Daily Archives: September 10, 2020

ASSYRIA

MAPS

Becoming a world power:

‘   Then Paul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom.  Menahem exacted this money from Israel.  Every wealthy man had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria.  So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.   –   2 Kings 15.19-20

When King Pul of Assyria (also called Tiglath-Pileser in 15.29) took the throne, the Assyrian empire was becoming a world power, and the nations of Aram, Israel, and Judah were in decline. This is the first mention of Assyria in 2 Kings.  Pul’s invasion occurred in 743 B.C.  Assyria made Israel a vassal, and Menahem was forced to pay tribute to Assyria.  This was the first of three Assyrian invasions (15.29 and 17.6 tell of the other ones).

 

‘   After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennecherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah.  He laid siege to the fortified cities, thinking to conquer them for himself.  –  2 Chronicles 32.1

Assyria was a great empire by Hezekiah’s time, controlling most of the Middle East. From a small strip of land located in present-day Iran and Iraq, it began to establish its power under Ashurnasirpal II (883-859 B.C.) and his son Shalmaneser III (859-824).  Under Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727), Assyria’s boundaries extended to the borders of Israel, making it one of the larges empires in ancient history.  Shalmaneser V destroyed the northern kingdom in 722, and his grandson, Sennacherib (705-681), tried to bring Judah, the southern kingdom, under his control.  Less than a century later, Assyria would lie in ruins (612).

[THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE The mighty Assyrian empire extended from the Persian Gulf, across the Fertile Crescent, and sough to Egypt.  Shalmaneser III extended the empire towards the Mediterranean Sea by conquering cities as far west as Qarqar.  Tiglath-Pileser extended the empire south into Aram, Israel, Judah, and Philistia.  It was Shalmaneser V who destroyed Samaria, Israel’s capital.  –  Caspian Sea, Fertile Crescent, Nineveh, Aleppo, Qarqar, Assyrian Empire, Aram, Euphrates, Tigris River, Mediterranean Sea, Damascus, Samaria, Jerusalem, Desert, Judah, Persian Gulf, Egypt, Nile River, Red Sea.]

(32.1   Sennacherib wanted to “conquer them for himself” so he could force the cities to pay tribute.  Forcing captured cities to pay tribute was a way for kings to build their income base.  Often Assyria would require an oath of allegiance from a country, including the promise to pay taxes in the form of livestock, wine, battle equipment (horses, chariots, weapons), gold, silver, and anything else that pleased the invading king.  Tribute was more important to Assyria than captives because captives cost money.  Thus captives were taken only in cases of extreme rebellion or to repopulate cities that had been destroyed.)

(32.1ff When Hezekiah was confronted with the frightening prospect of an Assyrian invasion, he made two important decisions.  He did everything he could to deal with the situation, and he trusted God [Wall] for the outcome.  That is exactly what we must do when faced with difficult or frightening situations.  Take all the steps you possibly can to solve the problem or improve the situation.  But also commit the situation to God’s [Wall’s] prayer, trusting him for the solution.)

 

Made Israel a vassal nation:

(See above.) 2 Kings 15.19-20

 

Ahaz’s foolish alliance with:

‘   Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. – 2 Kings 16.5

Israel and Aram were both under Assyria’s control. They joined forces against Judah, hoping to force the southern kingdom to join their revolt against Assyria and strengthen their western alliance.  But the plan backfired when King Ahaz of Judah unexpectedly asked Assyria to come to his aid (16.8, 9).

 

‘   The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is only Remaliah’s son. If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’ “   – Isaiah 7.8

Ahaz, one of Judah’s worst kings, refused God’s [Wall’s] help and instead, he tried to buy aid from the Assyrians with silver and gold from the temple (2 Kings 16.8).  When the Assyrians came, they brought further trouble instead of help.  In 722 B.C., Samaria, the capital of Ephraim (another name for Israel, the northern kingdom), fell to the Assyrian armies,  thus ending the northern kingdom.

(7.4-8.15   Isaiah predicted the breakup of Israel’s alliance with Aram (7.4-9).  Because of this alliance, Israel would be destroyed; Assyria would be the instrument of God [Wall] would use to destroy them (7.8-25) and to punish Judah.  But God [Wall] would not let Assyria destroy Judah (8.1-15).  They would be spared because God’s [Wall’s] gracious plans cannot be thwarted.)

