Comments for May 17

v.5,9,17 - It was recognised by God that Joshua, taking over from one of the greatest leaders of all time, and certainly from one of the closest to God, would need a deal of encouragement. God would also realise of course, that we, and all other generations reading this in the future, would also need a deal of encouragement. So let us take it. Josh.3:7, Matt.28:20, Acts 18:9,10, 2Tim.4:17, Heb.13:5.

1:7 We might think ‘be strong and very courageous’ was a necessary exhortation to a nation going to battle but we notice that the strength and courage are to be manifest in keeping the law of God, not in military matters. Of course we should expect this as it is God who was going to fight for them. They did not need to rely on their own strength

v.18 - The law has no compromise - no shades of grey, as it were - there was death for disobedience. Full stop.

So this is the culmination of a forty year wait. All the males who were standing in Shittim knew that they were going to pass into their inheritance. This anticipation doubtless caused them to say 1:16 'All that thou commandest us we will do …' We, in a way, make a similar declaration at baptism. How long did it take before that initial enthusiasm wore off?

Joshua appears as the leader of Israel. We might think this is because he was one of the faithful spies. Whilst this must be part of the story another element is that Joshua had always been closely associated with Moses. He is spoken of as Moses' 'minister' at the beginning of the wilderness journey (Exodus 24:13)

We may ask the question "How would speaking about and meditating upon God's law cause Joshua's way to be prosperous with good success?" The answer is that this speaking and meditating would enable him to observe and to keep and always to have God's Word there at the forefront of his mind (Deut.6:8,9) during the difficult period of leading God's people into the land. During this time, speaking and meditating would constantly bring to mind what God's requirements were, and for the nation this would be the difference between blessing and cursing (Deut.28:29). This is a great spiritual lesson for ourselves. Speaking about and meditating upon God's word in all our ways will keep us on that straight and narrow path which leads to life. Psa.119:105, Mal.3:16,17, Psa.1:1-3. (Blessing not cursing - Gal.3:14).

1:7 'observe to do' quotes Deut 6:3 reinforcing the importance of keeping the law in the military context of taking the land of Canaan.

Our Lord Jesus Christ took upon Him the form of a servant. Joshua, likewise was a servant unto Moses. Jesus, of course is the Greek for Joshua. Joshua's name was significant of the services he would render and typified those of a greater Saviour. (Deliverer)Heb 4:8

Joshua was of the tribe of Ephraim (Num 13:8).  Ephraim, Joseph's younger son, was blessed  by Jacob, as if he was the firstborn, see Gen 48:12-22.  I wonder if Joshua's promotion to be leader was a part fulfilment of this blessing?

V.5 Canaan was Israel's by the covenant made to Abraham. The confirmation of that promise made to Joshua when he was about to the people into it intimated not only a certain, but an easy conquest. It is remarkable, however, the hope of victory was to depend on his firm and inflexible adherence to the law of God.

1:8        In telling Joshua to ‘meditate therein night and day’ he is being reminded of the injunction – Deut 17:19 – so a military captain, who has a land to conquer, is encouraged to spend his time thinking about Scripture. Of course this is most appropriate. The biggest enemy that Joshua had to contend with was the desires of the flesh to not believe what God said. The same is true of ourselves.

As was previously mentioned, "Joshua" is the Heb. form of  "Jesus" which is Grk. We see echoes of the latter Joshua/Jesus in this earlier Joshua. V.11,13 - in "three days" they would cross the "Jordan" (perhaps symbolic of baptism, washing away sins, and burial with Christ) to enter the God given "rest" and "land" (perhaps an echo of the millennial day of rest post resurrection when Christ returns and the meek inherit the earth - Matt 5:5; 6:10).

V.4 The Hittites occupied the southern extremities, and were the dominant tribe of Canaan. Their superior power and the extent of their dominions are attested by many historical records of both the Assyrians and the Egyptians. What encouragement must have been imparted to Joshua by the assurance that his people, who had been overwhelmed with fear of that gigantic race. They were to now possess "all the land of the Hittites" , not part of it, but, all of it. 

