Author Archives: Stephen Rodgers

Grace Life Update

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The Grace Life Family Ministry has only met twice so far since the summer ended, but it has been a great couple of weeks! I know that change is rarely easy to adapt to, but I was encouraged to see so many people come out on Thursday evenings. The Bible study not only provides a chance for our married couples and parents to open God’s Word together, but it also is a wonderful time of warm fellowship. It also helps tremendously that Kids’ Club meets at the same time, thus freeing up parents to worship undistracted.

Not only has the time changed for our meetings from Sunday mornings to Thursday evenings, but the format has changed as well. Last year, the study depended heavily on homework and small group discussions, but this year we are moving to more of a large group structure. This way everyone is able to walk through a particular passage of Scripture together and all who come can equally benefit from the discussion times and feedback.

We are currently walking through a study of the mind entitled, “What Do You Think?” The purpose of the study is to examine the effect that sin has on the mind and how God has allowed us as believers in Christ to think biblically. Last week, we looked specifically at Genesis 1, the creation account. In particular, we wanted to study what the Scriptures reveal about God because that would give us a solid foundation to think from.

God is the one who created everything that is, and He did so without any mistakes or slip ups. It was all very good. This helps us in how we think because it reminds us that God is the one who ultimately determines what is good from bad. He is the standard of goodness. That is not something we can accurately determine on our own. Oftentimes people come in judgment of God because He does not meet their standards of good, but the Scriptures don’t allow us that role reversal. God is good and has created what is good.

Besides revelation of God’s goodness, the creation account also helps establish the Creator/creature distinction. God is the almighty Creator who revealed His power, wisdom, and authority through what has been made (cf. Rom. 1:20). The more we meditate on the creation account, the more it should remind us that God is amazing in glory, and we completely fall short of His glory. Having this frame of mind is essential if we are going to learn how to think biblically.

It has been a rewarding study so far, but we’ve only just begun. I pray that everyone will continue to come out and that the study will really benefit us all!

BOB – Haggai

by Stephen Rodgers

HAGGAI IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Jews returning from exile need to rebuild God’s temple.”

TITLE

Like nearly all the other prophetic books, the name of the book bears the name of the prophet who was responsible for its contents (Hag. 1:1).

Per the MSB:

Because his name means “festal one,” it is suggested that Haggai was born on a feast day. Haggai is the second shortest book in the OT (Obadiah is shorter) and is quoted by the NT once (cf. Heb. 12:26).

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Apart from his name and title, we know nothing of Haggai, and his lineage and tribal origin remain a mystery. He is however mentioned twice by Ezra (Ezra 5:1; 6:14), both time in connection with Zechariah (another post-exilic prophet). No other person in the OT has his name, although some of the other names are similar (Gen. 46:16; Num. 26:15; 2 Sam. 3:4; 1 Chr. 6:30).

Constable notes one erroneous claim regarding Haggai:

Some editions of the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate versions of the Book of Psalms attribute authorship of some of the Psalms to Haggai and or Zechariah (i.e., Ps. 111—112, 125—126, 137—138, and 145—149). There is no other evidence that either prophet wrote any of these psalms. The reason for the connection appears to have been the close association that these prophets had with the temple where these psalms were sung.

The original audience would have been the Jews who returned to Jerusalem in 537 BC, but had neglected to restore the temple in that time.

DATE

Haggai is actually the most precisely-dated of all the prophetic books, recounting prophecy that he received between August 29 and December 18, 520 BC. However, that does not mean that Haggai then wrote the book during that same time.  Constable theorizes that he wrote the book after receiving the prophecy (which, to put it mildly, makes sense) but before the temple was completed in 516/515 BC:

Probably Haggai wrote the book between 520 and 515 B.C., the year the returnees completed the temple. Lack of reference to the completion of the temple, while not a strong argument for this view, seems reasonable since mention of the completion of the temple would have finished off the book nicely.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Haggai is one of the post-exilic prophets (the others being Zechariah and Malachi) who wrote after the remnant had returned from exile in Babylon (you might want to review Ezra and Nehemiah if this doesn’t ring a bell). They arrived in 538 BC, and began to rebuild the temple in 536 BC under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua the high priest (Ezra 3:2). However, opposition from their neighbors and indifference from the Jews themselves caused the work to be abandoned until 520 BC.

Enter Haggai, who comes on the scene and instructs the people to 1) finish rebuilding the temple, and 2) get their priorities straight. He pointed out that as the people of God, they should be more concerned with His glory and desires than with their own, a message we would do well to heed in our own day.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two main themes that pervade the book of Haggai:

  • Priorities. The people had neglected the rebuilding of God’s temple while focusing on constructing beautiful homes for themselves (Hag. 1:2-4, 9). Haggai instructed them that God’s temple and work were to be their top priority.
  • Obedience. There are consequences for disobeying God (Hag. 1:6, 11; 2:16-17). But when God’s people follow Him (1:12), He graciously  provides the enthusiasm (Hag. 1:4), strength (Hag. 2:4-5), and resources (Hag. 2:8) to do His will.