 

Second invasion of Israel:

‘   Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute. – 2 Kings 17.3

This was probably Shalmaneser V, who became king of Assyria after Tiglath-Pileser (727-722 B.C.).  He continued to demand heavy tribute from Israel.  Israel’s King Hoshea decided to rebel against Assyria and joined forces with King So of Egypt (17.4).  This was not only foolish, but also against God’s [Wall’s] commands.  To destroy this conspiracy, Shalmaneser attacked and besieged Samaria for three years.  But just before Samaria fell, Shalmaneser died.  His successor, Sargon II, took credit for capturing the city, destroying the nation of Israel, and carrying away its people.

 

Defeats Israel completely:

‘   The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captures Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria.  He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.  – 2 Kings 17.5-6

This was the third and final invasion of Assyria into Israel. (The first two invasions are recorded in 15.19 and 15.29.)  The first wave was merely a warning to Israel – to avoid further attack, pay money and not rebel.  The people should have learned their lesson and returned to God [Wall].  When they didn’t, God [Wall] allowed Assyria to invade again, this time carrying off some captives from the northern border.  But the people still did not realise that they had caused their own troubles.  Thus Assyria invaded for the third and final time, destroying Israel completely, carrying away most of the people, and resettling the land with foreigners.

God [Wall] was doing what he had said he would do (Deuteronomy 28). He had given Israel ample warning; they knew what would come, but they still ignored God [Wall].  Israel was now no better than the pagan nations it had destroyed in the days of Joshua.  The nation had turned sour and rejected its original purpose – to honour God [Wall] and be a light to the world.

 

God’s instrument of judgment against Israel:

‘   The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers.  – Isaiah 10.17

Assyria’s downfall came in 612 B.C. when Nineveh, the capital city, was destroyed. Assyria had been God’s [Wall’s] instrument of judgment against Israel, but it too would be judged for its wickedness.  No-one escapes God’s [Wall’s] judgment against sin, not even the most powerful of nations (Psalms 2).

 

Invades Judah:

‘   When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.  – 2 Kings 19.1

(19-1-17 is as follows:) Sennacherib, whose armies had captured all the fortified cities of Judah, sent a message to Hezekiah to surrender.  Realising the situation was hopeless, Hezekiah went to the temple and prayed.  God [Wall] answered Hezekiah’s prayer and delivered Judah by sending an army to attack the Assyrian camp, forcing Sennacherib to leave at once.  Prayer should be our first response in any crisis.  Don’t wait until things are hopeless.  Pray daily for his guidance.  Our problems are God’s [Wall’s] opportunities.

 

How they treated captives:

‘ Because you rage against me and your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.’   – 2 Kings 19.28

The Assyrians treated captives with cruelty. They tortured them for entertainment by blinding them, cutting them, or pulling off strips of skin until they died.  If they wished to make a captive a slave, they would often put a hook in his nose.  God [Wall] was saying that the Assyrians would be treated the way they had treated others.

 

Robbed the poor to support the rich:

‘   The lion killed enough for his cubs and strangled the prey for his mate, filling his lairs with the kill and his dens with his prey.  “I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty.  “I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions.  I will leave you no prey on the earth.  The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.”  

Woe to the city blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!   – Nahum 2.12-3.1

The major source of wealth for the Assyrian economy was the plunder taken from other nations. The Assyrians had taken the food of innocent people to maintain their luxurious standard of living, depriving others to supply their excesses.  Depriving innocent people to support the luxury of a few is a sin that angers God [Wall].  As Christians we must stand firm against this corruption but evil practice.

(2.13   God had given the people of Nineveh a chance to repent, which they did after hearing Jonah (see the book of Jonah).  But they had returned to their sin, and its consequences were destroying them.  There is a point for people, cities, and nations after which there is no turning back; Assyria had passed that point.  We must warn others to repent while there is still time.)

