As the Lord Commanded

Yesterday I completed reading through the book of Exodus. I try to read one chapter per day. In connection with that chapter I like to read the thoughts of one of my favourite commentators, G. Campbell Morgan. Mr. Morgan pointed out something in his comments on EXO 39 that arrested my attention. I would like capitalize on his observations by expanding them with my own.

EXO 38-39 record the act of constructing the tabernacle, its furnishings, and the clothing of the priests, who ministered in the tabernacle. EXO 40 records the actual setting up of the tabernacle and its consecration. Mr. Campbell based his comments on EXO 39:43.

Exodus 39:43 And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.

Pay careful attention to the words in bold print. All the work of the tabernacle and its furnishings had been done as the Lord commanded. Mr. Campbell went on to note that the phrase as the LORD commanded Moses is repeated seven times in EXO 39. It occurs in verses 1, 5, 7, 21, 26, 29, & 31. Verse 32 also states the point.

Exodus 39:32 ¶Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.

Then in chapter 40, the phrase as the Lord commanded Moses occurs seven more times in verses 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, & 32.

Remember that this is Holy Scripture. These words are being given by the inspiration of God. It is God Who is continually reminding us that Israel was carrying out His service as He had commanded. Therefore, we come to the avoidable conclusion that it is very important to God that we execute His service according to what He commands us.

When God originally commissioned Israel to make Him a tabernacle, He gave this instruction:

Exodus 25:8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

Exodus 38-40 records the fact that Israel had done precisely what God originally commissioned them to do. There was nothing in that tabernacle of Israel’s own devising. Everything was done to satisfy God’s requirements. Nothing was done to please the people. And God was obviously pleased with what had been done because God filled the tabernacle with His glory (EXO 40:34).

Although we do not live under Moses’ law, the principle that was here observed is carried over in the New Testament. Note this principle in our Lord’s Great Commission to His apostles:

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God’s service is to be kept according to His commandments as delivered unto us by His holy apostles. We are not at liberty to add or subtract anything according to our own tastes and preferences. And this brings us back to what I preached about last Sunday when I taught on why we do not observe religious holidays such as Christmas and Easter. These were celebrations that predated the establishment of Christianity. The Roman Catholic Church simply adopted the traditions of those pagan celebrations, gave them Christian names and symbols, and incorporated them into the service of the church. This is not executing God’s service as the Lord commanded. God strictly forbids this and instead charges us in these words:

Deuteronomy 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

To give someone a gift simply as an expression of respect or affection to that person is one thing. People do it all the time and there is no law of God against that. But to give someone a gift in order to celebrate the birth of the Son of God is something else entirely. This is an attempt to honour Christ according to one’s own taste and preference as opposed to honouring Christ as the Lord commanded. If one wishes to honour Christ, then why not be baptized in His name and added to His church? Why not go to His house and join with His saints in singing His praise, calling upon His name, and hearing His gospel? Why not sit with His saints at His table and remember Him according to His holy commandment by eating the bread and drinking the cup? Why not give to poor saints in need when there is a need and not just on a holiday? After all, these are the things which He commanded us to do to honour Him.

Remember this most important fact as stated in the following verse:

Psalms 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

If God’s way is perfect, then how can we possibly improve it? Why not serve God God’s way? After all, His way is perfect. When it comes to serving God, our mandate is simple and clear. Do it as the Lord commanded.

Destruction and Rejoicing

Last Sunday I discoursed on Psalm 5, a psalm of David. As I began to deal with the last verses of that Psalm, time was giving out. I can sense when a congregation is becoming saturated with information. When that happens, it is time to start winding down. However, being one who likes to milk all he can out of a verse, I was frustrated that I was not doing justice to the last verses of the Psalm. I was merely hitting the high points. Because of this, I felt let down after the sermon. Such are some of the peculiar trials that belong to preachers. So I will ease myself of this frustration by commenting on those verses in a written meditation.