1:6 The commandment to Joshua ‘Be strong and of a good courage …’ echoes the encouragement that Moses gave to the nation at the end of his life – Deut 31:7

1:6-8     Given that Joshua was to encourage the people in the warfare and that he was to meditate in the law we can imagine him walking through the ranks, talking to the officers. His conversation would be on Scripture. He would be discussing how the Scriptures related to their lives rather than simply talking about military strategies.

The conquest of Canaan, under the leadership of Joshua, occurred around 1400 BC.

Joshua, himself, largely wrote the book that bears his name, with a few sections added probably by Eleazar or Phinehas.

1:17 ‘According as we hearkened unto Moses’ indicates that the people thought they obeyed Moses. The historical record in Numbers indicates that they did not.

V.1 Joshua was first called Oshea (Num 13:16).  It is the same name as the prophet Hoshea (Heb. yehoshua) and means Savior or salvation.  Of course, it is the same name as Our Lord Jesus which is the Greek form of the name.

The humble warrior

Joshua now took over from Moses, but why hadn't he done so before? He was at the very least 50 years old and one could say he was past his prime. Moses on the other hand was 120 years old when he gave up leadership. Why didn't Joshua step in and take over from this old man earlier?

Comparing the two men the Bible record says (in effect) "Joshua was Moses' servant. But Moses was God's servant" (v1-2). Do you think that made Joshua feel small? And in the previous chapter comparing and contrasting Moses and Joshua "Joshua may have been full of the spirit of wisdom... but was nothing compared to Moses who the LORD knew face to face. No-one was ever as great as Moses" (my paraphrase of Deut 34:9-12).

So Joshua appears to have been a man of unfathomable meekness, loyalty and wisdom. When Korah, Dathan and Abiram rose up against Moses he didn't join them even though they were popular with the rest of the people. When his time finally came to lead, though God didn't expect him to be as great as Moses, the blessing of Moses was still his: "as I was with Moses, so I will be with you" (v5).

The same example could be used for us. Though we will never be great like Jesus, If we are meek and follow him, his blessing will be on us too (Matt 5:5, John 16:14-15, Rev 3:21)

1:11  After three days is a bit like moving from the wilderness to everlasting life through the resurrection – the waters of Jordan following the pattern of the death and resurrection of Jesus who rose ‘The third day’ 1Cor 15:4

1:6        God encourages Joshua to be strong, the people then respond making the same point Josh 1:16,18.  When we get to Josh 10:25 Joshua is encouraging the people in the same way.

                                                                    Strong and Courageous

God had told Joshua that he would be with him just as he had been with Moses and would never forsake him. But in all this he still commanded him to be strong and courageous.Yes God was going to be with him but he needed to be courageous as well.Not only is God with us but we should be with God as well, as Paul says that we are co-workers together with God.We are sons of God and I can add,sons in the making,and its part of our growth;our moulding, that we exercise the qualities that our Father expects from us.Jesus himself set his face like flint, he wavered not but sought to do the will of him who sent him without turning to the right or to the left. He did not presume on God's protection.

Such is the challenge of the disciple.We are not be cry babies but courageous sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. To break up new ground in the preaching field, to speak confidently about our faith, to lead in the ecclesia etc we need to be strong and bold otherwise we will fall by the wayside.Many are the thorns and impendiments on our path but they shall all work for their own shame if they find us courageous.

1:12-15            So the two and a half tribes whose inheritance was on the East of Jordan are reminded of their commitment that they gave to Moses. They will trust God to take care of their families whilst they help their brethren conquer the rest of the land of Canaan.

1:8      When Godtold Joshua “I will be with thee ...” after Moses’ death here in Joshua 1 He is repeating what He said in Deut 31:8. When Moses was alive and Joshua was his minister he would have seen how God was with Moses and could easily have understood how the same would be true for him. However when Moses was dead – his spiritual mentor – God again reinforced what He had already said. We need to remember that changed circumstances do not alter God’s promises.

