The Heaton File

The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed, a greater than Solomon is here. (Matthew 12:42)

Greater Than Solomon

In the annals of man’s history, no central character has grasped the imagination of men more than the wisest and richest man who ever lived. The name synonymous with wisdom is Solomon, son of David, king of Israel. Solomon reigned for forty years over the people of God. During his leadership, the nation experienced a prosperity never known in history. Solomon made silver as plentiful in Jerusalem as stone. There was so much silver that it was considered worthless. The king’s drinking cups, as were all the utensils in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon, were solid gold. Solomon had a fleet of trading ships that, once every three years, returned loaded with gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks. King Solomon became richer and wiser than any other king on Earth. People from every nation came to consult him and to hear the wisdom God had given him. Every year, everyone who visited brought him gifts of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, horses, and mules.

God had given Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore. His knowledge exceeded all the wisdom of all the men of the East and the wise men of Egypt. Men from all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. The Queen of Sheba visited Solomon to see and hear of his great wealth and wisdom. She concluded that all she had seen was half the story of Solomon’s greatness. He surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. The son of David would go down in history as the greatest man of wealth and wisdom, even in modern time.

With all the wisdom given to Solomon, he was a man of failed character. Time and again, he demonstrated his knowledge of truth, but he could not discern the flaw of the human spirit – sin. He is remembered as a man with seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. His wives turned away his heart from serving the Lord God, who gave him such great wisdom. When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord. He had attained the most incredible wealth the world had ever known, wisdom beyond any man before or after him, and he enjoyed all the pleasures of life to the fullest. And yet he became a fool, a man devoid of wisdom when he allowed the trinkets of earthly pleasure to guide his heart.

Nine hundred years after the reign of Solomon, a baby was born in Bethlehem that would eclipse the fame of Solomon. His life would become greater than Solomon’s. The wisdom of this child would be established in the teachings of His heavenly Father, changing lives for thousands of years. Jesus Christ came into the world to save the lost. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus performed signs, wonders, and miracles, proving He was the Son of God. His wisdom was challenged relentlessly by the scholars of His day and, each time, defeated. The Pharisees and chief priests sent officers to arrest Jesus, but they returned, proclaiming, “No man ever spoke like this Man.”

One day when Jesus was in a synagogue, a man with a withered hand was among the crowd. Jesus healed the man causing the Pharisees to find a way to destroy Him. Later, a demon-possessed, blind, and mute man was brought to Jesus. Jesus immediately healed him. The Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out the demon by the power of Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons. The hearts of the Jewish leaders were so evil that they could not see the power of God when it was demonstrated before their eyes. Some of the scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign. What more could Jesus do to show He was the Son of God?

Jesus tells the Jewish leaders that the sign they will be given is the sign of Jonah. The Lord is speaking about His death, burial, and the greatest miracle of all – the resurrection. Jonah preached to the heathen, Gentile city of Nineveh, and they repented. God reminds Jonah that the city had one hundred and twenty thousand people. Jesus is a greater man than Jonah because He came to save the world. The queen of Sheba was amazed at Solomon’s wealth and wisdom, but Jesus was the one who gave Solomon his wisdom. A greater man than Solomon is here because instead of trying to decide which baby to cut in half, Jesus made the baby.

The wisdom of Solomon was great, but the wisdom of a man whose sins have been washed away in the blood of Jesus is greater. Solomon lived for himself, and then he died. Jesus came to serve mankind and die for all men. There is no comparison between Solomon and Jesus. Solomon had great wisdom, and he failed. Jesus possessed the wisdom of His Father and lived a perfect life. The words of Solomon are only a part of the totality which makes up the teachings of Jesus. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. A greater man is found in Jesus Christ. If I was given a choice between being the wisest and wealthiest man on earth and being an uneducated poor man with his sins washed away – Lord, give me poverty and grace. When a man cannot see how great Jesus is, he cannot see.

