Monthly Archives: November 2022

OUTRAGE

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It is an amazing thing to me that I hear such screams of outrage regarding state laws abolishing or inhibiting abortion.  Don’t get me wrong.  State laws need to be looked at carefully for all involved.  However, even where there are state laws which seem to be overly protective of the fetus, think of the number of people who are seriously inconvenienced or wronged.  The number is limited.  In contrast look at the number of innocent lives lost to abortion which is estimated since Roe v. Wade to have been in the 60 million level.  When you compare the two wrongs, it seems to me that one seriously out weighs the other.  

At any rate, yes, many of the laws are overly inclusive.  We need to protect lives both the woman’s and the baby’s.  Do not assume that because laws have changed that this issue is dealt with.

As Christians, we need to listen.  My advice is that we need to  listen in particular to the voices of godly women.  As male believers, we need to tone down our rhetoric and listen to the voices of our Christian mothers, sisters and daughters and hear what they have to say.  Just sayin’ 

Lamb of God, Vol.9, Pt.2

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LAMB OF GOD

Locusts and Honey

1 Cor. 2:13

Vol. 9, Pt.2

 

 

In this edition of Locusts and Honey we continue with our study of the Lamb of God and of sacrifices in the Old Testament.

 

Dueling Sacrifices

 

In Genesis 4 we are introduced to two competing sacrifices.  The first sacrifice was by Cain.  Cain was a worker of the ground.  (Gen. 4:2).  His sacrifice was an offering of the fruit of the ground.  (Gen. 4:3).  The second sacrifice was by Abel.  Abel was the younger brother to Cain and his sacrifice was of the “first born of his flock.”  (Gen. 4:4).  Scripture says that the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering but not for the offering of Cain.  (Gen. 4:5).  In response, Cain got angry.   God warned Cain that “if he does well” his offering will be accepted but if he does not do well sin is “crouching at the door” and “its desire is contrary to you but you must rule over it.”  (Gen 4:6-7).  Cain gave in to anger and killed his brother.

Later, God asked Cain where his brother was and Cain responded “am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9). God replied to Cain “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me, from the ground.”  Cain is punished by God.  The ground no longer would give its strength to Cain and Cain became a fugitive and wanderer upon the earth. (Gen. 4:12).

 

The two sacrifices raise a number of questions.  One of the first questions is why there was a sacrifice in the first place?  We have discussed in a previous edition that God used the skins of animals to clothe Adam and Eve.  Did Cain and Abel arrive at the idea that a sacrifice was a way of pleasing God because of that?   We simply do not know from Scripture.  Nonetheless, it appears that Cain and Abel both recognize that a sacrifice has something to do with pleasing God and perhaps atoning for sin, but the concept was not yet clear to them. 

 

Another question is why did God accept the sacrifice of Abel but not of Cain.  Various commentators have speculated regarding this.  Some say that God did not accept Cain’s offering because it was just of fruits but not necessarily of the “best” fruits or from the “first” fruits.  In contrast, Abel brought  the “first born of his flock and of their fat portions.”  (Gen 4:4).  In other words, perhaps Abel brought  his best and Cain brought just some of his fruit.  We know that later on both grain offerings and animal offerings were acceptable offerings; however grain offerings were never used for atonement sacrifices.  Only blood will do.   At first blush it appears that God’s partiality for the animal sacrifice is arbitrary.  However, it is not.

 

We have previously mentioned the verse that “without the shedding of  blood there is no remission of sin.”  (Heb. 9:22).  At the heart of both the Old and New Testaments is the concept that mankind’s guilt and sin must be satisfied.  There is a price to be paid for sin and mankind’s willful and intentional choices not to obey God.  There is  justice.  However, there is also mercy.  The mercy is shown in the fact that the innocent blood of a lamb would satisfy at least on a limited basis the sin of mankind until the real sacrifice of Jesus Christ would occur.  That real sacrifice was to have the Son of God to provide the saving blood that would completely satisfy the justice of God.  In short, God Himself provides a way out of the trap that man had laid for himself.  Until the real Lamb of God would atone for man’s sins, the blood of goats, bulls and lambs served as place-markers until the real sacrifice occurred.

The reality is that the sacrifice of Cain could not satisfy the justice of God nor could it ever represent the future sacrifice which was to come for mankind.  The sacrifice had to do with the remission of sin and without blood there is no remission of sin.  Vegetables and fruits are not good enough to represent the atonement.  Man would try to earn his salvation through his own efforts and through his own fruits.  The efforts of man to do that may be commendable but they are NOT effective.  Only the blood can satisfy man’s sin.  Further it is not our fruits which justify us but it is innocent blood which justifies us.  Only the blood can work and only the blood can satisfy.  As a Christian, we have the opportunity to understand better why the sacrifice of Cain was not efficacious.  We, as believers, have all tried to lay our good works on the altar and we find that God has “no regard” for our nice efforts and good works.  It is only by God’s grace through faith by which we experience the covering for our sins and escape the eternal judgment and penalty for our sins.

