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Did you know that Daniel’s three friends: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, stood tall against the most powerful man in the world with no promise that God would spare them? Let’s take a few minutes to look at this amazing story.
The events of Daniel and his three friends as they served under King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon during the Babylonian captivity are some of the most interesting in all of Scripture. That includes how they got there in the first place. First prophesied by Jeremiah, the Israelites would be conquered by the Babylonians and held captive for 70 years.
As was the custom of the Babylonians, they would take youngsters from their captured foes in order to brainwash them and train them for usefulness is running the Babylonian kingdom. Daniel and his friends were among those culled from the masses.
They were well treated and well trained as they solidified their position in service to their new overlords. But Daniel and his friends became favorites of King Nebuchadnezzar so that, “The king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief administrator over all the wise men of Babylon” (Daniel 2:48). Daniel convinced the king to include his three friends and life moved on pretty favorably for young men who had been kidnapped from their homes.
But there was a problem. While Daniel and his friends made the very best of a bad situation, they were certainly aware that King Nebuchadnezzar thought of himself as a god…and demanded worship as a god. For Daniel and his friends, this was a non-starter.
The very first of the Ten Commandments clearly states that God is God, and that we should “have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). However, Nebuchadnezzar was making it increasingly difficult for Danial and his friends to keep that commandment. In fact, he ordered that a gold statue of himself be created and that whenever a cacophony of music was heard, all who heard it would, “fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up” (Daniel 3:4-5).
Knowing they could not do so, Daniel’s friends, in fact, did not do so. Local priests, obviously jealous of Daniel and his friends’ rise to power, alerted the King that the three friends of Daniel: Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were not bowing to or offering worship to the King’s statue (Daniel 3:12). The King would have none of that.
Bringing the three young men to his presence, the king chided the young men and threatened that if they did not bow down during the appointed time, that they would be “cast immediately into the midst of a fiery furnace…and who is the god who will deliver you from my hands” (Daniel 3:15)?
Faced with a grisly death, the three young men had a choice. They could bow down even if they didn’t mean it, or they could stand their ground while their God protected them or they could stand their ground whether their God would protect them or not. They chose the last option.
Standing in front of the most powerful man in the world at the time, who was seething with anger at their disobedience, the three said: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:17). To say this enraged the king is an understatement.
He ordered the furnace to seven times its usual heat and ordered the young men tossed inside. So hot it was, that the servants who threw them in died from the heat. You know the rest of the story. The king looked into the furnace and saw not three people b
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Did you know that one of God’s very own prophets actually got angry because God kept His promise and showed mercy? Stick around and we’ll talk about it…here on 5 minutes of truth.
The story of Jonah is one of the most well-known stories in all of the Bible. It is one of those events that has some bit of recognition even outside of religious circles. I have heard mentions of Jonah from the Sunday School classroom to an Avengers movie. There are a large number of people who are at least tacitly familiar with Jonah’s adventures in the belly of a fish. But there is at least one aspect of the story that both Believer and non-believer are generally not familiar with.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In able to understand the end of the story, we must first make sure we are familiar with the first part of the story. It begins like this. God has chosen to bring His word of salvation and redemption to a city called Nineveh acknowledging, “their wickedness has come up before Me” (Jonah 1:2b). Instead of punishing their sin, God decided to send a prophet to the city to preach a message designed to get the people to repent and turn to Him. For this important task, God chose Jonah.
We are told that instead of being honored and humbled to be chosen by God, Jonah felt otherwise. Instead of heading for Nineveh with a message of hope, the Bible tells us that, “Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3a). Rather than obey God, Jonah ran from God to avoid this mission. We are not, at this point, told why Jonah made this decision. But we would find that out later.
After securing passage to Tarshish as he ran from the Lord, the ship Jonah was on was hit by a terrible storm. The storm was so intense that the Bible relates to us that, “the ship was about to be broken up” (Jonah 1:4b). Since wayfarers of the sea are often known to be a superstitious group, the ship’s crew decided that one of the people on board must be responsible for the wrath they were suffering. And while they were crying out to their gods, they decided to cast lots (similar to drawing straws) to see who the guilty culprit was.
Jonah drew the short straw, so to speak. Once they knew that Jonah had angered God by fleeing from Him, they looked desperately for a solution. Jonah had one. He told them that the only way they could escape God’s wrath for his shortcomings was to throw him overboard. Though they protested, they eventually capitulated. And they tossed Jonah overboard into the tumultuous sea. I believe you’re familiar with the rest.
Once in the water, God sent a “great fish” (Jonah 1:17) to swallow Jonah and to ensure that Jonah ended up exactly where God wanted Him in the first place, on the shore outside of Nineveh. Once Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish, we might think he would be more than ready to accomplish the mission God had sent him on. We’d be partly right. He was ready, but he had his reservations.
In the meantime, of course, God was as good as His Word. Once Jonah went into Nineveh and began preaching God’s truth, an amazing thing began to happen. The Ninevites, from the greatest to the least, began to listen and heed the Word of the Lord. In fact, the Bible states, “So the people of Nineveh believed God” (Jonah 3:5a).
As a result, instead of punishing their sin which would have been a just thing to do, God instead forgave them. In the pantheon of stories related to the Old Testament prophets, this is one of the ones with the happiest endings. Too many times people ignored the prophets and experienced punishment. But here, the people listened and repented and were spared. And everyone was happy. Right? Not exactly.
The Bible states: “But it
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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Did you know that when we come faith in Christ, that He changes how we understand everything…including family? Stick around and we’ll talk about it here on 5 Minutes of Truth.
There are a great number of things people find interesting about Jesus as He is portrayed in the four Gospels. There are quite a few things we know about Him while other things remain in the shadows a bit. Some of what is not so obviously seen is how Jesus interacted with members of His family on earth.
While we do have considerable records of Jesus’ interactions with His mother, Mary, many of us forget that He also said several siblings. Matthew gives us the names of His brothers: James, Joses, Simon and Judas while also acknowledging that Jesus also had sisters (Matthew 13:55-56). Very little is shared about these siblings.
This could be, in part, because the Bible leaves out a huge chronological section of Jesus’ life. In the Gospels, we last see Jesus as a child when He was 12 years old (Luke 2:41-52). That passage ends with Luke stating: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52).
The next time chronologically we see Jesus again is at His baptism which officially kicks off His public ministry. Though we can’t be completely certain, it is widely believed that Jesus was about 30 years old when this event occurred. If that is the case, then we have, approximately, an 18 year period for which we have almost no information regarding Jesus.
It must be assumed that He took part in the normal aspects of human growth which would have included His relationship with His earthly family. His adoptive father, Joseph, is not mentioned and church history has him dying a pretty early age. We have some mention of His relationship with His mother later in life but very, very little with regards to his relationship with His siblings.