Then from Tirzah, Menahem attacked Tiphsah, all who were there, and its territory. Because they did not surrender, therefore he attacked it. All the women there who were with child he ripped open. (2 Kings 15:16)

The Final Forty Years Of Israel

When Israel first became a nation, they rebelled against the Lord, and He punished them with forty years of wanderings in the wilderness. God had given the land of Canaan to Israel, but they lacked faith in His power to overcome the giants of the land. Throughout the forty years, Israel complained, murmured, rebelled, and disobeyed the voice of the Lord. After forty years, Joshua led the nation across the Jordan, and the conquest began. At first, the land was ruled by judges, and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Prophets like Samuel helped to guide the people in the will of the Lord. In time, the people wanted a king. Three kings would rule over the United Kingdom: Saul, David, and Solomon.

Following the death of Solomon, civil war split the nation with ten tribes giving allegiance to Jeroboam and two tribes loyal to Rehoboam. Thus began a long and sorted history of evil as kings rose that would lead the people of Israel into oblivion. About nineteen kings ruled over the northern tribes called Israel, which lasted just over two hundred years. In the south, nineteen kings ruled Judah, with seven kings seeking the will of the Lord. Judah would be taken captive in 606 B.C. in Babylon. It was the final forty years of the northern kingdom of Israel that would describe the failure of the Jews to keep the law of God.

Only six kings would rule Israel in the final forty years. After the reign of Jeroboam II, which lasted forty-one years, Zechariah was assassinated in six months, and Shallum was murdered within one month. Shallum conspired against Zechariah and killed him in front of all the people. A month later, Shallum was assassinated by Menahem in Samaria. Menahem attacked the city of Tiphsah and its territory because they did not surrender. All the women there who were pregnant, he had his soldiers rip them open. After Menahem died, his son, Pekahiah, reigned for two years before being murdered by Pekah, the son of Remaliah, an officer of his.

Pekah ruled for twenty years before being murdered by Hoshea, the son of Elah. Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, made Hoshea his vassal and paid him tribute money. When it was discovered Hoshea had made a pact with Egypt, Shalmaneser put Hoshea in prison. During the reign of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria. The ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel would disappear from history and be known as the Samaritans, hated by the Jews.

The final forty years of Israel (part of) were much like its beginning. There was a rebellious spirit that never seemed to leave the Hebrews. Their history did not teach them to follow the Lord. The prophets warned them of impending doom, and they would not listen. How many miracles did the Lord show Israel in the wilderness, yet they still refused to believe? The nation of Israel that began the first forty years mirrored the people in the final forty years. When the people rejected God, evil abounded. The land was filled with immorality, murder, rape, the assassination of leaders, idolatry, and the desire for fleshly pleasures. When a nation turns away from God, the only measure left is destruction.

Judah in the south had times of revival when the hearts of the people returned to the Lord. Their final destruction came in the same manner as Israel. They turned their hearts away from God, and He turned His heart away from them. When a nation removes God from its moral center, the center of its morality becomes corrupt. No nation will stand when God is reviled and ridiculed, and rejected. Oddly enough, those corrupting the nation blame God for the destruction. All nations will fall who do not exalt the word of God. Righteousness will always exalt a nation, but woe to that nation that forgets God. Just ask Israel in its final forty years.

Nevertheless, even among the rulers, many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees, they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. (John 12:42-43)

Seeking The Praise Of Men

Peer pressure is a formidable force to reckon with. Everyone wants to be accepted, and the pressure to be like those around them drives men to abandon their values and principles. Many a man has been dragged into a compromising situation because of the pressure from those who are his peers in a failed effort to be accepted and liked. Jesus performed signs, wonders, and miracles that no one denied. The Pharisees would complain about Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath, but they never challenged if the miracle was real. Multitudes heard Jesus preach a message that had authority and clarity, unlike the teachings of the Jewish leaders. Nothing in the life of Jesus could be disputed. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. A person either had to accept it or deny it.

Among the rulers, many had been convinced Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God. The miracles impressed the hearts of the rulers to admit no man could do such things apart from God. There were ample opportunities that changed the hearts of the Jewish rulers to see Jesus as someone more than the carpenter’s son. Many of the rulers believed in Jesus. The pressure from their peers made them deny Jesus. If the Pharisees learned these men believed that Jesus was the Messiah, they would be removed from the synagogue, and they refused to give up their prestige. They loved the honor and praise of men more than confessing Jesus as Lord. In the synagogue, they were honored and exalted as important men. It was not in their hearts to walk away from the glory of human pride. They believed, but they denied.

