Lean not on your own understanding

THE SHORTEST DISTANCE (Prov 3:5-6)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2017

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

(Prov 3:5-6)

According to Euclidean geometry, the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. It is a mathematical axiom that applies to biblical wisdom as well as to daily life. When you plan a vacation, for example, especially if you drive, you may elect the scenic route to your destination, which makes your path somewhat meandering. You may also make multiple stops along the way, to fill one tank or to empty another. For such a venture, economy of movement is not necessarily a concern. In other cases, however, you will choose the most expeditious route to your destination, the shortest and quickest. But the most economical route generally requires careful planning.¹ The same is true for life. Where are you going? What is your destination, and (how) can you be certain you will arrive there without unnecessary detours?

The author of Prov 3:5-6, giving counsel to his son,² offers both guidance and assurance with two pieces of advice for facing the uncertainty of life's road ahead: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

• The first piece of advice: God is the right source for proper directions.

• He will confirm your confidence (so you should trust Him).
• He will prepare your path (so you should heed Him).

Have you ever asked someone for directions? "Hey, that guy looks like a local. Surely he knows where the place is," only to drive around in circles looking for that landmark "you can't miss." But God is the right source for proper directions in life. He alone is worthy of your complete attention: "with all your heart [and] in all your ways." This father does not recommend that his son put confidence in "an impersonal code of ethics inherited by tradition" (Waltke 2004:243) but trust in Israel's personal God who has His people's best interests at heart.

• The second piece of advice: You are not the right source for proper directions.

• You cannot confirm your confidence (so you should not trust yourself alone).
• You cannot prepare your path (so you should not heed your leading alone).

Have you ever been certain of your own ability to get where you want to be? (For some reason this is a trait more common in men than in woman.) "I don't need to ask for directions. I can read a map," although here as well you may end up driving around aimlessly. But you are not the right source for proper directions in life. You do not have the necessary foresight.³ Hence, the sage says, "Do not rely 'on your own understanding," because regardless of what you think, it is not well informed. The father does not recommend that his son put confidence in his own intellectual prowess but in the one who is omniscient, making known "the end from the beginning" (Isa 46:10).

To have this assurance in God, a believer's confidence must be complete, encompassing all areas of life and all aspects of one's being. Moreover, "personal knowledge of God ensues from risking oneself [emphasis added] to obey the specific teachings that pertain to all sorts of human behavior in full reliance on God to keep his promises coupled with them" (Waltke 2004:244).

The sage says that God will make your path straight, not necessarily smooth, simple, spacious, or even safe (as you might define it), but it will be the most direct route to the goal He has for your life. You may think you know where to go and how to get there but, if you are honest with yourself, you will admit that you do not. Whether the destination of life is in this world or the next, it is not anywhere you have been before. To be sure, there is a map to guide you (the Bible), and there are people further along and somewhat familiar with the route (other believers), but God is the one who built the road,⁴ He alone is the one who knows where it leads, and He is the one who will accompany you the entire time you are on it.⁵

As you look back over the course of your life, there are probably a few decisions you would have made differently had you known their outcome ahead of time, perhaps a job or a move that did not turn out as well as you hoped. While God does warn you against making choices that will be bad for you ("Thou shalt not..."), there are other choices you face about which He may say nothing except: "Trust me."⁶

Much of life's journey is a mystery, and you will not know the short term outcome ahead of time. That is why the sage's advice is important. As long as you are in this world, you will face decisions that will benefit from more guidance than you alone possess. In those cases, it is good to know someone who will point you in the right direction, the direction that leads to the most beneficial outcome, which is actually The Shortest Distance:⁷ As the sage says:

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

For the Bibliography and Endnotes see the pdf here.

Ready for the End? (1 Pet 4:7-11)

THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR (1 Pet 4:7-11)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2015

For me, who did not grow up in the country, I enjoy the stories people tell about their animals, like this one by a woman who asked, for a reason you will soon understand, to remain nameless.

