The Heaton File

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” (Mark 7:1-13)

Making God’s Word Useless

Mom always made us wash our hands before coming to the dinner table. Our faces had to be clean also. It was not an option but a requirement and with six children she would not let anyone slide by with unwashed hands at her table. We recognized the value of this later in life and it still remains a part of our family tradition. Washing hands is a national consciousness. Hand sanitizers are everywhere, signs requiring all employees to wash their hands are found in every establishment and programs emphasize the importance of keeping germs to a minimum. Science has shown the value in washing utensils, instruments, cups, pitchers and trying to keep harmful diseases down by sanitation. Nothing compares to the meticulous and strict laws imposed by the Pharisees of Jesus day that demanded an extraordinary level of washing that had become a national religion by itself.  When they saw the disciples of Jesus eating bread without the ceremonial washing it offended them and they challenged Jesus. Their challenge was self-explanatory when they asked Jesus why His disciples did not follow the tradition of the elders. There were many regulations in the Law of Moses concerning washing but none were imposed as severely as the Pharisees had interpreted the law. They had made the traditions of the elders a binding law of holiness and sanctification. God had never placed that burden upon the people. The religious zealots of the Law had imposed their own interpretation of requirements that bound the traditions of men upon the people. As a result they failed to exercise the proper use of the law for God’s glory instead exalting themselves above the commandments of the Lord.

There is nothing wrong with washing hands, pitchers and cups but when it becomes a law of tradition binding the people to follow certain rituals to be righteous it goes beyond the pattern of the Lord. The real problem with these kinds of traditions is the elevation of man over God. Certain things are prescribed by God for men to do but everything points to the heart of man to worship the Lord. When men place traditions over the will of God it is man that is being worshiped. Pomp and ceremony declare the importance of man instead of giving glory to God. Wearing of robes and ornate worship garments show the people a distinction between classes of worshipers. The more lavish the garment the more important the person. Pride enters into the wearing of clothing as one is exalted above another. Titles are given separating the clergy from the common person. Exalted names fill the rosters of churches as men try to show the world their self-worth. Traditions are held in high honor in the religious world to the exclusion of what the word of God says. The body of Christ is not immune to these failed attempts at establishing as doctrines the commandments of men. Often things are done in the American church that is nothing more than traditions handed down from previous generations. Jesus did not condemn traditions but He did condemn the making of certain matters as binding requirements. Pharisees of the modern religious movements impose their interpretations of the law of Christ upon the church believing there is scriptural authority for the misguided patterns of what has been done in the past.

Jesus explained the problem of worship that man has struggled with from time beginning. The people honor God with their lips but their hearts are far removed from understanding the importance of spiritual worship and devotion to the Lord. Doing the right things in the right way is more important than knowing the power of the moment and the message. Church services become a rote ceremony of exact details outlined over the last several centuries established in the doctrines of men to replicate each week in a perfect order the long held traditions of men. These patterns are not harmful as long as they do not lay aside the commandment of God or reject the will of the Lord. Participates evolve into doing the same thing week after week like robots performing a task with no regard to the deeply moving message of the cross burning in their hearts. It is easy to become complacent and stale in worship. Traditions can dull the senses. Worship must not take the heart away from God but lead it to the throne of the Father. Keeping the traditions of men make followers traditionalist instead of worshipers. The warnings of Jesus two thousand years ago still resonate in the worship of the churches of the Lord and great care must be taken not to fall into the same snare as the Pharisees. Never allow the tradition of man to make the word of God of no effect or vain.

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true. (3 John 9-12)

He Loves To Be In Charge

Before Jesus ascended back to His Father following the resurrection, He told His disciples that all authority had been given to Him in heaven and in earth. Not many years later there were men within the church who decided they had all authority and began exercising their preeminence among the brethren. It does not take long for Satan to get into the hearts of prideful man and exalt his feeling of self-worth to where he believes he is the most important person in the world. The apostle John remorsefully writes of one such man named Diotrephes who placed himself above Jesus Christ and exercised a spirit of self-will upon the brethren. Diotrephes will become synonymous with prideful arrogance who believes everything must revolve around their desires, wishes and wisdom because they will have the last word. In the world of the narcissist it must be all about them and their way. John was dealing with a grievous problem in the church when he wrote his third epistle warning of the dangers of men like Diotrephes. They exalt themselves above others. In the case of Diotrephes he even refused to receive the apostle John as if he had the authority to determine who should be accepted and who should not. This was a man who demanded his will be first place. He loved to be at the head of all things, to rule, to lord it over others. If anyone disagrees with Diotrephes they would be severely reprimanded by him. A spirit of oppression lived among the church as Diotrephes spread his venom of self-will over the brethren.

