Tag: Jesus

Human Value

How does one argue human value without the existence of God?

Gary Pollard

“What makes human life valuable?” 

A purely naturalistic answer is not adequate. Life begets life, which is true. Self-preservation is built into our programming, that’s true. Life is valuable because of its potential to contribute to future generations (the reproductive success aspect of biological imperatives), which is also true. Humans rely on each other for survival, that’s true. We have a unique capacity for empathy, true. We have consciousness and recognize the value of others, true (kinda). And there are cultural narratives that emphasize the value of human life (depends on the cultural narrative). 

But what stops a society from devolving into the practice of eugenics? If some have superior genetics in the mental and physical health department, why not be more selective about who gets to reproduce? Why would we allow the survival of those who don’t or can’t contribute to future generations? Why would we allow/desire the survival of those who don’t or can’t meaningfully contribute to society? What about empathy’s subjective nature? We don’t usually show empathy (as much anyways) to those whose experiences or values are very different from our own, not without a transcendent directive that calls us to aim higher than self. We have consciousness and recognize the value of others…until we decide that they aren’t valuable any longer (see all militant religious conflicts over the last fifteen centuries). And those cultural narratives that value human life are primarily religious in their nature, with none emphasizing absolute selfless love more than Christianity. By Christianity, of course, I mean actual Christians. Not godless pagans who use iconography and distorted narratives to manipulate others for personal elevation. They are not — and cannot by definition be — Christians. 

So what does make human life valuable? We have to posit their value from a transcendent point of view. 

  1. We are the only life on the planet that looks like God (Gen 1.27). While there’s been much debate over what “in his image and likeness” means, it’s not exactly ambiguous in scripture. Genesis 5.1 and 5.3 make the best case for this: “When God created people, he made them like himself.” And, “After Adam was 130 years old, he had another son who looked just like himself. Adam named his son Seth.” Same exact wording. Genesis 9.6 says, “God made humans to be like himself. So whoever kills a person must be killed by another person.” The value of human life comes from our resemblance to the Creator. 
  2. As Jesus affirmed, the two most important laws are to love God with all of our being and to love other people like self (cf. Mt 22.36-40). If we love God, we’re going to love other people — including people who hate and hurt us (Mt 5.44). That isn’t a natural reaction to hostility! Human life has value because God gave it value. 
  3. Human life is valuable because the Creator sacrificed himself to give us life. If God “Doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed, but for everyone to change their lives,” our view of people should be the same (cf. II Pt 3.9). 
  4. From a naturalistic point of view, there’s no utility in ensuring the survival of people who can’t contribute to society. Drawing from the reasons we’ve listed James says, “Pure, genuine religion is this: providing for orphans and widows who need help and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence” (1.27). 

Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too (Phil 2.1-4). 

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (X)

What is your biggest impression about Hosea up to this point?

A Charge, A Complaint, And A Call (10:1-15)

Neal Pollard

The unfaithfulness of the people is further highlighted by a metaphor of a vineyard (1-4), a picture of their idolatrous worship (5-8), a description of their guilt (9-11), and a command to repent (12-15). Much like the previous chapter, Hosea writes about how the people had thoroughly forsaken the God who blessed them for the influences of the world around them. God is heartbroken, but He is also omnisciently aware of how they forsook Him to His face. Notice the content of the chapter.

The Charge (1-8). At the top of the list is ingratitude (1). The more their fruit and the richer their land, the more steeped in pagan practices the became. Why? Their heart is faithless (2). They are also charged with misplaced confidence, ignoring God but saddled with a weak and helpless king (3). They are charged with empty oaths (4). They are devoted to their worthless idols and they pour out their hearts to them (5). Their mourning would turn to shame and sorrow when, only too late, they realize the consequences of their sin as it causes their captivity (6-8). In fact, they would be horrified. Everything they relied on would not only fail them, but they would be destroyed alongside them. They would beg for the hills and mountains to fall on them and cover them (8). 

The Complaint (9-11). God looks back (9) and sees a pattern of apostasy that goes back at least as far as the Period of the Judges. Gibeah, mentioned first in 5:8 and again in 9:9, is associated with some of the “deepest depravity” anyone, much less God’s people, ever committed (see Judges 19-20).  Duane Garrett also associates it with Saul’s military fortress, a king more devoted to the military than to the Lord (NAC, 214). They will be overtaken in this infamous city. He says they bear “double guilt” (10). He says they are a trained heifer that loves to thresh (11), and God will allow them to do so in the yoke of captivity and punishment (11b). They were a fruitful vine, but yielded only poisonous fruit. They were an industrious heifer, but threshed that unfit produce. God’s patience with such hardhearted rebellion was exhausted. 

The Call (12-15). Yet, He does not simply throw up His hands at this point. He renews His plea to this stubborn people. Staying with the farming analogy, He calls for them to sow righteousness, reap kindness, break up their fallow ground (be genuinely penitent, not just on the surface), seek the Lord, and wait for the rain of righteousness (12). Yet, their misplaced trust and malevolent decisions (13-14) had them on course for tumult, destruction, and being cut off. 

God’s anger seems hot and His judgments pointed. If there is any question about whether He is moved only by wrath and not also unrequited love, keep reading. The next chapter will prove His steadfast love, even in the face of all of this. How tragic that Israel refused to see it. As tragic is when the world (1 Tim. 2:4-5) or I (Heb. 2:3) refuse to see such love and respond in faithful obedience! 

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (IX)

When God Lets Go (9:1-17)

Neal Pollard

If we wonder why God chose to use a harlot like Gomer to represent Israel, all we need to do is read the inspired indictment in chapter nine. Again using Ephraim, the largest tribe, to represent the northern kingdom, God lays out the unfaithfulness of His people in the multitudinous ways they were guilty. In verse one, he explicitly accuses Israel, saying, “For you have played the harlot, forsaking your God. You have loved harlots’ earnings…” (1). What spiritual toll would this take on the nation?

They would starve (1b-2). They had given Baal credit for their harvests (2:8-9), but their anticipated harvests would not come. There would be no wheat or wine! God would withhold those material provisions. 

They would go into captivity (3,6). This actually expressed in multiple ways in this chapter. First, explicitly, Hosea says they would not remain in “the Lord’s land” (3). They would return to “Egypt” (a figurative way to describe the bondage of captivity, 3), which Hosea makes parallel to Assyria (3b). He says, “they will go” (6) and again symbolically mentions Egypt and Memphis (a famous cemetery in Egypt, Robert Chisholm, BKC, 1399) to show how they would die in this frightening process (6). It is described as “punishment” and “retribution” (7). Finally, he says God “will cast them away” and “they will be wanderers among the nations” (17). 

Their worship would be rejected (4-5). Hosea mentions drink offerings, sacrifices, bread, appointed festivals, and feast days, central to Old Testament worship. These won’t please Him and He will not allow them to enter His house. God stands at the door of the temple and stops His people from coming in and trying to worship Him. Can you imagine?

Their spiritual leaders would be powerless to help them (7-9). These seem to be true prophets and divinely-inspired men, driven mad by the grossness of their iniquity and the greatness of their hostility (7). They are full of depravity, iniquity, and sins, and faithful messengers, like Isaiah, Joel, Amos, Micah, Elijah, Elisha, Micaiah, and others, had been warning them to repent and return to God. But they were so far gone in their wickedness that they rendered themselves incapable of restoration. It can happen (2 Pet. 2:14). 

They would be unfruitful, barren, and bereaved of children (10-14,16). Much of the latter half of this chapter is devoted to how costly the people’s sins would be on their descendants. While they would not bear the guilt of their parents’ sins (Ezek. 18:20), they would bear the consequences of them. The fortunate ones would be those not born (11,14) and not delivered (16). They would be bereaved–childless (12). If righteousness strengthens a home, sin certainly destroys it. 

