Jesus and the Four Cups of Passover

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America's Occult Holidays, David J. Meyer, Doc Marquis, Easter, Exodus 6:6-8, Jesus' Last Supper, Last Supper and Passover, nimrod, Pagan Easter, Semiramus, Tammuz, The Cup of Acceptance, The Cup of Deliverance, The Cup of Hope, The Cup of Redemption, The Cup of Sanctification, The Four Cups, The Occult Origin of Easter, The Occult Origin of Easter Bunnies, The Occult Origin of Easter Eggs, The Pagan Origins of Easter, Tim Hegg

We are in a truly special and holy season of the year; one of the most exciting as well. But the excitement and holiness does not center around a bunny who lays eggs nor new dresses nor fancy hats nor colorful baskets nor ham dinners. And really, all of that is not just for fun either. Historically all of those details are rooted in the Babylonian Mystery religion that goes as far back as Nimrod and his mother/wife Semiramus and the tower of Babel. And as a matter of fact, the name Easter is in reality the name of a Babylonian fertility goddess whose symbols were the bunny and the egg: the bunny because of how quickly they propagate and the egg represented reincarnation.

The origin of Easter egg hunts and wicker baskets come from the yearly celebration of this fertility goddess’ reincarnation. It was thought that the first to find an egg would be blessed by the goddess. Furthermore, it was said that the egg of the goddess was to descend into a wicker basket. And thus the reason for the use of baskets in modern times when looking for hidden eggs at Easter time.

The origin of Easter bonnets and new clothes also stems from the occult following of this fertility goddess. Every spring at this festival the women would wear new bonnets (that looked more like baby bonnets) and the men would be dressed in white new clothes.

As for the ham dinner, that too comes from this fertility cult following. For, it is believed that the goddess’ son, Tammuz, was killed by a wild bore. Thus, every year the worshipers of the goddess would kill a pig on behalf of her dead son and eat ham.

Though paganism has always attempted to overshadow the holy throughout the centuries, the holy still shines more piercingly than ever. For God ordained from before the foundation of the world that His only begotten Son, the Lamb, would be slain. And God created His own calendar of His own divine appointments and called His own people to celebrate each one in a certain way at specific time of year. Jesus therefore fulfilled every detail of God’s spring calendar of events including the feast days of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Jesus came as the Passover Lamb whose blood would take away the sin of the world, and also came as the sinless unleavened bread that was striped, pierced and bruised for our salvation. Thus, Jesus is the reason for this season of the year, and the cross combined with the empty tomb is the central attraction.

Elements Of The Last Supper

Every holiday has specific food related to it. When we think of our national Thanksgiving day we think of turkey dinner. When we think of Independence day we think of barbequed hamburgers or hotdogs. When we think of birthdays we think of usually think of cake. Even so, with God’s holidays there are certain foods that were eaten. This was not just tradition. The food actually had meaning.

The Passover supper consisted of bitter herbs, matzah, charoset, lamb, and wine. Since Biblical times, the Jews have added other elements that also have meaning, but the ones that God attributed meaning to are most important.

We have already covered the lamb and the unleavened bread. Today we will explore the significance of the wine.

Usually during God’s feast days there are two cups of wine at the table. However, during Passover there are four. In Luke 22:14-17 we catch a glimpse of two of these being served: namely the second and the third. And the one we are most familiar with is the third cup that Jesus raised up as the cup of a new covenant in His blood. Did you know that that cup was a part of Passover?

The first cup of Passover is referred to as the cup of sanctification, the second as the cup of deliverance, the third as the cup of redemption and the fourth as the cup of acceptance and hope. In these cups of wine, we can see the amazing picture of God’s ultimate salvation through Jesus.

The Four Cups of Passover

The concept of these four cups is found in Exodus 6:6-8 which reads,

“6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ”

The picture conveyed here is that of a slave who is carrying a monstrously heavy burden –just think of something too heavy to carry and it is placed on your shoulders, that’s what it means. Not only this, but the slave is in thick chains and is trapped in slavery in a foreign land to a cruel taskmaster with no hope of freedom, ever.

The Cup of Sanctification

So, what does God say, “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…”

This is the phrase associated with the first cup: the cup of Sanctification. Essentially the Hebrews had cried out to God because they were weary of the uncomfortable burden of their cruel enslavement to a hard taskmaster. Physically they were weary; emotionally they were exhausted. But…they in desperation cried out. And so God came down to investigate, and upon doing so, promised to change their status from that of heavily burdened to unburdened, to set them apart as His own. This was not just for the sake of doing it, but as God stated time and again to Pharoah, it was so that the Hebrews might worship Him. For indeed the concept of servitude in the Hebrew language has to do with worship. This unburdening was all about the transfer of their service from Pharoah to God. Thus, God unburdened them and sanctified them which means that He set them apart and made them holy that they might worship Him.

Thus, the burden was gone and they were made holy for God’s service, but they were still chained and under the authority of Pharaoh in a foreign land.

The Cup of Deliverance

Continuing on with Exodus 6:6-8, it says, “I will rescue you from their bondage…” And so we come to the second cup: the cup of Deliverance. The definition of this word is actually “to rescue or to snatch away.” The powerful reality conveyed in this sentence is this: the Hebrews were utterly helpless to deliver themselves. There was nothing they could do. Nothing. They were chained. They were powerless. And these chains were not merely physical chains nor political chains nor ethnic chains, but were the chains of idolatry. Though the word for bondage is often a common word for work, in this verse, “I will rescue you from their bondage” there is more to it than work. For indeed, the word for “bondage” actually carries in its definition the concept of worship. “Israel surely needed to be “rescued” from the “service” of Egypt, because the tentacles of idolatry had already entwined and penetrated her national consciousness” (Hegg, pg 3). In other words, what had been happening in Egypt was not merely physical, but spiritual. The chains were not just on their feet; the chains were on their minds and hearts as well.

So, God promised to unburden them and make them holy for worship and to unshackle them that they might worship Him. But, they were still owned by Pharoah in a foreign land.

The Cup of Redemption

Continuing on with Exodus 6:6-8 we read, “…and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.” And so we come to the Cup of Redemption. How was God to redeem them? With an outstretched arm and great judgments. In the Hebrew language there are two words for redeem. The word used here is a familial one. In other words, the one being redeemed was family. God even tells Pharoah that Israel is His first born son. Furthermore, redemption always requires payment. Thus, God was essentially buying back Israel from Pharoah. And God redeemed them with an “outstretched arm”. When in Hebrew the term “outstretched arm” is used, it “pictures power at it’s zenith—extreme power. This metaphor is used in connection with creation…” (Jeremiah 32:17). Though creating the world with an outstretched arm could be said to have cost God nothing, the redemption of Israel came at the cost of blood.

The Cup of Acceptance and Hope

At this point, God’s promise was for Israel to be unburdened, unshackled and paid for with blood, but they were still in Egypt. The last two verses of this passage in Exodus 6 essentially constitute the fourth cup at the Passover supper: the cup of Acceptance and Hope. For God accepts Israel as His own people, and promises them a home in the Promise Land. But, the Promise Land would not be reached immediately, for the Israelites had to travel the long journey through the Red Sea, across the desert, through foreign lands, and finally through the Jordan River. For indeed, “Redemption guarantees the final destination, but the journey is still necessary.” (Hegg, pg 5).

The Christian Application

These cups, however, are not just for the Jew. Through Jesus, the beautiful symbolism of these cups becomes our own.

For in the The Cup of Sanctification we recognize that God has lifted our burdens and sanctified us to live holy lives of worship for Him. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, 28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” And furthermore, we are God’s workmanship created for good works in Christ (Ephesians 2:10).

In the The Cup of Deliverance we agree that we too were helpless to free ourselves from the shackles of sin and so God Himself rescued us from our idolatrous chains. “How this same picture fits each and everyone who is born from above! Our bondage to sin has left us unable to rescue ourselves. We simply cannot find our way to freedom because we are shackled by the chains of self-centeredness, which is idolatry. Our only hope is that One stronger than our fetters should come in and deliver us from our prison. Paul speaks of this when he writes in Colossians 1:13-14: For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Hegg, pg 3). “8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

In The Cup of Redemption we find that the price of redemption is always blood, for without blood there is no remission of sin. Jeremiah 31:31-34 says, 31 “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them, ” declares the LORD. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the LORD. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…“I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” The old covenant established on the continual death of goats and lambs was crucified with Christ, and God saved us through the blood of His only begotten Son, once for all. Jesus said that this third cup of the Passover supper was a cup of the new covenant in His blood.

And last but not least, in the fourth cup, The Cup of Acceptance and Hope we recognize that right now in this world we as Christians are pilgrims and strangers. Though completely accepted by God as His people, we still await the city whose builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11). We still await the mansions that Jesus promised that He is building for us (John 14). We still await our Savior’s return to snatch us away to our eternal home where there will be no more tears, no more pain, and no more death. That He who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).

As we approach the day of Passover and Resurrection, may our minds not be filled with bunnies and eggs and ham dinner, but rather, let us reflect on the fact that Jesus is our sanctifier who unburdened us, our deliverer who unchained us, our redeemer who paid for us with His own blood and our blessed hope that He is returning SOON!