 

Grace and favor seem at first to be arbitrary and fair.  However, I submit to you that it is not.  God is fair and invites all into his kingdom.  Cain was invited.  It was not foreordained that Cain sinned and killed his brother.  God warned Cain that sin was crouched at the door.  God told Cain that even though sin was waiting at the door, that Cain must “rule over it.”  Cain had a choice just like Adam and Eve did.  However, Cain, like his parents, chose to follow his own will and his own flesh rather than the words of God to overcome sin.  Interestingly, sin is pictured like a tiger crouching at the door to leap on  Cain.  I believe personally Cain opened the door to sin by such things as his own pride (his face was fallen when his sacrifice was not accepted by God), anger (Cain was angry because his sacrifice was not accepted) and jealousy (Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and Cain’s was not).  I wonder if Jesus was thinking about Cain when he said that anger was the seed of murder and that by saying “Thou Fool” that we were getting near to the fire of hell.  ( Matt. 5:22).  Cain’s anger grew from a seed to the act of murder.  (From little seeds great oaks grow) 

 

I am reminded of a poem called “The Poison Tree” by William Blake which goes like this:

 

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears
Night and morning with my tears,
And I sunned it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright,
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,–

And into my garden stole
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning, glad, I see
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

 

 

Sin was not only at the door of Cain, but Cain opened the door and sin pounced.  I believe that Satan was at work in all of this.  After all, God had prophesied that the Son of Eve would crush the head of the serpent.  Satan was not interested in letting that happen.  When sin pounced, Satan killed two birds with one stone so to speak.  Certainly Abel and Abel’s offspring would not be able to crush the head of the serpent because Abel was dead.  Likewise, Cain would be a murderer.  Therefore, it is at least my belief, that behind the scenes a cosmic war was going on whereby Satan was making efforts to frustrate God’s judgment through the prophecy that the serpent’s head was going to be crushed.  I believe that if Satan felt that he could frustrate this prophecy by having people kill people so much the better.  The murder of Abel is the genesis of all murder, all killing, all crime and all war.  Anger, jealousy and pride are nurtured and watered by mankind and grow to produce fruits of misery and death.

 

 

Innocent Blood Cries Out

 

Blood cries out.  In one sense, the sinless blood of the sacrifice cries out “mercy!”  However, the blood shed by the sinful acts of mankind cry out for Justice.  God said to Cain, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.”  Sin loves to shed the blood of innocents.  We see that God hates murder and the blood of the innocent cry out for justice and for revenge.  In the Old Testament we see many instances where innocent blood is shed.  We see Naboth being killed innocently so the King Ahab can steal a vineyard, we see David killing Uriah the Hittite so he can have Uriah’s wife Bathsheba and we see righteous person after righteous person being killed (see Matt. 23:35). We also see both Israel and Judah sacrificing young innocent children to Moloch and Baal.   We see Pharaoh killing the innocent male children of the Israelites.  In the New Testament we see the same things such as Herod killing the innocent children under two years old to prevent the birth and ascendancy of the Messiah, the beheading of John the Baptist and the killing of Jesus Christ God’s only son.  It is the innocent who die.  In Revelation we see the blood of the martyrs crying out for justice and asking “how long” (Rev. 6:10).  God allows the death of the innocent.  Today  the blood-letting continues through the wholesale abortion of young children.  Blood flows in the streets in both the time of the Old Testament, in the time of Jesus and in our own time.  There is however, one difference.  The blood of Jesus Christ does not cry out for justice like Abel’s.  Instead the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God, cries out for forgiveness and for mercy.  Jesus on the cross said “Forgive them for they know what they do.”  ( Luke 23:34).  Likewise Hebrews 12:24 says that Jesus’ sacrifice “speaks better things than that of Abel.”

 

Mankind always has a choice.  We can shed blood or be covered by the blood.