Though the Gospel writer, John, does give us a glimpse. Just before the Feast of Tabernacles, according to John, Jesus’ brothers challenged Him to go and prove to the folks in Jerusalem He was Who He claimed to be. They did this not because they believed Him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. John tells us: “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5).
Leaving aside the reality of how difficult it must have been for these siblings to grow up with the older brother being the Messiah, suffice it to say that Jesus had a strained relationship with His biological family. There were even moments when He had to make sure His mother was certain of their most unusual relationship (John 2:1-4).
Because of what is seen by some as a harshness when dealing with His biological family, some folks have attributed an assumption that Jesus emotionally distanced Himself form His family while on earth because they did not really understand Who He was. Jesus loved and adored His family.
There are only a handful of statements attributed to Jesus while he was actually hanging on the Cross. One of those statements was Jesus directing His disciple, John, to take care of His mother (John 19:26-27). Two of His brothers actually went on to write New Testament books: James and Jude. He did not have antipathy towards His family. What then do we make of Matthew 12:46-48 When Jesus is told that His family is outside wanting to see Him?
Jesus answered: “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” (Matthew 12:48). He then gestures to the Disciples in front of Him and states: “Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:49-50). What was He saying?
First, He was not trying to disrespect or impugn His biological family
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Did you know that among all of the letters Paul wrote in the New Testament, one seems to be written to a buddy asking a favor? Stick around and we’ll talk about it here on 5 minutes of truth.
Most people know that Paul wrote just about half of the letters that make up the New Testament. Of the 27 books that make up the New Testament, Paul was responsible for penning 13 of them. There are also a number of ways those letters are categorized today.
There are letters he wrote to churches. There are letters he wrote to churches he founded and those to churches he did not found. There are the “Prison Letters”, so-called because they were written during his first Roman imprisonment. There are letters he wrote to individuals and there are the so-called “Pastoral Letters” he wrote to individuals who were serving as pastor of a specific congregation.
In short, there are quite a few ways to designate and categorize the letters Paul wrote in the New Testament depending on the criteria of the category in question. And then there is Philemon. Suffice it to say that Philemon is in a class all by itself. In fact, it seems as if this letter is actually a personal correspondence between Paul and a good friend of his named Philemon. And the goal of the letter appears to be related to Paul asking Philemon for a favor.
Unlike Paul’s letters to churches and his pastoral letters of instruction to Timothy and Titus, Paul’s epistle to Philemon is arguably the most unique book in the entire Bible. Okay, Revelation might give it a run for its money…but let’s take a look at the uniqueness of Philemon. Especially as it relates to one of the most interesting aspects in our culture today, and that is the idea of social justice. Was Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, really instructing us as Believers some 2,000 years later how we are to interact with social justice? Let’s find out.
The backstory of this letter is simple but multifaceted. Philemon had been converted to Christianity by Paul and they had become good friends. Philemon, as was common for that time, owned a slave named Onesimus. This was more a voluntary servitude as opposed to the idea of slavery we have today, but it was a social ill nonetheless. At some point, Onesimus committed a crime by stealing from Philemon and running away.
Probably wanting to blend into a large city in anonymity, Onesimus ended up in Rome where he ran into, of all people, Paul who was under house arrest at the time. In fact, when Paul writes Philemon he confirms this by saying: “I appeal to you for my son Onesimus whom I have begotten while in my chains” (1:10). To make a sort-of short story even shorter, Paul does not hide or keep Onesimus with him to escape the horrors of slavery and a potentially vindictive master. Instead, he sends Onesimus back to his master Philemon. And he sends him back with the letter that now resides in the New Testament.
But what does Paul say in the letter? Does he support slavery? Are we supposed to turn a blind eye to cultural injustices in the world around us? Are we, as Believers, supposed to be social justice warriors? The short answer to this last question is…no. Not as the world defines it. For the world, social justice has nothing to do either with society or justice. The world’s idea of social justice only deals with some ambiguous definition of justice for some, but not all. It is more selfish justice than it is social justice. Which is why, as Believers, we are to have no part in it.
What we are to do is to look at God’s Word. How does Paul address the cultural injustice of slavery? Simple. He reminds Philemon that He is a Christian. And that as a Believer, he simply cannot engage and embrace the ways of the world if they are incom
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Ezekiel and those dry bones.
God gave a vision to one his prophets where God asked him to speak to an entire valley of bones? Stick around and we’ll talk about it here on 5 minutes of truth.
As we have discussed before, there are a lot of events in the Old Testament that a lot of people would consider…well…kind of weird. Elisha saw an axe-head float. Elijah just sort of floated up to heaven. Seas parted and plagues descended. Samuel was summoned by a witch. One of the most interesting events involves the prophet Ezekiel and God’s vision where He commands Ezekiel to have a conversation with a bunch of human skeletal remains.
If you are unfamiliar with this event, you can find it in Ezekiel 37:1-14. Ezekiel was a prophet and priest called by God during the Babylonian Captivity. While false prophets were predicting a quick return to Jerusalem, Ezekiel was telling them that their beloved capital would be destroyed and their captivity prolonged. He also told them that even though their sin had to be punished, God would also eventually forgive and restore the nation of Israel into His good graces and reaffirmed the covenant he mad with Abraham.
Many times God would impart information to his prophets with audible words from above while other times He used dreams and visions. In Ezekiel’s case, He seemed to do a combination of these things. While Ezekiel certainly seems to have heard directly from God via an audible voice, he also received God’s truth via a series of visions. One of the most interesting of those visions includes God’s command for Ezekiel to speak to a valley filled with the dry bones of countless people who had obviously been dead for some time.
Ezekiel states: “the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones” (Ezekiel 37:1). He then went to say that the valley was completely full of these bones and “indeed they were very dry” (Ezekiel 37:2b). The point of the dryness was to point out exactly just how dead these bones (or rather the people they represented) actually were. They were dead and had been that way a long time.
God then asks a strange question. He asks, “can these bones live” (Ezekiel 37:3a)? God gets maybe an even stranger answer. “O Lord God, You know” (Ezekiel 37:3b). In other words, what should have been an obvious “no” answer to that seemingly obvious question, turns into an answer that leaves questions of life and death and miracles to the God of the universe. Ezekiel did not limit God, but neither did he know what God had in mind.
God then makes and even stranger command. He tells Ezekiel, “prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord.’” (Ezekiel 37:4). In other words, God tells Ezekiel to start proclaiming the word of the Lord to these dead, dry bones. But God’s not through. He then speaks to the bones and states that after they hear the word of the Lord, that God will actually (in a sort of reverse decomposition) bring them back to life by causing “breath to enter you” (Ezekiel 37:5).
