Betrayal (John 13:21-30)

ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS IN JOHN'S GOSPEL:
Interaction with a Traitorous Disciple (John 13:21-30)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

This sermon series: Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel:

• His interaction with a commercial enterprise ( John 2:13-16)
• His interaction with a royal official (John 4:46-53)
• His interaction with a sick friend (John 11:1-44)

 

A good marriage depends on trust. So it is disturbing when one party seems not to trust the other, especially when suspicion surfaces in the wedding ceremony itself.

During a wedding rehearsal, the groom approached the minister with an unusual offer: “I’ll give you $100 if you change the wedding vows. When you get to the part where I promise to “love, honor, and obey and, forsaking all others, be faithful forever,” just leave that out.” He passed the minister a $100 bill and walked away satisfied. On the day of the wedding, when it came time for the groom’s vows, the minister looked the young man in the eye and said: “Do you promise to prostrate yourself before her, obey her every command and wish, serve her breakfast in bed every morning of your life together, and swear eternally before God and your lovely wife that you will not even look at another woman, as long as you both shall live?” The groom gulped, looked around at all the people present, and said in a tiny voice, “Yes.” The groom then leaned toward the minister and whispered: “I thought we had a deal.” The minister put the $100 bill into his hand and whispered back: “She made me a better offer.”

A good marriage depends on trust. Actually, every good relationship depends on trust, including the relationship between a rabbi and his disciples.

In the first century, the relationship of a rabbi to his disciples is very close, much like that of a father to his sons.¹ Jesus is only one of several rabbis at this time who has disciples.² As we conclude the series Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel,³ we consider his Interaction with a Traitorous Disciple. For whatever reason, Judas is dissatisfied with his lot as one of Jesus’ closest followers.⁴ Perhaps he thinks that the rabbi is too hesitant about promoting his messianic identity and that by increasing pressure from the Jewish establishment it will encourage Jesus to be less timid, or maybe Judas simply sees an opportunity for financial gain.⁵ For whatever reason, he chooses to betray Jesus to the religious authorities and that decision will lead to the rabbi’s death. This is not entirely unexpected. Jesus has been predicting his betrayal for some time, even before Judas’ initial contact with Jesus’ enemies in the priesthood.⁶ When after three years together Jesus meets with his disciples for their last Passover before his death,⁷ he raises again the uncomfortable subject of impending betrayal.

I. The rabbi makes a disturbing declaration (John 13:21-22).

John 13:21 Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth,⁸ one of you is going to betray me.” 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant.

"Lazarus has fallen asleep" (John 11:1-44)

ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS IN JOHN'S GOSPEL:
Interaction with a Sick Friend (John 11:1-44)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

This sermon series: Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel:

• His interaction with a commercial enterprise ( John 2:13-16)
• His interaction with a royal official (John 4:46-53)
• His interaction with a sick friend (John 11:1-44)
• His interaction with a traitorous disciple (John 13:21-30)

 

There are many different kinds of literary forms in the Bible, from poetry to prophecy, from treaties to obituaries. That last literary type appears today on tombstones, as three Irishmen discover after an evening at a local pub.

Paddy, Sean, and Shamus, were stumbling home late one night and found themselves on a road that led past an old graveyard. “Come and look at this, says Paddy, “It’s Michael O’Grady’s grave, God rest his soul. He lived to the ripe old age of 87.” “That’s nothing,” says Sean. “Here’s one named Patrick O’Toole. It says that he was 95 when he died.” Just then, Shamus yells out, "I found a fella who died when he was 145!” “What was his name?” asks Paddy. Shamus lights a match to see what else is written on the stone marker and exclaims…“Miles, from Dublin.”

There are many different kinds of literary forms in the Bible, including obituaries, which a man named Lazarus may not have had the first time he died. It happened during one of the Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel,¹ specifically his Interaction with a Sick Friend in chapter 11.²

Jesus’ healing ministry brought him in contact with countless needy people clamoring for his attention, something he did not deny them. At times the unrelenting demands of ministry would cause him to seek solitude “far from the madding crowd,” even apart from the disciples, his closest companions. On one occasion, “after he had dismissed them, he went…by himself to pray” (Matt 14:23a), which he may have done often. Still, whenever Jesus “saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were…like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36).³ Sometimes we think of Jesus as a solitary figure on the stage of history, the “voice of one calling in the desert” (Isa 40:3). But he was not alone; he had friends and family, people who cared about him and cared for him, such as Lazarus, a close friend, along with Mary and Martha, his two sisters.

