people in the Wilderness with Manna from heaven and a warm pillar of fire at night, even though they had refused to believe that He had given them the Promised Land:
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2: 4)
First, God will remind us of His oath which He cut with Christ, because His blood was shed for us, that we would be made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
Then He will give us more good things, reminding us of His Son, whom He has given us, along with all things.
The one phrase that is repeated throughout First Kings Chapter One -- "He Did Not Know"
"4And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not." (1 Kings 1: 4)
This verse speaks to sexual intimacy with Abishag.
Yet another troubling development was taking place during the waning years of King David. While Abishag, who caused David to err, was comforting him, the elder son Adonijah then attempted to usurp the throne:
"5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. 7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah." (1 Kings 1: 5-8)
Adonijah even caused a number of men loyal to David to them become loyal to himself.
Bath-Sheba, The daughter of the Oath, then informs David the Beloved about what is happening:
18And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not:" (1 Kings 1: 18)
He did not know -- he was wandering in error.
Then Nathan the prophet comes in right after:
"22And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in." (1 Kings 1: 22)
"Nathan" means "Giver". God keeps on giving and blessing us, even when we are in error, even when we are wondering. God continued to bless His people in the Wilderness with Manna from heaven and a warm pillar of fire at night, even though they had refused to believe that He had given them the Promised Land:
"Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?" (Romans 2: 4)
First, God will remind us of His oath which He cut with Christ, because His blood was shed for us, that we would be made the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21)
Then He will give us more good things, reminding us of His Son, whom He has given us, along with all things.
Even When We Err, Christ is Leading Us -- Abishag Part III
Let's look closer at this name "Abishag":
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance writes:
Abishag
From 'ab and shagah; father of error (i.e. Blundering); Abishag, a concubine of David -- Abishag.
see HEBREW 'ab
see HEBREW shagah
"Ab" means Father, as in "Abba", which means "Daddy":
"And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14: 26)
Because Jesus became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5: 21), He was orphaned from God the Father at the Cross:
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15: 34)
We can now receive His Spirit of adoption:
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 15)
and then
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Galatians 4: 6)
Now let us look at the other word "shagah":
Brown-Driver-Briggs provides the following information on the word:
[שָׁגָה] verb go astray, err (Aramaic שְׁגָא, id.); —
Qal Perfect1singular שָׁגִיתִי Job 6:24; Job 19:4, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִשְׁגֶּה Proverbs 5:23, etc.; Infinitive construct שְׁגוֺת Proverbs 19:27; Participle שֹׁגֶה Ezekiel 45:20; Proverbs 20:1, etc.; —
1 err, stray, of flock Ezekiel 34:6 (figurative).
2 swerve, meander, reel or roll, in drunkenness, ב of drink Isaiah 28:7 (twice in verse); = be intoxicated, Proverbs 20:1; so with (בּ) love Proverbs 5:19,20; בָּרֹאֶה ׳שׁ Isaiah 28:7.
3 go astay, morally, 1 Samuel 26:21; Proverbs 5:23; Job 6:24; Job 19:4, + 1 Samuel 14:24 (reading שְׁגָגָה ׳שׁ) Th We Dr Now (after ᵐ5; otherwise Bu HPS); with מן, of ׳יs commands Psalm 119:21; Psalm 119:118, מִן of words of knowledge Proverbs 19:27.
4 specifically commit sin of ignorance, inadvertence Leviticus 4:13; Numbers 15:22 (P) Ezekiel 45:20 (compare שׁגג).
Hiph`il lead astray:
1 literal, Participle מַשְׁגֶּה Deuteronomy 27:18 (בַּדֶּרֶךְ).
2 ׳מַשׁ mentally = mislead Job 12:16.
3 morally, Participle Proverbs 28:10 (בְּדֶרֶךְ רָ֑ע); Imperfect2masculine singular suffix תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, with מן of God's commands Psalm 119:10; + perhaps Job 12:23 leadeth nations astray (ᵐ5 SvrVer, i.e. וַיַּשְׁגֵּם for וַיַּנְחֵם).
This Word "Shagah" takes the following three letters:
שShin
גֶGimel
ֹהHeh
Shin speaks of The Divine Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Gimel speaks of transportation, being carried, as on a camel
Heh speaks of God's grace.