As good as His word, as Ezekiel proclaims the word of the Lord, the sinews, flesh and skin come back onto all of the skeletons. But they were not yet alive. God causes the wind He calls His breath to breathe life into the formerly dead bodies completing the regenerating process. And then God finally tells Ezekiel why he wanted Ezekiel to do this in the first place. He tells Ezekiel that the dry bones are the nation of Israel. And though they have been dead in their sin and rebellion for a very long time, God would breathe new life into
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To rapture or not to rapture
Did you know that Jesus’ most famous statements about the rapture were actually not about the rapture at all? Stick around and we’ll talk about it. Here on 5 minutes of truth.
In the 70s it was Hal Lindsey’s “The Late Great Planet Earth”. In the mid-90s into the 2000s it was the “Left Behind” books and movies. Both focused on one of the more interesting aspects of theology known officially as eschatology. In layman’s terms? The study of end times.
Here is what you may not know. That though there are many references to eschatology in the Bible, there may not be as much information there as you might think. And it is not often as clear as you might think. That would explain why likeminded Believers could hold positions on eschatology that are in direct opposition to each other and yet both claim they emanate from Scripture. If it were crystal clear, there would be much more of a consensus. One of the more interesting aspects of eschatology that spurs on a lot of debate is the concept of the rapture. The rapture is a leading theological construct among most evangelicals that suggests Believers (both dead and alive) will be taken by Christ “into the air” either before, during or after the great tribulation.
If you’ve seen movie representations of this event, it is usually portrayed as a huge mass of people simply disappearing without a trace and with no explanation. The results of these disappearances include planes crashing because of the loss of pilots, cars crashing due to lack of drivers, and frantic families due to the loss of loved ones. The question is: Is this how the Bible says it will be? That is the question we always have to ask ourselves. Just because something seems to be believed by a large number of people, does that make it correct? It’s a good question to ask.
What does the Bible say about the rapture? Very little to be honest. The most often cited passage is, of course, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. I this passage, Paul clearly states this about the rapture: “The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven…with the trumpet of God…the dead in Christ will rise first…then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”.
This passage is clear that there will be some event that seems to be related to our idea of the rapture. What we don’t know from this description could fill a wheelbarrow. There is no mention of the tribulation here as it relates to the rapture. Some believe it is, some believe that this event is for Believers to join Christ at His Second Coming. One of the most important questions we can ask is: What did Jesus say about the rapture? It is a good question.
As I grew up theologically once I became a Believer, I was given an answer to that question. I was told by many people and heard it referenced by many more, that Jesus did, in fact, mention the rapture and His words are found in Matthew 24:40-44. Here in part is what Jesus says in this passage: “Two men will be in the field: one will be taken, the other left…two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken, the other left…watch for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming…for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect”.
What do you think? Sure sounds like the rapture to me. One person will be taken and one person will be left behind. Just like one person in a car, one pilot on a plane, one loved-one in a family. For years I was told and heard others told that this was Jesus talking about the rapture. I was being told wrongly. That is not what Jesus is talking about here. In fact, this is an opposite analogy in relation to how it has been misrepresented.
Context is key. Instead of starting at
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God once ordered a man to marry a woman who would become a harlot and engage regularly in adultery all to illustrate His love and longsuffering for us? Stick around and we’ll talk about it here on 5 minutes of truth.
The Old Testament is filled with amazing stories taking place with amazing people under amazing circumstances. Whether it is a Sea that parted, an axe-head that floated, bones that resurrected, or a donkey that talked, the Old Testament includes a huge number of unusual and often difficult to understand events to show God’s love for His people.
One of the most interesting of these stories is often one that is overlooked because of the near anonymity of the person involved. Yes, he was a prophet, but he was a minor prophet. Yes, he’s in the Bible, but he’s kind of stuck in the middle there with a bunch of other prophets most people have never heard of. His name? Hosea. His claim to fame? God ordered him to marry an unfaithful wife who may have even been a prostitute. The big question is: Why would God do this?
First, let’s look at the story. Hosea was a prophet called by God to minister between 755-710 BC. Other than that. We know very little about him with the exception of who he married and how his marriage unfolded. At the beginning of the book, God commands Hosea to, “go, take a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord” (Hosea 1:1-2). The Bible then tells us that Hosea does exactly that by marrying a woman named Gomer who would be exactly what God said she would be.
Many scholars think that Gomer was not yet a harlot at the time they married but that God was telling Hosea what would happen as a result of their union. Also, by calling the children she had “children of harlotry” it is strongly suspected that the children named in chapter one are not Hosea’s children, but Gomer’s via her many episodes of unfaithfulness. To say that this was a difficult marriage would be an understatement. But that leads us back to the original question we had. Why would God tell a man (a prophet, no less…a holy man) to marry a woman whom God knew would be unfaithful?
Well, in part God gives us the answer in the original command. He states the reason is because, “the land has committed harlotry by departing from the Lord” (Hosea 1:2b). In other words, Hosea’s marriage to Gomer was to be an illustration of God’s relationship with His people. How could this possibly be? We can better understand that by understanding that relationship a bit better.
In Genesis, God began His relationship with His people by establishing an everlasting covenant with them through Abraham. God told Abraham, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great” (Genesis 12:2). Later He also states, “look now towards heaven and count the stars if you are able to number them. So shall your descendants be” (Genesis 15:5). God was establishing an everlasting covenant with people that from that time on would be His people. But that relationship would sour.
Embedded in a single comment, would be the disease that would plague the relationship between God and His people. At the end of Judges we read, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). That became the problem. God’s people would regularly and continuously ignore and reject God’s truth and His teachings by following after false gods. In other words, they were committing spiritual adultery on God. The very first of the Ten Commandments states, “you shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). There is a reason He put that one first.
Just as Gomer broke the sacred covenant of marriage and turned her ba
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A very important episode of Five Minutes of Truth. Please consider sharing this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
Even though the Bible had 40 authors, mentioned about 1,300 people by name, covers a time period of thousands of years where there were hundreds of millions of people, that there are only three recorded suicides in all of Scripture? And of those three, only one of them fits the paradigm we are most familiar with today. Stick around, and we’ll talk about it here on 5 minutes of truth.
The scope of the Bible is immense. It begins with the creation of the universe and ends near 100 AD when the last book of the Bible was probably written. In these pages we see a myriad of events unique to humans played out on the pages under a variety of circumstances. Nearly every single happy, sad or in between thing that can happen to a person is seen in the Scriptures over and over again. Interestingly enough, however, one tragedy that is played out all too often in the world today is only mentioned three times in the entire Bible: suicide.
