November 15, 2015
Scripture:
Scripture:
Let’s turn to Acts 5. We had Scriptures today about the Lord’s name. The prophecy about the Lord said that He would be called Wonderful, the Mighty God, King of kings. We just sang, “We bless our Saviour’s name.” Read vv. 30 & 31. How much there is in that name! God exalted Him and gave Him a name that is above every name. Now He grants repentance to all that will believe. Oh, how we should bless our Saviour’s name!
Hymn 332 - Christ the Saviour of sinners came
Prayer
We are continuing again in Esther. Last time, Haman was hanged. He had wanted to kill all the Jews. He had sent a letter throughout the kingdom saying that on a certain day of a certain month all the Jewish people were to be killed. It had been sealed with the king’s ring. When the king made a decree and sealed it, it couldn’t be changed; so even though Haman had been hanged, the letter was valid.
The Jewish people were, and are, God’s people. God had told Abraham that those who cursed them would be cursed, and those who blessed them would be blessed themselves. This is very much like saying, “You reap what you sow.” That is what Haman learned the hard way.
Esther 8
King Ahasuerus honoured Mordecai because he was related to Esther; Mordecai took Haman’s place as second-in-command. King Ahasuerus gave Mordecai his ring, the ring that sealed the letter. It shows you how important Mordecai has become.
Esther went to the king again to try to stop the destruction that was to come to the Jews. She asked to write another letter that would reverse the letter Haman wrote. King Ahasuerus agreed with Esther. He told Esther and Mordecai to write the letter in his name and to seal it with his ring. A seal shows ownership.
The scribes wrote the letter and then sent it out by post. The “post” rode on camels, horse, mules and young dromedaries. Each one had a copy of the letter to give out. The letter said that the Jews were to stand together and fight anyone who assaulted them. They were to do this on the very same day Haman had picked for the destruction.
This had to go throughout the whole kingdom. King Ahasuerus had a big kingdom. Everyone in the palace would know, but they had to make sure that everyone else in the kingdom, outside the palace, would know as well. This news would bring great joy to all the Jews.
When the king’s seal was on a decree it couldn’t be changed. When we take the Lord as our Saviour we are sealed. The name Jesus means Saviour and through Him we have salvation.
Ephesians 1:13
We have the seal of the Holy Spirit. God’s stamp of ownership. It dwells within us. It seals us, and we have a sure salvation.
The result of the letter was great joy. It prevented a sure death. Salvation has prevented a sure death for us. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
We can be thankful and rejoice as well. We have the seal of the Holy Spirit, the stamp of ownership, in our hearts.
Ephesians 5:22-33
The end of this chapter and the beginning of the next give us instruction on natural relationships. In each case, there is a headship, and submission to that headship. The headships here in chapter 5 relate to family, but elsewhere in Scripture we get others: government, God overall, etc.
Paul starts with the most intimate relationship—marriage—and addresses the wife first. She is to submit to her husband. This can be very difficult, especially if she’s been saved, and her husband hasn’t. However, in each of these relationships, submission to the head is overridden by obedience to the Lord. We do have natural responsibility, but more importantly we have spiritual responsibility. These relationships are important to God, but it’s more important that we obey Him. If we are submitted to Him, then we will be submitted to one another properly in these relationships.
On the other side of the marriage, husbands are to be the head of the relationship; just as Christ is the head of the Church. This is a serious responsibility, because in the end, who is held responsible for a relationship? The head. The husband is given authority over the wife, but not ultimate authority. Husbands and wives can talk decisions over! God also gives husbands a Divine example with a human responsibility (verses 24-28). That’s difficult.
God has given each spouse the instruction they are most likely to fail at. Wives are most likely to be unsubmissive, and husbands are most likely to be unloving. When each spouse is doing their job, it makes it easier for the other to do theirs. What wife wouldn’t submit to a loving husband? What husband wouldn’t love a submissive wife? If one spouse is off track, though, it makes it very difficult for the other spouse to do their part.
This kind of teaching in scripture is not politically correct today. People claim that we all need equality, not different roles. This, scripture, however, is God’s order. It doesn’t have to do with the capability of the man over the women, because sometimes the wife may be the more capable leader. It’s just the way God chose to set the responsibilities!
This relationship is a picture of Christ and the church, and that’s why it gets a lot of attention and space here. We get that picture as early in the Bible as Adam and Eve.
Sadly, the church today is not as it should be. It was united at first, but it will be eternity before it is fully united again. And as some members of the church stop submitting to Christ, so the world stops submitting in marriage.
We get Christ’s past, present, and future work for us spoken of. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus has laid down His life to save us (past), and now cleanses and sanctifies us by His word (present) in preparation for suitable presentation to Himself in a future day. In this fashion, husbands should love their wives.
No one naturally hates his flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it. That is what husbands must do for their wives, and it’s a serious responsibility. We are the Lord’s body, and He does that for us. However, both sposes have responsibility in a marriage, not just the husband. Wives are to be diligent helpers, as seen in Proverbs 31.
Satan tries to destroy marriages. It’s a relationship that is even more intimate than that of a mother and child. Husbands and wives can live with each other for many years, and be incredibly close. As Paul says, it’s a picture of how close we are to Christ; the Divine relationship that we’re brought into. No wonder Satan wishes to destroy it!
Hymn 334 — Glad T-I-D-I-N-G-S
Prayer