Re-establishing the Sanctity of Israel
In
Psalm 12:1, David desperately cries out to God “Help, LORD; for the
godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of
men.” Our world is filled with treachery, deceit, unholy
alliances, and seemingly unlimited compromises. Evil and its lies
oppose righteousness oozing out from behind every dark corner disguising
itself in noble, but deceptive terms. Evil defiles everything it
touches in a thousand different degrees of corruption.
Godliness
and faithfulness to the Word of God are humanity’s only hope of
surviving the never ending onslaught of spiritual corruption that
arrives at the doorsteps of our homes like the waves and tides of the
sea. The armies of evil are ever increasing by thousands each day as
souls are corrupted through the false philosophies of this world. Godly
homes are being threatened at every side by the spreading fires of evil
that threatened to consume Biblical civilization. Every godly person
has already been wounded with the innate desire for worldliness. Our
only hope for holiness is to cry out to God for help lest we utterly
fail in our purpose for existence – BRINGING GLORY TO GOD!
Dispensationalism can be summarized as the history of the ever diminishing faithful remnant.
Every new dispensation is a new beginning with a small faithful remnant
from the previous dispensation. The constant and consistent factor
remaining throughout all dispensations is the priesthood of the home
with the husband/father spiritually leading his family to know the
Creator God and His will for living life accountable to God’s will. The
Bible is a history of the successes and failures of fathers, who were
kings, prophets, priests, and just everyday men in this common endeavor
to know the Creator God and His will for living life accountable to
God’s will. Sadly, most of the historical record details the failures
of men and the digression of their failures to raise their children in
“the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4).
In many cases, the Bible records the exact moment when a man makes the one turning point decision that leads his generations into the oblivion of their own condemnation.
It might be said, these recorded turning points mark the very place in a
man’s history where he sacrificed his own historical heritage of a
godly seed to the idol of his heart. The only historical success that
is important to God is a father’s success in producing one more
generation that will “love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and
with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I
command thee this day, shall be in thine heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5b-6).
This is no small task because one moment of weakness can destroy a
lifetime of a father’s faithful work. This moment of weakness takes
place when a man allows the infected wound of his desire for worldliness
to touch his family and infect his children also. We see this
historical fact repeatedly throughout Scripture.
Our greatest weakness as humans is that we continually try to justify our double heartedness.
David said, “They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with
flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak” (Psalm 12:2).
David is describing the corruption of king Saul’s court that sought to
capture him and turn him over to Saul simply because God had chosen
David to be the king of Israel. David posed no threat to Saul, but Saul
saw David through his own corruptions. Saul saw David from the
perspective of what Saul would do if he were in David’s shoes. The
point is that David WOULD NOT do what Saul would do if Saul was in
David’s situation, but Saul’s corruption could not see David’s
innocence.
We
see the historical struggle to create genuine faith, resulting in
faithfulness in the lives of people, from the very beginning of time.
Genuine faith is trusting God by obeying what He tells us to do and not
do. Somehow, somewhere, the meaning of the word faith has been
corrupted to mean merely believing. However, the Biblical use of the
word faith is always connected to believing to the point of obeying and
doing what God commands. Although we are saved by faith alone and not
by our works, real faith works (Ephesians 2:8-10). James defines faith
in this way.
“14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him {in this context, James is using faith to refer to a mere intellectual assent to the fact of God’s existence}?
15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And
one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled {merely helpless words not accompanied by real help to those in need}; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 {now the comparison}
Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a
man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith
without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works {genuine faith always coexists with good works, used here to define obedience to God’s Word}.
19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils
also believe, and tremble. 20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead {literally a corpse}” (James 2:14-20)?
James
is addressing the very problem that was constantly repeated throughout
the history of Israel. This is the repetition of the four phase cycle
of sin that is found throughout the history of the Bible. In
Judges 2:11-18, we see the four phase sin cycle of every succeeding
generation of Israel after God’s miraculous delivery of the Promised
Land into their custody under the leadership of Joshua. We see Joshua
rehearsing before Israel all of God’s longsuffering with them to bring
them to this victorious place in history at the end of Joshua’s life in
the first fifteen verses of the last chapter of the book of Joshua
(chapter twenty-four). However, Joshua’s history lesson is intent upon
reminding the children of Israel of God’s faithfulness to His promises
in the midst of the constantly repeated unfaithfulness to God of each of
their generations.