There is nothing known of Diotrephes outside of 3 John. His preeminent spirit could be because he was a wealthy man. There are some men corrupted with the gleam of wealth that makes them feel superior to others. In the church these men exercise complete control because they are powerful men of finance in the world bringing their self-willed spirit of the Board room to the affairs of the church. What they forget is the only CEO of the kingdom of God is Jesus Christ and no man has the right to exercise their will as a dominate force among brethren. God designed the church to be filled with spiritual minded people who esteem others better than themselves regardless of wealth, power and prestige. Jesus left a pattern of leadership by showing the heart of a servant. Men like Diotrephes do not serve but demand to be served. Diotrephes could have been an intellectual of his day and used his vast knowledge to exercise dominion over the church. Or Diotrephes could have been just a regular bully who forced his way into the affairs of the church demanding everyone following his authority or else. Whatever the case this was a man who had caused a great deal of harm within the church and the apostle John was going to deal with him face to face. This was not a man that brethren should follow as an example.

John exhorts the brethren not to follow the example of men like Diotrephes but to look to men like Demetrius who served the Lord in humility. Demetrius had a good testimony among all and from the truth itself.  Here was a man who cared about others. His heart was not filled with the arrogance of preeminence but the character of Jesus Christ. He left a pattern of godliness that others should follow. Demetrius honored Christ by remembering all authority belonged to the Son of God and that as a servant of the King Demetrius would serve others with a humble heart. He stood in complete contrast to a man like Diotrephes. On the one hand a man of prideful ambition ruled the church with an iron fist and yet on the other hand a man who served in a spirit of meekness with hands opened in love. The church is still plagued with men who think they must have the preeminent role in the affairs of the kingdom. Jesus still has all authority and no man will ever change that; just delude himself into thinking he can have the preeminence. Servants are to fill the church of the Lord in a spirit of love, humility, meekness and fear. Preachers are servants. Elders are shepherds that humbly serve the Great Shepherd. Every member is essential and vital to the growth of the church. No one is more important than another because all are saved by the same blood. The angels must laugh when a man exalts himself. Serve the cause of Jesus Christ. He is the only Head and Savior of the Body.

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:12-13)

Working Out Salvation

There is nothing more vital to a man’s life than to know that he will live after death. Viewing life only from the carnal examination of three score and ten years with nothing to enjoy after life is a horrible way to exist. Hope is gone and nothing to live for when man is destitute of a future. Salvation is the joy of knowing that life is not ended in death but rather life begins at the grave and continues without end. The concept of eternity is difficult to grasp but it can be acquired through the knowledge of God’s word and the promises that never fail from the hand of the Lord. Assurance of eternal life is given through the life of Jesus Christ who emptied Himself of eternity to be found in appearance as a man dying on the cross to offer all men an avenue of salvation from the condemnation of sin. No greater gift has been given than the love of God sending His only begotten Son to die for the sins of all men. Salvation is found in the will of the Lord and the hope of eternal life. It is God’s good pleasure to offer man a dwelling place in the eternal home of the Creator. God has done all He can do to save man. It is dependent on man to choose whether he desires to be saved or not. Salvation was planned, carried out and promised to all those who would accept the grace of God. None of salvation is forced on any man. Paul explains that salvation can only be accomplished by the will of man to submit his life to the will of God.

Salvation is something that must be done by man with a spirit of fear and trembling to accept the love of God as found in Christ. The exhortation to work out a person’s salvation shows the individual responsibility to exercise a free will of obedience or disobedience. There is nothing more that God can do that He has not already done. It is like a man dying from a terrible disease that has been given the life giving medicine to cure him and give him life. The vial of life sits on a table next to his bed. Every molecule of salvation is contained within the remedy prepared to save the man’s life but if the man never partakes of the medicine and dies it is not because salvation was not offered. To live the man must partake of the medicine. In a spiritual parable the life giving blood of Jesus Christ has been given to all men to accept and live but so many refuse to do the will of the Father. Jesus died on the cross so that all men could live but without coming to the cross no one can live. Everyone must work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Personal accountability is necessary for the grace of God to effect its change in the heart. Salvation does not come in the unmerited favor of irresistible grace. A choice must be made. Without choosing the man will die lost and without hope. Salvation is in Jesus Christ and comes from a heart that is obedient to the will of Jesus Christ.