In the midst of your error, God brings us His grace!
More specifically, this verb "shagah" is also translated "sin out of ignorance".
Leviticus 4 treats this issue of sinning out of ignorance, or unwittingly, in the following passage:
"1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:" (Leviticus 4: 1-2)
To sin inadvertentlyu or "through ignorance" speaks to sinning that is not wilful or purposeful, that you did not know.
In effect, we are all sinners because of what Adam did, eating from the Forbidden Fruit (Genesis 3: 1-6)
Yet even though Adam sinned wilfully, we can all receive grace through Christ:
"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 15-17)
Sin cannot stop God's grace from flowing into our lives; otherwise, no one would get saved! What stops God's grace is the notion that we can earn it, or that we have to earn it:
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5: 4)
Our efforts to be justified by the law, not our sin, cause us to fall from grace.
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance writes:
Abishag
From 'ab and shagah; father of error (i.e. Blundering); Abishag, a concubine of David -- Abishag.
see HEBREW 'ab
see HEBREW shagah
"Ab" means Father, as in "Abba", which means "Daddy":
"And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." (Mark 14: 26)
Because Jesus became sin for us (2 Corinthians 5: 21), He was orphaned from God the Father at the Cross:
"And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mark 15: 34)
We can now receive His Spirit of adoption:
"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." (Romans 8: 15)
and then
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Galatians 4: 6)
Now let us look at the other word "shagah":
Brown-Driver-Briggs provides the following information on the word:
[שָׁגָה] verb go astray, err (Aramaic שְׁגָא, id.); —
Qal Perfect1singular שָׁגִיתִי Job 6:24; Job 19:4, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִשְׁגֶּה Proverbs 5:23, etc.; Infinitive construct שְׁגוֺת Proverbs 19:27; Participle שֹׁגֶה Ezekiel 45:20; Proverbs 20:1, etc.; —
1 err, stray, of flock Ezekiel 34:6 (figurative).
2 swerve, meander, reel or roll, in drunkenness, ב of drink Isaiah 28:7 (twice in verse); = be intoxicated, Proverbs 20:1; so with (בּ) love Proverbs 5:19,20; בָּרֹאֶה ׳שׁ Isaiah 28:7.
3 go astay, morally, 1 Samuel 26:21; Proverbs 5:23; Job 6:24; Job 19:4, + 1 Samuel 14:24 (reading שְׁגָגָה ׳שׁ) Th We Dr Now (after ᵐ5; otherwise Bu HPS); with מן, of ׳יs commands Psalm 119:21; Psalm 119:118, מִן of words of knowledge Proverbs 19:27.
4 specifically commit sin of ignorance, inadvertence Leviticus 4:13; Numbers 15:22 (P) Ezekiel 45:20 (compare שׁגג).
Hiph`il lead astray:
1 literal, Participle מַשְׁגֶּה Deuteronomy 27:18 (בַּדֶּרֶךְ).
2 ׳מַשׁ mentally = mislead Job 12:16.
3 morally, Participle Proverbs 28:10 (בְּדֶרֶךְ רָ֑ע); Imperfect2masculine singular suffix תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, with מן of God's commands Psalm 119:10; + perhaps Job 12:23 leadeth nations astray (ᵐ5 SvrVer, i.e. וַיַּשְׁגֵּם for וַיַּנְחֵם).
This Word "Shagah" takes the following three letters:
שShin
גֶGimel
ֹהHeh
Shin speaks of The Divine Trinity -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Gimel speaks of transportation, being carried, as on a camel
Heh speaks of God's grace.
In the midst of your error, God brings us His grace!
More specifically, this verb "shagah" is also translated "sin out of ignorance".
Leviticus 4 treats this issue of sinning out of ignorance, or unwittingly, in the following passage:
"1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them:" (Leviticus 4: 1-2)
To sin inadvertentlyu or "through ignorance" speaks to sinning that is not wilful or purposeful, that you did not know.