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are no significant interpretive issues with Haggai that I am aware of.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

Although the book of Haggai falls within the general category of prophecy, it is not a typical prophetic book. It is written in prose instead of the customary poetry. Although there are predictions of promised blessing, there are no oracles of judgment in the usual sense. Instead, God simply calls the nation’s attention to its low ebb, as though judgment had already occurred. There are also intermittent golden-age visions, as well as a narrative episode (Hag. 1:12–15). By means of a specific instance (the rebuilding of the temple), the book of Haggai is a relevant and timeless book on the need to put God’s work first in one’s life. For the prophet’s society, rebuilding the temple would be the visible sign of the people’s determination to put God first.

OBJECTIONS

There are no significant objections to Haggai that I am aware of.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Haggai 1:4
  • Haggai 2:4

DID YOU KNOW?

  • A garmet that came into contact with consecrated meat (meat set apart for sacrifice) became “holy” (Lev. 6:27), but could not pass that “holiness” on to a third object. Ceremonial uncleanliness was transmitted much more easily that cleanliness, since anything touched by an unclean person became unclean (Hag. 2:12-13).
  • A signet was a kind of seal or stamp which functioned as a signature. It could be used as a pledge or guarantee of full payment of a debt (Hag. 2:23).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Haggai”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Haggai”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Haggai”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Haggai”
  • NET Bible, Haggai
  • NIV Study Bible, Haggai
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Haggai”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Haggai”
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

Signs of Spiritual Maturity #6: Conservative Decision Making Motivated By a Hatred of Sin

by Elder Peter Lim

Is it a sin for a Christian to own a Rolls Royce? Is it a sin to get a tattoo or body piercings? Is it a sin to play video games or watch TV for 24 hours straight? Is it a sin to _______? Whatever you fill the blank with, questions like these often come up in the course of life. Some things are definitely called out in Scripture as sin. But for the most part, people ask questions like these regarding the so called “gray areas.” I wrote an entire series on the issue of gray areas so I won’t rehash them here. Suffice to say, it’s never about the actual answer to these particular questions. It is always about the heart behind even the consideration of these questions. However, it’s worth mentioning again here that conservative decision making is inherently a sign of Spiritual maturity. I am defining “conservative decision making”as: to make decisions which lean on the side of giving up of personal liberties voluntarily for the sake of staying away from sin as far as possible, motivated by a hatred of sin. I am defining the other side, “liberal decision making” as: making decisions that may or may not be sin but since it can’t be proven to be sin, it’s considered to be okay. Of course this is a generalization and not every conservative decision automatically proves maturity. Simply put, life is not about ourselves and what we can get out of it. A mature believer understands that it’s about maximizing God’s glory by spreading the gospel. Personal liberties are not as important as avoiding the possibility of presenting a stumbling block to weaker Christians, of offending Christians who come from a more conservative background, of the lack of profitability of a liberty, and the possible appearance of sin, even if it’s not technically a sin with chapter and verse.

Stumbling Block

Both Matt. 18:6 and Romans 14:1 refer to stumbling blocks as an issue for the weaker brother. We are to care for our weaker brother by refraining from indulging in liberties which may cause him to stumble. A very stern warning is given that causing one of them to stumble is so bad that it’s better to tie a millstone around one’s neck and throw it out into the ocean. Weaker brothers should not use these passages as leverage against stronger believers to get them to conform to their own misguided ideas of godliness however. A weaker brother should humbly seek help and explain why an issue causes them to stumble. Stronger brothers shouldn’t rely on the weaker brothers’ ability to explain this. They should be able to proactively care and foresee that a liberty may cause the weaker brother to stumble because they are the stronger one. If they can’t see that, perhaps they are not as strong as they thought they were.

