Author: pastortravislv

I am a husband, and father of three, serving as pastor at Providence Reformed Church in Las Vegas, NV. We came here on July 1, 2015.

A Biblical Response to Pragmatism (Nehemiah 6:10-12)

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Nehemiah 6:10-12 – Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.”

But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
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Nehemiah was charged by God to accomplish a great work. As the Jews returned from their exile in Babylon, several important things needed to be accomplished. The temple had to be restored in order that the Jews could continue to worship the LORD. The people had to return to following the law of God in order to avoid again suffering his wrath. Also, the walls of Jerusalem had to be rebuilt and secured in order that the people could live in safety from those who would do them harm. The prophets Haggai and Zechariah led the people to rebuild and restore the temple. Ezra and Malachi led the people back to right practice of the law. And it was Nehemiah who was charged by God with the task of securing Jerusalem.

In the midst of his work, Nehemiah was opposed by men who did not want him to complete his task. Out of their own jealousy and evil intent, these men tried anything they could think of to discourage and distract Nehemiah from doing the work. The account that we read in the verses above is just one example of such a plot.

Above, we read that one man, Shemaiah, told Nehemiah that men were seeking his life. Shemaiah then offers Nehemiah an escape plan. He tells Nehemiah to run into the temple of God, close the doors, and hide from his adversaries. This is a very logical plan, to a point. No way would the Jews allow someone into the temple to find and kill Nehemiah. No way would they even allow the opposition into the temple. Besides, it is highly unlikely that the opposition would think to look in the temple to find Nehemiah. But, the logic of this plan falls apart, as the plan is, in fact, a trap.

Nehemiah’s answer to Shemaiah explains to us the ruse. First, Nehemiah knows that it would be fully inappropriate for him to run and hide. The people of the entire Jewish nation in Jerusalem are taking their cues from Nehemiah. If Nehemiah should shrink back and hide, others would follow suit, and the work would stop.

The second thing that Nehemiah points out, however, is the worse part of the deception of Shemaiah. Nehemiah will not go and hide in the temple because he is not a priest. Only the priests are allowed to go into the temple. For Nehemiah to use the temple as his own personal hiding place would be for him to profane the temple. For Nehemiah to run into the temple to hide would be for him to forfeit his life, because either God or the priests would strike him down. Nehemiah, by the grace of God, recognizes the deception of Shemaiah, and he does not fall victim to any clever scheme.

There are at least two things that I take away from this account for myself. First is Nehemiah’s refusal to use something holy for his own personal protection. It seems so logical to think that, under the extreme circumstances, Nehemiah could have, just that once, fudged a little on the law and hidden in the temple. After all, wasn’t God the one who wanted Nehemiah to stay alive? But Nehemiah recognized that God’s law and God’s temple were more important than even his own life. He recognized that he should never break God’s standards and attempt to compromise God’s holiness for anything, not even to stay alive to fulfill his mission.

We live in a world of pragmatists, people who will use any means necessary so long as the ends they desire are accomplished. Sadly, pragmatism is not only a symptom of the world’s behavior. Many who claim Christ have given into pragmatism, compromising biblical doctrine and commands for the sake of what they consider to be a greater good. But we see here, with Nehemiah, that the right response to a pragmatic suggestion is to first weigh it in the light of God’s word. Did God command that we live or act in a certain way? If we are living from within God’s commands and being honest, pure, and upright in our dealings, then we can enjoy the positive results of our labor. But, even if our labor should suffer, we ought never to go against God’s word and his standards, regardless of how good we think the results could be. Let us learn from Nehemiah not to fall for pragmatism, because pragmatism is a trap from our enemy.

Also, I take from this passage a gentle confidence in the power of God. Nehemiah did not recognize on his own that Shemaiah was trying to pull a fast one on him. However, God helped Nehemiah to see through the trick. Nehemiah was serving God with all his heart. He was committed to doing God’s will, and to doing it without compromise. So, when this plan came along from Shemaiah, Nehemiah smelled a rat. God supernaturally led Nehemiah to feel uncomfortable with the plan proposed to him, helping Nehemiah to see that such a plan would violate the scriptures. Thus Nehemiah was protected by God because of his own delight in God.