Sources:

Youtube “America’s Occult Holidays” By Doc Marquis, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMWaX7sLakU and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm_7DAlcgRY

“The Pagan Origins of Easter,” by David J. Meyer, www.Lasttrumpetministries.org/tracts/tract1.html

“The Four Cups,” by Tim Hegg https://torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/Four%20Cups.pdf

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Jesus Our Unleavened Bread

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Bill Cloud, Exodus 12, Feast of Unleavened Bread, God's calendar, God's Feast Days, Isaiah 53:5, Jeremiah 7:1, Jesus and the Moneychangers, John 2:13-16, LUke 19:45-46, Mark 11:15-17, Matthew 21:12-13, Nehemiah 13, Passover, Perry Stone

God has a schedule that He keeps in great detail. The example of Algebra can be used to explain God’s schedule, because with Algebra the whole formula is important, every step is significant and not just the answer. In fact, even if the final result is the correct number, if the steps of the equation are not met, then the entire answer is considered wrong. That is how detailed God is with his schedule.

On His schedule are seven holidays, three fall holidays and four spring holidays. These were kept by the Jews as meticulous dress rehearsals, but though the Jews observed these holidays they are not technically Jewish holidays. They are God’s (Leviticus 23:1). In Bible study last September, we discovered the three fall holidays, and last week we learned about the first of the four spring holidays, namely the Lord’s Passover and how Jesus is the fulfillment of every minute detail of Passover, from the selection and inspection of the lamb, to the very songs that were sung, the exact timing of events, and the very words that were spoken.

Here are just a few of the Passover details that Jesus fulfilled:

Four days before Passover a lamb was selected and taken into the family’s house to be inspected to make sure it was without blemish. In Jesus’ day the lambs were escorted into Jerusalem by the High Priest with songs (from the Hallel, namely Psalms 113-118, and even more specifically Psalm 118 was sung while ascending to Jerusalem) of “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Psalm 118) up into the Temple precincts four days before Passover. Even so, four days before Passover, Jesus was selected and ushered by a large crowd up into the Temple precincts to the tune of “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” He was then inspected with questions for four days and found to be blameless, without blemish, The perfect Lamb of God.

Year after year since the first Exodus, the lambs had been slain “between the evenings” at 3pm (Exodus 12). In Jesus’ day the High Priest would slay the lamb at 3pm then stretch out his arms and say, “It is finished.” Even so, Jesus on the cross had his arms stretched out, and his final words (John 19:30) were, “It is finished” as he died at 3pm.

These are just a few ways in which Jesus fulfilled Passover. And that’s just scratching the surface! Incredibly, God planned it all in every microscopic facet, marked it on His calendar, and brought it to pass on the exact day and at the precise time it was to happen. God inspired the particular songs that would be sung as Jesus entered Jerusalem; He chose the very day and even the very second that Jesus would die; even Jesus’ words said from the cross were a script from the Father and in fulfillment of the minutest detail of the law.

The Feasts/Appointments of the Lord

There are four spring feasts altogether. Passover is the first one. Unleavened Bread is the second in that series, and overlaps with Passover. Just as God wove an amazing set of details into the feast of Passover, He also interlaced Unleavened Bread with its own elements that Jesus fulfilled perfectly.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Now, what is unleavened bread? It is bread made without any rising agent in it, in other words, no yeast, no baking powder. In Hebrew the word for leaven actually means “sour”. It might bring to mind sourdough bread.

Here is what it looks like (hold up/pass out example Matzah). It has holes in it because they would pierce it to keep it from rising/bubbling which is yeast-like behavior. It has lines on it because it is grilled. It has dark marks on it too because of the fire.

The history behind this day takes us all the way back to the Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt. They had prepared in haste, eaten in a rush, and in all the hurry and flurry they did not have time to let their bread rise. It’s not like today when you can just stop at a grocery store and pick up what you need to eat. They had to make everything from scratch. And on this hectic day of the Exodus, they did not have time to leaven their dough.

God had them continue this tradition of eating unleavened bread every year, in order that they remember that significant day that changed their lives forever, the day in which God lifted the burden from their shoulders, released them from their chains, ransomed them from Pharaoh, and promised them a new life of liberty. On top of this, leaven in the Bible refers to sin, because sin just like leaven, spreads through the entire lump of dough or body of believers and causes it to become puffed up (like the rising of leavened dough), to become proud and hardhearted because of sin. God wanted to remind them through the eating of unleavened bread the importance of living sinless lives. They were not liberated by God in order that they might sin, but instead were liberated from sin that they might live unbound by the cruel taskmaster of sin.

Thus, for years and years, even in the time of Jesus, the Jews would make sure that all the leaven was out of their houses. It was not enough to simply have it out of their bread, but it was not to be found in their home. First the mother would clean until all was spotless, but she would intentionally leave a small cake of yeast hidden somewhere. It was then that the father of the household would enlist the help of the kids as sort of search party. “Yeast: Wanted Dead or Alive”. And they would do this at night. The father would hold a torch or candle, and one child would hold a wooden spoon while another held a feather, and the group would look for the hidden yeast. Once it was found, the feather would dust the yeast into the spoon and they would take it outside where they would burn it. The Orthodox and some traditional Jews still perform this search today.

Jesus: Our Unleavened Bread

Jesus fulfills all of this, down to the last detail. Let’s take a look!

Matthew 21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46; John 2:13-16 all give a similar account of a particular event. Matthew’s account reads as follows: “And Jesus went into the Temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the Temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves.” (Jeremiah 7:11).

Have you ever wondered what on earth this was about? It’s a zealous action, and makes me think of Nehemiah’s zeal. Nehemiah had been so zealous for God and His word and purity that he took men by their beards and pulled out the hair to get them to listen. We catch a glimpse of God’s heart concerning sin through Nehemiah 13. It says, speaking of what Nehemiah did to the leadership of Israel, “25 So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, pagan women caused even him to sin. 27 Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”

Well, in Jesus’ day it was nearly Passover, a day of holiness and purification and corruption was being allowed by the religious leadership to thrive in the House of God. But, there’s more to it than holy zeal. Remember, God is a God of details.

Jesus had just entered Jerusalem to the tune of children and throngs of people shouting and singing, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” And had thus been selected as the Passover Lamb. He then entered the Temple, the house of His Father, and just as the mother, father and children had been taught by God to cleanse their home of all leaven before Passover, Jesus carefully cleansed His Father’s house of sin by forcefully extracting the greedy moneychangers out of the Temple.

Remember, leaven symbolizes sin. So, Jesus like the unleavened bread, otherwise known as matzah, was without sin. As 1 Peter 2:22 says, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth…” and 1 John 3:5, “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.”

Furthermore, Jesus just like a piece of matzah was pierced, striped and bruised. As it states in Isaiah 53:5, “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.” And in Psalm 22:16b it states of the future dying Messiah, “they pierced my hands and my feet.” Indeed, Jesus was beaten with many stripes by the Roman soldiers (Matthew 20:19, 27:26; Luke 18:33; John 19:1), was pierced in His hands and feet and in His side by a sword (John 19:34), and bruised with the fists of angry and cruel Jewish leadership (Matthew 26:67-68; Mark 14:65; John 18:22).

Conclusion

As we move into this holiest season of the year, let us remember Jesus our Passover Lamb and Unleavened Bread. God, who is a God of details, fulfilled in specific detail those two feast days through the death of Jesus. Jesus was the Lamb without blemish. Jesus was the sinless bread. Jesus was pierced. Jesus was bruised. Jesus was striped. Jesus was indeed, the Lamb of God who was slain before the foundation of the world. Jesus was the Lamb, who God had prepared for Himself to be our perfect sacrifice, once for all. Jesus cleansed His Father’s house of leaven.

Now, as Christians we have all been cleansed by the blood of Jesus the perfect Lamb; we have been made new creations in Christ. The old has passed away, and all has been made new. He has therefore, called us to live “unleavened” sinless lives. So, as we enter more deeply into this special time of year, may we examine our lives and hearts and thoughts, and may we allow God’s Holy Spirit to convict us. When we are alone with God, may we be still and allow Him to show us. For we are God’s His Temple, each of us individually, as well as all of us together (1 Corinthians 3 and 6). And we have seen through the example of the Jewish families how important it was for the leaven to be cleansed from their homes. Nehemiah also exemplified this. We have also seen through Jesus’ example of zeal how important it was for His Temple, His Father’s house to be purified. We are that house; we are that Temple. We want to be without spot and without blemish as the Day of Jesus’ return approaches.

Let us say with David in Psalm 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Let us also in agreement with David say with Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit [and renew a right spirit within me].”

Sources:

Bill Cloud and Perry Stone video, “The Seven Feasts of Israel.”

Mark Biltz DVD series, “The Feasts of the Lord.”

Jesus Our Passover

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Bill Cloud, Exodus 12, God's calendar, God's Holidays, Hallel, It is Finished, Jesus and Passover, Mark Biltz, Matthew 21, Passover, Passover prophecies, Perry Stone, Psalm 118, The Lamb of God, The Seven Feasts of Israel

We are in the most amazing season of the year, for it is both the soberest and the most incredibly exuberant time. It is the soberest because it is the season wherein Jesus, the eternal King of Glory, was arrested, tried illegally, falsely accused, beaten mercilessly, drug before a jeering crowd, unjustly condemned to die the death of a criminal, namely the death of a thief, was cruelly crucified, and then was laid to rest in a borrowed tomb. It is the most incredibly exuberant time of the year because Jesus released the captives in Paradise (Ephesians 4:8-10), preached to the fallen angels in the deepest, darkest prison of Hell (1 Peter 3:19), took back the keys of Death, Hell and the Grave (Revelation 1:18), openly shamed principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15), and defied death by rising bodily from the dead.

We know that this time of year Jesus came and died for our sins and to then rose again. But, have you ever thought about why He died this time of year? Why didn’t he die in June or January, August or November? Why did He rise again on the third day and not the fourth or seventh day?

