Thursday Night Bible Study

Exodus 19

"We Are Standing..." • 1.27.10 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro.

- The children of Israel need instruction and wisdom to live out their freedom before the Lord. They are His covenant community. Now they need to act like it.

- What we are about to look at is the foundation for Kingdom society. The law that will be written on tablets will one day be written on the hearts of men and women.

- One day, as an expression of love, men and women will live their lives in the way that is here laid out, not out of duty and desire to be saved, but out of love.

- In the chapter before us, we'll see the prelude to the law and the true condition of humanity before the Lord.

Text

• Exodus 19:1,2 : "In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. For they had departed from Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before the mountain." : Three months have passed from their deliverance to the day that we are looking at now.

- They are are camped now in the wilderness of Sinai, which is now at the bottom of the "V" shape in the map of this region.

- When Moses was first called by God, the wilderness of Sinai is where it happened. Now, he and the people of Israel have come before what is called today Mt. Musa.

- It is a visual labyrinth with crags and cracks. It is a very imposing looking mountain just by itself. The very appearance of it is intimidating. This is where they made their camp.

• Exodus 19:3-6 : "And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, 'Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.'" : God has a message for the people of Israel. It begins with what He has done for them. Note first that most of the Bible's message is centered around this theme.

- The Bible does not celebrate what we have done for God. It tells us over and over again to celebrate what He has done for us! These people were helpless and hopeless without God.

- Our relationship with Him must begin with the understanding that we contributed nothing to this relationship until we apprehended everything that He had done to make a relationship a reality!

- "You have seen." These people could testify personally to what God had done.

- They saw a mighty nation fall before the true might of God. They were decimated before God and now God had brought them out to Himself on eagle's wings.

- Eagles can go where nobody can chase them! It seems to indicate both strength and speed, as well as safety. God had done this for the people of Israel.

- They had not delivered themselves. God had delivered them. Now, He desires to make them His people.

- They are to be people marked by obedience to His voice and to His covenant. They are not to be marked by excitement or flash. God says, "be obedient to my voice!"

- Being obedient to God, makes them His special treasure, or treasured possesion. God wanted Israel to be this above all other people.

- Does this mean that God excluded other nations from relationship to Him? No. It was not based on race then or now. It was based on relationship to His voice and His covenant.

- It just so happens that the Israelites were about to be the recipients of this covenant with God. They were going to be the first to rightly relate themselves to God.

- Did He want them to be the only nation that experienced this? Not at all. Notice what God tells them: They were to be a Kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

- There was a line of priests that will eventually be chosen among the nation of Israel. But all of Israel was called by God to be a priesthood.

- Each of them were called to represent God to men and then, men to God. That's what a priest does.

- A priest makes God's will plainly known and then bears the burden of concerning Himself with men who would want to know the Lord.

- Today, there are Pastors, teachers and evangelists, but all of us are priests! All believers are identified in this way.

- Finally, God tells them that they will be a holy nation. We are so out of touch with what the word "holy means." It simply means "unique." Set apart from other nations.

- As a people, Israel was unique in their nationality and set apart in the purpose for being. It's not that they were so moral or filled with virtue, though that is a by-product.

- They were unique in what they were called to and unique as to what that required of them.

- That same thing is true of us! We live, not according to the wisdom of this world, but according to a call that comes from Christ to represent His interests in the world.

• Exodus 19:7-9 : "So Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then all the people answered together and said, 'All that the Lord has spoken we will do.' So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, 'Behold, I come to you in the thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.' So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord." : The elders, likely the Jethro men, came and listened to what Moses had been given from the Lord. They agreed to do all that the Lord has spoken.

- Without thinking, the people of Israel promise to do what the Lord says to them. Maybe they were excited. Maybe they were overconfident. One thing is certain: They were eager.

- Moses went back to the Lord and told Him what had been said. I think it's interesting that this little interplay had to take place.

- There is something official about it, as I imagine that the Lord did not need to hear the report from Moses. Moses is acting as their priest, demonstrating the relationship that they would have.

- The Lord explains that He wanted the people to recognize His authority forever. What was about transpire in the thick cloud, would affirm His place of authority.

• Exodus 19:10,11 : "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people." : The people are about to come as close to God physically, as any nation on earth would have the privilege of having.

- Moses was to consecrate them, which may have had some allusion to sacrifice.

- The other time that consecrate comes up in Exodus, it does so in chapter 13 where children and animals are redeemed by sacrifice.

- There will be a meeting that will take them two days to get ready for. They were to be consecrated or purified. They were to wash their clothes and ready themselves for the third day.

- God was going to come down upon Mt. Sinai, in view of all the people.

- One must be struck with the power of this concept: God was going to show Himself to people on Earth and it would take two whole days to prepare for it!

- To come before God was to come before the King of all the Universe. They could not come in just any way. They needed to approach with the appropriate reverance for Him.

• Exodus 19:12,13 : "You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.'" : The people were restricted to a circumferance around the mountain. They would twist ropes to keep the people at bay. They were not to go near it under the penalty of death!