A couple bought an old farmhouse on several acres of land. The house itself was at the end of a long driveway, set back from the road and out of sight from any who might pass by as well as from the neighbors on either side. Because this couple both had jobs elsewhere, they did not raise crops or tend livestock. They just had some chickens, a rooster (named Randy), a dog, and two cats.

After coming home from work one day, the wife had gone upstairs to take a relaxing bath. She was about to get into the tub, having just drawn the water, when she looked out the window and saw that Randy the rooster had gotten loose from its pen. "I'll catch him later," she thought, until she noticed the dog, a retriever, was also loose and was eying the rooster. Deciding that urgency was more important than modesty, the woman ran down the stairs and out the door without putting her clothes back on, yelling to her husband, who was working outside but around the corner of the house and could not see the animals.

Picture this: Her shout startled the rooster, which started running, with the dog running after the rooster, the woman running after the dog, and the husband, still uncertain about the reason for the commotion, running after his naked wife.... As they rounded the house for the third time...it gave new meaning to the term 'family circle.'

That is not something you would see in the city.... Certain things are urgent and require immediate attention. Other things are urgent but come with some advance notice, allowing you to prepare, such as Peter's warning that The End of All Things Is Near.

In the early 1800s, there was a growing anticipation that the end of all things was, indeed, near. The acceptance of Bishop Ussher's chronology, a feature in the center column of the Schofield Reference Bible, which provided a specific date for creation at 4004 B.C., as well as the study of certain prophecies in Daniel and Revelation led many to believe that Jesus would return in 1843. One of the most prominent of these Adventists, as they were called, was William Miller, an influential Baptist minister. He wrote and spoke widely on the subject and convinced many the Lord would return between October 20-22 of that year.¹ Rev. Miller was not a cult leader but a sincere Christian, and when the Lord did not appear at the expected time, Miller attempted to discover the cause of his mistake. He determined that the calculation of the year might be off by one, and he reset the date for October of 1844. When Jesus failed to appear yet again, Miller acknowledged his error and repudiated such methods of predicting the Lord's return.?²

Like Miller, his followers were generally sincere and devout Christians, but friends and family often accused them of fanaticism, even insanity. As the time drew near, they disposed of property and goods, forgave debts, closed businesses, and gave away what money they had, assuming they would soon need none of these, for they believed, The End of All Things Is Near (Numbers and Butler 1993:209-221). Is this what God expects you to do? Please turn to 1 Pet 4, where the apostle explains what God does expect,³ beginning with...

Does size matter? (Philemon 4-7)

BIGGER IS NOT NECESSARILY BETTER (Philemon 4-7)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2009

We are often impressed by size, and we commonly make comparisons, thinking that "bigger is better." Marketing agencies attempt to exploit this tendency. For example, have you ever selected the larger of two similarly priced items from the grocery store shelf, only to look more closely and discover that the contents were the same? How many of people's goals rest on the assumption that what they need is something bigger than what they have—a bigger car, a bigger house, a bigger income? The very image a person seeks to present of himself may depend on a preoccupation with size.

A Texas rancher was visiting colleagues in Chicago. The Chicago group booked a large suite with several bedrooms and a common living room in a prestigious motel so that they could all stay together. When the Texan saw the expansive accommodations, though, he remarked, "It'll do, but my dog's house is bigger than this." His colleagues decided to show him the big city. When he saw the stockyards, he said, "That ain't much. We've got branding corrals on my ranch bigger than that." When he saw the skyscrapers, he dismissed them, "We've got tombstones at home taller than that." After an entire day of his telling them how small things in Chicago were compared to things in Texas, the rancher's annoyed hosts decided to get even: ...They put rats in the Texan's bed. That evening, they stayed in the common living room after the Texan had gone to bed. When he climbed under the sheets, the unpleasant surprise brought him quickly to his feet, screaming, "What was that?" His colleagues, who had rushed in, answered, "Those are Chicago bedbugs." ..."Oh," he replied, regaining his composure. "You're right.... Young'uns, aren't they?" (Adapted from Hodgin 1998:264-265)

We are impressed and obsessed with size. Despite good judgment, it is not always easy to resist the assumption that bigger is better. The same applies to our evaluation of churches. Ministers as well as members often admire larger congregations because they have more resources and, as a result, can do more. They attract more people, have more thrilling worship, meet more needs, run more varied programs, and support more missionary work. As a result, those in the pulpit of a small church may set their sights either on making their present church bigger or on securing a position in a bigger congregation, while those in the pews of a small church may decide simply to go to a bigger church.

