The Heaton File

Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.” (John 14:5-7)

Jesus Is Not A Way, He Is The Way

For two thousand years, the world has had a varied opinion about who Jesus was. No man has changed the course of history like the man from Nazareth. His teachings changed the world, established laws that formed nations, and created a group of followers devoted to Him unto death. The stories of His power to heal all diseases, perform miracles, and raise the dead challenge the core of human wisdom to understand, much less accept. While most of the world denies Jesus as the Son of God, almost all accept Him as a historical figure who went about doing good – and that is where the problem lies.

Jesus was not only a good man, but He was a perfect man. For the more than thirty-three years of His short life, the man from Nazareth never did anything wrong before God or man. His critics tried to find charges to bring against Him and failed every time. When the Jewish leaders succeeded in bringing Jesus before the Romans, they failed in establishing legal charges deserving of executing Him. Many false witnesses came forward to accuse Jesus but to no avail. Only after two false witnesses came forward accusing Jesus of sedition to destroy the Temple in Jerusalem could the leaders find Him guilty. Even Pilate knew Jesus was innocent.

The Romans crucified Jesus of Nazareth like a common criminal. After it was confirmed that Jesus was dead, Pilate allowed Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus to take the body of Jesus and bury it in a new tomb. The tomb was sealed with a great stone, a seal of authority, and a Roman guard to keep anyone from stealing the body. On the first day of the week, the stone was rolled back, and the tomb was found empty. Many people testified to having seen Jesus alive. Thousands gave their lives believing Jesus had risen from the dead. The followers of Jesus established a community of believers that taught the resurrection of Jesus. This was not a random story of mythology. The story of Jesus being seen alive confirmed the faith of followers in every generation.

During the life of Jesus, He taught His disciples that He was the way, the truth, and the life. It must be understood that Jesus did not suggest He was a way but that He was the only way. Many philosophies of men appeal to human wisdom. Through the centuries, men have followed charismatic leaders who have established their own doctrines and faiths. Confucius created principles of a way, Buddha showed men a way, Mohammed taught men a way, and Joseph Smith established a way to believe. All of these men and many more could do nothing more than to show a way. None are the way. What sets Jesus apart is that He is the way, the only way to come to the Father.

Jesus never claimed to be a way for men to believe. He taught that He and God were one and that He himself was God as the only way. There are no other ways to the Father. All those who suggest they are a way to God are false because Jesus is the way. Thomas wanted to know the way. Jesus said He was the way and that if anyone had known Him, they would have known His Father also. Shortly after telling the eleven that He was the way, Jesus went to the cross and became the way. Who among men can make that claim? What tomb is empty, declaring them to be the Son of God? Jesus is the only way to eternal life. All other ways are false because Jesus said they were false. He is not just a good way to live. Jesus is the only way to live.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

What God Desires For All Men

The Lord God is not a cosmic bully who enjoys watching men suffer, the world fill with chaos, and the souls of most of the billions of people who inhabit the third rock from the Sun to perish in eternal death. Billions of souls fill the landscape of the earth. They come in different sizes, languages, races, cultures, and hopes, but they all have one thing in common: they have a soul that God cares about. Adam was the first man, and everyone attributes their heritage to Adam and Eve as the first of creation. Following the flood, the sons of Noah filled the earth with their descendants. God created the nations by confusing the tongues, and the people of Ham, Shem, and Japheth populated the world. God loved them all.

The flood did not solve the problem of sin. That would have to be accomplished by Jesus coming to earth and dying for all mankind. There is no greater gift that man has been given than the sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him will not perish, but have everlasting life. In the message of the love of God is the wrath of God. John clearly proclaims the love of God in sending Jesus. The apostle of love also declared the wrath of God, explaining how Jesus’ sacrifice would keep some from perishing. God’s goodness and His wrath cannot be separated. The goodness of God was the sacrifice of Jesus. God’s wrath is against all those who refuse to follow the word of His Son.

It was never the intent or thought of God to destroy His creation in a lake of fire and brimstone. God provided every blessing man needed to enjoy a covenant with his maker, but man refused to acknowledge the lordship of God, demanding they become gods themselves. The Lord had no choice but to punish the disobedient. It is impossible to know the number of souls lost in the flood. The only number that is known is those who were saved – eight. Did God enjoy killing all those souls? That was never His desire. God created the nation of Israel as His own special people. Did God enjoy destroying the nation He created? Justice demanded the wrath of God be poured out on Israel because of their rebellion.