The one is probably most familiar to us because of its being linked to the arrest, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The other two, however, are probably forgotten by most folks familiar with the Bible. That’s because the reason for those suicides does not really resonate with us today due to its unusual circumstances. Who were the only three people recorded as having taken their life in the Bible? Judas Iscariot; Saul, the first king of Israel; and Saul’s armorbearer.
Be honest…did you remember that King Saul had taken his own life? You probably didn’t. But I believe that has more to do with the reasons for that suicide than as a testimony of our Bible knowledge. Saul’s death is recorded in 2 Chronicles 10:1-7. Israel was at war with the Philistines and at the culmination of the final battle, when all was lost, Saul ordered his armorbearer to kill him, “lest these uncircumcised men come and abuse me” (2 Chronicles 10:4a).
Unable to follow through on his King’s command. The Bible relates that, “Saul took a sword and fell on it” (2 Chronicles 10:4c). Immediately afterward, the armorbearer also threw himself on his sword rather than be taken captive by the Philistines. See what I mean about the impact this suicide may have had on us personally? Saul took his life in battle to avoid torture and humiliation at the hands of his enemies. In the long list of reasons people take their lives today, that one does not resonate with the average person considering suicide. As a result, we have a tendency to forget about that one. Judas is another case.
After Judas Iscariot realized that he had indeed betrayed “innocent blood” (Matthew 27:4a) when He orchestrated Jesus’ arrest which would lead to His crucifixion, Judas, overwhelmed by his actions, “threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). This suicide has a ring of familiarity to us, doesn’t it? Tremendous regret over a decision or series of decisions that led to tragedy. Tremendous guilt for the actions and the results of those actions. Tremendous emotional isolation as a result of the choices made. Tremendous hopelessness that nothing will get better, and only death will ease the pain.
These are the reasons we are most familiar with an act that will, on average, take the lives of about 45,000 Americans every year and 1 million lives worldwide each year. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US each year. But these numbers lack perspective. Let’s see if we can
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Did you know that when Jesus offered grace and forgave the woman who had been caught in adultery that He wasn’t necessarily disagreeing with the ones condemning her? Let’s take a few minutes to look at this amazing event.
The story of Jesus and the unnamed woman who had been caught in the act of adultery is one of the most well-known and beloved of any events in the life of Christ. There is a reason that it resonates with us as we read this story found only in John’s Gospel. It is because we see the worst in humanity juxtaposed with the hope that can only be found in Christ. If you are unfamiliar with this event, let me recap it quickly for you.
This story is located in and finds Jesus in a very familiar place, the Mt. of Olives just east of Jerusalem. Seen as a solitary place throughout the millennia, that serenity is broken when a large and raucous crowd drags a woman to where Jesus was in order to stone her to death. Her crime? According to the Scripture she had been, “caught in adultery, caught in the very act” (). The fact she had been caught in the act is important to this story.
The Bible also tells us, however, that her death was not all they were seeking with their actions. John tells us the crowd initiated this course of events to test Jesus, “that they might have something of which to accuse Him” (). In other words, they were less interested in punishing the woman than they were trying to discredit Jesus.
That was the nature of the test. If Jesus had rejected the Law of Moses, He would have been discredited by the people. Had He upheld the stoning by following the Law of Moses, He would have been seen as practicing the exact opposite idea of the love and compassion He had been teaching. The woman, then, in part, was a pawn.
After they confronted Jesus with her undeniable guilt (remember she had been caught in the act…so this was not an accusation…it was a solid fact), they waited quietly for His response. The Scripture notes that Jesus is sitting on the ground and writing in the dirt with His finger when He responds to their query over whether the Law calls for the death of this adulteress. His response is arguably one of the most poignant and important sentences uttered in the history of the world. Jesus states, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” ().
John is quick to tell us that the crowd, having been “convicted by their conscience” (), one by one, began to file away. When Jesus asks the woman if there is anyone left that had condemned her, she states, “no one, Lord”. Jesus then finishes this amazing story by telling her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more” (). An extraordinary event with an extraordinary truth. A truth we might partially miss if we’re not paying attention.
Like so much of what Jesus said and did, too many times this event is grossly oversimplified for the sake of telling a compelling story. Because of the way the narrative is constructed, it is easy to sort of miss the forest for the trees theologically speaking. We are supposed to notice two attitudes represented by two entities. The crowd represents lack of compassion, lack of forgiveness, and a heart of vindictiveness. Jesus represents the exact opposite. These two entities are antithetical to each other.
However, if all that we get out of this event is that there are bad guys and a Good Guy and the Good Guy beats the bad guys…then we are missing the deeper truths here. Here is something that you may have never thought of before but is vital to seeing what God is trying to tell us via this event. Are you ready? The crowd was NOT wrong. If we dismiss everything they said as wrong because they are the bad guys, we will miss this part. What were they not wrong about?
After they dragged the woman into Jesus’ presence and provided proof of the guilt of her sin, they said, “Moses, in the Law, commanded us that such should be stoned” (). Now, metho -
When we ask God for something that He will always give us one of three possible answers? That’s right…three. Most people think He answers either yes or no, but stick around and we’ll talk about it, here on Five Minutes of Truth.
Perhaps one of the most amazing and well-known of Jesus’ healings deals with an unnamed woman who simply longed to touch Jesus’ clothing. We know nothing about her except that she had been suffering from a bleeding issue for 12 years. This story, as recorded in the Gospel of Luke, states that the woman had “spent all she had on doctors yet could not be healed by any”.
We are pretty familiar with her story. Seeing that Jesus was passing by surrounded by a throng of people the event as recorded in Mark’s Gospel tells us that the woman surmised “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well”. Which is exactly what happened. She made her way through the crowd, touched a tassel on Jesus’ robe and was “instantly cured”. Jesus, knowing this had happened called the woman out of the crowd and asked her to tell this story which she did as “she came trembling and fell down before Him”.
Jesus then does something unusual. In fact, in all of the Gospels, this is the only time He does this. He calls her “Daughter” but does so by using it as if it were her name…using it as a personal pronoun. Jesus commends her faith and that part of the story ends. But did you know that this story was, in fact, a part of a different story and a different request for Jesus to heal someone?
Though this event is recorded in all three of the Synoptic Gospels, it’s the version in Luke chapter 8 that we are most interested in. If you back up just a few verses before the woman with the issue of blood is mentioned, we see the reason Jesus was walking near her in the first place. And it has to do with a plea from a man named Jairus.
