1 Samuel 5-6
Religious people inevitably lean towards superstition and idolatry. I remember a few years ago when travelling through Israel observing many people rubbing their purses and clothes against a rock bench in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. One person actually sprawled and gyrated bodily upon the bench, apparently trying to rub up as much good luck and Divine Favour as possible before the arrival of security. Such an approach to God is ridiculous at the least and likely crosses over into full blown and damnable blasphemy.
The people of Israel were frequently guilty of presuming upon the favour of God. As long as the Ark of the Covenant went before them into battle, then they expected to be victorious - God was with them irrespective of whether they were “with him” in any meaningful sense. Or so they thought.
The sons of Eli were spoiled and obviously unregenerate. They stole from the offerings and they slept with the women who attended the tabernacle. Eli did not restrain them. He was a good man but a bad father. Because he loved his children more than his God, the Lord pronounced judgment on his house. He declared a disaster for Israel generally and Eli specifically. The disaster is narrated for us in 1 Samuel 4. Israel is defeated in a great battle with the Philistines. The two sons of Eli are killed and the Ark is captured by the enemy and taken to Ashdod as a trophy.
The Philistines too thought to treat the Ark as some sort of religious talisman. They put it in the temple of Dagon with all their other religious bric-a-brac. When they went into the temple the next morning the statue of Dagon had fallen on its face before the Ark of the Covenant. They set him back up but the next morning he had fallen again and this time his head and hands had fallen off. Clearly the Ark was not a tame religious artifact!
A decision is made to relocate the Ark to a more suitable location. However, wherever it went it gave the people cancerous tumors and it thus quickly wore out its welcome among the cities of the Philistines. The Ark must be returned to its people. They put the ark on a wagon and they hook the wagon up to some cows whom they separate from their new born calves. The thinking was that mommy cows would normally return to their babies but if God was truly working through the Ark then he would overpower their natural instincts and cause them to return the Ark to Israel. And so they did.
When they arrived in Israel, the people butcher the cows, build an alter and sacrifice them in thanksgiving to the Lord. Then they quickly demonstrate that they have not learned their lesson at all. Some over zealous villagers decide to have a peak inside the Ark. 70 men are immediately struck down. The people of Beth-Shemesh in Israel decide that the Ark cannot be trusted and so they ask for it to be taken to another town.
God is not tame. He is not a talisman and he is not mocked. Indeed, one of the major themes of the Old Testament is that it is hard for sinful people to live with a Holy God. Come Lord Jesus!
Romans 5
Romans 5 marks an important hinge in the letter. In chapters 1-4 Paul has been focusing on how God has fulfilled his saving promises through the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. Notice how chapter 4 ends:
It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:24–25 ESV)
In chapters 5-8 the focus shifts to what we as believers have received because of what Jesus has done. These are the two sides of grace. Grace is about what God has done in Christ to secure our redemption but it is also about the effect that grace has on all who receive it through faith. Put simply, Romans 1-4 talks about what Jesus DID; Romans 5-8 talks about what it MEANS for those who believe.
In verses 1-2 we notice Paul’s emphasis on peace. Peace in the Bible means more than the absence of conflict and it means more than a feeling of well being. Keep in mind that the standard Jewish greeting at the time was “Shalom” - which means peace. Peace is about a right relationship with God that brings healing, restoration, contentment and abundance. It is what God promised to Israel - but it is ours now through faith in Jesus Christ. All of the blessings of God are YES in Christ and are extended as grace to all people without distinction, whether Jew or Gentile - see verses 18-19.
It is interesting that Paul moves from a reflection upon the gift of peace to a few words about suffering which he also considers a gift from God. Paul must have read and appreciated the Book of Job! Paul can embrace suffering because he sees how it contributes to hope - the longing for the future that God promises us in Christ. Anything that helps us walk a little lighter on this earth must be a good thing in the long run, according to the Apostle Paul.
In verses 12-21 Paul focuses on the two main enemies of Christian hope: sin and death. As a pastor I can tell you that people often doubt their status as saved people or their right to hope in heaven because of the remaining sin that they see in their lives. These people need to understand the broad and magnificent effect of Christ’s saving work:
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19 ESV)
The grace that is in you because of Christ is greater than the sin that is in you because of Adam - praise the Lord! If sin leads to death - and it does - how much more will grace lead to righteousness and to eternal life? The grace that saves you will also prepare you for the future that lies ahead - thanks be to God!