Jesus preached a message of the coming kingdom. That gospel was the goodness and severity of God. For those who believed and obeyed the word of God, they would find the grace, mercy, and love of God abundantly. He also preached a message that told the world it was not His Father’s will to destroy the soul in an eternal flame. The fervent desire of God is that all men are saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. What the world fails to understand is that God will punish all those who do not do the will of the Father because that is the righteousness of a jealous God. Many people deny there is a place called Hell, but Jesus, above all men, declared the righteous judgment of God against those who refused the love of God.

The heart of God desires beyond measure to save all of His creation, who, for the most part, are flinging themselves headlong into destruction. God could intervene and save all men, but that would make Him a God of partiality and a liar. His righteousness would be impugned. The world denies that God will punish anyone. Religious leaders convince the masses that God is only of love and would never harm His creation. Satan has fooled the world into believing there is a God and He is only a God of love and compassion and that all men are saved. God desires all men to be saved because most people will be lost (according to Jesus). What everyone needs is a desire to please God so that God’s desire can be pleased through their obedience. Most people will die lost. Are you one of those people?

In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands. (2 Corinthians 11:32-33)

A Ride In A Basket

He could not imagine how different his life would be. Growing up as a Jew in Tarsus in Cilicia, and in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the exactness of the Law of the fathers, Paul was as zealous for God as anyone could be. He was a true child of Israel, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. His passion made him a Hebrew of Hebrews. He was part of the Pharisee sect with a fierce zeal to persecute the church of Christ. And then the night came when he found himself in the dark of night being let down through a window in a basket. King Aretas had issued a warrant for his arrest. The order had a death warrant attached, as the Jews of Damascus intended to kill Paul.

As Paul bumped along the wall enclosed in the basket, his mind turned to where he had been not many days before. He was a man of position and power, with letters from the high priest to bind any who followed Jesus of Nazareth. He had become a lightning rod for threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord. Now he was leaving the city in a basket. His life was in the hands of those he had sought to destroy. As he came to rest on the ground, friends quickly helped him up, and they hurriedly ran away.

His escape from Damascus would become a prelude to the sufferings he would endure for the cause of Christ. His life turned out so different than what he thought it would be. The only constant in his life was the devotion to Jehovah God, and that devotion would lead him to die for Jesus Christ. The followers he tried to destroy saved him, lowering him in a basket to safety. Paul would become one of the great preachers of the early church.

Paul’s trip in a basket is not unlike the lives of many of God’s people. Life takes many different turns. Events beyond control overshadow dreams and aspirations. Plans are disrupted, hope dashed, joys lost, and in a moment, life is never the same. Adam and Eve lived in paradise, only for their lives to become tragic in the blink of an eye. Abraham was 75 years old when he found himself in a “basket.” At the age of 17, Joseph’s life would never be the same. David would see his world fall apart because of sin.

Paul did not let the events of Damascus stop him or deter his course. He went on to become one of the greatest examples of faith and courage in the Bible. His ride in a basket was not a defeat but an opportunity to learn how to serve the Lord more fully. Baskets can be used to carry bread for life. Sometimes they carry men who learn humility, dependence, and devotion to the cause of Christ. Some baskets are larger than others. At times, the baskets are lowered over walls of great height. Paul trusted the hands that held his basket, but he trusted God to hold his life – even for a short ride in a basket.

At the command of the Lord they remained encamped, and at the command of the Lord they journeyed; they kept the charge of the Lord, at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses. (Numbers 9:23)

Follow That Cloud

The journeys of the nation of Israel were guided in the most unusual manner. Moses led the people out of Egypt by way of the Red Sea, where God showed His power in dividing the waters and the Hebrews walking through on dry land. Turning to a southward journey, the Hebrews came to Mt. Sinai where God gave them a law and made them His nation. When the Tabernacle was completed, the presence of God overshadowed the tent with a cloud by day and the appearance of fire by night. During the forty years of wandering in the wilderness, Israel obeyed the cloud and the fire as it moved or stayed. Whatever the cloud and the fire did, so Israel obeyed.

Whenever the cloud was taken up from the Tabernacle, the people prepared to leave. The Levites struck the Tabernacle, the people gathered their possessions, and in an orderly fashion each tribe fell into line with the tribe of Judah, who would break camp first. As each tribe camped around the Tabernacle, they would assemble to break camp and follow their standards in accordance with the law of God. The tribes on the east side would break first, followed by those on the south, west, and finally the north. Those in the tribe of Levite were not counted, as they were in charge of the Tabernacle and its belongings.

