Daily Archives: October 7, 2021

WRITTEN IN THE DUST

Christian life, ,

WRITTEN IN THE DUST

“As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.”

John 8:3-6 NLT

I am indebted to Pastor Ken Legg for his teaching on this passage of Scripture.

Jesus and His opponents were locked in a deadly game of cat and mouse. His claim to be the Son of God had sent His enemies into a frenzy of murderous hatred.

On this occasion, recorded in John 7, during the Feast of Tabernacles, the religious leaders instructed the temple guards to arrest Him, but the guards returned empty-handed. Why? The temple guards were overwhelmed by Jesus’ words. “No one ever spoke like this man, ” they responded.

The high priest had concluded the Feast of Tabernacles with the water ceremony, pouring water on the ground from a large pitcher. The water disappeared into the hot soil, never to quench the thirst of any thirsty person – symbolic of the failure of Isreal’s religion to satisfy. Jesus, in response, called thirsty people to come to Him and He would give them living water.

The religious leaders had failed to arrest Jesus, so, incensed by His invitation, and intent on their purpose to silence Him, they set a trap to catch Him out as a law-breaker.

They brought to Jesus a woman caught in the act of adultery. What would He do as a Rabbi with authority? Would He uphold the law or apply His  yoke of mercy in defiance of the law? 

They gathered around Jesus, clamouring for His response. Jesus knew the Scriptures. Silently, He bent down and wrote on the ground. What did He write? Many have guessed, but perhaps God’s Word itself provides the answer.

Look at Jeremiah 17….

“10 “I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”… 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.”

Jeremiah 17:9-10, 13 NIV

Was Jesus acting out Jeremiah’s words by writing their names in the dust?

Why did Jesus write their names in the dust?

“The name of the righteous is used in blessings, but the name of the wicked will rot.“ Proverbs 10:7 NIV

He was warning them of judgment. There are only two places in Scripture where the names of people are written.

The Lamb’s Book of Life – (the palm of God’s hand) is an indelible record of the names of the righteous.

The dust of the earth – is a transient record of the names of the ungodly. Just as their names would disappear from the dust, so these men would perish and be forgotten.

Jesus looked up at them. His action and His gaze said it all. “I know you.” In that moment, their guilt was exposed and they slunk away, mortified and convicted but even more determined to silence Him.

What was the outcome for the woman? With the witnesses gone, Jesus could apply His yoke of mercy.

This story reminds me of another encounter Jesus had with a loose woman. He met her at a well and offered her living water. To her, he was just a man. She was interested and fascinated until He revealed the shocking truth… “I know you.”

Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, who shrank from Jesus’ disclosure, the woman of Samaria, finally convinced and with excited joy, rushed back to the village to share the news with her fellow villagers.

“29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?”

John 4:28-29 NLT

The Scriptures assert,

27 The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit, exposing every hidden motive.

Proverbs 20:27 NLT

“13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Hebrews 4:13 NIV

David, in Psalm 139, reveals the wonderful purpose of God’s intimate knowledge, to protect, guide and bless.

“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head…  9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me… 17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! 18 I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Psalms 139:5, 9-10, 17-18 NLT

This revelation of God’s knowledge should lead us to pray, with David…

“23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

Psalms 139:23-24 NLT

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

DISCONNECTED!

Bible Study, ,

DISCONNECTED!

“If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:6-8 NIV.

The vine leaves glistened silver in the moonlight as Jesus and His disciples made their way through the vineyard towards the olive grove. Jesus bent down and lifted up a fallen branch that had become disconnected from the vine. The leaves were withered and turning brown. The branch was dry and brittle. It was obvious that the branch was dead.

Turning to His disciples, He showed them the branch and taught them a simple object lesson. ‘See this branch,’ He said softly. ‘It is lifeless because it broke off the vine. It has no value now; all it’s good for is to be burnt. The only way a branch can bear fruit is to remain attached to the vine. You are just like the branch of a vine. If you maintain your connection with me, you will bear fruit just like the branch that remains attached to the vine.’

Amazingly, remaining attached requires no hard work while becoming detached takes effort. To break one’s connection with Jesus means that you have to reach the conclusion that there is no value in continuing to trust Him and then actively to walk away from Him, renouncing the truth you once believed and turning back to the worthless ways of the world.

To remain in the vine is to keep trusting in Him and allowing His word to shape your thinking and acting. How does the branch remain in the vine? By doing nothing except receiving the life of the vine as it pushes up into the branch. The water and nutrients that flow from the vine into the branches provide the nourishment that keeps the branch alive and supple, and eventually produces the grapes in season which is the only function of the vine.

Like the vine, fruitfulness is the primary function of the believer. What is fruit? Many Christian teachers believe that the measure of fruitfulness is reckoned in terms of the number of “souls” one wins to the Lord, like Red Indians counting scalps. Is this what the Word teaches us?

Fruit is what reveals the nature of the tree. “‘Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit…Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.'” Matthew 7:15-17; 20 NIV.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…” Galatians 5:22, 23 NIV.

The Pharisees had issues with Jesus because He healed on the Sabbath. To “work” on the Sabbath was abhorrent to them while, to Jesus,  to do a work of kindness was what the Sabbath was all about. Why? Because works of kindness revealed His true nature as the Son of the Father. They called Him Beelzebub because of His good works. He called them children of the devil because of their hatred, and they plotted to murder Him. It was the fruit that revealed the nature of the tree.

Fruitfulness takes no effort but to remain in the vine, and the fruit of remaining in the vine is answered prayer. The secret of answered prayer is not persuading God by much prayer but by the branch remaining in the vine and the word remaining in the branch, the nourishment of the word flowing from the vine to the branch.

This is not labour but rest!

Acknowledgement

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.