“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” — Hebrews 12:14
Objection: Some may object, and say, We see that no persons on earth are exposed to such troubles, dangers, afflictions, and persecutions, as those are exposed to who mind holiness, who follow after holiness. These are days wherein men labor to frown holiness out of the world, and to scorn and kick holiness out of the world; and do you think that we are mad now to pursue after holiness? Now to this great and sore objection, I shall give these following answers
We’ve seen three of those answers to this point:
First, It must be granted that afflictions and persecutions has been the common lot and portion of the people of God in this world.
Secondly, Christ and his apostles hath long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world.
Thirdly, I answer, That all the troubles, afflictions, and persecutions that do befall you for holiness' sake, shall never hurt you nor harm you, they shall never prejudice you, nor wrong you in your main and great concernments:
4. Fourthly, I answer, That the condition of persecutors, of all conditions under heaven, is the most sad and deplorable condition; and this will appear by the consideration of these five things:
[A.] First, By the prayers and indictments that the saints have preferred against them in the highest court of justice, I mean in the parliament of heaven:
[B] Secondly, Persecutions do but raise, whet, and stir up a more earnest and vehement spirit of prayer among the persecuted saints:
Moving on we see the third of these five points:
Thirdly, It will appear that the condition of persecutors is the most sad and deplorable condition of all conditions under heaven, if you will but seriously consider and lay to heart the sore judgments that are threatened, and that have been executed upon them: Deuteronomy 30:7,
“And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them which hate thee, which persecuted thee;”
Nehemiah 9:9-11,
“And didst see the afflictions of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea: and shewed signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on the people of his land; for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as it is this day. And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.”
Pharaoh and his princes and people were very great oppressors and persecutors of God's Israel, and therefore God visited them with ten dreadful plagues, one after another; but when, after all these plagues, God saw that their enmity against his people was as great, or rather greater than ever, and that they were still set upon persecuting of his people, then God takes up Pharaoh and his mighty host, and throws them as a stone into the mighty waters, (Exo 15:10).
God whets before he strikes, he bends his bow before he shoots, he prepares instruments of death before he brings men down to the grave, his hand takes hold on judgment before his judgments take hold of men; but if all these warnings will not serve their turns, God will overturn them with a witness. “He ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors,” or as the Hebrew has it, “against the hot burning persecutors.” God hath his hot burning arrows for hot burning persecutors. Let persecutors be never so hot against the saints, God will be as hot against them; and let them be never so much inflamed against the people of God, God will be as much inflamed against them.
When malicious and mischievous persecutors have done all they can to vex and fret, to daunt and affright, to dismay and discourage the people of God, then God will terrify the most terrible among them, and “they shall not prevail nor prosper, yea, they shall stumble and fall, they shall be ashamed and confounded.” When the time is expired that God has pre fixed for his people's sufferings, then God will retaliate upon their persecutors, then they that spoiled his people shall be spoiled, and they that dealt perfidiously[1] and treacherously with them, shall be dealt perfidiously and treacherously withal: 2 Thessalonians 1:6, “Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you.” It is but justice that God should trouble those that are the troublers of his people.
And God has even in this life been a swift witness against the persecutors of his people. Cain was a persecutor, and his brother's blood pursued him to hell; Pharaoh was a great oppressor and persecutor of his people, and God followed him with plague upon plague, and judgment upon judgment, till he had overthrown him in the Red Sea; Saul was a persecutor, and falls by his own sword; Haman was a great persecutor of the saints, and he was feasted with the king one day, and made a feast for crows the next; Pashur was a great persecutor, he smote the prophet Jeremiah, and put him in the stocks, and God threatened to make him a Magor-missabib, a terror to himself and to all his friends, Jeremiah 20:1-3; Zedekiah was a persecutor, he smote the prophet Micaiah on the cheek for dealing plainly and faithfully with the kings, and in the day of trouble and distress he goes from chamber to chamber to hide himself (1Ki 22); Jezebel was a great persecutor, she slew the prophets of God, and she was thrown out of a window, and eaten up of dogs, (1Ki 18:4-13; 2Ki 9:30); Herod the Great, who caused the babes of Bethlehem to be slain, hoping thereby to destroy Christ, shortly after was plagued by God with an incurable disease, having a slow and slack fire continually tormenting his inward parts; he had a vehement and greedy desire to eat, and yet nothing would satisfy him; his inward bowels rotted, his breath was short and stinking, some of his members rotted, and in all his members he had so violent a cramp that nature was not able to bear it; and so growing mad with pain, he died miserably.
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[1] From Crown and Glory of Christianity, Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Vol IV, pp. 261-300, reprinted by Banner of Truth. Thomas Brook s (1608-1680) Nonconformist preacher and advocate of the Congregational way. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Author of Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, and others. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” — Hebrews 12:14
Objection: Some may object, and say, We see that no persons on earth are exposed to such troubles, dangers, afflictions, and persecutions, as those are exposed to who mind holiness, who follow after holiness. These are days wherein men labor to frown holiness out of the world, and to scorn and kick holiness out of the world; and do you think that we are mad now to pursue after holiness? Now to this great and sore objection, I shall give these following answers
We’ve seen three of those answers to this point:
First, It must be granted that afflictions and persecutions has been the common lot and portion of the people of God in this world.
Secondly, Christ and his apostles hath long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world.
Thirdly, I answer, That all the troubles, afflictions, and persecutions that do befall you for holiness' sake, shall never hurt you nor harm you, they shall never prejudice you, nor wrong you in your main and great concernments:
4. Fourthly, I answer, That the condition of persecutors, of all conditions under heaven, is the most sad and deplorable condition; and this will appear by the consideration of these five things:
[A.] First, By the prayers and indictments that the saints have preferred against them in the highest court of justice, I mean in the parliament of heaven: Psalm 35:3-9,
“Draw out the spear, and stop the way against them that persecute me: say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul: let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt. Let them be as chaff before the wind; and let the angel of the Lord chase them. Let their way be dark and slippery, [or darkness and slipperiness;]and let the angel of the Lord persecute them. For without cause have they hid for me their net in a pit, which without cause they have digged for my soul. Let destruction come upon him at unawares; and let his net that he hath hid catch himself: into that very destruction let him fall.”
Lamentations 3:61, seq.,
“Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me. The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their music, [or I am their song.] Render unto them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. Persecute and destroy them in anger, from under the heavens of the Lord:”
2 Timothy 4:14,
“Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil; the Lord reward him according to his works.”
Thus you see how the hearts of the saints have been drawn out against their persecutors. Prayers are the arms that in times of persecution the saints have still had recourse to. But,
[B.] Secondly, Persecutions do but raise, whet, and stir up a more earnest and vehement spirit of prayer among the persecuted saints: Revelation 6:9, 10,
“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? ”
The blood of the persecuted cries aloud for vengeance upon the persecutors. There is no blood that cries so loud, and that makes so great a noise in heaven, as the blood of the martyrs, as the blood of butchered persecuted saints. Persecutors, like these Roman emperors, in all ages have causelessly and cruelly destroyed the people of God; they delight in the blood of saints, they love to wallow in the blood of saints, they take pleasure in glutting themselves with the blood of saints, they make no conscience of watering the earth, nor of coloring the sea, nor of quenching the flames with the blood of the saints, yea, if it were possible, they would willingly swim to heaven through their hearts' blood, whom Christ has purchased with his own most precious blood.