1:5       The promise “I will be with thee” to Joshua continues the promise that God made to Moses and Joshua at the end of the wilderness journey – Deut 31:6-8

Josh 1:8

“This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

God’s Word guarantees success if we follow His formula of success, which is to meditate on His Word and be obedient to His word (cf. 1Kin 2:1-4; Prov 2:6,7). It is not enough to just do our daily readings each day. Meditating on God’s Word is His will for our success. Meditating on the Word sharpens our perception (cf. Psa 119:105,106), purifies our heart (Heb 4:12), and clarifies our direction (Prov 3:5,6)

Meditating on God’s Word will strengthen our faith in God and give us courage to march forward through the storms of life (cf. Psa 119:97-103,105,106).  We can see that meditating on God’s Word is very important, so how ought we to really meditate?

Meditating on God’s Word is not about assuming a lotus position and humming, or chanting according to Eastern Mysticism; it is not about erasing all thoughts from our mind. Meditating Biblically is about mulling over and over, pondering, and thinking and being very much engaged in learning. We read and think and try to understand what we just read. This is meditation, the foundation on which obedience is predicated! This where the rubber meets the road. Why? Because, meditation gives us knowledge about God, obedience gives us knowledge of God. We are to ponder and practice the Word. Both are needed for success. There is no way we can know God without obeying God (John 14:21).

Joshua was especially exhorted to obedience because he was the Commander of the Israelites, but there was a great Commander-in-Chief who gave him his marching orders. Joshua was not left to himself, to his own fallible judgment, or any fickle fancy. He was to do what was commanded in the book of the law.

We are not under the law, but under grace. Still, we have a Gospel rule, which we are bound to follow and the law of Christ a rule of life to every believer. We are not permitted to frame regulations according to our own conceptions. Our direction is, “… Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5). His servants shall serve him; his sheep shall follow him, his disciples shall obey him. This is the formula for our spiritual success.

1:4     the extent of the land spoken of in this verse draws on Deut 11:24

1:3    The promise that all land that Joshua’s foot trod on would be given to him draws on both Gen 13:17 and Deut 11:24

1 There is a certain irony in the fact that it was Joshua – whose name had been changed from Oshea <1954> who took Israel into the land whereas The northern kingdom was removed in the reign of Hoshea <1954>  2Kin 17:6

1:18    The authority given to Joshua indicates that God saw Joshua taking the place of Moses as His representative on earth

1:7  the words of encouragement to Joshua restate what the people on the border of the land – Deut 29:9

1:7 Being prosperous seems to be the aim of many today. Wealth is, typically, associated with success. However the prosperity that God is speaking of is being in favour with Him. What is our goal in life? Do we wish to amass material things or eternal things?

1:16 The promise sounds encouraging. However the people had said the same to Moses – Exo 24:7 – when the people agreed to what God said through Moses.

1:1-2 When Paul was advising Timothy about appointing elders in the first century ecclesias the advice was “not a novice” - 2Tim 3:6. That is one thing that Joshua could not be accused of. He, near the beginning of the wilderness journey was a faithful spy. Earlier, at Sinai, when the nation were rebellious Joshua was one who “departed not out of the tabernacle” – Exodus 33:11. Joshua had proved his faithfulness for forty years with no apparent desire for a position of prominence. Thus he was admirably qualified to take on Moses’ mantle. That is why God told Moses to appoint Joshua in his place. An example of selflessness we should strive to copy.

1:1 the seemingly casual “Moses’ minister” actually might cause us to miss the significance of Joshua in Moses’ life. We might think he came onto the scene as one of the two faithful spies. But we see him earlier than that – Exo 24:13- where he went up Sinai with Moses and alone, it seems, went higher up the mountain with Moses – Exo 14.

1:4 God is speaking to Joshua after the death of Moses but is reminding him of things that he doubtless had heard from the mouth of Moses as God quotes 11:24. Confirmation to Joshua that even though Moses was dead the plan had not changed.