The world has always been against the citizens of righteousness. Noah must have had a difficult time in the corrupt world he lived in, but he never denied God. There would have been incredible pressures from literally the whole world pushing down upon his shoulders and the hearts of his family. The family of Noah preserved their faith in God, seeking His honor rather than giving in to the accolades of sinful men. When the rain started, and the floods consumed the world, everyone confessed a belief in God, but only eight were saved. The pressure of peers destroyed many a soul that day. Noah stood alone with his family. Other Bible characters refused to embrace the praise of men. Moses forsook Egyptian wealth and power. Rahab turned away from her people. Not all the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah were evil. Seven of the kings sought the praise of God in a world overflowing with evil. The early church found men like the apostles who declared their allegiance to God rather than men. Saints died confessing their faith in Jesus Christ.

Many men seek the rewards of life, whether in business, politics, or sports. It is the driving desire for men to leave their mark on history. They fail to understand how deep the dust of history becomes with each generation. A man can make a name for himself in one generation, but in later generations, his name is unknown. Seeking the praise of men is short-lived. Denying the Son of God for the honor of the sons of men is trading eternity with God or Satan. The rulers believed in Jesus but, because of the fear of losing their place in the synagogue, denied they knew Jesus. Do not make the same mistake. Men die. Jesus is forever.

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38)

Then Peter Said To Them

Five simple words were written by Luke that changed the world. Peter and the eleven were in Jerusalem as instructed by Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit had come upon the twelve as the church promised by Jesus was beginning its foundation of grace. Jesus had ascended to the Father as the resurrected Christ. Twelve men were commissioned to take the gospel of grace to the world. On Pentecost, devout Jews from all over the world had come together and were listening to the words of Peter. In just over five hundred words, Peter convicted the hearts of many in the audience that Jesus of Nazareth was the expected Christ. The crowd realized they had killed the Son of God just over a month ago. They were cut to the heart. There was desperation in their voices as they cried to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” This was a moment of decision. Realizing the immensity of their crime, the crowd burst forth with a fervent desire to find hope in what they had done. How would God answer them for killing His Son? It was a time of uncertainty and fear.

Five words. Luke opens the portals of heavenly grace with five words. No drumbeat or trumpets were blaring. All that Luke records are the words, “Then Peter said to them.” The apostle Jesus had promised would be given the keys to the kingdom and had just been granted the divine privilege. At that singular moment in the history of humanity, God’s grace was about to sing forth the wonderful news of salvation. From the depths of man’s failure in the Garden of Eden, the cry for salvation was heard from generation to generation. Noah believed and prepared the ark for the saving of his household, but he could not have imagined what Peter would say. Abraham was given the threefold promise, and he would only see the promise of a son. Moses took the Hebrews to the promised land and never saw the fulfillment of the Christ. David and the prophets wrote about their longings for the Messiah, but that message was centuries away. It was at Pentecost the angels held their breaths as the question was asked, “What must we do to be saved?”

The words of Peter shouted salvation through the halls of heaven. Three thousand souls heard the words of Peter and did not doubt what he said. There were no arguments. No one asked about the thief crucified with Jesus. ‘Faith only’ was not suggested as an alternative. None of the twelve apostles claimed allegiance to any church not ordained by the Holy Spirit. No scholars were pouring over the definition of the Greek words, whether baptism was necessary or not. At that great moment when the crowd burst forth with their desperate plea, Peter said to them, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Peter continued to preach to the crowd, telling them to be saved, and what they did was remarkable. They obeyed. Three thousand obeyed and never argued.

It is sad to hear so many disagree with the necessity of baptism. There are many examples of the necessity of baptism, but for now, focus on what Peter said the first time the question was asked. The crowd wanted to know what to do, and Peter told them what to do, and three thousand people did what Peter told them to do. Why is that so hard to accept? The Jews on Pentecost had less to go on than the modern man who has sixty-six books of divine revelation, and they were baptized for the remission of sins – no questions asked. Believers increasingly were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, without denying the necessity of baptism. The people of Samaria did not argue. Saul of Tarsus did not deny baptism. Neither did the man from Ethiopia, Cornelius and his household, the people of Asia Minor, Thessalonica, Ephesus, Athens, Philippi – and the list is endless.