Many in the religious world believe there is very little required to be saved. Often people are heard to say how much they love God and yet they have no knowledge of His will and very seldom follow the pattern of worship of the New Testament church, teach the plan of salvation as found in the word of God and live in such a way to glorify the teachings of the Lord. Salvation does not need to be worked out. God saved them and they continue to live carnal lives filled with the pleasures of the world. Working out a person’s salvation with fear and trembling acknowledges the importance of keeping the commandments of the Lord. The good pleasure of the Lord must be evident in the life of the child of God. Paul exhorts the people of God to work out their salvation and to fulfill the plan of the Lord. This requires knowledge, diligence, fortitude and a resolve to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Working out salvation with fear and trembling is a daily awareness of God’s grace and mercy as the individual exhibits the will of God in their life. James would later write in his epistle that salvation is dependent upon faith and works confirming what Paul wrote of the need to work out ones salvation with fear and trembling. The grace of God and faith and works go hand in hand to show every man the promise of salvation. Everything needed to save man has been done through God’s grace. Man must respond to that grace. He must work out his salvation.

And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the Lord, that he arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: “Blessed be the Lord, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the Lord is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the Lord our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day.” (1 Kings 8:54-61)

Solomon’s Prayer For The Christian

The Temple was finished and the son of David completed all the work of building the house of the Lord. Glistening in the Judean sunlight, the Temple would be the communion of the people of Israel with the God who had chosen the descendants of Abraham to be His special people and show forth His glory. In the Holy of Holies the Lord would meet with the High Priest and shed His grace of forgiveness to the people as they sacrificed to Him with penitent hearts. Worship at the Temple would be a daily reminder of the mercy of the Lord to a people disposed to the frailty of rebellion. The glory of the Temple would not last long as the reign of Solomon ended in his death the nation went into civil war and rebellion. Less than four hundred years after Solomon became king of Israel the king of Babylon would destroy the Temple and carry what remained away to his country. Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the Temple is a clear declaration of the faithfulness of God and the need for man to be faithful to the Lord. Nebuchadnezzar would have never been permitted to enter the Temple and destroy it if the Lord had not allowed it. The reason the Temple did not last is because the heart of the people did not serve the Lord. They had long forgotten the prayer of Solomon and his plea to serve the Lord in truth and faithfulness. God had done His part and blessed the people without measure but the people of Israel were rebellious, stubborn and unwilling to following the will of the Lord. Because of their rejection the Lord God who brought them out of Egypt rejected them. These are great lessons for those who seek to please God today under the covenant of Christ.

Solomon begins by showing everything the Lord had done for Israel. He had given the people peace and rest as He promised to Moses and through the Law. God always told His people that He would care for them, fight their battles, bless them beyond measure and keep every promise He made to them. History bears the truth that not one word promised by God failed. Everything promised by the Lord from the beginning of time has come true as promised because it is impossible for God to lie. There is not greater assurance than the word of the Lord. He promised to deliver them from Egypt and He did. Through the forty years of wilderness wanderings the Lord promised to care for His people – He did. Solomon declared the promises of God as the nation became a united kingdom as fulfilled and true. Why then would the Temple be destroyed in 586 B.C.? God never failed in His promises and one of the promises made by the Father was if the people rebelled against Him He would withdraw His blessings and punish the nation. Solomon prayed for the people to incline their hearts to God, walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments, statutes and judgments which He commanded. Their hearts were not loyal to the Lord God and they did not walk in His statutes and keep His commandments and subsequently judgment was brought upon the nation by the Assyrians and Babylonians.

Solomon’s prayer for the Christian is the application of the blessings, promises and judgments of the Lord. The Temple would be rebuilt in 516 B.C. but destroyed again in 70 A.D. by the hand of the Romans. Jesus Christ came into the world to bring all men to Himself under the blood stained cross of redemption. The Law of Moses has been abolished and the religion of man seeking to save himself by himself has been nullified. Salvation can only come through Jesus Christ. The prayer of Solomon is still a powerful testimony to the promises of God and the requirements of man. Everything promised by the Lord from the Garden of Eden to the coming of Christ has been fulfilled to save man. There has not failed one word of all His good promise which He promised through His Son Jesus Christ. Hope is in the blood of Christ, eternal life in the teachings of Jesus and through the grace of God man can find redemption. Like the prayer of Solomon the child of God must incline his heart to the Lord, walk in all the ways of the Lord, and keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes and His judgments. Faith is manifested in obedience. Salvation by grace is measured by the willingness of man to do the will of the Father. The heart of the Christian must be loyal to the Lord God in keeping the commandments of the Lord.

Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)

Keeping It Honorable

The first marriage and the first home were not immune to the destructive influence of evil. Satan has been waging a war against the home with the carnal desires of the flesh and the lie that God is unconcerned about the actions of the man and woman. The early world was destroyed because of their hearts being filled with all unrighteousness as were the cities of the plain including Sodom and Gomorrah in the days of Abraham. King David, a man after God’s own heart, was drawn away by the temptation of the flesh suffering untold consequences for a moment’s reckless folly. Sexual sins are the most pervasive contributors to the moral decline of the home, community and nation. Many of the ungodly acts of men are the result of sexual desires or passions being filled with reckless folly creating a world that mocks the home designed by God and destroying its honor. When a nation refuses to recognize marriage between a man and woman the process of final annihilation begins. Abandoning the institution of the divine pattern is why nations fall, sin abounds and the souls of men are determined to perdition. Nothing is more basic to the need of man than to recognize the honor of marriage as a holy union established in the wisdom of God to fulfill all the needs of man. As Creator, the Lord knows what will bring happiness to a man and woman. As the creation, man and woman will only find misery when they seek happiness in the lust of the flesh.

Infused in the institution of marriage is the ideal of something being right when a man and woman enjoy the conjugal blessings of one another. The undefiled bed is the measure of God to give man all he needs. Fornication is the sexual pleasures before marriage and sexual sins by married individuals is adultery. The world touts the sexual freedoms of youth to enjoy the physical intimacy of sex as an expression of freedom and individuality. Fornication is a sin not only because it disobeys the law of God but it transgresses the nature of God’s creation. Sexual pleasures before marriage are never fulfilling. The innate character of man is such that enjoying the physical bonding in sex is never satisfying unless it is found in the bed of marriage. God designed the mind and the body in such a manner that sexual perversions like pre-marital sex instill guilt and remorse in the heart. Those who have multiple partners before marriage find the baggage of guilt in a secure relationship of holy marriage. Regrets fill the lives of those who live the LIE of fornication. What seemed fulfilling at the time becomes a lifetime of sorrow. Fornication is the lie of Satan. He promises joy and delivers misery. His appeal is fun and his answer is death. Marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled because that is the nature of God’s design.

Adultery is the common acceptance of a world filled with ungodliness. When men take God out of their minds the body becomes the substitute totem. Fulfilling the fleshly desires is the main purpose of life. The home is no longer sacred because the husband is filling his soul with pornography, sexual perversions, passions and sexual encounters. Wives leave their roles as keepers of the home to keep the fleshly desires of adulterous liaisons of pleasure. Adultery defiles the bed and destroys a nation. Greater consequences come from extra-marital affairs because trust is broken, hearts destroyed and families ripped apart so that two people can have their passing folly of sexual pleasure. There is no honor in adultery. David tried it and failed miserably. What is sown in adultery will be reaped in hearts of those destroyed by its tenacious tentacles of evil that permeate the fibers of the home. God designed the home to be established upon the honor of one man and one woman bound by the purity of sexual union between them alone. Happiness will never come to any form of pleasure outside this union. Fornication is an empty shell of passion. Adultery is the incarnate image of evil that destroys the home. When the word of God is established in the home and a man and a woman join themselves in the purity of the flesh and keep their passions for one another alone there will be untold happiness in the heart because this is God’s design. Marriage is honorable when the bed is undefiled. There is no other pattern for man to follow if he wants to be happy. Sexual sins enjoyed in this life will be judged by the wrath of God in the life to come. Fornication is a sin. Adultery is a sin. God’s law is unchanged.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Matthew 28:18-20)

His Authority Is All Authority

The right of power is exercised by the one who is given the authority to exercise dominion over another. There are only two kinds of authority: that which comes from man and that which comes from God. The question through the ages has been whose authority man follows. From the beginning of time the Lord allowed man to exercise his dominion over the world in many aspects of life using his authority to control his world either politically, economically and many social laws. The laws of man were not evil as long as they did not deny the higher authority of God that ruled with absolute dominion over all of the affairs of men. When men began to disregard the law of God and live within their own laws sin reigned in their hearts. Man is incapable of living under his own dominion because he does not know how to direct his life without failing miserably. God created man for a single purpose to glorify his Maker and this cannot be done unless man submits to the rule and authority of the Lord. Satan challenged the authority of God when he whispered in Eve’s ear, “Has God indeed said?” She believed her rights were subverted by the law of God and when she and Adam exercised their rights to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil they found the authority of God was true. Throughout the history of man as told in the Bible people have struggled with whose authority is greater. When Jesus Christ came into the world He reasserted the supreme rule of God as the only law man can live under without suffering the wrath of the Father. The resurrection of Jesus confirmed He alone is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is no other authority but the authority of Jesus Christ given to Him by His Father.

