The Heaton File

But the Lord is in his holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before him. (Habakkuk 2:20)

Worship Him In Silence

There is value in stillness, the quiet of a day, a calm spirit standing before the Almighty seeking peace and comfort. The world is filled with noise, clamor, activity and the unending pursuit of gain on a daily, unending cycle. God gave man the task of labor but He also instilled in man the need for rest. Regardless of the strength of the will of man, the physical body requires rest or it will destroy itself. Sleep is a biological clock determined to refresh, renew and strengthen the body from disease. Man has no choice but to rest as the body demands it. This same need is found in the spirit of man to enter a place of silence to ponder his place in the universal scheme of his life. When God created the heavens and the earth, He rested on the seventh day, not because He was wearied or tired but as a time to reflect the grandeur of His creation which expressed all the glory of a loving Creator. Under the Law of Moses, the seventh day was called a Sabbath rest and became a required day of non-activity for the people of Israel. On one occasion there was a man found picking up sticks on the seventh day and he was stoned to death according to the word of the Lord. Why? He had not hallowed the day of rest. It was not the intention of the Lord to punish the people by making them have a Sabbath rest. His intent was for the spirit of man to spend time peering more closely into the nature and character of the One who created Him. The Lord does not approve of a slothful man or a lazy man. Remembering the Sabbath was a day to be kept holy as a hallowed day. While the Law of Moses and the Sabbath law has been annulled and taken away, the principle of God to spend time in silence before Him remains. Habakkuk warns the wicked to remember who the Creator is and what He has given to all men and to understand the place of man before God.

The world of modern man is full of conveniences and comfort that drives him into a constant hum of business that almost seems unending. It is hard to get someone to slow down to smell the roses much less take the time to plant the roses in this crazy world. Worship is a time when the soul of man finds refreshment in the praise and glory of the Lord God. The early church assembled on the first day of every week to spend time in worship and praise. Through the writings of the New Testament disciples the lessons of weekly worship are firmly established as the pattern for the modern man. God expects and demands that His people gather together each week and stop their busy pursuits of useless matters and worship Him. Before Jesus died on the cross, He took His disciples and instituted a memorial feast that would become the hallmark of worship for the early Christians. The Lord’s Supper was given by God so that His people could reflect upon the gift of God to give His Son and the love of Christ to die a horrible death for the sins of all men. Paul would later describe the manner of the partaking as reflective worship to commune with the body and blood of Jesus. He also adds that if done in an improper manner judgment would be placed upon the individual. All of this points to the need of the child of God to stop, look and listen to the love of God every first day of the week. Habakkuk reminds the modern people of God to remember where the Lord is and that He must be regarded as holy and honored by the silence of respect to His holy name. Worship is not a place of frivolity, playing with children, reading Facebook or talking to one another about shopping at the mall. Worship to the Lord God must be done with respect and honor. The Lord is in His holy temple and when a man disregards the presence of the Lord he will be held accountable. The laws of worship have changed but the principles have never changed.

If more of God’s children would take to heart the words of Habakkuk and reflect upon the presence of God worship would be very different. The Lord’s Supper is not the only part of worship that must be taken in a holy manner. Singing to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs comes from hearts that are filled with the Spirit of God. Listening attentively with Bibles open shows respect for the word of God. Far too many saints sit passively in the pews never opening the Bible or listening with an attentive ear. Worship is a place of honor for the Lord God Creator. The first day of the week should be a holy day to reflect upon the mercy and grace of God – not a day filled with the hectic pleasures of life that drown the soul in perdition. It is not a day of slothfulness but a day of worship. The Lord is in His holy temple and all the earth should be in silence before Him to honor Him and adore Him for the greatest gift He has given to all men. This is the day the Lord has made and we should rejoice in this day because it is a day when we gather to worship God.

So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” (Matthew 1:22-23)

The Prophets In The Gospel Of Matthew

It had been over a month since the man from Nazareth was crucified along with two other criminals. Devout Jews from every nation under heaven dwelt in the city of Jerusalem as the Day of Pentecost arrived in accordance with the Law of Moses. Three thousand Jews would come to know the cleansing power of God’s grace when after hearing the good news of a resurrected Christ; they were baptized for the remission of their sins. The church began on the Day of Pentecost and multitudes were added daily to the number of the saved. Many would come to know the Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God and years later the Gentiles would be included in the fold as the gospel went into the whole world. One of the challenges faced by the early church was to prove that the man from Nazareth, a carpenter’s son, was, in fact, the promised Messiah or Christ. Men like Philip the evangelist preached from the Old Testament the saving grace of Jesus Christ and the power of redemption in the waters of baptism. Many would expound on these same passages proving the message of God’s love in Jesus Christ. While there were many who wrote down the teachings of Jesus, one of the original apostles took upon himself to write a gospel on the life of Jesus from a very important perspective needed for the infant church. Matthew was first called by Jesus when he was sitting at his place of tax collection. The son of Alphaeus, Matthew lived in Capernaum and worked for the Roman government as a publican or tax collector. It is uncertain what time of His ministry Jesus called Matthew but the man called Levi followed Jesus immediately. He becomes one of the apostles and is last referred to by Luke as he gathered in Jerusalem at Pentecost and baptized with the Holy Spirit. As the church grew, one of the most important issues to deal with was to establish the proof that Jesus was a Jew and that He was the promised seed as spoken by the prophets. Matthew would rise to the occasion as he wrote the story of Jesus Christ, the son of David, and the son of Abraham.