Persecution puts an edge, yea, a sharp edge, upon the prayers of the saints: Acts 12:5,
“Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”
The Greek word ektenes signifies earnest and stretched-out prayer. When Peter was in prison, sleeping between two soldiers, and bound with two chains, and the keepers standing before the prison door, oh, how earnest! Oh, how instant! Oh, how fervent! Oh, how vehement! Oh, how constant were the saints in their prayers for his deliverance! Oh, their hearts, their souls, their spirits were in their prayers! Oh, their prayers were no cold prayers, no formal prayers, no lukewarm prayers, nor no dull or drowsy prayers, but their prayers were full of life, and full of warmth, and full of heat. They knew Herod's bloody intention to destroy this holy apostle by his imprisoning of him, and by the chains that were put on him, and by the strong guards that, were set upon him, and by his bathing of his sword in the, innocent blood of James, that his hand might be the more apt and ready for further acts of murder and cruelty; and oh, how did the consideration of these things whet and provoke their spirits to prayer! Oh, now they will have no nay, now they will give God no rest, till he has overturned the tyrant's counsel and designs, and sent his angel to open the prison doors, and to knock off Peter's chains, and to deliver him from the wrath and fury of Herod; and their prayers were successful, as is evident in the 12th verse,
“And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying, [or rather, as the original has it,] where many thronged together to pray.”
The violence and rage of their persecutors did so raise, whet, and encourage them to prayer, that they throng together, they crowded together to pray, yea, when others were a-sleeping they were a-praying, and their prayers were no sleepy prayers, they were no lazy dronish prayers, nor they were no book-prayers, but they were powerful and prevalent prayers; for as so many Jacobs, or as so many princes, they prevailed with God; they prayed and wept, and wept and prayed; they called and cried, and cried and called; they begged and bounced, and they bounced and begged; and they never left knocking at heaven's gates till Peter's chains were knocked off, and Peter given into their arms, yea, their bosoms, as an answer of prayer. Oh the power and force of joint prayer, when Christians do not only beseech God, but besiege him, and beset him too, and when they will not let him go till he has blessed them, and answered their prayers and the desires of their souls!
I have read that Mary Queen of Scots, that was mother to King James, was wont to say that she was more afraid of Mr. Knox's prayers, and the prayers of those Christians that walked with him, than she was of a knocking army of ten thousand men.
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[1] From Crown and Glory of Christianity, Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Vol IV, pp. 261-300, reprinted by Banner of Truth. Thomas Brook s (1608-1680) Nonconformist preacher and advocate of the Congregational way. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Author of Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, and others. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” — Hebrews 12:14
Thirdly, I answer, That all the troubles, afflictions, and persecutions that do befall you for holiness' sake, shall never hurt you nor harm you, they shall never prejudice you, nor wrong you in your main and great concernments:
Exodus 3:2,
“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”
Here you have a bush, a dry bush, a bramble-bush all on a-light fire, and yet not consumed. This burning bush was an excellent emblem of the church in the fire of tribulation and persecution. Though the church may seem to be all on fire by reason of afflictions and persecutions, yet it shall be preserved, it shall not be destroyed. God would not suffer his anointed ones, his sanctified ones, so much as to be touched, hurt, or harmed by those who had malice enough in their hearts, and power enough in their hands, not only to hurt them, but even to destroy them. Sanctified persons are sacred persons, and they that touch them touch the apple of God's eye, and whosoever shall be so bold to touch the apple of God's eye shall dearly smart for it.
It was no small affliction to have no settled habitation. To fly from place to place, from kingdom to kingdom, and from nation to nation, was without all peradventure an afflicted condition. Doubtless many fears and frights, many hazards and dangers did attend them, when they considered that they were as lilies among the thorns, and as a few sheep among a multitude of wolves. In the land of Canaan there were seven mighty nations (Deu 7:1). Now for the people of God, who were so few in number that they might easily and quickly be told, to sojourn and wander among these, could not but be very dangerous and perilous; and yet such was the love of God to them, and the care of God over them, that he suffered no man, whether he was high or low, honorable or base, rich or poor, civil or profane, to hurt or harm them: Daniel 3:25, 27,
“And the king answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like unto the Son of God. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.”
Though these holy men were cast into a furnace, into a fiery furnace, into the midst of a hot fiery furnace, yet God will work a miracle, yea, a glorious miracle, rather than the fire shall in the least hurt or harm them. God gives a commission to the fire to burn those mighty men that made the fire, and that cast his children into the fire, and whom the king would have to be spared and saved; and he lays a law of restraint upon the fire, that it should not hurt nor harm them whom the king would have destroyed.
Those, whom the King of kings will not have hurt, shall not be hurt, let kings and princes do their worst; that fire that burnt their bonds had no power to burn, no nor to touch, their bodies. God would not suffer the fire to singe a hair of their heads, nor to change the colour of their coats, nor to leave so much as an ill smell upon his people, that those heathen princes might see how tender he was of them, and how willing he was to put forth his almighty power rather than he would see them wronged or harmed. So chapters 6:21-23,
“Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angels, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.”
Holiness, innocency, and integrity will preserve a man even among lions. Daniel preferred the worship of his God before his life. He made no great reckoning of his life when it stood in competition with divine glory, and therefore, rather than Daniel shall be hurt, God will by a miracle preserve him, he will stop the mouths of the hungry lions, and he will tame their rage, and overmaster their cruelty, rather than a hair of Daniel's head shall perish. When Daniel was taken out of the den, there was no hurt, no wound, no sore, no bruise found upon him. Daniel was a harmless man, and God keeps him from harms in the midst of harms.
Acts 18:9, 10,
“Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city.”
Paul met with many trials and troubles, bonds and prisons, oppositions and persecutions, and yet none of all these hurt him, but God miraculously preserved him even to old age (Act 20:23). All the troubles, afflictions, and persecutions that attends holiness, can never reach a Christian's soul, they can never diminish a Christian's treasure; they reach the shell, not the kernel; the case, not the jewel; the lumber, not the goods; the outhouse,[2] not the palace; the ribbon in the hat, not the gold in the purse. The most fiery trials and persecutions can never deprive a Christian of the special presence of God, nor of the light of his countenance, nor of the testimony of a good conscience, nor of the joys of the Spirit, nor of the pardon of sin, nor of fellowship with Christ, nor of the exercise of grace, nor of the hopes of glory (Psa 23:4; 2Co 1:8,9,12); and therefore certainly they can't hurt a Christian, they can't wrong a Christian in his greatest and chiefest concernments.
O Christian, let persecutors do their worst, they can't reach thy soul, thy God, thy comfort, thy crown, thy paradise, &c.; and therefore let no man be kept off from pursuing after holiness because of afflictions or persecutions, seeing none of these can reach a Christian's great concernments.
[1] From Crown and Glory of Christianity, Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Vol IV, pp. 261-300, reprinted by Banner of Truth. Thomas Brook s (1608-1680) Nonconformist preacher and advocate of the Congregational way. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Author of Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, and others. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.
Haunted houses, ghosts, demons—our Western culture can’t seem to get enough of the spirit world. The latest Gallup poll indicates that 42% of Americans believe in demon possession, 37% believe in haunted houses, and 32% believe in ghosts. (Not just Americans are enthralled—40% of the British believe in haunted houses, too.)
Though interest in the paranormal is widespread, the majority of people are skeptical. They discount all spirit activity, going so far as to deny the existence of Satan and demons. Atheists stated this view succinctly in a sign they planted next to a manger scene last Christmas at the capitol building in Olympia, Washington:
“There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world.”
What is the Christian position?
First and foremost, we must remember that the non-Christian position is, indeed, just that, non-Christian! It is the position of non-Christians with all that this implies. From the inability to know and understand God, to the inability to know and understand their own heart, to outright animosity to God and spiritual things. It is their nature to to do that which is antagonistic to God and seek to rebel against Him. It is not surprising, then, that there is a “holiday” that celebrates all that is the diametric opposite of holiness, making light of the things of darkness and seeking make them seem inoffensive and harmless. Nor is it unusual, in light of this, that this holiday should come on the eve of the remembrance of the Reformation in this country when we remembrance the resurgence of the doctrine of Justification be Grace through Faith.