For you and me, this is a solid lesson and encouragement. God protects those who are fully committed to him and his glory. We do not need to spend all of our time trying to learn how the evil in the world operate in order to protect ourselves from them (such devotion to studying the enemy could keep us from accomplishing anything). Instead, let us love God with all our hearts. Let us be devoted, first and foremost, to glorifying God in all things by keeping his word. Let us be also committed to fulfilling the mission to which God has called us, but only by obeying his word and never by cutting corners or fudging on the rules. I truly believe that, if we are focused on following and glorifying God with 100% of our hearts, God will help us to see through the crafty schemes of enemies who would tempt us to focus more on the mission than the God who gave us the mission. Let us honor God and reject dangerous forms of pragmatism.

Dear Lord, I thank you for this account that reminds me that you will protect those who are fully committed to your glory. You show here that there is no need to break your laws and follow a pragmatic solution. You will accomplish the work, and we should never go against your commands in order to try to help you along. Our purpose is to honor you and glorify you. You will give us a way to succeed without breaking your laws. And, when you grant that success, you will have all the glory for accomplishing something that the pragmatic-minded world could never believe.

Walking in Truth (3 John 3-4)

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3 John 3-4 – For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
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What makes a pastor happy? If he is a good pastor at all, he will find great joy in the very thing that John wrote here. Any worthwhile pastor will be overjoyed to find that his children, those with whom he has shared the gospel, are walking in the truth.

There is a big difference in finding joy over projects accomplished, buildings built, programs implemented, or such things and a congregation that walks in truth. In reality, John’s joy here, for a congregation of which he is not the pastor but with whom he communicates, runs counter cultural to some who pastor churches today. John’s big concern is truth. He wants the people to walk in the truth. Such is his church growth strategy.

One call that is found in this section of scripture is for all of us who have anything to do with any form of Christian ministry. That call is for us to set our hearts on helping people to walk in the truth. Successful ministry must include teaching people to walk in the truth. Any other form of supposed success that does not include teaching people to walk in truth is not genuine ministry success. While we can not force people to live and walk a certain way, our ministries’ purposes must include, as a driving force, a genuine commitment to help people walk in truth.

On the other hand, there is a lesson here for all believers. If the goal of any truly successful ministry must include helping people to walk in truth, a major life goal of any believer must be to walk in truth. It is not enough to simply learn or know truth, we are called to walk in the truth. Our life is to be marked by biblical truth. The way we live, the way we walk, the way we conduct our selves is to be rightly connected to the truth of God as revealed in scripture. We must live what we believe.

Today, check yourself for commitment to walk in truth. Is your life marked by the truth of the word of God? Does Gods’ word permeate the way that you think and live in every circumstance? It should. Then, commit yourself to true ministry, teaching others to live and walk in truth. Like John, find joy in seeing others walk in truth too.

Dear Lord, I thank you for this revelation of the heart of a true minister of the gospel. All who serve you faithfully must walk in the truth and help others to walk in the truth too. Please teach me your truth, and empower me to walk in it. Please also allow me to be used of you to teach others the truth and to walk in it. May I never get caught up in any form of ministry that does not also lead others to walk in truth.

Be Careful Who Your Friends Are (2 John 10-11)

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2 John 10-11 – If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
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Almost any person’s parents have let them know that we are known by the company we keep. The reputations of those with whom you surround yourself will eventually become your reputation. Their character may even become yours. And these thoughts may very well explain the reasoning behind these verses from the last apostle, John.

John warns the church not to receive, not to welcome, any person who comes to them not bringing the true teaching of the gospel. The church is neither to greet, welcome, or even share a meal with a person who brings false doctrine and false teachings. To do so, john argues, would be paramount to joining and supporting the false teacher in their ministry. Since our purpose is to glorify God, and we accomplish that purpose by spreading the truth about Christ, we must never, under any circumstances, align ourselves with those who preach a false gospel.