Why? Because Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets and within the law and prophets is a calendar. God’s calendar. And His calendar is filled with appointments otherwise known as festivals that He has kept and will keep.

God’s Schedule

God’s schedule is exact. It is as exact as a mathematical, algebraic equation.

I took 2 years of high school Algebra and then 2 years of Algebra in college. Number one, when it comes to me and math, I always make simple problems extremely complex. On top of that, when I would think that I had gotten an answer correct, I would realize that I had the formula wrong, and thus, I would not get credit for the answer. You see, in Algebra, it’s not the conclusion that matters most, but rather, it is the process, the steps, the details that matter most.

It is the same with God’s schedule. He is precise in every minute detail. Every detail, not just the answer. It therefore, was not enough that Jesus die on a certain holiday, but that Jesus would fulfill ALL the other details in the formula first.

On God’s calendar there are seven specific appointments of God, also referred to as holidays. We learned about the three Fall holidays back in September, namely: The Day of Blowing, The Day of Atonement, and the Day of Tabernacles. We learned that these are not Jewish holidays but are God’s holidays (Leviticus 23:1).

There are also four Spring holidays: Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and the Feast of Weeks. These were four appointments of God on His own calendar. Each one was initially lived out in the Exodus of the Jews out of Egypt, but that was only a foreshadow, a dress rehearsal of better things to come. Unbeknownst to the Jews, each of these Spring feast days not only pointed back to their awe-inspiring, miraculous Exodus, but pointed to the ultimate fulfillment in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Today, we’re going to take of look at God’s first appointment on His calendar. The Passover. In so doing, we will barely begin to scratch the surface of God’s incredible accuracy and precision.

The First Passover

Four days before the first Passover, each household picked out a perfect yearling lamb. This lamb they took into their house in order to inspect it thoroughly to make sure it truly was without blemish. For four days the lamb became a part of the family, even a family pet while the children of the house would play with it and probably even name it.

Then, on the fourth day, the little perfect and very beloved lamb would be led by the father of the household to the threshold of the front door under which was a trench (to keep water from getting into the house), and there he would kill the lamb specifically between the evenings, that is between the times of 3 and 6 o’clock pm.

“It was a night unlike any other night,” the saying goes when speaking of the very first Passover in Egypt. Everyone was huddled in their homes, approximately ten people per house. The silence of the evening was probably deafening as they hastily ate their roasted lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread, perhaps the children even cried over their pet lamb, and they all tensely waited.

Then, they would begin to hear it. Blood curdling screams. Frightened shouts. Gut wrenching wailing. Until fear filled the air as up and down the streets the death angel walked taking with him the first born out of every household that had not been anointed with the blood of a lamb.

Breathlessly, they waited until everyone’s door was suddenly pounded upon and word spread that they were to leave Egypt immediately. The Egyptians themselves approached the Jewish slaves, frantically begging them to leave and leave now. The Egyptians even gave them gold, silver, precious stones and beautiful clothing just to get them to go.

It was a night of both darkness and deliverance, death and redemption.

Psalm 118

In the time of Jesus, the Jews continued to celebrate the Passover. After all, God said they would celebrate it forever. And when God says forever He means forever. Thus, every year they would pick out a lamb for their family, and every year they would sacrifice it, sing certain songs, and continue to rehearse the details of Passover.

In Jesus’ day, around 3 million Jews would ascend every year up to Jerusalem for the Passover, and they would sing certain songs, just like we have certain hymns we sing for certain occasions, like “Up From the Grave He Arose” every Resurrection Sunday and “Silent Night” each Christmas. Even so, they sang certain Psalms, namely Psalm 113-118 (referred to as the Hallel).

Jerusalem had four gates: north, south, east and west. Four days before Passover, the High Priest would enter Jerusalem through the north gate leading national lamb, along with all the other lambs. Each family picked out their own lamb for their family, and then there was the one lamb that would die for all the people. While the High Priest led the little lamb, a crowd would follow behind and the High Priest would sing Psalm 118.

Some of the lyrics/verses of Psalm 118 read (25-26), “Save now (the word here is Hosanna), I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD.” These are the words that the High Priest would be singing as he entered town with the national lamb that was to be inspected for four days

Even so, four days before Passover, Jesus in Matthew 21:1-11 entered Jerusalem. It reads, “And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

As the High Priest with a crowd and a lamb was entering the northern gate singing from Psalm 118, saying “Hosanna…blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD…” Jesus entered the eastern gate with a crowd to the tune of the shouts of the people who said, “Hosanna…blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.” And even as the lamb was inspected for four days in the Temple, Jesus, the Lamb of God, was inspected in the Temple with questions and found to be without blemish time after time after time. As it says in Matthew 26:59-60, “Now the chief priests and the elders and all the council sought false witness against Jesus to put him to death, but found none…” Even Pontius Pilate said in Matthew 27:24, “…I am innocent of the blood of this just person…” Thus, Jesus was declared to be spotless, and therefore, worthy to be the Passover Lamb.

It Is Finished

Each Synoptic Gospel specifically notes that at 3pm, Jesus drank of the vinegar, commended His spirit to God, and then breathed His last. To begin with, 3pm is exactly the “between the evenings” mentioned in Exodus 12.

John 19, unlike the other three Gospels, quotes Jesus as saying something very important. “It is finished.”

As Jesus was dying on the cross at 3pm, between the evenings, the High Priest back in the Temple was preparing to slay the national Passover lamb. When he had completed the task, he would stretch out his arms from side to side and say, “It is finished.” And thus, Jesus as our sacrificial Lamb of God who came to take away the sin of the world and as our Great High Priest, with his arms stretched out said from the cross the very same words, “It is finished.” And because of God’s exactness, the High Priest and Jesus said the words at the exact same time.

Conclusion

These are only a few ways in which Jesus fulfilled the Passover. There are so many other ways in which Jesus in minute detail fulfilled the law and the prophets, but to cover them all would take us an indeterminate amount of time.

God is a God of order and details. As it says in Matthew 5:18, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” A jot is both the smallest Greek and Hebrew letter (the iota and the yod), and a tittle is kind of like the dot on our “i”. In other words, a tittle is smaller than the smallest letter. God did not say every word will be fulfilled. No. Notice it is every smallest letter and smallest stroke of a pen that will be fulfilled. Now that is detail! Some say that the devil is in the details. But, really, it is God who is in the details!

Just think, God planned it all in every microscopic facet, marked it on His calendar, and brought it to pass on the exact day and at the precise time it was to happen. God inspired the exact songs that would be sung as Jesus entered Jerusalem; He chose the very day and even the very second that Jesus would die; even Jesus’ words said from the cross were a script from the Father and in fulfillment of the minutest detail of the law.

For years, the Jews had rehearsed the very steps, and somehow, just as we all do, got so lost in those details of the day that they missed the awe inspiring, miraculous handiwork of God. So, this holiday season, I encourage us all to not just go through the motions of the incredible holidays of God. Let’s think on each intricate part of the Biblical story that is read because even the smallest detail is significant; let’s reflect on our own great need for a Savior and how He fulfilled the smallest details in God’s salvation plan for us; let’s stand in awe of the Lamb of God sent to take away the sin of the world, and let’s not miss God’s perfect, meticulous fulfillment of Passover through Jesus.

Sources:

Bill Cloud and Perry Stone video, “The Seven Feasts of Israel.”

Mark Biltz DVD series, “The Feasts of the Lord.”

We Are At War: The Shield of Faith

Tags

A Measure of Faith, Ephesians 5:25-27, Ephesians 6:16, Fiery darts, Rick Renner, Roman Military Shield, Roman scutum, Roman Shield, Romans 10:17, Romans 12:3, Scutum, the Shield of Faith

Here are some things we have learned so far about Ephesians 6.

*We are war.

*The combat is up close and personal and very real.

-The battle is unseen

-The battle is spiritual

-The battle is mostly in the mind

*God has equipped us.

-A showy, impenetrable helmet

-An ornate, indispensable belt

-A small but deadly sword

Ephesians 6:16

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

The Make of the Roman Shield

The ancient Roman shield of Jesus’ day was called a scutum (plural scuti). A scutum was a semi-cylindrical, rectangular shape, was four feet tall, two and half feet wide, and weighed around twenty pounds. The Roman shield was made of several components including wood, several woven together layers of leather that became so strong it was nearly like steal (Rick Renner, “Spiritual Warfare: Understanding Your Shield of Faith” https://renner.org/spiritual-warfare-understanding-your-shield-of-faith/), canvas, iron edging, and a central feature or “boss” was made of iron, bronze or brass, (“Roman Gladius and Scutum: Carving Out An Empire” http://www.historynet.com/roman-gladius-and-scutum-carving-out-an-empire.htm). Interestingly enough, the scutum covered most of the soldier’s body. Furthermore, “The word “shield” is the Greek word thureos, which was used by the Greeks and Romans to depict an oblong door that was wide in width and long in length. The reason Roman soldiers used this word to describe their battle shields was that their shields were actually door-shaped! They were wide in width and long in length, just like the door of a house,” (Rick Renner, “Spiritual Warfare: Understanding Your Shield of Faith” https://renner.org/spiritual-warfare-understanding-your-shield-of-faith/).