They would be unloved and rejected by God (15,17). Go back and review these first five consequences of Israel’s unfaithfulness. They are sobering in the extreme! Yet, add this last one to it and it becomes absolutely unfathomable! What is worse than having God declare, “I came to hate them” (15), “I will love them no more” (15), and that He will cast them away (17). A penitent David, heartbroken by his sin, pleaded, “Cast me not away from Your presence, O Lord” (Psa. 51:11). Yet, that is exactly what God is doing to Israel.

Like Hosea, God tried to bring His bride back and give her another chance. In fact, He had given her countless chances over the centuries. But she was devoted to deviance and intent on iniquity. Now, God pledges that He is letting go. He will not fight for her affection anymore. Let us not ignore the fact that God does not want to do this, but if we refuse His overtures we should understand that He will! 

What To Say To God When You’re In Trouble

Neal Pollard

Have you ever found yourself in over your head, when you had to ask for help? We never like to get to that point, financially, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. But, unless we callous our hearts to the truth, we need God constantly–especially spiritually. In Psalm 38, David comes before the Lord pleading with Him to help in a dire situation. While it involves the opposition of earthly enemies (12,19), the main concern is his own opposition to God’s will. The main problem on David’s mind is his sin problem. David gives us an example of how to pray to God in time of trouble, especially the self-induced kind. 

ACKNOWLEDGE HOW YOUR SIN MAKES HIM FEEL (1-3)

David knows that God hates sin and is displeased by its presence in our lives. Meaningful repentance and change is not possible until we can see our sin through His perfect eyes. This honest assessment will keep us from being defensive or from rationalizing.

SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THE SERIOUSNESS OF YOUR SIN (4-8)

Look at all the descriptive terms and synonyms David uses regarding his sin. His “iniquities” are heavy burdens, foul and festering wounds, that which causes him to be bent over and bowed down, the cause of constant mourning, a debilitating sickness, and a numbing, crushing, agitating thing. See your sin that way and there is no way to hang onto it, much less embrace and defend it. 

CONFESS YOUR INABILITY TO RESOLVE THIS ALONE (9-14)

Pride is such a destructive thing! David shows no sign of it in this psalm. He feels isolated from friends and tormented by foes. He feels incapable of solving this problem himself. Resolution must be preceded by recognition of how daunting our circumstance is without God. 

TELL GOD OF YOUR HOPE THAT HE WILL HELP YOU (15-22) 

The state of mind David has expressed inevitably leads to divine dependency. He hopes in God. He’s confident that God will answer him. Though he knows he’s close to falling, he pleads with God to intercede. His final plea as he speaks to God? “Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.” 

We must resist the devil and our own fleshly desires. God has equipped us with the ability to be disciplined and to deny self. But, the battle cannot be won without leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Don’t just know that. Express it to God daily, throughout the day. It will help you see your problems more clearly and to see God as the solution. 

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (VIII)

Reaping The Whirlwind (8:1-14)

Neal Pollard

Hosea calls for a trumpet to sound, an action that symbolizes judgment and warning in both the Old and New Testaments (Ex. 20:18; Jud. 6:34; Hos. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Th. 4:16). An enemy will come against Israel because of transgression and rebellion (1). While the whole chapter will specifically address what that sin was, Hosea describes the whole matter in verse seven. This is one of the best-known passages from the book, where the prophet writes of Israel, “For they sow the wind And they reap the whirlwind.” What was the iniquity they sowed?

Lip service (2-3). It is an act of desperation, in view of impending doom. They cry out, “My God, we of Israel know You!” (2). They not only confess Him, but they appeal to their identity as Israel. However, “Israel” has rejected the good. How well this illustrates the condemnation Christ would later make of their descendants, quoting Isaiah  29:13, “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me” (Mat. 15:8). Jesus calls this hypocrisy, and so it was for Israel! We sow to the wind when our devotion is no more than skin deep. 

Failure to consult God (4-6). This was true of their earthly rulers, their kings and princes (4). This was true of their idols (4). Verses five and six make a difficult text, and the wording is confusing. It seems that Hosea is referring to the calf set up by Jeroboam (1 Ki. 12:28-29; cf. Hos. 10:5-6). God is outraged at Israel’s guilt and immorality. They pay homage to a calf idol and ignore Him. That calf would be broken in pieces (6), and the people who worship it would be “cut off” (4). We sow to the wind when we fail to keep God in the only place He will accept (Mat. 6:24,33; Ex. 20:3; Js. 4:4). 

Political folly (8-10).  The same issues the prophet Isaiah repeatedly addressed, trusting in earthly alliances rather than submitting to the authority and power of God, are highlighted by Hosea. “They hire allies among the nations” (10), but they would have the respect of no one (8). Like a donkey, stubborn and resistant to rule, they turn to man instead of God. Their foolish choice of lovers and protectors would cause them to diminish and be of no delight. We sow to the wind when we put our trust in man and refuse to submit to the Lordship of the only Master who can save and deliver us (Prov. 3:5; Isa. 36:4). 

Empty rituals (11-13). Like the first offense mentioned in this chapter (lip service), this is a matter of a people more than willing to worship but unwilling to know and practice His Word. They regarded the many precepts of His law as a strange thing, but they kept on coming to worship and going through the motions anyway (12). Yet, as Hosea has already told them, “I delight in loyalty rather than sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” (6:6). Because of this, God will cause them to go into “Egypt” (13; this must be symbolic given the timeframe, standing for exile and captivity. They are going to Assyria (7:11). We sow to the wind when we refuse to repent of the sin of our daily lives, but insist on continuing to offer worship. 

Self-reliance (14). The condemning, closing indictment is succinctly put: “Israel has forgotten his Maker.”  They built their palaces and fortified cities with no thoughts of God. But God vows to set those dwellings on fire. How God had warned them against self-reliance from the time of the giving of the Law! “Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Deut. 8:11-14). He warned that the danger would be to say, “My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth” (Deut. 8:17b). So it was in Hosea’s day. So it usually is in every generation. We sow to the wind when we trust in our income, our wisdom, and our strength, forgetting the God who gives every good and perfect gift (Js. 1:17). God reminds us “that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble” chosen by God (1 Cor. 1:26-27a). When self is too strong and sufficient, we buy into the illusion that we have provided everything for ourselves. The rich farmer shows us how poorly that ends (Luke 12:20)! 

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (VII)

A Physician Desiring To Heal, But A Patient Who Refuses Treatment (7:1-16)

Neal Pollard

While God changes the metaphor to describe His relationship with the northern kingdom, from husband and wife to doctor and patient, the unfaithfulness of Israel is a continued theme. Hosea’s words are addressed to Ephraim, again chosen to represent the whole nation due to its place as largest tribe. The diagnosis is extremely critical, and the outlook is grim. Yet, in the midst of the warnings, one still sees a hurt God who reels with the feelings of rejection. Hosea bemoans her refusal to return to God (10). God cries, “They have strayed from Me!” (13). He says, “I would redeem them, but they speak lies against Me” (13). “They do not cry to Me from their heart when they wail on their beds” (14). “They turn away from Me” (14). For all He did for them, they plotted evil against Him (15). Yes, He is angry, but He also is filled with profound hurt at being rejected by His people. 

When you get a physical and blood is drawn and tests are administered, you get a report that indicates your overall health picture, including blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, etc. Those statistics help measure your health (or lack thereof). Notice the spiritual health report from this divinely-administered checkup.

  • They were deceivers (1).
  • They were deluding themselves (2,11). 
  • They were delighted in sin (3). 
  • They were disloyal to their spouses (4) and their God (10).
  • They were drunkards (5).
  • They were deranged by sinful anger (6-7).
  • They were devoured by strangers, but didn’t know it (9).
  • They were devising evil against God (12-16).