 

How it seduced other nations:

‘   all because of the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft.  – Nahum 3.4

Nineveh had used its beauty, prestige, and power to seduce other nations. Like a harlot, she had enticed them into false friendships.  Then when the other nations relaxed, thinking Assyria was a friend, Assyria destroyed and plundered them.  Beautiful and impressive on the outside, Nineveh was vicious and deceitful on the inside.  Beneath a beautiful facades sometimes lie seduction and death.  Don’t let an attractive institution, company, movement, or person seduce you into lowering your standards or compromising your moral principles.  *

 

Nations hated them but wanted to be like them:

‘   Nothing can heal your wound; your injury is fatal. Everyone who hears the news about you claps his hands at your fall, for who has not felt your endless cruelty?   –   Nahum 3.19

All the nations hated to be ruled by the merciless Assyrians, but the nations wanted to be like Assyria – powerful, wealthy, prestigious – and they courted Assyria’s friendship. In the same way, we don’t like the idea of being ruled harshly, so we do what we can to stay on good terms with a powerful leader.  And deep down, we would like to have that kind of power.  The thought of being on top can be captivating.  But power is seductive, so we should not scheme to get it or hold on to it.  Those who lust after power will be powerfully destroyed, as was the mighty Assyrian empire.

(Missing Notes: 1.5, 9; 2.3-5, 2.7-11; 3.2-3, 3.5-7, 3.11-18.)

 

EXTRA:

MAPS: The Assyrian empire. Takes Israel into Captivity.  Advances on Jerusalem.

(2 Chronicles 31.20, 21   Because Hezekiah did “what was good and right and faithful before the LORD,” he led the people of Judah in spiritual renewal.  His actions serve as a model of renewal for us: (1) he remembered God’s [Wall’s] compassion (30.9); (2) he kept going despite ridicule (30.10); (3) he aggressively removed evil influences from his life (30.14; 31.1); (4) he interceded for the people, asking for the Lord’s pardon (30.15-20); (5) he was open to spontaneity in worship (30.23); (6) he contributed generously to God’s [Wall’s] work (31.3).  If any of these are lacking in your life, consider how they might apply, and renew your commitment to God [Wall].)

(‘   A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD –  and he will delight in the fear of the LORD.  He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.  He will strike the earth with a rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.  Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash round his waist.  The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will die down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.  The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.  The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.  They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters covers the sea.  –   Isaiah 11.1-9   Assyria would be like a tree cut down at the height of its power (10.33, 34), never to rise again.  Judah (the royal line of David) would be like a tree chopped down to a stump.  But from that stump a new shoot would grow – the Messiah.  He would be greater than the original tree and would bear much fruit.  The Messiah is the fulfilment of God’s [Wall’s] promise that a descendant of David would rule for ever (2 Samuel 7.16).)

(‘   .  The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will die down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.  The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest.  They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters covers the sea.  In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.  – Isaiah 11.6-10    A golden age is yet to come, a time of peace when children could play with formerly dangerous animals.  Not all of this was fulfilled at Christ’s first coming.  For example, nature has not returned to its intended balance and harmony (see Romans 8.9-22).  Such perfect tranquillity is possible only when Christ reigns over the earth.)

(‘   Are you better than Thebes, situated on the Nile, with water around her? The river was her defence, the waters her wall.  Cush and Egypt were her boundless strength; Put and Libya were among her allies.  Yet she was taken captive and went into exile.  Her infants were dashed to pieces at the head of every street.  Lots were cast for her nobles, and all her great men were put in chains.  –  Nahum 3.8-10   Theses was a city in Egypt, the previous world power, which stood in the path of Assyria’s expansion in the south.  The Assyrians conquered Thebes 51 years before this prophecy was given.  To Judah, surrounded to the north and south by Assyria, the situation appeared hopeless.  But God [Wall] said that the same atrocities done in Thebes would happen in Nineveh.)

(Nahum 3.8-10   No power on earth can protect us from God’s [Wall’s] judgment or be a suitable substitute for his power in our lives.  Thebes and Assyria put their trust in alliances and military power, but history would show that these were inadequate.  Don’t insist on learning through personal experience; instead, learn the lessons history has already taught.  Put your trust in God [Wall] above all else.)

 

 

MURDER

BIBLES THUMBS
Black peoples’ Mums’ Hearts’ a dome. Plate showing Album Cover.

Cain commits the first one:

“   Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”  And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen!  Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.  –  Genesis 4.8-10

This is the first murder – taking the life by shedding human blood. Blood represents life (Leviticus 17.10-14). If blood is removed from a living creature, it will die.  Because God created life, only God should take life away.