The Use of the Roman Shield

The scutum was not wielded like any other shield, for it was too large to be maneuvered quickly. Most importantly, it was not merely defensive, but was first and foremost, used offensively. The Roman soldier did not wait for the enemy on the field to advance to him. After getting close to the enemy, volleys of pila were thrust at them. Pila were javelins that would stick in an opponent’s shield rendering it difficult to wield (“The Shield: An Abridged History of It’s Use and Development” http://myarmoury.com/feature_shield.html). It was then that the Roman soldier would charge forward with shield stretched out directly in front of him, his left arm straight and set. With the shield he would ram his enemy, knocking him off guard and possibly off of his feet. After doing this, the Roman soldier would could use the metal edges of his shield to hack at his opponent. If hacking was not an option for whatever reason, the Roman soldier would thrust his shield into the ground and fight from behind it, either in a crouching or kneeling position.

The Preparation of the Shield

Because the shield to the Roman soldier was of utmost importance offensively and defensively, he daily set aside time to oil its leather. After all, if leather gets dry, it cracks, and one does not want a faulty shield, especially when your life is at stake.

On top of this, before a battle, they would saturate their shield with water. This of course would make it heavier. So, why would they do this?

The opponents often had arrows they would shoot in the direction of the Roman advancement. Sometimes they were just ordinary arrows, and therefore, harmless so long as one held up their shield. Other times the ends of the arrows were set on fire so that when they hit their mark a fire would kindle. And then there were the insidious arrows which only appeared to be ordinary arrows but were filled with explosive material that would explode into fire as soon as the target was met (https://renner.org/take-up-your-shield-of-faith/). However, when any type of arrow (ordinary, fiery, or deceptively explosive) met the Roman’s saturated shield, the arrow fizzled and could not do the damage it was intended to do.

For this reason, it was imperative that the Roman soldier prepare his shield daily with oil, and with water before battle.

The Verse: Why “Above All”?

Now, to the Christian, the shield that we wield is that of faith. And according to the Apostle Paul Christians are to “Above all,” take it up. “Above all” however, does not mean that it is more important than the rest of the armor nor that it should be held onto more than the others nor to be chosen above the others. “The phrase “above all” is taken from the Greek phrase epi pasin. The word epi means over. The word pasin means all or everything. So rather than stating that the shield of faith is more important than the other pieces of armor, the phrase epi pasin describes the position faith should have over the other pieces of armor. It could be better translated, “Out in front of all….” or “Covering all….”” (Rick Renner, “Take Up Your Shield of Faith” https://renner.org/take-up-your-shield-of-faith/). In other words, the shield is not to be at our side or on the ground or in a closet or in another state. The shield is to be directly in front of us, covering all of us as well as covering most of the other armor that we are wearing. It is to cover all.

The Verse: What Does “Taking” Mean?

When Paul says, ““…Taking the shield of faith….” the word “taking” is from the word analambano, which is a compound of the Greek words ana and lambano. The word ana means up, back, or again; the word lambano means to take up or to take in hand. When compounded together, it means to take something up in hand or to pick something back up again. This plainly means your shield of faith can be either picked up or laid down. It places the responsibility on you as to whether you will use your shield of faith or allow yourself to go through life unprotected,” (Rick Renner, “Take Up Your Shield of Faith” ).

The Rest of the Verse

“…wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

When it says Christians “shall be able” this is not just an ordinary word. It sounds rather stale or limp actually, “shall be able”. But, incredibly it comes from the word dunamis. You all know what dynamite is. Dynamite is an explosive, and explosive dynamite gets its name from this word dunamis. Perhaps a better way to translate what Paul said is ““Above all, taking the shield of faith, by which you will be dynamically empowered.…” (“Here’s How to Extinguish the Fiery Darts” https://renner.org/heres-how-to-extinguish-the-fiery-darts-of-the-wicke/).

Think about that! Christians are explosively, dynamically empowered by this shield of faith.

Practical Application

So…what does this mean for us as Christians? What does God want us to learn from this information? And how do we apply it?

To begin with, the Lord has given us a unique, body sized, door shaped shield. It is large enough to completely cover us if it is held directly in front. It is not just a defensive weapon, but is really our first line of offense. But, in order for it to work for us, we must take care of it. First of all we must oil our faith daily. How do we do that? In the Bible oil is most often associated with the Holy Spirit, and it says in Ephesians 5:18 that we are to be freshly filled with the Holy Spirit over and over and over again. It says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit…” In the Greek this being filled is a continuous, ongoing thing. So we need our faith to be oiled by the continuous filling of the Holy Spirit.

Secondly, we must saturate our faith. But what are we to saturate it with? Questions? Fears? Doubts? In Ephesians 5:25-27 the Apostle Paul has already given us the answer to this question by saying, “…Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Thus, we see that the way we get a saturated faith is through the “washing of water by the word.” Indeed, we can’t even really have faith without the word. As Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So we need our faith to be saturated with the word of God.

Remember, if our shield of faith is not oiled, it will crack and ultimately bring about certain death. We are in a very real battle with an enemy who is out to “steal, kill, and destroy” us. This is not a game. Furthermore, our shield of faith must be saturated with the word of God or else the deceptive fiery darts of the enemy will hit us and set us on fire. Without the water of God’s word we cannot “quench” those deadly darts.

And finally, we as Christians must daily choose to take up the shield of faith and charge into battle. Remember, the Roman soldier did not saunter; he did not casually walk into battle. He charged. He meant business. The well-oiled, water saturated shield is our first offensive weapon. It knocks our enemy off guard; it gives us a foothold on the battlefield. And it covers us completely. Not one of us is lacking in faith. Not one of us has too little faith or needs to increase in faith, for according to Romans 12:3 God has given each of us a measure of faith. And that measure is perfectly proportioned to each of us, and covers us exactly where each of us needs it. All we need do is take it up and use it.

Sources:

“Spiritual Warfare: Understanding Your Shield of Faith”

https://renner.org/spiritual-warfare-understanding-your-shield-of-faith/

“Take Up Your Shield of Faith”

https://renner.org/take-up-your-shield-of-faith/

“Here’s How to Extinguish the Fiery Darts”

https://renner.org/heres-how-to-extinguish-the-fiery-darts-of-the-wicke/

“Three Kinds of Ancient Roman Shields”

http://madefrom.com/history/antiquity/kinds-of-ancient-roman-shields/

“Armor”

https://romanmilitary.net/tools/armor/

“The Shield: An Abridged History of It’s Use and Development”

http://myarmoury.com/feature_shield.html

“Shields: Terminology and History”

http://web.prm.ox.ac.uk/Kent/shieweap/shgenex3.html

“Roman Gladius and Scutum: Carving Out An Empire”

http://www.historynet.com/roman-gladius-and-scutum-carving-out-an-empire.htm

We Are At War: Shoes of Peace

Tags

Ephesians 6, Ephesians 6:15, Hobnailed caligae, Killer shoes, Rick Renner, Roman Military Shoes, Shoes of Peace, Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, Spiritual Warfare, Stefani Hoss

We have been learning that we are at war with an unseen enemy. We are in hand to hand combat with an enemy that wants to destroy us, but we have been empowered by God so that we can withstand all orderly methods/strategies of the enemy no matter what level that enemy is whether “against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (verse 12). The empowering that we have received from the Lord is in the form of armor, and is composed of pieces, of which we are to take up the “whole” armor of God, not just one piece or two. These pieces include: the helmet, the breastplate, the belt, the shield, the sword, and the shoes.

Review

Let’s review the pieces of armor that we have covered so far, namely the helmet, the belt, the shield and the sword.

The Helmet:

The helmet was flashy, showpiece that was also durable, weighty and an impenetrable protection against the battle axes of the enemy. This is a picture of our salvation: Impenetrable and ornate. The helmet of our salvation is there to protect our thinking, for we have been given the mind of Christ. The helmet is one of wholeness, security, right thinking, renewal, a shield from destructive mindsets and emotions. It is a helmet that enables us to change our form and be transfigured from the earthly to the spiritual, from darkness to light.

The Shield:

The well-oiled, water-saturated shield is our first offensive weapon. Thus, is our faith. Our faith is offensive not defensive. It knocks our enemy off guard; it gives us a foothold on the battlefield. Remember, the shield of the Roman soldier covered them completely. Even so, each of us is covered completely by our faith, and not one of us is lacking in faith. But we need to keep our faith anointed with the Holy Spirit and washed with the water of the Word of God. After all faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Remaining in the Word and the refilling of the Holy Spirit will oil and saturate our faith so that the enemy’s deceptions will do us no harm.

The Belt:

Furthermore, we are equipped with the sparkling belt of truth. And this we found out is no ordinary belt, but rather, is the defining feature of a soldier. Whether on the battlefield or off, the Roman soldier was recognized because of this distinct belt. This belt even made the soldier walk differently, stand differently, and act differently. No one else walked or stood like a soldier, and no one else wore such a belt. This for the Christian is the belt of Truth, for the Truth makes us walk differently, talk differently, act differently. The truth is what sets us free. The truth is what distinguishes Christianity from all other religions of the world. Not only this, but the belt of truth is that upon which much of the armor is connected in some form or fashion, including the breastplate of righteousness and the sword.

The Sword:

The Roman soldier always wore his sword, for his sword and belt were intertwined so as to not be separated. Though most of Roman society could not wear a weapon in public, the soldier could. Even so, God’s belt of truth and His sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God are intimately linked and inseparable. There is no truth outside of God’s Word. When it comes to the Christian, this sword is of the Spirit and is the Word of God. But, the Word of God referred to here is not the entire Word (logos), but rather, a specific passage from Scripture (Rhema) for a specific situation, and is to be even more specifically used in warfare prayer. Yes, the whole Word is inspired, indeed, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, thouroghly furnished unto all good works,” I Timothy 3:16-17. But, in instances of praying, specific inspired passages of the inspired Word will be brought to mind by the Holy Spirit that are to be used as a sword against the enemy.