God’s diagnosis is blunt and sobering. He calls her “a cake not turned” (8), “a silly dove, without sense” (11), and “a deceitful bow” (16). They turn, but not toward God (16). He could heal them and make all things whole for them, but they refuse to turn to them even as their self-inflicted suffering is at its worst. God sees them as beyond hope, though He continues to love them and long for their return.

I wonder how often this expresses God’s feelings for congregations and individual Christians, His covenant people with whom He is in a special relationship with. How often does He see one, racked by sin and self-inflicted hurts, looking anywhere and everywhere but up to the only source of healing and hope? Does He see a relentless pursuit of the world and worldly answers despite His desire to be the remedy for all that ails us? More pointedly, I ask that about me. Am I spiritually sick, but so self-centered that I refuse to turn to Him? Hosea’s message should be taken very personally! When it is, it helps me see how much God loves me and hates my sin and what it does to me. 

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (VI)

A Call To Return To the Scorned Husband (6:1-11)

Neal Pollard

After the severe admonition of the Lord, Hosea leads the call to God’s people to return to Him (1). The reasoning is clear. Though He had justly punished their unfaithfulness, He would also heal, bandage, and shortly revive them (1-2). He renews the call in verse three, for Israel to invest in the relationship. He calls for “press on to know the Lord” (3), an intimate act to show Him their love and interest for Him. He would respond in eager, generous affection (3b). Despite the promise and hope of restoration, God knows how fickle and unfaithful of heart His people are (4-11). He describes it in those last several verses.

“Like a morning cloud and like the dew” (4-5). This is the picture of an inability to sustain faithful love. They briefly submit to Him and show Him loyalty, but it gone as quickly as a cloud and the dew. True character emerges and temporary resolve disappears. How that had to hurt God’s heart! Neither would they be able to get away with it, as God’s judgment would fall heavily on them (5); 

Lacking in loyalty and knowledge (6). They knew how to make the outward expressions of love. They brought God sacrifices and burnt offerings, but it was empty and superficial. Throughout Scripture, God tells us that He rejects shallow sanctity and hollow holiness. In Isaiah 1:11, God says He’d had enough of their sacrifices and took no pleasure in them. When the self-righteous, but hypocritical, religious leaders criticize Jesus for eating with tax collectors and sinners, His response is more of a rebuke than we might first think. He quotes this passage and applies it to them (Mat. 9:13). He does it again when they criticize Jesus’ disciples for picking grain on the Sabbath (Mat. 12:7). The Pharisees and scribes illustrated the very skin deep religion God condemns by the pen of Hosea. 

Full of transgression and treachery (7-11). Even as they attended worship and gave their offerings, they 1) transgressed like Adam (7), 2) dealt treacherously with God (7), and 3) murder and commit various spiritual crimes (8-9). God’s summary analysis of their lives in stark and startling: “In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing; Ephraim’s harlotry is there, Israel has defiled itself” (10). Whatever temporary efforts they made to make things right with God, their fleshly desires and wayward hearts returned to straying. While Judah was not yet as far down the road as Israel, she was heading the same direction as her sister (11). She would experience the same result, though not to the same degree as Israel.

Can you see the outraged, angry God, holding on and holding out His hand in persistent love and care? Despite what all she had done and what, with perfect foresight, He knew she would do, the brokenhearted God still hopes and longs for His wayward wife to come to her senses. But, with a perfect innocence and holiness exclusive to Him, He would reach a point where He would bear with her adultery no longer. But, you can see how He disdained the very thought. 

How Happy Are You?

Carl Pollard

Are you happy? On a daily basis, how do you usually feel? Anxious, tired, drained, sad, joyful? I was reading a report done on overall happiness and joy here in the US. The past four years it hit an all time low. Do you know what year Americans were happiest? Studies have shown that in 1957, people were by and large much happier than today and really at any point in US history. Why 1957? That year the average house at the time was a third of the size we live in today. The average salary was less than 4,000 a year. Life expectancy was 69 years. So why is it that even though homes were smaller, salaries were so modest, and life expectancy was 10 years shorter than today, people by and large much happier than today?

Maybe it’s because joy has never and will never be attached to physical possessions. We are losing our joy at an astounding rate. Even in the church, where we claim to have access to the peace of God and eternal life, joy can be far too elusive.

In Nehemiah 8:10, Nehemiah the Governor of Judah has just finished leading the Israelites in building the new wall around Jerusalem. They have returned from captivity and have what seems like a fresh start. One of the ways they show their gratitude was by gathering together to have Ezra read the books of Moses to them.

Nehemiah is doing some of the greatest work he could possibly choose to do. He used to be a cupbearer, but now he is leading the Israelites back to a relationship with God. After the reading of Scripture, notice what Nehemiah says, “Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Why this reminder to the people? Because God’s people NEED joy! One of Satan’s first lines of attack to weaken our efforts in serving God is to take our joy. Psalm 16:11 reminds us where joy is found: “you will show me the path of life: in your presence is fulness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures for evermore.”

I agree with the psalmist and I can confidently say joy is found in the presence of God! He has used His word, and time spent in prayer to give me encouragement and strength.

With Thanksgiving today, be especially thankful for the joy that comes from being a child of God!

Thankful For Marriage

Gary Pollard

Jesus quoted Genesis 2 when he said, “That is why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. And the two people will become one” (Mt 19.5). 

That last phrase — ‘become one flesh’ — is extremely cool. Its literal meaning is a polite way of saying, “They will be physically intimate.” In God’s eyes this is the moment a man and woman become One. It’s also why Paul warned so strongly against abusing this gift in I Corinthians 6.16. 

But it goes so much further than that. God gives us the ability to develop a transcendent, impossible-to-describe closeness with another human being that rivals anything else in reality. If husband and wife are willing to put in the work, practice selflessness, value each other, and aim for Jesus’s return, God gives you the best friend you’ll ever have. 

You’ll know things without having to ask. You’ll communicate without having to speak. Your lives will — in many literal ways — become One. You’ll have a closeness with someone that defies any ability to describe it, a relationship that you’ll value above anything else. Life’s problems become so much smaller when two peoples’ souls merge. 

And this is how we get to experience marriage after humanity’s fall! I am thankful for marriage because God gave us a way to have a connection with someone else that’s almost spooky. The world will always be chaotic. We’ll often have reminders of how stinky this life can be. We’ll experience grief, anger, happiness, peace, anxiety, chaos, and everything else — but as two who became one. Marriage is a tangible proof that God loves us and wants only what’s best for us. 

A strong marriage is the most powerful weapon we have against our enemy. It’s the most fulfilling aspect of being alive. It gives us the potential to become something far greater than we could achieve alone. It’s grounding, inspiring, sustaining. It makes us stronger, it models forgiveness, it shows how powerful real love is. 

God gave us a lot of cool stuff — marriage is by far the greatest physical blessing of them all. It merges our limitations with some of the transcendent and gives us a glimpse into what new life will be like. Thank God for marriage!

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (V)

The Response Of A Scorned Husband (5:1-15)

Neal Pollard

God declares His “judgment” (1) against “the revolters” (2) who “played the harlot” and “defiled itself” (3). Their deeds prevented them from returning to God, and they did not know the Lord (4). No wonder He portrays Himself as a forsaken husband! His chosen people, Israel, had rejected Him. She enticed her sister, Judah, to stumble with her (5). Pride and iniquity characterize them both (5). God, in His holiness, will not let this infidelity go without response!