Matthew wanted to instill in the mind of his Jewish readers that Jesus was the promised Messiah. First he crafts the genealogy of Jesus through forty-two generations from Abraham to Jesus born of Mary. As the story of Jesus unfolds, a trademark of Matthew begins by the repeated references to the prophets. He quotes from Isaiah on the name of Jesus and that He would be born of a virgin. It had been nearly two years since Jesus was born when the wise men come to find the King of the Jews searching for him in Bethlehem as spoken by the prophet Micah. Joseph and Mary would flee to Egypt where the family would remain until the death of Herod fulfilling the prophecy of Hosea. When Herod sent his troops into Bethlehem and slaughtered all the male children from two-years-old and under, Jeremiah’s words of prophecy came to pass. Jesus being called a Nazarene from the city of Nazareth was spoken by the prophets (unidentified by Matthew as to which prophet said this). The coming of John the Baptist fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah as the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Matthew will quote from Moses, the Psalms, Malachi, Asaph, Zechariah, David, and Daniel. His gospel is heavy in Jewish doctrine to prove that Jesus was the Christ, the promised Messiah, a son of Abraham and the one to whom the Jews must turn to for the saving grace of God. The other three gospels differed in their approach as Mark spoke more to the might and power of the Gentile (Roman) mind while Luke and John describe the humanity and divine nature of Jesus. It was necessary for the Jews to see Jesus in light of the Old Testament scriptures as the fulfillment of the words of the prophets. Luke records Jesus telling the eleven the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms spoke concerning Himself. The church would begin in Jerusalem with the first citizens of the kingdom the original first-fruits of God’s covenant with Abraham. Moses and the Law were shown to be a system of law taken away by Jesus bringing salvation to all men through the blood of the man from Nazareth. The crucified Christ was the power of God unto salvation, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Each of the gospels serves a purpose in the final revelation of God revealing Himself to all men throughout all generations. Jesus is the Christ for the Jew as He fulfilled so many prophecies concerning Him. Ferrell Jenkins in his book “Introduction to Christian Evidences” lists sixteen prophecies that were fulfilled in one 24-hour period surrounding the death of Jesus. Jenkins writes, “Henry Liddon is credited with the statement that there are 332 prophecies fulfilled in Christ.” Matthew establishes in his gospel the Jewish heritage of Jesus Christ, son of David and son of Abraham as being the only begotten Son of God. It is impossible to fully understand the New Testament without seeing the Jesus of the Old Testament. Matthew establishes in his gospel the foundational teaching of Jesus as necessary to see Him from the Jewish mind. From the first promise of redemption in the Garden of Eden to the ascension of the risen Christ, the message of salvation is found in the fulfillment of Jesus of Nazareth as spoken by the prophets through the preceding generations. Matthew will establish the phrase, “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying…” as the mainstay of the gospel that bears his name. He proves without a shadow of a doubt, Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah; the anointed One. Matthew closes his gospel with Jesus telling the eleven, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” They accomplished this by showing the prophets had spoken of Jesus many years before and that He fulfilled all prophecy.

So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. (Luke 8:40)

Waiting For Jesus

There are two kinds of people in the world: those who are threatened by Jesus and those who anxiously await the coming of the Son of God. When Jesus traveled to Decapolis or the land of the Gadarenes, He encountered a demon-possessed man afflicted for a long time. The man wore no clothes, did not live in a house and was driven by the demons in the wilderness as a mad man. Jesus had compassion on the man and healed him of his malady driving the demons into a herd of swine which ran violently down a steep place into the lake and drowned. When the people of the city heard of what Jesus did, they asked Jesus to depart from their region. They were threatened by what Jesus did ignoring the miracle of healing the certain man possessed by the demons named Legion. Their concern was more for the loss of the herd of swine than the saving of a man. Jesus was told to leave the area and He did. In contrast, the people of Capernaum welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. They were anxious for the man from Nazareth to come to their land to be received with pleasure and excitement. There was a certain eager expectancy for Jesus to come as the attitude of the people was far different from those whom the Lord had just left. Great things would follow as a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, would seek the help of Jesus to heal his twelve-year-old daughter. Sadly the girl died before Jesus arrived but this did not dissuade the Lord as He raised her from the dead. Before Jesus arrived at the home of Jairus, a woman with an issue of blood for twelve years sought to touch the hem of the Lord’s garment for healing and through her faith received cleansing. Two wonderful stories of healing but these stories would not be told in the land of the Gadarenes. They had refused to allow Jesus to stay.