This attitude presents a problem for many congregations. The typical church in the United States has no more than fifty in attendance at a given morning service, and many (including most Seventh Day Baptist churches) have fewer still. Do little churches mean little success, or does size not necessarily have anything to do with success? How do you measure success? ...Paul addresses this question indirectly in his letter to Philemon, where we learn that Bigger Is not Necessarily Better.

Paul writes two letters to believers in Colossae,¹ one of which is this correspondence to Philemon.² In both letters, he mentions house churches, but he addresses the second epistle to one such congregation.³ The letter has only one chapter, so if you can find it, please turn to...

Philemon 1b To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, 2 to Apphia [probably his wife]... to Archippus [perhaps his son]...and to the church that meets in your home:

The occasion of this missive is the return of Onesimus, Philemon's runaway slave. Paul hopes to restore him to Philemon, although not as the slave he once was but as the brother in Christ he has become.⁴ This is a private matter, not an issue for the entire church at Colossae, and Paul makes no mention of it in his other letter. It does, however, bear on this particular group, the core of which is Philemon's family, whom Onesimus served. After a standard salutation in v. 3 ("Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ"), Paul relates what he has heard about the congregation's most prominent member, qualities the apostle admires, as we see...

I. The Reasons for Paul's Gratitude over Philemon (Philemon 4-5)

Phlm 4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.

To manifest His glory

IDEOLOGY—THEOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS
An additional unit for The Drama of Redemption

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2010

God's purpose in history is to manifest His glory. As He says through the prophet Isaiah...¹

Isa 40:5 [T]he glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all flesh will see [it] together; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

This is the status quo, the way things ought to be for a sovereign God. There is, however, a challenge to God's sovereignty, a disruption in the status quo that leads to conflict. By manifesting His glory, God seeks to restore the status quo and, thereby, to resolve the conflict. In order to accomplish His goal, God must reveal Himself, for only then will others see and acknowledge His glory. The means by which God will accomplish His goal is through the kingdom, and it constitutes the primary subject matter (content) of scripture.

The Occasion for God's Work in History

Status Quo	Disruption	Conflict	Resolution	Status Quo
I am God.	Are You?	[Debate]	You are!	I am God.
Glory  Manifested	Glory Questioned	Glory Proven	Glory Affirmed	Glory Manifested

The biblical writers all seem to have some understanding of this "Big Picture," of what God is doing in history. It is an ideology that infuses their work, a theme that provides unity from Genesis to Revelation, a concept we call the Theocratic Ideal.² God sets forth the concept of a kingdom in the Abrahamic promises, details it in the Mosaic covenant, models it in the Davidic dynasty, envisions it through the prophets, rehearses it in Israel's liturgy, and will culminate it in the Messianic Age.³

Dexterity

DEXTERITY:
Right-Handed (Dextral) and Left-Handed (Sinistral) in the Bible

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2008

The biblical authors employ countless figures to make their speaking and writing more vivid and engaging for their audience. One such figure is the use of "hand," particularly the "right hand." As with most tropes, there is a literal usage that underlies the figure, and the right hand often serves as a metonymy (substitute) for some thing or action produced by it. As an extension of this figurative use, the writers also depict God as having hands (anthropomorphism) and of using His right hand in similar fashion to that of man. Does this predilection for right-handedness (dextrics) in scripture imply a divine bias against left-handedness (sinistrics)?