 

 

God’s Covenant with Noah

 

After the flood and after Noah, his family and the animals had left the ark, Noah built an altar to sacrifice to God.  That sacrifice was not of grain or the fruits of the ground but instead was of some of every clean bird and every clean animal.  In short, it was a blood sacrifice.  (Gen. 8:19-20).  As a result God made a covenant or agreement with Noah that God would not again destroy all of the earth by water.   The covenant was memorialized by the rainbow in the skies.  As part of this covenant, mankind was instructed not to eat flesh with its blood in it.  Genesis 9:4 says, “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

 

Blood in essence was the equivalent of life.  Blood was sacred to God because God had made man in His own image and man was not to shed blood.  (Gen. 9:6).  Blood was not for consumption.  Instead its purpose was “atone for sins.”  The Hebrew position pertaining to the purpose of the blood can be easily seen through the references below.  The first is Leviticus 17:11-12 which says the following:

 

For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have it for you on the altar

to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes

atonement by the life.  Therefore I have said to the people of Israel,

No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who

sojourns among you eat blood.

 

The other reference is found in Deuteronomy 12:23-25, 27 which says:

 

Only be sure that you do not eat the blood, for the blood is the life,

and you shall not eat the life with the flesh.  You shall not eat it,

you shall pour it out on the earth like water.  You shall not eat it,

that all may go well with you and your children after you,

when you do what is right in the sight of the Lord…

The blood of your sacrifices shall be poured out on the altar

of the Lord your God, but the flesh you may eat.

 

The Hebrews treated blood differently than most nations.  The blood which represented life belonged to God and it was sacred.

 

 

The Covenant of God with Abraham

 

In Genesis 15, God enters into a covenant with Abram (a.k.a. Abraham).  This is a unilateral covenant meaning that it is an agreement by God to Abraham and Abraham does not have any real responsibilities under it.  For instance, if I said, “I will pay you $10 on Monday” this would be a unilateral covenant.  If I say “I will pay you $10 if you let me drive your car” this would be a bi-lateral covenant.  Your receipt of $10 depends upon whether you do something (in this case, let me drive your car.”)  God promised Abraham both an heir and the land where he resided.  God ratified this promise through a covenant.  Covenants were based upon such things as blood and salt.  Here God instructs Abraham to sacrifice some animals by cutting them into half.  He was instructed to sacrifice a three year old heifer, a three-year old goat and a three year old ram.  Also there was a sacrifice of a turtledove and a young pigeon. The blood of all of these animals were shed.  The heifer, goat and ram were divided into half.  (Gen. 15:8-11).  Abraham goes to sleep or falls into a trance.  As the sun sets and it becomes dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch pass between these pieces.  God makes a covenant with Abraham that he will possess the land which we know as “The Promised Land.”  All of this seems a bit mysterious and I will try to explain it more fully below.

 

First, we have a unilateral covenant being made between God and Abraham.  The cutting of the sacrifices in two is a solemn oath (under the pain of death) that a covenant will be fulfilled.  We see an example of this in Jeremiah 34:18, which says, “And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts….”  In short, this is similar to what we might call a “blood oath.”  God has determined to make Abraham a “nation of people” and to give him a “promised land.” 

 

To the Christian, Abraham is indeed a Father of Nations.  Not only is he a father to the Jewish people but he is also a father to all those who have faith in God.  God gave to Abraham a nation.  Similarly, Jesus has a nation of children who are followers and children of God .  God gave Abraham a possession made up of the promised land which had been inhabited by the enemies of God.  To Christ, God has given a nation and a promised land and that land is the Kingdom of God.  Moreover that land is also an eternal kingdom ruled over by Jesus, the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

It is interesting to me that God had  a specific requirement that the heifer, ram and goat be three years old. (Gen. 15:9).  Why did God specify a particular age?  No one can say for sure.  I believe that the reason was that in the future there would be a sacrifice of God’s only son, Jesus Christ.  Most believe that the crucifixion of Christ occurred when Jesus was about 33 years old.  Jesus was of a young age and had lived about one-third of his life span.  The average life span of the three animals sacrificed were in the 10-15 year range.  By utilizing animals which were three years old, in effect the sacrifice was in its early adult period of the animal  and each animal had used up about one-third of its life span.  Now my thoughts on this are only speculation; however, sacrifices always looked forward to the future sacrifice of Christ, the Lamb of God. 

 

Previously I have mentioned that the sacrifice was unilateral.  After Abraham had selected the animals and prepared them, he fell into a deep sleep. (Gen. 15:12)  After dark, “a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces.”  Both Jewish and Christian commentators agree that the smoking fire pots and flaming torch represented the presence of God.  Almost all commentators believe that the torch passing through the two halves of the sacrifice was God’s Presence.  God predicted that the children of Abraham would be afflicted and will serve in a land “not theirs at Genesis 15:13.  Commentators connect the torch with the presence of God found in the burning bush that appeared to Moses and with the pillar of fire which protected and led the children of Israel in the Sinai desert at night.  The meaning of the smoking pot is more obscure.  The smoking pots were often bee shaped and were small ovens where bread could be cooked.  Many commentators say that the smoking pot represents the smoke of God’s holiness which is later seen on  Mount Sinai when God was present and also with the smoke that was in the pillar of cloud which led Israel by day.  Others believe that the smoking pot may be a precursor to the ovens in Egypt where bricks were made believing that the pots indicate that tribulation was ahead but that God was still present in the midst of tribulation.