Jesus was not always welcomed when He came into a region. The days at Capernaum must have been a time of great energy for Jesus to see the faces of the people happy to have Him in their midst. They were not the faces of the hypocritical Pharisee or the pious Jew who humbled himself for self-glory or the hatred of the Jewish leaders who wanted to kill Jesus. What the Lord saw when He came into Capernaum were the faces of happy people eager to see Him, listen to His teaching and welcome Him with open arms into their homes. The hearts of the people were opened to the coming of Jesus as a time of joy and renewal to hear God’s word spoken clearly. They were waiting for Him to return and He relished the opportunity to be among those who welcomed Him and were eager to see Him come back to their town. This kind of spirit was not as often as Jesus would have liked because many were angered by what Jesus taught. He spoke the words of the Fathers and while many received His words with gladness, many more walked away and refused to follow Him. Tracing the steps of Jesus throughout His life was a menagerie of people who loved and adored Him and also many who hated and reviled Him. It seems impossible to see Jesus in the light of the Gadarenes. They wanted the miracle worker to leave their region because He threatened them. On the other hand, those of Capernaum welcomed Him with open arms with great joy He had come back to them. Eventually the hopeless crowd would have sway over the heart of Pilate and demand Jesus be crucified. This followed the triumphant arrival of Jesus just a few days earlier where the people lined the path with branches from the trees and a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road as Jesus passed by. At first, Jesus was welcomed and in a short time was killed on a cross. Pilate knew Jesus had been delivered up because of the envy of the Jewish leaders. Like the Gadarenes, they denied the miracles of Jesus and preferred to have the man from Nazareth killed.

Most men are like the people of Decapolis and are threatened by the teaching of the Son of God. The Bible is reviled by those who see themselves as a reflection in the mirror of God’s word for who they really are. Jesus did a wonderful thing for the Gadarene man but the people drove Jesus from their region. There is no more that God can do to show His love and mercy to the sinful nature of man than sending His only begotten Son but the vast majority of souls will not accept God’s love. Jesus died for the same hearts that despise Him, reject Him and refuse to listen to Him. There will come a day when Jesus will return and there will be a multitude who will welcome Him when He returns. These are the souls who are waiting for Him with anxious hearts of joy eagerly looking for and longing for His return. They will know the joy of God’s love and see first-hand the power of His grace when He says to those on His right hand, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.” No more miracles were done for the Gadarenes because they could not believe in Jesus. Sadly, when the final day of judgment arrives, all the souls who rejected the Son of God will know and believe Him to be the Son of God with power to take away the wrath of God and will face that wrath in eternal darkness. Be among the number that welcomes Jesus and wait for His return. Let the power of God change your life to obey His will and find the grace of a loving God to the salvation of your soul. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.

Orbiting 93 million miles from the Sun, Earth is the only object in the vast universe of space that harbors life. Since the beginning of time, the question of the age of earth has puzzled and challenged human wisdom. The present suggested age, when the earth formed, is 4.54 billion years ago. This seems to be a daunting number when determining how old the earth is supposed to be. The facts, however, are clearer than the suppositions put forth by scientists and mathematicians.

No one knows how old the earth is. There little evidence to suggest an exact age of the earth like the age of a person. Birthdays cannot change for a person as that day is determined with exact clarity. This is not true for the earth which has no marker setting the hour, day, week, month or year of its birth. At best, there will be estimations but that can also lead to miscalculations and error.

Suggesting the earth is 4.54 billion years old is impossible for the disciple of Christ to accept because of Adam. If a person believes God created the world then it is impossible to accept the theory the earth is millions of years old. The apostle Paul said Adam was the first man (1 Corinthians 15:45-47). He wrote to the Roman brethren that death reigned from Adam to Moses (Romans 5:14). Adam only lives 930 years and then he died. Adding up all the descendants of Adam will put the life range less than a thousand years each. If the earth is 4.54 billion years old, where did all those millions of years go for the first man who lived 930 years?

It does not matter how old the earth is but it really does matter how long eternity will be. “The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). Paul refers to Jesus Christ who knows how old the earth is because He created it. The age of the earth cannot be known but salvation in Christ must be known. Make certain you know the latter.