- If a person or an animal did touch even the base of of the mountain, they were to be killed from a distance and not touched.

- Today, in our western thinking minds, we have a hard time comprehending the separation between royalty and commoners. Why should there be such extremes? Why death?

- These are questions that we have only because we are completely unaware of the majesty of God to these people.

- We, in many ways, have come to see God through Jesus the One who presents grace and truth and who has opened the door to a close relationship to the Father.

- The access that we have as Christians blinds us to this moment when God demanded separation and it was not considered to be weird or out of place.

- Nobody on this day would have cried "foul" at what was being dictated to them.

- They were allowed to be in the vicinity, and to be near, but not to be close.

• Exodus 19:14-20 : "So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. And he said to the people, 'Be ready for the third day; do not come near your wives.'" : This was important enough to suspend marital intimacy!

- That third day, God was going to appear and Moses did not want to chance any sort of uncleanness among the people, including that which could possibly occur from such relations.

• Exodus 19:16-20 : " Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up." : This third day was a day of glory unlike any other day in the history of the people of Israel to that point.

- There were physical manifestations of thunder and lightning and severe weather phenomena that covered the mountain. The people who sat there trembled, literally being terrified.

- At the end of this, God called Moses to go up the mountain to meet with Him. God would come down no farther. His presence would sit now upon the mountain.

- Everything in this section speaks to complete and utter separation.

• Exodus 19:21-25 : "And the Lord said to Moses, 'Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. Also let the priests who come near the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord break out against them.' But Moses said to the Lord, 'The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, ‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ Then the Lord said to him, 'Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.' So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them." : It's amazing, but the people who had said that they would do all that God said were already doing something that God said not to do!

- They were coming upon on the mountain, pressing closer in upon the ropes. But God would have killed them!

- Moses says that they had set up the ropes. They had done what was said. But God knows what the people were doing. Even the priests were moving closer than they should have.

- God was saying that each of them, even the priests, needed to consecrate themselves and keep on their distance.

- Moses had to go down and tell them to keep their distance in order to save their lives! It's interesting to me that religion is all about setting up bounds around the place where God dwells.

- The heart of religion is to ever keep people at a distance from the Lord. Religion is the celebration of distance and the law is the marker of how much distance there should be!

- I say that because there are people who believe that they should try to keep the law in order to be saved or in order to placate God.

- If you want to live by law, enjoy the space and love the distance and get used to the ropes that are there to keep you back from the Lord.

Conclusion

- As we come to the end of this chapter, there is just too obvious a connection to miss. Mt. Sinai is where the law is given; Mt. Moriah is where the Savior was given!

- At Sinai, Moses acted as the mediator for the people and delivered them the law. At Moriah, Jesus acted as the sacrifice for the people and fulfilled the demands of the law.

- At Sinai, men were made aware of the distance between themselves and God. At Moriah, men are granted access into the most Holy place.

- At Sinai, men learned to fear God and to tremble at His sight. At Moriah, men learned to love God because He first loved them!

- Which mountain do you live at?

Sunday Morning Service

Matthew 24:1-14 (Click title for audio access)

"And The End!" • 1.23.10 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro.

- At the end of the last chapter, Jesus left us with the following words: "You shall see me no more until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord."

- Someday, the people of Israel will see and acknowledge Jesus as their long awaited Messiah. At the time that Jesus said this, the Jews believed that this might have been imminent.

- They believed that they had been through tribulation because of the cruel Roman occupation.

- They had a temple built by an Idumean, Herod the Great, that needed spiritual renovation because of the hypocrisy of their leaders.

- There were many who believed that Jesus was the Messiah that would usher in the Kingdom, that would raise Israel back into prominence and would destroy her enemies.

- Jesus speaks towards these issues in this, His final sermon, known as the Olivet Discourse.

Text

• Matthew 24:1,2 : "Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, 'Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'" : The beauty of the temple was visually impressive despite it's spiritual emptiness.

- The disciples were looking at Zerubabbel's temple, which, at this time, was under renovation.

- Herod the Great had begun an "expansion" project that was about the same in scope as an entirely new building project.

- When Jesus spoke these words, it was a little over 30 years into the 60 years it would eventually require.

- This project employed 10,000 skilled laborers. Because the holier places were only accessible to the priests, Herod trained 1,000 Levites in construction, additional to their sacrifices.

- The main idea for this expansion was to provide a larger platform for the temple mount to exist upon, which led to the use of giant, perfectly cut stones.

- Some stones weighed in excess of 50 tons and could be anywhere between 30 and 70 feet in diameter! These weren't small stones by any account.

- The temple was a beautiful edifice and certainly, awe-inspiring to look at. The disciples, being simple Galilean fisherman, were really impressed.

- They are giving Jesus a bit of a tour, but He takes the wind out of their sails. This impressive, seemingly indestructible building was due to be laid out!

- This beautiful building, vibrant and full of life, was going to become a desolate wasteland.

- It will be a place of ruins. I mentioned a moment ago that this project took 60 years. It was completed just 6 years before the Romans sacked it in AD 70.

