Faithful God, Unfaithful People

November 5, 2017 Background Scripture: Numbers 25; 1 Samuel 2:27 – 36 Lesson Passage: Numbers 25:10 – 13; 1 Samuel 2:30 – 36 There is always at least one constant whenever we speak of God and covenants: God always upholds His end of the covenant. When covenants are broken, it is always because of unfaithful people who are part of the covenant. Perhaps it is an exclamation point of life that overshadows this lesson in that the unfaithful people who are highlighted in this text are priests. Predictably, those who were given the responsibility of standing before God on behalf of the people are too much like the people they represent. This is a sobering fact of human nature. We accept the Christian doctrine that all have sinned because of our understanding of human nature. Because of human frailties and sinful tendencies, no human flesh will ever earn the right to boast or glory in God’s presence. It is not that priests are “only” human but that they are “completely” human. This is not to offer an excuse for priests or anyone but to acknowledge that everyone born of man and woman stands in the need of God’s forgiveness. It is unfortunate that two of the priests who are cited in this lesson as extreme examples of good behavior and bad behavior in God’s presence bear the same name, Phinehas. The text from Numbers presents a priest named Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, who received high accolades from God for his attitude of disgust with the public behavior of a Simeonite with a Midianite woman. When Phinehas observed the Simeonite bringing a Midianite woman into Israel’s camp in the presence of Moses and the others, he took a spear and followed them into the tent and slew both of them. His actions caused God to stop the plague that He had sent among the camp that had already consumed 24,000 of Israel. God told Moses that Phinehas had the same moral outrage that He felt concerning the situation. As a result, God established, forever, the line of priests that would descend from Phinehas. However, the text taken from 1 Samuel presents God’s reaction to the sons of the priest, Eli, one named Phinehas and the other named Hophni. God rebuked Eli for choosing his sons ahead of God. By not putting an end to their ungodly behavior, Eli showed more honor towards his sons than he did towards God. Eli allowed his sons to pervert the temple and harass the people and Eli was aware of their behavior. Although the scriptures are silent concerning some details, God’s reaction makes it clear that Eli chose to ignore rather than confront and correct his two sons. God declared that the two sons of Eli would both die on the same day as a sign that He had judged their evil behavior in the priest’s office. Perhaps it is fitting that they would behave in such a way because the scriptures declare that the two sons of Eli did not know the Lord. This may be the greatest indictment against Eli. He was the priest of God but his sons did not know God. Furthermore, no one would ever grow old in Eli’s family from that time forth. All of them would die at a young age. God would continue to honor the family of Aaron but not the line of descendants from Eli. God remains faithful even when people do not. Robert C. Hudson October 23, 2017

God’s Covenant with the Returned Exiles

October 29, 2017 Background Scripture: Nehemiah 9, 10 Lesson Passage: Nehemiah 9:32 – 38, 10:28, 29 Today’s lesson focuses on the Jewish exiles who returned to Palestine after living in Babylonian captivity. As prophesied by Jeremiah, the captivity had lasted seventy years. The Jews were allowed to repatriate the land of Canaan by the decree of King Cyrus, the Persian king, after the Persians had overthrown the Babylonians. Many Jews were led back to Palestine during three repatriations. They were led by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah respectively. Zerubbabel had led the first wave who laid the foundation for rebuilding the temple. The second group was led by Ezra who finished building the temple after a long delay. The third group was led by Nehemiah who rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem. Once these projects were completed, the hearts of the people were then turned back to God by their leaders. The people gathered to hear the reading of the Law by Ezra. The topic of today’s lesson is somewhat misleading. The text does not present a covenant between God and the returned exiles but an endorsement and ratification of the previous covenant God made with their forefathers at Mt. Sinai. When the returned exiles heard the words of the Law, they were crushed and began to cry because they realized that what had happened to them was the result of them not obeying the covenant God had established with their forefathers. The exiles mourned because they had not kept the Law since the days of Joshua and they had suffered because of it as the Law stated they would. They were encouraged to repent and begin to obey the commandments which had been ignored since the days of Joshua. (That was prior to the years of apostasy during the time the Judges ruled Israel and the latter years under the kings.) They formally observed the feast of tabernacles as part of getting back on track with the provisions of the covenant. They remembered God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt and His protection of her in the wilderness. They recalled the kings God overthrew and gave their lands to Israel for an everlasting possession. Afterwards they began to acknowledge the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord throughout the generations. But they also acknowledged that Israel had behaved wickedly and had not kept God’s Law or heeded His admonitions. They acknowledged that their enslavement on that day was solely because of the disobedience of their leaders and the people who had followed them. It was with this repentant statement in mind that the leaders of the people were encouraged to renew their commitment to the covenant God made at Mt. Sinai with their forefathers. The leaders of the people endorsed, or ratified, the covenant. They again bound themselves to the blessings and curses of the covenant by acknowledging them in writing. The leaders placed their names on the sealed document. And with that, God’s covenant with Israel was renewed with the returned exiles. Robert C. Hudson September 13, 2017