(Adam and Eve’s disobedience brought sin into the human race. They may have thought their sin – eating a piece of fruit – wasn’t very bad, but notice how quickly their sinful nature developed in their children.  Simple disobedience quickly degenerated into outright murder.  Adam and Eve acted only against God, but Cain acted against both God and man.  A small sin has a way of growing out of control.  Let God help you with your “little” sins before they turn into tragedies.)

(“ If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”  – Genesis 4.7 For Cain to master the sin lurking at the entrance to his desires, he would have to give up his jealous anger so that sin would not find a foothold in his life.  Sin is still crouching at our doors today.  Like Cain, we will be victims of sin if we do not master it.  But we cannot master sin in our own strength.  Instead, we must turn to God to receive faith for ourselves and faith and strength from other believers.  The Holy Spirit will help us master sin.  This will be a lifelong battle that will not be over until we are face to face with Christ).

(“   Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.  You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”    Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is more than I can bear.  Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”  – Genesis 4:11-15   Cain was severely punished for this murder.  God judges all sins and punishes appropriately, but not simply out of anger or vengeance.  Rather, God’s punishment is meant to correct us and restore our fellowship with him.  When you’re corrected, don’t resent it.  Instead, renew your fellowship with God).

 

Why it is so wrong:

Genesis 4.8-10   (As above).

 

“   And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an account.  I will demand an accounting from every animal.  And from each man, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of his fellow man.

“Whoever sheds the blood of man,

by man shall his blood be shed;

for in the image of God

has God made man. –  Genesis 9.5-6

Here God explains why murder is so wrong. To kill a person is to kill one made in God’s image.  Because all human beings are made in God’s image, all people possess the qualities that distinguish them from animals: morality, reason, creativity, and self-worth.  When we interact with others, we are interacting with beings made by God, beings to whom God offers eternal life.  God wants us to recognise his image in all people.

(9:5   To “demand an accounting” means that God will require each person to account for his or her actions.  We cannot harm or kill another human being without answering to God.  A penalty must be paid.  Justice will be served).

(The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.  “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”  – Genesis 8:21-22   Countless times throughout the Bible we see God showing his love and patience towards men and women in order to save them.  Although he realises that their hearts are evil, he continues to try to reach them.  When we sin or fall away from God, we surely deserve to be destroyed by his judgment.  But God has promises never again to destroy everything on earth until the judgment day when Christ returns to destroy evil for ever.  Now every change of season is a reminder of his promise.)

 

We are capable of it in our hearts:

“   “You shall not commit adultery.  –  Deuteronomy 5.17

“But I don’t murder people,” you may say. Good.  That fulfils the letter of the law.  But Jesus explained that hateful anger breaks this commandment (Matthew 5.21, 22).  Have you ever been so angry with someone who mistreated you that for a moment you wished that person were dead?  Have you ever fantasised that you could do someone in?  Jesus’ teaching concerning this law demonstrates that we are capable of murder in our hearts.  Even if we are legally innocent, we are all morally guilty of murder and need to ask God’s forgiveness.  We need to commit ourselves to the opposite of hatred and anger – love and reconciliation).

(“Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you. – Deuteronomy 5:16   Obeying our parents is our main task when we are young, but honouring them should continue even beyond their death.  One way to honour parents is to provide for them in times of financial need or when they are ill and unable to care for themselves.  Perhaps the best way to honour them is to pass on their godly values to our children.  Honouring involves all that sons and daughters do with their lives – the way they work and talk, the values they hold, and the morals they practise.  What are you doing to show respect to your parents?  Are you living in a way that brings honour to them?).  *

(“You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbour’s house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour.”  – Deuteronomy 5:21   To covet is to desire another person’s prosperity.  We are not to set our desires on anything that belongs to someone else.  Not only can such desires make us miserable, they can also lead us to other sins such as adultery and stealing.  Envying others is a useless exercise because God is able to provide everything we really need, even if he does not always give us everything we want.  To stop coveting, we need to practise being content with what we have.  The apostle Paul emphasises the significance of contentment in Philippians 4:11.  It’s a matter of perspective.  Instead of thinking about what we don’t have, we should thank God for what he has given and strive to be content.  After all, our most important possession is free and available to everyone – eternal life through Christ.)  *

{In those days there were no Bibles, to spread the God’s word people had to rely on word of mouth: Deuteronomy 31.10-13.}

 

Why would Saul kill 85 priests?