 

The understanding that the covenant of God was sacrificial and unilateral is important.  Abraham is asleep as the covenant is made.  Abraham does not walk through the two halves of the heifer, goat and ram.  He rests from his own efforts and works and can only look on as God does all of the work and makes all of the commitments.  This is important because salvation comes to us by grace through faith and not by works.  We do not deserve salvation and we cannot work to be saved.  The picture of God’s covenant to save us and bring us into an everlasting kingdom is one of grace.  God saves us.  It is the sacrifice of Christ which saves us alone.  By grace alone are we saved.  We are the beneficiaries of the blood covenant and our only action in the process is to receive the gift which was been bought for us at such a dear price.  The gift of salvation is just that—a gift.  We do not earn it.  It is given to us at great cost and it is given freely!  Also like the children of Israel, we too must experience the tribulation of going through this life (like the Israelites in Egypt) but God is with us and will bring us through the tribulation.  After all, Jesus is known as Immanuel meaning “God is with us.” 

 

In our next edition of Locusts and Honey we will be looking at the account of Abraham and Isaac.  This account is pivotal in understanding God’s plan for the salvation of mankind.

 

Until then, keep on hopping.

LAMB OF GOD-Vol 9, Pt. 1

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LAMB OF GOD

Locusts and Honey

Vol. 9, Pt.1

In this edition of Locusts and Honey we will be focusing upon Jesus as the Lamb of God.  To better understand why God would send Jesus as a Lamb to us, we need to first understand the use of the blood sacrifice in the Old Testament, which is a symbol or a “type” of the real sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins.  As we engage in this study, it is also important to understand that Jesus not only is the Lamb of God but also he is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep of his pasture.  (Pm. 100:3).

 

 

In the Beginning–Man’s Need for Redemption

 

In the book of Genesis we learn of man’s disobedience to God’s commands.  This is called “sin.” In Greek, the word “sin” is hamartia which means “missing the mark.”  Adam and Eve missed the mark by disobeying God’s commands to them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Likewise we have in us an inborn tendency from our ultimate parents (Adam and Eve) to miss the mark by wanting to do what we want to do rather than what God wants us to do.  One of the first words that children say is likely to be “no.” Generally “no” is in the top 10 words and “yes” does not even make the top 20.  Paul in Romans 7:18 says, For that I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells….” (See also Jer. 12:9).  We innately are rebels.    As Isaiah 53:6 says :

 

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned everyone to his own way;

And the Lord has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.

 

God had commanded Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  (Gen.2:16).  After Adam and Eve had disobeyed God their eyes were open and they knew they were naked.  (Gen. 3:7).  Although it may be difficult to think of the original couple tending to the garden as a small nudist colony, they were.  There is a certain innocence in that Adam and Eve were much like young children playing in a large tub called Eden and bounded by the four rivers mentioned in Genesis 2:10.  Once they had eaten of the forbidden fruit, their eyes were opened to their own nakedness. (Gen.3:7).  Being aware of their nakedness is very much analogous to being aware of their sinful condition.  In an effort to cover themselves (and I presume as a way of covering their sin), they made their own clothing by sewing together fig leaves.  (Genesis 3:7).  Although I have scant experience with this type of dress, it seems to me that dressing in fig leaves is neither comfortable nor is the clothing very useful in the winter and certainly not permanent.  From a theological perspective, the attempt to cover our sins with excuses (“the woman gave me the fruit and I ate”) certainly was not an acceptable excuse for being disobedient to God.  (Gen. 3:12).  The efforts of man and woman to cover their sin from a moral standpoint were as ineffective as the fig tree loin cloths which they sewed together. 

 

It is interesting but the loin cloth is an article of clothing in almost all cultures and absolute nakedness in public is considered to be shameful, just as it was when Adam and Eve became aware of good and evil.  We even find loin cloths in other places in the Bible including in Jeremiah where Jeremiah was instructed to buy a linen loin cloth, wear it, hide it near the Euphrates and dig it up.  The loin cloth in that instance represented Judah which had deserted God.  (See Jer. 13:1). 