Offending Others

We all vary to a certain degree when it comes to considering the needs or desires of others more than our own. As an example, the way we dress ourselves is often a result of considering others’ expectations. We wear clothes that are appropriate for different situations. In most cultures, one would not wear a tank top and shorts to a wedding, no matter how much one prefers to be comfortable, out of consideration for others. Romans 14, while used as an example of not causing a weaker brother to stumble, contains truths which extend beyond the weaker brother. Indeed that consideration for the weaker brother is a direct result of the fact that we are not our own. We belong to Christ. (Romans 14:7-8) Therefore, the mature believer will decrease his own desires for the sake of others whom Jesus died for. He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30) This is true whether the brother is a weaker one or a stronger one. All things are to be done to the glory of God and not to offend neither the brethren nor the public at large. (1 Cor. 10:31-33) It is good to consider not offending others. (1 Cor. 10:24)

Lack of Profitability

It is an important point that we do profitable things with our lives rather than simply doing anything we want to do that can’t be proven to be sin. (1 Cor. 10:23) Often, verses such as this one are ignored because it’s difficult to define what things are profitable and what are not. Immature believers may use this difficulty to their advantage to “get away” with dabbling in unprofitable things. This kind of reasoning fails to understand that God is able to peer accurately into their hearts and know exactly their motivations. Because our time here on earth is limited, we must use our time and resources profitably, motivated by a desire to make God’s name known throughout the nations. Evangelism must be at the core of our priorities whether it’s decided on a career path or even what city to live in. A mature believer cares little for weather, recreational lifestyle, hobbies, or even financial security, compared to the opportunity to participate in a dynamic church where Christ is preached to the lost.

Appearance of Sin

A mature believer is concerned about not portraying the appearance of sin, even if it’s not a sin that can be backed up by evidence or proven with an explicit chapter and verse (Eph. 5:3). This verse in the NIV is translated “there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.” The following words through verse 6 connects this failure in sexual immorality with “any kind of impurity”, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, course jesting, idolatry, empty words, and disobedience. Where there is sexual immorality, the other sins are not far behind. These are words which are vague but well-understood in a general sense. A mature believer doesn’t need an explicit prohibition to be able to recognize that the general character of their life must go conservatively away from these things. Immature people will try to excuse their sinful behavior by appealing to the lack of a precise point at which a questionable act is unquestionably sin. They fail to consider that the lost world is watching them and their carelessness in life’s decisions which can influence them in the wrong way. It indicates that their heart doesn’t consider God and His holiness worthy enough to sacrifice all their fleshly desires.

Sin is offensive to God because He is holy. If we have been transformed to be like Christ, then we should be offended by sin as well. So why do we struggle with the temptation of sin? Although we are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), we are still influenced by our sinful flesh. Although we have been positionally justified, we are still sinners. Although we will never reach a state of sinlessness in this life, it is clear that we are to be holy as He is holy. This pursuit of holiness keeps us humble and dependent upon Him for our strength. Conservative decision making is a natural result of the desire to live a holy life. This marks a maturing Christian.

Whose Goings Forth Have Been From Of Old, From Everlasting

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Micah 5:2

The Lord Jesus had goings forth for His people as their representative before the throne, long before they appeared upon the stage of time. It was ‘from everlasting’ that He signed the compact with His Father, that He would pay blood for blood, suffering for suffering, agony for agony, and death for death, in the behalf of His people; it was ‘from everlasting’ that He gave Himself up without a murmuring word. That from the crown of His head to the sole of His foot He might sweat great drops of blood, that He might be spit upon, pierced, mocked, rent asunder, and crushed beneath the pains of death. His goings forth as our Surety were from everlasting.

Pause, my soul, and wonder! Thou hast goings forth in the person of Jesus ‘from everlasting.’ Not only when thou wast born into the world did Christ love thee, but His delights were with the sons of men before there were any sons of men. Often did He think of them; from everlasting to everlasting He had set His affection upon them. What! my soul, has He been so long about thy salvation, and will not He accomplish it? Has he from everlasting been going forth to save me, and will He lose me now? What! has He carried me in His hand, as His precious jewel, and will He now let me slip from between His fingers? Did he choose me before the mountains were brought forth, or the channels of the deep were digged, and will He reject me now? Impossible! I am sure He would not have loved me so long if He had not been a changeless Lover. If He could grow weary of me, He would have been tired of me long before now. If He had not loved me with a love as deep as hell, and as strong as death, He would have turned from me long ago.

Oh, joy above all joys, to know that I am His everlasting and inalienable inheritance, given to Him by His Father or ever the earth was! Everlasting love shall be the pillow for my head this night.