In effect, we are all sinners because of what Adam did, eating from the Forbidden Fruit (Genesis 3: 1-6)
Yet even though Adam sinned wilfully, we can all receive grace through Christ:
"But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5: 15-17)
Sin cannot stop God's grace from flowing into our lives; otherwise, no one would get saved! What stops God's grace is the notion that we can earn it, or that we have to earn it:
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5: 4)
Our efforts to be justified by the law, not our sin, cause us to fall from grace.
Even When We Err, Christ is Leading Us -- Abishag Part II
Let's take a closer look at the story in First Kings Chapter One:
1Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 2Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. 3So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not." (1 Kings 1: 1-4)
When Adam sinned against God, he saw that he was naked, both he and his wife.
Their response: put on clothes of their own making:
"6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." (Genesis 3: 6-7)
There is no clothing of our own making which can make us good before God.
None.
We need God to provide the covering for us. God did that for the first man and woman:
"21Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." (Genesis 3: 21)
Throughout the Old Testament, a promise of a new coat, a robe of righteousness is manifested to us:
"I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem." (Job 29: 14)
and
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61: 10)
"Salvation" is Jesus! He is our bridegroom, and we in the Church are His bride!
"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." (Isaiah 63: 1)
"Mighty to save" - that's Jesus, everyone!
Even in Zechariah, righteousness is pictured a robe which we receive, not something that we earn or do on our own:
"1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by." (Zechariah 3: 1-5)
We have a Joshua today -- Jesus, who is our high priest:
"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 6: 20)
He is our priest forever, seated at the right hand of the Father:
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 34)
So, David needs warmth to cover himself. His servants decided to bring to him a young virgin to care for him and warm him.
Now, David did not make this decision, but his servants made the decision to bring to him a young virgin named Abishag, "Father or Source of Error."
This is neither wise nor good. This is sin, simple as that. Yet where sin increased, Grace did superabound.
1Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 2Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. 3So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not." (1 Kings 1: 1-4)
When Adam sinned against God, he saw that he was naked, both he and his wife.
Their response: put on clothes of their own making:
"6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." (Genesis 3: 6-7)
There is no clothing of our own making which can make us good before God.
None.
We need God to provide the covering for us. God did that for the first man and woman:
"21Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." (Genesis 3: 21)
Throughout the Old Testament, a promise of a new coat, a robe of righteousness is manifested to us:
"I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem." (Job 29: 14)
and
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61: 10)
"Salvation" is Jesus! He is our bridegroom, and we in the Church are His bride!
"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." (Isaiah 63: 1)
"Mighty to save" - that's Jesus, everyone!
Even in Zechariah, righteousness is pictured a robe which we receive, not something that we earn or do on our own:
"1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. 5And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by." (Zechariah 3: 1-5)
We have a Joshua today -- Jesus, who is our high priest:
"Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec." (Hebrews 6: 20)
He is our priest forever, seated at the right hand of the Father:
"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8: 34)
So, David needs warmth to cover himself. His servants decided to bring to him a young virgin to care for him and warm him.
Now, David did not make this decision, but his servants made the decision to bring to him a young virgin named Abishag, "Father or Source of Error."
This is neither wise nor good. This is sin, simple as that. Yet where sin increased, Grace did superabound.
Even When We Err, Christ is Leading Us -- Abishag
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" (Romans 5: 20)
The account of Abishag the Shunamite in First Kings Chapter One may seem confusing, if not distressing.
King David tries to bundle himself up with warmth, as in his old age he is stricken with cold.
Instead of allowing his beloved with Bath-Sheba (whose name means daughter of the oath, or Daughter of the Oath), David chose to lie with a virgin name Abishag, whose name means "Father of Error" or Source of Error.
David was doing something wrong, but He did not "know her" (1 Kings 1: 4)
This passage demonstrates the power of God's superabounding grace, even when we sin.
Let's start with defining "The Oath".
When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, He fulfilled for us the oath which God had cut with Abraham:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12: 3)
This promise was fulfilled in Christ Jesus:
"13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3: 13-14)
Jesus had to hang on a Cross, not just die, because Jesus not just died for our sins, but also took our curse:
"His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." (Deuteronomy 21: 23)
Even when we sin, God's grace will superabound in our weakness:
"9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
Now, on to First Kings. . .