“1
And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for
the elders of Israel, and for their heads, and for their judges, and
for their officers; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And
Joshua said unto all the people, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Your
fathers dwelt on the other side of the flood in old time, even Terah,
the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other
gods. 3 And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the flood,
and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed,
and gave him Isaac. 4 And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau: and I gave
unto Esau mount Seir, to possess it; but Jacob and his children went
down into Egypt. 5 I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt,
according to that which I did among them: and afterward I brought you
out. 6 And I brought your fathers out of Egypt: and ye came unto the
sea; and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and
horsemen unto the Red sea. 7 And when they cried unto the LORD, he put
darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them,
and covered them; and your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt: and
ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season. 8 And I brought you into the
land of the Amorites, which dwelt on the other side Jordan; and they
fought with you: and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess
their land; and I destroyed them from before you. 9 Then Balak the son
of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and
called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you: 10 But I would not hearken
unto Balaam; therefore he blessed you still: so I delivered you out of
his hand. 11 And ye went over Jordan, and came unto Jericho: and the men
of Jericho fought against you, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and
the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and
the Jebusites; and I delivered them into your hand. 12 And I sent the
hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two
kings of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow. 13 And I
have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye
built not, and ye dwell in them; of the vineyards and oliveyards which
ye planted not do ye eat. 14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him
in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers
served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the
LORD. 15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this
day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that
were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in
whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD”
(Joshua 24:1-15).
This
wonderful rehearsal by Joshua of God’s faithfulness took place in B.C.
1427. Yet, just one generation later, we read in Judges 2:10, “And also
all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose
another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the
works which he had done for Israel.”
How
could this transpire in just one generation (about twenty years)? The
hoary heads of Israel did not do what was necessary to create another
generation of faithful children. Or, the children of the faithful
refused to learn of God and obey His commands. Without resistance to
the pagan corruptions that surrounded them, they were soon engulfed and
captured by their own worldly, carnal desires. This happens constantly
in generation after generation according to what Hosea says about
six-hundred and twenty years later.
“6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no
priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also
forget thy children. 7 As they were increased, so they sinned against
me: therefore will I change their glory into shame” (Hosea 4:6-7).
Judges 2:11-18 records this constantly repeated four phase sin cycle within the generations of God’s people.
Within this text, we see the longsuffering patience of God with people
that cannot even reproduce one generation of faithful people even from
their own loins and homes.
“11
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and
served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which
brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the
gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto
them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and
served Baal and Ashtaroth. 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against
Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled
them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so
that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. 15
Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for
evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them: and
they were greatly distressed. 16 Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges,
which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. 17 And
yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring
after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly
out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments
of the LORD; but they did not so. 18 And when the LORD raised them up
judges, then the LORD was with the judge, and delivered them out of the
hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the
LORD because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them
and vexed them” (Judges 2:11-18).
Phase One of the Sin Cycle: Judges 2:11-13
This
phase begins with apathy and complacency toward the things of God and
His expectations of holiness and purity ending with the intermixing of
pagan worship and worldly practices with the things of God. Eventually
this progression would end with “forsaking” or abandoning the Lord
(verse 12). Then they accept total paganism and worldliness by degrees
as each generation allowed a little more of God’s absolutes to slip
through their fingers.
Phase Two of the Sin Cycle: Judges 2:14
Once
they began to move away from purity and holiness (separation), God’s
chastisement would come upon them to the degree necessary to turn them
back to Him and His truths (repentance). The chastisement often took
the form of famine, which was a lesser degree of chastisement than a
conquering and oppressive nation that would attack, steal, and destroy
their possessions, ravage their wives and daughters, and enslave those
left alive. In this second phase, God’s hand of protection and blessing
is withdrawn. It was God’s intention to prove to His people that they
could not survive without His help. We cannot survive without God’s
help!