I. Jesus receives the news of Lazarus’ death (John 11:1-15).

A. He waits to visit Lazarus before he died.

John 11:1 Now a man named Lazarus⁴ was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.⁵ 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love⁶ is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”⁷ 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.⁸ 7 Then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.

When the report of his friend’s grave illness reached Jesus, the response is curious because he does not to go immediately to Lazarus’ aid, even though Jesus, better than anyone else, could have helped. Jesus has treated scores of people and a myriad of maladies, never encountering one he could not cure, leprosy to lameness, blindness to deafness. Still, Jesus delays until it is too late, yet he says, “This sickness will not end in death” (v. 4). The ultimate goal of all Jesus did was to promote “God’s glory” (vv. 4, 40).⁹ Surely healing Lazarus would have advanced that cause.

B. He goes to visit Lazarus after he died.

John 11:11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.”¹⁰ 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Jesus’ explanation of Lazarus’ state is puzzling to the disciples, for he likens Lazarus’ passing to sleep, which is often the way death appears to the living, as if the deceased is asleep. That notion gave rise to the concept of “soul sleep,” an idea that John Milton may have introduced in his Paradise Lost (“Such a peal shall rouse their sleep”) and that religious movements of the 19^th century promoted, like Seventh Day Adventism. Although the Bible does depict death as sleep (as Jesus does here), it does so only from the perspective of the living.¹¹ From the perspective of the dead themselves, the deceased are awake and aware.¹² At first, the disciples think Jesus is speaking figuratively, until he
clarifies the situation: “Lazarus is dead” (v. 14).

"Your son will live" (John 4:46-53)

ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS IN JOHN'S GOSPEL:
Interaction with a Royal Official (John 4:46-53)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

This sermon series: Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel.

• His interaction with a commercial enterprise ( John 2:13-16)
• His interaction with a royal official (John 4:46-53)
• His interaction with a sick friend (John 11:1-44)
• His interaction with a traitorous disciple (John 13:21-30)

 

When you pray, are you confident that God will answer or do you wonder if He even listens?

The minister's six-year-old daughter had been so naughty during the week that her mother decided to give her the worst kind of punishment. Her mother told her she couldn’t go to the church picnic that weekend. When the day arrived, however, her mother felt she had been too harsh and changed her mind. She told the little girl she could go to the picnic after all, but the child's reaction was one of gloom and unhappiness. “What's the matter?” her mother asked. “I thought you’d be glad to go to the picnic.” “It’s too late!” the little girl replied…. “I’ve already prayed for rain.”

Be careful what you pray lest God’s answer be what you asked but not really what you wanted. Most times, we would be happy if God’s response matched our request, as was the father who petitioned for his son’s healing.

All three synoptic gospels record that from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry he engaged in helping the many who came to him:

• Matthew writes that “Jesus went throughout Galilee…healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matt 4:23).
• Mark writes that “Jesus healed many who had various diseases” (Mark 1:34).
• Luke writes that “people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and…he healed them” (Luke 4:40).

Unlike the synoptics, John makes no such blanket statement in his gospel, although
he does mention several specific cases:

• The rabbi heals a lame man.

Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. (John 5:8-9)

Without any surgery, drugs, or physical therapy, Jesus effects this cure solely with his word.

• The rabbi heals a blind man.

Jesus made some mud with…saliva and put it on the man’s eyes…. The man…washed and came home seeing. (John 9:6, 7b)

Saliva is not a sanitary substance. Apparently Jesus was not familiar with the danger of infection, or he certainly would have used a different treatment.

• The rabbi heals a dead man.

Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out…. (John 11:43)

The cause of this man’s death is unknown, but the cause is practically irrelevant once he has died. Knowing the cause may be helpful in treating future cases, but it makes no difference to Lazarus at this point. He is dead, and has been that way for three days. This is another cure Jesus effects solely with his word.