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Single Life Update

“If you want to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 7:32)

by Obadiah Lee

As new academic term begins with College Life returning to the daily grind of lectures, books, and late nights studying; career/postgraduates also begin a new term in the ministry of Single Life. Over that past year we studied through the book of Colossians, diving deep into chapter 3 we examined the love and dependence we must have in our perfect Savior. We were challenged to survey our lives before the perfection and holiness of the Scriptures and to practically love and live for Christ as career/postgraduate Christians. As single men and women, we fall into an interesting demographic when it comes to Christians among the Church population. When I have had the opportunity to speak with other brothers and sisters from other churches, the majority of the career adult ministries are female dominated (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), non-existent or struggle to stay afloat. Lighthouse Bible Church has been extremely blessed with a committed pastor who preaches the Word through thorough exegesis and clear exposition. There is truly a uniqueness to the ministry of Single Life, as single men and women many of us have great opportunities to serve the church with our time unlike any other affinity group. We typically have more flexibility in our resources and time.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 provides for us a clear and biblical explanation for those of us in the single stage of life. As many of us desire to be married if God wills, Scripture tells us that our interests will be divided between the worries of the world (our spouse) and how to please the Lord. Now let me acknowledge and make clear that being married does not diminish our desire or ability to please the Lord, but we must understand Paul’s desire for us to recognize the gift of being content in singleness (vv.6-7). As single adults we have a gift before us to use our singleness to the glory of God. Marriage is a beautiful thing and Scripture reveals the profound beauty that is the picture of Christ and the Church. As God provides and wills for each of us to be wed, we as singles have a weighty responsibility to steward God’s provision over us for His glory and to serve the church.

As the new term begins there are numerous things to look forward to; ministries, retreats, fellowship, and many other things. As an individual who attends Single Life, we meet on Wednesday nights at church at 6:30 with dinner served, here are three major highlights of the year that I look forward to.

  1. Each year there are new faces that come to the Singles Life ministry, some have heard about Lighthouse from friends or siblings, others found us online. Whatever the means in which they find Lighthouse, I look forward to meeting people who come not knowing Christ as their Savior but desiring to know more and those seeking a community that loves God’s and the Word.
  2. I eagerly anticipate the Bible teaching that will be preached each week. Pastor Patrick is our gifted pastor who loves God’s Word and desires the transforming power of the Word through the lives of the men and women in Single Life. During the course of the year we also have many events that our “Fun Staff” plans and organizes. Our very own Minister of Music, Eugene Park is the fearless leader of the “Fun Staff”. There are plenty of exciting events coming up so if you’re in the singles demographic, you definitely do not want to miss out.
  3. Lastly, I look forward to small groups. As someone who has the privilege to lead small groups, I am often and regularly humbled by those I find accountability. As a single guy, I have a special opportunity to minister and use my time to serve, encourage, and challenge brothers in the capacity God allows me. In small groups I’ll have the year to meet with other men and share my life with them. As the year progresses, I hope that the bond would grow and these would be men that God has taught me much from. I look forward to the accountability, fellowship, and brotherhood that can be found in small groups. (The women also have small groups as well.)

The gift of being a single adult in the life of the church is an immense blessing. As we read in God’s word, we know that singleness frees us from anxieties and allows us to serve and please the Lord with a unique capacity. As singles our interests can remain focused on the work of the Lord, my hope for the Single Life ministry is that we can seek the Lord for wisdom, as marriage is not the only distraction that we may have. Many other things hinder our devotion to God and we need to be seeking the things of Lord so that we can be on guard and examine our hearts regularly. If you’re in the single stage of life and looking for a church or community, Lighthouse Bible Church would welcome and love for you join us!

BOB – Zephaniah

by Stephen Rodgers

ZEPHANIAH IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“A coming “day of the LORD” promises heavy judgment.”

TITLE

Like nearly all the other prophetic books, the name of the book bears the name of the prophet who was responsible for its contents (Zeph. 1:1).

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Beyond what we know from Zephaniah 1:1, there is very little we know about the prophet.  However, that one verse gives us quite a bit of material.

  • Zephaniah lists his genealogy going back four generations, which seems a bit unusual and overkill.  However, that fourth generation seems to be a doozy, in that it is quite likely that it refers to King Hezekiah of Judah (the only other two “Hezekiahs” in the OT both being post-exilic).
  • Considering that the same verse tells us that the prophecy was delivered during the reign of King Josiah, it seems like Zephaniah is setting up a parallel between that of his descendant and the current monarch…which makes sense considering both were spiritual reformers.
  • Interestingly, this would also make Zephaniah the only prophet (other than David and Solomon) who was also royalty.
The original audience of Zephaniah were the people of Judah, who he warned of God’s impending judgment.

DATE

Given that Josiah reigned from 640 BC to 609 BC, we can confidently place Zephaniah’s prophecy into that window.  However, we might be able to narrow it down even further:

  • As previously mentioned Nineveh was destroyed in 612 BC. Since Zephaniah prophesied regarding its destruction and the fall of the Assyrians, that narrows the window to 640 BC to 612 BC.
  • This is where things get tricky. The single most momentous event of Josiah’s reign was the discovery of the Book of the Law (2 Kings 22:8). Commentators are divided as to whether the evidence that Zephaniah prophesied before or after this event.