Let me ask you a question – why do you always resist the Holy Spirit? Then Peter said to them … you read the rest.

And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.” (Luke 12:19)

No Retirement

The idea of retirement is a relatively new phenomenon in the modern world. For thousands of years, there has never been a time in life when the mass of people could attain a place where work was not required. When Adam lost his paradise home, he was forced to work by the sweat of his brow for his livelihood. The daily struggle of life was measured by the constant need to provide food, clothing, and shelter. Only for the wealthy was the privilege of taking one’s ease a possibility. With the advent of government programs and financial packages companies offer, retiring has become a common practice. Most people look forward to when they can stop working and spend their final days with ease and pleasure.

While the privilege of retiring is a blessing in the work field, there is one area where there is no retirement. A war has been waged that will never stop until a person dies. Early in life, the spirit of a man learns accountability to God, and sins begin their vicious attack. The knowledge of good and evil separates a man as an eternal creature accountable to God. This spiritual battle never stops and is not measured by years. Only death will bring an end to the constant warfare of overcoming the wiles of the devil. Fighting against evil never stops. There is no retirement from the battlefield. No gold watches are given to those who succeed after twenty, thirty, or forty years. The reward will only come on the other side of the grave.

Retirement is a time to take one’s ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Jesus told the parable about a rich fool who positioned himself in a place where he thought his life was set for good. His failure was not preparing his eternal spirit for death. God had blessed him with great wealth that he decided to horde for himself. He thought he would live out his days in pleasure and ease. God called him “Fool” because he died that same night. He wanted to retire in splendor. His death changed everything. There is never a time in life when the soul must not work diligently to keep itself pure from the influences of evil. Sin is a constant threat to all men.

One of the sad things that happen in the church is when people retire from their secular job and decide they can retire from the church as well. They no longer teach classes, help with the work of the church, open their homes for Bible studies, attend classes during the week, or do other church activities. The older are told to teach the younger because there is never a time a person should retire from the work of the Lord. Some saints use their retirement to do more for the Lord. Not burdened with a daily job, they spend themselves helping the local church prosper in number and spirit. The work of the church will continue to need people to man the stations of evangelism, benevolence, and exhortation as long as the world stands. Retirement is a blessing to be used for the glory of God. Becoming like the rich fool in the parable of Jesus has no meaning to the man’s life. He wanted to sit back and take his ease, and he died that night. If a man must die, let him die busy for the Lord instead of lying around doing nothing. Enjoy retirement, but please do not retire from your spiritual battles and the work of the church. We need all hands on deck – those still working and those who are retired.

And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him and did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in and going out. (Acts 9:26-28)

Distrust In The New Member

Saul of Tarsus was feared among the saints of the early church. Following the murder of Stephen, Saul took it upon himself to seek every means possible to wipe out those who were of the Way. He persecuted the church in foreign cities arresting men and women and locking them in prison. If a vote was taken on whether to execute someone, Saul cast his vote for death. There was a zealous cause burning inside Saul to destroy those who taught Jesus of Nazareth was Christ. Many of the saints lost their lives under the persecution of Saul. The apostles feared what the man from Tarsus could do.

The grace of God saw something good in Saul. On a journey to the city of Damascus, where Saul planned to arrest the saints of the city, the Lord appeared to Saul and changed his direction. Three days later, Ananias baptized Saul into water for the remission of his sins, and Saul became a valiant servant of the Lord for the cause of the church. Saul’s passion had not diminished, only his message. He now disputed with his fellow countrymen with scripture showing Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God through signs and wonders that He was the Christ. This made enemies of his former colleagues and fearful suspicions of those in the church. When Saul came to Jerusalem to become part of the church, the church resisted. It was difficult to believe Saul was a disciple of Christ. There were many, including the apostles, who did not trust Saul.