Because most people are right-handed, they generally favor that side of the body,¹ and the right hand itself is usually stronger than the left. Hence, they normally perform tasks with their right hand that require force or dexterity.²

Judg 5:26 Her hand reached for the tent peg, her right hand for the workman's hammer. She struck Sisera, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.

Judg 7:20b Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!"

Recognizing this natural tendency, people have commonly associated the right side with power and ability,³ whether human or divine.⁴

Ps 137:5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill.

Exod 15:6 "Your right hand, O LORD, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O LORD, shattered the enemy.... 12 You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them.

What is lacking? (Col 1:24)

WHAT IS STILL LACKING? (Col 1:24)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2000

In Paul's letter to the Colossian Christians, he suggests there is a deficiency in what Jesus accomplished on the cross.

Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

This seems to contradict what the author of Hebrews states,¹

Heb 10:10 ...we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.... 12a ...this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins.... 14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.... 18b ...there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.

How can such a discrepancy exist in scripture? What is still lacking in regard to Christ's affliction?

Paul believed in the sufficiency and exclusivity of Jesus' atonement, making clear that nothing man does can match what Jesus' death accomplished.² Therefore, the apostle must intend something else by his statement to the Colossians. Indeed, when we examine Paul's writings, we see his eschatological perspective. He viewed current events, especially suffering, as a means of linking us with what Jesus did in the past and with what God will do in the future.

The first result of this linkage is the benefit we derive.

• Our suffering unites us with Jesus' suffering and makes possible our resurrection.³

Phil 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

• Our suffering unites us with Jesus' suffering and makes possible our glorification.

Rom 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Jesus' suffering for the kingdom was part of God's unfolding plan, a plan that has not yet run its full course. Our suffering for the kingdom makes us part of that plan, continuing what Jesus did and ultimately resulting in benefit for us.

Blessed

ALL THE BEATITUDES IN THE BIBLE
AND MANY OF THOSE IN OTHER LATE SECOND TEMPLE LITERATURE

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Dr. Paul Manuel—1998

The beatitude (macarism<Grk makarios) is a sub-genre of wisdom, specifically that branch of wisdom which includes proverbial sayings for success in life, in this world or in the world to come. It appears in two forms, either of which can have a singular subject (personal: "blessed is the one who...") or a plural subject (collective: "blessed are those who..."; see Appendix):

1. Simple/basic congratulations form—Blessed is the one who...

• In the simple form, the advantage is self-evident and needs no explanation.

2.. Compound/complex congratulations form—Blessed is the one who... + adjunct

• In the compound form, the advantage is not immediately evident and includes an explanation. Alternatively, there may be an additional advantage not readily apparent in the clause or, if the clause does not appear advantageous, there may be reversal of fortune (thereby creating a paradox). Complex beatitudes fall into the following subcategories:

• Causal

Sometimes an author does not state the cause immediately, and the delay may obscure a beatitude's classification (i.e., Does the cause really adhere to the beatitude? e.g., Deut 33:29; Ps 1:1, 6). Other times the cause may appear before the clause (italicized and reconstructed in the more common order below). 

• Resultive

•  Adversative (antithetical)  

• Conditional

•  Inferential  

Structurally, beatitudes may occur singly or in groups (usually of 7-8, as a program for living), though grouping seems to be a later development (Second Temple Period; e.g., Sir 14:20-27; 25:7-10; 4Q525; see Viviano 1992), and the final beatitude in a group may be longer to mark closure. Beatitudes may also have specific reference to this world (Temporal) or to the next (Eschatological).

For a pdf including Bibliography and an extensive Appendix categorizing beatitudes see here.

For those who are not Israel

WHAT ABOUT GENTILES IN THE THEOCRATIC IDEAL?¹

pdf (68 pages)

Dr. Paul Manuel—2005

The spotlight of scripture and of the Theocratic Ideal is on the nation of Israel.² Most people, indeed, most believers today are not actively part of Israel, which raises an important question about their future role: How does the Church fit into the Theocratic Ideal? Thankfully, for those of us who are not Israel, God answers this and other, related questions in His word. In a general way...