Those who make an image, all of them are useless, and their precious things shall not profit; they are their own witnesses; they neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed. Who would form a god or mold an image that profits him nothing? Surely all his companions would be ashamed; and the workmen, they are mere men. Let them all be gathered together, let them stand up; yet they shall fear, they shall be ashamed together. (Isaiah 44:9-11)

Modern Day Idols

The destruction of Israel came from the desire of the people to be like the nations around them and as people succumb to the folly of idolatry. It is difficult to understand the concept of idol worship yet it is the most prolific cause of rebellion against God known to man. Many cultures are based on idolatry, wars have been fought through the influence of idolatry and the carnal desires of humanity have been fueled by the practice of idolatry. When the subject of idolatry is discussed, the first impression is that of a man bowing down to a stone or wooden figure of some mystical being created from the mind of the worshiper. Most of the gods are perverted compilations of man and animal or a place or a large stone dedicated to the purpose of the religion surrounding idol worship. The greatest appeal to idolatry is the ability to do anything desired by the worshiper including sexual perversions, murder, rape, pillaging, and a host of self-gratification acts of worship. There are no rules in idolatry except the rules established by the worshiper. In every culture built upon the stones of idolatry the people are corrupt, immoral and degraded to the likeness of the animal nature of man. Isaiah the prophet lived among the people of God corrupted with the practice of idolatry. He saw the destruction of Israel by the hand of the idol-worshipers and the impact it had upon the moral, religious and personal lives of those who once called Jehovah the only true God.

The failure of idolatry is how useless and empty it is. Idols are created by their creators. The blacksmith fashions the idol with his hammer and the craftsman stretches out his rule to make a totem of his religion. Idols are useless because they cannot see nor can they know anything. To form an image into an idol and then fall down and ask for the idol to deliver one is folly. Why would anyone form a god or mold an image that will not help him or protect him? If a man worships an idol and an earthquake threatens his home, who rescues whom? The idol of stone must be rescued by the worshiper. There is no mind in the form of the idol and no life. Falling down to an image of a Buddha or black stone or a man in Rome who calls himself ‘God on earth’ is sheer folly. Idolatry is useless because it is formed from the foolishness of men. The greatest failure of idolatry is the person believing his life consists of what that object will bring him when in fact it will come to nothing. And that is where the modern version of idolatry has a larger following than the ancients who worshiped Zeus, Baal, Thor and a host of gods.

Idolatry is not just falling down before a stone image but is found in the hearts of those who put their faith in the trappings of this world. Idolatry takes on many forms for the modern man. Possessions can become idols when the heart desires the finest things believing that the worth of a person is based upon where they live, what they wear, how they fix their hair, what cars they drive and how far their education has taken them. There is nothing wrong with stone, wood or precious gems but when taken to form idols it becomes a hindrance. Social status is a normal part of life unless it becomes the god that fuels the heart to despise others. Riches can be a blessing when used for good purposes yet become a god that drives the lives of the soul of man to trust more in riches than the one true God. The lesson from Isaiah is that whether it is the idols of mortar and stone or the modern conveniences and blessings of a prosperous nation, the precious things are useless and profit nothing. Parents will give their children everything but God. Jobs will keep the heart from serving the Lord. Life will be consumed by the accumulation of stuff to be left when death comes and for what purpose? The gods of this world cannot see nor can they hear. Isaiah’s plea resonates today that all men must see the value of this world and what is found here compared to what is found in a relationship with the eternal God who will judge all men. Where your treasure is found is where you will find your heart and where you find your heart determines your eternal path.

And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought not. (1 Timothy 5:13)

Rattlers And Tattlers In The Church

A rattler is a noun form of one who rattles and is most often referred to as a rattlesnake. To rattle something is to make short sharp knocking sounds in quick succession. The rattlesnake is a venomous snake whose name is derived from the Latinized form of the Greek word for tail rattler. This means of warning is given when a rattlesnake is startled or threatened warning predators or unfortunate passer-by to beware. It can be a troublesome sound to the unsuspecting person as fear of injury or death could be the result of being inattentive to its warning. The rattlesnake if the most common injury by snakebite and can, while not often, lead to death. There is no doubt the rattlesnake is a very dangerous animal that can bring much sorrow, harm, and misery. A relative of the rattler is a person who is a tattler if nothing more than poetically observant. Paul warns the preacher Timothy to remind the brethren and especially the young widows in the congregation not to gossip or become busybodies in other people’s affairs. While the admonition specifies the young widows, this does not leave out the reality that others will not find tasteful the delectable morsels of gossip an appealing pastime. The early forms of the word used for gossip come from the idea of overflowing with talk meaning more is said that needs to be said. A prater is one who talks in a silly way and at length about nothing important often filling in the blanks with their own opinions. Triflers are also described as people who talk about trivial matters of no importance but enjoy a dish of gossip to tickle the ears of willing receptors of nonsense. Gossipers are people who talk about idle and improper conversation leading often to the destruction of lives through malicious talk with little or no truth or preconceived opinions based on fantasy.  As James described in his book, the tongue becomes an unrestrained license to demean the character of others like an uncontrolled fire or a horse without a bridle.