God’s Covenant with David

October 22, 2017 Background Scripture: 2 Samuel 7:1 – 16; Psalm 89; 1 Chronicles 22:6 – 8 Lesson Passage: 2 Samuel 7:1 –6, 8 – 10, 12 – 16 David was a very special person. He had his issues like every person born of man and woman. David was not special because he had no issues but contrariwise, David was special because he had a heart for God in spite of his issues. When David reached the point in life where he knew he had been tremendously blessed in this world, he thought about God. That’s what made him special. Many of us think about God only when things go bad in our lives. When we are down and out, then we “look to the hills from whence comes our help”. When we were faced with overwhelming troubles: then “this poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles”. Once we have met the Lord, we never forget Him in times of difficulty. It requires a different type heart to remember the Lord at the height of prosperity and blessings. David was such a person. The Lord blessed David tremendously and delivered him from all his enemies. It was at that time that David looked at the blessings and remembered the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark had always resided inside the tents (tabernacles) whenever it was at rest among Israel. But David lived in a mansion with cedar paneling on the walls. He determined in his heart that he would build a permanent place for housing the Ark that would be exceedingly magnificent, famous, and glorious throughout all lands. It would be in a category all by itself—far exceeding David’s own mansion. David wanted an edifice that would befit the God he served. So David talked to the prophet about his desire. Nathan, the prophet, thought it was a good idea what David desired. Then God spoke to the prophet and gave him a response for David. God’s response is the Davidic Covenant. God reminded David about his modest beginning in the pasture caring for his father’s sheep. Then He reminded David how He elevated him to be king over all of God’s chosen people. Finally, David was reminded that God had put all of his enemies at bay and allowed David to be at rest from war. God put into perspective David’s desire. What David wanted for the Lord, the Lord had not requested of anyone. God had been content to move among Israel inside of the tents behind the curtains. He had not asked for a more “permanent” facility. But God noted David’s desire and declined the offer—at least the method whereby David wanted to do it. God was clear in stating that David had shed too much blood to be the one to build an edifice in His honor. However, God declared that David’s descendant would be raised up after David’s death and God would establish his throne forever. He would be the one that will build a house where God will place his name. This descendant will be God’s son and God would be a Father to him. In this descendant, David’s throne will be established eternally. God would never take away His grace from him. David was perhaps Israel’s most decorated king and thanks to his heart for God, David’s kingdom would be an everlasting kingdom. Robert C. Hudson September 13, 2017