Every move the nation of more than two million made was directed by the hand of God. If the Lord wanted the people to remain in a place for two days, a month, or a year, His cloud would remain over the Tabernacle (including the fire at night). When it was taken up, they would journey. The cloud of the Lord governed the forty years of wilderness wanderings. Israel camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses. With all the failures of the people toward the will of the Lord, the one constant was keeping the word of the Lord by the movement of the cloud over the Tabernacle.

Israel no longer journeys according to a cloud or a fire by night. The Israelites broke the covenant with God, and He replaced it with the law of Christ. There is no physical nation of God, but the spiritual house of God bought by the blood of Jesus Christ. The cloud that covered the Tabernacle bears the resemblance of the word of God to guide, protect, inform, and instruct the people of God. Everything the Lord desires of His people is found in the Bible. Each word is a particle of the divine cloud that will direct the steps of the Christian to either move or stay.

Life is a journey, and in that journey is a need for guidance and direction. People are looking for answers. The world is a cold and dark place. Hearts are seeking hope. Lives without purpose long for direction. No message will bring one to the throne of God but His word. Like the cloud of long ago, God has put His presence in the world to let everyone know what they must do to be saved. Looking to the cloud provided by God will help one know what to do and why. Israel framed their lives according to a cloud. The Christian must do the same. Everything in life is measured by the will of God. It takes faith to follow a cloud. Faith comes from hearing the word. Follow that cloud.

For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. (Is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit. (Deuteronomy 3:11)

The Remnant Of The Giants

God gave Moses the story of early earth through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Moses unlocked the secrets of creation, told the story of the global flood that killed all humanity save eight souls, and the population of the earth following the debacle at the tower of Babel. All of this led up to the genealogy of Abram, who would become the father of the physical and spiritual Israel. As God unfolded the story of the early earth to Moses, the man of God must have marveled at the incredible scenes of man’s beginnings. Even though Moses was nearly 120 years old when writing the final story of early earth, he recorded men who lived for 500, 600, and 900 years.

Telling the story of Noah, Moses writes about the giants on the earth in those days and also afterward. He describes them as the mighty men of old, men of renown. Not only does Moses write about the giants of early earth, but he also writes about the giants he has seen in his lifetime. When the spies returned from forty days in Canaan, they tell of the men of great stature, the giants who towered above them. They were like grasshoppers in the sight of these giants. Moses tells of the descendants of Anak, who came from the giants. Joshua and Caleb confirmed the existence of these mighty men.

God did not allow Israel to harass Moab or contend with them in battle because the Lord had promised that land to the descendants of Lot. Moses noted in the text that the Emim had dwelt there in times past, a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim. These men were regarded as giants. All the region of Argob, with all Bashan, was called the land of the giants. These were men of great stature and great men of war. Joshua recounted the kings conquered by Moses, including Og, king of Bashan and his territory. Og was of the remnant of the giants and had a bedstead of iron that was thirteen feet long and six feet wide. When Moses wrote about the bed, he noted the bed could still be seen in Rabbah of the people of Ammon.

During the days of King David, when the Philistines were at war with David, Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of the giant, tried to kill David when he had rested from the fight. His bronze spearhead weighed more than seven pounds, and he was armed with a new sword. He had cornered David and was about to kill him, but Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to David’s rescue and killed the Philistine. The soldiers of David killed Saph, who was one of the sons of the giant. An Israelite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear was as thick as a weaver’s beam. Another giant of great stature had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. These four Philistines were born to the giant in Gath.

The giants of the Bible were men who were extraordinary in their size and stature. Towering above most men, they brought fear into the hearts of those who opposed them. Goliath was a man over nine feet tall and was the champion of the Philistines. He wore a bronze helmet. His bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. He was trained in war. David saw Goliath not as a man so big he must fear him, but a man so big he could not miss. All the giants passed into the history books like the dragons that filled the earth for a time.