Per Constable:

Zephaniah ministered during the reign of King Josiah of Judah (640-609 B.C.; 1:1). Scholars debate just when during his reign Zephaniah wrote, before[E.g., ibid., p. 276; H. A. Hanke, “Zephaniah,” in The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, p. 883; David W. Baker, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, p. 91; Leon J. Wood, The Prophets of Israel, p. 320; Bruce K. Waltke, An Old Testament Theology, p. 839; et al.] or after[E.g., John D. Hannah, “Zephaniah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: Old Testament, p. 1523; et al.] Josiah’s reforms, which began in 622 B.C. There is support for both views.[See Patterson, pp. 275-6, for other scholars who held each of these views.] Zephaniah made no explicit reference to Josiah’s reforms, and the evidence is really insufficient to settle the debate.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Zephaniah is a bright light in a sea of darkness. The reforms of Josiah parallel those of Hezekiah, but they are too little and too late. Even though Josiah worked to undo the pagan influences in Judah, the progress he made would be undone by his own son within years of his death. Zephaniah saw this all in grand perspective…how a reformation that would prove futile in the short term would nonetheless ultimately culminate in the Day of the LORD and the restoration of his people.

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two main themes that pervade the book of Zephaniah:

  • Judgment. The main theme of the book is the coming “Day of the LORD” (Zeph. 1:7, 14), a day of universal judgment (Zeph. 1:2-3) as well as specific judgment against Judah (Zeph. 1:4-6) as well as other nations (Zeph. 2:4-15). Religious syncretism-a mixing of true worship and idolatry (Zeph. 1:4-6)-brings destruction (Zeph. 1:9-13), but seeking God in humility results in salvation (Zeph. 2:1-3).
  • Restoration. Zephaniah assured his audience that judgment would be followed by restoration. God would purify His own (Zeph. 3:9), bring rejoicing (Zeph. 3:14-17), and restore his people’s glory (Zeph. 3:18-20).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are no major interpretive challenges listed in the vast majority of sources I consulted, although the MSB does highlight a rather unique issue:

Some have referred the phrase “I will restore to the peoples a pure language” (Zeph. 3:9) to the restoration of a universal language, similar to the days prior to confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9). They point out that the word “language” is also used in Gen. 11:7. It is better, however, to understand the passage as pointing to a purification of heart and life. This is confirmed by the context (cf. Zeph. 3:13) and corroborated by the fact that the word “language” is most commonly translated “lip.” When combined with “pure,” the reference to speech speaks of inward cleansing from sin (Is. 6:5) manifested in speech (cf. Matt. 12:34), including the removal of the names of false gods from their lips (Hos. 2:17). It does not imply a one world language.

So there’s that.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The book of Zephaniah is a typical work of prophecy, but with distinctive features woven into the tapestry. The primary genre within this prophetic book is the oracle of judgment, with an oracle of salvation coming at the expected place, namely, at the end. Zephaniah, almost uniquely among the so-called “minor prophets,” looks like a “major prophet” in miniature: it has oracles of judgment (Zeph. 1:1–18), oracles against foreign nations (Zeph. 2:4–15), and oracles of hope (Zeph. 3:8–20), with Zeph. 2:1–3 and Zeph. 3:1–7 (modulating from foreign to domestic interest, much as Amos does in Amos 2:4ff.) functioning as “transitional” oracles which make pointed application to Jerusalem.

OBJECTIONS

There are no significant objections to Zephaniah that I am aware of, aside from the stock objection that prophecy is impossible, and therefore “true” prophecies of future events (such as the fall of Nineveh), must either inform the dating of the book or the redaction of the text.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Zephaniah 1:14
  • Zephaniah 3:17

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Zephaniah refers to himself as the son of “Cushi” (“the Cushite”), which is interesting, considering that the Cushites and the Israelites were rather ethnically and geographically removed from one another. While his father very well may have been a Cushite, other explanations are that he looked like a Cushite, or that his name was intended to honor Cush (which was occasionally a military ally of Israel).

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Zephaniah”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Zephaniah”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Zephaniah”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Zephaniah”
  • NET Bible, Zephaniah
  • NIV Study Bible, Zephaniah
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Zephaniah”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Zephaniah”
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook

FOF #6: Salvation

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:8-10)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Chapter 5 of Fundamentals of the Faith dealt with the work of Christ on the cross and what His death accomplished. As sinners before a holy God, we were desperately in need of someone to save us. Because of sin’s effect on our lives, there was nothing we could do to save ourselves. Our lives apart from Christ are lived in abject rebellion against Him. Our hearts are so tainted by sin that it affects everything we say, think, or do. We needed help if we were going to have any hope to stand before a holy God. When Jesus came and died on the cross, He satisfied the righteous demands of God. His death paid in full the penalty we deserved. He died in our place so that we could live. By rising again from the grave, Jesus proved that He accomplished this salvation. The Bible tells us that the curse of sin is death, but Jesus beat death by rising from the grave.