Obeying God’s Law

October 15, 2017 Background Scripture: Exodus 20 Lesson Passage: Exodus 20:18 – 26 In last week’s lesson, God stated His intention to make Israel His special people. God acknowledges that all nations of the earth are His because He is the creator; however, as a result of the covenant He established with Israel, Israel would become a kingdom of priests that would be peculiar among all the nations of the earth. The elders of Israel agreed to the covenant by declaring that all that the Lord asked of them, they would do. That was indeed a noble statement on their part but perhaps they should have asked for a few more details prior to their declaration. In essence, the covenant required holiness on their part and yet they did not know what it meant to be holy. The Law would detail the requirements of holiness for them. The elders of Israel had wholeheartedly adopted a covenant that placed conditions on them that would prove to be strenuous. I believe they were right to accept the covenant because certainly God had already proven Himself to them by delivering them from a bondage that their race had endured for over four hundred years. The covenant is not at all in question but the conditions required to uphold their end of it needed a lot of attention and some divine help. History shows that Israel’s greatest failure relative to keeping the covenant was their failure to seek divine help in upholding the covenant. The covenant required that they become a holy people and that was only possible with divine help to overcome the frailty of human nature. Unregenerate human nature tends towards sin and away from holiness. This was not obvious until the Law was given. The Law was given to be used like a “spiritual” mirror. The Law describes holiness. When we look into the Law with sincerity of heart, it is clear that the Law is good but our nature tends to not be so. First and foremost the Law describes the proper relationship between God and mankind. God is first in everything. The unregenerate human heart follows its own law. The first law of nature is self-preservation. That is a clear declaration that self is first in nature. The second law of nature is preservation of the species. That would require that “human” relationships should be the first priority after a person feels secure in and of oneself. The way we are born into this world places two priorities ahead of God in our lives. This is evident before we get pass the first two commandments—and yet there are eight more of them! Add to this challenge the fear that was struck in the hearts of the people at the sight and sound of the presence of God descending on Mt. Sinai. They begged Moses to not let God speak to them but they were willing to listen to Moses instead. God’s presence was awe-inspiring. It was as clear as ever that God’s presence is to be feared. God used that demonstration to reveal Himself to them so that they would not attempt to make material things into objects to bow down to and worship. God alone is to be worshiped. This stands supreme among all the commandments and is essential to obeying God’s Law. Robert C. Hudson September 11, 2017

God’s Covenant with Israel

October 8, 2017 Background Scripture: Exodus 19; Isaiah 60:3 Lesson Passage: Exodus 19:16 – 25 God led the descendants of Jacob to Mt. Sinai three months after bringing them out of Egypt. It was at Mt. Sinai where God allowed all the people of Israel to hear His voice. Prior to this encounter, they listened to what Moses said the Lord had told him but now they would hear Him for themselves. God’s covenant with Israel would also be established at Mt. Sinai during this encounter. God had Moses to put a barrier around the base of the mountain and to warn the people that if a person or an animal touched the mountain while the Lord’s presence was upon it in the cloud, then the offender would be put to death. This warning was to be made clear to the priests as well. God was going to speak to Moses in the presence of the people so that they would respect Moses as their spiritual leader throughout their generations. Prior to the encounter God instructed Moses to have the people to sanctify or set themselves apart from anything unclean for three days. They were to wash their clothing in preparation for witnessing the presence of the Lord. The morning of the third day the people heard the loud blast of a trumpet and Moses led them to the foot of Mt. Sinai. A thick cloud descended on the mountain and the mountain quaked violently and smoke rose up from it. They heard loud thunder and saw the lightning flashing within the cloud. Out of fear, they begged Moses to speak to God on their behalf because they did not want to remain in His presence. So God made the agreement with Israel using Moses as an intermediary. The essence of the covenant is sanctification (separation unto God) of the people of God. That aspect of this covenant was emphasized from the beginning to show that separation is a characteristic of holiness. Much of the details that were provided later emphasized this separation. The outcome of the covenant would be that Israel would become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This would make them a peculiar people among all nations of the earth but it would require an extensive amount of change in them. God offered the plagues He had used in Egypt to deliver them from bondage as proof that He would finish what He started with their deliverance. They were not delivered just to spread out over the earth and live and do as they chose but they were delivered from Egypt to be separated unto God as His special people. Their duties required them to be separate from the other nations but it did not extend to them the privilege of going wherever they chose to in God’s presence. The barrier around the mountain was the first example of such a restriction. Moses, on the other hand, was permitted to come up on the mountain and speak with God on behalf of the people. Aaron, Israel’s first priest, would later receive his instructions from Moses as to what he was to do. Although all of Israel would become a kingdom of priest, it was necessary for them to first be taught the criteria for holiness and the specific responsibilities and duties of priests. This was accomplished through God’s covenant with Israel. Robert C. Hudson September 11, 2017