Toward the beginning of this fourth account of the savior’s life, the author records yet another one of the Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel,¹ the rabbi’s Interaction with a Royal Official, perhaps a member of king Herod’s court,² who petitions Jesus on behalf of his son.³

I. The father requests Jesus’ aid (John 4:46-49).

A. He knows the rabbi’s healing power.

John 4:46b Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

The last time Jesus was in Cana was to attend a wedding. There he performed his first recorded miracle. While one might assume that turning water to wine was not Jesus’ only special ability, it does not follow that other abilities would include the power to heal disease. Most likely, Jesus has already displayed curative skill by treating many of the sick and infirm who come to him, as the other gospel writers record, and it is those other cases that have encouraged this official to approach Jesus on behalf of his son. He knows about the rabbi’s healing power. More than that…

In the Temple courts (John 2:13-17)

ENCOUNTERS WITH JESUS IN JOHN'S GOSPEL:
Interaction with a Commercial Enterprise (John 2:13-17)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

Some animals are so quiet that you are not even aware they are present. Other animals are so noisy that their presence is never in doubt.

Jeff, a mechanic, was working for the Air Force Academy. Things do not always turn out the way you expect, and you need to be prepared for certain changes. The soldier at the gate approached Jeff’s pickup and asked, “Would you mind if our new guard dog practices sniffing your truck?” Jeff obliged, and the dog went to work, quietly at first. Then it latched onto a scent and jumped into the truck bed sniffing and barking furiously. Jeff became nervous. His mind was speculating wildly: “What could the dog be after? Had he left some ammo there from his last hunting trip? Had his coworkers tossed in something illegal, perhaps as a prank, knowing the dog was in training?” A few minutes later, the guard approached Jeff. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly…“but our dog ate your lunch.”

Some animals are so noisy that their presence is never in doubt. That was probably the case when Jesus visited the temple and found there some extra animals.

The four gospels all recount the ministry of Jesus, but they are not identical. The first three—Mathew, Mark, and Luke—are called the Synoptic gospels because they have a similar perspective, treating many of the same events: Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, his Sermon on the Mount, the Last Supper, his Great Commission. The fourth—John—has a different perspective, treating several events not in the others, and we will consider four of these in a new series: Encounters with Jesus in John’s Gospel.¹

• His interaction with a commercial enterprise ( John 2:13-16)
• His interaction with a royal official (John 4:46-53)
• His interaction with a sick friend (John 11:1-44)
• His interaction with a traitorous disciple (John 13:21-30)

We begin with an incident that actually appears in some form in all four gospels.²

• Jesus’ interaction with a commercial enterprise (John 2:13-16)³

Jesus lived in obedience to God’s commands,⁴ which included His command that all adult males appear before Him thrice annually:⁵

Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.
Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread [Passover]….
Celebrate the Feast of Harvest [Weeks or Pentecost]….
Celebrate the Feast of Ingathering [Tabernacles or Booths]…. (Exod 23:14-16)
Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose…. No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed. (Deut 16:16)

These gatherings attracted Jews from all over the Roman empire, and it would have been impractical for travelers to bring with them on their journey the animals they intended to sacrifice. So, local merchants provided what worshipers needed.⁶ It was a common practice in Jesus’ day, but during one holiday visit…

Passover Seder

PASSOVER OVERVIEW

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

The Passover seder (service) commemorates Israel’s exodus from Egypt, so it dates back thousands of years. We can trace most aspects of the seder at least to the late Second Temple Period, when Jesus ministered, and the major aspects we can even trace to the original event. We need two things to conduct the seder: certain symbols of the exodus, and the story of the exodus.

The symbols remind us of Israel’s experience in Egypt, and the three major elements appear in…

Exod 12:8 [The Israelites] are to eat the meat [of the Passover sacrifice] roasted over the fire, along with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast.

• The matzah (unleavened bread), also called the “bread of poverty,” reminds us that Israel was poor in Egypt, and that the people had to leave quickly, before their bread could rise (Exod 12:39).
• The maror (bitter herbs = romaine lettuce) symbolizes the bitterness of Israel’s bondage (Exod 1:14).
• The zeroa‘ (shankbone) is in lieu of the Passover sacrifice, which was discontinued after the destruction of the temple.

There are others elements, but these are the three major symbols of the exodus.

• Because this is a joyful celebration, and because the “fruit of the vine” is a symbol of joy, attendees partake liberally of four glasses during the seder.

Realizing that the disciples consumed quite a bit of food along with all that wine, explains why they had trouble staying awake with Jesus when they moved from the upper room to the garden of Gethsemane.

God is immutable

OUR UNCHANGING GOD 
(Num 23:19; I Sam 15:29)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

Some people are always after the latest gadget. Others are quite satisfied with what they have and would rather keep things as they are. They find innovation, especially new technology, too confusing.