All authority means there is no other authority. The Son of God declared sole ownership of the power to dictate law, establish patterns and confirm the will of the Father by His word. Jesus declared there can be no other word but His word. Many books fill the hearts of men with doctrines, creeds and patterns that do not follow the word of Jesus Christ. The Bible is the only word of truth and there is no other book that contains the mind of God. Religions of men are man-made dogmas that add to the word of Christ without His authority. If it is not in the Bible it is not the authority of Jesus Christ. The only words that will save a man are found in the Bible: not the Book of Mormon, Koran, church manuals of Protestant faiths or decrees handed down by the Pope. All authority belongs to Christ and to Him alone. Every pattern of worship, organization of the body of Christ, teaching of salvation and instrument of faith that is not found in the Bible is not the authority of Christ. All authority means what it says. It is surprising how many things people do in the name of Christ without His authority. The will of Christ is the only rule of law. There can be no other fundamental truth than what is found in the sixty-six books of the revealed word of God for man to follow. When Jesus rose from the dead and the Father made Him Lord and Christ all authority was given to one man to exercise the will of the Father on all men without exception. Following any doctrine that is not from Christ is a lie.

The will of God is the authority of Christ. Every pattern of worship is established by the authority of Jesus Christ. Teachings of salvation can only be found in the words of the One who died on the cross to save all men. Jesus told His disciples to go into the world and make disciples. He could tell them to do this because He had the authority to do so. Further, the Lord told His disciples what to teach the people of the world. He told His followers that when a person believed and was baptized they would be saved. This was established by the authority of the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. No other pattern would save a man. Salvation by faith alone is not found in the teachings of Jesus. Being a good person and receiving eternal life is never taught by the followers of the Lord. Following doctrines of men will not save. Only the authority of Jesus Christ will save. Salvation comes from following the authority of Jesus in keeping the commandments of the Lord as found in the Bible. Observing all things commanded by Christ is where salvation is found. The litmus test for the heart of man is whether he can find what he believes on the pages of holy writ established by the authority of Jesus Christ. There is salvation is no other name. All authority is given to the Son of God and His authority is all the authority there can be.

Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah. Gilead’s wife bore sons; and when his wife’s sons grew up, they drove Jephthah out, and said to him, “You shall have no inheritance in our father’s house, for you are the son of another woman.” Then Jephthah fled from his brothers and dwelt in the land of Tob; and worthless men banded together with Jephthah and went out raiding with him. It came to pass after a time that the people of Ammon made war against Israel. And so it was, when the people of Ammon made war against Israel, that the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. Then they said to Jephthah, “Come and be our commander, that we may fight against the people of Ammon.” So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “Did you not hate me, and expel me from my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in distress?” And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “That is why we have turned again to you now, that you may go with us and fight against the people of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.” So Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, “If you take me back home to fight against the people of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them to me, shall I be your head?” And the elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, “The Lord will be a witness between us, if we do not do according to your words.” Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and commander over them; and Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah. (Judges 11:1-11)

Jephthah The Gileadite

One of the striking lessons of scripture is the manner God uses all types of men to serve His purpose. The book of Judges is filled with unusual people who for various reasons became the deliverers of the people when they followed after idols disobeying the law of the Lord. Judges is about the vicious cycle of the land of Israel going from times of blessing to times of judgment and the deliverance through the hand of the Lord of the people from oppression. Jephthah is one of the heroes of the book and is notably remembered because of his rash vow concerning his daughter. He was a mighty man of valor and when delivering the Israelites from the oppression of the Ammonites made a very great slaughter defeating twenty cities of the king of Ammon. What may not be known is that his life began in a very challenging manner. His father Gilead conceived Jephthah by a prostitute. When Gilead’s wife bore sons they drove Jephthah out of the house as an illegitimate child born of a harlot. This would have caused Jephthah to feel a great deal of anger and hatred for those who would treat him in such a manner. It may have been the cause of his strength and courage to be a great warrior. The son of a harlot became the deliverer for Israel.

