June 8, 2014
Scripture:
Let’s read Hosea 14:1-2. That is what the Lord deserves: praise. I was thinking of the words read in John 1, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.” This beginning had no beginning, it was an eternal situation. We also read, “The word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” We think of the eternity past where the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and angelic hosts were living in heaven. But I thought, “I wonder what it was like when the first human entered heaven.” What a marvellous thought! That heaven will be populated with redeemed people that will sing and praise. From the point the first person entered, heaven changed and never will be the same. Heaven will someday be filled with anthems of praise, gladness, and joy. We are doing that now, but we will be joining in with the redeemed. And it was the wonder of Calvary that made it possible. Like those in Israel who had their iniquity removed and rejoiced and praised and gave glory when they looked upon Him.
Hymn 341 – Jesus bids us shine
Prayer
We are going through the book of Ezra. Last time, we read how they set up an altar and built the foundation for the new temple. The young Israelites were happy to see the progress, but the older ones were saddened, because the foundation was smaller than the previous temple. The foundation is a very important part of a building; it is a stable place to rest the structure of the building. Each of us needs to build our lives on the Lord and that begins at salvation. Each of us has sinned, and needs to be saved.
Ezra 4, 5:1-2
Several of the men that had been sent back to Israel by the Assyrians came to the Israelites and asked if they could help build the temple. These men actually worshipped idols and were their adversaries. Zerubbabel and Joshua were wise and told the men that they would have nothing to do with the building of the temple. These men were going to try to make them stop building; and Satan will try to get us to stop pleasing the Lord. Our hymn said, “Jesus bids us shine.” That shining light should be our actions and they need to be of love, obedience and kindness.
Another thing that the adversaries did was write a letter to the king, trying to get him to stop the building of the temple. The King sent a letter back telling them to stop building the temple. For fifteen years, the temple was on hold. As ch. 5 begins, God sent the prophet Haggai. Haggai encouraged them to begin the temple again. While not building the temple, they had been building their own houses. God sent the prophet to get them back on track. Sometimes our light grows dim and I trust we can be encouraged to keep it bright.
Acts 13:38-52
Paul brought the Lord Jesus before these people, telling how God had raised Him up and how He had raised Him from the dead. Christ has now ascended to glory and the message of forgiveness of sins now goes out from what He has done.
Verse 38 starts out with the words: “be it known unto you.” That phrase indicates what we can know for certain. There are so many doubts that Satan wants to catch us in; but we can know for certain what Jesus has done, and what His work has accomplished. We can have that assurance. John tells us in his first epistle that he wrote specifically so that we could know things for certain. He had seen Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, etc., so he could speak with authority.
Though this message was for both Jews and Gentiles, the Jews still got the first chance to receive it. God offered it to them, but they were the judges. They rejected it, judging themselves “unworthy of everlasting life.”
Paul told them that through Christ we can have forgiveness of sins. And not only forgiveness, but justification also! It’s been said that justification is making it “just as if I never sinned”, but really it’s much better than that. Justification can’t make it like we’re not guilty, because we are; we have sinned. Our account at the bank of morality is full of sin. Justification not only brings that sin account down to zero, it gives us a positive account of righteousness. By Jesus’ work we are made—imputed with—the righteousness of God Himself. We receive this along with forgiveness as soon as we accept it by faith. It’s part of salvation’s package deal! You’d never get this in the law, for you were never justified by keeping the law. Romans 8:3-4 tells us, “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” We have amazing blessings!
The law was out, the Holy Spirit was in, and that’s a breath of fresh air! You’d think that the Jews would receive this gladly; no more burden of the Law! But no. Paul had to warm them, in fact! “Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.” (v.40-41) What he was preaching was so marvelous and wonderful that they couldn’t believe it! They were so caught up in obeying God by sacrificing and offering. And that was obedience. Had God now changed? No, He hadn’t. What they could never do—justify themselves by sacrifices—God had done for them (through Christ) and wanted them to enter by faith. That sounded too easy for the Jews, but wonderful to the Gentiles!
The crowd couldn’t have met in the synagogue the next Sabbath; nearly the whole city was there! What a response! It was a mighty work going on. The Jews had had their chance, but now the Gentiles understood that this word was for them, too. The proselytes—Gentiles converted to Judaism—were now hearing a different form Judaism, and realized that it was for all Gentiles.
The law was out, and grace was in. Paul encouraged those that followed him to continue in the grace of God: divine favour. It’s a good encouragement for us.
Those that were gathered together came, not to hear Paul, but the word of God. The Enemy started to work, and the Jews became envious. They “spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.” (v.45) We seem to have some of those today; the atheists that attack Christianity.
Paul and Barnabas grew bold in the face of this persecution, and didn’t back down. V46. Because the Jews rejected the gospel, Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles. That’s marvelous for us!
Hymn 68—Christ is the Saviour of sinners
Prayer