A young officer was working late at the Pentagon one evening. As he came out of his office, he saw a General standing by the classified document shredder in the hallway, a piece of paper in his hand. "Do you know how to work this thing?" the General asked. "My secretary has gone home and I don't know how to run it." "Yes, sir," said the young officer, who turned on the machine, took the paper from the General, and fed it in. "Now," said the General... "I just need one copy."

Change can be confusing. While God is not at all troubled by change, it is good for us that He Himself does not change, that no matter how circumstances (even technology) may shift around us (or completely pass us by), the Lord remains the same. He is Our Unchanging God.

God has many qualities we admire, such as His righteousness, goodness, and love. One quality we depend on especially is His immutability, His consistency, that He does not change in His essence, attributes, or will.¹ It is the truth about Israel's God that Samuel reveals to Saul and that Balaam affirms to Balak. These two incidents illustrate God's immutability.²

The first incident we will consider that illustrates God's unchanging nature is Israel's encounter with the Amalekites along with the interaction between Samuel and Saul. When God's people left Egypt, the people group Israel initially contacted was the descendants of Esau. Whereas the Israelites would have preferred to proceed uninterrupted to Canaan, the Amalekites' unprovoked attack against God's people led Him to declare: "I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven" (Exod 17:14b). God helped the Israelites to fend off the attack and continue on their way. But later, when Israel was about to cross the Jordan River into Canaan, God repeated His intention to destroy Amalek:

When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget! (Deut 25:19)

Years after Israel was settled in the Promised Land, God told King Saul to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy...them.... Put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys" (1 Sam 15:3). King Saul did defeat the Amalekites³ but thought their total destruction was wasteful, so he made two revisions to God's plan.

• Saul spared the Amalekite king, perhaps as a bargaining chip for some future negotiations, and....
• Saul spared the best of the livestock as spoils of war, for sacrifice to the Lord and for payment to his troops.

The rest of God's instructions Saul followed, killing all the men, women, and children.

**********

Such carnage may seem exceedingly cruel, uncharacteristic of a loving God, until we realize that the highest value in God's economy is not love (or life) but holiness, which is God's preeminent attribute, the one that best describes Him and the one His people must appreciate if they would know Him:

• In Isaiah's vision of the heavenly court, the angels in attendance are not extolling God's love (although that is certainly important). They are calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty" (Isa 6:3).
• In John's vision of the heavenly court, the angels in attendance are not extolling God's love (or His righteous and goodness): "Day and night they never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty" (Rev 4:8).

The highest value in God's economy is His preeminent attribute, the one He uses most often to describe Himself and the one that accounts for everything He does. It is also an attribute He expects His people to emulate: "Be holy, because I am holy" (Lev 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7; 1 Pet 1:16; cf. 20:26; 21:6; 1 Cor 1:2; Eph 1:4; 1 Pet 1:15; Rev 22:11). In order for that attribute to characterize His people, they must separate themselves from what is unholy, a process that requires drastic measures as well as different thinking.⁴

***********

The prophet Samuel confronted Saul on his return from battle with the Amalekites and wanted to know why he disobeyed God's order to destroy them all, including their livestock. Saul either thought God had not really meant what He said or thought that He would be amenable to a less wasteful course of action. Israelite soldiers captured the Amalekite king (a valuable prisoner) and spared the animals (as spoils of war). After all, why disregard a useful bargaining chip and destroy a good food source? Surely God would see the wisdom of this change in His original orders.

The problem was that God had given specific instructions that did not allow for such variance. What King Saul did not realize (or chose to ignore) was that God is immutable. When He says something He sticks with it. Had He been of the opinion that killing all the Amalekites and their livestock was wasteful, He would have given different orders, but He was not, so He did not.

Nations will come to your light...

GENTILE ATTRACTION TO JUDAISM: GRACE WITH A GOAL

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

When God chose the descendants of Abraham as His people, it was an act of grace, but it was grace with a goal. He had a plan for them to tell others about the great God they served.¹ It will be an especially prominent feature of the Messianic Age:²

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (Isa 2:2-3) Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isa 60:3)

This mission (which actually began long ago) attracted two types of gentiles: those who lived inside the borders of Israel and those who lived outside those borders.