Chapter 6 goes on to explain this salvation more fully. In particular, it looks at salvation from past, present, and future perspectives. From a past perspective, it helps us to understand that God is absolutely sovereign in salvation, choosing who among men would be saved even from eternity past. From a present perspective, the chapter helps us to see that the person who truly is saved is converted into a new person at the point of their salvation. Everything is different for the person who trusts in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. From a future perspective, it gives us the evidences of true conversion. How can a person know he or she is a genuine Christian? They can see the radical transformation that took place in their life when God worked in their heart.

One of the more controversial topics in the church today is the sovereignty of God in salvation. Does God choose people to be saved according to His sovereign will, or does He give the choice to people to decide whether they will accept that salvation or not? Some would argue that God wouldn’t be a God of love if He didn’t give all men the freedom to choose Him for themselves. Others argue that God would not truly be God at all if He wasn’t completely sovereign over all things including the salvation of men.

It is most important to consider what the Bible says because the Bible is the Word of God. Scripture teaches that when a person comes to know Jesus as Lord and Savior, it is ultimately the work of God in that person’s heart according to His predetermined plan. In Ephesians 1:3-6, Paul tells the church that it was God’s choice of love to predestine them according to the purpose of His will. While this may seem offensive at first, when you consider our sin condition apart from Christ, it becomes necessary. This is because our sin affects us in a radical way to the core of who we are. Because of our depraved condition, even if we were given the choice to follow God, we wouldn’t. Our minds apart from Christ are dead set against Him. If our hearts are going to be changed to choose Him, He must by necessity do the changing. If God didn’t choose us, we would be lost forever.

But when God saves us, He saves us radically from the core of who we are. He changes us from the inside out. As Ezekiel 36:26 describes, He removes the once dead heart of stone and replaces it with a living, beating heart of flesh. At that point, everything changes for the one who trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Their outlook, direction, and purpose in life takes a 180. Before, everything about their lives was dead set against who God is, but now everything is about knowing God more and more and living for Him more faithfully. The conversion to Christianity involves a complete transformation within a person – from death to life (Eph. 2:1-5), from slavery to freedom (John 8:34-36), from old to new (2 Cor. 5:17). When God saves a sinner, He forgives that individual of the sin that taints their life, but He also transforms that person so that they can fight against the sin that once enslaved them.

This is the best proof of a person’s salvation. As they look at their lives, they can see in a demonstrable way that their life is different because of what God has done to them and in them. They see that they are no longer blind to the truth of the gospel but that God has opened their eyes to see. They experience that they are no longer powerless in the fight against sin, but that God mightily works within them to fight against that sin. They no longer place their hope and trust in the things of this world, but believe that one day their Savior will come again. This gives them all the motivation they need to endure patiently until the end even in spite of severe trials and difficulties.

I’m so thankful that Fundamentals of the Faith devoted an entire chapter to consider the glorious truth of salvation. The gospel is the message that all people need to hear and heed. It is the message that God provides a way of salvation for sinful men. Any true hope we have in this life is only made possible because of the gospel. Our God is a gracious God who is willing and eager by His love to save sinners.

Thou Hast Made the Lord, Which Is My Refuge, Even the Most High, Thy Habitation

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Psalm 91:9

The Israelites in the wilderness were continually exposed to change. Whenever the pillar stayed its motion, the tents were pitched; but tomorrow, ere the morning sun had risen, the trumpet sounded, the ark was in motion, and the fiery, cloudy pillar was leading the way through the narrow defiles of the mountain, up the hillside, or along the arid waste of the wilderness. They had scarcely time to rest a little before they heard the sound of ‘Away! this is not your rest; you must still be onward journeying towards Canaan!’ They were never long in one place. Even wells and palm trees could not detain them. Yet they had an abiding home in their God, His cloudy pillar was their roof-tree, and its flame by night their household fire. They must go onward from place to place, continually changing, never having time to settle, and to say, ‘Now we are secure; in this place we shall dwell.’ ‘Yet,’ says Moses, ‘though we are always changing, Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place throughout all generations.’

The Christian knows no change with regard to God. He may be rich to-day and poor to-morrow; he may be sickly to-day and well to-morrow; he may be in happiness to-day, to-morrow he may be distressed-but there is no change with regard to his relationship to God. If He loved me yesterday, He loves me to-day. My unmoving mansion of rest is my blessed Lord. Let prospects be blighted; let hopes be blasted; let joy be withered; let mildews destroy everything; I have lost nothing of what I have in God. He is ‘my strong habitation whereunto I can continually resort.’ I am a pilgrim in the world, but at home in my God. In the earth I wander, but in God I dwell in a quiet habitation.