1:13 Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you

As leader, Joshua appealed to others on the basis of the word of God - not tradition, custom, or even goodwill. This was an immediate flow on from 1:8 "be careful to do according to all that is written in it" (1:8). His appeal was successful "All that you have commanded us we will do" (1:16).

v.15 - The concept of the butter and honey, which begins here apparently as symbolic of the righteous food of Christ, is extended to include us in v.22. We surely are amongst those that are 'left in the land' in a spiritual sense. Let us realise what a great mercy God has for us and be thankful and rejoice, that it might be said of us that it was said of Jesus - Luke 2:52.

v.14 'Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and thou shalt call his name Immanuel' is a passage we usually take to speak of Jesus. [Isaiah 7:14 Matthew 1:23] However the phrase has been used before [Judges 13:3,5,7] to speak of the birth of Samson. We should be alert to earlier uses of phrases and ideas which are later presented as prophecies because the earlier use may throw light onto the prophecy in the New Testament that we are reviewing.

Carrying on from the above comment, notice (v.22) that the implication is that butter is available due to the abundance of milk. This promise that includes us then, is of better than the milk and honey from before, as we would expect, because it refers to God's kingdom on earth.

7:1 Having taken us to the end of Ahaz's life we now move back to an earlier time in his life - when he was offered a sign (7:11) he refused it - because of his Godless manner of life

:3 Shearjashub means a remnant shall return The name passes into use in Isaiah  (Isa 10:21)  

This chapter concerns the judgements coming upon Samaria and Damascus. "God's word shall not return to him void". God's judgements did come upon the northern kingdom and Damascus as prophesied by Isaiah (2Kings 15:29, 16:9). God is patient and longsuffering. He shows forbearance in his character, decisions and actions. Above all, he waits patiently for the people to turn to him for salvation. The lesson for us is that although we may try God's patience (Isa.7:13), he continues to be patient with sinful people (Acts 13:18) and will delay his punishment. If we are being led away from our high calling in the Lord Jesus Christ, let us turn to and seek the Father whilst he may be found (Isa.55:6)

V.9  Rotherham translates the last part of this verse; "If you trust not, surely you can not be trusted." Ahaz brought distress on himself by distrust in the LORD, and trust in Assyria.

7:20 The hired razor was Tiglath-Pilneser and the event is recorded in 2Chron 28:20. Ahaz had hired him to help him against Syria was distressed by those he thought would save him.

You would never know from the sign God gave to King Ahaz, in Isa 7:14-16, that there was a hidden message about Messiah. But we know that it is there because of the comment on its fulfilment in Matt 1:23.  Does this point out to us that there are many more prophecies of Christ, or the latter days, in other seemingly “local” prophecies?

7:15  Knowing to ‘refuse the evil, and choose the good’ echoes the options that Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden – Gen 2:16-17

7:2  Ephraim being confederate with Syria speaks of the northern kingdom joining with the Syrian. An alliance that sought to overthrow Judah and fight off the Assyrian.

7:13 Isaiah as yet had given no outward proof that he was from God; but now God offered a sign, which Ahaz publicly rejects. The sin is therefore now not merely against men, but openly against God. Isaiah's manner therefore changes from mildness to bold reproof.

7:13 In speaking about being wearied himself we gain an insight into the degree to which the prophet was affected by the apathy and opposition of those around him. We must be aware that the prophets of God had feelings and even though they were sent by God they often despaired of their mission. So we see that God’s servants have always lamented the lack of response to the preaching of the word of God.

Ahaz did not do right in the sight of God and his subsequent evil acts are catalogued (See 2Kin 16). However, Yahweh prophesied through Isaiah that Rezin and Pekah would not overcome Ahaz in war (vs.4-7).

The sign that Ahaz was given (vs.14-16) is taken to refer to Christ. But the historical context should also be considered.

This child Immanuel (God with us) was a sign of the present and future help of Yahweh. The term virgin (Heb. almah) can simply refer to a young woman or maid or bride, and have no other spiritual connotation.  In the first case it was Isaiah's wife; in the second case it was the betrothed of Joseph.