Clearly, outright denial of Satan and demons is not the answer. That view rejects the revelation in the Bible and the phenomena witnessed clearly and broadly in many lands and societies. The first- and second-world countries, not just third-world countries, experience demonic powers, whether knowingly or unknowingly. Of course Dr. Dickason is 100% on the money here. The tendency in the church, along with the rest of the rationalistic 20th Century, has been to discount all such activity in times past, and that has been a tragic error. There clearly are demonic power, Dickason observes and the Bible asserts, and they are active in the world.
As the former chairman of the theology department at Moody Bible Institute and author of “Demon Possession & the Christian”, I have carefully studied such topics. Demons are real and need to be taken seriously, even if many claims about evil spirits are fabricated or exaggerated. Sadly, in many conservative, fundamental churches, these ideas are dismissed as marginal, hysterical or as Charismatic. This is a terrible mistake. There is no reason to think that Satan and His forces are any less active today than they were in the time of Christ.
Unless we have a biblical view of God, mankind, and the spirit world, we will not have the perspective to understand the evil that plagues our world. I can say no less than a hearty “Amen!” to Dr. Dickasen’s statement here. At the same time, I know that this thinking is radical and foreign and may open one to attack from those around us as primitive and superstitious. And that is precisely what Satan would wish them to think!
Biblical Perspective on Satan’s Role
How does the Bible throw light on this problem? The biblical answer is connected to the fall of Satan and his angels and his role in the fall of the head of all mankind, Adam.
How could a good and powerful God allow evil spirits to trouble us since the very beginning?
First, let’s recall several truths about the nature of God, the limitations on fallen angels, and God’s final judgment. As always, an excellent place to start! The sovereignty of God – His control of His world and limitations His nature and power place on His world is the best to begin our understanding of any subject. To begin in the middle of any subject will only frustrate our search for truth – and to begin, as the unredeemed begin, without a starting place, is fruitless!
The God Factor. The same Bible that presents the inception and continuation of sin and evil also presents God as One who is holy, righteous, and perfect in all His ways and who hates evil (Deuteronomy 32:3–4). He is sovereign, omnipotent, and in control. He has no potential successful rival (Isaiah 41:4, 43:13; Revelation 4:11). Evil did not rise up apart from His control; otherwise, He would not be God.
It seems best to say that God, for good reasons, allowed evil to come into being. Believers confess that God is the Author of a plan, a perfect plan, that included allowing His creatures to choose to sin (Isaiah 45:7; Acts 14:16). His ultimate good purpose must be best served by such a plan.
Perhaps He allowed angels to sin so that He might give a concrete example of the wretchedness and degradation of sin. Perhaps He used the test to gain a group of angels to serve Him from choice and love while others fell. By this means He could show in specific form His hatred and judgment of sin, as in Pharaoh’s case (Romans 9:17–18). We would never know the magnitude of God’s grace in preserving most of the angels and in the costly redemption of unworthy, sinful man. The price of our redemption is the death of the eternal Son of God, who became our God-man Redeemer.
The Angel Factor. Satan was the lead angel, but in pride he deliberately chose to sin against his Creator. The responsibility falls on him, not on God in any way. The angels who joined Satan planned their rebellion despite all they knew of the greatness and goodness of God.
Moreover, Scripture reveals that God is sovereign over these evil spirits and has always limited the expression of their sin and its devastating effects. He allows it for only a finite time between Satan’s fall and His coming judgment. Further, He controls the magnitude of Satan’s evil even within that time frame (Psalm 11:4–7, 96:1–13; Romans 2:1–16).
The Judgment Factor. God in His righteousness has condemned sin in the fullest sense. He has judged it throughout human history. He also judged it in awesome dimensions in the sacrifice of His eternal Son, a sacrificial punishment more than all creatures combined could ever suffer. Ultimately, God will forever punish Satan, his demonic hordes, and all other evildoers in the lake of fire, and He will banish sin forever from the universe when He makes all things new in the new heavens and earth (Revelation 20:10–15, 21:4–5).
So scripture guarantees that God is in full control of His creation; He did not cause evil, and He will judge all evil. I would only add that all that has transpired is clearly within the plan of God that was within His mind from eternity past. Nothing has caught Him by surprise. There have been no alterations and no amendments to the plan, no last minute changes. Though it is certainly true that God did not “cause” evil, He did allow it to take place. He could have prevented it; He chose not to do so for reasons of His own that He has, in turn, chosen not to reveal to us in any detail. While that may not seem fail to us, as the Creator, it is His privilege so to do.
Demons Through the Ages
Demons have always opposed God, His purposes, and His people. In the Old Testament days, demons brought attacks against God’s nation, Israel. Demons also oppose the Church, Christ’s body.
They promote false doctrine and divisions, they produce false teachers and followers, and they incite persecution. No other religion of the world receives such opposition and deadly persecution. Satan and demons hate the Messiah—the Creator who became the Savior—and anyone who follows Him. It is important to remember this. They are not merely neutral. Neutrality may be a thing that is true on a personal level, but it is not so spiritually. Spiritually they are antagonistic to all that God desires and thus to all that His people stand for. There is no middle ground here. There is no place for any compromise. Either one is for what God has declared, or one is against it. It quite literally that simple. It is not subjective, it not up to the machinations of our spirit or the development of opinion. God has given us an objective standard by which to measure, that being His Word. That standard is nowhere near as difficult to understand and interpret as many would have us think. It speaks plainly and clearly. In these areas it is clear and frank.
Satan and demons have not faded from the scene. They continue their evil activity. Their activity is more blatant in some places than others, but their presence is still experienced worldwide. The Bible warns that their activity will reach new heights in the future. The pinnacle of satanic activity will be embodied in Antichrist and his program (2 Thessalonians 2:9). However, Satan and his fallen angels will ultimately be defeated, and God will throw Satan and his angels into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7–10; Matthew 25:41).
God will create new heavens and a new earth in which believers will enjoy His presence and provisions forever. Throughout eternal ages, righteousness will permanently rule on earth (2 Peter 3:13); and Satan, demons, and human evildoers will be forever punished. By God’s goodness and grace, those who place their trust in Christ will enjoy a wonderful world where there are no more fears, tears, pains, or deaths. There will be no recycling of evil. Evil will be forever banished (Revelation 21–22).
Demonic Activity in the World
Demons are alive and active today, but we can rest in the reality of our Father’s gracious and powerful control.According to the Bible, demons are real spiritual and personal beings, not just forces or phenomena in the physical and psychological realm. Various Bible passages reveal that they have intellect, emotions, and will. They think, hate, and choose plans of action against God, Christ, and mankind. They especially hate believers in Christ because believers belong to Christ and are foes of Satan.
The Scriptures provide many details about demons. They are spirit beings created by God and responsible to God (Colossians 1:16). They are creatures limited in space, time, and powers. They have become morally perverted and are called “unclean spirits” (Matthew 10:1) or “evil spirits” (Luke 7:21). They promote immoral and sensuous lifestyles (2 Peter 2:1–18). They cause false teachers of depraved minds to oppose the truth and appeal to carnal and selfish impulses (2 Timothy 3:6). They sow false followers of Christ in the world (Matthew 13:37–42). They blind the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing God’s salvation through faith in His Son (2 Corinthians 4:3–4).
Demons promote primitive religions, magic, superstition, and worship of evil spirits. They are the dynamic behind idolatry and their devotees, whether worshipers of the gods Marduk, Asher, Zeus, Jupiter, Apollo, Ra, Diana, Aphrodite, or a host of lesser manmade deities. Witchcraft and astrology are among the earliest false religions that they have inspired in the minds of men. Satanism stands out among their more recent promotions.