 

The punishments for disobedience to God’s word for Adam and Eve are spelled out in Genesis.  Disobedience to God was a capital crime worthy of death.  The results included eventual death of men and women, pain in child-birth, the need to till the soil and exclusion from the kingdom of God (Adam and Eve could no longer enter Paradise with the way being guarded by angels with flaming swords).  Man and woman were precluded from taking of the Tree of Life which would have resulted in eternal life.  Today the only way to take of the Tree of Life is to embrace the Cross.  (For those interested some years ago I wrote a book on the Tree of Life which can be found at Amazon and is entitled The Tree-A Study of the Tree of Life by Ernest C. Jett.)

 

 

All of God’s Children Have Clothes

 

Despite the disobedience of man and woman, God made provision for the future  Among the promises of God are that someday the offspring of woman (Jesus Christ) would bruise the head of the serpent (Satan).  (Gen. 3:15).  God also made provision for the clothing of Adam and Eve at Genesis 3:21 which says, “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”  Some translations use the word “tunics.”  In any event, garments of skin were much more substantial than fig leaf underwear.  Adam and Eve now had garments for all seasons.

 

 One of the questions theologians and scholars discuss is where these skins came from.  Chuck Smith in his Notes on Genesis says that these skins “necessitated the death of an animal” and was the beginning of animal sacrifices to make a covering for sin.    Endicott’s Commentary for English Readers says, “…Adam must in some way, immediately after the fall, have been taught that without shedding of blood is no remission of sin, but that God will accept a vicarious sacrifice.”  Many theologians have speculated as to whether these skins were found in the garden (however, death had just come into the world) or whether they were skins from blood sacrifices made by Adam (no indication of this from Scripture) or that either God or Adam had caused certain animals to die to provide the garments for Adam and Eve. 

 

Almost all Christian Commentaries agree that the death of the animal typifies the coming sacrifice of Christ for our sins.  Looking backward, Hebrews 9:22 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood, and without shedding of blood is no remission (of sins).”

 

Interestingly a number of the more puritanical commentators take the position that the garments were “garments of shame”.  In short, we wear almost shamefully the skins of animals which died for mankind because men and women made a fatal mistake.  Matthew Henry’s Commentary says, “When God made clothes for our first parents, he made them warm and strong, but coarse and very plain; not robes of scarlet, but coats of skin.  Let those that are meanly clad, learn from hence not to complain.  Having food and a covering, let them be content; they are as well off as Adam and Eve.  And let those that are finely clad, learn not to make the putting on of apparel their adorning.”

 

The dour John Calvin said God was not “a furrier, or a servant to sew clothes.”  He went on to say, “The reason why the Lord clothed them with garments of skin appears to me to be this: because garments formed of this material would have a more degrading appearance than those made of linen or of woolen.  God therefore designed that our first parents should in such a dress, behold their own vileness-just as they had before seen it in their own nudity….”

 

I disagree with Calvin’s comments.  God generously saw that Adam and Eve had clothing to wear which not only kept them warm but which was substantial.  Jesus took a much more positive view regarding God’s mercy and clothing reminding us all that we were not to give great concern to our clothing and that God who caused the lilies of the field to be clothed more beautifully than Solomon could well take care of his children who trusted him.  (Matt. 6:28-34).  Thus not only is God willing to clothe his children but clothe them beautifully as well.  Further, the clothing is a covering of our sins.  For the believer the rags of our unrighteousness are replaced with garments of praise and the happy wedding garments of the redeemed.  God covers our sins through the sacrifice of the Lamb of God and he covers these sins beautifully.

 

As a further point, I  would mention that the outside of the Tabernacle of God was covered with skins but the glory of God was within which I believe is a further picture of the presence of God coming within our hearts thanks to the blood sacrifice of Jesus.

 

The institution of the first sacrifice is important because this is the seed or a “preview” of the provision which God would make in the future which was to restore man to relationship with God and ultimately also to give us access to the Tree of Life through Jesus Christ.

 

Atonement

 

The study of the blood sacrifice and the atonement is one of the fundamentals of the faith.  We will be discussing other matters relating to the Blood Sacrifice and to Jesus as the Lamb of God in several future editions of Locusts and Honey.  The term “atonement” in essence means that people can be reconciled to God by the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Books have been written on the atonement and in one book which I read on Systematic Theology there were 50 pages in fine print discussing the atonement and various theories relating to types of atonement and the meaning of atonement.  Often preachers will correctly point out that one can read the word “atonement” as “at one-ment”.  This illustrates that through the substitutionary work of Christ we who were far away have now been brought near through the blood of Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 2:13)

 

In the times of the ancient Hebrews, the blood sacrifice of an animal helped bring an individual closer to God and to keep him from perishing due to sinfulness.  The sacrifice was done individually from time to time prior to Moses.  After the institution of the Aaronic priesthood, the sacrifice was performed by the High Priest who represented the Jewish people.  We will discuss in a future edition the role of the High Priest and the blood sacrifice performed by the High Priest annually to cover the sins of the Jewish people.  Along with the Annual Sacrifice, the Jewish people were to reflect upon their sins, confess their sins and make restitution for their known wrongs.  The blood sacrifice of Christ transcended all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices mentioned in the Old Testament which were only imperfect promises of the real sacrifice by Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:1-10).