Putting on Our Shoes

Today, we are going to look at what we as Christians are to have upon our spiritual feet.

“Stand therefore having…your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”

Ephesians 6:15

Before we ever go anywhere, we get dressed, and a very important part of getting dressed is putting on our shoes. There are actually restaurants and other establishments that still put up signs that say, “No shirt, no shoes, no service.” Shoes are very important. And more important than that, is what kind of shoes you wear!

A Roman Soldier’s Battle Shoes

When a Roman soldier was not on the battlefield, he could still be recognized as a soldier. In our modern day everyone looks alike when not in uniform. If one nowadays is in the military or the medical field or is a farmer or waitress or a manager of a store or even a pastor of a church, everyone in their off time seems to dress the same. However, back in Paul’s day, that was not the case. So, how did people know that a soldier was a soldier even when on leave? His belt and his shoes.

According to researcher Stefani Hoss, “Only the hobnailed caligae and the belt can be defined as typical for soldiers, identifying them as milites [military] even when they were not wearing amour. While caligae were also worn by civilians, they are typical for soldiers. Literary sources and inscriptions describe soldiers’ expressis verbis as caligati or as serving in caligae. And the hobnailed boots and their wearers are also equated both in the Roman and Jewish literature at the time.” (“A Theoretical Approach to Roman Military Belts,” by Stefani Hoss, http://www.academia.edu/4849015/A_Theoretical_Approach_to_Roman_Military_Belts, page 320-321). “The military belt was decorated with elaborate buckles, metal plates, strap-ends and other attachments, which made it heavy, eye-catching and jingly. Together with the crunch of hob-nailed sandals, the jingling of the metal belt pieces must have given soldiers a distinctive ‘sound’, announcing their presence.” (The Roman Military Belt,” by Stefani Hoss, http://www.academia.edu/212354/The_Roman_Military_Belt, page 30).

In other words, before you even saw a soldier approaching, you heard him, from the jingling of his belt, the clanking of the inseparable sword, and the clacking of his hobnailed shoes.

The shoes a soldier wore were cleated, sort of like golfer’s shoes or baseball players. They also had a spike at the heal and the toe. In other words, these shoes meant business and were made for both stability on the battlefield and to be a weapon against the enemy. “One good kick with those shoes, and an enemy would be dead. Just a few seconds of stomping on a fallen adversary would have eradicated that foe forever!” (“Are You Wearing Your Killer Shoes?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-wearing-your-killer-shoes/).

Practical Application

As Christians who are at war, we are to make sure that we get the correct footwear on our feet, and Ephesians 6:15 tells us exactly what those shoes are.

“Stand therefore having…your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace…”

Ephesians 6:15

Just as the Roman soldiers tightly tied on their “killer shoes”, we too are to snugly tie on these cleated shoes for ourselves. No one else can put the shoes on for us. We do it, and we are to always be ready with our feet tightly fitted with these shoes. The Greek tense expresses this clearly. The shoes we are to put on are called “preparation.” However, another way to translate this word is “foundation or firm footing.” So, we are to put on the shoes of the firm foundation of the Gospel which also means “good news”. The Apostle Paul used this description of the Gospel elsewhere in Scripture including 1 Corinthians 3 where he explicitly states that there is to be no other foundation but that of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And it is this Gospel that brings “peace”.

Peace in both the Greek and Hebrew carries with it the powerful meaning of wholeness in every way including our bodies, our minds, our spirits and our finances. It is the absence of confusion and war. It is “Truly the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God and consequently content with its earthly lot, whatever it is” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, by Spiros Zodhiates, page 520).

But this peace is not for our enemy. With our cleats we not only are held firmly in place doctrinally, be we can also use them to stomp on the evil that would steal, kill and destroy us. Greek scholar Rick Renner states, “…As the soldier used those spikes to kick and to kill his opponent, there is no need for you to ever stop moving ahead just because the devil tries to block your path. If he is foolish enough to try to get in front of you, just keep walking! Stomp all along the way! By the time you’re finished using your shoes of peace, you won’t have much of a devil problem to deal with anymore!” (“Are You Wearing Your Killer Shoes?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-wearing-your-killer-shoes/).

This is what we as Christians are to put on our feet. The firm foundation of the Gospel of wholeness in body, mind, and spirit, peace and not confusion is that in which we are to walk. For it is this Gospel of Christ that stabilizes us in every terrain no matter how treacherous, and steadies us on a very slippery, messy, litter ridden battlefield. When we are firmly founded on the Gospel and know that which we believe, we cannot lose our footing and thus, the enemy cannot knock us down. And even when not in a spiritual battle in our mind or in prayer or otherwise, when our feet are shod with the firm foundation of the Gospel of peace, people will know that we are different. Even as the Roman soldier when on leave strolling through town was still known to be a soldier because of the clacking of his cleats, we too ought to sound and walk differently than everybody else all the time and in every situation. Indeed, wherever we are, everyone should know that we are Christians.

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Specific Word Studies:

Shod:

hupodesamenoi, appears to be a 1^st Aorist Middle Participle (aorist participle because of the sa, and middle because of the menoi

From hupodeo #5265, meaning literally, “to bind under” like sandals, slippers or shoes.

In this sense it means that sometime in the undefined past one bound her sandals to her own feet for her own self. In other words, “having shod one’s feet for one’s self.”

Preparation:

hetoimasia #2091, “Preparation, a basis, foundation, firm footing”

From hetoimos #2092, meaning “ready, prepared.” (Like just before a race, “ready, get set, go!”)

Gospel:

euanggelion #2098, meaning, “bringing good news, to proclaim or tell good news”

Peace:

Eirene #1515 meaning, “peace” as the opposite of war, health, all kinds of good physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Hebrew equivalent is shalom #7965 which means, “wholeness, soundness, health, well-being, prosperity, absence of confusion and anything opposite of war.”

**Truly the tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, fearing nothing from God and consequently content with its earthly lot, whatever it is” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, by Spiros Zodhiates, page 520)

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Sources:

Josephus BellJud, 6:85, Juvenal, Satires 3.248, 16:25; Palestinian Talmud (Yerushalmi), Shabbath 8a and 20a

“A Theoretical Approach to Roman Military Belts,” http://www.academia.edu/4849015/A_Theoretical_Approach_to_Roman_Military_Belts

“The Roman Military Belt,” by Stefani Hoss, http://www.academia.edu/212354/The_Roman_Military_Belt

“Are You Dressed in the Whole Armor of God?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-dressed-in-the-whole-armor-of-god/

“Armor of God: Gospel of Peace,” by Dave Johnson, https://lifehopeandtruth.com/change/christian-conversion/armor-of-god/gospel-of-peace/

“Are You Wearing Your Killer Shoes?” by Rick Renner, https://renner.org/are-you-wearing-your-killer-shoes/

We Are At War: The Breastplate of Righteousness

Tags

1 Thessalonians 5:8, Breastplate of Righteousness, Chuck Missler, Ephesians 6, Job 29, Righteousness, Spiritual Warfare, The Full Armor of God, What is Righteousness

The Full Armor of the Living God is an armor of light given to us by our Lord who is light within light. The wearing of this armor is imperative and is a matter of life and death in every way, for we are born on a battlefield. We are born both physically and spiritually and emotionally on a battlefield, and not merely on a battlefield, but that battlefield is in enemy territory. God has reclaimed that battlefield, but the enemy still thinks it is his. And we are in the cross-hairs. Thus, we MUST be armed for all out war.

This is not a war whose end is unclear nor up for grabs nor is a toss up. Rather, this is a war that is already won. Through the apparent weakness of the cross the greatest victory in the world was determined. Through the weakness of love, all evil in every way was completely and utterly defeated at the foot of the foolishness of the old rugged cross.

But the battle is very, very real, and is really, really dirty. The enemy has learned how to play us, and he plays us well. And we literally fall for it all of time.

But, God in His incredible victory has not left us powerless. No! Indeed, He has to powerfully equipped us with armor by His Spirit that if we could ever begin to fathom it, grasp it, or begin to tap into this power, we would be in awe as the enemy is blown away!

So, what is this armor that we are to don with confidence and the authority of the Most High? Number one, we are to snugly fit upon our heads the Helmet of Salvation which is all about having right, faith-filled, Christ-like thinking, Bible mindsets, with thoughts set upon things above and not on earthly things and on the incredible hope of eternal salvation in the presence of the Living God! Next we are to put on our dazzling Belt of Truth which holds it all together, the belt which we are to wear wherever we go and whenever we go there. We also lace up tightly the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace, an unshakable peace that the world cannot give nor understands; shoes that stabilize us in the slipperiest and bloodiest of battlefields and keep us firmly planted in the Word rather than circumstances. We are take up the body-sized Shield of Faith that covers us completely, successfully protecting us defensively and offensively, and if watered by the Word and oiled by the daily anointing of the Spirit will quench every fiery dart of the enemy. Then taking up the Sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God we are called to jab the very evil that would steal, kill and destroy us. With the truth of the Word of God supernaturally inspired by the Spirit through us in prayer deals a death blow to the enemy.

Indeed we have been dressed by God to kill a very real, demonic enemy.

But, there is one piece of armor…one more vital bit of equipment that cannot be overlooked, for to go into battle without it was beyond heedless and meant certain death. This life saving, undeniably important protection is the Breastplate of Righteousness.