I. God has demonstrated His goodness to gentiles.³

A. He provides for their physical needs.

1. God gives them authority.

Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." ...28 God blessed them; and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

2. God gives them territory.⁴

Deut 2:5 do not provoke them, for I will not give you any of their land, even [as little as] a footstep because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as a possession.... 9 ...Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession.

Cf. Acts 17:26b [God] determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.

3. God gives them safety.⁵

Gen 9:8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying... 11 "I establish My covenant with you; and all flesh shall never again be cut off by the water of the flood, neither shall there again be a flood to destroy the earth." ...19 These three [were] the sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.

Gentiles and the Law

GENTILE RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE GOD

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2003; revised 2011

God holds gentiles responsible for natural law (particularly the dictates of conscience)—that which He gave to all. This is essentially Paul's assertion.¹

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

Rom 2:14 Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.

God does not hold gentiles responsible for revealed law (an expansion of natural law)²—that which He gave to Israel.³ This is essentially Moses' and the psalmist's assertion.⁴

Deut 4:8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

Ps 147:19 He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. 20a He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws.

Because Israel has greater revelation, it has greater responsibility. As Jesus said,

Luke 12:48b From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Nevertheless, non-Jews are far from exempt.

Gentile violations of universal prohibitions often elicit condemnation in the Bible, especially in the prophets. God censures the nations for violating natural law, the social norms of ethical behavior.⁵

• Syria: Do not destroy an enemy once you have defeated him.

Amos 1:3 ...Damascus...threshed Gilead with sledges having iron teeth,

• Philistia: Do not engage in slave commerce.

Amos 1:6 ...Gaza...took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom,

• Lebanon: Do not break a treaty.

Amos 1:9 ...Tyre...sold whole communities of captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood,

• Edom: Do not show cruelty to relatives.

Amos 1:11 ...Edom...pursued his brother with a sword, stifling all compassion, because his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked,

The Roman Road

THE ROMAN ROAD—SIGNPOSTS TO SALVATION
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2005

One of the most notable achievements of the Roman Empire was a highway system that connected major cities throughout the region. A similar interconnectivity also characterizes Paul's epistle to the Roman church, as he describes elements of God's plan for man's salvation. A collection of passages
from that letter, popularly called "The Roman Road," offers a systematic way to understand and present major elements of the gospel. Many people think they will go to heaven because they have lived a good life or because they have fulfilled some religious obligation. God's standard, though, is higher than we can reach, so we need a way to God that depends not on our goodness but solely on His grace. Below are several signposts on the road to salvation, directing us to a relationship with Him.

• The existence of God

Rom 1:20 ...since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

We must recognize that God is the Creator of everything and that we are part of His creation.

• The glory of God

Rom 3:10 ...it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one" ...23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

No matter how good we may think we are or try to be, we cannot meet the perfect standard of God's own character. We are sinful and need His forgiveness.

• The power of God

Rom 1:16 ...I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

God is able to solve our problem, which He has done, and He makes that solution available to whoever accepts it in faith.

• The goodness of God

Rom 2:4 ...do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

Realizing the benevolence of God should compel us to change the direction of our lives and turn to Him.

• The love of God

Rom 5:8 ...God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Thankfully, our sinful state has not deterred God from helping us. Because of His great love, He sent Jesus to die in our place.