He has withdrawn from them (6-9). He had provided for her every need, but she was dissatisfied with Him. She strayed, looking for her fulfillment elsewhere. After they stumble in their transgression, they will go with their possessions to seek Him and He will not be there (6). They committed spiritual adultery, bearing “illegitimate children” (7). There was a day of rebuke coming for the nation, which God declares with certainty (9). They had made their bed, and now in desperation as they face judgment they want to sacrifice to Him. He would not hear their prayers, accept their sacrifices, or bless their lives. We can get to the point where, after rejecting Him repeatedly, God will withdraw from us (2 Chron. 15:2). 

He will pour out His wrath on them (10-14). His response will not only be unavailability or silence, which are horrible enough. He vows to pour out His wrath like water on His people. Why? Treachery (10), determination to follow man’s commands (11), and turning to man rather than Him (13). God described the outpouring of His wrath as oppression and crushing (11), a moth that eats and rottenness (12), and a lion that tears to pieces and carries away so that no one can deliver (14). Reading this, we are reminded that the loving God is also just and wrathful when His grace, love, and mercy are continually spurned. The writer of Hebrews exclaims, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (10:31). In the perfect nature of God, there is a need to persuade men of the terror of the Lord if they are living in rebellion against Him (2 Cor. 5:11). This expression, “pour out wrath,” is commonly used to describe God’s just judgment (Isa. 42:25; Ezek. 14:19; Nah. 1:6). Especially note how He expresses it in Ezekiel 7: “I will shortly pour out My wrath on you and spend My anger against you; judge you according to your ways and bring on you all your abominations. My eye will show no pity nor will I spare. I will repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the Lord, do the smiting” (8-9). Keep in mind that He does not want this. He wants an intimate relationship, but He will not force His love on anyone.

He will go away and return to His place (15). Regardless of how deplorable she has acted and how resolute God is in His expressed determination to punish, He still is waiting and longing for His beloved to come to her senses and come home. Notice that God says “I will go away and return to my place until…” Until what? “Until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face.” His hope is that in her affliction, suffering the consequences of sin (Gal. 6:7-8), “they will earnestly seek Me.” Oh what love, matchless love! As long as there is time, there is hope. What God is ever after is for us to realize the emptiness of sin and the unmatched satisfaction found only in faithful devotion to God! 

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (IV)

The Lord’s Case With Israel (4:1-19)

Neal Pollard

Hosea 4 begins the prophet’s disclosure of what his personal assignment was truly about. Writing from an empathy he otherwise would not have had, the inspired seer lays out the Lord’s case against His bride, Israel. It is possible to teach on subjects that one has no personal experience with and be effective, leaning on the power of God’s Word (Heb. 4:12). Yet, some of the most passionate, persuasive lessons come from intimate knowledge. For an omniscient God, there is perfect knowledge about every subject, but He is speaking from experience through the pen of Hosea. As such, He states His case (1).

The overview of the charges (1b-2). There is a twofold indictment against Israel. She is guilty of negligence, for her failure to be what she should be and do what she should do. He says, “There is no faithfulness or kindness Or knowledge of God in the land” (1). They lacked faithfulness, which James Swanson defines as “a state or condition of being dependable and loyal to a person or standard” (Dict. Of Biblical Languages, np). They were devoid of kindness (lovingkindness, loyalty; “The core idea of this term relates to loyalty within a relationship,” Nettelhorst, in Lexham Theo. Wdbk, np). They were without knowledge (“information of a person, with a strong implication of relationship to that person,” Swanson, np). All three of these sins of omission center around the neglect of the relationship, a failure to invest in it to the point that they were cold, distant, disinterested, and, not surprisingly, unfaithful to the relationship. 

On the other side of this, they were aggressors as much as they were passive in this relationship. Verse two says, “There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing and adultery. They employ violence, so that bloodshed follows bloodshed.” Their unfaithfulness went beyond a failure to love. They were hateful and guilty of immorality on a grand scale. Their aggression was seen in acts of sexual immorality, but also violent mistreatment of others. God was an appalled, aggrieved groom. 

The outcome of the crimes committed (3-14). Hosea focuses on the many consequences that followed Israel’s guilt in both her sins of omission and commission. The land and the people mourned (3). Sin promises joy and satisfaction, but it delivers guilt, misery, and emptiness (Psa. 38:4-8; Prov. 13:15). The people stumbled (5). They walked around in perpetual darkness and the prophets were no help. This sin cut across prophet, priest, and people. The people were destroyed for lack of knowledge (6). They were guilty of violating half of the Ten Commandments, the third, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth (M. Weiss. “The Decalogue in Prophetic Literature.” The Ten Commandments in History and Tradition. Ed. B.-Z. Segal and G. Levi. Jerusalem: Magnes, 1985. 67–81). These relate mostly to sins against one another, but also include sin against God (including the mention of idols later in the chapter). The Period of the Judges proves that the failure to know God leads to limitless lawlessness (Jud. 2:11-23; 17:6-21:25). They prospered, but it led to sin and shame (7). Perhaps they thought money would buy happiness, but Scripture shows that the opposite is more the rule (1 Tim. 6:9-10). They negatively influenced each other, subjecting themselves to shame (8-9). Hosea points out that they negatively influenced one another through their sinful living–“it will be, like people, like priest” (9; cf. 1 Cor. 15:33). If only they had remembered Solomon’s inspired wisdom: “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people” (Prov. 14:34). They were greedy, but unfulfilled (10). They fed the desires of their flesh, to their undoing (11).  Consider the divine truth Paul would some day share: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8). They were ruined by idolatry (12-14). Entire families were consumed with religious sins that led to moral disintegration. It was pitiful, yet powerful. Israel was running headlong after sin, and it was spiritually killing them every step of the way!

The order for the chosen ones (15-19). Hosea diverts his attention from Israel to Judah, the southern kingdom and the tribe from which the Messiah would eventually come. While addressing Israel and warning her against evil influence, Hosea also charges Judah to learn from Israel’s folly and avoid it! He tells Judah to stay away from Israel’s centers of idolatry, Gilgal (9:15; 12:11), Beth-aven (Bethel? 5:8; 10:5; cf. Amos 4:4; 5:5), and Ephraim. The latter was the largest tribe of the northern kingdom, and it often is used to represent the entire nation. At least four reasons are given to stay away from Ephraim (17-19):

  • Ephraim was a stubborn heifer–They could not be fed and pastured in such a state (16). 
  • Ephraim was joined to idols– God simply says, “Let him alone” (17)
  • Ephraim was morally degenerate–“Their liquor gone, They play the harlot continually; Their rulers dearly love shame” (18)
  • Ephraim was doomed–“The wind wraps them in its wings, And they will be ashamed because of their sacrifices” (19)(cf. James Smith, The Major Prophets, OT Survey Series, 232).

While this was not a legal case as much as it was like a divorce proceeding, it was an open and shut case. Israel was not only as guilty as sin, they were guilty of sin in every imaginable plain and to an unbelievable degree! What a reminder of the well-worn adage that “sin will take you further than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost you more than you wanted to pay.” Israel seems to be oblivious to danger. Would Judah learn from the sins of her sister?

“Madden”

Neal Pollard

If you are a football fan and you see “Madden,” you are most likely to think video games. An annual, updated version of Madden NFL has been released since 1994, and before that it was called “John Madden Football” (from 1988 to 1994). Many of the earlier game players, those up to 2009, would have heard John Madden’s voice providing commentary. However, if you are old enough, you know that the man for whom the ever-popular video game is named was a successful head football coach for the Oakland Raiders from 1969-1978. After that, he was an NFL broadcaster for 30 years for CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBC. Before that, as diehard Madden people can tell you, he was head coach of Hancock Junior College for two years (1962-1963).