The Bible reveals that demons may invade and seek to control humans (Luke 22:3–4). The Greek word for “demon possession” denotes “demon-caused passivity.” It is used of an internal control manifest in either physical or psychological problems. Once again, we must make clear that this is not a popular notion and will open the believer to both ridicule and the charge of being extreme and old fashioned. In the modern world, such things are looked down upon and dismissed as a part of the old world, the uneducated world, superstition and the like. To embrace and cheerfully put such ideas forth as fact is much akin to upholding the idea of a young earth or opposing global warming – you are view as an idiot and dismissed as lacking in intelligence and overwhelmed by religious zeal. But, in reality, it is the holders of the other viewpoint that are the ones overwhelmed by the “religious” zeal, the zeal of the unredeemed!
Demonic Opposition to Believers
I’ve long chuckled at those who espouse the detailed and hysterical conspiracy theories that surround our government and the things that occur from time to time. It is amazing the things that fly sometimes. There are huge conspiracy theories, for instance, about what happened on 9/11. Many would swear that George Bush, the Republican Congress and the others in Corporate America engineered the attack and made it look like Islam to draw us into an attack on the Middle East for the sake of oil; a ridiculous theory. I’ve chuckled, not because there are no conspiracies, but because those conspiracies are not human, they are Satanic! Satan and his angels have long targeted God and His people, and any people or nation that remotely honors Him for destruction. Anything they can do to detract attention from the Gospel they’ll do. Anything they can do to subvert and detract money away from missions and from the support of the work of Gospel they will do.
Demons—those rebellious angels who followed Satan—especially target true believers who are a threat to them. At least sixteen passages in the New Testament address demonic opposition to Christians. Perhaps their greatest deceptive device is that of counterfeiting (2 Corinthians 11:13–15). Satan sought to be like God, and so he imitates some of God’s powers (as did the magicians in Pharaoh’s court) and distorts God’s message.
Perhaps demons’ greatest deceptive device is that of counterfeiting. They promote legalism as well as license.Christians must beware of any changes to the gospel of God’s saving grace in Christ. Satan promotes legalism, as well as license (Galatians 5:1–4, 13–14). So Christians must guard their lives by following God’s truth and depending upon the Holy Spirit, lest they let their sinful desires overrule God’s will.
Demons tempt and seek to lead true believers astray from following Christ (2 Corinthians 11:13–15). They promote rebellion and posit slander against God and men (Genesis 3:1–6; Revelation 12:9). They abhor the grace of God and attack the character of God by causing people to think of Him as dominating, restricting, and vengeful. They attack a Christian’s confidence and commitment to Christ, and in their place they insert accusing thoughts.1 They tempt people to lie, to commit sexual sins, to be preoccupied with this world’s values, to rely on human wisdom, to be proud in spiritual matters. They bring discouragement and division, both doctrinal and relational. They incite persecution, prevent service, and infiltrate the church. In each case, we have a choice to make—to give in or stand firm in Christ.
The Time of Satan’s Fall [3]
Job 38:7 says all of God’s angels rejoiced in seeing God’s creation of the world. Satan and his angels must have witnessed the creation of man, in particular, because one of Satan’s desires was to rule over man (Isaiah 14:13). So we have some idea about when Satan was created—prior to the creation of Adam. But when did he fall?
Obviously, Satan must have fallen before he tempted Eve and Adam (Genesis 3). Since God pronounced all His creation “very good” at the end of Creation Week (Genesis 1:31), the implication is that Satan had not yet rebelled against God. So it appears that Satan fell after Day Six of creation but before Adam’s sin.
After Satan rebelled, his character was corrupted as “the evil one” (1 John 3:12), his power became perverted, and God cast him and his followers out of heaven (Isaiah 14:12).
[1] This is a Reprint of an article received by forward in email. It is attributed as best I was able. Comments by Pastor Farrow are in Red
[2] C. Fred Dickason is the former chairman of the theology department at Moody Bible Institute and is the author of numerous books on angels and demons. He holds a ThM in theology and a ThD in New Testament literature and Exegesis from Dallas Theological Seminary.
[3] C. F. Dickason, Angels: Elect and Evil (Moody Publishers, 1995), pp. 155–159.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” — Hebrews 12:14
Secondly, Christ and his apostles hath long since foretold us that afflictions and persecutions will attend us in this world.
The Lord hath long since forewarned us, that we may be forearmed, and not surprised on a sudden when they come. Christ hath shot off many a warning piece in his word, and sent many a harbinger,[1] that so we may stand upon our guard, and not be surprised nor astonished when afflictions and persecutions overtake us: Matthew 10:22,
“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved.” Chapter 16:24,
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
Luke 21:12,
“But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake.”
John 15:20,
“Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than the lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.”
Ah Christians, since they have crowned your head with thorns, there is no reason why you should expect to be crowned with rosebuds. John 16:33,
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Acts 14:21, 22,
“And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.”
As there was no way to paradise but by the flaming sword, nor no way to Canaan but through a wilderness; so there is no way to heaven but by the gates of hell, there is no way to a glorious exaltation but through a sea of tribulation. They do but dream and deceive their own souls who think to go to heaven upon beds of down, or in a soft and delicate way, or that think to be attended to glory with mirth and music, or with singing or dancing. The way to happiness is not strewed with roses, but full of thorns and briers, as those of whom this world was not worthy have experienced.
Ecclesiastical histories tell us that all the apostles died violent deaths. Peter was crucified with his heels upward — Christ was crucified with his head upwards, but Peter thought this was too great an honour for him to be crucified as his Lord, and therefore he chose to be crucified with his heels upward; and Andrew was crucified by Egeus, king of Edessa; and James the son of Zebedee was slain by Herod with the sword, (Act 12:2); and Philip was crucified at Hierapolis in Asia; and while Bartholomew was preaching the glad tidings of salvation, multitudes fell upon him and beat him down with staves, and then crucified him, and after all this, his skin was flayed off, and he beheaded; Thomas was slain with a dart [2] at Calumina in India; and Matthew was slain with a spear, say some, others say he was run through with a sword; and James the son of Alpheus, who was called the Just, was thrown down from off a pinnacle of the temple, and yet having some life left in him, he was brained with a fuller's club; Lebbeus was slain by Agbarus, king of Edessa; and Paul was beheaded at Rome under Nero; and Simon the Canaanite was crucified in Egypt, say some, others say that he and Jude were slain in a tumult of the people; and Matthias was stoned to death; and John was banished into Patmos, (Rev 1:9), and afterwards, as some histories tell us, he was by that cruel tyrant Domitian cast into a tun [3] of scalding lead, and yet delivered by a miracle. Thus all these precious servants of God, except John, died violent deaths, and so through sufferings entered into glory; they found in their own experience the truth of what Christ had foretold concerning their sufferings and persecutions.
When Mr. Bradford was told that his chain was a-buying, and that he must be burnt, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, “I thank God for it; I have looked for this a long time; it comes not to me suddenly, but as a thing waited for every day, yea, every hour in the day; the Lord make me worthy thereof.” If upon God's warning you will but prepare for sufferings, you will never fear nor faint under sufferings, yea, then you will be able under the greatest persecutions to bear up bravely, and with holy Bradford bless the Lord that has called you to so high an honour as to count you worthy to suffer for his name.
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[1] harbinger – that which precedes and gives notice of the expected arrival of something else.
[2] dart – a short lance.
[3] tun – a large cask.
[a] From Crown and Glory of Christianity, Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Vol IV, pp. 261-300, reprinted by Banner of Truth. Thomas Brook s (1608-1680) Nonconformist preacher and advocate of the Congregational way. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Author of Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, and others. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.