The king of Ammon made war with Israel and there was no man to lead the people of God against the Ammonites. Knowing the only man that could lead them into battle was the son of harlot, the elders of the people went to Jephthah begging him to be their commander. He reminded them how they had treated him with hatred and expelling him from their land because of his tainted birth. Now they needed his help and he wanted assurances he would be their leader. Not having any choice and accepting what they perceived as a shameful birth the elders promised Jephthah he would be their leader. The son of a harlot delivered the people and judged Israel for six years. God used Jephthah to carry out His will. It would have been very difficult for a man stained with his birth to live in a world where he was an outcast. God saw something in his heart that no man could see. Jephthah spoke all his words before the Lord in Mizpah and believed in the power of the Lord God of Israel to deliver the people from the Ammonites as He had delivered Sidon and all his people into the hand of Israel. He may have been born of a harlot but the heart of Jephthah fully trusted in the power of the Lord. God used the spirit of Gilead’s son to leave a mark on the face of holy scrip.

Jephthah was the victim of a world he had no control. His birth by a harlot was not his to choose but he made something of his life in spite of what others thought of him. He was a servant of the Lord. Using his strength of character, spirit and warrior courage he is listed in the eternal annals of one of the great judges of God’s people. His rule was short but his legacy remains. The fickle nature of man is seen in the elders who drove the son of a harlot from their midst with great prejudice until they needed the same man to deliver them from oppression. It must have been incredibly hard for the elders to realize their only hope came from the son driven from their midst. Jephthah did not allow the hatred of others to keep him from doing God’s will. He could have refused to lead the people letting them suffer the consequences of their prejudices. What he did was believe in the power of God to accomplish His will through him so that God would be glorified. The oath he made concerning his daughter he held in high esteem to the Lord and he said, “I cannot go back on it.” He was a man of honor born in a dishonorable manner. Jephthah served the Lord without regard to the opinions of men.

For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. (2 Corinthians 5:1-5)

Working On A New Body

The health and fitness industry is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate that spans the globe with 186,000 fitness and health clubs with about fifty-five million members in the U. S. and globally about 150 million members. Pursuing the fountain of youth and desiring to live longer, healthier lives is the driving force in punishing the body to its limits in the hope of a sustained existence here on planet earth. While there are enormous benefits to keeping a healthy lifestyle, the reality of life must never be overlooked. No matter how careful eating habits become or hours spent in the gym to tone and perfect the body to its ultimate perfection, death is the ultimate end of all men. The person who refuses to care for their body and the individual that devotes a life time to the highest goals of health will find themselves in the same grave. God designed the human body to die and man will never be able to change that. When the Garden of Eden was created by God the Lord placed a tree of life in the midst of the garden to sustain the creation that was formed to die. Because of sin man was removed from the garden and from the tree of life. Death is the common lot of all men – healthy and unhealthy. There are many valuable attributes to keeping a healthy body but the most important body a person can have is the spiritual body of eternal life. Paul contrasts the struggle with the mortal flesh with the promise of immortality in a body that will not decay and die.

It is important to view the physical body as it really is and Paul describes it as an earthly house or a tent. There is nothing permanent about a tent. It is used for a while but a tent can easily be folded up or destroyed. The finest of tents will decay and fade away. There is no permanence to a tent as something that is convenient for a time but offers no lasting comfort. Looking at the human frame is viewing a body that is temporary at best and never permanent. Many have through the centuries tried to extend their lives with various medicines, health plans and science to defy the aging process. In recent studies some have suggested the aging process is simply a medical problem that science can solve. What they fail to see is the body is a tent and never designed as a permanent house for man to dwell in. Death is an appointment everyone will keep. For the Christian death is a welcome event where the tent is folded up and a new body is gained in glory. The promise of eternal life is found in a body created by God eternal in the heavens. Everything about the physical body is fraught with pain, sorrow, affliction and misery. No matter the levels of healthy diets, exercise and careful manipulation of the body, age will defy all attempts to turn the clock backwards. Viewing the body in its proper form will help the child of God see the promise of a new body formed by the Lord to those who look for a new habitation. There is a deep desire to shed this body of flesh for the remarkable body created by God in eternity. Life on earth is carried on with a body that is mortal. Eternal life is clothed with endless joy as there will be no pain, sorrow or tears in the new body. The habitation from heaven is without end. There will be no corruption of the body. Diet plans are not needed in heaven or health clubs. The earthly house is destroyed and the child of God gains a new body.