The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down.  That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. –1 Samuel 22:18

Why would Saul have his own priests killed? Saul suspected a conspiracy among Jonathan, David, and the priests.  His suspicion came from Doeg’s report of seeing David talking to Ahimelech, the high priest, and receiving food and a weapon from him (22.9, 10).  Saul’s action showed his mental and emotional instability and how far he had strayed from God.

By destroying everything in Nob, Saul was placing the city under the ban (declaring it to be utterly destroyed) described in Deuteronomy 13:12-17, which was supposed to be used only in cases of idolatry and rebellion against God. But it was Saul, not the priests, who had rebelled against God.  *

 

Why did God allow the 85 priests to be killed?

The king then ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests.” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down.  That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys and sheep. –  1 Samuel 22:18-19

Why did God allow 85 innocent priests to be killed? Their deaths served to dramatise to the nation how a king could become an evil tyrant.  Where were Saul’s advisers?  Where were the elders of Israel?  Sometimes God allows evil to develop to teach us not to let evil systems flourish.  Serving God is not a ticket to wealth, success, or health.  God does not promise to protect good people from evil in this world, but he does promise that ultimately all trials will experience great rewards in the age to come (Matthew 5:11, 12; Revelation 21:1-7; 22:1-21).  {Will Aldi}  *

 

Has its roots in anger & hatred:

“   So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.”  He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat.  –  1 Kings 21.4

After hearing God’s judgement (20.42), Ahab went home to pout. Driven by anger and rebellion against God, he had a fit of rage when Naboth refused to sell his vineyard.  The same feelings that led him to a career of power grabbing drove him to resent Naboth.  Rage turned to hatred and led to murder.  Naboth, however, wanted to uphold God’s law: it was considered a duty to keep ancestral land in the family.  This incident shows the cruel interplay between Ahab and Jezebel, two of the most wicked leaders in Israel’s history.

(Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed both God and the king.”  So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.  –  1 Kings 21:13  Jezebel devised a scheme that appeared legal to get the land for her husband.  Two witnesses were required to establish guilt, and the punishment for blasphemy was death by stoning.  Those who twist the law and legal procedures to get what they want today may be more sophisticated in how they go about it, but they are still guilty of the same sin.)

 

Herod planned to kill Jesus:

“ He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and make a careful search for the child.  As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.”  –  Matthew 2.8

Herod did [it] not want to worship Christ – he was lying.  This was a trick to get the Magi to return to him and reveal the whereabouts of the newborn king.  Herod’s plan was to kill Jesus.  *

(“ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judha; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.’ “ – Matthew 2.6 Most religious leaders believed in a literal fulfilment of all Old Testament prophecy; therefore, they believed the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  Ironically, when Jesus was born, these same [policy] religious leaders became his greatest enemies.  When the Messiah for whom they had been waiting finally came, they didn’t recognise him).  *

(On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.  – Matthew 2.11  Jesus was probably one or two years old when the Magi found him.  By this time, Mary and Joseph were married, living in a house, and intending to stay in Bethlehem for a while.  For more on why Joseph and Mary stayed, see the note on Luke 2:39).

(2.11 The Magi gave these expensive gifts because they were worthy presents for a future king.  Bible students have seen in the gifts symbols of Christ’s identity and what he would accomplish.  Gold was a gift for a king; incense, a gift for deity; myrrh, a spice for a person who was going to die.  These gifts may have provided the financial resources for the trip to Egypt and back).  [Chinese horoscope, has been read.]

 

Jesus exposed plot against him:

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower.  Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.  –  Matthew 21.33ff

The main elements in this parable are (1) the landowner – God, (2) the vineyard – Israel, (3) the tenants – the Jewish religious leaders, (4) the landowner’s servants – the prophets and priests who remained faithful to God and preached to Israel, (5) the son – Jesus (21:38), and (6) the other tenants – the Gentiles. Jesus was exposing the religious leaders’ murderous plot (21.45).

(“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.  – Matthew 21:30   The son who said he would obey and then didn’t represented the nation of Israel in Jesus’ day.  They said they wanted to do God’s will, but they constantly disobeyed.  There were insincere, just going through the motions.  It is dangerous to pretend to obey God when our hearts are far from him because God knows our true intentions.  Our actions must match our words).