The word “dinosaur” was not coined until 1842 when anatomist Richard Owen called the massive animals discovered buried in the ground the name that has identified them through the centuries. Before that time, these massive creatures were known as dragons. The Chinese made these animals a fabric of their culture. It is clear there were very large animals in the early world that no longer exist. God created the “dinosaurs” on the fifth and sixth day. Man and dinosaurs walked together. Like the dinosaurs, the giants of the Bible lived in a time that is no longer. All of these giants were descendants of Adam and then through Noah’s three sons. There was nothing spectacular about their birth other than that they grew much larger than most men. The Philistines thought they could rely upon their gods and their champion giant to defeat the house of Israel. David, with a rock and a sling, showed the Philistines that Almighty God is greater than all men – including giants.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. (James 1:22-24)

You Must Be A Doer

In the natural world, there is a phenomenon that creates a mirror image. Embedded in nature, the law of reflection is what creates the image of the person. The law of reflection states that the angle at which light hits a surface (angle of incidence) is equal to the angle at which it bounces off (angle of reflection). Early man realized that, looking into a body of still water, he could see his reflection. Various ores were discovered that, when polished, create a mirror effect. Every civilization has produced a form of mirrors up until the modern mirrors of today. The purpose of a mirror was to reflect the image of the person.

James uses the metaphor of the mirror to show the reflection of the spirit of man upon the word of God. God’s word is the mirror. It is a highly polished and perfect mirror. Everything in the word of God is complete. The danger of a mirror is that it shows exactly everything that is reflected. Distorted mirrors reflect distorted images. A perfect mirror will reflect exactly what is seen. The word of God is the most pure, perfect, and polished representation of truth without exception. It will reflect exactly what type of person is peering into its contents.

When a person looks into a mirror and sees things that need to be corrected and goes away without making changes, they defeat the purpose of the mirror. It becomes more tragic when a man looks into the word of God and, after realizing the changes that need to be made, closes the book, refusing to change. The word of God is not at fault. It is the heart of the man who stubbornly sees the need for change and refuses to see what is clearly revealed. His refusal does not change the mirror of God. Someone can stand in front of a mirror and say they have not gained weight, but the mirror does not lie.

Faithfulness is not governed simply by hearing what God says. It demands that a person do what God says. Many teach that salvation by works is false, but how can one be saved without the ‘doing’? To hear the word, know what needs to be done, and refuse to change deceives themselves into believing the lie. Satan tells the soul to hear the word but not to worry about doing the word. There will be many hearers lost in perdition because they never made the changes. They falsely believed they did not have to do anything. Faithful people of God are doers of the word.

Whatever the word of God says must be reflected in the lives of the Christian. Grace does not impede the necessity of obedience. James did not say to think about doing the word but to be doers of the word. This is action. There is activity. Change must take place with emphasis on the must. There can be no salvation apart from the doing. Hear. Do.

From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:66-69)

Many No Longer Walked With Jesus

Jesus was a hard teacher. He taught the will of His Father, which often came in conflict with the human reasoning of the Jewish leadership and prevailing thoughts of the religious of His day. The people immediately recognized Jesus taught with authority. Even the Pharisees knew Jesus was true in the manner He presented the doctrines of God, and that He taught the way of God in truth. They learned early that Jesus did not care about what others thought because He had no regard for the wisdom of man. The failure of human wisdom is seeking to mix it with the word of God.

Many disciples of Jesus followed Him early in His work. They saw the miracles and were amazed. Anyone who came to Jesus could be healed, as thousands were. The teaching of Jesus was clear, demonstrative, and powerful. There was no doubt the allure of Jesus was felt by the multitudes through His words. After Jesus fed more than five thousand people with five barley loaves and two fishes, the people clamored to Jesus the following day to see the miracle again. Instead of feeding them the bread of the world, Jesus fed them the manna from heaven. He taught them the true character of the discipleship of Christ and the cost required to be faithful to the Lord.

The message of Jesus after the feeding of the five thousand was not received well by the people. Jesus declared Himself to be the bread from heaven and that all men must eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood to have eternal life. He explained what He meant, but many people refused to accept Him as the bread of life. Jesus taught these things in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. His disciples complained to Jesus about the harshness of His teachings. They did not want to understand the words of Jesus and sadly did one of the most amazing things in their lives: they went back and refused to walk with Jesus anymore.

How can one turn away from Jesus and walk with Him no more? It was incredible to have the Son of God on earth, and people walked away, but they continue to walk away from Jesus today. While Jesus is not here in the flesh, His words are preserved to show all men the manna from above. Abiding in Jesus requires the heart to accept and believe the words of Jesus. Most religious people refuse to follow the will of the Father. They deny the teachings of Jesus. Instead of a life of obedience to the word of God, many live as they desire, sprinkled with a little Jesus to make them feel better. Some deny direct commands of Jesus. Three times Jesus specifically said that baptism in water is necessary for salvation, and people are offended. Their offense does not change the word of God.