Paul did not run from his failures. In the same wise, we should not hide our sins, our frustrations, our hardships, or when others trouble us:
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4: 16)
"In time of need" certainly includes when we fail:
"Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." (Romans 4: 7)
The man who is "blessed" has committed sin! Otherwise, why does he need to be forgiven?
John pronounces this wonderful gift in the first chapter of his First Epistle:
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)
"In the light" is a place and a person, not anything that we do. Otherwise,
What is grace?
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11: 6)
Grace is unearned, unmerited favor. Christ's death on the Cross typifies this truth:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 8)
We did not ask for this death, we did not earn this death on our behalf. God gave it to us.
With Jesus, we receive all things:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
This gift keeps in giving to us. We did not earn it. We did not deserve. And this is also true for all other things in our lives.
The account of Abishag the Shunamite in First Kings Chapter One may seem confusing, if not distressing.
King David tries to bundle himself up with warmth, as in his old age he is stricken with cold.
Instead of allowing his beloved with Bath-Sheba (whose name means daughter of the oath, or Daughter of the Oath), David chose to lie with a virgin name Abishag, whose name means "Father of Error" or Source of Error.
David was doing something wrong, but He did not "know her" (1 Kings 1: 4)
This passage demonstrates the power of God's superabounding grace, even when we sin.
Let's start with defining "The Oath".
When Jesus Christ died on the Cross, He fulfilled for us the oath which God had cut with Abraham:
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." (Genesis 12: 3)
This promise was fulfilled in Christ Jesus:
"13Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3: 13-14)
Jesus had to hang on a Cross, not just die, because Jesus not just died for our sins, but also took our curse:
"His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." (Deuteronomy 21: 23)
Even when we sin, God's grace will superabound in our weakness:
"9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
Now, on to First Kings. . .
Paul did not run from his failures. In the same wise, we should not hide our sins, our frustrations, our hardships, or when others trouble us:
"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4: 16)
"In time of need" certainly includes when we fail:
"Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered." (Romans 4: 7)
The man who is "blessed" has committed sin! Otherwise, why does he need to be forgiven?
John pronounces this wonderful gift in the first chapter of his First Epistle:
"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (1 John 1: 7)
"In the light" is a place and a person, not anything that we do. Otherwise,
What is grace?
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." (Romans 11: 6)
Grace is unearned, unmerited favor. Christ's death on the Cross typifies this truth:
"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5: 8)
We did not ask for this death, we did not earn this death on our behalf. God gave it to us.
With Jesus, we receive all things:
"31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be32He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 31-32)
This gift keeps in giving to us. We did not earn it. We did not deserve. And this is also true for all other things in our lives.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Life is a Joyful Discovery -- Not a Journey of Recovery
Life is a joyful discovery:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1: 3)
Paul prayed not that we would do more, but that we would believe and receive more:
"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," (Ephesians 1: 15-18)
Our prayer should no longer be about trying to do more, or about asking God to help us while we do more things for Him, but rather to see Jesus Christ working through us, that we might receive all things through Him:
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 32)
This life is not about achieving, but rather a life of receiving, a life of receiving from Him.
We have nothing to give of ourselves, for apart from Jesus, we can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" (Ephesians 1: 3)
Paul prayed not that we would do more, but that we would believe and receive more:
"Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," (Ephesians 1: 15-18)
Our prayer should no longer be about trying to do more, or about asking God to help us while we do more things for Him, but rather to see Jesus Christ working through us, that we might receive all things through Him:
"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8: 32)
This life is not about achieving, but rather a life of receiving, a life of receiving from Him.
We have nothing to give of ourselves, for apart from Jesus, we can do nothing." (John 15: 5)
Life is not a Destination, but a Revelation
Life is a revelation, not a destination.
Life is not about the journey. Life is not about getting somewhere, but seeing the “Somewhere” come to you.
Life is not about what you get, but what you receive by grace through faith.
Life is not about how hard you try, but about how willing you are to “take it easy”, and take everything easy with it.
Life is a person – Jesus Christ. Life is not what you make of it, not what you put into it, but what you have received, what you have believed for, what you intend to achieve because of what someone else, or rather “Someone Else” has done for you.
Jesus Christ is life, and that more abundantly.
It’s true what people say. It’s not about what you do, or what you know, but about who you know.