Jairus was a synagogue leader. Historical evidence seems to suggest that though this was a religious position, it did not mean that he was a Rabbi, Scribe or Pharisee. He was the overall leader of the synagogue sort of the way a CEO is in charge of their organization. It was a position of religious significance, cultural significance and power.
It almost certainly meant that Jairus was also a very wealthy man. In fact, many believe that the Rich Young Ruler mentioned in the Gospels was also a synagogue ruler. So Jairus was a wealthy, religious, respected, powerful man in the local community. And his daughter was dying. Just before Jesus’ interaction with the bleeding woman, we see that Jairus came to Jesus and pleaded with Him to go to his house because his daughter “was at death’s door”. Jesus agreed, and began His journey with Jairus when He came across the woman who needed her own kind of healing.
Now, let’s be clear. This could not have been an easy thing for Jairus to do. He was a member of the religious ruling class of the day. And for the most part, the religious ruling class of the day did not care for Jesus at all. In fact, it was this ruling class that would eventually ensure Jesus’ crucifixion. It was a risk for Jairus to do this, but his little girl was dying. He had heard the stories of Jesus’ miracles, I’m sure he had sought out doctors to no help, and he was desperate. He asked Jesus to heal his daughter. Here is where it gets interesting.
Jairus knew that time was of the essence. Jesus was going with him to his home. As a father myself, it had to feel like every step was not nearly fast enough. And so, in this rush to get Jesus to his home, what happens? Jesus stops. He not o
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Apostle Paul once uttered a sentence that is considered to be impossible? Did you also know that as Believers we often speak that same sentence? Stick around and we’ll talk about it, here on Five Minutes of Truth.
Many of us remember the tragic story of Peter’s denial of Christ as espoused in all four of the Gospels. Jesus, prior to His arrest and trial, clearly told Peter that he would fall away but that he would also return. Jesus, wanting desperately for Peter to believe His prediction, then went on to give the exact time, date and nature of his failure by stating: “I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times”. Peter, possibly stung by the accusation, boldly told Jesus he would follow Him to “prison and to death”.
Of course, Jesus was 100% correct. Peter did, in fact, in plain view of Jesus and those who were accusing him, strongly announce that he didn’t even know Who Jesus was. Thus fulfilling this tragic prophecy. We also know the end of the story. After Jesus’ resurrection, He forgave, redeemed, and restored Peter to his position as Apostle and leader. Showing that no matter how far we fall, we never fall outside of His grace and mercy. Peter learned his lesson and never let anything like this happen again…right? Not so much.
We would think that once Jesus rose from the dead and showed Peter and the world Who He truly was, that there would be little room in the heart of a great Apostle like Peter to once again refuse to listen to Jesus. But, alas, Peter was human just as we are human, and we still make significant mistakes from time to time. Even when we should know better. Such is the case with this Apostle.
There is an absolutely fascinating event that is recorded in Acts chapter 10 that leads Peter to utter the impossible sentence we mentioned in the introduction. Let me set the stage for you a bit in order for this to make sense.
When the New Testament Church was in its infancy, it was faced with many challenges both from without and within. The powers that had Jesus crucified, were now desperately trying to stamp out the movement that resulted from His resurrection. Stephen was martyred, Saul was arresting Christians, and persecution flourished. But there were also internal struggles threatening the viability of the 1st Century Church.
Since Christianity emerged from the Jewish faith, and the early church was predominantly Jewish, there were those in leadership positions that were still clinging to parts of the Mosaic Law as a part of the salvation process. Jesus was crystal clear. Salvation was not in any way, shape, or form related to any works that we could do. Adherence to the Law and its precepts was not necessary to becoming a Believer. But that was a hard pill to swallow for a lot of people who had grown up with the idea that keeping the Law made one righteous.
Even Apostles were not immune from this folly. In Acts chapter 10, Peter was praying on the roof of a house owned by a man named Cornelius. While he prayed, he saw an unusual vision and heard a familiar voice. In the vision Peter saw, “a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him”. That’s not all. On the sheet he saw all kinds of animals and birds. This obviously included animals that from the Mosaic Law were listed as unclean and therefore forbidden to eat. We know this because of a statement Peter makes later in the vision.
He also hears a familiar voice. The voice commands Peter to: “Rise, Peter; kill a
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Did you know that Jesus family tree actually includes a Gentile prostitute? Find out more in this episode of Five Minutes of Truth.
Family is a funny thing. These are the people we care about the most, but who can also drive us completely insane at times. But one of the most interesting aspects about family is how those who existed well into our past might have an impact on us today. For example, when I was a kid it was quite common to hear a person brag about the fact that one of their ancestors had come to America on the Mayflower.
You have others who will likewise not hesitate to mention from the moment you meet them that they have a famous relative somewhere in their genealogy. I’ve always found that a bit interesting because there should be no reason why having a famous relative from years back would reflect on my own character. It might be an interesting tidbit, but not really something to glom on to for my sake. However, people love talking about their famous relational connections…until they reach their infamous relational connections.
Just as people often co-opt the glory of a famous predecessor, likewise they often try their best to distance themselves from an ancestor that has a less than honorable story. In fact, there are a few members of Hitler’s extended family who still live in the United States. Not only do they not mention this familial connection, the males actually made a pact together to never have children so that the line would end with them. Such is the way we feel about having “unsavory” family members in our past. But Jesus didn’t feel that way.
states: “Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse”. Seems like an innocuous listing of names in Jesus’ family tree and one that, if we are not careful, will cause us to miss something of the utmost importance. One of the names mentioned in that passage is Rahab. And who was Rahab? A Gentile prostitute whom God saved and used to accomplish His will and save His people.
There aren’t too many of us who would cherish, much less advertise that we had a prominent prostitute in our family tree. In fact, it is probably the last thing we would want to share with people. Yet for the last 2,000 years (and counting) every single time Jesus’ lineage is read and discussed, Rahab’s name is read and her story is discussed. And what is that story? Well, listen carefully. Because it is our story too.
Rahab’s story is told in the Old Testament book of Joshua. After the Exodus and after the Hebrews had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, God was finally going to allow His people to enter the Promised Land so called because God had promised that area to His people in a covenant He made with Abraham. There was just one problem. People already lived there.
Before they crossed over the Jordan into Canaan, Joshua, who had succeeded Moses as leader, sent two spies into the first town they would come to…Jericho. A sound military leader, Joshua wanted to know what, if any, the weak points of their defenses were. Not long after the spies made it into the city, the King of Jericho was made aware of their presence. So he dispatched his soldiers to locate and capture or kill the intruders.