What’s the point? Over time, John Madden went from football coach to broadcaster to namesake of one of the most popular video games of all time. “Madden” means one thing to a kid with a Playstation or Xbox and another to his Raiders-loving grandpa who chants “the autumn wind is a pirate blustering in from sea, with a rollicking song he sweeps along swaggering boisterously.”

How many people, ideas, and words appeal to us differently, depending on our age, outlook, or experience. Of all these, take the name “Jesus.” To the child, He is the theme of Bible story books, the answer to every Bible class question, the subject of “Pew Packer” songs. To the skeptic or the searcher, He is an enigmatic religious figure who may be seen only as a teacher or a good man. To the nominal Christian, He is a shadowy, mysterious figure, a virtual stranger.

But to one who has walked with Him and is in an ever-deepening relationship, He is “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named…” (Eph. 1:21). He is the highly exalted one, bestowed with “the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). “He is Lord of all” (Acts 10:36). He is the Christ, the Son of God (John 20:31). He is unchanging, and therefore, “the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8). But, the longer and better I know Him, my connection to Him grows more intimate.

How well do you know Jesus? I don’t know how far back you go with Him, but each day should mean knowing Him better and seeing Him in a different light. God wants Him to be, “Christ in you, the hope of glory…” so that He can “present every man complete in Christ” (Col. 1:27,28).

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (II)

What’s In A Name (2:1-23)?

Neal Pollard

There is an unmistakable cycle in the first few chapters of Hosea. Symbolized by the marriage between the prophet and the harlot, Gomer, their resulting children, her unfaithfulness, her suffering the consequences thereof, and his taking her back, God illustrates His rocky marriage with the nation of Israel. He had lavished them with His grace, blessings, and love, and they had responded by turning to Baal. He gave them material blessings, which they turned around and used for idolatrous purposes (8).

The cycle can be described as sin, punishment, and redemption. First, the nation sinned–which God calls “harlotry” and “adultery” (2). Then, God promises punishment both through what He will do (3) and what He will not do for her (4). This is followed by a more detailed description of the sins of the nation (5), looking elsewhere for blessings and satisfaction. Then, there is the vow of punishment (6-7). In the midst of all this, God laments that Israel used Him and took what He gave her and cheated on Him (8). For this, He declares His intention to repay her unfaithfulness (9-13). Writhing in the pain of rejection, God determines to withdraw His blessings (9), expose her adultery (10), and turn her partying into poverty and pain (11-13). There is a constant unfaithfulness by the wife and hurt, angry response by the husband. He had not neglected or mistreated her, giving her reason to look elsewhere for comfort, protection, and attention. She was simply untrue in heart. Surely God would just give up on her and let her go!

But remember there is redemption in the cycle, too (14-23). Even after all the spiritual adultery, God continues courting and wooing Israel (14). He declares His love so strongly that He believes, even after all the evidence to the contrary, that His bride will finally come to recognize what she has in Him. She will call Him “husband” (Ishi) and not “master” (Baali)(16). She’ll no longer speak the name of her former lovers (17). He will renew and rededicate His love for her, giving her righteousness, justice, lovingkindness, and compassion like an engagement ring (19). She will give Him faithfulness and intimacy (20), and He will respond to that by unrestrained generosity and affection (21-23).

Throughout the chapter, names are highlighted for significance in this whole cycle. He wants to call her “my people” and “compassion” (2), the opposite of His declaration that they are not His people and He would have no compassion because of her unfaithfulness to Him. There is the change of name by which He hoped for her to call Him (16). The crescendo of this hopeful section (14-23) is, “And I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’”

It is altogether appropriate to put ourselves in the place of Gomer and see this story through God’s eyes and His relationship with us. It should be a deterrent for us, understanding how our sin and rebellion hits our perfect, loving God. While He will punish us if we refuse to change, He longs for our love, faithfulness, and closeness. He is there waiting to lavish all that He has promised upon us, yet He rightfully expects our heart and affection. He could do nothing more to prove His endless longing for us (Rom. 5:6-10). 

Hosea: Unfaithfulness (I)

An Excruciating Assignment (1:1-11)

Neal Pollard

Perhaps no book in the Bible begins more startlingly than Hosea. Truly, this headliner of the section known as the Minor Prophets is difficult both in its message and its method. Linguists who approach this book rank it with Job as the most difficult to translate due to writing style and the number of unique and rare words making up Hosea. Yet, it is a fascinating book that draws heavily on people, places, and events from the Pentateuch (Gen.-Deut.). Those books are cited as evidence against the sins of the people in Hosea’s day. The prophet takes a jolting turn from the historical situation, his marriage to a prostitute and fathering three children with her, to the spiritual application for Israel. Yet, as Duane Garrett says, “It is as startling in its presentation of sin as it is surprising in its stubborn certainty of grace. It is as blunt as it is enigmatic. It is a book to be experienced, and the experience is with God” (NAC, 21). 

Dating the book is fairly straightforward from the very first verse, during the days of four kings in the southern kingdom and one king, Jeroboam II, in the northern kingdom. There is a strong clue in this that what Hosea wrote to warn Israel (northern kingdom) about happened. Unfaithful Israel faced a dire future if she did not repent. Since Hezekiah, the last king of Judah mentioned, saw the fall of Samaria (Isa. 36-39), we can date the book of Hosea to cover the last half of the 8th Century B.C. (760-710 B.C.). We do not know why Hosea is unconcerned with the reigns of the six kings of Israel who succeeded Jeroboam II, but the mention of the southern kings imply that he ignores them. 

Hosea’s task is extremely difficult. God tells the prophet, “Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the Lord” (2). This heartsick-making imperative symbolizes the covenant situation with Israel from God’s perspective.  God was a faithful husband, loving and caring for the nation. Israel jilted God to pursue heathen nations, heathen gods, and horrific, sinful practices. As the result of her whoring, she gave birth to no hope and no identity! This is symbolized by the naming of the three children born to Hosea, the prophet, and Gomer, the harlot. 

The first child, a son, is named Jezreel. The name means “God sows.” It was not a common name for a person, but he seems to be named for the town and valley of Jezreel north of Samaria in the region of Galilee. The significance of that area is implied with Hosea’s talk of the “bloodshed” of Jezreel. It was the home of Naboth, who Jezebel had brutally murdered so Ahab could gain his vineyard (1 Ki. 21:1ff). Consequently, it was the place where Jezebel would die violently with bloodshed (1 Ki. 21:23). King Joram was violently killed by Jehu there (2 Ki. 9:15ff). Jehu killed all the remnant of Ahab’s house there (2 Ki. 10:12). On and on the bloody history of Jezreel was written. God used Jehu to judge Ahab’s house for sin, but now Jehu’s house would be judged for their own idolatry and wickedness (4-5). With the end of that dynasty, Israel would limp and totter until ultimately God crushes them with the Assyrians. 

The name of the second child, Lo-ruhamah, meant “no compassion” and “no forgiveness” (6). This symbolism was very straightforward. There would be no compassion or forgiveness for stubborn and impenitent Israel (6), but there would be for Judah (7a). Yet, the deliverance for Judah would be by God’s power rather than man’s strength (7b). 

Thirdly, Gomer conceives and bears a third child, a son, whom Hosea is to name Lo-ammi. The name means “not my people.” God explains that, more fully, the name represents the idea that Israel is not His people and He is not their God (9). What a startling turnaround for a people who claimed Abraham as their father and basked in centuries of favored status as his descendants. Hosea alludes to this promise with an equally surprising follow-up statement in verses 10-11. As severe and costly as their coming punishment would be, God’s relentless love would cause Him to revive and survive led by one leader (11). Opinions differ, but it seems to me that the most logical fulfillment of this promise is Christ. It does not seem to refer to a return from physical captivity. It would also fit with the idea of the Messiah being a root and a tender plant, as Hosea ends the chapter referring again to Jezreel (God sows). God would plant the solution that would fulfill His undying love for His people, giving them hope and restoration.

