Category Archives: Bible Study

JESUS SAID-2

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Jesus said…nothing, but what He did not say spoke volumes. Sometimes Jesus didn’t need to say anything. He allowed His actions to speak for Him.

Here is an excellent example.

John 8:3-6 NIV
[3] “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group [4] and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. [5] In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” [6] They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger.”

Why did Jesus let His finger speak for Him?

Many are the interpretations of His action, most speculation but few with understanding.

Jesus knew that His audience of religious leaders would recognise, immediately, what He meant because, as men thoroughly familiar with every word of the Tanach which they could recite by heart, they knew that He was quoting from Jeremiah 17:13.

Jeremiah 17:13 NIV
[13] “Lord, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the Lord, the spring of living water.”

Jesus had just offered His people the “living water” of the Spirit to which the high priest’s action pointed. To complete the Festival of Tabernacles, the high priest performed the ritual of pouring water on the ground. Jesus cried out, in response,

John 7:37-39 NIV
[37] “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. [38] Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” [39] By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.”

The “water” He offered would not disappear into the dry ground as did the water poured out by the high priest. Instead, the “water” He offered would continue to flow and quench the thirst of anyone who drank it.

The Pharisees has so repudiated His words that they had sent soldiers to arrest Him. The soldiers returned empty-handed, to the wrath of the religious leaders.

John 7:45-48 NIV
[45] “Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” [46] “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. [47] “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. [48] “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?”

On the strength of the rejection of the religious leaders, Jesus wrote His indictment in the dust. What did He write? He wrote their names! His prophetic action meant that, since they had rejected Yahweh, the fountain of living water, they would be obliterated from the earth, like their names written in the dust.

His second indictment! How did He know their names? Only He, the Son of God, could know their names without ever being introduced!

Isaiah 43:1 NLT
[1]”But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.”

Jesus knew much more than Jack, John, or James. He knew them, deep in their wicked hearts. So convicted were they when they realised what He was doing that they slunk away in disgrace without another word.

John 8:7-9 NLT
[7]” They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” [8] Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. [9] When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.”

Case dismissed! Not only had Jesus exposed their hypocrisy once again but He had also driven away the woman’s accusers. He was free to forgive, to show mercy, and to send her away a new person.

JESUS SAID – 1

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Jesus said and did many things that puzzle us…until we understand them in the wider context of His role as a Jewish rabbi. He was trained in the Tanach, and was not only thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures but was also Himself the Word of God in human form.

John 1:14 NIV
[14] “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

Who, but Jesus would know and fully understand what the Scriptures meant and what God intended by what was written. His every thought and action were the expressions of the written Word. His clash with His arch enemy, the devil, for example, and His victory over him, rested on these three words, “It is written.”

Matthew 4:4 NIV
[4] Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Let’s examine some of His words and deeds and try, through them, to get to the heart of what He and the Scriptures meant.

L Iet’s consider His relationship to the Father. In John’s presentation of Jesus as the Son of God, he records Jesus’ claim to be both the Son of God and the Son of Man, God and Messiah. These claims would be outrageous if they were not true.

As the Son of God, Jesus linked Himself with David’s prophetic word in Psalm 2.

Psalms 2:7 NIV
[7] “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father.”

Hebrews 1:5 NIV
[5] For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”?

This statement has nothing to do with human procreation but rather the expression of relationship. In ancient Hebrew, the word “son”, meant “one who continued the house”, that is, one who perpetuated the life, character, and standards of that household in the next generation.

Hebrews 3:5-6 NIV
[5] “Moses was faithful as a servant in all God’s house,” bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. [6] But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are his house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.”

A son had a specific role in a Hebrew household. The eldest son stood in the place of and represented the father in all family matters. He took responsibility for all his “second born” siblings’ actions, hence Reuben’s attempt, as Jacob’s eldest son, to rescue Joseph from the pit into which his brothers had thrown him because he would be held accountable.

Genesis 37:21-22 NIV
[21] “When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. “Let’s not take his life,” he said. [22] “Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but don’t lay a hand on him.” Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father.”

A firstborn son’s role was to submit to and obey his father and to learn the father’s trade so that he would carry on the father’s business in the next generation. For example, Jesus found James and John working with their father, Zebedee in the fishing business.

Now let’s examine Jesus’ words…

Matthew 5:17-18 NIV
[17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

As God’s Son, Jesus was committed to absolute obedience to every detail of God’s covenant with Israel, not only in letter but in spirit. When Jesus said that He came to “fulfill” the law, He meant that He would complete God’s instructions by obeying the law perfectly according to God’s intention, including His attitude and motive.