John’s warning should ring in our ears today, in this culture of false and forced religious tolerance. Too often people eagerly welcome those whose views are not only a little different, but downright heretical. We fear so much that we will be thought intolerant and unloving that we slide too far to the other side, failing to stand firm for the word of God. We must be careful, because we in no way want to align ourselves with those who preach a false Christ, a false salvation, a false gospel.

Today, take a little inventory of your relationships and associations. Are you greeting and welcoming those who preach a false gospel? Are you offering support to people who actually preach falsehoods? Are you, in the name of tolerance, actually accidentally supporting the spread of teaching that you could never biblically support? Rethink your associations, and be sure that you are very careful about what they say about who you are and what you believe. Remember, building relationships for the sake of evangelism is one thing, but allying yourself with false teachers is entirely something else.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will make me aware of any associations or friendships that I have which detract from the teaching of the true gospel. Please do not allow me to compromise the truth in order to simply be thought of as tolerant. Let me not welcome those who do not teach truth, so that I might not take part in their wicked works.

Love or Burden (1 John 5:2-3)

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1 John 5:2-3 – By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
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Have you noticed that there is an entire world out there that tells us that, if we as Christians want people to find Christianity appealing, we need to get rid of our focus on the commandments of God? Sadly, many churches and believers have adopted such a mentality. They assume that the way that people are really going to love God is for them to think about the benefits they receive in him without so much focus on commands, rules, and requirements. Like many arguments, this seems to make sense to our logical minds, but it fails the test of scripture.

To love God is to keep his commandments. There is no way that any person is living a Christian life or truly loving God if they are not actually obeying the commands of God. As we have said before, this does not indicate sinless perfection on the part of the children of God. None of us are perfect yet, and so we will fail on occasion to do what we should. At the same time, if we love God, we will obey him more often than not. We will feel great sorrow when we fail to obey him, and we will repent, turning to obedience from disobedience. This is not some rulesy and legalistic way of thinking about Christianity, it is what the Bible says is the love of God.

And, before we hang our heads and sadly give in to scripture even though we do not like this talk of obedience to commands, let us also see the truth of the end of verse three. God tells us that this commands are not burdensome. For the one who is in Christ, to love, obey, and serve God is no burden; it is a joy. God created us to love him. He designed us to serve him. When we actually do what he made us to do, we have true joy in our hearts. We have satisfaction in our souls. Obedience is not the down side of following Christ, because the commands of God are not burdens. Instead of being burdens, God’s commands are our path to true soul satisfaction and joy.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me to love you. Help me to obey you. Help me to find my soul’s deepest satisfaction and joy in following your commands. Let me never look at your commands as burdens. Instead, help me to see your words as life.

Truth or Error (1 John 4:6)

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1 John 4:6 – We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
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John the apostle wrote this verse to make it very plain who is on God’s side and who is not. Another bottom-line test to look and see if you are on the side of God and the side of truth instead of the side of the devil and error is to ask yourself if you listen to what the apostles say. They have written for us the truth of God as revealed by God. They were God’s chosen instruments for conveying his revelation of himself and preserving that revelation for all generations. They were the men he chose to write down his revelation in the Bible.

All who follow God listen to the apostles. That is to say that all who follow God hear, believe, and obey the holy scriptures. For such people, the Bible is the ultimate standard of truth, because the Bible is the revelation of God. All who are on the side of truth are on the side of the scriptures.

All who are opposed to truth and who are on the side of error refuse to listen to the apostles and thus the scriptures. Those who are on the side of error follow instead the counsel of the world. They look to lost men to find out how to make their lives more meaningful and full. They adopt the standards of the world, excusing what God has clearly called sin. Sometimes, they excuse sin, instead applying to the sins of men the terminology of sickness in a vain attempt to make those who are clearly guilty of sin appear not guilty. They make feeling good about yourself the top priority of their lives, and miss the call of the scriptures to do all things to the glory of God.

Today, ask yourself whose side are you on. Are you on the side of truth or error? Do you listen to the teachings of the apostles in the scriptures, or do you follow the deceptively foolish counsel of lost men? Does your life look like one that is led by the word of God or by the standards and goals of the world? And, if you believe that your life is led by the scriptures, what do you actively do to make sure that you are truly devoted to the word of God? How do you study the scriptures? How do you memorize the scriptures? Are you truly devoted to God’s word, or are you only saying that to yourself because you know it to be the right answer to a “churchy” question?