The church of Christ is the family of God. What is most disturbing about the admonition of Paul to Timothy is the warning given to children of God concerning the conduct of members of the body of Christ towards one another and others. There are ample instructions given in the epistles that brethren should be careful with their tongues. As the elect of God, holy and beloved, Christians are to have hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and bearing with one another. There should never be dishonest talk come out of the mouths of Christians, but only such as is good for building up and speaking well of others. As a family of God, the Father desires for His children to love and care for one another. Gossip is one of the most destructive tools of Satan to destroy the lives of God’s people. The church of Jesus Christ was bought with His blood and as Head of the church, the Lord has no desire to hear the members slander others, murmur against the shepherds, preachers, teachers or fellow members as this leads to dissension, disharmony, and sin. When a word is spoken it must be in the name of Jesus meaning with the grace of the Son of God addressing the conversation. It must be remembered that what is said here below echoes through the halls of God’s righteousness and all words said in this life will be brought before the soul standing in judgment. Nothing is hidden from the ear of the Lord God. He hears every word that is said (and that includes Facebook).

In a world filled with religious error, the church of Christ should not be viewed by the world as body of people that gossip about one another and about others. Rattlers are dangerous creatures in the wild but tattlers are dangerous for the church demeaning the holy character of why Jesus gave His life for the Beloved. The example of Christian’s showing restraint in their speech is one of the most important ways to impress upon others the importance of being sanctified in Christ. A change takes place when the soul enters into a covenant with God to change their thinking and the manner of their speech to be filled with holiness and righteousness. Being idle and wandering about from house to house gossiping about things that should not be spoken damages the church of Christ and its mission. This can destroy the faith of some including those involved. Let the church be the glory of a people that season their speech with the grace of God. Do not let the speech of the carnal world betray the real character of those who speak for Christ in a dark and perverse generation. If you are a rattler in the church get rid of your tattler.

Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Saved Without A Word

Teaching a person the plan of salvation can be a challenging endeavor filled with questions and uncertainty on how to address the eternal consequences of the decision to be made. Those who have spent many hours studying scriptures with others know the difficulties that can be faced. What is often overlooked is the power of influence and the Holy Spirit directs the attention to one specific scenario that has one of the most rewarding outcomes for the family. Consider a woman who is a child of God married to a man who is not in covenant with Christ. This can be a difficult place for a woman to find herself either because she married a man who was not a Christian or she has obeyed the gospel and the husband has not. Regardless, the stark reality of the marriage is that she enjoys the hope of eternal life and her husband faces the reality of perishing. This can be a dangerous liaison in the marriage bond as spiritual goals struggle to mesh with carnal lives driven by the concerns of the world. The wife serves the Lord but the husband does not.  She has desires to live a spiritual life facing the hardship of a man she loves deeply who does not share that passion. There will always exist a wall of separation between the two because the view of life is fundamentally opposite. This can result in many hours of heartache, despair, worry, and sometimes anger. Oftentimes it creates in the woman a dispirited attitude of complacency with little concern her husband has no hope of eternal life believing that he is a good man and God will show mercy. The Bible does not teach salvation by goodness. He can be a great father, loving husband and respectable man in the community but the eternal reality is that he is doomed to perdition.

Peter addresses the challenge of a Christian woman married to a non-Christian husband offering a kernel of hope that may bring about joy in the home. The apostle will not negate the need of teaching the word of truth to the husband but Peter does suggest one of the strongest motivations a man will find to be saved is the conduct of their wives. Many husbands will not listen to the words of the preacher or elder or friend. Some will not obey the gospel of Christ through direct teaching. What will change the heart of the husband is the chase conduct of his wife. Her life of purity and reverence for God can change the heart of her husband. He sees how much she loves the Lord and is willing to serve the Lord. She is faithful in how she daily reads the scriptures to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. Her words are graced with the words of the Bible. By her actions the wife shows the husband the character of godliness coupled with godly fear. Peter will explain more in the text one evidence of her submission to God is her manner of dress. What is precious in the heart of a godly wife is how she dresses. Her adornment is not as the world dresses but as modesty would dictate under the guidance of God. The husband sees in his wife the radiance of the hidden person of the heart, the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. Impressed by her Christian life, the husband can be won to Christ without a word. One of the strongest examples of faith for the woman married to a non-believing husband is how she submits to her husband. This can only be found in the character of a godly wife who subjects her will to the word of God. Women of the world will not submit themselves to their husbands. Those who follow Christ know the value of submission first as a command and secondly as a means to show their husbands how much they love God. Unbelieving husbands can be saved without a word by the conduct of their wives.