Phase Three of the Sin Cycle: Judges 2:18
Once
the people were under chastisement, oppressed, and put into slavery,
they would begin to remember the God they professed to know and
worship. They would begin to cry out to Him in prayerful repentance.
God would hear their cries and groaning and have mercy on them.
Phase Four of the Sin Cycle: Judges 2:16
In
this phase, God would raise up Judges to deliver them out of bondage
and lead them back to righteousness, holiness, and purity. According to
Judges 2:19, we find the repetition of this cycle throughout the book
of Judges and throughout the Old Testament. (The cycle has also proven
true of New Testament believers and within New Testament local churches
as well.) Without the strong leadership of fathers and pastors, every
generation is doomed to repeat the failures of the past.
“And
it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and
corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to
serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own
doings, nor from their stubborn way” (Judges 2:19).
However, notice the progressive increase in wickedness with each repeat of the sin cycle. This tendency continues today.
This is why each succeeding generation needs to be taught the same
historic truths of God’s Word and commit themselves to obey and keep
those truths. These affirmations are often needed daily and weekly
through the constant charges to be faithful.
The
tendency is to invite the world and its corruptions into the home and
into the church. When that happens, the Christian (individually) and
the Church (corporately) begin to lose their distinctiveness and their
power with God (separation from the world is critical to power with
God). That is why there is a constant battle for each new
generation in the Church. When fathers and mothers begin to become soft
on the things of God, they are sealing the fate of the destiny of their
children to live under God’s chastisement.
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).
Needless to say, this is where the digression into apostasy and paganism began in the nation of Israel. Although
David united the tribes of Israel during his reign, that unity was
spiritually superficial. His son Solomon would lead almost all of the
twelve tribes into idolatry and paganism. In B.C. 1004, Solomon
dedicated the Temple built for God (I Kings chapter eight) after which
God magnified Solomon before all the great world empires to the degree
that the great kings would travel to Israel to see if what they had
heard was true about Solomon and the God of Israel. God was being
glorified throughout the world because of what Solomon was doing to
exalt Jehovah.
Then,
there is a turning point in Solomon’s worship. It is recorded in I
Kings 10:14-29. Solomon began to worship Solomon and exalt himself
before the people stealing the glory that belonged to Jehovah.
Solomon began to use the wealth he was gaining for his own purposes and
exalts himself before the world by building an elaborate and exalting
throne of pure ivory over laid with gold (I Kings 10:18-20). There seem
to be no restraint upon Solomon’s selfish us of wealth in opulence and
extravagancy. How easily is a man’s heart turned from God!
“18
Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with
the best gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne
was round behind: and there were stays on either side on the place of
the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays. 20 And twelve lions
stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps: there
was not the like made in any kingdom. 21 And all king Solomon's drinking
vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of
Lebanon were of pure gold; none were of silver: it was nothing
accounted of in the days of Solomon” (I Kings 10:18-21).
Of course, the birth of Solomon’s vanity would not be satisfied with avarice and opulence.
This is because trying to fulfill yourself with yourself is satanic by
nature. It would seem that every man from every generation has to learn
this lesson by his own apparent foolishness.
Sometimes the most dangerous gift God can give a man is fame.
“23 So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and
for wisdom. 24 And all the earth sought to Solomon, to hear his wisdom,
which God had put in his heart” (I Kings 10:23-24).
As Solomon grows older, he begins to think of his legacy and heritage. He wants to produce a large number of little Solomons.
He did this exactly according to the principle of reproduction found in
Genesis 1:11 in the words “after his kind.” Selfish, self-worshipping
Solomon would produce thousands of children JUST LIKE HIM. We are told
in I Kings 11:3 that Solomon took “. . . seven hundred wives,
princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his
heart.” “Concubine” is another word for a sex slave intended for the
sole purpose of making babies. Israel is then lead into apostasy,
paganism, and idolatry in every form of human wickedness imaginable
during the next five-hundred years under the leadership of Solomon’s
descendants. Even though Solomon finally repents (the book of
Ecclesiastes), his generations would not repent even after God sent the
two great prophets Elijah and Elisha to warn them.