Dear Lord, I pray that you will enable me to be devoted to your holy word. I want to be on the side of truth. I want to be devoted to the teaching of your apostles who delivered for all generations your perfect revelation of yourself. Let my life be marked by the scripture in a real and meaningful way. Let me not give your word mere lip service. Let me instead be one who is fully focused on your revelation of yourself in your word as my standard for life and godliness.

A Test of Genuine Salvation (1 John 3:6, 9-10)

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1 John 3:6, 9-10 – No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. . . . No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
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It is very wise for those of us who claim to know Christ to make occasional self-examinations to see if we truly find ourselves in the faith. This is not to say that we ought to look for opportunities to doubt our salvation or the completeness of the grace of God. However, it is possible, and seems likely in many churches, that those who claim Christianity may actually have no genuine saving faith. Many people rely on their memory of an emotional experience as the bedrock of their assurance of salvation. But if we look to the scriptures, we will see a very different test.

John writes for us in 1 John 3 a very simple way to check ourselves, to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith. John asks if our lives have been changed from those which practice sin to those which practice righteousness. In 1 John 3:6, John writes for us an incredibly simple statement that many Christians do not want to hear. No person who continues in or practices sin is a believer. In verse 9, he expands the discussion to explain that, because all believers have been converted and have the abiding Spirit of God within them, it is impossible for genuine believers to keep on practicing sin. And John takes this point farther in verse 10, where he makes it plain that he is giving us criteria whereby we may test ourselves. Failing to practice righteousness and to love fellow Christians are also marks of a lack of salvation.

Notice two things here. First, see that John only gives for us in this section negative tests. Just because a person does good deeds does not make them a believer. Too many people in this world believe that their good behaviors are what will get them into heaven. They feel that their goodness will make God be kind to them and let them into his heaven when they die. Such a view is not that revealed to us by God in the scriptures. No person will ever be made right with God by doing good deeds (Romans 3:20). The only way to be made right with God and forgiven of your sins is to come to Jesus and receive salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

Second, Notice that God shows us that behavior is a fair indicator of a lack of salvation. If your life is marked by continual practices of sin, you have cause to question your salvation. If your life is not marked by righteousness, you have reason to be concerned. If you do not have in yourself a love for the church of God—the people of God with all their flaws and good points—, you need to really check your soul to see if it truly has been changed. It is impossible to have Christ and to not be changed. Once you have salvation, one way that your life will give evidence of salvation is that you will no longer continually practice sin. You will be changed because you are saved, but you can never be saved because you change.

Whether you are a brand new believer or someone who has walked long in the faith, you would be wise to ask if you have truly changed. Has your life become different in a significant way since you met Christ? Is your life marked by righteousness and love for God and his people, or is it marked by continuing practices of sin? Of course, all of us will struggle against sin until the day we die or Christ returns. John even points to this issue throughout chapters 1 and 2. But, our lives must not be marked by continual practices of the same sin. To continue in sin with no hint of repentance is a sign that you are not truly a believer. So, ask yourself if your life is marked by a fight against sin—a fight that includes victory. Or, is your life marked by an intentional practice of sinful behavior. The former is the life of a believer. The latter is the life of a lost person, regardless of how emotional an experience you recall.

Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me to look into my own life and see the true evidence of the state of my soul. I recognize that none who are changed by you will continue in sinful practices. I certainly do not want to be continuing in sinful practices. I long to please you. I want to do your will. I pray that you will challenge me in my spirit to please you in all that I do. I also pray for anyone who reads this, that they would have open spiritual eyes to see what you have truly done or not done in their hearts. Let us all examine ourselves to see if we are truly your children.

Seeking God’s Help First (2 Chronicles 16:7, 12)

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2 Chronicles 16:7, 12 – At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you.” . . . In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was diseased in his feet, and his disease became severe. Yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but sought help from physicians.
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King Asa seemed to start well, but in the latter part of his reign, he stopped relying on God. His actual downfall came when he hired out an army to fight for him instead of turning to God for help. Then, his reign closed with his diseased feet which he treated with the aid of physicians instead of calling upon the Lord.