Wanting to find a place where it would seem normal for two men to wander into, the spies sought shelter in the home of a “harlot” named Rahab. Though the king’s men eventually made their way to Rahab’s, she did not turn them over to the soldiers but instead hid them on her roof, though she knew they were enemies of her people. Probably wondering why s
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When Jesus calmed the dangerous storm on the Sea of Galilee, that He not only was protecting His disciples but also explaining salvation to us? Stick around and we’ll talk about it, here on five minutes of truth.
Most of us are probably familiar with one of the most famous of all of Jesus’ miracles…the calming of a storm that was threatening to destroy the boat He and the disciples were sailing in. Most of us, however, may not be as familiar with the picture He was trying to paint in the midst of that event. Let’s start from the beginning of the story. And though this event is recorded in all of the Synoptic Gospels, it is Mark’s version that we need to focus on.
The story begins simply enough. Jesus and His disciples are on the coast of the Sea of Galilee when Jesus states: “Let us cross over to the other side”. The clear idea here is that Jesus is desiring for them to enter the boat and cross to the opposite side of the Sea in order to continue His ministry. The disciples, of course, agree and they begin the voyage.
During the crossing, a ferocious storm arose which obviously terrified the disciples. Now, the interesting thing about this is…that many of the disciples had been fishermen who had worked these waters for years. They knew the weather patterns. So, if they were afraid, it must have been for good reason. In fact, this is confirmed with their reaction and their statement to Jesus.
It is interesting to note, however, Jesus’ reaction to the storm. In fact, we do not know Jesus’ immediate reaction to the storm because according to Mark’s Gospel, the disciples found Jesus, “in the stern, asleep on a pillow”. In the midst of this horrendous storm, Jesus was sleeping. His disciples…well they weren’t as calm. In fact, they woke Jesus up and exclaimed: “Teacher, You do not care that we are perishing”?
Notice the verbiage. They did not say it looked like they might perish. They did not say that if things don’t get better we may perish. They said, do you not care that we are perishing. These fishermen…who knew boats…knew that body of water…and knew what it looked like and felt like to have a boat get swamped, were certain they were in the process of dying.
They knew immediately that there was no way that they would be able to reach the other side if something didn’t happen to change their circumstances. Then Jesus said two things. One always made complete sense to me…while the other one took me while to completely grasp. First, He cried out: “Peace, be still”. And the Scripture tells us that immediately the storm abated and disaster was avoided.
He then turned to the Disciples and said: “Why are you so fearful. How is it that you have no faith”? I always understood the miracle, but struggled for years about Jesus chastising the disciples. I mean, is it a lack of faith for us to be afraid in fearful, life-threatening situations? I guarantee that I would have been afraid then too. It always seemed to me that He was being a little hard on them. Until it dawned on me.
He was not citing their fear itself as a lack of faith as much as it was their hesitation to believe what He had said in the first place. Do you remember what Jesus said at the very beginning of the story? He said: “Let us cross over to the other side”. He had given them all of the information they would need to trust Him. He never said there would NOT be any storms. He never promised them nothing but a smooth ride. He never stated that serious, even life threatening issues would not arise. He simply promised them from the very beginning th
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Did you know that we can get so busy doing what we think God wants us to do, that it is extremely easy to miss what He actually wants us to do? Stick around and we’ll talk about it, here on 5 minutes of truth.
Most of us, if not all of us, are very familiar with one of the most moving and powerful interactions Jesus ever had with a person when He walked on this planet. It happened just outside of a town called Sychar in Samaria and it involved a person who probably just wanted to be left alone. I am speaking, of course, of the woman at the well.
We do not know her name…but we certainly know her story. She will forever, at least this side of heaven, be known by her gender, her ethnicity, her location and…her desperation. She was a woman lost and helpless in her sin who arrived at the well during a time of day that ensured the likelihood that she would not meet anyone there. Instead, she met Jesus. Jesus lovingly and patiently spoke to the woman, promised her eternal life and transformed her from a social pariah steeped in her sin to a child of God…all in the time it takes to read the events portrayed in John chapter 4.
Again, the vast majority of us remember the woman, Jesus, and her story. However, we do seem to forget another group of characters who play a huge role in the story, yet are missing through most of the narrative. To whom am I referring? The 12 Disciples. Remember them? Remember their role in this story? Probably not. So let’s take a quick look at the pivotal lesson God has for us in the role the Disciples had in this pericope.
They are only mentioned at the very beginning of the story and the very end. They left before Jesus started talking to the woman and they came back only after the conversation with the woman was wrapping up. In reality, that was part of the problem. At the beginning of the story we are told that after Jesus and the 12 had stopped by the well, that the Disciples: “had gone away into the city to buy food”. At the end of the story the Disciples returned to the well with food, saw Jesus finishing up His conversation with the woman, and implored Jesus to eat the food they had purchased.
In the meantime however, the woman, buoyed by her newfound salvation had left the well and her water pot to go back into the city to tell the people: “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ”? As a result of her pronouncement, the author of John tells us that the people, “went out of the city and came to Him” (meaning Jesus of course). And that, “many of the Samaritans in that city believed in Him”. But there is something kind of strange about this event, isn’t there?
First, why did it take 12 people to go get food when they were all at the well? I mean, I guess it’s possible they would have needed 12 people…but it doesn’t seem likely. In fact, it sort of seems like it was the result of the fact that none of the Disciples wanted any of the other Disciples to be seen doing “more” for Jesus than the other. I can hear it now. “Jesus is hungry, I’ll go get some food”. Another Disciple chimes in: “No, I’ll go get Him some food I’ve known Him longer”. Still another says: “Well, I’m related to Him, so it should be me”. Until finally they just say, “Why don’t we all go get some food for Jesus”? Has a ring of familiarity there doesn’t it? But there is Scripture that backs up the idea that though the Disciples were doing things for Jesus, they were not doing what He wanted them to do. How do we know this?
Think about this for just a moment: The Disciples knew Who Jesus was. They loved Him. They followed Him. They believed in Him. He was their Messiah. They walked all the way into town. Bought food. And walked all the way out of town…and they never told anyone that Jesus was just outside of town. They never told a single person the Messiah…the Savior…was sitting by the well. They never said: “You need to go see this Guy. You need t
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You probably know that while on this planet, Jesus performed many miracles designed to show people Who He really was. But did you know that one time He performed a miracle to hide His identity? Stick around and we’ll talk about it. Here on five minutes of truth.
There are a myriad of reasons why Jesus performed miracles while He walked on this earth more than 2,000 years ago. He did so to prove that He had been sent by the Father. He did so to show His power over the natural and supernatural world. He did so in order for people to know that He was, in fact, the long awaited Messiah Who would save people from their sin.
