September 14, 2014
Scripture:
Hymn 370 - Yield not to temptation
Prayer
We’re going to review how Ezra and the people got to Jerusalem. Away back in Genesis, there was Abraham and he had a son named Isaac and he had a son named Jacob and he was the father of the children of Israel. We can follow the children of Israel through the captivity in Egypt, then through the wilderness, and the times of the judges and the kings. The first king was Saul, then David, then his son Solomon. After Solomon, the kingdom divided in to two. Eventually, they were taken to Babylon for seventy years. After that, Zerubbabel went back to rebuild the temple. This brings us to Ezra 9.
Ezra 9: 1-6
When Israel first came to to Canaan they had to fight the enemies of the land so they could dwell in the land. But at this time some of them still lived there. The princes gave Ezra a sad report of the people and how they were not following the Lord. Instead of separating from the other nations, they joined with them, and they were worshipping their gods.
Evil communications corrupt good manners (1 Corinthians 15:33). King Solomon is a good example of this. He had many blessings from God. He had wisdom and riches. But Solomon did not keep his heart. He let women turn his heart away, and allowed idol worship in Israel.
Ruth is an example of the opposite. When she followed Naomi, she was encouraged in the ways of God. She left her idol worship to worship the true God, and she ends up marrying Boaz.
When we are saved, we still live in this world. But we are not to be of this world (John 17:15 & 16). It is important to keep ourselves from the evil of this world, just as Jesus did. Jesus worked with all kinds of people, yet he still kept Himself from the world. The people of the land of Canaan are a type of this world.
Ezra was very sad with the prince’s report. He plucked off the hair of his head and face. He had thought it would be an encouragement to be there among God’s people, but he was disappointed. But there were some who still wanted to do right and they gathered together, trembling because of the transgressions of the people, for the evening sacrifice. At the time of the evening sacrifice, Ezra fell on his knees and lifted his hand toward Heaven. He was ashamed to lift up his face toward God. He repented to God for the people (1 John 1:9).
For salvation, one must repent and confess their sin to God. When a believer sins, he also confesses his sin to God. When Ezra confessed for the people, he included himself among them. He reviewed the years when they had been taken to Babylon, and God’s grace in letting them return, but now they had turned back to the very thing they had been taken into captivity for.
Ezra confessed for the people. We can be thankful we can still do that today. Through Christ’s work on the cross we can come before God and repent of our sin. May we be encouraged to be like Ezra and desire to seek God and keep ourselves from this world.
Acts 17:16-34
The Jews may have stirred up those against the word of God in Thessalonica, but Paul was stirred up when he saw that the whole city of Athens was given to idolatry. Athens had had a “golden age” at one point in it’s history, but during our story it was under Roman rule. Still, it was the capitol of intellect for the region, but wholly given to idols.
God speaks of idols in the Bible, and He seems to make fun of them. In Psalm 115:3–10 He lists all the attributes that they lack: sight, hearing, seeing, speech, etc. Our God has all these characteristics, even though He has no physical body! Jesus was made in the likeness of man—and retains that body still today—but God the Father and the Holy Ghost are still spirits. Even so, they can still speak, hear, see, etc. They have none of the limitations of a body, though, and so can be everywhere all at once.
Even if you aren’t a Christian, the idea of an idol can seem really stupid. You need to carry them around, and protect them, instead of vice versa. Even today people have idols. Evolution needs laws to keep it taught in school, and those who believe it get very angry at those who show how flawed it is.
How are idols and evolution similar? Both are alternatives, substitutes, for God. Satan was involved with Athens’ idolatry, for Darby translates “superstitious” in verse 22 as “demon worship”. Had anyone told these people about God? Maybe not, but Romans 1 tells us that God has so revealed Himself through nature that all are held accountable for their beliefs and actions. The fact they had gods shows that they knew something Divine existed. They could have focused all their scattered worship on the one true God instead of their many false gods. Also, from the time that Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, man has known good and evil. God has given us a moral conscience. Even remote tribes know that it’s wrong to steal and murder.
Romans 1 goes on to say that those who reject God are fools. When you throw out God, you can’t be wise.
As Paul went around Athens, he encountered people from different schools of philosophies. These people didn’t agree, but they were all pursuing knowledge. Is pursuing knowledge good? It can be, for in Proverbs we read not only of knowledge, but also of wisdom and understanding as positive virtues. A scripturally-guided conscience, however, needs to be controlling knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. The consciences of the Athenians taught them that they should be worshiping something. By doing this, they admitted that there was a God. You need a conscience to learn that.
Verses 29-30 sparks an interesting question: did God forgive all the idolaters before the period of grace? Before the Lord came, there was the witness of Creation, but people still may have made excuse to walk in darkness. After Jesus came and brought the gospel that Paul preached, though, there was really no more excuse not to repent.
Psalm 19 gives us three witnesses of God. First, there is creation. The wonders of what God has created should make you think about Him. The second is the word of God (Psalm 19:7), and finally there is the Lord Himself, our Redeemer (v.14). Sometimes an argument isn’t really about evolution vs God; but rather, “What think you of Christ?” Either He was the Lord, as He claimed, or He was a legend, a liar, or a lunatic. What do you chose to believe?
Hymn 380–Standing by a purpose true
Prayer