The Singular Lawgiver

Matthew 23:16-22. Jesus seems quite upset. It seems that people were being taught in His time, that it would promise to do something by the temple; your promise did not need to be kept. But if you promised to do it by the gold in the temple you were obligated to keep your promise, and so on with other examples. I really feel like I am missing something not knowing the background of this, but I have some thoughts anyway.

My guess is that there was some technicality that made promises by the temple void. For example, it might have been to discourage people from doing this. The conclusion I come to from this is that we must beware lest we make rules to prevent one problem that cause another. What is the solution to this? Avoid making rules as much as possible. Advocate God’s rules, and don’t try to add your own.

James 4:12

Judges 4:1 // The Assassin's Mantle

Judges 4:1. When Ehud died, his followers (the Israelites) went off track. Why does it always happen like this? Christian leaders need to be proactive in forming new leaders that will not only continue their good work but to take it to greater heights. To simply train another to be identical to yourself is courting disaster. The moment you are dead, his real character will come out and he may lead the people astray. Do not focus on the success of your ministry. Focus on the success in ministry of those you are mentoring and training to take your place. It is not only death that needs to happen for succession to be necessary. In our modern world, we frequently move on in life to some other place or endeavour. When we do, we have failed if we have not trained a leader to take our place. It is unfortunate but sometimes unavoidable that this doesn’t always work out. But it ought to most of the time, unless you as a leader are doing something wrong.

Judges 3:12-31 // Ehud: The Left Handed Assassin

Judges 3:12-31. Reading this just now I realised for the first time that although “Israel sinned” it was the “city of palm trees” (Jericho) that was captured by the Moabite coalition. Although the army of Israel, sent to defend Jericho was defeated, it was probably not a full-size national army, especially since Israel was not a centralised state. The eighteen years that the children of Israel served Moab, would have been years that the Israelites in Jericho and the surrounding regions served Moab. This would have been troubling for Israel, since they were accustomed to defeating their enemies, but it was not the national disaster that I used to visualise. God can be in seemingly small things, for blessing or its lack. This also suggests that the years recorded here potentially overlap with other lists of years in Judges. The eighty, or fourscore, years of rest of the land may have simply been peace in that eastern part of Israel, since this peace is in the context of Moab. It is also interesting that Ehud was in charge of bringing the tribute to Eglon of Moab, tribute from his occupied region, he delivered it near a quarry, and he had people to help him carry it, I never noticed these details before. Ehud’s dagger went un-noticed because he was left-handed and it was not on his left thigh as would be expected for a weapon. Ehud was from the regions of Jericho, or he would not have been able to deliver the tribute and get close to Eglon, but when he fled from Gilgal where he met Eglon, he went to Ephraim, the chief state of Israel, to get military aid. If Ehud had met Eglon in Moab he would not have been able to escape, but he met him in Gilgal, a city close to Jericho, whose people allied with Israel during the conquest under Joshua, and he was able to escape through sympathetic territory. Ephraim was only a short distance north, and this was where the Israelite army would assemble. While the Moabites were confused with their strong ruler dead, the hastily assembled Israelite army, probably consisting mostly of Ephraimites, rushed past the Moabite garrison of Jericho and took the fords of Jordan, preventing reinforcements for the Moabite garrison and throwing them into a panic. As the Moabites tried to flee back to Moab, they were ambushed by the Israelites at the fords, and killed. The Moabites would not cause trouble for that region for many years to come, eighty perhaps. Ehud died after this, and Shamgar took his place. Shamgar had a role in fighting the Philistines, who were a threat in the west, not the same place as Ehud, but he does not seem to have done much for the rest of Israel, as will be seen.

Authority

Matthew 22:23-33. It is possible to debate a point in a way that is pointless. The Sadducees had a point. When we bury people, we usually bury them next to their spouse. But what if somebody loses their spouse and then re-marries? Who do you bury them next to? Belief in a literal resurrection extends this problem. How does the deceased spouse feel, now knowing that their husband or wife married someone else after them? Whether there is marriage in the New Earth or not is not really the point, it would still be a bit awkward. The Sadducees had a point. The problem is that they saw the wrong solution. Like many today, the Sadducees ignored God’s prophets because they did not agree with their view. The prophets were clear enough that the dead could be raised again, and Jesus impressed the crowd by proving the point from the Torah, which the Sadducees accepted. Yet the Sadducees would rather suggest that there was no resurrection because it was “new” than to admit that re-marriage is not the ideal, even though it was prescribed for extenuating circumstances in the Torah.

The thing that I want to learn from Jesus here, is the fact that He was able to show His detractors their fault from their own authority, the Torah. I want to be able to do this too.

The Actors and the Sage

Matthew 22:15-22. I believe that the kind of wisdom that prompted this answer is available to all who trust in God (Matthew 10:19). Jesus was asked this question in order to prosecute him for something (v. 15), it was not a sincere question that needed a thorough answer or an innocent question that needed a gentle answer. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing when he called the Pharisees and Herodians multi-part actors (actors who wore different masks at different times in the play to simulate different emotions and people). He was not being rude, he was stripping away the masks they were figuratively wearing. I am also learning that there are some people who need me to be direct with them. They come across as insecure because they are always pretending to be tough, but they need to be gently pushed back sometimes.

Lord please give me your wisdom to interact with people in a more constructive way, thank you for the example of Jesus who showed us what to aspire to.

Fig Tree

Matthew 21:18-22. The incident of the fig tree is outside Jerusalem as Jesus is walking in. The next few chapters take place inside the temple in Jerusalem, and Matthew 24:32-33 is just after this when Jesus has walked back out of the temple. When Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree he might be in sight of the withered fig tree.

Nevertheless what Jesus says about the fig tree at the beginning is that everything we ask in prayer, believing, will be fulfilled. I think I am starting to get this. Believing means more than convincing myself something is going to happen. To be believing means a dependence on God, a trust in him. If we are trusting God we will not ask him to wither a tree or move a mountain unless there is a good reason. But when there is, you can be sure your prayer will be answered.

Judges 3:1-11 // Not Famous

Judges 3:1-11. Caleb’s younger brother Othniel is the little-known first judge of Israel. God left a number of powerful and advanced civilisations around Israel because of their rebellion. Giving them a chance to convert and be rewarded with victory. Instead the Israelites capitulated and mingled first sexually and then spiritually with the more showy civilizations around them. Never forget that the Philistines and the Hittites, and probably the others, were really advanced and the Hebrews were really primitive. They had things the Hebrews wanted, and they looked good. But they oppressed the poor to fund this, and they oppressed the land too, Israel was not always a desert. God’s ways are better in the long run but how often are we won over by the charms of Satan’s quick fixes? Do we aspire for our children that they might know God, or that they might be attractive, successful and respected? How often I aspire for the latter for myself. God wants us to have all this, and He will give it to us in eternity, but at this time God wishes to build character in us.

I should also add that this story illustrates how sexual impurity leads to spiritual apostasy.

God is worth being devoted to. I have experienced the change in my life that God brought when I allowed Him to. How I became humble and got my priorities right. This is worth sharing, because if God can do it for me He can do it for you.

I want to serve God like Othniel not fame and fortune. How about you?