Life is a revelation of the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega.
He is the total sum of all things, because all things are consisted of Him. He is the first and foremost, and He is to have precedence, prominence, and preeminence in all things.
Life is a revelation of a Person, not a destination which we try to reach.
Life is about love. Not your love for others, but God’s love for you. This love is manifested to us in Christ, who died at the Cross, that we may be dead to our fallen selves and receive His new life.
His Love is perfected among us. Our love can never be perfect, since it comes from us, temporal and fallen. His love is perfect, and thus the love is perfected.
What makes this love complete? Jesus did not just die for our sins, but gave us His life, Himself. As Christ is, so are we in this world.
The new identity, the new self, the new life which we receive in Him – this new reality makes all the difference. For too long, this truth has not been shared. God did not send His Son so that bad men would be good. Jesus came so that dead men would live, and reign in life!
When we know who we are in Christ, then we find that we can never be alone, because God has reconciled to Himself the world through His Son.
There is no separation between everyone who believes on Jesus and the rest of the world. It is impossible. One reading through Psalm 139 should allay any fears of separation.
Life is not about the journey. Life is not about getting somewhere, but seeing the “Somewhere” come to you.
Life is not about what you get, but what you receive by grace through faith.
Life is not about how hard you try, but about how willing you are to “take it easy”, and take everything easy with it.
Life is a person – Jesus Christ. Life is not what you make of it, not what you put into it, but what you have received, what you have believed for, what you intend to achieve because of what someone else, or rather “Someone Else” has done for you.
Jesus Christ is life, and that more abundantly.
It’s true what people say. It’s not about what you do, or what you know, but about who you know.
Life is a revelation of the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega.
He is the total sum of all things, because all things are consisted of Him. He is the first and foremost, and He is to have precedence, prominence, and preeminence in all things.
Life is a revelation of a Person, not a destination which we try to reach.
Life is about love. Not your love for others, but God’s love for you. This love is manifested to us in Christ, who died at the Cross, that we may be dead to our fallen selves and receive His new life.
His Love is perfected among us. Our love can never be perfect, since it comes from us, temporal and fallen. His love is perfect, and thus the love is perfected.
What makes this love complete? Jesus did not just die for our sins, but gave us His life, Himself. As Christ is, so are we in this world.
The new identity, the new self, the new life which we receive in Him – this new reality makes all the difference. For too long, this truth has not been shared. God did not send His Son so that bad men would be good. Jesus came so that dead men would live, and reign in life!
When we know who we are in Christ, then we find that we can never be alone, because God has reconciled to Himself the world through His Son.
There is no separation between everyone who believes on Jesus and the rest of the world. It is impossible. One reading through Psalm 139 should allay any fears of separation.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Jesus Restores All Things Lost
"1If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep." (Exodus 22: 1)
In this verse, the word "restore" renders the Hebrew word "shalam", which is the base word for "shalom", or peace, wholeness, health, wealth, consummate peace.
Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2: 14), and in Christ we receive all things (Romans 8: 32; Ephesians 1: 3)
In fact, we can rest at ease in Christ, knowing that anything that was taken from us He will restore to us fivefold.
In order to emphasis his strength to restore all things, Exodus provides an interesting teaching:
"If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double." (Exodus 22: 4)
If the thief is caught, the victimized party only gets double, yet if the thief then kills the animal or sells it -- meaning, the thief gets away with the animal -- then the original owner gets five-fold for an ox, and fourfold for a sheep. An ox is worth more, and the original owner gets more.
What's going on here? This distinction magnifies God's grace through Christ in our lives, in stark contrast to the wisdom of the world:
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" (Romans 5: 20)
and
"9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
And for this reason also, Paul would admonish the Corinthians:
"7Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren." (1 Corinthians 6: 7-8)
Paul reminded them of their standing in Christ, that they are now the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6: 12-17), and that they would judge angels (1 Corinthians 6: 3)
Jesus does not want us to go about avenging ourselves for any loss. Rather than trying to hide or compensate for any loss, let us rest and receive, in fact keep receiving the gifts of righteousness and grace in Christ (Romans 5: 17), and the greater any loss which we have suffered, we can trust in God's love and both know and believe that He will make better for any good which we have lost! (Romans 8: 28)
In this verse, the word "restore" renders the Hebrew word "shalam", which is the base word for "shalom", or peace, wholeness, health, wealth, consummate peace.
