2008-06-06
Good Morning God's Treasures,
It's a sure bet that leaders in the faith like Isaiah, Daniel, John, Paul and the Lord Jesus Himself were raised in homes where the word of God from what we now have as the OT were taught. We know from LK 2: 41-51 that our Lord was able to hold His own with the rabbis and teachers of the Jerusalem temple who discussed weighty spiritual issues there. We are told that after Mary and Joseph were looking for their 12 year old son, "They found Him there sitting with the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking questions"(47). Later in this passage, in (52) we are told, "Jesus grew both in body and in wisdom, gaining favor with God and men." I mention this, because nothing that Jesus ever said in His Sermon on the Mount disputed the word of God from the OT. That's the reason why, it's important for us to look at cross-references when examining any part of the Sermon on the Mount, including MT 7, the chapter on judgment. We need to see this, so we can have a first-hand understanding of the Bible's supernatural and amazing consistency.
We've already examined EPH 2: 1-5 and Titus 3: 5; now, let's look at a favorite of mine, IS 11: 1-5 [GNV]. "The royal line of David is like a tree that has been cut down; but just as new branches sprout from a stump, so a new King will arise from among David's descendants. The Spirit of the Lord will give Him wisdom and the knowledge and skill to rule His people. He will know the Lord's will and will have reverence for Him, and find pleasures in obeying Him. He will not judge by appearance or hearsay; He will judge the poor fairly and defend the rights of the helpless. At His command the [evil] people will be punished, and evil persons will die. He will rule His people with justice and integrity." This passage is one of the greatest prophecies concerning the Millennium that we have. It begins with the promise that isn't stated for the first time here, that of a King from the royal line of David. This Davidic Covenant comes up first in 2 SAM 7: 12-13, [The Lord speaking to David through the prophet Nathan], "When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons [Solomon] king and will keep his kingdom strong. He will be the one to build a temple for Me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever." This is the "shoot from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit," as the NIV puts it. It is David, from whose royal line will come Jesus Christ Himself [the Branch] Who will rule forever in God's Kingdom.
As He matures, the Spirit of God is expressed in Him in three pairs of spiritual attributes: 1) the Spirit of wisdom and understanding; 2) the Spirit of counsel [ability to adopt right conclusions] and might [the power to carry them out]; 3) the Spirit of knowledge and reverence for the Lord. Think about it; these are the attributes that one would need to be a good judge of mankind. If there was ever a question about Christ's fitness and authority to judge, one must return for a second look at DN 7: 13-14, "During the night I saw what looked like a human being [Christ]. He was approaching me, surrounded by clouds, and He went to the One who was Ancient of Days [God, the Father] and was presented to Him. He was given authority, honor, and royal power, so that the people of all nations, races, and languages would serve Him. His authority would last forever, and His Kingdom would never end."
The NIV uses a beautifully poetic description which I share here for IS 11: 3-5. "He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the needy, with justice He will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth; with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be His belt and faithfulness the sash around His waist." This description ties in perfectly with those in the Daniel passage above, EPH 6: 10-18, the full armor of God, HE 4 :12, the word of God, REV 1: 12-15, a vision of Christ, and REV 19: 11-16, the Rider on a white horse. Christ's judgment will be fair, equitable, just, compassionate, righteous, in line with the Father's will, mature, and with perfect wisdom. All of Christ's suffering was the Lord's will for a reason so good and just that we must be continually reminded of it. IS 53: 10-12, "Yet it was the Lord's will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and though the Lord makes His life a guilt offering, He will see his offspring and prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in His hand. After the suffering of His soul, He will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by His knowledge my righteous Servant will justify many and He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give Him a portion among the great and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors." I can't help feeling those same sentiments that Paul expressed about the traditional Jews, in RO 10: 1, "My brothers, how I wish with all my heart that my own people might be saved!" All true believers, both Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians, probably feel the same way. We love the lost, Jews and Gentiles alike, with the same love that the Lord has taught us [JN 13: 34-35] and desire for them to be judged "innocent," just those who endure in faith in Christ will be. Join me in praying that all of us and all potential true believers will have their names in God's Book of Life.
PRAYER: O Lord, we stand before Your mighty throne to express our praise and thanks for the wisdom and compassion of Your judgments. By daily taking time to be in Your word and with taking the opportunity to listen to You speak to us in prayer, we can see the logic, fairness, and wisdom of Your teaching. Repeatedly, You prove to us that 2 TIM 3: 16-17 is true. "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching the truth, rebuking error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living, so that the person who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped to do every kind of good deed." Any judgments we make in our daily lives must conform to Your teaching, or it is not right. We express our utmost reverence and respect for Your right to judge in certain areas of our lives, most especially in the right to grant or take away life. It is why You gave us the laws found as early as in GN 9:5, "If anyone takes human life, he will be punished. I will punish with death any animal that takes a human life." Your law is further explained in Leviticus to identify if there is premeditated or accidental taking of a life. What is important here is that we understand that You alone reserve certain judgments for Yourself, and we must accept that. Other judgments, of a more mundane nature, You leave for us to make in accordance with Your teaching. As MT 7: 1-2 states, we must always bear Your will in mind. "Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you, for God will judge you in the same way you judge others, and He will apply to you the same rules you apply to others." Dearest Abba, You do not support hypocrisy, cruelty, greed, or other human sins in us. We are to judge with the same fairness, compassion, care, and love that You do. And, when it is necessary, we must step up to the plate and make difficult judgments that You allow that will stop the spread of sin and evil. Thank You, Dearest Father, for sending Your Son to the cross for us, for resurrecting Him with the promise that others who endure in faith will follow Him, and that they too will be brought back to You. You are to be thanked and praised forever. In Christ's mighty and holy name, we pray. Amen.
Next week, I am led to examine another cross-reference to MT 7, IS 42: 1-4. As this series continues, how can we not be awed by the love and consistency in God's teaching throughout the Scriptures. Never before has a book been written with such consistency and supernatural power to bring people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. The Son of God may not be called "Jesus" in the OT, but He is all over it from the beginning to the end. He is our Alpha and Omega, our always-righteous and eternal Lord. Each person who comes to faith in Jesus Christ, lives righteously in a Christ-led life, and physically dies in faith, has been promised he will go to the Father for blissful eternal fellowship with Him in heaven [JN 14: 6]. Our Lord has defeated spiritual death, evil, and the devil [HE 2: 14-15]. God's great sacrifice of His Son on the cross and Christ's amazing obedience to the Father are gifts to an undeserving mankind-you, me, all believers, and potential believers! [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25]. We are left with more gifts, such as the verdict, "innocent," our justification, and the indwelling of God's own Spirit to guide us and encourage us in our faith. To my way of thinking, there is no greater love displayed in the universe. We must never feel alone or abandoned in times of difficult judgments to make or to endure. May God always bless Him; our Lord is near! Be consoled and encouraged. 2 THESS 2: 16-17, "May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, Who loved us and in His grace gave us unfailing courage and a firm hope, encourage you and strengthen you to always do and say what is good."
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn