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Date: Tue, 21 May 1996 08:41:56 -0200
Reply-To: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
Sender: Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel
From: Teus Benschop
Subject: ChrExp, The Scriptures opened, 84
To: Multiple recipients of list CHR-EXP
Contents
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1. Judges 17:13 - Micah's illusion
2. Luke 12:4,5 - Fear God
3. John 6:33 - The Bread of God
1. Judges 17:13 - Micah's illusion
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Then said Micah,
Now know I that the LORD will do me good,
seeing I have a Levite to [my] priest.
Micah. Look what this man is doing, and what he has done. In verse two
of this chapter you read that he had stolen money of his mother, but
also that he has restored it again to her. His mother makes a graven
image and a molten image of a part of that money, and these were in
Micah's house. "And the man Micah had an house of gods, and made an
ephod, and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his
priest," verse 5. According to verse one, Micah was of the tribe of
Ephraim. Priests should be of the tribe of Levi, but Micah had
consecrated his own son - not of Levi but of Ephraim. He had not a
priest according to the law, but he himself had made a priest, even of
the wrong tribe. But what happens? There comes along a young Levite.
Micah invites him, and consecrates this Levite to his priest. So, he
no longer had a priest of the wrong tribe, but now his priest was of
the right tribe, of Levi. When this is done, Micah speaks the words of
our text: "Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a
Levite to my priest," and no longer an Ephraimite. Micah imagines to
have his worship put right and according to the law, because he has a
self-made priest of the tribe of Levi. We have seen how idolatrous
Micah was. He had a graven image, and a molten one. Yet, in spite of
his idolatry, he fooled himself with this Levite. He made himself
believe that his idolatry was pleasing to the Lord, because his priest
was of the right tribe. We see how ignorant this man was. This is a
mirror of the ignorance and depravation of that time. "Now the Lord
will do me good", said Micah. We see that this idolater persuades
himself of God's favour, when indeed He detests him. Hadn't God
forbidden to have graven and molten images? Why then is Micah
flattering himself? If he knew that the priest should be of Levi's
tribe, how then is it possible that he was ignorant of the commandment
forbidding idolatry? It seems that this man, Micah, read the law with
a biased eye, and selected only those passages that pleased him. By
the way, many in our times do the same as this Micah. They read those
passages they like. They contend for them. But the rest they twist, or
give such a turn to it that it fits their own inventions. Micah
imagined that he would enjoy God's favour, and that he would be a
happy man, and prosper. But he greatly erred. It might be that he
would prosper for a short time, but yet the judgement of God will
come.
It is a wise word of Solomon, and it can be applied to Micah and all
the present people mixing the worship of the Lord with their own
inventions. This wise word is: "There is a way which seemeth right
unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Prov 14:12.
Also the prophet Isaiah speaks words for this situation. He said "He
feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he
cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right
hand?" Isa 44:20. And elsewhere he says: "He that killeth an ox is as
if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's
neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he
that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol. Yea, they have chosen
their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations," Isa
66:3. It might be that Micah's priest offered, but to God it is not
acceptable. Killing an ox for the offering is like slaying a man. And
sacrificing a lamb is the same for God as if you cut off a dog's neck.
Reader, when you choose own ways, then you will be an abomination to
God. Once Jesus said: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for
doctrines the commandments of men." Matt 15:9. Only sound doctrine of
the Scriptures should be taught; not hand-made commandments. And Paul
writes of the Jews in his time, that they were very zealous of God,
but not according to the truth. He wrote: "For I bear them (the Jews)
record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge."
Rom 10:2. They are zealous enough, but it is fixed on the wrong
target. They have a great zeal of God, but the problem is that their
zeal is according to the commandments of men; not according to the
divine knowledge of the Scriptures. When you read the Scriptures
through the coloured glasses of deceiving explanations, as the Talmud
and the like literature, would you ever think to come to a pure and
sound knowledge? Truly, if God will do you a favour, then He will take
away your traditions of men, so that you leave over the pure
Scriptures.
The Scriptures once were like a stream of pure water. But afterwards
they were explained using traditions of men. These explanations are no
longer like a fresh stream of pure water, but they are like muddy
streams of brown or black water. This is what the prophet Ezekiel once
wrote: "And [as for] my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden
with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your
feet." Ezek 34: 19. The flock drinks the water that is fouled with the
feet of the men teaching traditions. But of a truth, when Jesus comes,
He purifies the waters, so that the flock may drink of the pure
fountains of living waters. "He that believeth on Me (said Jesus
Christ), as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water." John 7: 38.
Micah erroneously imagined that, after he had a priest of the tribe of
Levi, that God would be favourable towards him, despite all his
idolatry. Likewise many erroneously imagine that, when they have but
the Torah-scroll and read it, that God will favour them, and that they
serve God. But they forget that their traditions defile that Torah,
like Micah's idolatry made all his worship in vain. Therefore, drink
of the pure waters, and ask God that He will teach you through His
Word and Spirit.
2. Luke 12:4,5 - Fear God
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And I say unto you my friends,
Be not afraid of them that kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do.
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear:
Fear him, which after he hath killed
hath power to cast into hell;
yea, I say unto you,
Fear him.
The people that follow Christ, live in the midst of this world. They
try to follow Christ, and live a godly life. The world, seeing that,
feels itself condemned by their life and example. Also, when those
that are of God, do their duty, they warn the people around them
against sin, and admonish them to forsake their wicked mode of living.
This also enrages the world against them. When this continues long
enough, they begin to threaten. In the beginning, the threats are not
so heavy, but in the course of time, they increase. Until the point is
reached that they threaten with death. When the situation has come
thus far, the words of Jesus our Lord and Saviour are suitable. He
said to His disciples: "Be not afraid of them that kill the body".
Because the disciples would be sent out to preach the gospel, it was
sure that they would undergo and suffer many threats. But disciples,
be not afraid of them that kill the body. Much less fear them that do
nothing more then threatening with death. The reason that you not
should fear them is, that they, after they have done that, can do no
more. "Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have
no more that they can do". They cannot touch your soul. At least, they
cannot kill the soul. Your soul is in God's hand.
Instead of fearing those that kill the body, let me tell you Whom you
should fear. Do not fear those that threaten you, but fear Another.
They are able to kill the body, but that is not worth the fear. Fear
Him that is able to kill your soul also. Or, in the words of Christ:
"But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him, which after He
has killed, has power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear
Him". Let the fear of God fill your whole mind and soul. Let the fear
of God be so strong, that the fear of men disappears because of that.
When you are in doubt and in fear about what to do, let not the fear
of men guide you, but only the fear of God. When there is a fire at
your left hand, and another one at the right, and you don't know which
direction to take, let then the fear of God direct you. When the
enemies lie in wait to kill your body, don't fear them. They have not
much power, and moreover, they are in God's hand. They cannot do
anything without the will of your heavenly Father. I say you: fear
God. "In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children
shall have a place of refuge." Prov 14:26. Once God said, through the
mouth of Jeremiah: "Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not
tremble at my presence?" Jer 5:22. The same prophet says: "Who would
not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain:
forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their
kingdoms, there is none like unto thee." Jer 10:7. I wish there were
more fear of the LORD instead of fear of men. People walk after other
people, because they eat out their hand. But who is there, that really
fears God, and walk after Him? "Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and
glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come
and worship before thee; for thy judgements are made manifest." Rev
15:4.
3. John 6:33 - The Bread of God
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For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven,
and giveth life unto the world.
Jesus, our Lord, says of Himself that He is the Bread which comes down
from heaven. And moreover, it is that same Bread that gives life unto
the world. Jesus gives life unto the world. That means that the world
is dead in itself. We all, as we are born and as we are come in the
world, are dead. That is why Jesus says: "I give life unto the world".
We are dead in sins and trespasses. Anybody that thinks he has still
some life in himself, or thinks that is it not such a bad one, is
blind. We are dead in sins and trespasses. Jesus, however, gives life
unto everyone that believes in Him. Being dead, we need to be born
again. Being dead in ourselves, as we are children of Adam our first
father, we need to be revived through the Spirit of God. Jesus came
down from heaven to give life unto the world. He is the Bread of God.
Is there any one hungry? Are you hungry to the righteousness? Then
there is good news for you. Are you hungry? Then eat of the Bread that
comes down from heaven. Jesus is the Bread, that will alleviate your
hunger. "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that
cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall
never thirst." John 6:35.
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chr-exp@nic.surfnet.nl
"A Christian explanation of the Scriptures to Israel"
Institute Practical Bible-education
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/ipb-e/ipbe-home.html
Written by Teus Benschop -- t.benschop@pobox.ruu.nl
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file: /pub/resources/text/ipb-e/so: s-open-084.txt
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