2.27a

Weekly Links (10/5/2012)

“Since I wrote Her Hand in Marriage, I have heard more than one courtship horror story. And more than once I have consequently said that the courtship model means that we have six idiots involved instead of two.” (Douglas Wilson, 5 Paths to the Love of Your Life, p. 59).

by Stephen Rodgers

I can get away with that quote because there’s a lot of good material below dealing with both pre-marital and marriage…see for yourself if you don’t believe me. Besides…Austin Duncan was the one who originally quoted it approvingly…blame him. (Speaking tangentially from Austin now…what the heck happened to the SC Media page? It’s practically unusable now…fortunately, the GCC page is still alright).

Alright… we’ve got a ton of material for you today, so we better get started.  And when I say a “ton,” I really mean a “metric ton”…because it’s heavier.

  • First off, Ligonier ministries has been putting out quality material for a while now, but lately they’ve made huge strides in making it more available and exposed. For example, they now have a page that collects all their teaching series, and another that collects all their conferences. And if you want proof regarding that “quality material” I referenced, check out the new additions to RefNet and the latest edition of Tabletalk.
  • Speaking of sermons…Monergism.com also just finished putting together an MP3 archive that includes at least one sermon for every chapter in the Bible.
  • Since I alluded to some resources for both pre-maritial and marriage in my introduction, so here they are: Desiring God has recently released both “Preparing for Marriage” and “This Momentary Marriage” as free ebooks.  Enjoy!
  • And since we’re on the subject of free resources…you’ll want to know that Amazon is giving away a dramatized audio version of the ESV New Testament for a limited time, christianaudio.com’s free resource for this month is How Should Christian’s Vote? by Tony Evans, and Logos’ free resource for this month is The Christian Doctrine of Prayer by James Hastings. And since we’re referring to Logos resources, you might want to know that they’re doing a promotional program where some other resources have been made free for a limited time as well.
  • I’m not much of a “sports guy” or a fan of sports in general.  That being said, I’m a huge fan of Thomas Lake, and I’m thrilled that a few other folks around the Christian ‘net are taking notice of his work.
  • Since the collegians are back with us once again, I thought this would be a good time to point out this excellent article from JP Moreland’s blog on how to have a worthwhile education.
  • Anyone who’s followed John Piper’s ministry for any length of time knows that he has tried to write a Christian biography a year for several years now.  Well, Crossway is now bundling some of those together in book form, and Justin Taylor was kind enough to draw attention to the original books/talks (which are online for free at the DG resource library), as well as some lectures on church history by Michael Haykin.
  • Anyone who’s followed John MacArthur’s ministry for any length of time knows he’s rather indifferent to political issues. However he recently gave a pair of sermons dealing with the issues of abortion and homosexuality that are particularly relevant given the political issues of our time. When asked why he was suddenly getting “political,” his response was that emphatically that Romans 1 is not politics…it’s theology.

Whew!  That was a lot!  Hopefully you’ll comb through those, and we’ll see you Sunday!

Pro Rege

BOB – Habakkuk

by Stephen Rodgers

HABAKKUK IN 10 WORDS OR LESS

“Trust God even when He seems unresponsive or unfair.”

TITLE

Like the majority of the other prophetic books, Habakkuk is named for the prophet who gave the prophecy that bears his name (Habakkuk 1:1).

Per the MSB:

This prophetic book takes its name from its author and possibly means “one who embraces” (Hab. 1:1; 3:1). By the end of the prophecy, this name becomes appropriate as the prophet clings to God regardless of his confusion about God’s plans for his people.

AUTHOR & AUDIENCE

Beyond his name, we basically know nothing about Habakkuk. The fact that he is called “Habakkuk the Prophet” seems to suggest that he was relatively well-known, and needed no further identification. There is even disagreement as to whether the origin of his name itself is either Hebrew or Babylonian.

Since so little is actually known about Habakkuk, legends and stories abound in an attempt to fill the gap. Here are some of them so that you don’t get your facts mixed up with your fiction…

Per Constable:

The New Testament writers told us nothing about the prophet. There are traditions about who Habakkuk was that have little basis in fact but are interesting nonetheless. Since the last verse of the book gives a musical notation similar to some psalms, some students concluded that he was a musician and possibly a Levite. The Septuagint addition to the Book of Daniel, the apocryphal Bel and the Dragon, mentions Habakkuk in its title as the son of Jeshua of the tribe of Levi. It records a legend about him that is pure fantasy. Supposedly an angel commanded Habakkuk to take a meal to Daniel, who was in the lions’ den a second time. When the prophet complained that he did not know where the den was, the angel picked him up by a lock of his hair and carried him to the spot (Bel vv. 33-39). According to rabbinic sources, Habakkuk was the son of the Shunammite woman whom Elisha restored to life (2 Kings 4). The basis for this theory is that Elisha’ servant told the woman that she would “embrace” a son (2 Kings 4:16), and Habakkuk’s name is similar to the Hebrew word for “embrace.”