It’s amazing what one finds when one stops parroting others and reads the Bible for one’s self. [Of course, this is a common failing in our society. We’d rather do anything but work for ourselves. Pascal said that men:
"Being unable to cure death, wretchedness, and ignorance men have decided, in order to be happy, not to think about such things."[1]
Sadly, men's minds must be occupied with something! And so, they occupy it with trivialities. Things that do not matter in the long run. That. in turn crowds out the things that do matter. The greatest of these matters are the things of God with the result that men do not know the very God is their Creator.
A friend [of Brother Thornton] tells the story of how, when he and his wife began to discover the real truths of God’s character and who He really is, his wife proclaimed, “That was not in my Bible before!” I remember having that same epiphany myself some years back. But, I must sadly confess that the more people I talk to, the more I realize that the professing church is in a very sad state of affairs. [How true it is, and how shocking! people are startlingly illiterate of the things of God and embarrassingly unembarrassed about the ignorance! It is bad enough that the society at large has little knowledge of the things of God, but the professing Church has virtually just as little.]
It is one rooted in biblical illiteracy, and it results in people professing the name of Christ who do not really know the Jesus of Scripture. The god they worship is, sadly, a figment of their imagination. He exists only as an apparition in their minds. He has been conjured up out of thin air. In the words of Andy from Shawshank Redemption, “He’s a phantom, an apparition, second cousin to Harvey the rabbit…”. [I fear many would dismiss this as radical and judgmental. They would view it as harsh and condemning and find any number of ways to cast Brian's opinion aside as irrelevant and immaterial. But He is correct in His assertion. The God that many, even in most Bible-preaching churches today, is not the God of the Bible; and the Jesus Whom most people profess to follow is not the Christ of the Scripture.]
What I want to do in this post and maybe a couple of others is to display the real Jesus, the Jesus of Scripture. [There is nothing more that any preacher CAN or OUGHT to do!] Quite honestly, I want to quash the Jesus that is prevalent in so many minds and rules in so many churches. This will not be a comprehensive or exhaustive look at Christ, for the whole world would not be able to contain the books that would be required to do such an examination. My plan is simply to reveal some things that I am convinced people who profess faith in Jesus don’t even know or realize is true about Him. [How could they, as they rarely, if ever look at the only thing that could reveal those to them, that being the Word of God, the Bible?] Who knows, even you may come away from this exclaiming, “That Jesus was not in my Bible before!”
After Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil, He begins His earthly ministry by returning to Galilee and the surrounding country, teaching in the synagogues and being “glorified by all”. When He comes to Nazareth, though, something different happens. As in all the surrounding areas, He goes to the synagogue and begins reading from the Scriptures and speaking to the people. One would think that He probably preached a message of hope and encouragement, or perhaps one of forgiveness and acceptance. No. Not here. In Nazareth, Jesus opens His mouth and preaches on the doctrine of election in two sentences. And what He says infuriates the people so much that they try to throw Him off a cliff! [It is scenes like that we OUGHT to be using to model our ministries after and using to shape our outreach strategies on; but no, we are shaping them using the world’s techniques. Somehow we have confused the need to be like Christ with the need to achieve results and accomplish a goal. Christ has not called us to get the result, but to be faithful to the calling.]
Here is what He said that made the people so mad:
But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian. When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. – Luke 4:25-29
Why did the people get so angry at this? All He was doing was recounting a couple of Old Testament stories about Elijah and Elisha and how they each had healed someone. What’s the big deal? The big deal was that the person healed in each instance was not Jewish. They were outsiders. They were the scum of the earth in the eyes of Israel. here is what John Gill says about what Jesus was preaching that day regarding starving widows and lepers:
to none of the poor widows in the land of Israel was the prophet sent, to supply them with food, and relieve them in their famishing circumstances, as might most reasonably have been expected…Our Lord meant to observe, by this instance…that God bestows his favors on persons in a sovereign way, and sometimes upon the most unlikely; as in a time of famine, he overlooked the poor widows in Israel, his peculiar people, and sent his prophet to a Gentile woman in one of the cities of Sidon
In other words, God chose one person over and above some others. He demonstrated His favor over one person at the expense of some others. [Of course, that doctrine always lights the fires in the hearts of fleshly people. Those who are thinking more of men than of the glory of God are upset when men are not at the center of the plan, even when it is clear that God is the One that is at the center of that plan.] Consider also Gill’s comments on Jesus reference to the lepers in Elisha’s day:
and none of them was cleansed; from their leprosy, by any direction of the prophet, but Naaman, who was not an Israelite, but a Syrian: he was cleansed and cured of his leprosy, being ordered by Elisha to dip himself seven times in Jordan, which he did, and was healed
Why did Jesus do this? Why did He not preach a message of love and acceptance and tolerance for all people? Why was He not positive in His message? What kind of evangelist was this, anyway? Surely He knew that what He was about to say was going to incite the people. [An interesting question…the only conclusion is that He deliberately provoked them – a fascinating concept given the popular conceptions of God] Yet truth is truth, and God is God. Jesus asserted the sovereignty of God in His sermon that day. He showed that God is the one who does the choosing – He alone determines on whom his favor will rest – and the people hated Him for it. Consider these final thoughts from Gill:
these two instances of Elijah and Elisha, the one supplying the wants of a Sidonian woman, and the other healing a Syrian leper, when no notice were taken by them of poor widows and lepers in Israel:for by these instances they perceived, that they were compared to the Israelites in the times of wicked Ahab and Jezebel; and that no miracles were to be wrought among them, or benefits conferred on them, though they were his townsmen; yea, that the Gentiles were preferred unto them: and indeed the calling of the Gentiles was here plainly intimated, which was always ungrateful and provoking to the Jews; and it was suggested, that the favors of God, and grace of the Messiah, are dispensed in a sovereign and discriminating way, than which nothing is more offensive to carnal minds.
Is that offensive to you? Do you rail against the idea that God chooses one over the other? Bow your will to Scripture, for the Word of God is saturated with that truth from Genesis to Revelation. Don’t shoot the messenger. It’s there. Go read it for yourself. This is the Jesus most Christians don’t know. [This is, indeed a Christ that most people do not know, a deliberately confrontive, even offensive Christ. One Who stands before people and calls them to think forcefully and even offensively (though surely not vulgarly). It is the Christ that appears time and again during the Gospels. It is the Christ that appeared to both the people and to the leaders. It is the Christ that was eventually crucified!]
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” — Hebrews 12:14
Objection: Some may object, and say, We see that no persons on earth are exposed to such troubles, dangers, afflictions, and persecutions, as those are exposed to who mind holiness, who follow after holiness. These are days wherein men labor to frown holiness out of the world, and to scorn and kick holiness out of the world; and do you think that we are mad now to pursue after holiness? Now to this great and sore objection, I shall give these following answers
1. First, It must be granted that afflictions and persecutions has been the common lot and portion of the people of God in this world.
Abel was persecuted by Cain, (1Jo 3:12), and Isaac by Ishmael, (Gal 4:29). That seems to be a standing law,
“All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution,” (2Ti 3:12).
A man may have many faint wishes and cold desires after godliness, and yet escape persecution; yea, he may make some essays[2] and attempts as if he would be godly, and yet escape persecution; but when a man is thoroughly resolved to be godly, and sets himself in good earnest upon pursuing after holiness and living a life of godliness, then he must expect to meet with afflictions and persecutions.
It is neither a Christian's gifts nor his graces, it is neither his duties nor his services that can secure him. Whoever escapes, the godly man shall not escape persecution in one kind or another, in one degree or another. He that will live up to holy rules, and live out holy principles, must prepare for sufferings. All the roses of holiness are surrounded with pricking briers.