Right away, this passage could make one wonder if the Bible is suggesting that we become one of those cults who refuse to use any sort of technology or medical treatments. I do not think that this is at all the message God has for us. But I do see that God has a point he wants to make for us. While there is nothing wrong with relying on the help of others or of physicians, there is something very wrong with relying on such things in God’s stead. There is nothing wrong with using the strength and skill that God has given you, but you do not want to rely on that strength apart from the power and help of God. I do not believe that Asa is condemned for seeking the aid of physicians in general; I think he was condemned for seeking the aid of physicians instead of and before seeking the aid of God.

Let the downfall of King Asa remind you that God wants you to seek him first. God does not want you to take on this life on your own. He does not want you to live the best life that you can naturally live. He wants you to glorify his name by living a supernatural life, one marked by his help. He wants you to seek him first and foremost. He may choose to help you through the aid of friends or doctors, and there is nothing wrong with that, but he wants you to honor him by coming to him first for his help. He will then choose whether or not to give you a supernatural, God-sized solution to your problem or to simply allow you to have help from others around you. In either instance, God is more honored when you and I seek him and his aid first, and he is dishonored when we act as though we can handle it all ourselves without him.

Dear Lord, this passage convicts me today, as I can think of times and places in life where I have tried to be like Asa, attempting to handle too many things on my own. I pray that you will always remind me in my heart to take time to seek you and your aid first. I thank you that you are willing and able to help me in any circumstances. I pray that you will show me the glorious power that you have to help me in life that I might better know and glorify you. Please forgive me for ever relying on myself or my friends too much. I repent of such worldliness, and I commit myself to seek your aid.

Finding Hope in God’s Faithfulness (Psalm 77)

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Psalm 77:10-15

10 Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”
11 I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will ponder all your work,
and meditate on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy.
What god is great like our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders;
you have made known your might among the peoples.
15 You with your arm redeemed your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah.

This psalm is a great example of how a person who is struggling with despair ought to respond to the Lord. In verses 1-9, the psalmist expresses his distress. He fears that God has abandoned him. He wonders if God has “forgotten” to be gracious. His personal experience is such that it no longer seems that God is kind, merciful, and loving. And so, this man is in deep distress.

How he chooses to respond to that distress, however, is where the lesson is for us. He responds, not by simply allowing the feeling of distress to grow. He does not continually complain about his problems or compare his circumstances to those of others. Instead, the psalmist finds healing in remembering the past faithfulness of the Lord. Even though things are tough at present, the psalmist looks back—back to the scripture, back through his own personal experience—in order to see the beautiful past faithfulness of God. As he remembers God’s faithfulness in the past, he also recognizes that it is foolish to think that God will not be faithful in the future as well.

Today, do you find yourself distressed? Do you find that your circumstances make it hard for you to see the goodness of God. If so, do what the psalmist did. Look back in the scriptures to again see the faithfulness of God. Look back over your own life to find the points where God has blessed you, been kind to you, and shown himself faithful to you. The God who has always been faithful in the past will remain faithful in the present and future. Read of God’s faithfulness in the scriptures. Meditate on his wonderful works. Look to his word to remember his character, and you will find hope in times of distress and despair.

Dear Lord, I thank you for your word, because it reminds me of your faithfulness. Though life’s circumstances can be difficult, frustrating, and discouraging, you are never unfaithful. You have always accomplished your will. You have always done what is right. And you promise that you will work all things together for the good of those who love you and who are called according to your purpose. I pray that you will constantly remind me of how faithful you have been in the past and how faithful you promise to be in the future.

Suffering, God’s Glory, and the Resurrection (John 11:4-6, 23-26)

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John 11:4-6 – But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

John 11:23-26 – Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
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John 11 is one of those passages that always gets our attention. It details the death and resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, as you may remember, were close friends of Jesus. When Lazarus fell ill, the sisters sent to Jesus, knowing that Jesus had the power to heal him and to set things back to normal.