Christ is our peace (Ephesians 2: 14), and in Christ we receive all things (Romans 8: 32; Ephesians 1: 3)
In fact, we can rest at ease in Christ, knowing that anything that was taken from us He will restore to us fivefold.
In order to emphasis his strength to restore all things, Exodus provides an interesting teaching:
"If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double." (Exodus 22: 4)
If the thief is caught, the victimized party only gets double, yet if the thief then kills the animal or sells it -- meaning, the thief gets away with the animal -- then the original owner gets five-fold for an ox, and fourfold for a sheep. An ox is worth more, and the original owner gets more.
What's going on here? This distinction magnifies God's grace through Christ in our lives, in stark contrast to the wisdom of the world:
"Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:" (Romans 5: 20)
and
"9And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (2 Corinthians 12: 9-10)
And for this reason also, Paul would admonish the Corinthians:
"7Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren." (1 Corinthians 6: 7-8)
Paul reminded them of their standing in Christ, that they are now the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6: 12-17), and that they would judge angels (1 Corinthians 6: 3)
Jesus does not want us to go about avenging ourselves for any loss. Rather than trying to hide or compensate for any loss, let us rest and receive, in fact keep receiving the gifts of righteousness and grace in Christ (Romans 5: 17), and the greater any loss which we have suffered, we can trust in God's love and both know and believe that He will make better for any good which we have lost! (Romans 8: 28)
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Prodigal Son Graced Because God is Faithful and Just
"31And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found." (Luke 15: 31-32)
Many people will read the parable of the Generous Father (not "Prodigal Son") and wince.
The younger son was a rebellious, incorrigible brat. He demanded his share of the inheritance right away, and then went and wasted his wealth on wanton living.
After months of living in privation and loss, the prodigal son went back to his father, convinced of his indulgent heart, since under the Mosaic law a rebellious child would expect to be executed by stoning for his flagrant disobedience and disrespect to his parents:
"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear." (Deuteronomy 21: 18-21)
Yet the son believed that the Father's love would be great enough to overlook his rebellious decision to take his inheritance and squander it. Yet even then, the Father's love was beyond what the son could ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20)
Now, many readers will conclude that the Father was neither faithful not just for permitting his son to receive not just everything that he had lost, but to receive even more.
Yet in fact, God the Father is indeed both faithful and just to bless the prodigal son, and all of us in turn, through His Son Jesus Christ:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 9)
When we confess ourselves sinners, completely destitute and lost without Himself, we can receive the gifts of righteousness and grace, which God the Father provided for us at the Cross, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus:
"8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5: 8-9)
What is this love, specifically?:
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)
Jesus called God the Father Abba (Mark 14: 36), yet at the Cross Jesus became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21), that we might receive the Spirit of adoption in Christ (Romans 8: 15), that we may call God "Abba".
Just like the prodigal son, we can all come boldly to God (Hebrews 4: 16), knowing that we can receive grace in time of need, because Jesus died the death that we all deserve. He died for us and as us that we may boldly claim:
"17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. " (1 John 4: 17)
Many people will read the parable of the Generous Father (not "Prodigal Son") and wince.
The younger son was a rebellious, incorrigible brat. He demanded his share of the inheritance right away, and then went and wasted his wealth on wanton living.
After months of living in privation and loss, the prodigal son went back to his father, convinced of his indulgent heart, since under the Mosaic law a rebellious child would expect to be executed by stoning for his flagrant disobedience and disrespect to his parents:
"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: 19Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place; 20And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear." (Deuteronomy 21: 18-21)
Yet the son believed that the Father's love would be great enough to overlook his rebellious decision to take his inheritance and squander it. Yet even then, the Father's love was beyond what the son could ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20)
Now, many readers will conclude that the Father was neither faithful not just for permitting his son to receive not just everything that he had lost, but to receive even more.