But the miracles were really a bit more complicated than they may seem on the surface. Jesus did not come to earth specifically to perform miracles. In Mark’s Gospel, after a day where Jesus healed all who were brought to Him, He awoke the next morning with His disciples exclaiming: “Everyone is looking for You.” The implication is clear. The Disciples were urging Jesus to go back to the crowds to do more miracles. That was, in fact, why everyone was looking for Him. Instead, Jesus said: “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for this purpose I have come forth.” Look at the verbiage. The Disciples and the people wanted more miracles. Jesus doesn’t even mention the miracles. He clearly states the purpose He came for was to preach the Gospel.
The miracles? They were not an end…they were a means to an end. The fact is, the miracles didn’t always work to bring people to faith in Him. Luke records an incident where Jesus healed 10 lepers. Luke also records that only one of them came back, thanked Jesus, and wanted to follow Him. In John’s Gospel, after the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus chastises many who followed after Him saying: “You seek me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.” Jesus here was clearly pointing out the shortcomings associated with miracles and signs. Simply put, signs alone did not and would not bring people to faith in Him. Sometimes they did. But in the Passion Week many who cried out “Hosanna” on Sunday because He was the great miracle worker, were crying out “crucify Him” on Friday because the miracles had been replaced by chains.
And how could a true miracle worker allow Himself to be arrested and condemned? We see this attitude in the Jewish leadership who demanded that if Jesus was Who He claimed to be, why then didn’t He miraculously come down from the Cross. Because He was not on earth to miraculously avoid the Cross, but to miraculously embrace it.
That’s not to downplay the miracles…we just need to keep them in perspective. That’s the sum total of why He did them in the first place. They were not the purpose of His mission, but they were arrows that pointed to the purpose of His mission. And they were glorious in so many ways. It can be argued that virtually every single miracle was designed, in part, to illustrate Who Jesus was. And then there’s that miracle at the end of Luke’s Gospel.
Let me set this up for you. After Jesus’ crucifixion a man named Cleopas and a friend of his leave Jerusalem and journey towards home. They are extremely downtrodden because of all that they saw transpire over the weekend. The resurrected Jesus shows up and begins walking with them. Here’s the thing: Jesus uses His power to make Himself unrecognizable to them. He performs a miracle to hide His identity. Why would He do that? He will tell us why.
Jesus questions the two men by asking: “What kind of conversation is this that you have with one another as you walk and are
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Did you know that God did not allow Moses to cross over into the Promised Land because Moses wouldn’t talk to a rock? Well…there’s a lot more to it than that. Stick around and we’ll talk about it, here on 5 minutes of truth.
There are a lot of people in the Bible that we have a tendency to feel some sympathy for. Whether it is because of their circumstances or the cultural consequences of their call by God, we often view many of the people involved in God’s redemptive history sympathetically as difficult parts of their lives are played out on the pages of the Bible.
It is only logical that we feel for Abraham as he is called, as an old man, from the only home he ever knew in order to head a new people chosen by God to be His. We hurt for David as he flees in the wilderness from Saul, a king he loved and served and who then became his enemy. We try to put ourselves in the shoes of Noah who knows that an impending disaster is about to rain down on all of humanity but who also knows they will be consumed by that flood. There is Jeremiah who is told his message of hope and repentance will fall on deaf ears; Job who loses literally everything; Jonah who fatalistically ends up in the belly of a fish and then complains when God spares Nineveh; Samson who loves the wrong girl; Hosea who is ordered by God to marry a prostitute; John the Baptist who is executed simply for telling the truth; and, of course, who could not be moved by Jesus crying out to His Father while suffering on the Cross.
But I’ve got to say, if there was an award for the person who put up with the most foolishness for the longest period of time, it would have to be Moses. Time prevents us from delving too deeply into all of the specifics regarding Moses and the more than 40 years he spent shepherding the people of God through the wilderness and towards the Promised Land. But I suspect, the only person who had more of the patience of Job other than Job himself, would have had to have been Moses.
Called by God to deliver the Hebrews out of 400 years of bondage to the Egyptians, Moses more than had his hands full with a group of people whose dissatisfaction was only exceeded by their impatience. For example, no sooner had they left Egypt and ended up at the Red Sea, did they then begin to complain about having left Egypt. With the Red Sea in front of them and the Egyptian army closing in behind them, people cried out: “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians.” They were afraid, I get that. But they immediately turned on Moses who was simply doing what God had drafted him to do.
Not long after, upon reaching Mt. Sinai, these same people, despite seeing God deliver them via many miracles, showed their remarkable impatience. Moses told them he was going to the mountain to converse with the God of their salvation. After he was gone a while, the people grew restless and impatient and so decided to form a new religion with a new god…a golden calf. How long had Moses been on Sinai? 40 days. That’s it. 400 years of bondage they could do. Waiting 40 days to hear from God…completely out of the question.
They complained constantly and consistently about everything. Even after they had seen God do nothing but sustain them. And Moses faced all of the brunt of their criticism…every day…for 40 years. It would make sense that he might “snap”. About two months after they left Egypt, the people began complaining about a lack of water. God told Moses to take Aaron’s staff and strike a rock. When Moses obeyed God, the water flowed from the rock in such an amount that all million-plus people and their livestock were well water
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Did you know that Jesus once compared His crucifixion to a brass statue of a serpent attached to a metal pole in the middle of the desert? Stick around and we’ll talk about it…here on 5 minutes of truth.
One of the most interesting elements of the four Gospels is how each Gospel is unique in its own way. Though they essentially tell the same story, each of them have their own unique characteristics that differentiate them from the others. But of all of them, the Gospel of John is by far the most unusual.
The Gospel of John stands alone amongst the others by including events and conversations the other three (also known as the synoptic gospels…which simply means “similar”), do not include. For example, Jesus’ first miracle at Cana; His conversation with Nicodemus; His healing of the man at the pool in Bethesda; and His raising of Lazarus from the dead are just a few of the many things that makes John’s Gospel unique amongst its peers.
Perhaps one of the more fascinating aspects of this Gospel is John’s use of metaphors. Or, to be more specific, John’s recording of Jesus’ use of metaphors to give the reader more insight on Who He really was (and is). Of course, all of the Gospels do this to an extent, but John accentuates this much more prominently than did his fellow Gospel writers. Probably the most famous manifestation of this reality is displayed in the so-called “I Am” sayings attributed to Jesus.
Jesus used these statements to provide the reader a point of reference about His nature and the purpose of His mission on the planet. There are seven of these sayings that are some of the most well-known in all of Scripture. He made comparisons like: “I am the light of the world”; “I am the good shepherd”; “I am the resurrection and the life”; and “I am the way, the truth and the life”. That’s not all 7…but you get the idea.