Saul must have understood the reasons the brethren were skeptical. He had brought much misery to the church and now wanted to be part of the church? This was hard to believe. They could not believe Saul had become a follower of Jesus Christ. Barnabas heard about the plight of Saul and came to his rescue. Taking Saul before the apostles, Barnabas explains how the Lord had chosen the leader of the great persecution to become one of his great preachers. The apostles rejoiced in the wonderful news of God’s grace. Saul of Tarsus was a teacher of Jesus Christ. There must have been many who were amazed at the news. Saul remained in Jerusalem preaching boldly until a plot to kill him was discovered. The brethren took Saul to Caesarea and then back to his hometown of Tarsus.

The lesson about Saul’s experience in Jerusalem shows the importance of the local work. Saul knew he needed to be part of the local congregation. However, his background had tainted the brethren to distrust the man who had been so bold to denounce the church. There was good reason to distrust Saul, but there was a better reason to accept Saul. It was true that background of Saul was troubling, and he lived with that knowledge all his life. Later, he would tell the brethren at Philippi that he had put that all behind him as he looked for the eternal crown. But now the brethren could rejoice and worship with the man who was a blasphemer and troubler of the church. His sins were washed away in baptism. He was now a child of God. Whatever he did in his past was gone. God forgave him for the murder of Stephen. The grace of God took an insolent man and made him an incredible part of the early missionary work of preaching the gospel to the whole world. Saul was a Christian. God be praised.

One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” (Titus 1:12)

To Be A Cretan

Reputations can be very positive, or they can be viewed with great disdain. The Corinthians were known as very immoral people and to live like a Corinthian was to live a life of debauchery. Located two hundred miles south of Athens, Crete is an island whose inhabitants bore the distinction of being liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. Paul left Titus on the island of Crete to set in order those things lacking in the church and to appoint elders in every city. There seems to be a contrast of a thriving community of Christians on an island of only 3,260 square miles with a population bearing the reputation of everything opposite the Christian character.

Paul and his companions (including Luke) stayed on Crete when Paul was being transported to Rome for his appeal to Caesar. Paul mentions Titus often in his letters as a close friend and fellow worker in his missionary journeys. Titus was left on Crete to accomplish the work of establishing the church and building up the brethren in the word of the Lord. Establishing elders was paramount to the work of Titus but considering the kind of people that Cretans were known as, it must have been a monumental task to find men with the qualities of righteousness needed to serve as bishops of the Lord’s church. Paul was familiar with the secular writers among the Cretans as one of their own prophets described the island people as less than reputable.

The gospel can change anyone, including a Cretan. Paul told Titus to establish elders in every city and there is little doubt Titus worked diligently to accomplish that task. Titus was instructed to teach the older men and women to guide the hearts and minds of the young men and women. The grace of God was given to all men to save their souls – including the island people of Crete who were known as liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. The Cretan Christians were reminded to obey the powers of government and to be ready for every good work. They were not to speak evil of others, to be peaceable, gentle, and showing humility to all men. Paul begged the Christians of Crete to learn to maintain good works, meet those urgent needs among the brethren, and to be fruitful in the work of the Lord.

There are some people that seem to have greater challenges in obedience to the gospel than others. To some, evangelizing a Cretan would have the same impact as trying to convert a Corinthian. Why waste time on people that are known by their own people as liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons? There was a church of the Lord in the city of Corinth filled with saints of God seeking to do the will of the Lord in the face of great difficulty. The Holy Spirit preserves two letters Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth showing it is possible to evangelize a Corinthian. Titus was working on an island with a people that had a disreputable character on three levels. They were known as liars who could not speak the truth. One of their prophets referred to the Cretans as animals with evil hearts. And they were known as worthless bums who were lazy gluttons. Paul tells Titus the Cretans needed the gospel. Churches were established. Elders were ordained. The gospel of Christ was firmly planted on the island of Crete.

The world is filled with Cretans. It does not take long to look around and find people fitting the mold of a Cretan. God does not dismiss these liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. He offers them the blessed hope and promise of eternal life. Paul tells Titus the gospel can change a Cretan heart to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously and godly in this present life. The gospel can change anyone willing to subject themselves to the saving grace of God. Are you a Cretan? Let the gospel change your heart.