The Roman Breastplate in Jesus’ Day

“The breastplate was a central part of the Roman soldier’s armor—it provided protection for the torso, which contains vital organs like the heart, lungs and so on. Without a breastplate, a soldier would be asking for death, as any attack could instantly become fatal. With a sturdy breastplate, the very same attacks become ineffective and useless, as blows glance off the armor,” (Bible Study Guides).

“The Romans had the ideas for armor design which provided light weight combined with ease of movement and protection from blows. This breastplate was attached to the belt by leather thongs passed through rings on the bottom to keep it solidly attached. It was anchored to the belt, and it was above the belt. Note: the belt had to be put on first, then the breastplate,” (The Christian Arsenal).

“The Roman breastplate was typically made of bronze, backed with leather. It was designed to protect the vital area. A blow through this was usually fatal,” (Chuck Missler).

The Biblical Breastplate

“The breastplate or heart-guard that Paul was recommending was not made of hard metal, but of something much stronger. It is made of righteousness. The Greek word used for righteousness is dikaiosune, Strong’s #1343, defined as “equity (of character or act); specially (Christian) justification.” Vine’s defines the word as “the character or quality of being right or just”; it was formerly spelled ‘rightwiseness,’ which clearly expresses the meaning.” (Dan Wesol).

Truly, righteousness is “the conformity to the claims of higher authority and stands in opposition to… lawlessness,” (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, pg 458). Thus, righteousness is the crucifying of our way of living and the complete surrender to living life God’s way. This is our breastplate.

Man’s Righteousness Vs. God’s

Throughout the history of the world, individuals and people groups, false religions and cults of all kinds have sought to do good in order to please a transcendent being far beyond themselves in order to accrue enough credit in the heavenlies for the sake of their uncertain eternal security. Much has been done to appease countless gods and goddesses, and innumerable moments have passed as people do good for others simply because it makes them feel good to do so. The social gospel is highly active even today, and anyone and everyone can and does get caught up in the wave of it. “But we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; we all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away,” (Isaiah 64:6). “As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one,” (Romans 3:10-13).

Even Christians can get caught up in the “doing good” bug, and become driven by good works and achieving goals and seeking to look good in the eyes of others. But, “Putting on His breastplate of righteousness is not “putting on” your own good works, integrity, or honesty. It is not “putting on” Bible reading and prayer. It is not “putting on” church attendance. When we put on the cloak of His righteousness, it contrasts with our righteousness,” (Chuck Missler). For indeed, righteousness is all about God and not about us at all. The Lord is the source of all righteousness, even the very foundation of His throne is righteousness and justice and the heavens declare His righteousness and all people have seen His glory (Psalm 97).

Application: Being Not Just Doing

The greatest glory of God’s righteousness has been exemplified for all to see through Jesus Christ His beloved Son. As Ephesians 2:8-10 reads, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” The incredible magnitude of God’s righteousness superseding our goodness is apparent in this passage. On top of this is that undeserving as we are we have been made God’s righteousness (II Corinthians 5:21) and because of this, we have been empowered us to do righteous deeds the right way and for the right reason. This is righteousness.

“People have different ideas about righteousness. We must understand that righteousness is something we are, not something we do. Righteousness within us affects what we do, but what we do does not make us righteous,” (Chuck Missler).

Now that we have been made the righteousness of God in Christ, “let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love…” (I Thessalonians 5:8). Thus, the breastplate of righteousness is also a breastplate of faith and love: faith because without faith it is impossible to please God, and love because Jesus said that if we believe in Him we will walk in love. Righteousness, therefore, has everything to do with having faith in Jesus and walking in love.

In Job we see a picture of what righteousness looks like. Job 29:12-17 says, “Because I delivered the poor who cried out, The fatherless and the one who had no helper. The blessing of a perishing man came upon me, And I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; My justice was like a robe and a turban. I was eyes to the blind, And I was feet to the lame. I was a father to the poor, And I searched out the case that I did not know. I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.” First John 3:16-17 also says, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

God in all of His glory, seated high upon His majestic throne, perceived our dire need as we wallowed destitute and condemned in sin’s muck and mire. But… God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not parish but have everlasting life (John 3:16). And that same selfless attitude of Christ is to be in us (Philippians 2), for that is righteousness in action.

Conclusion

A vital part of our arsenal is the Breastplate of Righteousness. With righteousness our hearts, which are the well-spring of life, are guarded above all else. This righteousness is from God alone for only God is righteous, and He because of what Jesus did on the cross and in His resurrection has made us righteous and righteousness. Christ our great High Priest has made us a holy priesthood (I Peter 2:5) and as such we are to be “clothed in righteousness” (Psalm 132:9). Not only are we to be clothed in righteousness, but we are the righteousness of God in Christ. Thus, we no longer are to walk in fear, but in faith. We are no longer to walk in selfish impatience but in love. This righteousness that God has made us through Christ and that is exemplified through faith and love in action is what guards our hearts from the enemy’s continual attacks. Let us then put on the breastplate of righteousness. And having suited up in the full armor of God’s light, let us stand unwaveringly and unashamedly in this ever darkening, depraved, deceived world that is quickly passing away. Jesus is coming soon! Let us “gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (I Peter 1:13), as we look for our “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).

Sources:

Bible Study Guides, “Series 3 – The Great Teachings of the Bible and What They Mean for You: The Armor of God,” http://www.freebiblestudyguides.org/bible-teachings/armor-of-god-breasplate-of-righteousness.htm.

Margaret Minnicks, “The Whole Armor of God,” https://owlcation.com/humanities/Put-On-The-Whole-Armor-of-God.

Chuck Missler, “The Breastplate of Righteousness,” http://khouse.org/articles/1996/269/

Dan Wesol, “Putting on the Breastplate,” http://www.heraldmag.org/2009/09jf_2.htm

The Christian Arsenal, “The Full Armor of God,” http://www.christianarsenal.com/Christian_Arsenal/Full_Armor_of_God.html

Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament

Behold God’s Lamb!

Tags

Abraham sacrificing Isaac, Ben Hur, Genesis 22, Genesis 3:15, God Will Provide A Lamb, Hebrews 11:17-19, Jesus the Lamb of God, Matthew 21, Michael Card, Palm Sunday, Passover, Passover Lamb, This Must Be The Lamb

Time of Remembrance

Palm Sunday was truly a special day to commemorate Jesus riding into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. It was the day wherein the people cried out “Hosanna in the highest” while waving palm branches, cheering loudly, and laying their coats in the road (Matthew 21). Let’s think on that stirring scene of Jesus being heralded as their Davidic king of salvation by a people unprepared for Him to die on a shameful cross just four days later. What the Jews of Jesus’ day strongly desired was a conquering king to deliver them from Roman oppression and to restore the kingdom to them as promised to David. But, unbeknownst to them, God had sent them His sacrificial Lamb who would save them from something mightier and more terrible than Rome. This Lamb would by His shed blood save them from their sin and put them back in right standing with God the Father.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem humbly upon the foal of a donkey, it was on the 10^th of the first month on God’s calender. In the history of the Jews this was the day on which they were to select a lamb for the feast of Passover that would come four days later. They selected the lamb on the 10^th and were to bring it into their homes. They were to watch it to make sure that it was truly without spot and without wrinkle. Plus, they might even get attached to the cute little lamb that in four days they would kill before the Lord.

Exodus 12 is the first time that God stipulated that this was to be done. At that time the children of Israel were in Egypt. Nine plagues had already struck the Egyptians, and a tenth was about to wipe out all of the firstborn. It was then that God told the Jews to prepare a spotless lamb.

Genesis 3:15

Such a promise of salvation was not first seen in Exodus 12, however. It is in Genesis 3:15 that we first behold this promise:

15 And I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman, and between thy seed [the serpent’s] and her seed [Jesus]; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Genesis 22

Furthermore, we also see this promise in the story of Abraham when he is taking his son Isaac to sacrifice him for God in Genesis 22:1-2,6-13

“And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.”

God Will Provide “Himself” A Lamb

It is said in Hebrews 11:17-19 says of Abraham,

“By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.”

Thus, Abraham still believed that God would fulfill His Word regarding salvation through the line of Isaac the son of promise. He never gave upon believing what God had said, and therefore, believed that God could even resurrect Isaac.

Furthermore, since every word of God is inspired, it is important to note Abraham’s prophetic words, “God will provide Himself a lamb.” It does not say, God will provide a lamb FOR Himself. No. It quite clearly implies in the Hebrew text that God will provide Himself as a Lamb. For indeed, it is believed that Golgotha is more than likely the mountain to which God directed Abraham in the land of Moriah. Thus, Jesus died as the provided Lamb on the very spot where Isaac was to have been a sacrifice.

1 Peter 1:18-25

First Peter 1 sheds greater light on this concept of God as the Lamb.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.25 …And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”

Behold! The Lamb of God!

And so, before Jesus was ever born or began His ministry, and well before God told the Jews in Egypt to sacrifice a spotless lamb; even before He taught His people that “without blood there is no remission” of sins (Hebrews 9:22), even before Abraham beheld the ram caught in the thicket, even before the world was created, before the foundations of Earth were laid, even before God said “Let there be light,” it was planned that Jesus would be the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world. Just as God taught the Jews to select a spotless lamb, God Himself selected the LAMB who died once for all and whose shed blood covers all who believe (Hebrews 9:23-28, 10:10).

And it was on Palm Sunday that God ushered His perfect, humble, spotless Lamb into Jerusalem in front of the cheering crowd. It was on Palm Sunday that God’s Lamb Jesus was brought into God’s house (the Temple) where He was observed and questioned for four days to see if He was perfect. It was on Palm Sunday that God’s plan of salvation though His Lamb was nearing its grand unveiling.