Psalms 5:10 Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee. 11 But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee. 12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

In this Psalm David is interceding to God against his enemies. He prays to God to destroy his enemies. Observe in verse 10 that David’s enemies have also rebelled against God. Those who rebel against God will also oppose God’s servants. When David prays to God to destroy his enemies, he is asking God to do what God has already purposed to do. David had just said in verse 6:

Psalms 5:6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

Our Lord Jesus taught us to pray that the will of our heavenly Father be done. When we see God destroy the wicked, we are seeing that prayer answered. Notice that connected with the destruction of the wicked is the rejoicing of the righteous. When the wicked are destroyed the righteous are shouting. Now just why is this?

In verse 11 David acknowledges that God defends the righteous. A vital part of that defense is the destruction of the wicked. If the wicked were not stopped at some point in the pursuit of their counsels, they would completely destroy the righteous. This fact is vividly expressed in Psalm 124.

Psalms 124:1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, now may Israel say; 2 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when men rose up against us: 3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

That the righteous are still numbered among the living in this earth is owing to God’s judgment of the wicked throughout history. Therefore, when the enemies of God’s people are destroyed, the righteous should rejoice. And we see this pattern in Scripture. When the wicked Egyptians, the oppressors of Israel, were drowned in the Red sea, Israel sang for joy (EXO 15:1-21).

Or consider the wicked Athaliah, who destroyed all the royal seed in Judah save one and seized the reigns of power. Observe God’s people rejoicing when she was destroyed.

2 Chronicles 23:21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

The wise man Solomon said it well.

Proverbs 11:10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

When God destroys Mystery Babylon, which has persecuted the apostles, the prophets, and the saints, God calls upon His servants to rejoice.

Revelation 18:20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.

But, as I noted in closing last Sunday, the ultimate answer to the prayer of Psalm 5:10-12 will be realized at the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, “Who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom” (2TI 4:1). Paul describes what will occur at this time.

2 Thessalonians 1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Observe that at Christ’s appearing, the wicked will be destroyed from the presence of the Lord. This fulfills the petition of PSA 5:10:

Destroy thou them, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions; for they have rebelled against thee.

The wicked do not want God. That is their counsel and by that counsel they shall fall. God will grant their desire and forever banish them from His presence. At this time also the Lord will be glorified and admired “in all them that believe,” that is, in “all those that put their trust in thee,” as PSA 5:11 states it. Then the righteous will inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world (MAT 25:34). They shall “come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (ISA 35:10). This ultimately fulfills the petition of PSA 5:11:

But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.

So the last three verses of Psalm 5 express in prayer of the yearning we have for the coming of our Lord. In view of the final overthrow of all our enemies and the everlasting joy that shall accompany that event, we do well to sum up PSA 5:10-12 in this simple prayer:

Revelation 22:20 Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Excellence or Seduction, Part 2

Last week I sent you a meditation on the first half of Proverbs 12:26:

The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

Today I would like to deal with the second half of that verse regarding the way of the wicked.

Notice first that this verse is a sentence. A sentence is a unit of thought. Therefore, the words and the arrangement of the words in this sentence are conveying an overall thought. This sentence consists of two independent clauses. An independent clause contains a complete thought and can stand alone as a separate sentence. The first independent clause is this statement: "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour." The second independent clause is this statement: "The way of the wicked seduceth them." These two independent clauses are contrasted by the conjunction but. An overall idea is being expressed by these contrasting statements. The overall idea is the difference between the righteous and the wicked showing that the righteous is superior to the wicked.

The second clause deals with the way of the wicked. It teaches that their way seduces them. Now let’s define some terms.

Way – Course of life or action, means, manner.

Seduce - To lead (a person) astray in conduct or belief; to draw away from the right or intended course of action to or into a wrong one; to tempt, entice, or beguile (deceive) to do something wrong, foolish, or unintended.