And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. (Hebrews 11:39-40)

The Nature Of Hope

Faith is not a guarantee that life will be rewarded in the here and now. The Hebrew writer outlines the lives of many of the champions of faith and leaves unnamed a host of saints who, through faith, subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, escaped persecution, and lived lives of hardship and peril. Like Moses, the faithful of God were not looking for a reward in the material world but the reward that comes from the eternal blessings of glory. Even though the faithful had received a good testimony through faith, they did not receive the promise in this life. Life for these dear saints looked forward to something after death.

It is hard to imagine living each day knowing the reality of a promise you live for will probably not be achieved. There is a deep desire to embrace a promise and to enjoy that promise. The reward of living a Christian life is found in the promises made through the grace of God. It is natural to look for those promises to be enjoyed in this life. For some, the only joy they will find is when death separates them from the physical world. Life is hard, filled with persecution and trials. The Hebrew writer talks of those who were tortured and faced trials of mocking and scourging, chains, and imprisonment. God’s people were stoned, sawn in two, tempted to give up, slaughtered, and made to wander the earth as vagabonds. This is not the kind of life one would picture for the child of God. The world is not worthy of people like this.

The picture of the Christian life is filled with joy and happiness. There is truth to this picture, as all of God’s people have reason to live in delight and contentment. But the reality is that for many of God’s people, the nature of their hope comes in what happens after death, not before. God never promised that all good things would come now. Even though Christians can live a joyful life with a good testimony, they may not receive the joy of the promises of God now. What the Hebrew writer wanted his readers to understand is that God’s promises are realized in what He has prepared for them.

Hope is not what is seen but the devotion of the promises yet seen. Every child of God who has faith as the centerpiece of their life knows the promises of eternal life far outweigh the reception of promises in this life. Noah looked beyond the ark in hope. Abraham believed in promises that would not be fully realized for future generations. Moses lived in a world of power, prestige, wealth, and fame, yet he turned his back on all of it to live for the promises of God. He led the Israelites for forty years and did not get to step foot in the promised land. His faith was in the promises of God not yet seen. Our faith must embrace the promises of God, whether they are realized now or in the life to come. Whatever promises are received in this life cannot be compared to what is coming. God has promised many things, and the greatest is eternal life.

But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Joshua 22:5)

Take Careful Heed

Following seven years of conquest in the land of Canaan, Joshua sends the tribes of the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh to the eastern side of the Jordan, where they will settle as part of the nation of Israel. The language Joshua uses is an important outline of how God has desired the faithful among His people to serve Him. Five elements of obedience are outlined by the son of Nun. Joshua reminds the people to take careful heed to follow the word of the Lord. He does not suggest only they should take heed, but they should take careful heed to the commandments of God. This draws a fine line of distinction to watch closely how a man walks before the word of the Lord. When a surgeon is performing a delicate and life-saving operation, they not only take heed to their work, they take careful heed to what they are doing with great intent. So must the word of God be viewed.

Taking careful heed of the word of God demands the heart to love the Lord. Love is not a casual emotion but a deep and abiding feeling of dependence and willingness to listen to the word of the Lord. Many will say they love God but never do His will. Love demands taking careful heed to all the commandments and laws of God. If a man refuses to obey the Lord, he does not love the Lord. Love and obedience go hand in hand. There is an open heart that does not question the word of God. A willing heart immediately seeks to please the Lord in all things.

Love motivates the soul to show love by walking in all the ways of the Lord. It is easy to say one loves another, but love is best defined by action. What kind of man loves his wife and never shows it? How can a man say he loves God and never walk according to the word of the Lord? Love and action are mutually dependent on one another. A man loves God because he walks in the will of the Lord, and he walks in the will of the Lord because he loves God. Walking in the ways of the Lord is giving the heart over to whatever is needed for obedience. When a man spends more time arguing about what he needs to do or not do, he is showing how little he loves God. The immediate response of love is a willingness to walk as far and long as the word of God demands with no complaints. Taking careful heed to do the commandments is walking in the light of the Lord.

Commandments are given to be kept. People of God are commandment keepers. The religious world frowns on salvation by works contrary to everything God has expected from the beginning. Joshua told the people to be commandment keepers after he told them to love the Lord and walk in his ways. Commandment keeping alone does not save, but failing to keep the commandments will jeopardize the soul. Taking careful heed to do the commandments of the Lord is to keep those commandments. The Ten Commandments were not ten suggestions. God does not give His law as a recommendation for good living. Sin is a transgression of the law of God, and failing to keep the law of God results in condemnation. Taking careful heed recognizes the need to keep the law.