One of the remarkable aspects of this new body is the promise that comes with it. Paul declares that God has made this promise of a new body a guarantee by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has prepared a new body for His children and promised through the Spirit those who serve Him will find eternal joy in the habitation of newness of eternal life. There will be no more pain because God will take all pain away. The joy of knowing the earthly house will be destroyed is the knowledge that God will clothe His children in a new body that will never die. The Spirit is given as a guarantee that God’s word is true. Viewing death can be troubling for most but for the child of God it is a time of renewal and rejoicing. Whatever a person experiences in death is nothing compared to what happens after death. All those who have gone on before are no longer troubled with the pain and sorrow of dying. The saints of God have been clothed in a body that is eternal in the heavens. All those who are found in Christ will enjoy the change of bodies from the frail mortal body of flesh to the glorious body of eternal life. If the 150 million souls who spend hours upon hours in health clubs and gyms seeking to extend their mortal lives a few more hours would focus upon the realities of the spiritual body – what a change would come over the world. Diet and exercise profit a little but in the end death will remove all the efforts of man to stay young. God has offered His Son as a sacrifice to give man eternal life in a habitation or building not made with hands – eternal in the heavens. Which body will you choose?

Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights … And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery. So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.” (Jonah 1:17; 4:6-8)

What God Prepared

The book of Jonah is one of the most riveting stories of man attempting to thwart God and the Lord showing His mercy to rebellious and sinful man. Jonah was a preacher that was a contradiction but a man of fierce loyalty to the cause of righteousness, truth and denunciation of sin. Going to a heathen nation and preaching to the capital city a message of repentance seemed to be more than the prophet could believe possible as he feared the Lord would spare them and give them what Jonah believed was undeserved grace. The Assyrian nation was a vile people bent on destroying everything in its path with savagery, cruelty, violence, barbarity and well deserving of the wrath of God to annihilate from the face of the earth. There was nothing good in these people as Jonah saw them. His call to preach to them was uncalled for and in a bold move for a man of God Jonah tried to hide from the presence of the Lord taking a ship to the farthest point on the globe. What possessed his mind to believe he would succeed in going to a place the Lord would not find him? Why would a man of such devotion try to hide from the eyes of the all-seeing, all-powerful and all-knowing Lord? His attempt to run from God failed as the ship he was sailing was met with a great storm endangering the lives of its crew and the stranger from Israel. Jonah was fast asleep in the lowest part of the ship believing that he had fooled the Lord God when the captain of the ship begged him to call on his God for deliverance. Jonah knew why they were in danger. He had told the crew he was running away from the Lord and the storm was God’s wrath upon his disobedience. Following his instructions, the crew threw Jonah into the sea. Immediately the sea ceased from its raging.

Salvation for Jonah would come by the hand of the Lord as He prepared four things that would bring the soul of the prophet back to Him. First, the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow the prophet. What type of fish is not suggested in the story but through the miraculous power of God’s creation he prepared a fish to do something that was not in the normal scheme of things. The Lord prepared the fish to swallow Jonah but not to digest him. Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. This could only be done through the miraculous power of God. In the belly of the fish Jonah was in darkness with weeds wrapped around his head. He would describe his circumstance as being down in the moorings of the mountains and the earth with its bars closed behind him. Jonah did not know if he would ever come out of this place. His life was in the hands of the Lord and only through the power of God preparing the fish to sustain life for Jonah would he survive. At the end of three days and nights God spoke and the fish vomited Jonah onto dry land. Jonah’s life was preserved and delivered by the hand of God.

Jonah would go to Nineveh after the Lord came to him a second time and he would preach a powerful message of repentance that brought the whole city including the king to repentance. When God saw the hearts of the Assyrians humbled by the message of Jonah He relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon the city and He did not do it. The man who had first run from the presence of the Lord for fear of the grace of God being given to the people of Nineveh had preached so powerful he had turned their hearts to serve the one true and living God. This angered Jonah. He prayed to God to let him die because he would rather die than see these people enjoy the grace of God. Going out of the city and sitting down on the east side of the city Jonah waited to see what the Lord would do to this great city of one hundred twenty thousand souls. His heart was exceedingly enraged against the people and he was angered the Lord would save them. While he contemplated the undeserved mercy of God to these heathens the Lord prepared three things to trouble the heart of the prophet. First the Lord prepared a plant to shade and give comfort to Jonah. Jonah was very grateful for the relief from the burning sun. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a second thing to teach Jonah a lesson about providence, grace and love. A worm appeared and so damaged the plant that it withered. Now Jonah did not have the pleasant shade that gave him comfort and he complained bitterly. To make matters worse, as the heat of the day grew more intense God prepared a violent east wind to inflict great discomfort upon the prophet. When he complained that he would rather die the lesson was driven home to Jonah that God’s will is accomplished in ways man can never understand.