It must be noted in contrast that many husbands will never obey the gospel because of the conduct of their wives. What makes this formula so powerful is that a man can save his soul without a word but rather by the conduct of his wife. Her life will help lead him to Christ and to eternal life. If a wife refuses to submit to her husband she may very well be putting his soul in jeopardy. When a woman does not live godly before her husband she is blocking out the only possible hope he may have to eternal life. If she never spends time in the word of God, she is telling her husband that he need not bother. When she continually forsakes the assembling of the saints she declares to her husband his allegiance to service of the most high God is of no use. The wife who dresses like the world and enjoys the pleasures of the world more than adorning herself with chaste conduct testifies to her husband that his eternal life is not important to her. It is hard to imagine how a woman can show love to her husband in every way in this world but show no love for his life in the world to come. The chaste conduct of the wife can save her husband without a word. It is also true the neglected example of godliness in a woman who does not live for Christ each day can possibly damn her husband to eternal fire. This is the reality Peter writes about that must be concerning on the hearts of women who are married to non-believers. Women who trust in God can lead their husbands to heaven if they will show that love and dedication in their own lives. Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by your behavior, when they see the purity and reverence of your life.

Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said: “Behold, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.” (Amos 7:7-9)

God’s Plumb Line

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, a plumb line is “a line (as of cord) that has at one end a weight (such as a plumb bob) and is used especially to determine verticality; a line directed to the center of gravity of the earth: a vertical line.” Used by plumbers, carpenters, surveyors and a host of construction workers, the plumb line is a basic tool to test whether an object is perpendicular to the square. It is believed to one of the oldest tools as used by the Egyptians in constructing the ancient pyramids. During the days of Jeroboam, king of Israel, Amos describes the justice and righteousness of the Lord against Israel as the measuring of the plumb line. God calls the prophet by name and asks him what he sees. In the vision, the prophet sees the Lord holding a plumb line. Sadly, the message of the plumb line is that God has brought final judgment against his people Israel and He would tear down the wall of His Beloved. The imagery is striking as the house of God was built in perfection but the idolatry and wickedness of the people had perverted the nation. Measuring spiritual Israel with the plumb line of God’s justice and mercy Israel was found wanting. Many prophets had come to the people seeking their repentance but there was no turning back. The longsuffering of the Lord allowed the nation to stand but the time had come when judgment would come to the house of the Lord. A plumb line is based on the law of gravity that is unmovable. There can be no deviation or change when the measure of God’s wrath is brought against ungodliness. A plumb line is complete truth, pure accuracy and shows a wall to either be straight or crooked. Using a spiritual allusion to the plumb line, the Lord tells Israel the day of longsuffering has come to an end. The high places of Israel shall be desolate or destroyed. These high places were where the people offered sacrifices to the gods of idolatry. When the kingdom first divided and Jeroboam became king of the northern ten tribes, he set up golden calves at Dan and Bethel and became sin because the people went to worship before the shrines on the high places. Two hundred years later the final judgment came upon Israel as the plumb line of God’s righteousness brought swift judgment upon the people.

The plumb line seen by Amos was not the first time the Lord had used His plumb line to judge the people. Mentioned only by Amos and Zechariah, the plumb line was crafted before time began. When Adam and Eve disobeyed the command of God, the plumb line of truth measured their actions and found them in rebellion. In the days of Noah, the world had turned away from God requiring their measuring by the eternal plumb line of the Lord. It brought about swift judgment by the hand of the Lord as He destroyed all things that had the breath of life save eight souls. For those who perished the plumb line of God found them out of line with the will of the Lord. Noah and his family were measured by the same plumb line and found grace in the eyes of the Lord. When a wall is straight the plumb line will bear testimony of its character and if a wall is skewed the same plumb line will find the inconsistencies. Gravity is an absolute law that is unchanging. Grace is an absolute law that is unchanging in the character of God. He created the law of gravity in the beginning and He formed the plumb line of righteousness that tests the hearts of all men. Throughout the generations of men, the same plumb line has been used by the Lord to tests the hearts of men. The Bible is filled with stories of those who found judgment before the Lord because of their failure to respect the word of God. He measured them and found them wanting.

There is evidence of the divine plumb line when one reads the Bible. Contained within the sacred pages of holy writ the Lord measures the hearts of men to test them and determines if they will obey Him. Men have tried to change the word of God to fit their own wisdom but like a plumb line, the word of God always returns to the original creation formed by God. The evidence of many churches shows how men have tried to build their walls of truth according to their own designs. Compared to the word of God they do not line up. If a person wants to know if what they are practicing is the word of God, they only have but to use the plumb line of truth to see if what they believe is found in the Bible. Examining the many names of churches, how do these titles line up to the plumb line of God’s word? When men seek answers to what must be done to be saved and they use any other answer than what is found in the word of God they deny the plumb line of the Lord. The pattern of worship, work of the church and character of the body of Christ is determined by a single body of evidence: where does the plumb line of God lie? Finally, it must be clear that as in the days of Amos, the plumb line of the Lord was used to bring judgment against those who disobeyed. In the same vein, it determined who the righteous of the nation were. A day is yet to come but will come soon when all men will stand before the Creator of heaven and earth and the plumb line of righteousness and truth will measure the stature of their hearts whether they have done the will of God or rejected His word. It will be a day of complete justice, mercy, grace, and love as the measure of God’s character judge the hearts of men. Where you find your eternity will be determined by where the plumb line of God falls on your heart.