Holding fast is what a man does when he clasps onto the word. Keeping is the beginning; holding fast is what endures. Serving the Lord is a lifetime of love. There is no ‘one and done’ kind of obedience in the kingdom of God. Endurance is holding fast to the word of God with love, obedience (walking), keeping (perseverance), and holding tightly to the commandments of the Lord. A man of God should never let go of the word. God’s word should be a permanent part of the heart of the faithful. Taking careful heed is to grab the word and hold on with all one’s might.

Finally, taking careful heed is to serve the Lord God with all the heart and soul a man possesses. The road will be long and difficult. Satan will often try to discourage the heart, but the man who takes careful heed of the way of the Lord will put all his heart and soul into the promises of God. Joshua reminded the people of God’s faithfulness fifty years before when He delivered the Hebrews from Egypt. They must show their faithfulness to God by pouring all of their heart and soul into the will of the Lord. Sadly, Israel left the word of the Lord because they could never serve Him with all their heart and souls. When a child of God loses their love for the Lord, they will lose their heart to the wiles of the devil. Taking careful heed requires loving, walking, keeping, holding, and serving. Will you take careful heed?

But the children of the murderers he did not execute, according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, in which the Lord commanded, saying, “Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; but a person shall be put to death for his own sin.” (2 Kings 14:6)

Individual Accountability

Adam blamed Eve for taking the fruit, and Eve blamed the serpent, but, in the end, it was Adam and Eve who lost Eden. God did not accept the arguments of blame given to someone else. Adam lost Paradise because Adam sinned, and he would work by the sweat of his brow to survive. Eve lost Paradise because Eve was deceived, and she was punished with submission to man and pain in childbirth. The Lord punished accordingly the sin of the individual. When Moses gave the law to the children of Israel, God accounted for sin to the individual. Fathers could not be put to death for their children, nor children be put to death for their fathers. The law states a person shall be put to death for his own sin.

When the children of Israel began the conquest of Canaan, Achan took spoils from the city of Jericho, which was against the word of God. The crime was discovered, and Israel took Achan, his sons, and his daughters and stoned them to death. Achan took the spoil when he helped ransack Jericho, but the family was indicted for knowing he buried the treasure in the midst of his tent. During the reign of Amaziah in Judah, the king executed the men that assassinated his father, Joash. Servants of King Joash had killed the king in the house of the Millo (the landfill). The assassins were Jozacar, son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad, son of Shomer—both trusted advisers. In an act of clemency, Amaziah followed the Law of Moses and executed Jozacar and Jehozabad, but not their children.

Ezekiel was the prophet to the people of God in the bondage of Babylon. The hearts of the people were angered by their captivity. And they blamed their fathers. There was a proverb that said, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.” God’s people were blaming others for why God punished them severely. Ezekiel reminded the people they were the reason they were being punished because they were sinful. The prophet declared the word of God that said the soul that sins shall die. Sons will not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father, the sins of their offspring. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself. A person shall be punished for their own sin.

The world always blames someone else for their troubles. Prisons are filled with innocent people, and society must bear the blame for the ills of the individual. Few accept responsibility for their actions – seeking to blame anything and anyone other than themselves. This becomes the pattern in a world where guilt is never accepted. And this is why so few people believe they are in danger of God’s wrath because they do not believe they are guilty of anything. Everyone goes to heaven. It matters not how a person lives; the conclusion is that all men “rest in peace” because no one is guilty. Individual accountability disappears in death. Nothing is further from the truth.

Individual accountability is the greatest reality men refuse to acknowledge. When all men stand before God in judgment, they will be standing with the uncountable billions of souls that have lived – and they will be standing all alone – bare, naked, and exposed before the great God Almighty. No one will plead the case, defend the cause, and blame someone else. All souls that sin will die. Parents cannot defend children, spouses will not answer for the other, and society will not be on the docket for witnesses. YOU will not blame someone else. Only YOU will be standing before GOD. Your LIFE will be up for discussion. If YOU lose your soul, it will be because YOU rebelled against God. And YOU will know the righteousness of God.