In the historical context, we are told that before Immanuel would be old enough to reason morally, the two offending kings, Rezin and Pekah would be destroyed (v.16). Pekah reigned 752-732 BC and then was assassinated (2Kin 15:27,30); Rezin died when Damascus was destroyed. Tilgath-pileser destroyed both their kingdoms (Aram and Israel captured in 722 BC; and Damascus destroyed in 732 BC). Both of these events occurred within 12 years of the prophecy's being given.

In Judaism, one is considered to have reached moral understanding at 12 years of age (v.16 cf. Luke 2:42).

7:1 This time is spoken of in the historical record in 2Kin 16:5

The children of Isaiah were named as signs of future happenings:

1) Shear-jashub mans the remnant will return (v.3).  This statement is echoed in Isa 10:21,22. The final fulfilment of this prophecy is the gathering in of Israel when Jesus returns (Isa 11:12; Jer 3:18).

2) Immanuel means God with us (v.14). The immediate application was that God was with Ahaz over Rezin and Pekah.  But, the future sign was that of Jesus, the Son of God who would be among humankind to bring the opportunity of salvation (Matt 1:23).

3) Maher-shalal-hash-baz (Isa 8:1,3) means hastens to the spoil, speeds to the prey. He was a sign that Assyria would destroy Syria and Samaria, the enemies of Judah.

Isa 7:14 - that this prophesy refers to Christ and the virgin birth of Mary is corroborated by the New Testament record Matt 1:20-25;Luke 1:27-36. Also of interest is Isa 7:15 where we read how Immanuel, though he never sinned, had to learn good from evil and doesn't know the date of his return to earth Mark 13:26,32,33 - this contrasts with God who can't sin, can't be tempted with evil James 1:13;Heb 4:15 can't die 1Tim 6:16 and knows all things 1John 3:20.

7:17 The departure of ‘Ephraim’ from ‘Judah’ is speaking of the time of the beginning of the divided kingdom. Ephraim stands for the 10 tribes.

Isa 7:3 - "Isaiah" [<3470> means "Jah has saved"] and when added to "Shearjashub"<7610> results in the message "God has saved" and "a remnant will return" insuring that God's people will never be totally destroyed with an ultimate outcome being a spiritual and physical return (Isa 10:20-25;11:1-12).

Isa 7:14-15 - "Immanuel" means "God is with us". The word for "virgin" here is the Hebrew "almah"<5959> which is translated in the KJV as "virgin" 4 times, "maid" 2 times, and "damsels" 1 time. The Septuagint translates "almah" into the word "parthenos" in Isaiah 7:14. The Greek word "parthenos"<3933> is translated in the KJV every time as "virgin". The Jews in the centuries before Christ were content to accept "virgin" as the sense of "almah", but after Christ this became too dangerous/awkward an admission. A second Hebrew word used in the Bible to refer to "virgin" is "bethuwlah"<1330> which is translated in the KJV as "virgin" 38 times, "maid" 7 times, and "maiden" 5 times. Some scholars want to narrow the definition of "bethuwlah" to mean specifically "virgin" while Strong's indicates the word can mean "virgin, bride, maid" and that it comes from a root that means "to separate". In a sense Mary wasn't separated as Jesus was conceived in her as a result of the Holy Spirit overshadowing/joining her so perhaps this is why "almah" was used. Some scholars want to broaden the definition of "almah" and will even take Prov 30:19 where "almah" is translated into "maid" and suggest it should connected with (actually it is meant to show contrast with the next verse Prov 30:20) an adulterous woman. Others feel almah may have a slightly broader meaning so there might be a double prophecy with Isaiah 7:14-15 referring perhaps to Hezekiah a son of Ahaz or a son of Isaiah in addition to the primary prophecy of Mary and Jesus (Matt 1:22-23). There is no instance where it can be proved almah designates a young woman who is not a virgin.

7:15  The one who was to come contrasted in how he would develop with those wicked men spoken of in the contemporary prophecy – Mic 3:3

7:21    The mention of a cow and two sheep is a return to a description of a broken agriculture – see also Isa 7:15.