 

Inside the Ark of the Covenant, was the law (The Ten Commandments) which makes mankind aware of their sins.  Annually the blood sacrifice was sprinkled on the “Mercy Seat” which was the lid of the Ark.  The blood “covered” the sins of people and caused the judgment of God to be suspended.  In the book of Hebrews in the New Testament, the Christian author points out that instead of a sinful High Priest, the “atoning” sacrifice is now made by a sinless High Priest (Heb. 4:14-1`6).  Instead of defective animal blood, the perfect blood of the sinless Lamb of God was shed to cover sins.  The ancient sacrifice involving a sinful High Priest and defective animal blood had to be repeated annually.  In contrast, Jesus was the Son of God and the perfect High Priest (Heb. 5:9; Heb. 7:26).  The blood used in the atonement as a result of the crucifixion was the unique and sinless blood of Christ (Heb. 9:12-14).  This resulted in a sacrifice that only had to be done once and that sacrifice happened when Christ went to the cross to die for our sins (Heb. 10:11-14).

 

In future editions we will be discussing much more about the Lamb of God, sacrifices, the atonement, shepherds and sheep.

 

Also, there are numerous books and tapes which are available if you have an interest in learning about the atonement and the Blood Covenant.  One of my favorite series of tapes were a number of tapes by Malcolm Smith on the Blood Covenant.  I first came into contact with these tapes about forty-five years ago and found that they gave some real insights into the Blood Covenant and its importance.  (Here is a link to the 10 CD Set if anyone is interested but keep in mind I listened to the series many years ago).    https://www.malcolmsmith.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1271

 

Also there are numerous books on the Atonement and Blood Covenant including :

 

  • The Blood Covenant: The Hidden Truth Revealed at the Lord’s Table by E.W. Kenyon
  • The Power of the Blood Covenant: Uncover the Secret by Malcolm Smith
  • The Power of the Blood by H.A. Maxwell Whyte
  • The Blood Speaks: Discover the Life-Giving Power of Jesus by Larry Huggins
  • Nothing but the Blood of Jesus: How the Sacrifice of Jesus Saves by J.D. Myers

 

 

The Will of God-Lagniappe

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LOCUSTS AND HONEY

Vol. 7, Part 5

THE WILL OF GOD-LAGNIAPPE

The word “lagniappe” is a word we use in Louisiana.  It means a small gift of something extra.  We have recently in Locusts and Honey been discussing the will of God.  In this edition, I am throwing in a little extra based upon my thoughts and experiences.  We will be jumping around on different topics and thoughts about the will of God.  After all, that is what grasshoppers do.

A Book on the Will of God

Many years ago I read a book entitled The Will of God by Leslie D. Weatherhead.  Weatherhead was the pastor for many years of the City Temple in London.  Although I am not in agreement with Weatherhead’s theology (too liberal for me), nevertheless, this book is a thoughtful look at  God’s will.  You can pick up a used copy of this book on Amazon in the $4-$6 range.  Weatherhead discusses three forms of God’s will which he describes as the following:

  • The intentional will of God-God’s ideal plan for men;
  • The circumstantial will of God—God’s plan within certain circumstances;
  • The ultimate will of God—God’s final realization of his purposes.

The purpose of this “blurb” on Weatherhead’s book is to let you know that it is out there and it is worth reading.  Weatherhead has a helpful chapter on “Discerning the Will of God.

Two points in his chapter on discerning God’s will resonated with me.  The first was when he wrote:  “Do I really want to discern God’s will or do I want to get His sanction for my own.”  Over the course of my life, I have frequently encountered people who are more interested in getting God’s approval for what they want to do than they are in doing what God wants them to do.  The second point is when Weatherhead writes, “For myself, more than I need discernment, I need fortitude, courage, faith, determination and perseverance…Not to see but to do.”  I can only say to this “Me too!”  I often know what to do but don’t have the faith or courage to do it.  I know more than I do.

The grasshopper jumps.

 

Wealth and the Will of God

There appears to be a general belief that when one does the will of God, it is likely to achieve wealth.  We see this in various theories of capitalism such as works by Max Weber which take the position that belief in Scripture led to an emphasis in the excellence of work and in the savings of money.  Today we find similar beliefs in the “prosperity gospel” which holds that Christ became poor so that we might become rich.  Frankly, Solomon was very wealthy but ended up serving foreign gods resulting in spiritual bankruptcy.  Jesus instead of being rich was poor, his crib was a manger or feeding trough, he had “no place to lay his head” and in death he was buried in a borrowed tomb.