It truly is a startling, amazing book, a love story of a husband who would not give up on a perpetually unfaithful wife. It is a love we must relentlessly embrace, not recklessly reject! 

No “Regerts”

Carl Pollard

“It is better to suffer the pain of discipline than the pain of regret.” You remember that Snickers commercial of the guy getting a tattoo? He and his buddy are getting pumped up and yelling, the tattoo artist finishes the tattoo, and it says “no regerts.” 

The point of the commercial? Well, he regretted it. With regret comes an awful weight. What could’ve been, what you should’ve done, what you could have changed. 

Back in 2016 a buddy I went to school with told me about a new thing called bitcoin. He told me I could buy one for $318 dollars. 

I was hesitant because I had no idea what cryptocurrency was so I said thanks but no thanks. As a broke college student there were a million other things I could buy with 318 dollars. As of this week, 1 single bitcoin is worth almost $100,000. I regret not buying one for $318. In just 8 years I could’ve made $99,700. But I can still sleep like a baby at night. Yeah I wish I would’ve listened to my friend, but life goes on. In May, 2010, an early crypto enthusiast was hungry and broke and decided to trade 10,000 bitcoins for two papa John’s pizzas. At the time that was about 42 dollars, but today that’s worth $900,000,000. I bet he regrets buying two pizzas for almost a billion dollars. 

I regret missing out on opportunities like this, but there are other things I have said and done that I regret. Things worse than missing out on bitcoin. I’m sure you’ve found yourself in the same boat. Tossing and turning in bed, regretting how you handled a certain situation, or how you spoke to a loved one. Regret is an awful feeling. 

“It is better to suffer the pain of discipline than the pain of regret.” All we need is discipline, and we would never feel regret. But there’s a reason so many people struggle with regret: discipline is hard. Being disciplined takes mental energy, and we’ve got to be focused constantly. There’s a million temptations to avoid and habits that we have engrained into our very being. We are easily distracted, constantly wanting instant gratification. Self-discipline is hard because it requires long-term focus. So we know the answer to our problem, but implementing it is the struggle. 

Matthew 5:27-30

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.  If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

Jesus said these words in His sermon on the mount.This is a sermon on righteousness, a sermon of contrasts. Over and over Jesus says, “you have heard it said, but I say…” He speaks with authority, He speaks as the Son of God. Listen to every word because Jesus tells us exactly how to be approved of God. He contrasts the teachings of the day with His new teachings from God. 

Jesus tells us to Focus On The Heart. At the core of these four verses Jesus is telling us to examine our hearts. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” 

You want to guess what the pharisees at the time of Jesus were teaching? The exact opposite. They taught that you could look and fantasize all you wanted as long as you didn’t touch. Their law made provision for lust! Jesus instead call us to a higher level of righteousness. “You have heard it said, but I say…focus on the heart.” Jesus shifts the focus from external actions to internal desires. True morality isn’t just about avoiding sinful behavior, it is cultivating a heart that aligns with God’s will. The pain of discipline is the transforming of the heart, changing from within so that our behavior is disciplined. 

In doing so we avoid the pain of regret. In scripture, the heart is the source from which action flows. It represents our innermost thoughts, intentions, and emotions. If you can change the heart, the body will change. If you win the internal battle, the external battle will be won. If you can win the battle against lust, you will never commit adultery. This is how God expects us to live in following His will. 

Prioritize the spiritual state of your heart, and you will develop discipline in every aspect of life.

Does Consciousness Continue After Death?

Gary Pollard

One of the commonly asked questions on my list is, “Does consciousness continue after death?” I was fairly confident in what I believed about this one until 3:00 PM today (11.19). Carl dropped the problem of the Transfiguration on me: How are Moses and Elijah present with Jesus before the resurrection? The purpose of this article is to sort out the Gnostic and the scriptural, but also to hopefully put more minds on this question. It’s been bothering me for several hours now. 

The overwhelming weight of scripture seems to be in favor of death being (from our perspective) an instantaneous transition to Jesus’s return and the resurrection. There are some teachings that potentially complicate this view (like the Rich man and Lazarus, thief on the cross, saints under the altar), but the concept of a “place of waiting” made no sense to me in light of the rest of scripture. What’s the point of dividing the sheep and the goats if they’ve been tortured/resting for the last umpteen years? And why are the “goats” surprised at their fate if they’ve already been punished for however long? And how/why is poor Abraham dealing with the pained cries of the rich man in torment? There is, after all, a wide abyss separating the two places (maybe the acoustics are really good). It makes the most sense that Jesus was using an image they would’ve been familiar with (from I Enoch 22, 51) to illustrate the importance of viewing money appropriately. Paul clearly says that we’re given life only when Jesus returns (cf. I Thess 4.14ff), and that Jesus being brought back to life was a visible example of what will happen to all of us too (I Cor 15.20-24). Our hope for consciousness after this life is solely in God’s promise to bring us back when his son returns. 

William Tyndale (1484-1536) said, “By putting the departed souls in Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory, you have destroyed the arguments that Christ and Paul used to prove the resurrection. … What’s the point of resurrection, then? And what’s the point of judgment? … The true faith affirms the resurrection, which is what we’re told to always watch for. Pagan philosophers deny this and claim that the soul is immortal. The Pope combined the spiritual doctrine of Christ and the fleshly doctrine of philosophers, things so dissonant that they’re totally incompatible. And because the fleshly-minded Pope is okay with pagan doctrine, he has no problem corrupting the scripture to establish the doctrine [of Heaven]. If the soul is in Heaven, tell me what the point of resurrection is?” The doctrine of “heaven” widely adopted by our culture is unsupported by scripture and has far more in common with Gnostic and Egyptian beliefs (i.e. Pleroma and Duat). 

So is there an intermediate place where departed souls go to experience the beta version of eternity? I didn’t think so. I’m pretty confident that our culture’s concept of heaven is wrong — on linguistic (ουρανος means “sky” or the place above the sky, which we call “space” today), scriptural (our new life comes when Jesus returns), and historical-cultural grounds (the early, pre-Catholic Christians believed that we would get life in a new body on a new/renewed earth when Jesus returns). 

But the original question was, “Is there consciousness after death?” From a biblical point of view, I believe (until the Transfiguration Conundrum is sorted anyways) the answer is yes and no. From the perspective of the dead, the transition between death and resurrection is instantaneous. I was comatose for about a week several years ago and couldn’t believe I’d been out for that long. Now, that’s not dead — but it at least proves a point. If you aren’t conscious you aren’t aware of time passing. So the “blink of an eye” statement in I Corinthians 15 makes perfect sense! But the bible does suggest that the dead are not conscious, though this is contested (cf. Ecc 9.5, Dan 12.2, Ps 115.17, 146.4 I Thess 4.14-17, and the 50+ times the bible describes death as “sleep”). Regardless of which answer is correct, what we can all agree on is this: 

Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about those who have died. We don’t want you to be sad like other people — those who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died, but we also believe that he rose again. So we believe that God will raise to life through Jesus any who have died and bring them together with him when he comes (I Thess 4.13-14). 1

Isaiah: Trusting The Holy One Who Rules The World (LX)

God’s Final Word To His People (66:1-24)

Neal Pollard

It seems to me that, as chapters 63-64 formulate the prayer of God’s people, chapters 65-66 form God’s answer to their lament. This final chapter also serves as a powerful summary and overview of the entire book. God addresses multiple audiences as He looks ahead one final time to the coming of the Messiah. Let’s notice the grand close to this often-regarded magnum opus of all the Old Testament prophetic works. 