So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. (Luke 4:16-17a)

The Custom Of Jesus

During the days of Jesus, the Synagogue was the gathering place where the community worship brought families together for prayers and reading of the law and the Prophets. At least ten persons had to be present for regular worship. It was common for someone in the crowd to be selected to expound on a text or on occasions a visitor might ask to speak to the congregation. Young boys growing up in the synagogue would become familiar with the order of services and participate with the older men in the engagement of worship. Jesus grew up in the city of Nazareth and was recognized by the community as the son of Joseph and Mary along with his brothers and sisters. At the age of twelve, Jesus astonished the teachers at the Temple when for three days He had astonished them with His understanding and answers concerning the law. As a young man, Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. Those in the synagogue of Nazareth knew Jesus very well and would often see Him reading and reciting text during the worship. At the beginning of His Galilean ministry, the Lord returns to Nazareth where He had been brought up and gathered with the villagers for a day of worship at the synagogue. He was handed the book of Isaiah and when He unrolled the book began reading from the latter part of the prophetic book. What is striking about this event is this is something Jesus has done all His life. Luke writes that “as His custom was,” indicating the life of Jesus was a pattern that was easily recognized by keeping the custom of things He learned at an early age. After fleeing Bethlehem as a little boy with his parents and spending time in Egypt, Jesus grows up in Nazareth as the son of His carpenter father, Joseph. As a little boy, He would have been taken to the synagogue on a regular basis embedding into His heart a love for the word of God. It would not be uncharacteristic to see Jesus at the age of twelve reading in the synagogue and later as a young man being very involved in the services at the synagogue. Jesus had to learn the word of God. Because He was God did not allow Him to have divine recall or knowledge without examining the text. Spending time at the synagogue and through the teaching of His parents, the boy Jesus came to know about the word of God and the writings of the Prophets. When He was twelve He was asking questions of the Temple instructors. Knowledge came for Jesus as with all men and one of the important parts of that pattern of growth came from His custom of going to the synagogue.

Nearly six hundred years before Christ another man did something because it was his custom from his youth. Daniel was in a foreign land under the persecution of those who despised him. A decree had been established under Persian law that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except the king of Persia, shall be cast into the den of lions. Daniel knew the law and the penalty of disobeying the decree which could not be changed according to the law of the Medes and the Persians. When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. The rest of the story is how Daniel is arrested and condemned to death in the lion’s den. An angel of the Lord delivered Daniel from harm and those who accused Daniel were thrown to the lions along with their children and wives. What is notable about the story is the training as a young man Daniel had received in his homeland of Israel. It was his custom from an early age to kneel down on his knees three times a day in prayer and thanksgiving. This resonated with him throughout his life as it did with Jesus. The custom of Daniel and Jesus found its way into their adulthood and guided their decisions. When Jesus came into the synagogue at Nazareth, it was not a surprise that He would read from the text. The multitudes gathered for worship that day were not shocked Jesus came to services. It was something they had witnessed for thirty years because that was His custom. When the man gave Jesus the scroll of Isaiah, the son of Joseph did not have to stumble about looking for the place on the huge scroll where the passage read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.” He knew exactly where it was because it was His custom to read that passage often. The life of Jesus was an example of doing what was His custom from early days: attending the worship of the Almighty God whether in the synagogue or the Temple.

Jesus died to build His church and His body is the depository of those who are saved. One of the clear patterns of the New Testament disciples who followed the will of God was to establish churches in every city so the gospel of Christ could be spread throughout the world. The church is not to be treated with a flippant matter of convenience with no regard to the impression made upon those who gather with the saints. Assembly on the first day of the week is not a choice but a command. Included in the work of the church are efforts by the local body of Christ to admonish, teach, instruct and exhort the souls of its members to greater life and service to God. Far too many children of God believe they can forsake the family gathering of God’s people and please the Father. The custom of many is to attend as little as possible to the work of the church. It is not their custom to be part of the local church and to engage in the work of the church. Jesus and Daniel set a pattern of life that will build strong characters in those who exercise that same devotion. When young people are not brought to the services of God their hearts are not open to His word. It is amazing the number of parents who grieve because their children do not obey the gospel of Christ and yet their custom growing up was to seldom be part of the local work of the church. Obedience to the Lord is not accomplished only by sitting in a pew or class chair but if this is not part of the custom of the child’s life, it is not likely their hearts will have any interest in eternity when they grow to adulthood. When a person struggles to find passages in the Bible it is because it is not their custom to find passages in the Bible at home. Jesus knew where the passage in Isaiah was found and He did not use chapters and verses because that would not happen for nearly fifteen hundred years. He knew where it was because His thumbprints had spent many hours there before. The lesson is clear from Jesus in the synagogue of Nazareth. Customs learned early will carry over to adulthood and that can be good or bad. If the custom of the family is to neglect the Lord today then tomorrow has no hope. Children who learn early the customs of godly devotion will carry that devotion with them in life. What customs are you teaching your family and what customs are you following in your life? Know God today so you will know God tomorrow.

Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink. Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?” And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me!” And the Lord said to Moses, “Go on before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which you struck the river, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:1-7)

Dying Of Thirst And Looking For God

The Hebrews witnessed the incredible power of God when the Lord brought the plagues on Egypt in a way few peoples would be able to recall. All the waters that were in the streams, rivers, ponds, and pools of water became blood when God first began to bring His wrath against the nation of Egypt. Then the land was covered with frogs which afterward died filling the land with a great stench. Lice infested man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt and then millions of flies filled the sky and ground as thick swarms of flies corrupted the land entering into every house. All the livestock of Egypt were stricken and died from a great pestilence including the cattle in the fields, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen and on the sheep. Soon fine dust settled on the land of the Nile causing boils to break out as sores on man and beast. The plagues of God continued when the Lord caused a very heavy hail to rain down such as not been in Egypt since its founding followed by an east wind bringing a storm of locusts that went up over all the land destroying everything in its path. Then three days came when the land was covered in thick darkness so terrible no one moved from their houses for three days. In the final and complete plague, the Lord went into the midst of Egypt and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt died, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the female servant who was behind the hand mill and all the firstborn of the animals. The cry was so great there was not a house in Egypt where there was not one dead. As the wrath of God came upon the Egyptians, the Hebrews were spared from the onslaught and destruction but they witnessed the power of God against their enemies. It would be highlighted by the crossing of the Red Sea when the Lord parted the waters allowing the people to cross on dry land. When the remaining elements of the Egyptian army pursued the people into the sea the waters closed around the chariots, horsemen and all the army of Pharaoh and no so much as one of them remained. Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Three days later they came to Marah but the water was unfit to drink. Moses showed the power of God when he was instructed to throw a certain tree into the waters and the waters turned sweet. Later, when the people complained about needing food the Lord provided manna that would be provided for them for forty years.

It had only been a couple of months since the deliverance of Israel from Egypt when the people contended with Moses against the Lord. The plagues against Egypt were powerful testimonies to the wrath of God, His power to rule the world and bring the death of thousands of people in one night. There was a clear separation of what happened to Egypt and the preservation of the Hebrews. They did not suffer as their captors and the Lord made certain they could see His grace upon the children of Abraham. When the Red Sea was parted by a strong east wind and the Hebrews walked across on dry land it should have been an awe inspiring, life changing confirmation of the unlimited power of God. The destruction of the Egyptian army was a message that God controlled all nations and no people would be able to stand against the might of the nation of Israel. As a people, the multitudes brought out of Egypt had every sign given to them to show how God was with them and would care for them in every way. However, shortly (in less than a few months) the people strove and quarreled with Moses because they were dying of thirst. In an incredible expression of ingratitude, the people actually complained about being delivered from Egypt. Had they forgotten their cries to the Lord when they were being oppressed by the taskmasters of Egypt? How soon the minds of the people looked back on their bondage as a time of joy when in fact it was an affliction of sorrow, misery, and slavery. They began to question whether God was going to take care of them and whether He really was a great God or not. Did they not have ample evidence of how God had taken care of them, provided for them and protected them from the fury of the Egyptians and now they contend with Moses about being thirsty.

Dying of thirst and looking for God to deliver them, the Hebrews reveal the fickle character of the heart of men who see the power of the Creator and deny He exists. The Bible declares the mind of God for everyone to read and understand the grace and mercy of the Lord yet the majority of people in the world live outside the bounds of God’s love complaining about wars, suffering, and misery. Why do most people not see God? The truth lies in the adage that a person finds what they are looking for and what they see is what they will find. Israel had every opportunity to see firsthand the immense power of God and questioned whether He was among them or whether He would take care of them. Their carnal hearts were filled with the complaint because God was not serving them in the manner they demanded. This pattern would continue for the next forty years as they rejected the providence of God to conquer the promised land and to believe He would provide all their needs. The story of Israel is not unlike those today who view the Bible with disdain rejecting its teaching as archaic, out of step and mere myths and fables. Everything God has done to provide a written testimony of His character is refused because people are thirsty for their carnality and selfish desires. The invisible attributes of God are clearly seen and the revelation of His word is available for all men in every nation and tongue so that they are without excuse. It is sad to see millions groping about dying of thirst when the fountain of life is within their grasp. The Hebrews saw the power of God but could not see His grace. It is tragic the only hope man has is found in the book he rejects and his death will not come about from lack of water but lack of faith and obedience.