The example of Jesus is excused by prosperity teachers because Jesus died (according to them) so that you did not have to be poor.  For these and other reasons, there is a belief that if you follow the will of God, you will not be poor.  I think this is stretching it.  Jesus meets our needs but his goal for us is not necessarily material prosperity but it is for us to become rich spiritually and to have eternal life.

In Luke 16 we run into the story of Lazarus and the rich man.  The rich man is obviously Jewish.  He comes from a large family and life has been good to him.  He eats what he wants and he lives comfortably in his wealth.  Laying at his gates is another person–Lazarus.  He is sick and disabled and the dogs lick his sores.  Life has not been good for him. Meanwhile the rich man could be viewed as living in the benefits of those who have done the will of God.  He has health and wealth and lives in prosperity.  He is “blessed” by God.  However, after the death of both, it seems that the tables have turned.  The poor man who suffered terribly in this life, sits at the feast with Father Abraham while the one who was “blessed” by God in this life finds himself “in torment in Hades.” (Luke 16:23).

My point is simple.  Wealth does not necessarily reflect whether one is following the will of God or not.

The Grasshopper jumps.

The Will of God and the Flesh

 

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish the will of God from the desires of the flesh.   Most of us know the story about the minister called to go and serve a larger and more prosperous church.  The wife said, to her minister husband: “ Honey, you start praying and I will start packing.”  Sometimes, the Spirit may say one thing but the flesh says something else.  A dear friend of mine, left the teaching area to return to the active pastorate even though his physician told him that the change would probably aggravate his heart condition and kill him.  My friend chose to follow what the spirit had told him even though within five to six years later he died while following his calling as a pastor.  In the interim, God did great things with his life and he inspired many people to follow Christ more fully.

Another example on how the flesh works when it comes to discerning God’s will is what I call “the ministerial dilemma.”  A ministerial guy in Bible college meets a cute girl and after a little reflection becomes absolutely certain that this is the girl for him and that it is God’s will that they get married.  Sometimes, it works out.  Sometimes, the girl has other ideas.  Sometimes, it is a disaster for both.  The point is that the flesh seems to be quick to say to the guy that marriage is “God’s will.”  This gets back to issues such as are we really seeking God’s will or are we seeking God’s blessings upon our will and desires.  Presumably if it is God’s will for the ministerial student to marry the young lady, God will have shown the same thing clearly to the prospective bride.

The grasshopper jumps.

Prophets and the Will of God

 

Sometimes the will of God will be unfolded or explained or confirmed by those with a prophetic ministry.  For instance, at least on three occasions God has used me to prophesy over a person that they would be taking a position in a particular church in the future.  In each instance, God fulfilled the precise prophecy.  Prophecy can also be used to warn people regarding a course of action.  Interestingly, just because there is a negative warning regarding a certain course of action, it does not mean that the action should not be done.  A great example is found in the 21st chapter of Acts.  In that chapter, Paul is warned repeatedly that if he goes to Jerusalem that he will be met with persecution there.  In fact the Prophet Agabas makes sure that there is no mistake about this and he binds his own feet and hands with Paul’s belt and says that Paul will be bound in the same manner if he proceeds to Jerusalem.  (See Acts 21:11).  If most of us received these types of warnings we would avoid Jerusalem at all costs.  However, Paul insists upon going anyway.  The conclusion of this rejection of the warnings is found in Acts 21:14 which says, “When he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.”  The will of God was that Paul suffer for the faith and to bear witness of Christ to the Emperor and to Rome.  Sometimes the will of God takes us to uncomfortable places.

Jump, grasshopper, jump.

Finding God’s Will One Step at a Time

 

Many years ago I was vacationing in Colorado and hiking to Wheeler National Monument.  At that time, the way to get to the monument was on foot and you begin by seeing one marker in the distance.  When you got to the second marker, you could see the third marker and so on.  In fact, if you hiked using this method, you had to have a lot of faith especially if, like me, you had neither a map, direction nor a compass.  You were always in sight of one marker and used the next marker to guide your direction.  Sometimes, as we seek the will of God, we know our ultimate destination but do not know the exact route to get there.  In some instances, we must begin in faith taking the first step and waiting on God to reveal the next step.

Jump, grasshopper, jump.