His perfect interpretation of and obedience to the law clashed with the religious leaders’ interpretation and brought their wrath down on Him because He exposed their hypocrisy. They claimed to be righteous because they obeyed every commandment to the letter but…the pride of their own self-righteousness obliterated all their claims.

Matthew 23:23-24 NIV
[23] “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. [24] You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.”

Jesus obeyed God’s law to the letter, not because of pride but because He loved the Father! His passion was to do the Father’s will. As David prophesied,

Psalms 40:6-8 NIV
[6]”Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. [7] Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. [8] I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

Jesus also claimed to be the Son of Man. What did He mean? Was this only a reference to His humanity or did He mean something more?

Daniel 7:13-14 NIV
[13] “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. [14] He was given authority, glory, and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

In Daniel’s vision, he saw a human figure approaching God and acting as someone much more than just a man. He was receiving the rewards that imply deity…authority, glory, and sovereign power, the worship of all nations, and an eternal kingdom. These descriptions fit only one person, Jesus, God’s Messiah.

Jesus’ death on the cross as a blasphemer was a travesty of justice because His accusers ignored the evidence. They condemned Him because He did not meet their standards rather than the standards of God’s law. Although they had no answer to His question,

John 8:46 NIV
[46] “Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me?”

… the Sanhedrin still condemned Him to death for answering the high priest’s question …

Mark 14:61-62 NIV
[61]… “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” [62] “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

What an indictment against Himself! Son of God, Son of Man! Jesus deliberately and clearly stated both claims so that His resurrection would vindicate Him. The very purpose for His coming! He was saying, in His reply, “I am both God’s Son, and God’s Messiah,” in perfect fulfilment of God’s Word… and for that they killed Him.

Was He “guilty” of the claim He made? What was the final proof of His “guilt”?

Romans 1:4 NIV
[4] “… and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We can conclude, then, that Jesus’ claim to fulfill the law was both accurate and accomplished. He was crucified as a blasphemer and law-breaker, but the Father raised Him from the dead, vindicating Him as Son of God and Son of Man because He spoke the truth. Nothing He ever said or did contradicted His intention…

17] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. [18] For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Acts 2:23-24 NIV
[23] “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. [24] But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

Jesus died as a sinner but death could not hold Him. He has the right to accredt His own righteousness to everyone who believes in Him.

HABAKKUK’S DILEMMA RESOLVED – 7

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Habakkuk 1:1-4NLT
[1] This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received in a vision.
[2] “How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. [3] Must I forever see these evil deeds? Why must I watch all this misery? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. [4] The law has become paralyzed, and there is no justice in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, so that justice has become perverted.”

In the interval, the prophet speaks to God and God speaks to the prophet.

Habakkuk 3:17-19 NLT
[17]”Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, [18] yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! [19] The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.” (For the choir director: This prayer is to be accompanied by stringed instruments).

What a transformation! What happened to change Habakkuk from a miserable, lamenting, complaining prophet into a dancing, singing, joyful worshipper?

REVELATION!

Habakkuk started his journey at the bottom of his mountain. From his vantage point, he could see nothing but rocks, cliffs, and impossible terrain to climb. With his limited understanding, he could see no solution to his problem. Like any mountain he was trying to climb, the peak was covered in the mist and clouds of doubt and fear. How would he ever navigate the mess his beloved country was in?

How similar is our situation in our beloved land! God’s people look around at the devastation we are facing and wonder, “How will we ever climb this mountain?” We see nothing but problems, difficulties, and impossible situations created by the people who govern us and who are bent on dragging us to destruction. Where is God in all this? Has He washed His hands of us?

Unlike Habakkuk’s people in Judah, South Africans cannot claim a covenant relationship with God. Yet, within the population of this country, there is a people in covenant with God. Those who are in Christ by faith are part of the great kingdom of God over which Jesus rules in justice, righteousness, and peace.

When God crowned His Son king over the earth, He gave Him this promise,

Psalms 2:6-8 NLT
[6] “For the Lord declares, “I have placed my chosen king on the throne in Jerusalem, on my holy mountain.” [7] The king proclaims the Lord’s decree: “The Lord said to me, ‘You are my son. Today I have become your Father. [8] Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession.”

So, the nations of the earth DO belong to Jesus. Despite their rebellion, and that includes South Africa,

1 Corinthians 15:25 NLT
[25]”… Christ must reign until he humbles all his enemies beneath his feet.”

South Africa, then, although not in covenant with God as a nation, belongs to Jesus by right of the Father’s decree. Jesus rules over this land as the Father’s coronation gift. This means that He is at work in South Africa to bring the nation under His authority.