Jeremiah 43
Jeremiah 43 is an interesting chapter for a couple of different reasons. Jeremiah himself has been treated as something of a religious talisman ever since his predictions concerning the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon were so precisely and horribly fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar had obviously heard of him and offered him refuge and royal welcome in the capital city. Jeremiah had chosen to stay in Jerusalem but was inadvertently caught up in a mini civil war. Johanan the son of Kareah had defeated the rebel betrayer Ishmael but was afraid to remain in Judea lest he be executed by the Babylonians troops sent to restore order. Occupying troops do not always take the time to separate friend from foe and Johanan decided it would be best to make for Egypt. Jeremiah warns them all to remain. God had said that if the people submitted to Nebuchadnezzar they would be safe, but if they left, they would face judgment. His warning is ignored and he is carried against his will in Egypt.
The Jewish exiles settled in Egypt but Jeremiah warned them that they had not escaped justice. In a prophetic act he buried stones in the pavement of Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes and he predicted that Nebuchadnezzar would come to Egypt and strike the people with the sword. Though they had "buried themselves in Egypt", the judgment they sought to escape would nevertheless come and find them.
What is fascinating about this story is that it had long been held up by critics as proof of the Bible's historical inaccuracy. Babylon never invaded Egypt - Nebuchadnezzar never set up his pavilion in Tahpanhes - this prophecy was never fulfilled! Or so the critics said. There is an old saying about ancient archeology. If you don’t like the current consensus just wait until the next dig. Sure enough, evidence of a Babylonian invasion of Egypt under Nebuchadnezzar has now been discovered. R.K. Harrison writes:
"A fragmentary inscription records that Nebuchadnezzar actually invaded Egypt in 568/7 BC, when Amasis (570–526 BC) was pharaoh."1
You cannot run or hide from the judgment of God.
Psalm 19
Psalm 19 has a very simple outline. In verses 1-6 the focus is on natural revelation; in verses 7-11 the focus is on special revelation (the Bible) and in verses 12-14 we have David’s prayer of response.
There are three statements in verses 1-6 that summarize what Psalm 19 has to say about natural revelation.
1. The heavens declare the glory of God.
In short, astronomy communicates. As Edward Young, author of “Night Thoughts” says:
“An undevout astronomer is mad.”
By looking at the stars people ought to figure out that there is a big God out there and he is good.
2. The sky above proclaims his handiwork
The night sky offers convincing evidence of intelligent design. The universe is not an accident - it is clearly a created thing. For anything to exist at all there most be something that has existed forever and that has the power of life within itself. The Bible declares that something to be a someone. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. You ought to be able to figure that out just by looking at the night sky.
3. Their voice goes out to all the earth
What God is saying about himself - that he is there, that he is good, that he is Sovereign and that he is central - is available to all people everywhere. There is no excuse for not knowing what can and should be known by all.
There are 6 statements in verses 7-11 that summarize what Psalm 19 says about the Bible. Due to space constraints I will provide them without any explanation or expansion. If you’d like to listen to a sermon on Psalm 19 that explains each of these statements in some detail, see <link resources>here.
1. The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul
2. The testimony of the LORD is sure making wise the simple
3. The precepts of the LORD are right rejoicing the heart
4. The commandments of the LORD are pure enlightening the eyes
5. The fear of the LORD is clean enduring forever
6. The rules of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
The prominence of the personal name Yahweh - translated in English as LORD - serves to indicate that while we can know God as Sovereign and Benevolent through nature we can only know him personally and savingly through Holy Scripture. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ. Thanks be to God.
Our heavenly Father, hallowed by thy Name. You are holy Lord, though we often treat you as common. Remind us again of your character and nature. Teach us to honour your Name and to fear your judgments. Teach us also to hide ourselves in Christ! In Christ your wrath is satisfied and your justice met. In Christ we may be forgiven and made righteous - thanks be to God! Help us to share this Good News with others in this city. Help us to share with them the urgency of their situation. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. There is no escape from your justice apart from Christ. Help us to speak the Word of Christ in season and out of season with urgency and prayerfulness until the wonderful day of your return. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Paul Carter
N.B. RMM Roundup assumes the Bible reading guide also known as “The M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan”. You can find a single page version of the 1 year plan here: http://www.edginet.org/mcheyne/year_classic_single_letter.pdf and a version of the 2 year plan here: http://www.edginet.org/mcheyne/year_carson_a4.pdf
1 R. K. Harrison, Jeremiah and Lamentations: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 21 of Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. IVP/Accordance electronic ed. (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1973), 167.