Personal Experiences in Seeking God’s Will

 

Over the course of my life, I have tried to find a number of different ways to know God’s will.  Below are a few things which I have done.  My paths in doing God’s will have been circuitous.  During the course of my life I have been a ministerial student, a graduate student, a professor in a Christian College, an attorney, a photographer and a writer.  I have been a son, a spouse, a father, a brother and a friend.  In the church I have been a minister, a deacon, an elder and a simple member.  In all of this I have been a follower of Christ and from time to time have shared Christ informally in such diverse places as China, Russia, India, Brazil, Mexico and other countries.  I go through this just to illustrate that following the will of God is not always simple and straight.  Paul found himself going all over the known world sharing Christ as both apostle and prisoner.  Following God is not always a straight line path.

In the past, I have sought God’s will through a number of different methods. Below are some of the methods which I used.  They are in no particular order:

  • Search the Scriptures. I have found that reading the Bible regularly (and also when I am searching for direction) is very helpful.
  • Scripture says that if we knock it will be opened and if we ask it will be answered.  When seeking direction, a good place to begin is simply to ask for  God’s specific direction for you.
  • We often do not hear because of all of the activity and concerns around us.  It is good to stop what we are doing, get quiet and listen to the Holy Spirit.  Sometimes God speaks in the quiet voice of the heart.  Stop and listen before you leap.
  • Jesus fasted. In one case, he said that a demon could not be dealt with unless there was prayer and fasting.  Fasting can help you focus upon God.  Be wise and judicious in your fast.
  • Receive a prophetic word. I have had people in the prophetic area pray for me and from time to time give me a prophetic word.  Generally, a prophetic word will serve as a confirmation to what you already know in your heart.  Remember that the word that God speaks in your heart is more reliable than a prophetic word.  There is one instance in the Bible in which God told a young prophet to go into Samaria and prophesy and return to Judah without stopping.  An old prophet told him that God said he could stop and eat and misdirected the young prophet causing his death. (1 Kings 13:1-32). The lesson in this is that you obey God when he speaks to your heart and don’t believe others who contradict the word of God even if they proclaim themselves to be prophets.  (An additional caution is that many very well-known “prophets” today have shown themselves not to be very accurate.)
  • Open your Bible and look for a Word. At one point in my life I tried this.  I had a question and I would pray and then open my Bible at a random position to see if God would speak to me on the pages which I opened.  I was not particularly impressed with this method and find it somewhat like praying and flipping a coin.
  • Counseled with mentors and spiritual counselors. I think this is always a good idea.  However, once again, I believe God will speak directly to your heart.  The Bible says that there is safety in a bunch of counselors  (Prov. 11:14; 15:22; 24:6).  Nonetheless, in so many occasions, God has led me in an independent direction that I would not overly rely on what others have to say.  Yet seeking counsel can be a good confirmation IF one picks counselors who are Godly and full of the Holy Spirit.
  • Consult and Pray with your Spouse. Scripture says that a man and his wife are one flesh.  In seeking God’s will, sometimes it is helpful to pray with a believing spouse and get their insights.  I have often found that my wife can act as a confirmation of a direction which God has spoken to me.  God in many cases has spoken to her clearly as well.
  • Praying that God will close the door. Sometimes, we have prayed that God will close the door if we are not supposed to go in a direction.  Just as God can open doors, God can close doors.  Sometimes, we are anxious and want to move ahead.  We find that we want to move ahead of God’s timing.  God can use closed doors to slow down his timing for an action.  God not only open doors for us, but he can close them too!
  • Moving in Faith. Sometimes we have to go in one direction or the other and are not certain of our guidance.  When it is possible to wait in that instance, we do so.  However, from time to time, we step out in faith prayerfully believing that God will help us with the first step and once we take the first step, He will show us the second step.
  • A Piece of Advice. None of us is perfect.  We all make mistakes from time to time.  If you lose your way, then return to the road map.  Go back to the written word of God and ask for new direction and for help and clarification.  All of us from time to time have to do resets or make adjustments.  Do not be discouraged.  You are not alone.  God is with you to make any needed adjustments.

I hope these experiences will be helpful to you as you seek both to know God’s larger will and walk in God’s specific will for you.

Verses to Contemplate:  Below are a few verses to contemplate as you seek to know God’s will and as you seek to learn God’s specific will for your life:

  • Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. 3:5-6.
  • We have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual understanding…. 1:9
  • Do not be conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 12:2.  (Many a sermon has been preached on this verse.  I have done you a service and have not written a commentary on this particular verse.)
  • Teach me to do your will for you are my God; may your good spirit lead me on level ground. 143:10.
  • Show me the way I must take; to thee I offer all my heart. 143:8.
  • Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. 119:133
  • The Spirit will guide you to all truth. 16:13
  • Since you are my rock and my fortress for the sake of your name lead and guide me. 31:3
  • Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. 119:105

The Grasshopper rests.