A word to the humble (1-5). Isaiah at least alludes to, if not quotes, the Spirit-led David (2 Sam. 7:5-7) and Solomon (1 Ki. 8:27) at the former’s resolve to build the temple and the latter’s dedication of the temple. He expresses how He cannot be confined or contained in the worship structures built by man, even His own people’s sanctioned efforts. Perhaps Paul also has Isaiah 66 in the background of his thoughts as he preaches, “The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth” (Acts 17:24-26a; cf. 1-2). He declares that He dwells not in literal structures, buildings, but in the right kinds of hearts. Specifically, He is to be found in humble, contrite, and trembling hearts. Could this be a three step process? Humility is affliction of heart, the poor in spirit (Mat. 5:3). Contrite is the crippling effect, the penitent in heart. Trembling is fear or terror at the power of God. If I’m convicted, experience godly sorrow, and then am filled with the dread of not having my sins forgiven, God knows that this is my best hope of doing what pleases Him. Verses 3-5 contrast this tenderness of heart, as He depicts those who choose their own way, delight in their abominations, refuse to listen, and prefer what God hates. These wicked ones may hate the humble of heart, but the arrogant will finally be put to shame. What a needed reminder for us, if we are trying to serve God in humility. We may be viewed contemptibly who are living by the gospel according to self, but God will humble the proud (Psa. 138:6; Prov. 3:34; Mat. 23:12; etc.). 

A word to the faithful (6-14). Isaiah engages in intimacy imagery to discuss the future rebirth of God’s people, likened to a mother giving birth to a child. He follows the metaphor from conception to the resulting child’s maturity. Restoration and return from captivity will happen as if the conception and birth occurred on the same day (7), even though there were birth pangs in between. Birth is an occasion for rejoicing (10). The mother-child relationship, with its intimacy and closeness (11-13) is the perfect picture of divine comfort (13). Don’t miss the connection of Isaiah’s Son (7:14; 9:6) and Servant (49:1) to be born and the “nation” (1 Pet. 2:5,9) that would come soon thereafter. Peace and glory would be seen and known to all who would become part of this privileged people. The New Testament shows the glorious fulfillment of this starting in Acts two. 

A word to the unrighteous (15-21). The language in this next to last paragraph is of judgment, a recurring theme throughout this entire book. Fire is an often-used symbol of judgment, from Mt. Sinai onward. This paragraph is full of the language of divine punishment– “render His anger with fury” (16), “His rebuke with flames of fire” (16), and “gather all nations” (18). God depicts Himself as all-knowing (18). In the wake of judgment, there will be restoration of true worship and faithful service (20-21). While the end for the wicked is depicted in darkest colors, there is hope for as long as there is still time. Remarkably, God extends a promise of forgiveness and restoration until the end of all things! Even when promising retribution, He offsets it with His perfect grace. 

A word to the whole world (22-24). Isaiah implies an eternal picture as He closes. His language of “new heavens and new earth” (22) will be taken by Peter (2 Pet. 3:13) and John (Rev. 21:1) and given eschatological (eternal) meaning. The eternal aspect is also embedded in the idea of the place and the people enduring (22). The picture of perpetuity is also seen in verse 23. Jesus takes the word picture in verse 24 and applies it to hell (Mark 9:48). Because of the successful work of Messiah, spiritual life and torment are co-eternal (Mat. 25:46). 

James Smith writes, “While gold and silver depict the glories of Zion, so fire and worms depict the fate of the wicked” (OT Survey Series, 171). Through this dramatic imagery, Isaiah points his readers ahead to more than return from a foreign, physical land. There is return from the figurative wilderness of sin. The Messiah will bring this about, and those who humble their hearts and faithfully follow Him will enjoy all He has to offer in the eternal fellowship and all His perfect home contains. This is a glory and hope for all nations! All because it comes from the heart and hand of a holy God. 

Calls From The Low Dungeon

Neal Pollard

All he said was what was true. For prophesying that Judah would he devastated by Babylon, Jeremiah was cast into the dungeon of the king’s son (Jer. 38:1-6). He was suspended by cords which surely cut into his armpits. He soaked in unsanitary mire. He was left there to starve to death. Were it not for the compassionate heart of Ebedmelech, Jeremiah likely would have died.

The book of Lamentations, written by Jeremiah, is entirely filled with his sorrowful cries because of God’s punished people. The book can be seen as five, distinct mournful poems. Each poem reflects a different facet of the common sorrow [chapter one, the physical suffering of Judah; chapter two, God’s scolding of Judah; chapter three, Jeremiah’s spiritual suffering because of Judah’s sins; chapter four, the spiritual suffering of Judah because of their sins; chapter five, Jeremiah’s supplications for contrite Judah] (F.D. Hemenway., 454).

In Lamentations 3:55, the weeping prophet tells the Lord, “I called on Your name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.” This image is identical to the words of the psalmist, who says in Psalm 88:6, “You have laid me in the lowest pit, In darkness, in the depths.”  Heman seems to complain that he has been placed there because of injustice and not because of his iniquity. Our minds are called back to Dothan, where jealous brothers cast Joseph into an empty pit. The sins of Joseph’s brothers caused him to look up from his pit.

But, no doubt or question arises about why Judah is in this figurative pit from which Jeremiah cries. Though Jeremiah has lived godly and has not deserved suffering , he realized he stood among a nation of people who failed to obey Jehovah. So, from the low dungeon of despair, Jeremiah says several things.

“You Heard Me When I Cried” (Lamentations 3:56). From this statement we see that THE LORD RECOGNIZES HIS PEOPLE! David knew this (Psalm 6:8; 18:3-6; 66:19), as he often exclaimed that “God has heard me.” Paul’s inspired conviction of hope was “the Lord knows them that are His ” (2 Tim. 2:19). To the Corinthian brethren, Paul said, “But if any man love God, the same is known of God” (1 Cor. 8:3). In verse 56, Jeremiah finds comfort in calamitous times. He also makes an impassioned plea that God not turn away from His crying, Because Jeremiah was a child of God, he was assured that God would, in some way, answer him.

“You Drew Near When I Called” (Lamentations 3:57). THE LORD RESPONDS TO HIS PEOPLE! Jeremiah recognized the “Shepherd” aspect of the Lord. One can clearly envision the cradling Arms of the Almighty, scooping up His lambs injured by their own choices and giving them comfort in their repentance (cf. Psalm 23). James would teach us that God draws near to us if we draw near unto Him (James 4:8).

“You Have Pled The Causes Of My Soul” (Lamentations 3:58). Truly , THE LORD REPRESENTS HIS PEOPLE! David prayed that God would plead his cause and deliver him (Psa. 119:154). The prophet Micah patiently waited for the representation of the Lord on his behalf. He said, “I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me” (Micah 7:9). He who, in the flesh, experienced humanity represents man before God as mediator (1 Tim. 2:5).

“You Have Redeemed My Life ” (Lamentations 3:58). THE LORD REDEEMS HIS PEOPLE! A suffering Job rejoiced, ” I know that my redeemer lives, and that he shall stand upon the earth at the latter day” (Job 19:25). Jeremiah, knowing the mercy of the Lord, confidently spoke of how God had preserved his life in times past. In a greater sense, Christ is the means of mankind’s redemption from eternal condemnation. That prolific passage, Titus 2:11-14, proclaims that God’s saving grace has appeared to all men in the person of Christ, “that he might redeem us from all iniquity.” Christ’s incorruptible blood redeems the faithful obedient one (cf. 1 Pet. 1:18). Part of the enchanting song sung by the adorers of Christ includes the words “…For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9). 

“You Have Seen My Wrong” (Lamentations 3:59). Additionally, we learn that THE LORD REPRIMANDS HIS PEOPLE! God sees all that we do, though many think that God only sees the good we do. Others think that God only sees other people’s wrongs, and still others think that God only sees non-Christians’ sins. God sees everything everyone does every instant everywhere and every time. How wonderful and reassuring this is to those who walk in the light. How fearful this is for those who walk in darkness. God, in His justice, will punish all whose wrongs are not covered by Christ’s precious blood.