• A sojourner or resident alien was a gentile who followed God and lived inside the borders of Israel:

• An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat of it. The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among you. (Exod 12:48-49)
• Any Israelite or any alien living among you who hunts any animal or bird that may be eaten must drain out the blood and cover it with earth.... Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean. (Lev 17:13, 15)
• Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a man must be put to death. You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am the LORD your God. (Lev 24:21-22)
• You must have the same regulations for the alien and the native-born.... 15 The community is to have the same rules for you and for the alien living among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come. You and the alien shall be the same before the LORD: The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.... One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether he is a native-born Israelite or an alien. (Num 9:14b-16, 29)
• Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the aliens living in your towns—so they can...follow carefully all the words of this law. (Deut 31:12)

• A foreigner was a gentile who followed God and lived outside the borders of Israel:

• These are the regulations for the Passover: "No foreigner is to eat of it.... (Exod 12:43)
• You must not accept such animals from the hand of a foreigner and offer them as the food of your God. They will not be accepted on your behalf, because they are deformed and have defects. (Lev 22:25)
• Do not eat anything you find already dead. You may give it to an alien living in any of your towns, and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. But you are a people holy to the LORD your God. (Deut 14:21 a-b)

Holiness unto the LORD

HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD: A STUDY OF LEVITICUS

The complete study (102 pages) can be downloaded as a pdf here.

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

An Outline of Leviticus

I. Regulations about Required Sacrifices (1: 1-7-39)

A. God teaches the people (1:1-6:7) -

1. The Israelite presents a dedication (burnt) offering to signify his commitment to the LORD (1:1-17).

a. A dedication offering maybe an ox (or cow).
b. A dedication offering maybe a sheep (or goat).
c. A dedication offering may be a bird.

2. The Israelite presents a contribution (grain) offering to signify his support for the sanctuary (2:1-16).

a. A contribution offering maybe unbaked flour.
b. A contribution offering maybe. baked flour.
c. A contribution offering must be without yeast.
d. A contribution offering may be roasted grain.

3. The Israelite presents a reconciliation (peace or fellowship) offering to signify his review of the relationship (3:1-17).

a. A reconciliation offering may be an ox (or cow).
b. A reconciliation offering may be a sheep (or goat).
c. A reconciliation offering may be a bird.

4. The Israelite presents a purification (sin) offering to signify his cleansing from ceremonial defilement (4:1-5:13).

a. The priest may sin unintentionally.
b. the community may sin unintentionally.
c. A leader may sin unintentionally.
d. A person may sin by (unintentional) commission.

• He must offer a lamb.

c. A person may sin by (unintentional) omission.

• He must offer two birds
• He may offer some flour.

5. The Israelite presents a reparation (guilt) offering to signify his payment of the fine (5:14-6:7).

a. A person may sin unintentionally.
b. A person may sin unwittingly,
c. A person may sin underhandedty,

Application: You must seek forgiveness, keeping short accounts with God and man (Matt 5:23-25a.)

B. God teaches the priests (6:8-7:36).

1. The Israelites dedication (burnt) offering is not eaten (at the time) but may accompany a fellowship offering, which is eaten (6:8-13)
2. The Israelite's contribution (grain) offering is given to the priests (6:14-23).
3. The Israelite's purification (sin) offering is eaten by the priest who presents it (6:24-30).
4. The Israelite's reparation (guilt) offering is eaten by the family of the priest who presents it (7:1-10)

Is God a pacifist?

A MATTER OF SELF DEFENSE

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

Some people think the God of the Old Testament was different from the God of the New Testament, that the former was vengeful whereas the latter is merciful, that the God of Jews was characterized by wrath but the God of Christians is characterized by love. Some Christians think that the Father of Jesus (even Jesus himself) is actually a pacifist and that Christians should be pacifists as well. Even if one bifurcates the Old Testament and the New Testament, their respective pictures of God's character are not different. The Bible as a whole, Old Testament and New Testament together, presents a unified description of God. He has always condemned wickedness and commended righteousness. His disposition toward mankind has never changed. His essential character is immutable:

He who is the Glory of Israel does not...change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind. (1 Sam 15:29)

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

It is to our eternal advantage that God and His dealings with man do not change so that we, like Israel, "are not destroyed" (Mal 3:6).¹

The supposition that He has changed, that He has perhaps mellowed with age, fails to recognize that the Bible as a whole presents a consistent picture of God, that the character He displays in the Old Testament is no different from the character He displays in the New Testament. God responds to man appropriately whatever his situation. While the reader will find a constant view of God throughout the Bible, he must always be cognizant of context, recognizing that God's revelation may pertain to a specific setting and not be universal, applicable to all circumstances.²

The Bible does not say much about self-defense,³ but there are a few passages that suggest some general principles. While it is preferable "as far as it depends on you, [to] live at peace with everyone" (Rom 12:18), that is not always possible, and you may need to act in response to an attack.