Romans

THE SOUL SET FREE:
Recounting Redemption in Romans

pdf (103 pages)

Dr. Paul Manuel—2005

Contents

	Prologue
	An Outline of the Book of Romans
	Introduction: Paul's ministry
I.	SIN: God is just in condemning sinners
	An Equal-Accessibility Deity
	God Right to Condemn Those Who Have Never Heard?
	Response Acceptable to God
II.	SALVATION: God is gracious in justifying sinners
	Four Stages in a Believer's Life
III.	SANCTIFICATION: God is powerful in sanctifying believers
	Important Theological Terms
IV.	SOVEREIGNTY: God is sovereign in accepting Jew and gentile
	Israel's Many Blessing
	God's Sovereignty in Election: Narrowing the Scope of the Promise
V.	SERVICE: God is worthy as the object of service.
	Assessing the Strength of Your Convictions
	Conclusion: Paul's ministry
	Appendix: The Roman Road—Signposts to Salvation
	Bibliography
	Endnotes

Sufficiency

THE USE OF "THREE" IN THE BIBLE

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2010

Numerology sees particular meaning in the Bible's use of certain numbers. Seven, for example, is supposedly the number of God and, consequently, of perfection, marking His perfect work.

Gen 2:2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3a And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy....

Rev 21:9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came....

Indeed, the number seven does appear with reference to God but not exclusively so. Moreover, such a connection is nowhere stated. Silence, however, has not deterred some interpreters from making the link. To be sure, seven does occur with frequency and, in some settings, it seems to have significance, but what that import is, being unstated, remains uncertain.

One number that has significance, although in a cultural sense not a spiritual sense, is three.

Three often seems to indicate a sufficient amount of something.¹

Exod 23:14 "Three times a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.... 17 "Three times a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD.
Exod 34:23 Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD, the God of Israel. 24 I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the LORD your God.
Num 22:32 The angel of the LORD asked him, "Why have you beaten your donkey these three times? I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me. 33 The donkey saw me and turned away from me these three times. If she had not turned away, I would certainly have killed you by now, but I would have spared her."
Deut 16:16 Three times a year all your men must appear before the LORD your God at the place he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles. No man should appear before the LORD empty-handed:
1 Sam 3:8 The LORD called Samuel a third time, and Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, "Here I am; you called me." ¶ Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy.
I Sam 20:20 I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I were shooting at a target.
1 Sam 20:41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together— but David wept the most.
2 Sam 24:12 "Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you."

Israel's role

ISRAEL'S PRIVILEGED ROLE IN GOD'S PROGRAM

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

More than any other people on earth, the nation of Israel occupies a preferential status in God's program. This exalted position is because of His promise to Abraham.

Gen 12:2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

It is a promise God reiterated several times thereafter and that manifests in four ways:

• Israel is the recipient of God's support.

Exod 19:6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
Lev 20:26 You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
Deut 7:6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. 7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your forefathers that he brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
Deut 10:15 Yet the LORD set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today.
Deut 14:2 for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.... 21 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 26:19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.
Deut 28:1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
Deut 30:3 then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you
Rom 9:4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.

Humility (Phil 2:1-11)

HARD TO BE HUMBLE (Phil 2:1-11)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

As a minister, I realize that some of my sermons are more well-received than others. Generally, the more time I have to prepare, the more comfortable I am with the finished product. In any case, people here are very polite and considerate, and I appreciate that. It is not always so for other ministers.

A woman leaving the worship service commented to the minister, "I enjoyed your sermon." "Don't thank me. Thank the Lord," he said. "Oh," she replied, "...it wasn't that good." (Adapted from Rowell 1996:88)

Such honesty can ensure a minister's humility...or his humiliation. For others, immune to such comments, it may be Hard to Be Humble. Nevertheless, that is what Paul calls the Philippians and us to be in our text this morning.

Of all the churches to which Paul wrote, only the one at Philippi seems free of the difficulties that plague other congregations.

No sharp rebukes of the congregation mar its joyful spirit; no disturbing problems threaten the progress of the church. The warnings [he does issue] are of a cautionary and preventive nature [the kind] that are always in order. (Kent 1978:99)

One such exhortation concerns unity in the church, as Paul calls on the believers there to avoid division by exercising humility toward one another. He offers two reasons, based on Jesus' character, why they and we should be humble.¹ First...

I. Because of Jesus' humiliation, we have the opportunity to humble ourselves before others.

Paul opens chapter 2 with...