Obviously, God’s people had sown iniquity. Jeremiah rebukes his brethren throughout the book of Jeremiah because of their idolatry, hypocrisy, failings in the home, materialism, and stubborn wills. Through the Babylonians, Judah reaped the captivity. But, as Jeremiah prophesied, Judah would not be captive forever (Jer. 30-35). God heard the cries of Jeremiah from the low dungeon of despair.

Christians have the confidence that God will deliver them from the Pits of Persecution, the Dungeons of Despair, and the Cells of Sin. What hope!

Isaiah: Trusting The Holy One Who Rules The World (LIX)

The Lord’s Answer To The Prayer (65:1-25)

Neal Pollard

God not only answers the prayer of chapters 63 and 64, His response is the consistent message of the whole book. He loved them, but they had turned other places and disregarded their covenant relationship with Him. This resulted in the judgment of Assyria (seen in chapters 1-37) and Babylon (chapters 38-66). In this chapter, there are at least four answers God gives to the prayer.

There will be judgment for the unrighteous (1-7).  Up front, God offers His grace to all who are willing to receive it (1-2). Paul quotes these verses in speaking of the mission of gospel preaching under Christ (Rom. 10:21). But, despite His pleading, the unrighteous rebelliously ignore Him. As in Romans, so here the Gentiles found a God who they did not seek while the Jews rejected a God who sought them! In these verses, we find the first of multiple lists. God lines out His people’s sins one by one: (1) unlawful sacrifices (v. 3), (2) unlawful offering of incense (v. 3), (3) practicing necromancy (v. 4), (4) violating the dietary laws of the Law of Moses (vs. 4), and (5) arrogant self-righteousness (vs. 5). How God hates willful disobedience! It’s like smoke in His nostrils (5), and He vows to repay their sin (6-7). He had seen this unrighteous pass from father to son, year after year. He has had enough!

There will be salvation for the remnant (8-12). God’s reply includes a promise of One from among the righteous remnant (9). He sees a righteous minority among the faithless majority, and He will bless them as surely as He will punish the other. He promises rest for those who seek Him (10; cf. Mat. 11:28-30). But that preservation is contrasted with the certain judgment of all those who ignore Him and choose sin instead (11-12). 

There will be consequences for both (13-16). There are contrasting destinies laid out for both groups. The list in these verses are reminiscent both of Jesus’ sermon on the plains, recorded by Luke in Luke 6:20-26, and Jesus’ final parable of preparation in Matthew 25:31-46. James Smith neatly charts the contrast:

CONTRASTING DESTINIES Isaiah 65:13–15
God’s ServantsThe Wicked
1. Shall eat. 2. Shall drink. 3. Shall rejoice. 4. Sing for joy of heart. 5. Called by a new name.1. Shall be hungry. 2. Shall be thirsty. 3. Put to shame. 4. Cry for sorrow of heart. 5. Leave their name as a curse.

(OT Survey Series, 168). 

Once again, along with provision and joy, the righteous obedient will be blessed by having a new name (62:2; Acts 11:26). Each paragraph reaffirms that Isaiah is looking ahead to the Christian Age, to what the Messiah would usher in at His coming to earth. 

There will be reward for the people of God (17-25). At the end of the chapter, God’s focus is solely on the blessings enjoyed by the faithful. When will these promises be fulfilled? First, let us notice what the promises are.

1) New heavens and new earth (17).

2) Gladness and rejoicing (18-19).

3) Longevity (20).

4) Prosperity (21-23).

5) Answered prayer (24).

6) Safety and unity (25).

Second, let us notice when those promises would be. Christ would definitely bring about the establishment of all these blessings with His coming, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Much of the New Testament is devoted to these promises for those in Christ Jesus (Eph. 1:3). Yet, none of these are restricted only to the Christian Age, but find their ultimate fulfillment in eternity following the general resurrection (John 5:28-29) and universal judgment (Matt. 25:31-34). The perfection of these promises will be enjoyed for those who inherit eternal life.  There will ultimately be “new heavens and a new earth” (2 Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:1). There will be a permanent end to sorrow (Rev. 21:4). There will be an end to death (Rev. 21:4). There will be an eternal inheritance (1 Pet. 1:4). There will be an end to the fears and threats always possible in this life (Rev. 21:8).

The readers should anticipate the first coming of the Messiah, but they should also live with anticipation of His second coming (Heb. 9:27-28). The same hope brought by His successful mission of salvation would sustain them as they anticipated His final mission of judgment. 

Isaiah: Trusting The Holy One Who Rules The World (LVIII)

The Contents Of A Fervent Prayer (64:1-12)

Neal Pollard

Chapter 63 sets the stage for the obviously heartfelt, intense prayer of God’s people. Truly, “The one praying believes that the people who are called the ‘people of Yahweh’ should receive special attention and divine intervention from their God. The problem, of course, is that God cannot deal with them compassionately as long as they continue in their sins and do not confess them or turn from them” (Gary Smith, NAC, 684). Willful, habitual sin is a stubborn obstruction to effective prayer (1:15; 59:2). Yet, when we look at the heart of the one presenting prayer in this context, we see one who has turned a spiritual corner. The prayer here is of one totally transparent and humble as he calls on God in prayer. Notice the specific contents of this powerful prayer.

He calls for God to personally appear (1-2). The confidence of this praying one is that the evident action of God will be unmistakable in the eyes of his enemies (cf. Psa. 23:5). Those enemies will tremble when they see God in action. 

He pleads for God to duplicate His deeds of the past (3-4). This petitioner draws on his history and heritage, when God unexpected, awesome things. He has faith in a God who acts, who makes mountains tremble and who does what human eyes and ears cannot anticipate. 

He longs for fellowship with God (5). As fearsome as God’s power is, He meets with the one who rejoices in doing righteousness. Those who walk in the light need not fear or hesitate to commune with God (1 John 1:7). 

He asks for God to be merciful (5b). There is never a question of the flawlessness of God’s character, as perfectly balanced as a holy God would be. Why was God angry with them? They had sinned–for a long time! Could they hope for salvation while so stubbornly sinful?

He acknowledges weakness, sin, and inadequacy (6-7). How does God feel when one falls unpretentiously before Him? Jesus illustrates it well in a parable, when a tax collector could not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his chest, “saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner” (Luke 18:13). Jesus’ startling conclusion? “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). The praying one in Isaiah 64 confesses to spiritual uncleanness, with even “righteous deeds” being like filthy garments, withered by sinfulness and gnarled by self-sufficiency. Honest prayers have heaven’s rapt attention. 

He claims heritage and identity (8-9). Only in the wake of full confession does he dare to appeal to his spiritual family ties. He calls Him Father, Potter, and Lord. He claims to simply be the work of God’s hands and part of the people of God. On that basis, he hopes for mercy and compassion. 

He requests for God to restore (10-11). The present looks both grim and dim. The nation is decimated. The temple is gutted by fire. Its contents are now ruins. Only divine intervention can change the state of things. 

He prays for God to act on their behalf (12). The summary petition of this fervent prayer is brief, but intense: “Will You restrain Yourself at these things, O Lord? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?” As do others in Scripture (some 61 times from Exodus to Revelation), Isaiah is essentially asking, “How long?” In the throes of suffering, sorrow, and sin, we most acutely sense our need of God’s rescue. That’s where the prophet and the people are. It is where we regularly find ourselves. We never grow beyond the need of God’s gracious intervention. With such a sense, won’t we stay glued to the practice of fervent prayer (Jas. 5:16)?