There are many churches today that claim to follow Jesus, but they do not. They wear names unknown in scripture, refuse to follow the New Testament pattern of worship, and teach doctrines foreign to scripture. Many refuse to call sin, sin! They believe honey is the best way to trap people into their false doctrines as long as they do not offend anyone. Many disciples turned and walked no more because Jesus did not fit their mold of religion. That continues with many rejecting the word of God today.

He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (John 5:23)

Dishonor Jesus, Dishonor God

Jesus of Nazareth is a historical figure. Few doubt the story of the man from Nazareth and believe He lived two thousand years ago. Islam accepts Jesus as one of God’s highest-ranking prophets. The Jews accept the historical accounts of Jesus but deny He is the long-promised Messiah (they are still waiting for the Messiah to reveal Himself). Other religions see Jesus as an enlightened teacher, prophet, or guru. Jehovah’s Witnesses claim Jesus is the Son of God but do not believe Him to be God. The Mormons (Latter Day Saints) accept that Jesus is divine but deny that Jesus is God. Most religious groups accept the story of Jesus as a historical figure.

To understand if Jesus is divine and the Son of God, an examination of His teaching will show that Jesus taught His relationship with the Father was divine. Jesus asked His disciples what the world said about Him. Some thought Jesus was John the Baptist or the prophet Jeremiah. Many thought the man from Nazareth was one of the prophets risen from the dead. Jesus asked His disciples what they thought. Peter claimed to believe that Jesus (a man from Nazareth) was the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God. Jesus commended Peter, declaring that God had revealed this to Peter. Peter believed Jesus was God, and Jesus confirmed that when He called God His Father. If God is the Father of Jesus, Jesus is the Son of God.

Throughout the ministry of Jesus, He taught His disciples the words He gave them were not His own, but His Father’s. After healing a man by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath, the Jews sought ways to kill Jesus. The man from Nazareth told the Jews His Father had done the work, which infuriated the Jews more because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God. What the Jews could not see was that not only did Jesus claim to be the Son of God, but He also showed by His power and His teaching that His Father had sent him. The conclusion was that if one rejected Jesus, they would be rejecting the heavenly Father.

When a man refuses to honor Jesus as the Son of God, they deny God. A man can’t say he believes in God and refuse to accept the teachings of Jesus. As the Son of God, Jesus had the authority of the Father to teach His will. Jesus taught the will of the Father without deviation. Everything Jesus said was from the Father. When a man denies the teaching of Jesus, they deny God. If a man believes in God, he must accept everything Jesus said as divine truth. There can be no variation: to accept the existence of God and deny Jesus is impossible. Challenging the word of Jesus is to challenge the word of God.

Jesus said that all who hear His words and believe in His Father have everlasting life. A man can deny the teaching of Jesus, but that does not change the word of God. There will come a day when all men hear the voice of God and know there is a God and His Son is Jesus Christ. Then it will be too late. God sent His Son to share His word with a lost and dying world. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He is the Son. His words are the words of God. To deny the teaching of Jesus is to deny God.

And they proposed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:23-26)

Joseph Was Not Chosen

After the resurrection of Jesus, the Lord spent forty days with the disciples teaching and instructing them concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus told the eleven to remain in Jerusalem, where they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days later. The Lord ascended back to His Father, and the eleven returned to Jerusalem. Sometime in the next few days, Peter stood in the midst of the disciples showing the prophecy from David that one should take the place of Judas. The qualification required to take the place of Judas was that the man had to have accompanied the eleven all the time that Jesus went in and out among the disciples beginning from the baptism of John. Whoever was to be chosen must have been with the disciples up until the ascension of Jesus to the Father as a witness of the resurrection.

Two names were put before the brethren. The first was Joseph called Barsabas. His surname was Justus. A second disciple was put forth named Matthias. After praying and casting lots, the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Matthias joined the apostles as one to take the gospel to the world. He was there at Pentecost when the baptism of the Holy Spirit came upon him. Luke does not mention Matthias by name, but whenever the apostles are gathered together, Matthias is with them. During the early days of the church, Matthias was among the men arrested by the Jews for preaching Jesus.

Matthias was present when the apostles laid hands on the seven to carry out the work of the church to care for the widows. When Barnabas brought Saul to Jerusalem after his conversion, the church was afraid of the former persecutor. Barnabas brought Saul to Matthias and the eleven to tell the story of his conversion. After Herod killed James, the brother of John, the original apostles were only eleven. Matthias helped to decide the question of circumcision that false teachers had claimed was necessary for salvation. It was clear the choice of Matthias complemented the work of the early disciples and the growth of the church.