A. The exhortation to humility (Phil 2:1)

Phil 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

As I said, Paul does not seem to be addressing a problem in the Philippian church. The believers there are doing fine in their walk with God, and Paul wants to encourage them along, which he does by stressing the one quality that will keep them united: humility. He does this by appealing to what they have in common....

• Union with the savior,
• Comfort from his love,
• Fellowship with the Spirit,
• Concern (for one another).

Realizing the tremendous things that God has done for them should enable them to overlook the trivial things they do to each other, the petty differences that can destroy their unity.

"At ease in Zion" (Heb 5:11-6:3)

WORKING UP TO YOUR ABILITY (Heb 5:11-6:3)

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Dr. Paul Manuel—2006

It is good to strive for improvement by increasing your activity and by challenging yourself to greater levels of difficulty. This is especially important as the aging process takes its toll on one's natural abilities. The following suggestion is directed to older people, Younger people try it at their own risk.

For those getting along in years, here is an exercise to build your arm and shoulder muscles. Do this three days a week. Begin by standing straight, with a 5 lb. potato sack in each hand. Extend your arms directly out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can. Try to reach a full minute before you relax. After a few weeks, move up to 10 lb. potato sacks, then 50 lb. potato sacks, and eventually try to get to where you can lift a 100 lb. sack in each hand and hold out your arms straight for a full minute. Do not become discouraged if this seems too difficult. Keep at it. After you feel confident at the most advanced level...start putting a couple of potatoes in the sacks.

Whether attempting to grow stronger or smarter, it is necessary to challenge yourself, to raise the bar of expectation beyond its current level. What applies in the quest for physical and intellectual improvement is relevant also for spiritual improvement. If you want to make progress, though, the question to ask and to answer periodically is: Are you Working Up to Your Ability?

During the mid-first century, the reform movement called the church that had begun in Israel is facing turmoil and confusion. Stirrings of revolt against Rome place Jews, including followers of Jesus, in the uncomfortable position of having to take a side in the coming conflict. In addition to political uncertainty, there is religious uncertainty. Belief in Jesus is only one of several ideologies vying for people's attention, and the competition is drawing people away from the truth. In an attempt to bring some clarity to the situation and encourage the faithful, an unnamed author (probably not the apostle Paul) writes a letter to his fellow messianic Jews, addressing these concerns and exhorting his readers to remain steadfast in their commitment. He begins by contrasting the superiority of Jesus with one of the alternative belief systems in circulation, a religious aberration that advocates worshipping angels.¹ Then, at the end of chapter 5, he warns his readers about the danger of spiritual stagnation, how their failing to grow in the faith could lead to their falling awayfrom the faith. He says to them,

Do not get stuck on this false notion about angels, uncertain about whether or not to invest time and effort in proper spiritual growth. There is much more to knowing God than what you have learned thus far, but you are not ready to receive it, because you have not implemented what you have already been shown. You could be much farther along, but you are not Working Up to Your Ability.

Please turn to Hebrews 5.

Having just finished giving a detailed explanation of Jesus' part in God's program, using the analogy of the high priest's earthly role to illustrate the savior's heavenly role, the author says that he can go no further because his readers are not ready. He says to them...

I. You are slow to learn (Heb 5:11-12).

Heb 5:11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

These are not new converts who have only recently come to recognize Jesus as the messiah. They have been believers long enough to learn more than the basics of the faith. In fact, the author admonishes them...

A. You should be teachers

• ...at least of elementary material!²

This is a strong statement to make, because not everyone is cut out to be a teacher,³ yet the author is not necessarily speaking in the formal sense of standing before a classroom. People can teach informally the basic truths they have learned about God, communicating with others one-on-one. That is probably what the author means, but that is not happening among the recipients of this letter. Quite the contrary, far from being teachers, the author says...

B. You still are students

• ...in need of elementary review.

Despite the fact that they have been believers in Jesus for some time, they have not advanced their understanding beyond the most rudimentary information.⁴ In fact, they have stopped learning, and now what they once did know is in jeopardy of being lost.⁵