Jesus’ reasoning behind the use of these metaphors was to try and provide a familiar picture that illustrates a very complex theological assertion. He used every day, familiar symbols to illustrate His nature, His love and His salvific mission on this planet. It gives us a reference point and helps us understand. But perhaps the least known (and possibly oddest) of metaphors has nothing to do with the “I Am” sayings and instead has to do with Jesus comparing His crucifixion with a rather obscure Old Testament event that most Believers have never even heard of. What am I talking about?
During Jesus’ amazing conversation with the Pharisee leader Nicodemus as recorded in John chapter 3, Jesus is trying to explain to Nicodemus Who He really was. Nicodemus had acknowledged that Jesus had “come from God” but that just scratched the surface. And almost right, is not right. Nicodemus needed to understand that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah…the Savior…God incarnate. And He used a bronze snake to make His point.
In Jesus states: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” Now, it is clear that when Jesus states that the Son of Man (one of His favorite titles for Himself) must be “lifted up”, He is clearly referring to Himself being lifted up on the Cross during His crucifixion. How do we know this? Because He connects Himself being lifted up to salvation and having eternal life. That only took place on the Cross. But what about that reference to Moses and the serpent. What’s up with that?
The Book of Numbers gives us the answer…and it is an amazing answer. To keep a 40 year
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Achan: Sin has a price.
Did you know that immediately after the Israelites defeated an impenetrable city called Jericho because of a miracle of God…that they then lost a battle to a small city because of the actions of a single person? Stick around and we’ll talk about it. Here on five minutes of truth.
Many times people come to what I suggest is an errant conclusion about the Old Testament. Casual (and sometimes not-so-casual) readers of the Bible will conclude that the Old Testament is about judgment while the New Testament is about grace. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I understand why folks can come to that conclusion, but doing so relegates the truth to a gross oversimplification. The truth is, both the Old and New Testaments do a very thorough job of discussing both judgment and grace. Because to be honest, you can’t have one without the other. Grace only exists because we have a concept of judgment. One cannot exist without the other.
I will concede, however, that you do have to work a little harder to find grace in the Old Testament than we do the in the New Testament. We are familiar with the Fall, the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, the fiery serpents, the plagues in Egypt, the droughts, the famines, the Babylonian captivity, and many other calamities described as being caused by God as punishment for extensive and continued disobedience.
But we also see God’s grace in the Garden, with Abraham, Hannah, David, Solomon, Ruth, Esther, Joshua, Jonah and innumerable other people and circumstances where God could have executed judgement and chose to show grace. Likewise, possibly the most grace-filled passage in all of Scripture () is followed with an admonition of certain judgement for those who reject Jesus as Savior.
So we see that the Old Testament is not devoid of grace. Probably the bigger question should be, why is there so much judgement portrayed in the Old Testament. That is the correct question. For the answer we need to take a look at an incident most people are not even familiar with. It is recorded in the book of Joshua…and it involves a man named Achan.
To keep a long story short, as the Israelites were conquering the land that God had promised them, they had a dramatic victory at the city of Jericho. Not only was Jericho militarily superior, they also were surrounded by an impenetrable wall that the Israelites had no hope of breaching. We know the story. God produced a miracle…the walls came down…and Jericho was completely defeated. People remember that victory, but often are ignorant of the ensuing defeat.
The book of Joshua records God admonishing the Israelites prior to the battle of Jericho to not take “devoted things” (a). He then goes on to explain what that means when He says: “All of the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated for the Lord; they shall come into the treasury of the Lord” (). Are you following?
God is telling the Israelites not to plunder any of the riches for themselves. He did not want them seeing this conquest as a means of enrichment, but as tool to accomplish His ultimate will. After Jericho, the city of Ai was next in line. After determining that they would be able to mount little opposition, the Israelites settled on a small attacking force and expected a quick victory. After all, they had just seen God deliver the mighty Jericho into their hands. It didn’t go so well.
After the battle of Ai was over and the dust settled, the Israel
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There are a myriad of amazing promises that God makes throughout the 66 books that make up the Bible. Putting aside the fact that the God Who spoke the universe into existence would make any promises at all to us, it is estimated (by some) that there are over 3,000 specific promises God makes throughout the Bible. Yet despite all of that, in fact maybe because of all of that, God continues to get blamed a lot concerning promises.
He is blamed for promises He makes and keeps. He is blamed for promises that He doesn’t make, yet keeps. And He is blamed for promises He did not make and does not keep. And it’s the last one we are most interested in here. Because for some strange reason, God is often held to promises He did not make and therefore does not keep. This leads to some of the most curious complaints leveled against Him from the most curious of perspectives. This also leads to some of the most damaging misunderstandings about God that lead to some of the most damaging conclusions.
For example, God is often blamed for “innocent” or “unfair” deaths as we define them. And there is a reason why this happens. When horrific things happen to people, we want several things. We want answers, we want justice, and we want someone to blame. Therefore, when a natural disaster kills people: God is to blame. When a lone gunman kills people: God is to blame. When an accident kills people: God is to blame. And when disease kills people: God is to blame.
But I am confused about the logic behind this. Blaming God for these deaths is to acknowledge He has supreme power over life and death. All life and all death. The Bible confirms this. Maybe we just need some perspective. There are 7 billion people who live on this planet. Do you know how many people die every year planet-wide? 55 million. See where I’m going with this?
Let’s go ahead and blame God for every single death that occurs in the world every day. Just to make this easier. Though there are some deaths we are more “comfortable” with than others. Not too many people are going to sit at the bedside of a 100 year old person who died peacefully in their sleep and ask: Why did this happen? It happened because the person was 100 years old and already had beaten the life expectancy by 20 years. See my point?
We don’t view certain deaths as tragic or see them as unfair. And there are a lot of those in the 55 million deaths each year. But as I said, for the sake of clarity, let’s blame God for every single one of those 55 million deaths. 55 million is less than one percent of 7 billion. Again…see where I’m going with this? Let me make it clearer. Every year, God allows more than 99% of the earth’s population to live. More than 99%! While He allows (or even causes) less than 1% to die each year. If, as we have already conceded, that God is the ultimate power behind who lives and who dies, then why doesn’t He get the proportional thanks for allowing more than 99% of people to live as He seems to get blame for allowing less than 1% to die? I’m not sure I understand how He can be blamed for death and ignored for life. But maybe it’s because people don’t seem to think of it in this way.
This is somewhat understandable as we try to make sense out of things like this that often defy understanding. At some point, virtually everyone will wonder what God’s role in this is. But this idea that God is to be blamed for these unfair or innocent deaths is built upon a theologically incorrect presupposition: That God promises he will stop all of these types of things from happening. To be clear, He never made that promise. It is not a part