• Principle: The child of God must preserve his own life.

Case #1: A possible thief versus a vulnerable homeowner

If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed; but if it happens after sunrise, he is guilty of bloodshed (Exod 22:2-3a).

When an intruder's intention is unknown or unknowable (i.e., whether to rob or to assault), in this case because of darkness, deadly force is warranted. In daylight an intruder's motive is ostensibly clear.⁴ Presumably a homeowner may still resist a thief and protect his property⁵ but may not kill him, because the threat is not to the homeowner personally.⁶

Language

TOWARD MEANING: LANGUAGE—LINGUISTIC CONSTRAINTS

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

To have a better appreciation for what God has revealed in His word, it is helpful to understand how that revelation came about, not only the process of revelation but also the mechanics of recording it (writing, grammar, discourse).

1. Writing (Semiotics)

• Paleography

• Archaeologists have unearthed many inscriptions that date to biblical times, and they testify to a fairly high degree of literacy in Israel.¹ These inscriptions also help explain how our present system of writing developed. To see where they fit in the evolution of writing, we must survey five stages in the development of writing systems.

 1. Stage #1—Pictographic symbols (one symbol = one thing; before 5,000 BCE)

• During prehistoric times, people used a picture to represent a particular object (e.g., an ox head = "my ox").

2. Stage #2—Logographic symbols (one symbol = one word; c. 3100 BCE)

a. Later, a picture came to represent the name of that thing, a single word (e.g., an ox head = "an(y) ox").

b. This system was extremely cumbersome because if the basic vocabulary of a language contained 1000 words, writing in that language required as many symbols (most English dictionaries define 50,000+ words). Sumerian and Egyptian (two non-Semitic languages) both used logographs (pictorial symbols). For example, the simple sketch of an ox (or just its head) stood for the word "ox" (e.g., Summarian GUD).

c. As these languages developed, their symbols became more stylized, evolving into the cuneiform (wedge-shaped) and hieroglyphics (Greek for "sacred inscriptions") respectively (Carter 1984:11-12; Naveh 1982:12).

 3. Stage #3- Ideographic symbols (one symbol = one concrete or abstract concept; c. 2900 BCE)

• Eventually, logographs also came to mean abstract ideas associated with the things they represented (e.g., ox head = strength).²

Poetic justice

POETIC JUSTICE IN THE BIBLE

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

Of the various literary tropes biblical writers use, poetic justice (a kind of irony) highlights a particular reversal of fortune. In poetic justice, recompense, be it retribution or reward, is 'opposite' as well as greater than what one expects and is most evident (most 'poetic') when the opposite form of the original condition, the retribution or the reward, is comparable in kind (versus degree) to the original.

Most examples of poetic justice in the Bible are negative, with people receiving retribution after committing sin.

• Esau demonstrated disdain for his birthright by selling it to Jacob, which encouraged Jacob to steal, and Esau to lose, his blessing as well, leaving Esau with nothing.

Gen 25:33b lEsaul swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob.
Gen 27:36b [Jacob] has deceived me these two times: He took my birthright, and now he's taken my blessing!"

• Egyptian magicians duplicated Aaron's miracle of turning his staff into a snake but with dire results.

Exod 7:10b Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.

• Aaron's sons died by fire "before the Lord" after burning incense "before the Lord," contrary to His command. (This may be the most explicitly parallel case of poetic justice in scripture.)

Lev 10:1 Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

Cf. Num 3:4a Nadab and Abihu...fell dead before the LORD when they made an offering with unauthorized fire before him in the Desert of Sinai.

Num 26:61 Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering before the LORD with unauthorized fire.

• The Philistine champion, a large, experienced soldier, was defeated by a small, untested shepherd.

1 Sam 17:4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall.... 33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." ...42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy...and he despised him.... 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

• David suffered for his murder of Uriah and his sinful affair with Bathsheba by losing his other wives as well as the son of the adulterous union.

2 Sam 12:10 The sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own....' 11 b Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel." ... 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.

Christian Science

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST SCIENTIST

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

I. History

A. Founder—Mary Baker Eddy (Martin 1977:111-120)

 1 Early years

a. Mary Baker Eddy was born on July 16, 1821 in Bow, New Hampshire (Robertson 1966:31) to Mark and Abigal Baker, the youngest of five children (three brothers and two sisters; Judah 1967:259; Smith 1941:17).
b. She grew up in a strict Congregationalist home, and her childhood was marked by frequent illness.