Deceive - To ensnare; to take unawares by craft or guile; to overcome, overreach, or get the better of by trickery; to beguile or betray into mischief or sin; to mislead.

The way of the wicked is the course of life and action that they choose to pursue and how they pursue it. Now it is the way itself that seduces them. That is, the way they conduct their lives is itself leading them astray and drawing them from the right course of life and action. The way itself beguiles or deceives them to do wrong, foolish, or unintended things. Once they are is in the wrong path, one wrong leads to another wrong. Wrong decisions lead to more wrong decisions. In other words, the way itself seduces them. And the sad thing about being seduced or deceived is that it can happen to a person unawares. He may not realize that he is being led astray. Even if he knowingly does wrong, if he keeps doing wrong he will eventually think it is okay. When that happens, then the way of the wicked has seduced him.

Therefore, a wicked man can think he is doing what is right and best for him when in reality he is doing what is wrong and worst for him. His way looks good. It seems advantageous. It looks more excellent than the way of righteousness. But in reality his way is seducing him.

In the light of these facts consider this verse:

Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Here is a man, who thinks his way is right; but that way certainly ends up in a place he did not intend. His way has seduced him. His way seemed to offer advantages that it could not deliver in the end.

It is for this reason that Solomon gives us this advice:

Proverbs 4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

If you would avoid being seduced by the way of the wicked, then take the following steps. First, ask God to show you any errors in your way.

Psalms 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

If you resist reproof and the exposure of errors in your way, then you will never find the right way.

Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

Proverbs 10:17 He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction: but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

Then open your Bible with a prayer to God to teach you His way.

Psalms 86:11 Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

Psalms 143:8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

And when God’s way is made plain to you in His word, then follow it.

Psalms 119:33 Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes; and I shall keep it unto the end.

In so doing, you will avoid the seduction and destruction of the way of the wicked. You will be found among the righteous. You will have made the more excellent choices. And, therefore, as our verse says, you will be “more excellent than your neighbour.”

Proverbs 12:28 In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

May this message find you and me in that more excellent way of righteousness.

Excellence or Seduction, Part 1

I always want a Bible in close reach. This is not a bad idea since man lives “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). For example, I keep a Bible in the glove compartment of my car and one by my bedside. Sometimes before I go to sleep, I will open the Bible by my bedside and just glance in it. I try to light on one verse and read it just to seal the day with a word from God before I sleep. One night as I did this, I lighted upon this verse:

Proverbs 12:26 ¶The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

Of course, this is a verse from the book of Proverbs, which is one of the Poetical books of the Bible. The Poetical books abound in the Hebrew poetic form known as parallelism, in which poetic rhythm is achieved by the repetition of ideas. In the case of this verse, this is an antithetical parallelism because the ideas are in contrast. The contrasting ideas in this verse are the ideas of excellence verses seduction.

"The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour." First of all, who are the righteous, especially considering that Romans 3:10 teaches that “there is none righteous, no not one”? Enter the grace of God and the Lord Jesus Christ! Our Lord Jesus came into this world to save God’s elect from their sins and to make them righteous before God.

Matthew 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one (Jesus Christ) shall many be made righteous.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Sinners are made righteous by the obedience and blood shedding of Jesus Christ. By their obedience to God’s commandments, the elect manifest that they are righteous. We do not become righteous by doing righteousness, as most believe. Rather, we do righteousness because we are righteous.

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

Now if you would know if you are one of the righteous, then do righteousness. And if you are one of the righteous, then you are more excellent than your neighbour.

Consider the definition of excellent.

Excellent - Of a person or thing: That excels or surpasses in any respect; preeminent, superior, supreme.