Yet in fact, God the Father is indeed both faithful and just to bless the prodigal son, and all of us in turn, through His Son Jesus Christ:
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1: 9)
When we confess ourselves sinners, completely destitute and lost without Himself, we can receive the gifts of righteousness and grace, which God the Father provided for us at the Cross, through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus:
"8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." (Romans 5: 8-9)
What is this love, specifically?:
"Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." (1 John 4: 10)
Jesus called God the Father Abba (Mark 14: 36), yet at the Cross Jesus became sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5: 21), that we might receive the Spirit of adoption in Christ (Romans 8: 15), that we may call God "Abba".
Just like the prodigal son, we can all come boldly to God (Hebrews 4: 16), knowing that we can receive grace in time of need, because Jesus died the death that we all deserve. He died for us and as us that we may boldly claim:
"17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. " (1 John 4: 17)
Republican Congressman Darrell Issa -- He Fights For Us (Not Henry Waxman)
| Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa |
"I will have you physically removed if you don't stop!" (former Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, firing upon then ranking member Darrell Issa, who was demanding regular order in contrast to Waxman's repeated badgering of Bush administration officials)
"You should be ashamed of yourself!" -- Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, reproving Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Ronald Weich for providing "blank pages" of discovery on the Fast and Furious gun-running scandal.
Unlike Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles/South Bay), Congressman Darrell Issa (R-La Jolla) is leading the fight for our country. While Congressman Henry Waxman was investigating lead in toys and steroid abuse in baseball, Issa has followed on major scandals, all of which are erupting to a heated pitch in the last week.
While the Mainstream Media was interested in President Obama's childhood and dressing up his failed policies as "just the right tonic for the country", Issa and his committee have demanded information on the Fast and Furious gun-running scandal, which was intended originally to allow illegal purchasers to take guns and lead law enforcement to bringing down Mexican drug cartels. The operation has actually made things worse. Federal agents have been killed along the US-Mexico border, among numerous other crimes, all of which were committed with the very guns used by Obama administration DOJ officials, sold to illegal purchases. Holder has waffled, refusing to provide requested documents on the Operation. Issa landed hard on Assistant Attorney Welch for offering documents with information blocked out. "You might as well have given us a ream still in its original binder."
Despite the fawning of the media, and the blatant blame laid by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa refused to support the Emergency Aid legislation to Sandy-Stricken states. Issa stood on the floor of the House of Representatives and protested the pork-laden legislation. The House Majority then excised much of the waste and pork, with a proper bill which would provide direct relief to all Superstorm Sandy victims.
Wolf Blitzer warned Issa that people would hate him for refusing to waffle on the fiscal cliff bill. Issa did not care. Voicing the interests of his constituents, Issa refused to support a midnight, last-minute bill which would cut taxes but not cut spending, then saddle future generations with more debt.
Darrell Issa is leading the fight for our country, for our future, to ensure that Washington insiders do not dump deficits, dysfunction, and debt on Main Street outsiders.
Within weeks of the Benghazi attacks, Chairman Darrell Issa pursued the facts on the ground of what happened. Did the diplomatic corps request more security? Did they inform the White House and the State Department of a planned attack, or were the terrorists just demonstrators who suddenly rose up and sacked the consulate, killing for officials, including the US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens? The revelations from the men and women on the ground, the whistle-blowers who have exposed the cover-up, have come forward in spite of witness intimidation. Witnesses and Chairman Issa concur that resource requirements were not the issue, but the refusal from the State Department to provide more security.
Despite the partisan rancor in Congress, Chairman Issa has allowed the House Minority free access to witnesses, even though the ranking Democratic minority members had claimed that they were not permitted to speak with the Democratic staff.
Chairman Issa is now pressing on the Internal Revenue Service for targeting conservative groups and intimidating them. These groups were targeted for their tax exemption status during the 2012 election. Officials within the Obama administration were lying about it even a few weeks prior. These audits were politically motivated, and even MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell has expressed her disgust on the matter. President Richard Nixon faced articles of impeachment for using the IRS to intimidate political opponents.
The Associated Press has released further incriminating evidence, that the Justice Department seized two months of phone records from the Associated Press. Chairman Issa emphasized that he already has " a full plate" of investigations.
While investigating the BP oil explosion in 2010, Congressman Henry Waxman has the audacity to impugn the former CEO Tony Hayward: " You're not taking responsibility."