What I am about to point out is not something I saw on my own, but is something that I learned by listening to John Piper’s conference entitled The Blazing Center. At the beginning of verse 6, there is an incredibly important word: the word “so.” Jesus loved this family, “so” he stayed away for enough time for Lazarus to die. That sounds totally backward to our human understanding. We can not imagine that the love of Christ would be the thing that kept him from coming to the aid of his friend. But here it is as clear as day. Jesus allowed Lazarus to go through his own death out of love for Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.

How is all this possible? The answer to how this is possible is found in the first verse listed above. Jesus declares for his disciples to hear that this illness will not end in death, but it is for the glory of God. Jesus knew that God the Father had a purpose in this illness (a purpose which was, of course, Jesus’ purpose too; since Jesus always did the will of his Father). God intended to bring himself glory by allowing Lazarus to die and then raising him from the dead. Jesus’ going along with this plan of God was not only glorifying to God, but was also the most loving thing he could do for Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.

How did this glorify God? Lazarus suffered. Lazarus went through the most frightening thing that humans face, death itself. And he did this before the resurrection of Jesus and before the clear teaching of New Testament scripture on the resurrection of the dead (not that the Old Testament did not also teach this, but the New Testament is much more plain on this topic as you can see in 1 Corinthians 15). The way that this glorified God was that it showed God, Jesus, ultimately powerful over even death itself. When Jesus called Lazarus out of the grave and revived the man 4 days dead, he showed for all to see that he truly is the resurrection and the life.

Now, here is one of the first major truths that we can learn from this passage. It was more loving for Lazarus for Jesus to let him suffer and die, because it resulted in Lazarus having a better grasp of the glory of God. Before this event, Lazarus did not have a full understanding of the person and power of Christ. After the event, regardless of how horrifying it was, Lazarus knew much better the glory of God. Ultimately, nothing will ever satisfy the human heart as does the glory of God. And that is why it is better for us to go through whatever is necessary for us to see and understand the true glory of Christ. If we have to suffer in order to glimpse God’s glory, it is better than to not see God’s glory at all. The glory of God and the satisfaction of our souls that such glory brings is worth more than anything on this earth, even more than our lives themselves.

So, what are you suffering? What trials do you have? Can you see them with an eternal perspective? Can you recognize that even your greatest trials can lead you to see and savor the glory of God? Do you believe that it is better, when all is said and done, to glorify God than to live in comfort and ease? Today, ask God to help you to have that kind of a passion for him and for his glory in your life.

The second major truth that comes here is something I have to point out in Jesus’ statement from verse 25. He declares, “I am the resurrection and the life.” Jesus does not claim that he will bring resurrection; he claims to be the resurrection. There is no resurrection apart from Jesus. There will be no human beings rising from the dead at the end of time who do not rise because of Jesus who is the resurrection. Rising from the dead is not something we have outside of Jesus, it is guaranteed because and only because of Jesus.

So, do you want life? Do you want there to be something for you after you die? If so, you want Jesus. There is no resurrection outside of Jesus. Those who die apart from Jesus eternally die, suffering the wrath of God for their sins in hell. Resurrection to life, true eternal life in the presence of God, is something that Jesus and only Jesus offers us. He is the resurrection. He is our hope. There is no hope, no resurrection, no life apart from him.

Dear Lord, I thank you again for demonstrating your glory in this passage. You shoed us that, if we can experience your glory, it is worth more than any earthly suffering. I pray that you will show me your glory. I pray that you will help me to know you more and more, and to honor you more and more. I also thank you that you make it clear to us that you are the resurrection and the life. We have no resurrection, no life after death, without it being completely in you. I have no hope for the future apart from you. My life has no meaning here apart from you. So, I pray that you will help me to live with my mind focused on the glory of God and the eternal resurrection which you grant to your children.

Dangerous Applause (Deuteronomy 17; 2 Chronicles 9)

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Deuteronomy 17:16-20 – Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the LORD has said to you, “You shall never return that way again.” And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.

And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

2 Chronicles 9:5-7 – And she said to the king, “The report was true that I heard in my own land of your words and of your wisdom, but I did not believe the reports until I came and my own eyes had seen it. And behold, half the greatness of your wisdom was not told me; you surpass the report that I heard. Happy are your wives! Happy are these your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!”