It was on Passover, otherwise known as Good Friday, that Jesus was mocked, beaten, given a ridiculous, illegal trial wherein He was falsely accused, was jeered, spit upon, robed in purple, and crowned with thorns (like the ram in the thicket). It was on Passover, that Jesus, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world, bore on His back our sins, our infirmities, our pain, our grief (Isaiah 53). It was on Passover that Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith…for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). It was on Passover that God profoundly tore the veil of the Temple in two, right down the middle from top to bottom, as a New Covenant was created in Christ’s blood. All of this detail, this elaborate symphony of grace, was intricately woven throughout the holy Scriptures through promises from the beginning of time. And on Passover…the mystery literally was unveiled.

***********************

Sources:

On the word “Hosanna”: thttp://www.preceptaustin.org/hosanna-save_now

All Bible Quotes taken from the KJV Bible: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

 

Outstanding Songs and Scenes that Communicate This Truth of Christ as the LAMB:

Born As The Lamb

Tags

Jesus born during lambing season, Jesus the Lamb of God, Jesus the Passover Lamb, Jesus' birth, Jonathan Cahn, Lamb of God, Luke 2, Luke 2:1-14, Shepherds watching their flocks by night, The Time of Jesus' Birth, When was Jesus born?

Have you ever wondered why the angels announced the tidings of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds? (Luke 2:1-14) Why not announce it to carpenters or fishermen or merchants or priests or kings? I have heard sermons and teachings about shepherds and how dirty and repulsive and disreputable they were, and that God therefore brought these tidings to the lowest of the low. But, in all my reading and years of research I have not found in the Old Testament a basis for shepherds being scoundrels. Instead what I have seen is that many important individuals in the Old Testament were shepherds and were not frowned upon, such as Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and David and many others in Israel. Furthermore, God calls Himself a shepherd in Ezekiel 34, and David in Psalm 23 calls God his shepherd.

“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.”

The shepherds watching their flocks by night in Bethlehem the evening of Jesus’ birth were not just any old shepherds however, and the sheep raised in Bethlehem were not just any old sheep. Shepherds in Bethlehem, according to Jewish history, were specifically those who were raising flocks for Temple sacrifice in neighboring Jerusalem and for all the sacrifices for God’s feast days, including Passover.

Not only this, but shepherds only kept watch over their flocks by night when it was “lambing season”. Lambing season was the time of year when baby lambs were born. It was then that shepherds had to be on high alert. A mother lamb often carried more than one lamb in her womb (upwards to 3), and so the shepherds had to be close at hand in case those little lambs got all tangled up and were not being birthed properly. So, these were very important Temple shepherds and very important sacrificial sheep.

Furthermore, little lambs were born in the Spring (sometimes into the early summer), and specifically the lambs for Passover would have to have been born one year before the Passover on which they would be sacrificed. After all, it is stipulated in scripture that the spotless lambs sacrificed on Passover were to be one year old (Exodus 12:5).

But, still, why would the Angel of the LORD proclaim to these important shepherds that the Messiah had been born?

We can find the simple answer to this in John 1:29, “The next day when John [the baptist] seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” First Peter 1:19-20 says, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you…”

The Angel of the LORD and the angelic host of heaven revealed this message of the Savior to the Temple shepherds on a night that they were watching for lambs to be birthed among the Temple sheep because Jesus was the spotless LAMB of God spoken of in Isaiah 53 who had come into the world to die as a Temple sacrifice on Passover. And since God is so orderly and is indeed the one who created the times and seasons and holy days, at what better time for Jesus to be born than at the time of year when all other Passover lambs were being birthed in the fields? It is no wonder then that Jesus, the Lamb of God, was born among Temple sheep in Bethlehem during lambing season in the Spring around Passover and was laid in a humble manger. In this timeless passage (Luke 2) of remarkable simplicity and incredible power, God reveals to us His fulfillment of prophecy with intricate precision and glorious harmony.

Helpful Source:

Jonathan Cahn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptlsXtTf6n0

God’s Still Plays Music On Broken Chords

Tags

2 Corinthians 3, 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, Bach, Bach's Chromatic Fantasy, Chromatic Fantasy, Corrie ten Boom, Glory of God, Johann Sebastian Bach, Naomi, The Book of Ruth, Tramp for the Lord, Treasures in Earthen Vessels, Treasures in Jars of Clay

There is a true story found in the pages of a book entitled, Tramp for the Lord. The story is that of brokenness, specifically the brokenness of the country of Germany after WWII. The people of that nation were devastated at the end of the war, and many were astounded to hear of Hitler’s atrocities. Some who had had positions of importance had lost everything, including their home, their job, their family, and their dignity.

It was into this scene that Corrie ten Boom enters, turning a concentration camp of horror into a transitional home for those who were destitute. While visiting such a transformed facility, she met an older woman who sat in a corner of a large room that she shared with three families. The woman had been a concert pianist and a professor of music before the war. Now, she had lost everything. However, a pastor offered her the use of a piano miles away in a church that had been demolished by bombs, but the piano was untouched.

One thing led to another, and Corrie ten Boom was invited to hear this woman play. After walking miles and miles (since there was no other mode of transportation), they finally reached their destination. As the woman sat down to play, she asked Corrie if she would like to hear something in particular. Breathing a prayer, Corrie responded, “The Chromatic Fantasy” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ5IkHlKQrw). Well, Ms. Ten Boom was appalled with her selection for it is one of Bach’s (and truly one of classical music’s) most difficult pieces ever written. Not only this, but though the piano had survived the bombs it had not survived the inclement weather. It was soggy, dilapidated, with all of its peddles broken off. The ivory of the keys was non-existant, and the chords were terribly rusting and some were even broken. Corrie looked on in horror, wondering what on earth was about to happen.

The older concert pianist smiled however, poised her fingers above the broken keys, and prepared to play. Her fingers flew across those decaying keys, and unexpected heavenly music danced in Corrie ten Boom’s shocked ears. How could such a weather worn piano play with such elegance, and how could such a war-crushed woman play with such poise? (For the rest of the story read: Tramp for the Lord, page 47-50, “Music from Broken Chords”).

We all in a way are like that piano. Even the woman in the story was like that weathered, battered piano. We too are weathered. She thought life had robbed her and left her a mere shell, devoid of purpose. We too have been through experiences that have left us less than perfect. The rains of life have left us soggy but not unusable. The rust of life has crept up on us over time, even as weeds encroach upon a garden, but our chords are still musical. We too are still capable of playing beautiful music. We too are vessels that can still be used by God.

There are many in the Bible who were weathered and worn, but one in particular stood out to me, and her name is Naomi. We read in the book of Ruth that Naomi first had to leave her home, family and friends behind because of a devastating famine (vs. 1). Then, while trying to survive in a foreign land, her husband died (vs. 3). Still reeling from the loss of her husband and hoping that all was turning around, Naomi went on to lose not one but both of her childless sons (vs. 5). All too easily we can glance over those verses and hurry on to the rest of the story. But truly it is astounding to note that in a mere 5 verses we catch a glimpse of the enormity of Naomi’s losses. For indeed, she’s lost everything. In verse 13 she states that she felt the hand of the Lord was against her (vs 13). Later when she returns to the land of Israel, she tells her old friends to call her Mara meaning “bitter” instead of Naomi which means “sweet” (vs 20). She goes on to say that when her family and she had left the land of Israel because of the famine, her heart and life had been full. There may have been a horrible famine, but life was good. However now, though she still owned the land, it meant nothing to her for she was returning to it empty (vs 21). She had no husband, no sons, no grandchildren and no prospect of them, no money and no prospect of it, and therefore, no future. Or so she thought…

For the story doesn’t end there, for unbeknownst to her, her daughter-in-law, the young, quiet, gentle, Moabite woman who begs to accompany her in her devastation and despair, is ordained by God to become the great grandmother of King David and was to be in the lineage of Jesus, the Savior of the World.

But, all too often we can be like Naomi, focused on our losses, focused how we used to be full but now are empty, focused on the past, thinking we’ve no future. The devil loves to keep us in the slough of despond, wallowing about unable to move beyond our present experiences. Or maybe we think our best days are over, that we’ve no real purpose now. The devil loves to keep us thinking like this too, for it keeps our minds on what we are not, instead of on who God is in us.

In 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 we read,

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

Now, this passage talks to us about “light” and “earthen vessels” and “glory”. So let’s take a closer look!

First of all, what is this “light”? In Genesis 1 God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God separated the light from the darkness. This was a physical light that the darkness could not overwhelm. In John 1 God said He sent the Light of Jesus into the World. He is the spiritual light of the world that the darkness could not understand nor overcome. This same light of Jesus has shined in our hearts, and His fellowship with us has brought about illumination to our spirits that we might begin to comprehend who He truly is.

Second of all, what are the “earthen vessels”? In Exodus 31-32 God wrote His law on actual stone tablets. It says that with His finger He wrote it and engraved it. However, God predicted that the day would come when He would write His Word upon the hearts of His people and not on stone. 2 Corinthians 3:3 states that Christians are the “epistles” or letter of Christ written by the Spirit of God on “fleshly tables of the heart.” Indeed, we are those “fleshly tables,” those “earthen vessels” made of clay and extremely fragile. Nevertheless, upon these earthen vessels are written the very Words of God.

And lastly, what is “glory”? “Glory” means to think or recognize. It is the value of something or someone based on God’s perfect objective opinion. When speaking of the glory of God it means His unchanging essence.