The problem with Jonah was he was trying to understand the knowledge of God from human wisdom. Running away from the word of the Lord will always come to no avail. Refusing to show the saving power of God to an undeserving people is not for man to decide. God prepared a fish, a plant, a worm and an east wind to teach Jonah that only when man obeys the voice of God will he understand the measure of the love of God for all men. It was not in the mind of Jonah to decide who was to be saved and who were to be condemned. Salvation comes only from God and His will. Centuries later Jesus would use the story of Jonah to show what His Father had prepared for all men to find salvation. Jesus spent three days and nights in a tomb prepared by His Father so that He could be brought forth as the Savior of all men. There are many who reject the resurrection of Jesus as folly but God has prepared the Bible to be a message of hope like the shade of the plant to give comfort to the soul of man. He also brings his message of judgment through the same book to help man understand God saves whom He chooses by His own grace and mercy. Anyone who changes their heart and follows the will of the Lord will be saved. Salvation comes from the mind of God not the attitudes of men. Jonah was taught a great lesson when God prepared his heart to see His love.

Righteous are You, O Lord, and upright are Your judgments. Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful. My zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten Your words. Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it. I am small and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts. Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth. Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, yet Your commandments are my delights. The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live. (Psalm 119:137-144)

God Is Right And His Word Is Righteousness

There is a fundamental character of man that separates him from the species of animals that thrive on the earth: the ability to understand right and wrong. Creatures and beasts do not possess an eternal spirit nor do they make choices dependent on the laws of righteousness or unrighteousness. They understand their maker sharing in a covenant of creation given to them by God. Man is like the animal as far as the fleshly body is concerned but he possesses the knowledge of morality giving him dominion over all the creatures of the earth. From the beginning of time God has revealed to man the moral code of what is right and what is wrong. The struggle of humanity has always been deciding which compass to depend upon for guidance: the wisdom of man or the wisdom of God. Every time man chooses to follow his own wisdom the world turns to chaos. The word of God is a declaration of the truth of the Creator of what is right and as Creator the Lord is right about everything He says, does and demands of man. God does not lie. He is not measured by the whims of men. The Lord God is righteous not because He does righteous things but He is righteous in the purest terms. All of his judgments are upright and true with no shadow of turning. Rules are the hallmark of man’s relationship with God and all of the rules of the Lord are veracious beyond contradiction. The testimonies of the Lord are the right things for man to do if he is to find joy, peace and satisfaction in life. Nothing God has ever done, is now doing or will do in the future has not been faithful to the well-being of all men if they but follow His precepts. The history of man is filled with the crumbling ruins of man’s attempt to find his own way without following the word of God. He has found nothing but failure at every turn.

The enemies of God reject His law and testimonies. When men forget the Lord and turn away from Him they fall off the precipice of security that gives them hope. It is a fragile place man finds himself as he leaps from the safety of God’s word into the mire of human wisdom. Trouble and anguish of heart always follows those who turn away from the everlasting righteousness of God’s word. The law of God is truth and that truth is absolute. Delighting in the commandments of the Lord will bring happiness because the answers that men seek are found in the pattern of knowledge that comes from the Creator. Understanding will fill the heart of the man who spends time searching the word of God gleaning immeasurable blessings to know the mind of God. Anyone can read the Bible and understand its truth. The power of the gospel is a message crafted so that all men can read and understand the mysteries of God revealed from the beginning of time. Trusting in the word of God as truth instills in the heart the confidence to face the world with renewed strength and courage. The word of God is very pure. There are no impurities because the Lord is truth and truth is the word of God.

Reading the Bible is not an exercise to pass the time or achieve some mark on a chart. Spending time in the word of God brings the mind to understand what is right and true. Happiness never comes from unrighteousness. It only comes from the judgments of the One who created man and knows everything he needs to fulfill his life. The blessing of learning the judgments, commandments, words, precepts and law of God is consuming as the wisdom of the Lord fills the mind with eternal principles of righteousness. Servants of God will love to spend time with the Bible as they discover who they are, why God created them and the joy of knowing what eternity will be like. When trouble and anguish overtakes the soul the word of God will renew the spirit to feel the love of God. There is nothing that can compare to how the Bible changes the heart. Life is pure when the purity of God’s word abides in the heart. The testimonies of God are everlasting. Pray God to give you understanding that you may live in the glory of His presence.