The history of the ten persecutions, and that little book of martyrs, the 11th of the Hebrews, and Mr. Foxe his Acts and Monuments,[3] with many other treatises that are extant, do abundantly evidence that from age to age, and from one generation to another, they that have been born after the flesh have persecuted them that have been born after the Spirit, (Gal 4:20), and that the seed of the serpent have been still a-multiplying of troubles upon the seed of the woman.
Would any man take the church's picture, saith Luther, then let him paint a poor silly maid sitting in a wilderness, compassed about with hungry lions, wolves, boars, and bears, and with all manner of other cruel, hurtful beasts, and in the midst of a great many furious men assaulting her every moment and minute, for this is her condition in the world. As certain as the night follows the day, so certain will that black angel, persecution, follow holiness wherever it goes.
In the last of the ten persecutions, seventeen thousand holy martyrs were slain in the space of one month. And in Queen Mary's days, or, if you will, in the Marian days, not of blessed, but of most abhorred memory, the Popish prelates[4] in less than four years sacrificed the lives of eight hundred innocents to their idols! And oh that that precious innocent blood did not still cry to heaven for vengeance against this nation!
[1] From Crown and Glory of Christianity, Thomas Brooks, The Works of Thomas Brooks, Vol IV, pp. 261-300, reprinted by Banner of Truth. Thomas Brook s (1608-1680) Nonconformist preacher and advocate of the Congregational way. Born into a Puritan family, he was sent to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Author of Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices, The Mute Christian under the Smarting Rod, and others. He was buried in Bunhill Fields.
[3] Acts and Monuments – a reference to the great work by John Foxe (1516-1587) originally entitled Actes and Monuments of These Latter Perilous Days, known to us as Foxe's Book of Martyrs.
[4] prelate – a minister or priest of the higher order, as an archbishop, bishop, or patriarch.
Oh Lord, I confess and weep over my omissions of duty, my neglect of it and trifling in it, and that I have done so little since I came into the world of the great work I was sent into the world about, so very little to answer the end of my creation or of my redemption, of my birth and of my baptism; and that I have profited no more by the means of grace. I have been as a fig tree planted in the vineyard, and you have come many years seeking fruit from me but have found none; and therefore I might justly be cut down and thrown into the fire Matthew 3:10(ESV) for using up the ground: Luke 13:6-7(ESV) - But Lord, You have exercised grace and patience!
You have come looking for grapes, but beheld wild grapes; Isaiah 5:4(ESV) for I have been an empty vine bringing forth fruit to myself. Hosea 10:1(ESV), but again Lord, Your eyes were patient , look to that One Who came in my stead. Lord, I have time and again known the right thing to do, but have failed to do it. James 4:17(ESV) I have hid my Master’s money, so to speak, Matthew 25:18(ESV) and therefore, like the wicked and slothful servant deserve the doom of my Master. Matthew 25:26(ESV) but once again Lord, Your eyes are not on me, but on the crucified One. I have been an unfaithful steward who has wasted my Lord’s possessions; Luke 16:1(ESV) for as You Word says: "one sinner destroys much good". Ecclesiastes 9:18(ESV) Lord, often there has been money in my hand to buy wisdom, yet I have had no sense to, Proverbs 17:16(ESV) or like the fool my heart has been inclined to the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2(ESV)
My youth and dawn of life were vanity, Ecclesiastes 11:10(ESV) and I have brought my years to an end like a sigh. Psalm 90:9(ESV) I have not known or improved the day of my visitation; Luke 19:44(ESV) I haven't prepared bread in summer nor gathered food in harvest, though I have given much... Proverbs 6:7-8(ESV) I am slow of heart to understand and believe; Luke 24:25(ESV) Lord, I have much yet to learn the basic principles of the oracles of God: I have much need of milk, and there is much evidence that I cannot bear solid food. Hebrews 5:12(ESV)
Lord, It is frequently true that I have done away with the fear of God and hindered meditation before God; Job 15:4(ESV) I often do not called upon your name, or roused myself to take hold of you. Isaiah 64:7(ESV) To my shame I have come to you as your people come, and have sat before you as your people sit, and have heard what you have said, when my heart at the same time has been set after gain. Ezekiel 33:31(ESV) And thus have I brought the torn and the lame and the sick for sacrifice, have presented to my God that which I would not have presented to my governor; Malachi 1:8(ESV) and have vowed and sacrificed to the Lord what is blemished, when I had better in my flock. Malachi 1:14(ESV) But all of this Lord, all of it is under Your torn flesh and Your shed blood…
And thanks be to God, for apart from that truth there would be not hope, I would have not hope at all. How could I hope to make amends for even one offense, let alone for the enormity of all of my offense together? Oh Lord - thanks be to Your mercy and to Your grace - given before the world ever began...
“I am the Lord, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me, That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’ (Is 45:5-7).
O Lord - what glorious words - they are high and lifted up - how can we even begin to appreciate them? Surely Lord you do those things that we cannot and would not do ourselves! You made the earth, You created man on it. You—Your hands—stretched out the heavens, and all their host You have commanded. (Isaiah 45:12) It is You Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited.
You have proclaimed time and again: “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, In a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob, ‘Seek Me in vain’.
I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right (Isaiah 45:18-19). Indeed Lord, Your hand has laid the foundation of the earth, and Your right hand has stretched out the heavens. When You call to those heavens, they stand up together. (Isaiah 48:13)
Time and again we heard the preacher say those words from Isaiah’s mouth: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.” Truly we understand the what was said to David; “Where is the house that you will build Me? Where is the place of My rest?” We remember that Stephen cited this passage before the Sanhedrin in reminding them that You do not in stone and Golden palaces. “For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” You say O Lord. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word. O Lord it is our desire to be that people! Give us a that poor and contrite heart and let us tremble, truly tremble and the sound of Your voice this morning! For Lord, we know that that is where godliness lay…
Meet with us and let us know that we have met with You…
We stand alone Lord. We stand as Your people among the peoples of the earth. You have placed us as Your beacon among nations and asked us to shine among them. Hear, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see. (Isaiah 37:16-17a) For they raise their voices and their fists against you. Hear all the words of the unredeemed, which have raised up a reproach the living God. (Isaiah 37:b).
How can they stand against You O Lord? Who of them has measured the waters in the hollow of Your hand or measured heaven with a span and calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Which of them has weighed the mountains in scales or the hills in a balance?
Their pride drives their mouths to striking blasphemies Father, but yet, Who has directed the You, or as You counselor has taught You? With which of them did You ask opinion in any matter, and who instructed You and taught You in the path of what is just? Who has knowledge of anything that You do not already have and can show You the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations are as a drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust on the scales. You lift up the very islands as a very little thing! The entire forests of Lebanon are not sufficient to burn, nor are its beasts sufficient for a burnt offering. Lord, all nations before You are as nothing. In truth, they are counted as less than nothing and worthless compared to Your worth. (Isaiah 40:12-17).
Lift up your eyes on high, And see who has created these things, Who brings out their host by number. Lord, You call them all by name, by the greatness of Your might and the strength of His power, not one of the called are missing. (Isaiah 40:26)
We hear what Isaiah says and we wonder at its’ beauty Lord!
1Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
I want to make a joyful shout Lord, I truly wish it was all lands! I truly wish it was all peoples - it grieves my heart that men dishonor and forget you and treat you as it you were not there. I am not certain sometimes what keeps me from shouting, but for my own pride and my own flesh, my own desire to not appear foolish in the eyes of those same peoples. Lord, show me how I can shout, let me lift my voice and show your glory to all me without reservation and without thought for my own reputation!
2Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Pride is a horror to me. Let it not be found in me. Let me be glad to serve and let me be ever seeking to humbly and without thought for self bowing my knee to you. Lord, I give myself to you and let you and your service my all in all. I am nothing and my future is nothing but yours to use. When I in your presence, let that the happiest time there is for me!
3Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
I do know it Lord. Let me now live it in every thing and every thought. Let it rule my every breath and every waking moment. God, I want to be about nothing but the serving of you and your church, at large and at the Church because I know that it you who made me and not I. I know that I am yours and the sheep of your pasture.
4Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
Oh Lord, when I enter your presence, let it not be with a petition on my lips, but with thankful praise in my heart. Let me not come wanting something. But let me come simply because you are my Father and I want to be with you and praise you and thank you for what you have done for me. I don't mean to be trite and meaningless - but Lord, how tiring it must be for you to hear a list of shopping requests all the time. God let me be faithful to pray and to ask for you command me to do so. But let me also be faithful to simply be thankful and full of praise as well! For you are surely a God who deserves both!
5For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.
Oh God how can a man even begin to express how good you truly are? How can good, a human word say what God is? We are men and we think in human terms, but you are God. We long for eternity so that we can, at last, see you as you are and have tongues that praise you as you deserve to be praised! O Lord - bring that day quickly. Until then - give us hearts to worship and praise you and tongues that never tire of worshipping and praising.
Oh Lord, You are great and greatly to be praised; You are to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the You made the heavens. They are for nothing but dishonor while honor and majesty are before You and strength and beauty are in His sanctuary (Ps 96:4-6). And so I will bless the Lord, and all His works, in all places of His dominion. I will say with David: Bless the Lord, O my soul! (Ps 103:22).
Indeed! Bless the Lord, O my soul! For You are very great O Lord my God! You are clothed with honor and majesty and cover Yourself with light as with a garment; stretching out the heavens like a curtain. You lay the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, You make the clouds His chariot, You walk on the wings of the wind, You make Your angels spirits and Your ministers a flame of fire. (Ps 104:1-4).
O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all. The earth is full of Your possessions—This great and wide sea, in which are innumerable teeming things, living things both small and great. There the ships sail about; and there is that Leviathan; which You have made to play there. Lord, these all wait for You in Your greatness and majesty; that You may give them their food in due season. What You give them they gather in. You open Your hand, they are filled with good. You hide Your face, they are troubled. You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust. You send forth Your Spirit, they are created. May Your great glory endure forever. May You rejoice in Your works. (Ps 104:24-32).
Oh Lord help me to see that Your Word and Your creation stand together. For forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven and Your faithfulness endures to all generations. And You established the earth, and it abides. They both continue this day according to Your ordinances, according to the faithfulness, the trustworthiness and power of Your Word; for all are Your servants. (Ps 119:89-91).
Lord, David proclaimed that all we know of our trust in You rests in that You made heaven and earth; even the truth that our help comes from the Lord. He said "I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?" And he knew, and we know as well, that that help comes from You for He who made the hills can certainly help ones such as we! (Ps 121:1-2). Our help is in the name of the Lord, The One Who made heaven and earth. (Ps 124:8).
You condescend to us in mercy and that mercy endures for ever Lord! To You Lord give abundant thanks! For You are good! You are the God of gods!; The Lord of lords! You, by wisdom made the heavens; You laid out the earth above the waters, You made great lights, the sun to rule by day, the moon and stars to rule by night. (Ps 136:5-9). Truly Lord - You are worthy of our Thanks and of our Praise!
Well and truly David said: "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, Whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever…" (Ps 146:5-6).
Ah Lord - We shout with Your Word:
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! 2 Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! 3 Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! 4 Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created. 6 He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. (Ps 148:1-6).
Ah Lord God, You have been my dwelling place, and not mine alone, You have been our dwelling place, the dwelling place of Your people for all generations. There is no doubt that You are God and that You are sovereign for before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, as David proclaimed, You are God. (Ps 90:2). In Your hand are the deep places of the earth; places I've never seen or even thought of. The heights of the hills are Yours also. Likewise the sea is Yours, for You made it; and Your hands formed the dry land. How can I help but fall down and worship, but bow down and worship a God such as this. How can I not kneel before the Lord my Maker? For He is My God, and I am, we are the people of His pasture. Moreover, we are sheep cared for and protected by His own good, right hand (Ps 95:4-7).
Lord, I long to see the face of He Who, of old, laid the foundations of the earth. It is my heart's desire to come and to dwell with Him whose work is the heavens above. I know I will come to You, all of Your children will. The heavens and the earth will perish, but You will endure; they will all grow old like a garment and like a cloak You will change them and behold!; they will be changed. Ah! But You are the same, and Your years will have no end. The children of Your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before You.” (Ps 102:26-28). Lord, I long for that day - the longer I live the great that longing becomes!
Lord, You are greater even that the greatest strength in Your world! "You established the mountains by Your strength, Being clothed with power; You who still the noise of the seas, The noise of their waves, And the tumult of the peoples."(Ps 65:6-7). Oh Lord, to make such majesty and such great strength You must be all the more strong and majestic. Greatness can only come from that is the more great!
Lord, even the great concepts and guiding precepts of our creations are Yours, you put them in place! They didn't just happen - they were your idea! They didn't just evolve! "The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter." (Ps 74:16-17). It is God who set the boundaries of the world in place and the rotations and the orbits of the planets in their cycles. They didn't just happen or evolve over millions of years. Oh Lord, they are the product of your design!
Lord, you designed the skies, the heavens to declare Your glory and to draw our attention to You and focus our hearts on Your glory! "And He built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has established forever." (Ps 78:69). Lord, let it do so! Help me to see the skies and the heavens and worship and to praise You! Let me not walk under that canopy and do so without thinking of Your power and Your glory! Teach me more…There is never a time when I know all there is to know about the God of Creation Lord. Show me what a great God you and impress on me more of Who You are by showing me more of Your Creation!
You know them and can reveal them to me for... "The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them. The north and the south, You have created them...(Ps 89:11-12a). Tell me of them Lord, show them to me, teach me of You as you show them to me.
My God, I affirm with Nehemiah that You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, Lord - No being that is was not made but by Your hand! The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them is because of Your strong right arm and because Your great mind. You preserve them all. For this I and all of the host of heaven worships You. (Neh. 9:6).
As Job said, You alone spread out the heavens, and You alone have tread on the waves of the sea (Job 9:8). You made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades and You made the chambers of the south. You do great things past finding out, yes, wonders without number. (Job 9:8-10). I will ask the beasts, and they will teach me; and the birds of the air, and they will tell me Lord; I will speak to the earth, and it will teach me; and to the fish of the sea will explain to me. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this, in His hand is the life of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?. (Job 12:7-9)
O Lord, You stretch out the north over empty space; You hang the earth on nothing, You bind up the water in His thick clouds, yet the clouds are not broken under it. You cover the face of Your throne, and spread your cloud over it. You drew a circular horizon on the face of the waters, at the boundary of light and darkness. The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at Your rebuke. You stir up the sea with Your power and by Your understanding You break up the storm. Lord, by Your Spirit You adorned the heavens. These are only the mere edges of Your ways. And how small a whisper we hear of You! But the thunder of Your power who can understand?". (Job 26:7-14) Truly Father we understand what You allow us to understand but who can understand You in your greatness?
Oh Lord - I worship You as David worshipped you as Creator. David knew You as the Creator God and knew the implications of what that meant: "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor." (Psalm 8:3-5) He understood, I do Lord, that You have created a wonderful world and stood us, stood me at the top of it. O Lord how wonderful are your works!
Everywhere I look, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork". (Ps 19:1). There can be no question but that there is a God and that You are powerful and that You are in charge of all things. My knee bows before you. "The earth is Yours and all that is in it, You do with it as You will. The earth is Yours, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For You have founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters" (Psalm 24:1-2).