2. Three marriages

a. She married George W. Glover in December 1843, but he died seven months later of yellow fever, leaving Mary pregnant.
b. She next married Daniel M. Patterson, a dentist, in June 1853, but later divorced him on the grounds of abandonment.
c. She then married Asa G. Eddy, who died of a coronary thrombosis. Mary challenged the autopsy report, insisting the cause to be "arsenic poisoning mentally administered."

3. Major influences

a. Phineas P. Quimby, an osteopathic mesmerist, supposedly cured Mary of an acute spinal ailment in 1862. She later plagiarized his work to write Science and Health.
b. Francis Lieber, a German American publisher, wrote The Metaphysical Religion of Hegel, which Mrs. Eddy also plagiarized in Science and Health.

4. Christian Science

a. On February 1, 1866, Mrs. Eddy was mortally injured in a sidewalk fall but rose "completely cured" on the third day after reading Matt 9:2, having "discovered" Christian Science.

Matt 9:2 ...they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer; thy sins are forgiven.

b. She later claimed that the attending physician, Dr. Alvin M. Cushing, had pronounced her "incurable," although he denied this in a sworn thousand-word statement.

5. Its dissemination

a. Science and Health

• Mrs. Eddy published the first edition in 1875.

b. The Mother Church, Boston (CM: 17-18)

• The church organized on April 12, 1879 (incorporated on August 23, 1879; Robertson 1966:32) with Mary Baker Eddy as pastor (ordained in 1881).

c. The Massachusetts Metaphysical College, Boston

• The college operated from 1881-1889.

6. Her death

Mrs. Eddy died in Boston on December 3, 1910 (Smith 1941:131).

Sermon: A fence of abstinence (Jer 35:1-19)

A FENCE OF ABSTINENCE (Jer 35)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

Children depend on their parents for many things, from basic necessities (e.g., food, clothing, shelter) to basic guidance in understanding the world.

A father and son went fishing one day. After a couple hours out in the boat, the boy suddenly became curious about the world around him. He asked his father, "How does this boat float?" The father thought for a moment, then replied, "I don't rightly know, son." The boy returned to his contemplation, then turned back to his father, "How do fish breath underwater?" Once again the father replied, "Don't rightly know, son." A little later the boy asked his father, "Why is the sky blue?" Again, the father replied. "Don't rightly know, son." Worried he was going to annoy his father, he says, "Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?" "Of course not, son. If you don't ask questions...you'll never learn anything!"

Children depend on their parents for many things. Even adult children can benefit from their parents' guidance, as the children of Recab do in erecting A Fence of Abstinence.

The prophet Jeremiah ministered at the end of Judah's existence as a nation. He started his service in the royal court at a high point in the country's history, during the reign of King Josiah, Judah's greatest reformer. Jeremiah remained in the royal court through the next four monarchs, all of whom did "evil in the eyes of the Lord" (2 Kgs 23:32, 37; 24:9, 19), until Babylonian forces invaded for the last time, destroying the temple and the capital city. During the reign of the second of Judah's last four kings, the prophet encourages the people's faithfulness to their heavenly father with an example of one family's faithfulness to its earthly father. Jeremiah begins by examining...

I. A Family Tradition (Jer 35:1-11)

A. The prophet tests the Recabites' loyalty to their father (Jer 35:1-5).

Jer 35:1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD during the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: 2 "Go to the Recabite family and invite them to come to one of the side rooms of the house of the LORD and give them wine to drink." 3 So I went to get Jaazaniah son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers and all his sons—the whole family of the Recabites.¹ 4 I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah the man of God.² It was next to the room of the officials, which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the doorkeeper. 5 Then I set bowls full of wine and some cups before the men of the Recabite family and said to them, "Drink some wine."

The Lord's instructions to Jeremiah were quite simple: Invite the Racabite family to dinner and serve them wine. However unusual it may have been to receive a dinner invitation from the prophet, there was nothing unusual about the menu. God left the food choice to Jeremiah—presumably, he would serve nothing unclean. The only item God specified was the beverage, a common one at middle eastern meals.³

A wedding charge:

"SUBMISSION AND SACRIFICE" (Eph 5:22-33)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

(Where "The Groom" and "The Bride" appear below insert the name of the person.)