- In the 60's, there was a movement of rebelion by the people of Israel against Rome. The Romans did not take kindly to this and eventually seized upon Jerusalem with 3 legions.

- Eventually, the seizure of the city brought the remaining citizens to the temple.

- According to Josephus, one fire brand from a drunken soldier began the entire destruction of the temple, to the regret of Titus, who had hoped to save it.

- People rushed in to save it and crushed each other to death. It was a grisly scene.

- As the temple burned, the gold between the stones began to melt, prompting the soldiers to do exactly what was predicted: Turn the stones down in every direction in order to collect the gold.

- This is what happened in AD 70. When Jesus said this, the actual event was still 37 years away from taking place. Jesus was giving them a glimpse into their future.

• Matthew 24:3 : "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, 'Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?'" : The Lord's prediction excited the disciples. Israel's eschatology was playing out right before their eyes.

- The Old Testament prophets had predicted that the Messiah would come and it was interpreted by the Jews that it would happen once.

- They did not understand that Jesus was coming twice! This was not part of their theology. Therefore, to these disciples, they believed that the events that Jesus was describing were imminent.

- This is why these questions take on that flavor. The phrase "When will these things be?" has an implication in the original language of immediacy. "Will these things be this week?"

- First, they ask when these things will be, that being the destruction of the temple.

- Their second question regarded their apprehension that Jesus would "come." The word there means to be revealed in full presentation.

- The disciples had seen Jesus revealed on the mount of transfiguration. They wondered aloud here when He would show that publically and permanently.

- They wanted to know what sign they could expect. What unusual activity would signal Christ's return, His appearing to finally set up the Kingdom? They wanted to know what to look for.

- Finally, they asked, "What will be the sign of the end of the age?"` The end being the climax that all things are headed toward with regard to redemption hope.

- You have to love the disciples. "Hey it's no big deal or anything! Just tell us everything about the end of the world as we know it and we'll be happy!"

• Matthew 24:4,5 : "And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many." : Jesus answers His disciples. There is such a privilege to be with Christ both for the disciples then now. He has given us advance knowledge.

- First, Jesus tells us that a sign of His coming, His appearance as the manifest King, will be widespread deception.

- His word to His disciples is that they "take heed." Beware. Be on watch. One commentator wrote that it was akin to our euphemism, "Keep your eyes peeled!"

- Guard yourself from those who would try to deceive you. Deception is a deliberate act and there are those in this world that will do their best to deceive.

- The concept within the word "deception" is one that might lead you away from the truth or cause you to wander.

- That is the art of deception: Make somebody wander from what they know to be true.

- How does deception happen? By a lack of value placed upon the Word of God. Deception will be much more strong concurrently with the lack of true proclamation of the Word!

- This last week, I was listening to a Bible study where the man teaching literally did not reference the Bible! Next week, I'll be speaking out of the phone book!

- Why should one be on guard? Because many, not a few, but many will come in the name of Christ. There will be a multiplication of sources claiming that they are God's Messiah.

- In history, there have been many who have come in His name, from Bar Kochba in the 2nd Century, to Sun Myung Moon to Marshall Applewhite.

- This has been happening throughout history. The real Messiah came and now we have false ones! They will come and they will deceive many.

- We are to be on our guard against deception. The best way is to know the truth. Hear, study, ingest the Word of God and His Spirit will guard your soul.

- As the end of the age approaches, the deceptions will become more frequent, more dangerous and more believeable.

• Matthew 24:6-8 : "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows." : After deception, Jesus tells us that there will be divisions. Wars and rumors of wars are going to be in the wind.

- The sound of hostility will be happening or will be rumoured to happen. The language is indicative of a constant theme ringing.

- It will be everywhere and it will be consistent. There will be a lack of peace everywhere.

- Again, we can say that wars and rumors of wars have consistently been our companion throughout time. As we edge closer to Christ's unveiling, war on a world level will increase.

- Today, the pieces are setting up nicely, as various governments rise to power and gain the potential of have the properties available for nuclear capacity.

- One commentator mentioned that there are ships at sea that carry a payload greater than all the artillery used in WWII, including the bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki!

- When Jesus says this, He quickly adds, "Don't be troubled!" Easy for you to say!

- The word translated "troubled" comes from a word that means to "raise a clamor or a tumult." Jesus is saying, "Don't get people riled up!"

- When the report is war or potential hostility, we're not to go sounding a bell! These things are inevitable, but are not in and of themselves, the end. They are signals that the end is beginning.

- For those who are looking for a peaceful world, Jesus says that it's not going to happen!

- Jesus describes where the hostility will exist. It will happen between ethnicities. That is the word "nation." It literally reads that people will stir up against people.

- There will be an awakening of hostility between ethnic groups. At the same time, there will also be hostility between Kingdoms or political systems.

- The realm of politics and the reality of war will dominate the scene. Divisions in the realm of humanity and devastation will be the case in the earth.

- Famines, pestilences and earthquakes will occur everywhere. Famines refer to hunger and destitution and the lack of production of food for people and livestock.

- The scarcity of food will also wreack havoc upon the economy, as food prices will skyrocket.

- Pestilences refers to disease or plagues. Today, there are all sorts of diseases that have no cure and that are horrifying! Remember Ebola? AIDS!? Sars? Country Music!?

- Earthquakes are exactly what they sound like. The disctinctive attribute is that they will happen everywhere and at the same time!

- All of this is just the beginning. Literally, it's the pangs of birth! They are the contractions that begin when a woman is about to give birth.

- They don't happen all at once, but are happening more frequently and with more intensity as the final day arrives.

• Matthew 24:9,10 : "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another." : This final sign is desecration. All respect is lost for those who believe in Christ and then those who do are treated in the worst of ways.

- When Jesus says “you,” He is referring to His disciples, in the universal sense. The word deliver up is a Greek term for imprisonment.

- It's entirely possible that Christians will one day soon be put away for promoting hate speech or words against the government. Whatever the reason, Jesus says here that it will happen.

- For the disciples, this would have been the religious leaders, who would deliver, turn over, betray, them to tribulation, or affliction, for the purpose of putting them to death.

- For eleven of these men, this would be their fate. They would be chased from town to town and murdered for the sake of Christ.

- This happened to them and I would not doubt that one day, it could happen to us as well!

- The disciples were martyred and maybe we will not be, but we will, as they were, be hated for our association with Christ.

- Today, men hate Christ passively, in that they are willing to disregard Him. Some day soon, they will actively hate HIm and His followers by aggressively coming against them.

- Because we love Christ and honor His every word, we will also be hated! Why? Because we represent a judgment upon people who shrink away from the call of Christ.

- In the days that Jesus talks about, many will be stumbled, will betray and hate one another!

- Jesus is saying that the trouble, the persecution that is coming, will render the closest associations and relationships meaningless!

- The pressure of what is going on outside in the world will trickle down into the community of Christians! Where there should be safety, there will be stumbling.

- Where there should be trust, there will be betrayal. Where there should be love, there will be hate! How can this be?

- As the world moves closer to the end, the people who are Christians in name only, will for their own safety, turn against those who are true to the faith.

- Today, it's easy to call oneself a Christian. There's virtually no cost.

- Someday, when open hatred, loss of freedom and martyrdom are the price of membership, you can be sure that the true and false will be easily seen.

• Matthew 24:11 : "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many." : Jesus has noted that false Christs will arise. Where there are false Christs, there are false prophets! They'll come out of nowhere and many will listen to their message.

- We tend to wonder how this could be possible, but there are thousands of false prophets that are able to rent huge stadiums and fill them with people today!

- If there is a market for this now, how much more of a market will there be in times to come?

• Matthew 24:12,13 : " And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved." : The word "lawlessness" means without law. Anarchy, disorder, chaos. This will mark the end.

- Think of it like this: There will be no safe refuge. No institution. No family relationship. No friendship that can be trusted. There is no law governing any of these formerly safe places.

- How can love exist in such a world? How could those in Christ continue?

- Literally, the fervency and fire of their love for Christ will be blown out and utterly cooled. In these last days, that is exactly what you see.

- Today, I see people who once loved Christ with all their beings, have walked away, cold, discouraged and disheartened. Some of us have felt the same temptation. Imagine it then!

- In that day, and to some degree in our own, you know who is saved by the fact that they have endured! They have continued in the faith. They have remained with the Lord.

- Jesus tells us "endure." Stand firm. Persevere and you will be saved! You will be rescued. Don't let your love grow cold. Hold on!

• Matthew 24:14 : "And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come." : In all that we have looked at this morning, from the deception, to the division, the devastation to the desecration, one thing stands as the pillar of hope: The Gospel.

- Funny, but don't you think that in the midst of these problems that Jesus would say, "I'll get rid of those who attempt to deceive!"

- "I will end world conflict and bring peace to the Earth!" "I will provide relief by raining bread from heaven!" "I will avenge those who desecrate my people."

- The answer to it then is the same answer that we have right now: The Gospel!

- Every man will have a chance to hear that the judgment that man deserves because of sin has been endured by Christ on behalf of all who have believed upon Him and walked away from sin!

- Every nation on the planet, every ear will hear, the declaration of the truth. Every man will have a chance and then the end will come! Jesus will stand alone above a devastated earth!

- He will be King and the Gospel will culminate into His great Kingdom, forever and ever!

Conclusion

- Today, I realize that we are just scratching the surface of a great chapter. I want to close us with a few thoughts. Why does Jesus tell us this?

- He doesn't tell us so that we can put charts together and look out to identify the Anti-Christ.

- He wants us to know so that we'll be confident in Him. He will rule no matter what happens around us. It will all crumble down, but He will be exalted!

- He wants us to know so that we'll be compassionate in dispensing the Gospel, knowing that only Christ can rescue sinners now and then!

- And, He wants us to know this information so that we'll be considerate of the lives that we lead.

- Are we really His? Are we really concerned for the lost? Are we ready to endure? Is our love burning for Jesus? I pray that as we continue on in this chapter, that we'll know the answers.

Thursday Night Bible Study

Exodus 18

"Jethro!?" • 1.20.10 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Thursday Night Bible Study

Intro.

- The children of Israel have won their first battle. The Amalekite threat is behind them for now. The Amalekites represent to us, mainly, a type of the flesh.

- On the other hand, they are a Gentile nation that was openly hostile toward God and His people. Their attempt to destroy the community put them on the list for extinction.

- The world can be openly hostile toward the Lord and His followers, but there are some who will be much more responsive. Tonight, I think that we'll find a fine example of this.

Text

• Exodus 18:1-6 : "And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land') and the name of the other was Eliemzer (for he said, 'The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh'); and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God. Now he had said to Moses, 'I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.'" : With all that has taken place, I admit that I completely forgot that Moses was married!

- The last time we saw Zipporah, she quickly circumcised Moses' firstborn to keep the Angel from killing Moses! She called Moses a "bloody husband." Yeah, I might send my wife back after that!

- Jethro had wondered about Moses when he left his employee and he wondered more when his daughter came back about what God was doing.

- He decided to come check things out himself. In the meanwhile, Moses was encamped at the mountain of God, right where God had commissioned him to go.

• Exodus 18:7,8 : "So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had delivered them." : Moses kissed Jethro, but not his wife? From all accounts, it seems that their marriage was not a good one.

- But Moses and Jethro had a good relationship! The respect that they shared for each other was clear in how Moses went out to meet him.

- This was a great time for Moses to share the goods and the bads of his ministry. The past had been what God had done with Pharaoh. Then there was the present.

- There had been hardship along the way that had come upon them.

- Whether in the past troubles or in the present travails, the believer can always say that the Lord had delivered them. Moses is testifying to Jethro toward that end.

- I imagine Jethro listening with great interest at the story that Moses was telling. This had really happened to a person in his life! God had done it through Jethro's old shepherd's assistant!

- Now, there is some question about whether Jethro was a believer or not. We can at least infer that he had been skeptical of what Moses had gone out to do. He gets first hand info here.

- While Moses was just reporting the facts, Jethro was having a life changing moment!

- You never know what your testimony is going to provoke in another person! Keep talking about what God has done and what God is doing.

• Exodus 18:9-12 : "Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. And Jethro said, 'Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.' Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God." : This was an excellent report for Jethro to hear. He was ecstatic to hear what God had done for his son-in-law and for the people of Israel.

- He said, "Blessed be the Lord." Praise Him! Praise Him for what He has done! For the Israelites, it was a physical enemy, that was greater than them. They were under the hand.

- You and I need to praise Him for the enemies in our lives whose hands we were under. Sin, the flesh, the devil and numerous other scenarios that have been defeated by the Lord in our lives.

- Listen to Jethro's confssion: "Now I know that the Lord is greater than all the gods!" At worst, he was a believer who struggled with doubts. I am of the mind that at this point, the issue was settled!

- Jethro rejoiced and offered praise to God with his lips. Then He sacrificed to the Lord! Sounds like a solid conversion: Confession, praise and sacrifice!

- These men held a worship service together, this Gentile and the lawgiver! God loves the praises of people and when the Gentile will, He will receive their praise.

• Exodus 18:13 : "And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening." : This verse helps to set the table for the next couple of chapters. God's people need law!

- Jethro came out of his tent and there was Moses, sitting, with an endless line of people in front of him. He sat there to judge. The NLT puts it like this: "Moses sat as usual to hear the people's complaints against each other."

- This was the way that days were beginning to be spent. Moses was in the seat and took it upon himself to help maintain order within the ranks of the Israelis.

- But it was an endless, overwhelming, life sapping position and responsibility for Moses. Morning until evening!

• Exodus 18:14-16 : "So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, 'What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?' And Moses said to his father-in-law, 'Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.'" : Moses is a leader and when it comes time to lead, he counts the cost and takes it upon himself.

- This is often what leaders do. They have that strength, but it's also a weakness.

- Their world was changing. They needed someone to give them boundaries and guidelines. They needed someone to protect them. They needed to be governed.

- Moses understood this and responded, but went overboard. The need was great and his job was necessary, but too much for one man.

- Listen to what Moses set himself to do. They would have a dispute or a matter and he would set himself between two people. He would act as a mediator, transmitting God's heart to them.

- The word "statutes" refer to that which has been appointed or has become a custom. What did Moses have at this time of life?

- Just the experiences of God's dealings with the Patriarchs, later to be written by Moses in the book of Genesis!

- That which is laid down either principally, historically or graphically in the word of God is the authority that we are to make known.

- It's God's statutes and God's laws. Interesting, chronologically, this situation happened prior to the codifying of God's law and yet, there was a culture of God's law already established.

- These were what governed God's people then and they govern us today. We must pay careful attention to the Word so that we might be know how to live and relate to each other.

• Exodus 18:17,18 : "So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, 'The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself." : Jethro is not saying that the act of counseling and teaching is not good. He is saying that wearing your self out, taking on too much responsibility, is not good!

- It's not good for the people and it's not good for the minister. This is something that needs to be cemented in our minds. There is a danger in the Kingdom to be a functional savior.

- It's not good for you, as a congregation, to see me as the only person who can help or assist you spiritually. Conversely, it's not good for me to think that I should meet every need!

- God has set gifted people all around us who are looking for the opportunity to minister.

- Jethro's solution to the problem is much more tenable.

• Exodus 18:19,20 : "Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do." : I like Jethro's style. He says, "let me give you a suggestion and you take it before the Lord."

- We would be wise to give out counsel in the same way! "Ask the Lord to confirm this."

- Jethro provides an excellent job description of a Pastor. He is to stand before God for the people, to act as a representative for the people. He is to bring their difficulties to the Lord.

- A Pastor is not to absorb every thing that is spoken to him into himself. You are not meant to do that either! When a person comes to you with an issue, go to the Lord!

- He is to turn around and give that to the Lord, asking God to speak toward that situation. "Lord, what wisdom would you impart? What word would you have for this congregation?"

- When Moses has done that, then he shall stand before the people and teach them. The word "teach" means to shine light. One could say that teaching is the act of providing a spotlight.

- My job is to put light upon what the heart of God is for your life, our community together and prayerfully, the future generations of this church.

- Moses is to teach them and then show them how they must walk and work. The word "walk" is the predominant picture of a person's progression in the things of the Lord.

- We are to walk with the Lord. It's not a race to the end. It's not a sprint. A relationship with the Lord is a steady walk with Him.

- As we take in His instruction, as we become of aware of His law and decrees, we are guided by His Spirit, in a journey that leads us ever more towards Him.

- There is a way that we as Christians are called to walk. The word of God reproves and corrects us and is alive and active in keeping us in that way.

- The same is true of the work that we must do. We have said before that works are the fruit of salvation. We cannot do anything to earn God's favor.

- However, because we HAVE God's favor, we work for His pleasure! We work to co-operate with Him on this Earth. This is why we exist and is part and parcel with His salvific work.

• Exodus 18:21-23 : "Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.'" : Jethro's advice also revolves around sharing the responsibility. There were men nearby that needed to be involved.

- Moses' over involvement kept them from living out God's call in their lives! Now, if Moses is to be the leader that will make it, he is to bring in other men to help him.

- Listen to who he was to select. Able men. The word speaks of strength and capacity. Men who have the strength of character, as well as strength to carry out the course.

- These are men who are not wavering from one thing to another. These are men that can be found at their posts, not being easily distracted by the latest whim.

- These men are to fear God. They have a reverance for what God thinks about life. They put Him first above every other influence. They fear Him and nothing else.

- They are men of truth. They are committed to the truth, as in the body of ethical teachings and doctrines that God had exposed to the people of Israel.

- These men are not wondering if God is true or if what He has said is true. "I don't know. Evolution could be true!" These men are committed to what God has said and they will not relent.

- They are men who hate covetousness. This is unjust profit or bribes. They are not changed by the sight of a person's money. They will not abandon their positions at the flash of cash!

- Men like this are worthy of ministry consideration. Heck, they could watch my kids!

- Now, one cannot come into a group and say "I'm a capable spiritual leader, who is steadfast in the doctrine of this community, reverant toward God and unmoved by money."

- Moses was to select men with this reputation, that had come to be known as men of this ilk. He had to watch, wait and see what manifested itself.

- Once he found them, these men would be given responsibilities. Some would have thousands to be responsible to. Some would rule over tens.

- There is no indication as to how this was decided. Each person was to be responsible toward what he was given.

- They could handle the small things and if a great need arose, then Moses could get involved. This was easier for Moses and it gave him someone to share the burden with.

- Notice those words: They will share the burden with you. I like the way the NIV translates this verse: "That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you."

- Ministry is meant to be shared. Kingdom people are meant to hold up their part of the bargain together.

• Exodus 18:24-27 : "So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves. Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way to his own land." : Moses did what had been told him. What a wise choice to make!

Conclusion

- As we come to the end, consider that the architect of this idea, came from a formerly skeptical gentile, pagan priest, who had become convinced of the reality of God.

- Jethro confessed, rejoiced, sacrificed and then served God's community with his gift of wisdom! All this from a formerly godless Gentile, who listened to one man's testimony! Hmm...

Sunday Morning Service

Matthew 23 (Click title for audio access)

"Woe Is Me! • 1.16.11 • Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service

Intro

- Chapter 23 is the climax of a series of chapters that Matthew has compiled regarding the nation of Israel. Each chapter has been challenging, but none have been more clear than this one.

- The Lord began dealing with them in a gentle way, employing parables that shed light on their condition. Then, He allowed them to cross examine Him with their tricky questions.

- This chapter chronicles Christ's most direct and scathing assessment. For all intents and purposes, the contents of this chapter and the next are our Lord's final sermon on Earth.

- When one considers that He is now hours away from the Cross, we do well to pay attention.

Text

• Matthew 23:1-3 : "Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do." : Jesus is speaking to the people standing around and His disciples.

- The religious leaders were listening, but He was not addressing them. They have been weighed and found wanting!

- But the multitudes and His disciples can respond and be warned. It's Christ's intent to free the public that saw these "models of righteousness" and were in danger of buying their charade.

- Jesus says to them, "Follow what they say, but don't follow what they do!" They sit in the seat of authority, in the stone seat at the front of the synagogue where they read the law.

- There is nothing wrong with the law. It should be listened to and it should be respected.

- What was said from that office deserved the public's respect, but the actual officers were not worthy. They taught one thing, but they do not seek to do it!

• Matthew 23:4-7 : "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’" : There are two areas that make the religious leaders suspect: Their ministry and their motivation.

- First, their ministry is burdensome. I like the way the NLT interprets this verse: "They crush you with impossible religious demands."

- The picture that Jesus employs is of a ship that is overloaded coming into port. It's barely able to move. This is how the religious people taught people to walk with God: Burdened!

- It's the nature of religion to burden people, to weigh them down with guilt and regulations. Jesus' style of ministry is to remove burdens and He offers to take yours!

- In contrast, the religious stand idly by, happy to leave you burdened.

- Second, their motivation is theatrical. They do things to be seen by men, the word there carries the root meaning of the word "theater." They were putting on a performance for people to see.

- Jesus gives us three examples of their outward show. The first regards their physical appearance. Their phylacteries were big and their borders were huge.

- God had told the Israelites to bind the word of God onto their hands and the frontlets of their eyes. They took this literally.

- All Jewish men had these little boxes containing scripture, attached to their arms or foreheads. The religious leaders made sure that theirs were bigger!

- The borders of their garments refers to a tassel that was attached to the garment that represented the law. They made sure that they had the best and longest tassel.

- The second example that Jesus uses of their outward show was in how they acted socially.

- Whether it's the feast within society or the recognition in church, they loved the attention and adoration of men. You would never discover them just fitting in.

- When they were out in town, the loved to hear men call them "Rabbi." They loved titles.

- How far this was from what Jesus instructed His people to be like! He wants us to recognize Him as our audience. He wants us to value His opinion above any other opinion.

- The danger of putting on a show for others remains to this day.

• Matthew 23:8-12 : "But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." : To His disciples, this is the word: Don't seek to be spiritually distinguished over another person. We all have One Teacher and Father! The rest of us are siblings!

˚ "In the Church of Christ, all titles and honors which exalt men and give occasion for pride are here forbidden." Charles Spurgeon

- The greatest serve each other! That's the greatness of God's Kingdom, Jesus being the greatest of all. He sets the tone for those who would live in His Kingdom.

• Matthew 23:13 : "'But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in." : This is the first of eight "woes" that Jesus directs toward the Scribes and Pharisees. The word "woe" is an expression of great grief.

- It's less of a word and more of an expression. It's an onomatopoeia?

- Jesus takes no joy in the words that He says. These judgements are right and true, but they are said with exceptional grief.

- His charge is that they obstructed the Kingdom of heaven against men. I like the way the ESV puts it: They "shut the Kingdom of heaven in men's faces."

- Literally, as they are moving toward the door, the religious people slam the door!

- People wanted a relationship with God, but the religious ones found new ways to keep them at bay through their regulations and man made, self righteous attempts at external holiness!

- They barricaded the entrance to the Kingdom of God from the outside, keeping themselves and those who would wish to enter, out. I would warn us of the same.

- Let any man come who will repent of His known sin. Leave all the grey areas to the Holy Spirit!

• Matthew 23:14 : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation." : The second woe deals with religious exploitation. Jesus says that they devoured the houses of widows. The word means "to strip bare" or "utterly consume."

- Their religious enterprise caused them to take advantage of these already poor women, seeking simply their own gain. Then, to cover their shameful activity, they offer great prayers.

- One can imagine vulnerable people who would give anything to such men, who promised to pray for their needs to be met.

- They acted as if they wanted to minister to these people. They stood there in the name of God and spoke as though they were speaking for Him.

- They knew that this was what God really wanted them to do. They knew who God had revealed Himself to be. They knew that God had made special provisions for widows in the word.

- Instead of caring for them, becoming a conduit through which God would minister to their needs, they sought to target them for their own gain.

- What they knew gave them greater responsibility and therefore, greater condemnation!

- We are not to minister for our own gain, whether it be financial or emotional. We are to minister as unto Jesus, purely because He would and solely for that person's betterment!

• Matthew 23:15 : "“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves." : The religious leaders had an aggressive evangelization program. Expansion was important to keeping their way of life going.

- We learned last week that, like Jesus, the Pharisees also had disciples. These would have been their "proselytes," foreigners who had been converted.

- This person who has turned or converted, has not been turned from sin to salvation, nor has he been converted to Christ. He has become religious like them and is double condemned!

- He believes himself to be righteous and has been convinced of that by these religious people.