Congressman Henry Waxman has taken no responsibility for his lack of oversight over the Brentwood VA in West Los Angeles. He has taken no responsibility for the nineteen green tech companies which went bankrupt with taxpayer dollars. He has not even taken responsibility for shutting down a constituent during his embattled reelection campaign in 2012 against Independent Manhattan Beach resident Bill Bloomfield.
For Congressman and Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa's record, look for the things you do see. Darrell Issa: Leading the Fight" for all of us.
"You should be ashamed of yourself!" -- Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, reproving Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Ronald Weich for providing "blank pages" of discovery on the Fast and Furious gun-running scandal.
Unlike Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Los Angeles/South Bay), Congressman Darrell Issa (R-La Jolla) is leading the fight for our country. While Congressman Henry Waxman was investigating lead in toys and steroid abuse in baseball, Issa has followed on major scandals, all of which are erupting to a heated pitch in the last week.
While the Mainstream Media was interested in President Obama's childhood and dressing up his failed policies as "just the right tonic for the country", Issa and his committee have demanded information on the Fast and Furious gun-running scandal, which was intended originally to allow illegal purchasers to take guns and lead law enforcement to bringing down Mexican drug cartels. The operation has actually made things worse. Federal agents have been killed along the US-Mexico border, among numerous other crimes, all of which were committed with the very guns used by Obama administration DOJ officials, sold to illegal purchases. Holder has waffled, refusing to provide requested documents on the Operation. Issa landed hard on Assistant Attorney Welch for offering documents with information blocked out. "You might as well have given us a ream still in its original binder."
Despite the fawning of the media, and the blatant blame laid by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa refused to support the Emergency Aid legislation to Sandy-Stricken states. Issa stood on the floor of the House of Representatives and protested the pork-laden legislation. The House Majority then excised much of the waste and pork, with a proper bill which would provide direct relief to all Superstorm Sandy victims.
Wolf Blitzer warned Issa that people would hate him for refusing to waffle on the fiscal cliff bill. Issa did not care. Voicing the interests of his constituents, Issa refused to support a midnight, last-minute bill which would cut taxes but not cut spending, then saddle future generations with more debt.
Darrell Issa is leading the fight for our country, for our future, to ensure that Washington insiders do not dump deficits, dysfunction, and debt on Main Street outsiders.
Within weeks of the Benghazi attacks, Chairman Darrell Issa pursued the facts on the ground of what happened. Did the diplomatic corps request more security? Did they inform the White House and the State Department of a planned attack, or were the terrorists just demonstrators who suddenly rose up and sacked the consulate, killing for officials, including the US Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens? The revelations from the men and women on the ground, the whistle-blowers who have exposed the cover-up, have come forward in spite of witness intimidation. Witnesses and Chairman Issa concur that resource requirements were not the issue, but the refusal from the State Department to provide more security.
Despite the partisan rancor in Congress, Chairman Issa has allowed the House Minority free access to witnesses, even though the ranking Democratic minority members had claimed that they were not permitted to speak with the Democratic staff.
Chairman Issa is now pressing on the Internal Revenue Service for targeting conservative groups and intimidating them. These groups were targeted for their tax exemption status during the 2012 election. Officials within the Obama administration were lying about it even a few weeks prior. These audits were politically motivated, and even MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell has expressed her disgust on the matter. President Richard Nixon faced articles of impeachment for using the IRS to intimidate political opponents.
The Associated Press has released further incriminating evidence, that the Justice Department seized two months of phone records from the Associated Press. Chairman Issa emphasized that he already has " a full plate" of investigations.
While investigating the BP oil explosion in 2010, Congressman Henry Waxman has the audacity to impugn the former CEO Tony Hayward: " You're not taking responsibility."
Congressman Henry Waxman has taken no responsibility for his lack of oversight over the Brentwood VA in West Los Angeles. He has taken no responsibility for the nineteen green tech companies which went bankrupt with taxpayer dollars. He has not even taken responsibility for shutting down a constituent during his embattled reelection campaign in 2012 against Independent Manhattan Beach resident Bill Bloomfield.
For Congressman and Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa's record, look for the things you do see. Darrell Issa: Leading the Fight" for all of us.