What we see now is our view from the bottom of the mountain. Like Habakkuk, our perspective is limited and incomplete. We will only be able to understand what God is doing in our country from the top of the mountain by faith, from which we have a panoramic view of what God has done and is doing in all the nations.

Let’s examine what the prophet learned that changed his attitude to God and to the situation in his land.

First, Habakkuk learned that God responds to humility and honesty. He had a problem and he wasn’t afraid to voice it. He genuinely wanted to know why God was doing nothing about the terrible things that His people were doing.

God is never offended by honest questions as long as we approach Him with reverence and awe. He is our Father but He is also the Most High God.

Second, Habakkuk learned that God never forces His will on anyone. He gave us free will. He wants us to choose Him and His way by the way He applies discipline to guide us towards the truth.

God’s people refused to obey His Word, so He put pressure on them by allowing the Babylonian invasion and exile to teach them to obey Him through the consequences of their disobedience.

In this way, God’s people made their own choice to abandon their idols and turn back to Him, at least for a while.

Third, Habakkuk learned that God is holy, sovereign, and all powerful over the nations. He used the Babylonians to punish and train His people but He also held them accountable for their wickedness.God judged Babylon for their idolatry. They were puffed up with their own achievements and worshipped the gods to whom they attributed their success.

Fourth, Habakkuk learned that God is concerned as much with individuals as He is with nations. He gave the prophet instructions to write a timeless principle on tablets of clay that could be taken everywhere for people to read.

“The proud are puffed up but those who are righteous will live by their faithfulness.”

Every individual chooses his path in life and is accountable to God for his choices. No one escapes His scrutiny.

Revelation 20:11-12 NIV
[11] “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

Fifth, Habakkuk learned that what God had done in the past to save His people from their enemies was the reason he could trust Him to save them from Babylon. They had to endure the punishment of exile in Babylon but God would intervene again. Israel’s history was a promise of God’s faithfulness to His Word.

Habakkuk 3:2 NIV
[2] “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.”

We can also trust God to help us on the strength of what He has done for us in the past. Every time God answers our prayers, He adds another rock to the strong foundation of our faith in Him.

Sixth, Habakkuk learned that God is greater and more powerful than all the forces of evil ranged against Him and His people. Despite the worst that ungodly people do, He will achieve His ultimate purpose. The knowledge of His glory WILL cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. The whole earth WILL stand before Him speechless because He is on His throne in His holy Temple, from which He reigns, and where He is worshipped.

Seventh, Habakkuk learned that he could rejoice in the Lord and trust Him for grace to overcome even if the whole world collapsed around Him. He could conquer the highest peaks through the strength of the Lord and the feet of a deer.

Habakkuk’s lament became a song of praise when he shifted his focus from his circumstances to the God who shaped his circumstances to reveal His glory.

God holds nations and individuals accountable according to the God/god they worship. Habakkuk’s song revealed that the Lord WAS indeed the object of his worship. In the end, the prophet’s interaction came down to one simple question, “Who do you worship?”

God is perfectly capable of taking care of His business with the nations. We can trust Him to carry out His plans to His final purpose of displaying His glory to everyone everywhere.

Our business is to trust Him and to nurture our fellowship with Him because, in the end, we cannot answer for anyone else. We are responsible and accountable to Him for ourselves alone.

HABAKKUK’S SECOND RESPONSE – 6

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The prophet turns from reflecting on God’s mighty power to inflict vengeance on the nations that had terrorised His people to his own personal response to God’s disclosures.

First…dread for what was about to happen.

Habakkuk 3:16 NLT
[16] “I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror…”

In the face of what God had done to other nations, was Habakkuk’s dread for Babylon or for Israel? It seems that he felt for the horror that was to come upon God’s enemies. At the same time, he was comforted to know that Babylon would not get away with their cruelty towards God’s people.

“…I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us.”

Despite the terrible things that would happen to the invaders…and the prophet expresses his dread for what God would do to them…he was confident of God’s vengeance that would rescue His people from the suffering the Babylonian army would inflict on them.

He knew what the horrors of invasion, brutal treatment, displacement and exile, and the day-to-day pain of slavery in a foreign land would mean. As a native of Judah, the prophet was surely no stranger to the horrors of war. The vicious and cruel Assyrians had already made inroads into his people’s lives. The northern kingdom of Israel had vanished and been replaced by foreigners conquered by Assyria. Now the threat of Babylonian invasion was even worse to contemplate.