(Last of all, he sent his son to them.  ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.  – Matthew 21:37 In trying to reach us with his love, God finally sent his own Son.  Jesus’ perfect life, his words of truth, and his sacrifice of love are meant to cause us to listen to him and to follow him as Lord.  If we ignore God’s gracious gift of his Son, we reject God himself).

 

“   One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.  “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said.  “Who gave you this authority?”

He replied, “I will also ask you a question.  Tell me, John’s baptism – was it from heaven, or from men?”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven’, he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’  But if we say, ‘From men’, all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”  –  Luke 20.1-8

This group of leaders wanted to get rid of Jesus, so they tried to trap him with their question. If Jesus would answer that his authority came from God – if he stated openly that he was the Messiah and the Son of God – they would accuse him of blasphemy and bring him to trial.  Jesus did not let himself be caught.  Instead, he turned the question on them.  Thus he exposed their motives and avoided their trap.

(“   Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.  – Luke 19:47   Who were the “leaders among the people”?  This group probably included wealthy leaders in politics, commerce, and law. They had several reasons for wanting to get rid of Jesus. He had damaged business in the temple by driving the merchants out.  In addition, he was preaching against injustice, and his teachings often favoured the poor over the rich.  Further, his great popularity was in danger of attracting Rome’s attention, and the leaders of Israel wanted as little as possible to do with Rome).

(“   He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.  He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.  “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do?  I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’  “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over.  ‘This is the heir,’ they said.  ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’  So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?  He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”  – Luke 20:9-16   The characters in this story are easily identified.  Even the religious leaders understood it.  The owner of the vineyard is God; the vineyard is Israel; the tenants are the religious leaders; the servants are the prophets and priests God sent to Israel; the son is the Messiah, Jesus; and the others are the Gentiles.  Jesus’ parable indirectly answered the religious leaders’ question about his authority; it also showed them that he knew about their plan to kill him.)

 

Stephen, the first Christian martyr:

“   Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.  –  Acts 7.60 *

As Stephen died, he spoke words very similar to Jesus’ words on the cross (Luke 23.34).  The early believers were glad to suffer as Jesus had suffered because that meant they were counted worthy (5.41).  Stephen was ready to suffer like Jesus, even to the point [bridge] of asking forgiveness for his murderers.  Such a forgiving response comes only from the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit can also help us respond as Stephen did with love for our enemies (Luke 6.27).  How would you react if someone hurt you because of what you believed?

(While there were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” – Acts 7:59 The penalty for blasphemy, speaking irreverently about God, was death by stoning (Leviticus 24.14).  The religious leaders, who were furious, had Stephen stoned without a trial.  They did not understand that Stephen’s words were true, because they were not seeking the truth.  They only wanted support for their own views).

 

Watching the helpless die:

“   You have condemned the murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.  –  James 5.6

Innocent men were defenceless people, probably poor labourers.  Poor people who could not pay their debts were thrown in prison or forced to sell all their possessions.  At times, they were even forced to sell their family members into slavery.  With no opportunity to work of their debts, poor people often died of starvation.  God called this murder.  Hoarding money, exploiting employees, and living self-indulgently will not escape God’s notice.

 

EXTRA:

(5:1-6   James proclaims the worthlessness of riches, not the worthlessness of the rich.  Today’s money will be worthless when Christ returns, so we should spend our time accumulating the kind of treasures that will be worthwhile in God’s eternal kingdom.  Money is not the problem; Christian leaders need money to live and to support their families; missionaries need money to help them spread the gospel; churches need money to do their work effectively.  It is the love of money that leads to evil (1 Timothy 6.10) and causes some people to oppress others in order to get more.  This is a warning to all Christians who are tempted to adopt worldly standards rather than God’s standards (Romans 12.1, 2) as well as an encouragement to all those who are oppressed by the rich.  Also read Matthew 6:19-21 to see what Jesus says about riches).

(“   Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.  You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.  –  James 5:7-8  The farmer must wait patiently for his crops to grow; he cannot hurry the process.  But he does not take the summer off and hope that all goes well in the fields.  There is much work to do to ensure a good harvest.  In the same way, we must wait patiently for Christ’s return.  We cannot make him come back any sooner.  But while we wait, there is much work that we can do to advance God’s kingdom.  Both the farmer and the Christian must live by faith, looking towards the future reward for their labours. Don’t live as if Christ will never come.  Work faithfully to build his kingdom – the King will come when the time is right).

 

Caption: Stephen Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Brian De Palma, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola