Do you let others dictate yours?

“ But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we shall be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles. – 1   Samuel 8.19-20

Israel was called to be a holy nation, separate from the unique among all others (Leviticus 20.26). The Israelites’ motives in asking for a king was to be like the nations around them. This was in total opposition to God’s original plan. It was not their desire for a king that was wrong, but their reasons for wanting a king.

Often we let others’ values and actions dictate our attitudes and behaviour. Have you ever made a wrong choice because you wanted to be like everyone else? Be careful that the values of your friends or “heroes” don’t pull you away from what God says is right. When God’s people want to be like unbelievers, they are heading for spiritual disaster.

(Samuel carefully explained all the negative consequences of having a king, but the Israelites refuse do listen. When you have an important decision to make, weigh the positives and negatives carefully, considering everyone who might be affected by your choice. When you want something badly enough, it is difficult to see the potential problems. But don’t discount the negatives. Unless you have a plan to handle each one, they will cause you great difficulty later).

(“ They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD.  – 1 Samuel 8:5-6 The people clamoured for a king, thinking that a new system of government would bring about a change in the nation.  But because their basic problem was disobedience to God, their other problems would only continue under the new administration.  What they needed was a unified faith, not a uniform rule.  Had the Israelites submitted to God’s leadership, they would have thrived beyond their expectations (Deuteronomy 28.1).  Our obedience is weak if we ask God to lead our family or personal life but continue to live by the world’s standards and values.  Faith in God must touch all the practical areas of life).

(“ Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.” – 1 Samuel 9:3   Saul was sent by his father on an important mission – to find their stray donkeys.  Donkeys were all-purpose animals, the “pickup trucks” of Bible times.  Used for transportation, hauling, and farming, they were considered necessities.  Even the poorest family owned one.  To own many donkeys was a sign of weal, and to lose them was a disaster.  Saul’s father was wealthy, and his many donkeys were evidence of that wealth).   *

(9:3ff   Often we think that events just happen to us, but as we learn from this story about Saul, God may use common occurrences to lead us where he wants.  It is important to evaluate all situations as potential “divine appointments” designed to shape our lives.  Think of all the good and bad circumstances that have affected you lately.  Can you see God’s purpose in them?  Perhaps he is building a certain quality in you or leading you to serve him in a new area).

[You = business.]

Repentance is changing the behaviour that produces sin:

“ Because your heart was responsible and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. – 2   Kings 22:19

The vision Micaiah saw was either a picture of a real incident in heaven, or a parable of what was happening on earth, illustrating that the seductive influence of the false prophets would be part of God’s judgment upon Ahab (22.23). Whether or not God sent an angel in disguise, he used the system of false prophets to snare Ahab in his sin. The lying spirit (22.22) symbolised the way of life for these prophets, who told the king only what he wanted to hear.

(“ Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to prophetess Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the Second District. – 2 Kings 22:14 Huldah was a prophetess, as were Miriam (Exodus 15.20) and Debroah (Judges 4.4). God freely selects his servants to carry out his will – rich or poor, male or female, king of slave (Joel (2.28-30). Huldah was obviously highly regarded by the people of her time). *

(“ Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets – all the people from the least to the greatest.  He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD.  – 2 Kings 23:1-2 For more about the importance and operation of the temple, see 1 Kings 5 – 8 and 2 Chronicles 2 – 7).

 

“ Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.” .. Now make confession to the LORD, the God of your fathers, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.” – Ezra 10:3-4, 11

Following Ezra’s earnest prayer, the people confessed their sin to God. Then they asked for direction in restoring their relationship with God. True repentance does not end with words of confession – that would be mere lip service. It must lead to corrected behaviour and charged attitudes. When you sin and are truly sorry, confess this to God, ask his forgiveness, and accept his grace and mercy. Then, as an act of thankfulness for your forgiveness, make the needed corrections.

(10:3   Why were the men commanded to send away their wives and children? Although the measure was extreme, intermarriage to pagans was strictly forbidden (Deuteronomy 7.3, 4), and even the priests and Levities had intermarried. This could be compared today to a Christian marrying a devil worshipper. Although a severe solution, it only involved 113 of the approximately 29,000 families. Ezra’s strong act, though very difficult for some, was necessary to preserve Israel as a nation committed to God. Some of the exiles of the northern kingdom of Israel had lost both their spiritual and physical identity through intermarriage. Their pagan spouses had caused the people to worship idols. Ezra did not want this to happen to the exiles of the southern kingdom of Judah).

(“ O LORD, God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence.” – Ezra 9:15 Ezra recognised that if God gave the people the justice they deserved, they would not be able to stand before him. Often we cry out for justice when we feel abused and unfairly treated. In those moments, we forget the reality of our own sin and the righteous judgment we deserve. How fortunate we are that God gives us mercy and grace rather than only justice. The next time you ask God for fair and just treatment, pause to think what would happen if God gave you what you really deserve. Plead instead for his mercy).

(“ Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women: – Ezra 10:8 To forfeit one’s property meant to be disinherited, to lose one’s legal right to own land. This was to ensure that no pagan children would inherit Israel’s land. In addition, the person who refused to come to Jerusalem would be expelled from the assembly of the exiles and not allowed to worship in the temple. The Jews considered this a horrible punishment).

How can we be perfect?

“ Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. – Matthew 5.48

How can we be perfect? (1) In character. In this life we cannot be flawless, but we can aspire to be as much like Christ as possible. (2) In holiness. Like the Pharisees, we are to separate ourselves from the world’s sinful values. But unlike the Pharisees, we are to be devoted to God’s desires rather than our own, and carry his love and mercy into the world. (3) In maturity. We can’t achieve Christlike character and holy living all at once, but we must grow towards maturity and wholeness. Just as we expect different behaviour from a baby, a child, a teenager, and an adult, so God expects different behaviour from us, depending on our stage of spiritual development. (4) In love. We can seek to love others as completely as God loves us.

We can be perfect if our behaviour is appropriate for our maturity level – perfect, yet with much room to grow. Our tendency to sin must never deter us from striving to be more like Christ. Christ calls all of his disciples to excel, to rise above mediocrity, and to mature in every area, becoming like him. Those who strive to become perfect will one day be perfect, even as Christ is perfect (1 John 3.2, 3).

(“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. – Matthew 5:43-44   By telling us not to retaliate, Jesus keeps us from taking the law into our own hands. By loving and praying for our enemies, we can overcome evil with good. The Pharisees interpreted Leviticus 19:18 as teaching that they should love only those who love in return, and Psalm 139:19-22 and 140:9-11 as meaning that they should hate their enemies. But Jesus says we are to love our enemies. If you love your enemies and treat them well, you will truly show that Jesus is Lord of your life. This is possible only for those who give themselves fully to God, because only he can deliver people from natural selfishness. We must trust the Holy Spirit to help us show love to those for whom we may not feel love).

(“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honoured by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. – Matthew 6:2   The term hypocrites, as used here, describes people who do good acts for appearances only – not out of compassion or other good motives. Their actions may be good, but their motives are hollow. These empty acts are their only reward, but God will reward those who are sincere in their faith).

Faith results in changed behaviour:

“ But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” – Luke 19.8

Judging from the crowd’s reaction to him, Zacchaeus must have been a very crooked tax collector. But after he met Jesus, he realised that his life needed straightening out. By giving to the poor and making restitution – with generous interest – to those he had cheated, Zacchaeus demonstrated inward change by outward action. It is not enough to follow Jesus in your head or heart alone. You must show your faith by changed behaviour. Has your faith resulted in action? What changes do you need to make?

(“ He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” – Luke 18:38   The blind man called Jesus “Son of David”, a title for the Messiah (Isaiah 11.1-3). This means that he understood Jesus to be the long-awaited Messiah. A poor and blind beggar could see that Jesus was the Messiah, while the religious leaders who saw his miracles were blinded to his identity and refused to recognise him as the Messiah).

(“ Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” – Luke 19:1-10   To finance their great world empire, the Romans levied heavy taxes on all nations under their control. The Jews opposed these taxes because they supported a secular government and its pagan gods, but they were still forced to pay. Tax collectors were among the most unpopular people in Israel. Jews by birth, they chose to work for Rome and were considered traitors. Besides, it was common knowledge that tax collectors were making themselves rich by “milking” their fellow Jews. No wonder the people muttered when Jesus went home with the tax collector Zacchaeus. But despite the fact that Zacchaeus was both a cheater and a turncoat, Jesus loved him; and in response, the little tax collector was converted. In every society, certain groups of people are considered “untouchable” because of their political views, their immoral behaviour, or their life-style. We should not give in to social pressure to avoid these people. Jesus loves them, and they need to hear his Good News). *

(19:9-10   When Jesus said Zacchaeus was a son of Abraham and yet was lost, he must have shocked his hearers in at least two ways. They would not have liked to acknowledge that this unpopular tax collector was a fellow son of Abraham, and they would not have wished to admit that sons of Abraham could be lost. But a person is not saved by a good heritage or condemned by a bad one; faith is more important than genealogy. Jesus still loves to bring the lost into his kingdom, no matter what their background or previous way of life. Through faith, the lost can be forgiven and made new).