However, in the midst of all that was to come, Habakkuk has a new song to sing.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT
[17] “Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, [18] yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”

Comforted by God’s absolute authority over the nations, the assurance of His perfect righteousness and justice in His ways, and His use of nations to fulfil His purposes for His people, the prophet could face the future with faith in God. Regardless of his circumstances, despite the total collapse of Judah’s resources, Habakkuk’s song expresses his delight in his almighty and infallible God.

What if there was nothing left of Judah after the invasion! God was still there, and God was still his God. Habakkuk concludes his wild dance and song of celebration with a quote from his ancestor David…

Psalms 18:33 NLT
[33] “He makes me as surefooted as a deer, enabling me to stand on mountain heights.”

…who knew how to navigate the stresses and distresses of being a fugitive from Saul’s murderous hatred with God’s grace and help.

There were still mountains ahead for Habakkuk to climb, the steep heights of uncharted terrain that the Babylonian invasion would bring, but the prophet was confident that God would give him all the equipment he needed, “the feet of a deer”, to make it safely to the top. From those heights of sometimes difficult and painful experience, Habakkuk would have a panoramic view of God’s dealings with His people. He would see God’s mighty hand at work, guiding and disciplining Israel towards His goal…a people prepared to receive His Messiah.

Although this prophecy is expressed in poetic language as a song to be accompanied by stringed instruments, Habakkuk wrote it to make a strong and surprising point. Beginning with despair and lamentation over the conditions in his nation, he progresses through disclosure and understanding to a new stance of celebration and joy. God’s got the whole situation in hand and He will work it out for the good of His people and the glory of His name. From this perspective, Habakkuk could express his faith in God with a powerful, celebratory song… a song worth singing in the midst of our similar circumstances that caused the prophet so much distress but brought him to new confidence in the God of his ancestors.

Habakkuk ends his story with a declaration of faith that puts him in the category of those who, righteous by faith and faithful to the Lord, will live in and through the midst of war and destruction.

HABAKKUK’S FIRST REDPONSE – 5

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Habakkuk 3:1-2 NLT
[1] “This prayer was sung by the prophet Habakkuk: [2] I have heard all about you, Lord. I am filled with awe by your amazing works. In this time of our deep need, help us again as you did in years gone by. And in your anger, remember your mercy.”

Habukkuk’s first response to these astonishing disclosures is an expression of wonder at God’s works. His accusation, born of ignorance, has turned to amazement and agreement. God is right, after all. Thinking back to his nation’s history, the prophet remembers what God did to the Egyptian army when they tried to destroy God’s people. Yes, God used them for His purposes but… He also destroyed them in a spectacular way for their wickedness.

Second, the prophet pleads for his own people. The history of God’s intervention that saved His people gives the prophet the courage to ask the Lord to do it again. After all, as God revealed to Moses, mercy is the bedrock of His character.

Exodus 34:6 NLT
[6] “The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.”

Habakkuk knew he was on solid ground when he prayed for mercy. In His earthly ministry, Jesus revealed the nature of the Father who never ignores the bleat of a lost lamb.

Mark 10:46-47, 49, 51-52 NLT
[46]”Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. [47] When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”…
[49] When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.” So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!”…
[51]“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked. “My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!” [52] And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.”

A well-loved gospel story speaks of this instant response to a blind man’s cry. So, Habakkuk, too, asked the Lord for mercy for his people. Only God’s mercy could temper His judgment in the face of His wrath against their rebellion.

From verse 3 to 13 of chapter 3. Habakkuk describes, in magnificent poetic language, the progress of God as a mighty cosmic warrior, sweeping through enemy territory to subdue armies and rescue His people from their assailants. Even natural boundaries were no obstacle to the Lord as He marched across land and sea to set His people free.

Habakkuk 3:4-12, 12-14 NIV
[4] His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. [5] Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. [6] He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed— but he marches on forever. [7] I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. [8] Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory? [9] You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers; [10] the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. [11] Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. [12] In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations.
[12] You marched across the land in anger and trampled the nations in your fury. [13] You went out to rescue your chosen people, to save your anointed ones. You crushed the heads of the wicked and stripped their bones from head to toe. [14] With his own weapons, you destroyed the chief of those who rushed out like a whirlwind, thinking Israel would be easy prey.”

These verses reveal the prophet’s radical change of perspective. No longer did he view God as a weakling or an inadequate God who could do nothing about His people’s defiance.

Now his view of God reached the magnificent heights of the mighty sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth. In His wrath against the nations that had oppressed His people, God had mobilised the powers of heaven and earth to crush the enemy. If God had done that for Israel in the past, He could do it again.

To be continued…