Isaiah
records God’s speaking to Israel for 62 years from B.C. 760 to B.C.
698. The first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah have the pending
captivity in view. Jeremiah covers the period from B.C. 629 and into
the captivity by B.C. 588. Ezekiel is in the captivity in his
introduction in B.C. 595 going on until B.C. 574. Daniel is in the
captivity as well beginning with the capture of Jerusalem by
Nebuchadnezzar in B.C. 607 extending until B.C. 534. Daniel is
significant mainly because it was through his faithfulness to God, along
with others of the faithful remnant of Israel, that God would touch the
hearts of the kings of Babylon to restore Israel for the coming of the
Messiah. After seeing the mouths of lions shut by God and Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego protected within the fiery furnace (Daniel chapter
three), Nebuchadnezzar makes a life changing proclamation of His belief
in the God of Israel.
“29
Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language,
which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a
dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this
sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the
province of Babylon” (Daniel 3:29-30).
The
Lord had informed Israel, through Jeremiah (25:11-12 and 29:10), that
their captivity would end in seventy years. These seventy years began
at the first deportation of Jews to Babylon in B.C. 606. Ezra begins
exactly at B.C. 536 with the degree of king Cyrus to not only allow the
Jews to return, but to outfit them with livestock, food, silver, and
gold in abundance for both their survival and for rebuilding the Temple
in Jerusalem (Ezra chapter one).
Ezra
chapter two might seems like a boring list of names and numbers, but it
is much more significant than that. The names and numbers are the
faithful remnant whose numbers were insignificant compared to the
millions that went into captivity. God listed the names of these
families for all posterity to read and admire. The rest of the Jews had
prospered in Babylon and did not want to leave the comforts of their
prosperity to go back to Israel. Of all of Israel, there were ONLY
49,697 people wanting to return to Israel to rebuild the Temple of God -
EVEN THOUGH EVERY SINGLE PROVISION IMAGINABLE WAS GIVEN THEM!
Very
little attention is given to the remarkable leader God raised up to
lead the faithful children of Israel back to Israel and restore the
Temple. Ezra was a remarkable man of God who was a “ready {proficient or skillful} scribe in the Law of Moses” (Ezra 7:6).
This meant his knowledge of the Law went to the extent of knowing
exactly where every word was to be placed on a page and the exact number
of letters and lines on every page. Needless to say, Ezra knew the Law
by heart.
Ezra
also had quite a heritage with his ancestry traced back to Aaron. He
was also a descendant of Hilkiah, the high priest under Josiah, who
“found the book of the law in the house of the Lord” (II Chronicles
34:14-15). He was also a descendant of Zadok, the faithful high priest
under king David from whom a line of faithful priests descended.
However, one remarkable comment about Ezra is recorded in Ezra 7:10.
Although Ezra was one of the most trustworthy and knowledgeable men in
Israel, God records of him three remarkable commitments:
“9b.
. . the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For {or because} Ezra had
prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD {understand what God
wanted by studying what God said}, and to do it {to do what God
commanded}, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments {to teach
another generation what he knew and to do that}” (Ezra7:9b-10).
Making
these three commitments are essential for every believing father and
mother of every generation. Ezra and Nehemiah would be used of God to
establish a remnant of faithful believers again in Israel that would
continue up through the time of the coming of Christ. The majority of
these people would be those saved on the Day of Pentecost and
thereafter. Their descendants would become the Church Age believers and
our fathers in the faith.
Every
generation must have these kinds of people willing to risk everything
in order to produce another generation of faithful believers committed
to understanding the will of God, doing the will of God, and reaching another generation that will do the same.
Your
sole purpose for existence in this life is to produce another
generation of faithful believers that will live their lives to make God
known in all His glory!
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Numerous studies and series are available free of charge for local churches at: http://www.disciplemakerministries.org/
Dr. Lance Ketchum serves the Lord as a Church Planter, Evangelist/Revivalist.
He has served the Lord for over 40 years.
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