The apostle Paul writing to the church at Ephesus gives instructions to married couples. His admonition is not always easy to follow, but those who do will find success in a union that is lasting and strong.

Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church...of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy.... In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.... For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.... Each of you...must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Eph 5:22-26a, 28, 31, 33)

As I read this passage, I wondered why Paul instructed the husband to love his wife but not the wife to love her husband. The wife's primary responsibility here is to submit. This emboldens some men, especially those who take literally the saying that "a man's home is his castle," and who think their word should be law. This also rankles some women, especially those who have a sense of independence and who resent anyone telling them what to do, much less a man.

The cultural context may play a part in shaping Paul's remarks. In a time and place when arranged marriages were common, and when an older man may have sought permission from the parents of a much younger woman, he may have been more enamored of her than she was of him. Perhaps that is the situation at Ephesus, and that is why the apostle gives different instructions to the husband than he does to the wife. For whatever reason, though, these admonitions are still relevant.

Paul likens the union of a man and woman in marriage to the union of Christ and the church. He says there are two qualities that should characterize both unions, qualities that should be evident on the physical plane even as they are evident on the spiritual plane. They are submission and sacrifice.

Sermon: Thanksgiving (Psalm 100)

THANKSGIVING: THE WAY OF WORSHIP (Ps 100)

pdf

Dr. Paul Manuel—2016

Mothers have high aspirations for what their children will become when they grow up, perhaps none more than Jewish mothers.

The first Jewish President of the United States phones his mother in Queens and invites her to come down for Thanksgiving. She says, "I'd love to, but it's too much trouble. I mean, I have to get a cab to the airport, and I really hate waiting on Queens Blvd...." He replies, "Mom! I'm the President! You won't have any need for a cab. I'll send a limo for you!"

His mother says, "I know, but then I'll have to get my ticket at the airport and try to get a seat on the plane, and I hate to sit in the middle.... It's just too much trouble." He replies, "Mom! I'm the President of the United States! I'll send Air Force One for you. It's my private jet!"

Then she says, "Oh, well, but then when we land, I'll have to carry all my luggage through the airport and try to get a cab.... It's really too much trouble." He replies, "Mom!! I'm the President! I'll send a helicopter for you! You won't have to lift a finger."

She says, "Yes, that's nice.. .but, you know, I still need a hotel room, the rooms are so expensive, and I really don't like the rooms..." A little irritated, he replies, "Mom! I'm the President! You'll stay at the White House." At last she agrees, "Well...all right...I guess I'll come."

The next day, she's on the phone with her friend Sandra. "So, Gilda, tell me...what's new?" "I'm visiting my son for Thanksgiving!" Gilda replies. "The doctor?" asks Sandra. "No," Gilda replies, "the other one."

All mothers have high aspirations for what their children will become when they grow up. Teachers also have high aspirations for their students.

Once, when teaching a class of teenagers, I wanted them to memorize some scripture. I assured them that they would have plenty of time to work on it and that we would help the process by reviewing their passage each week. Not wanting to make the task too difficult, I selected two short psalms, only one of which they had to learn—either Psalm 100, which has five verses, or Psalm 121, which has eight verses. How do you think they made their decision? Did they consider the beauty of the imagery or the relevance of the psalm's message? ...No. They picked the shorter of the two, thinking that would be easier to memorize, because—from a student's perspective—easier is always better. If brevity were my primary reason for selecting a particular psalm, I would have suggested Psalm 117, which has only two verses. I was hoping to foster a more spiritual experience.

Whatever their reason for choosing Psalm 100, I hope the exercise of memorizing it helped the students to think about what it says, because this poem, short as it is, addresses The Way of Worship in general and mentions thanksgiving in particular.

Unlike many of the other psalms, this one does not name the author. We do not know if David, Asaph, Korah, or another poet composed it. The superscription does, however, identify its purpose. Psalm 100 is "A psalm of thanksgiving."¹ It may have served as a call to worship in the temple, reminding the congregation that communal devotion to God must display four characteristics. The first characteristic is that...

I. Worship should be joyful (Psalm 100:1-2).

Shout joyfully to the LORD all the earth.

Serve the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing.

No matter what the stresses of the previous week, no matter what difficulties the worshiper may have encountered, he should leave them all behind when coming before God. How is that possible, especially when some or all of those stresses will still be there when normal life resumes? Can a person be joyful under such circumstances? ...Yes, he can, with the right perspective.