Despite everything we don’t know, the one thing we do know is that the book was originally intended for the people of Judah.

DATE

Given the date of composition, we do know that Habakkuk was a contemporary of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Zephaniah.

Per the MSB:

The mention of the Chaldeans (Hab. 1:6) suggests a late seventh century B.C. date, shortly before Nebuchadnezzar commenced his military march through Nineveh (612 B.C.), Haran (609 B.C.), and Carchemish (605 B.C.), on his way to Jerusalem (605 B.C.). Habakkuk’s bitter lament (Hab. 1:2–4) may reflect a time period shortly after the death of Josiah (609 B.C.), days in which the godly king’s reforms (cf. 2 Kin. 23) were quickly overturned by his successor, Jehoiakim (Jer. 22:13–19).

Most traditional scholars therefore date the book somewhere between 609 BC and 605 BC, but it’s impossible to be very precise or dogmatic on this particular point.

BACKGROUND & SETTING

Habakkuk wrote at a time where corruption was on a distinct upswing in Judah. Seeing the rampant sin around him, he questioned God, asking Him what He would do. God’s response was that he was sending the Chaldeans (Babylonians) as His judgment on Judah. Habakkuk protested that this particular judgment was unjust, since he believed that the Chaldeans were even more wicked than the Judeans, and therefore God’s use of them was somehow unjustified. God’s response was that He would always punish evil, and that Habakkuk needed to wait and trust in Him (putting him in a similar position to Job).

HISTORICAL & THEOLOGICAL THEMES

There are two major themes in Habakkuk:

  • Justice. Habakkuk affirms that God is holy and just (Hab. 1:12-13; 3:3), and will always punish the wicked (Hab. 1:5-11; 2:2-20) at the “appointed time” (Hab. 2:3). While the righteous may have to wait for vindication (or the evil for their punishment), it will always come.
  • Faith. Faith is needed to endure injustice (Hab. 2:4). Even when life seems confusing, God’s people are to wait and trust that He will eventually make things right (Hab. 2:3). The righteous “live by faith,” (Hab. 2:4), not by the way that things appear on the surface (Hab. 1:4).

INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES

There are no significant interpretive challenges to Habakkuk that I’m aware of.

LITERARY FEATURES

Per the ESVSB:

The first two chapters fall into the dramatic format of dialogue; more specifically, they are question-and-answer exchanges between the prophet and God. The prophet’s vision of God’s appearance (Hab. 3:3–15) is a theophany, and it is followed by a personal testimony (Hab. 3:17–19). Overall, the first-person format of the dialogue, the visionary theophany, and the testimony make the book read like a personal journal.

OBJECTIONS

In some circles it is popular to advance the claim that Habakkuk 1-2 and Habakkuk 3 have different authors.

Per Constable:

The major challenge to the unity of the book has come from liberal scholars who view psalmic material such as chapter 3 as postexilic. The commentary on Habakkuk found at Qumran does not expound this psalm either. However, the continuity of theme that continues through the whole book plus the absence of any compelling reasons to reject chapter 3 argue for the book’s unity. (O. Palmer Robertson, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, pp. 212-14.)

It should also be noted that while the Habakkuk Pesher only contains chapters 1-2,  both the Scroll of the Minor Prophets from Wadi Murabbaat and the Greek Scroll of the Minor Prophets from Nahal Hever both contain chapters 1-3.

NOTABLE QUOTABLES

  • Habakkuk 2:4 (famously quoted by Paul in Romans)
  • Habakkuk 3:18

DID YOU KNOW?

  • Habakkuk records at least one potential answer to the so-called Problem of Evil: God sometimes uses one form of evil as a judgment on another form of evil…while declaring that ultimately all evil will be punished.

Other Works Referenced

  • Apologetics Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • Archaeological Study Bible, “Introduction to Habakkuk”
  • ESV Study Bible, “Introduction to Habakkuk”
  • MacArthur Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • NET Bible, Habakkuk
  • NIV Study Bible, Habakkuk
  • Reformation Study Bible, “Habakkuk”
  • The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Habakkuk”
  • Dever, The Message of the Old Testament
  • Driscoll, A Book You’ll Actually Read On the Old Testament
  • Knight, The Layman’s Bible Handbook