"By Your Word the heavens were made oh Lord, and all the host of them by the breath of Your mouth! You gather the waters of the sea together as a heap; You lay up the deep in storehouses. Oh Lord, let all the earth fear the Lord, Let me fear You rightly!; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of You. For You spoke, and it was done; You commanded, and it stood fast". (Psalm 33:6-9) Lord, what other is there of Whom this can be said? Where else can we look to see a Being that controls all and holds all in the palm of His hand?
"Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him"[1].
"A leading human rights group has suspended its senior military analyst following revelations that he is an avid collector of Nazi memorabilia." What never fails to amaze me is that there is never a connection between the hatred that men feel for the Jews and the Biblical record of that hatred in the Scripture. Any time I read this kind article I always see it as one more example of the hatred that men have for the people that God has chosen and called His own. Ultimately that hatred is also a demonstration of hatred for Him as well.
Now, it is not my purpose here to develop a theological argument defending the premise, but I believe that this is the root of anti-semitism. Ultimately, it has little to do with the Jews themselves. It is another expression of rebellion against the God of the Scripture. He is not permitted to do and be as He chooses. He cannt select a people and blesses them, giving to them a land and what blessings He desires. He must give those belssings to my nation and under my gods name as well, or to my nation and my religion's banner exclusively as the case may be. The rebellion is framed in whatever language I can muster, in whatever language and verbiage I can put together, that is acceptable to me and to my social group; but it rebellion none-the-less. Just as Cain brought his own offering and was insulted when God refused it, and then, in anger struck down Abel; so also the unredeemed of the world are simply insulted and angry (an oversimplification I know)that God has refused their offering and they are seeking to strike down the one whom they can see God has blessed. It is an attemt to strike back at the One against Whom they cannot strike.
Of course, this is met with virulent denials. For this antisemitism is most often couched itself in relgious overtones. But then, that is the nature of false religion. Rebellion against God is, by its nature, a religion in an of itself. It is the religion of "self-agrandizement" and "self-satisfaction". I will do what I want, the way I want, and no, and I mean no one (including God) will tell me any differently. Oh, these folks are religious alright, but their religion is the religon of Cain.
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[1] The New King James Version. 1982 (Ge 4:8). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
O Lord you created the heavens and the earth...and all the host of them, were finished…And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done…and it was good! Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. You are the Creator God and your strong arm created all that is! Nothing exists hat You did bring to pass. The processes you set in motion either directly or indirectly are responsible for all that is.
You formed me of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and I became a living being and I praise you for it. I am made in the likeness of God, fearfully and wonderfully - show me what that means! How glorious that is!
How marvelous is it that "in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it." Surely you are God and no man could do anything like that!
David said you are a God "Who made heaven and earth, The sea, and all that is in them." When I consider the abundance and the variety of all that is there Lord it boggle my mind - but then when I consider the God of the heavens - I am not amazed because I know you are who you are!
Samuel said that “the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, And He has set the world upon them". The picture of you that this draws for us is a God so mighty that it comforts and encourages us to trust you without question.
On the day David brought the Tabernacle to Jerusalem and put it in Tabernacle he praised you saying: "For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the Lord made the heavens." Of a truth, Lord - I look around and that is the case today as well - all of the gods of our world are but idols as well. They are dumb pieces of stone, figments of the depraved imagination of men. Only you are God - only you are the Creator, only You are to be worshipped.
The vine remained an important symbol in Intertestamental Judaism (e.g., 2 Esdr. 5:23). An abounding vineyard was the symbol of the goodness of the eschaton or Day of the Lord (2Apoc. Bar. 29:5). In Sirach wisdom is described as a vine glorious with abundant fruit (Sir. 24:17–22).
In the Roman period even Herod the Great’s rebuilt temple adopted the image. Between the porch and the holy place was a golden gate on which was affixed a gold vine. Clusters of gold grapes hung from it, and wealthy families would give gold tendrils, berries, and leaves as gifts so the vine might always grow larger (Josephus BJ v.5.4 [120]; Mishnah Mid. iii.8).
It comes as no surprise that Jesus would imply the symbolism of the vine in his ministry. In two parables he uses the well-known context of vineyard labor to illustrate God’s grace to all who are sent into the “vineyard” (Matt. 20:1–16) and to explain the nature of true obedience (21:28–32). His most important parable is found at Mark 12:1–11, where he sweeps up the prophetic rebuke and criticizes the Jewish leadership as unrighteous tenants of God’s vineyard. Here, however, the tenants (rather than the vineyard) will be destroyed and the vineyard passed on to others.[1]
Jesus further alluded to His relationship with His followers by referring to Himself as the vine and to them as the branches (John 15:5-8).
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
The fruit of the vine symbolized Jesus’ shed blood (Matt. 26:27–29).
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
He also used the vineyard in many of His parables (Matt. 9:17; 20:1–6; 21:28–32; Luke 13:6–9).[2]
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[1] Myers, A. C. (1987). The Eerdmans Bible dictionary. Rev., augm. translation of: Bijbelse encyclopedie. Rev. ed. 1975. (1038). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans.
[2] Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson's new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson's illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.
In the Old Testament the vine was a rich symbol for national Israel (as opposed to individual believers). Yahweh planted, cultivated, and protected his people, and in return he expected fruit from them. Ps. 80:8–13 typically developed this metaphor, emphasizing how Israel was a transplanted vine rescued from Egypt and relocated in good soil:
You have brought a vine out of Egypt;
You have cast out the nations, and planted it.
9 You prepared room for it,
And caused it to take deep root,
And it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with its shadow,
And the mighty cedars with its boughs.
11 She sent out her boughs to the Sea,
And her branches to the River.
12 Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
13 The boar out of the woods uproots it,
And the wild beast of the field devours it.
According to Isa. 27:2–3, the Lord protects and rejoices over his vineyard, Israel.
2 In that day sing to her,
“A vineyard of red wine!
3 I, the Lord, keep it,
I water it every moment;
Lest any hurt it,
I keep it night and day.
But most often the vineyard metaphor depicts the shortcomings of Israel. Its vineyard walls have been broken and its crop ravaged (Ps. 80:12).
12 Why have You broken down her hedges,
So that all who pass by the way pluck her fruit?
The prophets repeat the theme again and again. Jeremiah asks how the vine has become a “wild vine” (Jer. 2:21; cf. 5:10; 12:10–11).
21 Yet I had planted you a noble vine, a seed of highest quality.
How then have you turned before Me
Into the degenerate plant of an alien vine?
10 “Go up on her walls and destroy,
But do not make a complete end.
Take away her branches,
For they are not the Lord’s.
10 “Many rulers have destroyed My vineyard,
They have trodden My portion underfoot;
They have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.
11 They have made it desolate;
Desolate, it mourns to Me;
The whole land is made desolate,
Because no one takes it to heart.
Later in Isaiah, he speaks with utter dismay about the Lord’s disappointing harvest of wild grapes despite God’s care and nurture (Isa. 5:1–4; cf. Hos. 9:10).
1Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard:
My Well-beloved has a vineyard
On a very fruitful hill.
2He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also made a winepress in it;
So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.
3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
4What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,
Did it bring forth wild grapes?
This means that the vineyard must be judged. Its wall will be broken, his protection removed, and its vines no longer weeded or hoed; even the rain upon it shall cease (Isa. 5:5–7).
5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:
I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;
And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
6 I will lay it waste;
It shall not be pruned or dug,
But there shall come up briers and thorns.
I will also command the clouds
That they rain no rain on it.”
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
Its wood will be burned like useless timber (Ezek. 15; cf. Rev. 14:19–20).
We’ll continue with a further look at how it was used in the Intertestamental period next time…