When we give God glory we are giving Him His full recognition. Thus, the “glory of God” is essentially what He is, and the “glory of man” is what God created him to be.

2 Corinthians 3:7,9,13, 18 states,

“But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance…for if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory…And not as Moses, which put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished…”

“But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Now, from these passages it appears that “glory” also has a light to it, because Moses had to veil his face because of the glory of God that shone from it. Not only did Moses’ face glow, but the glow faded. It was actually more the fading of the light that was covered by the veil than the glow.

However, the glory of God in the “face of Jesus” is unfading and undimmed, and we all look with unveiled face upon His radiance and splendor, and are changed from glory to glory to look more and more like Him. Though we are simple, fragile pottery made of clay, He has written His Word on us and has filled us with the treasures of His light and understanding. Each of us is written on by God, filled with the unfading glory of God, and are storage vessels of God’s vast treasure. We contain the wealth of heaven, glow with God’s essence and are engraved by God’s finger.

No, we may not be the grandparents of a king nor may we be in the lineage of the Savior of the World, but we are all individually God’s masterpieces created for good works in Christ, and those good works don’t end when we hit a certain age or when we lose a spouse or when we are unemployed or when we think we have no purpose. Bitter Naomi who thought life was over had impacted a young woman, altering that young woman’s life forever. In spite of all of Naomi’s disappointments and disillusionment, Ruth had seen the one true and real God in Naomi, and because of this, Ruth abandoned everything to follow Naomi and her God. Naomi still had purpose even when she thought she didn’t. Naomi thought she was too old, but she wasn’t. Naomi had given up, but God hadn’t.

Let us not limit God! For, indeed, no matter how broken we are, no matter how disappointed we are, no matter how flawed we are, no matter how old we are, no matter if our families are Christian or not, no matter how the rains of life have left us rusted and the strings of our piano broken, God has chosen to write upon us, to light us up with His glory, to stash His treasure into these vessels of clay, and to play His celestial music through our broken chords.

Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth

Tags

2 Timothy 2:15, Biblical Interpretation, Corrie ten Boom, Hermeneutics, Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth, Text Without Context Is Pretext

Last Bible Study

Last time we looked at 2 Timothy 3:15-17 which states that every letter and smallest mark of Scripture is holy to the Lord and every book therein is God-breathed or inspired. There is not the smallest part of Scripture that is not inspired, and Jesus even states that not one jot or tittle of the Bible will pass away until ALL is fulfilled (Matthew 5:18). Thus, as the inspired Word it is God’s voice to us, through which the Spirit can lead us into all truth. In the words of Corrie ten Boom, “Now you are listening to the voice of God. Keep listening. He has much more to say to you.”

The importance of God’s Word thus being established, let’s move on into the area of how we are to interpret the Bible.

Our Passage For Today

Second Timothy 2:15 states, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” In other words we are to “Zealously and diligently make every effort to stand approved (just as metal is in the fire) to God, an unashamed workman who accurately, correctly and skillfully handles the Word of Truth.” Since this is so imperative and important, what does it mean to “rightly divide” the Scripture?

Food For Thought

Let’s say it’s your job to assign everyone a duty based on their gifting. Some of you may think you know someone, we’ll call him “Doug”, pretty well just by looking at him, and you need to give him a job. So, because he likes music you decide he’s going to be a ballerina. You give him ballet slippers, a tutu, and tights. Did you interpret him correctly? Did you apply him to the right work? NO! “Doug” likes to sing, not dance!! (But, he says that if he had to do ballet he’d want a pink tutu like his granddaughters have!)

Your next assignment is to buy snacks for “Jennifer”. You haven’t really talked with her much, but you think you know her pretty well because you see her in the dining room every day. Something you always see on her tray is potato chips so you assume that she prefers salty snacks. So you buy her all sorts of salty things. But, did you interpret her correctly? Did you apply the correct snacks to her? NO! “Jennifer” prefers sweets!

Lastly you are to assign someone to be a hostess at a large party. Since you have seen “Sally” interacting with many different people, laughing in the hallway, dining room, and activity room you think she must be an extrovert who is good at socializing. So, you assign her to the role of party planner and hostess. But, were you right in your assumption based on your observations? NO!! “Sally” does not like parties nor is good at small talk and socializing!!

It’s all about CONTEXT. For years in school, professors would say, “Context, context, context.”

After all, a TEXT without CONTEXT is PRETEXT. A pretext is a half-truth based on faulty understandings. So, when we sit down and read the Bible, one must read it within context. How do we keep things in context?

1.) Look at the whole chapter, not just a single verse.

2.) Look at the whole book, not just the chapter.

Who is the audience?

How would the audience have understood that passage?

Who is the author?

What was happening historically/culturally at that time?

Ex. Luke 10:3-4 “Go your ways: behold I send you forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and salute no man by the way.”

Now that sounds downright unfriendly!!! Don’t salute anyone? However, Salute does not mean “hi” but was an elaborate form of greeting that included sitting down together and lots of talking about family and friends and could last far more than an hour!!

Be careful with grammar that appears contradictory:

Ex. Habakkuk 1:13

“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…”

Does NOT mean that God doesn’t see evil. What it means is that God does not condone evil.

Ex. 1 John 5:18 “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not.”

Compared with 1 John 1:10 “If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”

So, what is going on here? Grammar!! When it says that those born of God sinneth not, it means they do not “habitually sin” anymore. We all have sinned in the past, but we are now no longer habitually sinning.

**Whenever we think there is a contradiction in the Bible, that seeming contradiction is because of our own misunderstanding of the grammar or history/culture of the time! The Bible NEVER contradicts itself!!!**

Ex. My friend and the yoke vs. yolk. Jesus said, My yoke is easy and my burden is light. Well, my high school friend thought this meant an over-easy yolk of an egg. Not only is this a grammatical issue but is a spelling issue!! After all, Jesus was speaking about a yoke for oxen not the yolk of an egg!!

3.) Look at books by the same author to see if something more is said on the topic

4.) Look at books by different authors in the New Testament

The topic of “Judging” in Matthew 7 vs. Corinthians 6

5.) Look at the books by different authors in the Old Testament.

Only AFTER a thorough examination are we to APPLY the Word to us today. It is only after ALL of this that we can more accurately apply Scripture to our daily lives.

This may seem like a lot. You might think, shouldn’t we just read it? Just reading it is a good start, but, 2 Timothy states that we are to skillfully handle the Sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God. And, Proverbs 25:2 states, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” We are not merely to read; we are to search through God’s Word as for buried treasure.

We must not assume or jump to conclusions when reading God’s Word. We may think we understand it because we read through it completely at some point in our lives or because we heard a good sermon on the passage or we memorized that passage when we were ten. But, that is not “rightly dividing”. When it says in 2 Timothy that we are to “Study”, that means we are to do so “zealously, making every effort with all earnestness”. First Peter 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby…” We’re supposed to be hungry for God’s Word. For according to Jesus, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Our Current Passage

Now, according to 2 Timothy 2:15, why are we to “rightly divide” the Bible? To show ourselves “approved unto God”. Approved carries the concept of metal that has been tried in the fire. For it goes on to say in verses 20-21, “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

Thus, those who are studying God’s Word, seeking its hidden treasures, hungering and thirsting for it like babies are ravenous for nourishment, are like gold and silver that have been refined in the fire, are vessels of honor in God’s house, and able to please Him.

The Chapter

In contrast to the one who diligently studies the Bible, 2 Timothy 2 speaks of those who do not study God’s Word, but are instead, studying man’s words such as the words of their own opinions, empty discussions, foolish questions, and quarreling. They are those who are “ever learning” but “never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).

The Book

Second Timothy is the last of Paul’s epistles, and is written to a young pastor named Timothy. He is imprisoned in Rome. Nero is emperor in the 60s. Paul is facing his own imminent execution. Young Timothy is pastoring in Ephesus (1:18; 4:19), and is facing persecution outside of the church and false teachers inside of the church. Since evil words from seducers and deceivers were flying everywhere like fiery darts, Timothy is to “Study to show himself approved, rightly dividing the word of truth.” He is to preach that word of truth and sound doctrine and make “full proof of his ministry” (4:1-5).

Paul’s Other Letters

The subject of Knowing God’s Word is emphasized in Paul’s other letters as well. In 1 Corinthians he calls them spiritual babes who still need milk when they should be ready for the meat of the Word. And in Galatians he calls them foolish for abandoning the unpolluted Gospel for another Gospel of works.

The New Testament

Hebrews 5:11-14 says that the readers were “dull of hearing” and were in need of milk instead of meat, and are therefore, “unskilful in the word of righteousness…but strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

And Acts 17 praises the Berean people for searching the Scriptures daily to see if what Paul taught was true.

The Old Testament

And then in the Old Testament we see such verses as Deuteronomy 8:3 which Jesus quoted, “…that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live” and Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man…[whose] delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night”, and Proverbs 6:23, “For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life.”

Conclusion

Just because Brother “Doug” loves music does not make him a dancer much less a ballerina. Just because Sister “Jennifer” is seen to have a bag of potato chips at her table does not mean that she prefers salty snacks over sweet ones. And just because Sister “Sally” is heard talking and laughing with numerous people does not mean she would ever be a gifted socialite or perfect party planner. We must not just assume things with each other, thinking that we know each other.

Even so, we don’t want to assume to know the Bible, but must desire to know the Scriptures correctly so that we can correctly apply it to our lives and thus, glorify God. Let us therefore, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”