(“ While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. – Luke 19:11ff   The people still hoped for a political leader who would set up an earthly kingdom and get rid of Roman domination. Jesus’ parable showed that his kingdom would not take this form right away. First he would go away for a while, and his followers would need to be faithful and productive during his absence. Upon his return, Jesus would inaugurate a kingdom more powerful and just than anything they could expect).

(19:11ff   This story showed Jesus’ followers what they were to do during the time between Jesus’ departure and his second coming. Because we live in that time period, it applies directly to us. We have been given excellent resources to build and expand God’s kingdom. Jesus expects us to use these talents so that they multi-ply and the kingdom grows. He asks each of us to account for what we do with his gifts. While awaiting the coming of the kingdom of God in glory, we must do Christ’s work).

Why God asks us to restrict ours:

“   For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good. – Romans 7.11-12

Sin deceives people by misusing the law. The law was holy, expressing God’s nature and will for people. In the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), the serpent deceived Eve by taking her focus off the freedom she had and putting it on the one restriction God had made. Ever since then, we have all been rebels. Sin looks good to us precisely because God has said it is wrong. Instead of paying attention to his warnings, we use them as a “to do” list. When we are tempted to rebel, we need to look at the law from a wider perspective – in the light of God’s grace and mercy. If we focus on his great love for us, we will understand that he only restricts us from actions and attitudes that ultimately will harm us.

(“   But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code. – Romans 7:6   Some people try to earn their way to God by keeping a set of rules (obeying the Ten Commandments, attending church faith-fully, or doing good deed), but all they earn for their efforts is frustration and discouragement. However, because of Christ’s sacrifice, the way to God is already open, and we can become his children simply by putting our faith in him. No longer trying to reach God by keeping rules, we can become more and more like Jesus as we live with him day by day. Let the Holy Spirit turn your eyes away from your own performance and towards Jesus. He will free you to serve him out of love and gratitude. This is living “in the new way of the Spirit”.).

(7:6   Keeping the rules, laws, and customs of Christianity doesn’t save us. Even if we could keep our actions pure, we would still be doomed because our hearts and minds are perverse and rebel-lious. Like Paul, we can find no relief in the synagogue or church until we look to Jesus Christ himself for our salvation – which he gives us freely. When we do come to Jesus, we are flooded with relief and gratitude. Will we keep the rules any better? Most likely, but we will be motivated by love and gratitude, not by the desire to get God’s approval. We will not be merely submitting to an external code, but willingly and lovingly seeking to do God’s will.)

(Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and a died.  I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death.  For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.  – Romans 7:9-11   Where there is no law, there is no sin, because people cannot know that their actions are sinful unless a law forbids those actions.  God’s law makes people realise that they are sinners doomed to die, yet it offers no help.  Sin is real, and it is dangerous.  Imagine a sunny day at the beach.  You plunge into the sea; then you notice a sign on the pier: “No swimming.  Sharks in water.”  Your day is ruined.  Is it the sign’s fault?  Are you angry with the people who put it up?  The law is like the sign.  It is essential, and we are grateful for it – but it doesn’t get rid of the sharks.)   [Against U.N. ‘Separation’.]   *

(“ For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.  – Romans 7:11-12   Sin deceives people by misusing the law.  The law was holy [centre], expressing God’s nature and will for people.  In the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), the serpent deceived Eve by taking her focus off the freedom she had and putting it on the one restriction God had made.  Ever since then, we have all been rebels.  Sin looks good to us precisely because God has said it is wrong.  Instead of paying attention to his warnings, we use them as a “to do” list [Eternity boy].  When we are tempted to rebel, we need to look at the law from a wider perspective – in the light of God’s grace and mercy.  If we focus on his great love for us, we will understand that he only restricts us from actions and attitudes that ultimately will harm us.)