The saints (holy persons) that are in this earth are called “the excellent” in Psalm 16:3:

But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

Your neighbour may have more wealth, power, education, and fame in this world than you, but if you are righteous, you are superior to him in the eyes of God. And will you vastly surpass him in the Day of Judgment. The Psalmist had this to say concerning those who glory in their worldly riches:

Psalms 49:11 Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish. 13 This their way is their folly: yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah. 14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. 15 ¶But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. 16 Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him. 18 Though while he lived he blessed his soul: and men will praise thee, when thou doest well to thyself. 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light. 20 Man that is in honour, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

The honoured and esteemed of this earth, those who excelled according to men of this world, are compared by God to “the beasts that perish.” When the morning of that eternal day dawns, it is the righteous (the upright) who shall dominion over the great of this earth. Being the excellent, they shall excel in that day. This being the case, doesn’t it make sense to heed the words of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness:…

Would you be a more excellent person, a more excellent parent, a more excellent son or daughter, a more excellent student, a more excellent employer or employee, a more excellent neighbour? If you would truly excel, seek righteousness. Seek the right Bible. Practice the right faith. Go to the right church. React to stress, provocation, and offences in the right way. In short, do righteousness and so manifest that you are righteous. Then you will be truly excellent, yea, more excellent than your neighbour.

There is much to be said for the second half of our verse, but that will have to wait. I am like Elihu today in that “I am full of matter” (Job 32:18). Therefore, you may be receiving more meditations “from the pastor’s study.” God grant you all grace to excel.

Faith

The following verse has been on my mind of late and I would like to relate to you some thoughts I have on it.

Mark 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Of course, there are those who abuse this text by teaching that it gives us a blank check to get from God whatever we want. The sovereign God is not a magic genie at our service to grant our any and every wish. Scripture has examples of faithful souls who desired things and prayed for them, yet they did not receive that which they desired. Moses desired and prayed to enter into the Promised Land, but he was denied (DEU 3:23-26). David prayed for his baby son to live, but the baby still died (2SA 12:15-19). Paul besought God three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, but it remained (2CO 12:7-10). Nowhere does Scripture ascribe God’s denying the desires of these men to their lack of faith. So how do we reconcile this with our verse in MAR 11:24?

One of the rules of studying Scripture is to compare “spiritual things with spiritual” (1CO 2:13). These spiritual things are the things of Scripture. So we must compare Scripture with Scripture to get the full picture of what Scripture is teaching. If we compare the promise of MAR 11:24 with 1JO 5:14-15 we will find the boundaries of “what things soever ye desire.”

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Observe that we may “ask any thing.” And we are assured that “whatsoever we ask” we will have. That sounds just like our Lord’s promise in MAR 11:24. However, notice that “anything” and “whatsoever” are qualified by the prepositional phrase “according to his will.” We may ask anything that is according to the will of God. And when we do so, we can be assured that “we have the petitions that we desired of him.” The key is asking according to the will of God. And we can know the will of God because it has been revealed to us in His written word.

Now consider some things that Scripture teaches are the will of God. It is God’s will for us to work to earn our own bread.

Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

It is God’s will for us to control our tongue and our anger.

Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

James 1:19 ¶Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

It is God’s will for us to attend church.

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

It is God’s will for us forgive those who trespass against us.

Mark 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

It is God’s will that we not live in the fear of man, or things, or events.

Luke 21:9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

Now if we ask God to help us to do these things, we are asking according to His will. And asking according to His will, we are assured that “we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” However! Our verse in MAR 11:24 places one more condition on our receiving “whatsoever we ask” and that is the condition of faith. Read it again:

“What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

If, for example, I ask God to help me control my anger, I must believe that He will do what I ask. If I do not believe He will help, then I will not receive the help. It is as simple as that. So the reason we do not make more progress spiritually, is because we lack faith! It is as our Lord said to his fearful disciples on one occasion:

Mark 4:40 Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Am I facing difficult decisions? Do I need wisdom? James teaches that it is ours for the asking provided we ask in faith.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

So considering that a lack a faith lies at the heart of our lack of spiritual progress, we would do well to adopt this prayer:

Luke 17:5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.

“Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (EPH 6:23).