- Now, he was condemned before because of his sins, and he is condemned after, thinking that his sins have been dealt with!

- This is Christ's most scathing word: Religion makes a person a son of hell! What is a son of hell? Anyone who would promote any other righteousness apart from Christ!

• Matthew 23:16-22 : "Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold? And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it. He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it. And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it." : Oaths were forbidden by God. He wanted His people's "yes" to be "yes."

- His people however found ways to make oaths and then found ways to break their oaths by swearing on things that were less sacred.

- "Oh, I swore on the temple" which would have been an unbinding oath. The gold or the gift were considered binding oaths that could not be broken.

- The point is that they honored the letter was honored but the spirit was broken. The gold was only worth anything because of the temple and the same with the gift.

- They were transgressing the command of the Lord with their silly institution.

- Let your yes be yes and your no be no!

• Matthew 23:23-24 : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!" : Mint, anise and cummin are very small herbs. The Pharisees would take a few leaves of mint, a few microscopic pieces of anise and cumming and make sure that God got His!

- This was the meticulous nature of their tithing. They didn't miss a single grain, but they left out what should have been done. Righteouness, having mercy upon others, stirring faith in God.

- The heart of religion is to give to God that which is the least costly. Tithing was right for them to do, but it was out of proportion with the things that should have been concentrated upon.

- These people strained out a gnat, literally pouring wine through cheesecloth, not wanting to offend the law of God by taking something with it's lifeblood in, but Jesus is saying that they swallowed a camel, the largest unclean animal in the scriptures!

- Jesus is saying that they were guilty of missing the forest for the trees, spiritually speaking!

• Matthew 23:25,26 : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also." : The religious leaders were satisfied with righteousness that they could see in themselves and others.

- A cup or dish could look beautiful and shiny on the outside. But who would ignore the cleaning of the inside? It's interesting to consider what Jesus is saying.

- What was inside of them was meant to be served out to others. What came out instead? Extortion and self-indulgence. Greed and unrestraint! They would never be filled!

- Jesus tells them what He would tell us: Be worried about what's within you, not what you look like on the outside! The priority is to be sure that the inside is clean.

• Matthew 23:27,28 : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.'" : What a beautiful tomb that you have? It might be a beautiful place to sit and remember the one who has passed, but nobody would want to have lunch inside of one!

- Whenever a big feast would come up, the religious leaders would have the tombs whitewashed, in order to impress those who would be coming into town.

- Everything appeared beautifully, which a freshening up will do even for a tomb!

- This is the essence of the religious. They had this polished veneer, but were full of extortion, self-indulgence, hypocrisy and lawlessness! Everything they condemned, they were guilty of!

• Matthew 23:29-33 : "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt. Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?" : There were men that the religious leaders considered to be heroes that we also consider heroes.

- The prophets of the Old Testament were men of renown, men of the highest character and the greatest bravery. They were treated terribly by the nation of Israel.

- Turn over to Hebrews 11. Here's a good description of how they were treated.

• Hebrews 11:35-38 : "Women received their dead raised to life again.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth."

- This was the testimony of Israel with regard to these holy men of God. The Pharisees and scribes built them monuments and visited their sites saying that they would not have done the same!

- Jesus called them the sons of those who had committed murder! Now, as the NLT puts it, Jesus said, "Go ahead and finish what they started!"

- When Jesus calls them serpents and brood of vipers, He is calling them sons of Satan!

• Matthew 23:34-36 : "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation." : Jesus is speaking as the one who had been sending these prophets before He even came! He sent these men and they were all mistreated.

- Now, as they are about to kill God's final messenger, the Messiah, every righteous drop of these men's blood would be upon them!

- That generation, just about 40 years later, would bear the brunt of their wickedness.

• Matthew 23:37-39 : "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'" : Everything that Jesus has said needs to be seen from this vantage point.

- Jesus wanted to gather them in, care for them, bless them, but they were not willing! That is often the issue. Jesus wants to work in the lives of people but they refuse Him.

- The picture of the hen gathering her chicks is more stirring to me after I heard this story of a hen who was discovered sitting dead on her nest.

- During the night, a weasel had come and sucked the blood right out of her head, but the hen did not move, choosing to hide her chicks with her body.

- She sacrificed her life, gave up her blood for the safety of her chicks. This is what Jesus wanted to do for them. Instead, the temple would be left without God's presence!

- But the hope remains, as one day, Israel will say of Jesus at His second coming, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Even in this dark hour in history for Israel, Jesus gives hope!

- One day, they will come back to Him and He will be still be their Messiah and Lord!

Conclusion

- It's easy to listen and hear about someone else's hypocrisy. It gets uncomfortable when we are confronted with our own.

- We are just as prone to fail in any of these areas, especially in this day and age when image is often more important than authenticity.

- We need to honestly love the Lord with all of our hearts, minds and souls, expressing that toward Him with every good work that He commands.

- We need to love each other as ourselves, serving one other and stirring each other toward good works while doing them ourselves!

- There is one audience worth pleasing and He does not look like any of us in here!