2 Chronicles 9:13 – Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold,

2 Chronicles 9:17-19 – The king also made a great ivory throne and overlaid it with pure gold. The throne had six steps and a footstool of gold, which were attached to the throne, and on each side of the seat were arm rests and two lions standing beside the arm rests, while twelve lions stood there, one on each end of a step on the six steps. Nothing like it was ever made for any kingdom.

2 Chronicles 9:25-28 – And Solomon had 4,000 stalls for horses and chariots, and 12,000 horsemen, whom he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. And he ruled over all the kings from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. And the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. And horses were imported for Solomon from Egypt and from all lands.
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Second Chronicles 9 contains in it an account that I see as a major downfall in King Solomon’s reign. The Queen of Sheba came to Solomon, and asked him hard questions to find out if the accounts of his wisdom were true. When she met him and saw his kingdom, she was overwhelmed. She gushed with praise for Solomon and his wealth, and it appears that the flattery that she bestowed upon King Solomon had on him a major impact.

It is immediately after the flattery that Solomon received from the Queen of Sheba that we have the chronicler write for us about Solomon’s wealth and some of the extravagant ways that he lived. Above, I have cut out just a few of the verses that tell of Solomon’s flashing of his wealth, and his breaking of God’s law in the process. First, look at the gold and silver. Solomon received a tribute of 666 talents of gold annually. This is an extreme amount of gold, and I can not help but notice the ugly number attached to it. Also, Solomon made silver so common that no one even valued it. These are in direct violation of the commands in Deuteronomy 17.

In Deuteronomy, the law charged the King to write down his own copy of the law, and to not elevate himself above his brothers. However, Solomon made a throne for himself the like of which the Bible says never existed in any other kingdom. It was an ivory throne overlaid with gold. This is a guy who is propping himself up at an extreme level.

Also, Deuteronomy called Israelite kings not to amass horses from Egypt. Solomon did exactly what he was commanded not to do.

And, let us remember that the text of Deuteronomy 17 also forbids kings of Israel from taking many wives for themselves. The Queen of Sheba, however, declared Solomon’s “wives” to be blessed. We know from other passages that Solomon had nearly a thousand women as either wives or concubines.

With all that said, I want to take for us two lessons that we can follow. The first is obvious: obey the commands of God. Solomon started ignoring the law of God, and we know from reading the history of Israel that this did not turn out well. By the time of Solomon’s death, the kingdom was ready to split apart, as it did shortly after Solomon’s unwise son took the throne. Whenever you disobey the commands of God, for whatever reason that you can come up with, you put yourself in certain danger. Solomon lived against the commands of God, and it hurt him, his family, and the entire nation.

And the other thing I want you to notice is the need that we have to be very careful about how seriously we take the flattery and compliments of other people. Solomon heard the words of the Queen of Sheba, and it honestly looks as though, from that point forward, he began to think far too highly of himself. The more often you allow anyone to tell you or even hint to you that you are great, the more likely you will come to believing them. The fact is, we ought not allow ourselves to start believing our own press clippings. We must not allow ourselves to treasure the kind words of others. We can not allow ourselves to believe what others say about our greatness. We are all the same, sinners in desperate need of the grace of God. That is what we must believe about ourselves.

I once heard a pastor who was applauded at a conference tell those who applauded him, “I don’t need much of that.” The pastor was telling the people that too much applause is a temptation for a leader to become too full of himself, too confident, too selfish, too arrogant. Solomon even wrote proverbs for his children telling them this truth. But sadly, Solomon did not take his own advice. He reveled in the applause and accolades of others, and his heart turned inward instead of Godward. Let us not make the same mistake.

Dear Lord, I thank you for your word and its honesty. I thank you that you record for us some of the mistakes of your people so that we can learn from them. I pray that you will help me to treasure and follow your word above all things. I also pray that you will help me never to seek the applause and accolades of others. Help me to be conscious that I do not need too much applause. Help me to have a heart that is turned Godward instead of inward. Help me to live for your glory, and not for my own.