Joseph called Barsabas was not chosen when the lot was cast for someone to take the place of Judas. He was qualified to fill the role of an apostle and desired to do the work. None of the twelve understood the complexity of how their lives would change over the next few years. That did not matter to Joseph. He was willing that his name be put forth to serve in whatever way the Lord needed him. The lot fell on Matthias. Luke records nothing of Joseph. In the absence of information, it would seem Joseph was unfazed by his not being chosen and continued to do the work of the Lord. He had spent the past few years following Jesus, seeing His miracles, listening to His preaching, and seeing how the Jews fought the Lord. After Jesus rose from the dead, Joseph spent time with Jesus. He would become among the many who witnessed the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. His testimony would herald the gospel of Christ to the world.

Joseph was not chosen to be numbered with the eleven, but he knew he was numbered with the saints. His work was not to the glory of what the apostles lived. He lived for the glory of God, no matter how he served the Lord. It is hard sometimes when decisions are made that may exclude one from a desired role. There is much work to be done in many parts of the kingdom. Not every man can serve as a bishop of the church, a preacher, song leader, or teacher, but there is much work to be done in teaching. There is much work to be done by the women of the church, even when limited in the leadership roles. Luke does not reveal why God chose Matthias over Joseph, but the choice was right. It is easy to assume Joseph took the choice by grace and lived his life for the glory of God. The one God did not choose to serve with the eleven He wanted to serve in the church. There is work for everyone, chosen or not.

They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” (Exodus 32:8-10)

When God Changed His Mind

The Hebrews had not long been delivered from their bondage in Egypt. After 400 years, the descendants of Abraham were on their way to a land of milk and honey, a land promised by the Lord God to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses had been chosen by the Lord to deliver His people. The Lord could have taken the multitude on a shorter route, but to test them, He brought them to the Red Sea. After the powerful miracles of the plagues God wrought upon Egypt, the Hebrews should have feared the power of the Lord. Standing before the mighty sea, they did not trust in the Lord, fearfully crying out for deliverance. God opened the sea for them to cross on dry land, and nearly two million souls walked across. Then the Hebrews watched as the Lord destroyed the Egyptian army that followed.

More miracles would come as the Lord provided sweet water to drink, manna from above, and all the water the Hebrews could use. When Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim, God delivered them. Arriving at Mt. Sinai, the people pitched camp as Moses went up into the mountain with his brother Aaron. During Moses’ sojourn on the mountain, the Lord God gave him the law that would bind the people with a covenant with the Lord. Moses spent forty days and nights on the mountain filled with thunder, lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the glory of the Lord like a consuming fire.

The people became restless, unsure what had become of Moses. When Moses delayed returning from the mountain, the people demanded that Aaron make gods to go before them. They did not know what became of Moses. Aaron agreed and told them to break off the golden earrings and bring them to him. He received the gold, fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a golden calf. Aaron then told the people the golden calf was the god who brought them out of the land of Israel. He proclaimed a feast on the following day to the Lord. Early the next morning, Aaron offered burnt offerings along with peace offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink, indulging in unrestrained pagan revelry.

As the Lord spoke to Moses, He saw what the people had done. His anger grew against them, and His desire was to consume them. The Hebrew word suggests to make a clean riddance of them. God told Moses He would make a great nation of him. In a remarkable story of grace between sinful man and the Lord God Almighty, Moses pleads with the Lord to change His mind. He argues that by destroying the Hebrews, the Egyptians would boast of how the Lord brought them out but killed them. Moses pleaded with the Lord to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel and the promises He made to them. So the Lord relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

The actions of the people did not go unpunished. When Moses returned from the mountain, he demanded that the people choose whether they were on the Lord’s side or not. Three thousand Hebrews were killed that day for refusing to honor God. The Lord punished the people for what they did with the calf Aaron made. Sin came with a consequence. Mercy was found when the Lord relented and changed His mind. The people stood condemned. God relented.

God can change His mind. Thank God, through Jesus Christ, the wrath of God is abated by the mercy of God, who forgives those who come to Him with a penitent heart. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the mercy seat where man finds pardon and redemption, and where God relents from the punishment of sin. Those at Sinai were given a choice to serve the Lord, but many refused. Even in the face of mercy and grace, the gift of God is refused. Eternal life and eternal joy come to those who have experienced the mercy of God to relent from His wrath. He instead blesses the penitent heart with His love. Thank God for His eternal mercy.