7:14   Notice that the AV has ‘you’ as the recipient of the promise. This reflects the Hebrew. So the promise has an application to more than Ahaz. Many modern translation hide this distinction by rendering the Hebrew pronouns in such a way that one cannot tell whether a plural or singular person is being spoken to.

The context of this chapter, and subject of these prophecies, can be seen in 2Kin 15 and Isa 36.

7:10   Ahaz’s Godless response that he did not want a sign is contrasted with Hezekiah – 2Kin 20:8 – where he did want a sign from God.

7:10-11           God, through the prophet, had already given encouragement to Ahaz – verses :4-7. Now God gives Ahaz another opportunity to place his trust in God.

1. Isa 7:1,6 - Syria and Israel wanted a vassal king in Jerusalem to do their bidding and perhaps to join them against Assyria.

2. Isa 7:2,9 - "Ephraim" refers to the northern kingdom of Israel whose capital is Samaria.

3. Isa 7:3-7 - God has Isaiah reassure king Ahaz of Judah; V.4 the two smoldering stubs of firewood were Syria (crushed by Assyria in 732BC) and Israel (crushed by Assyria in 722BC).

4. Isa 7:7-9 - Divine contempt for the invaders of His kingdom coupled with a warning to king Ahaz that if he didn't stand firm in his faith he wouldn't stand at all.

5. Isa 7:11-12 - Isaiah says, "the Lord thy God" while king Ahaz faithlessly replies with a mere "the Lord" nor does he ask for a sign from God but demonstrates a false piety (Deut 6:16;2Kin 16:10-16).

6. Isa 7:13 - Isaiah displeased with Ahaz.

7. Isa 7:14 - this prophecy refers to Christ's birth (Matt 1:22-23), but could also have a secondary more contemporary prophetic meaning to Ahaz in that Abijah (Ahaz's wife to be who bore him Hezekiah, a type of Christ) was a granddaughter of the High Priest Zechariah (2Chron 29:1) and thus she would have been a temple virgin. 

8. Isa 7:15 - butter (milk) and honey are often used to symbolize God's teaching/word (John 4:31-34;Deut 8:3;Job 23:12;Jer 15:16;Psa 55:21;Psa 119:103;Prov 24:13-14;Isa 55:1-2;John 6:27,53,63).

9. Isa 7:15-16 - Jesus and Hezekiah had a love for God's Law; would the two kings be Rezin (Syria) and Pekah (northern kingdom of Israel) as Isa 8:4 perhaps suggests, and/or the Edomite and Roman rulers in Christ's day?

10. Isa 7:17;2Chron 28:19-20 - judgment upon king Ahaz of Judah.

11. Isa 7:17-20 - Ahaz had his nation divided into three groups: those who favored a treaty with Assyria, those eager to lean on Egypt, and the faithful remnant who trusted in God. The Assyrians  plundered the land like a sharp razor and the purification of a leper involved the shaving of all his hair (Lev 14:7-9; Israel was leprous with sin Lev 1:4-6). VS.18-20 Ahaz hired the Assyrians with the spoil of the temple to deliver Judah from enemies Syria and Israel, but the Assyrians became the Lord's hired razor to make Judah bare (Jer 7:29;Eze 5:1-5;Isa 19:23-25).

12. Isa 7:21-22 - the young cow (Gen 15:7-12,17-18;Num 19:2-4;Heb 9:13-15) perhaps represents Christ and the elect remnant will eat the same (spiritual) food that was to nourish Immanuel (Isa 7:15); the two sheep (or two goats Lev 16:5-10) are also Christ who is the lamb of God, and the great shepherd of the sheep (Isa 53:6-7;John 10:11).

13. Isa 7:21-25 - "briars and thorns" in V.23 echo the Adamic curse of sin (Gen 3:17-18) and refer to a land made desolate by ruthless conquerors acting as God's punishing agents (Isa 7:24;5:24;Heb 6:7-8); rich vineyards would be reduced to barrenness.

14. But God's promise of deliverance from Sennacherib's army was accompanied by the rich signs of a prosperous Year of Jubilee for everyone that is left - this echoes Hezekiah and even more so the second coming of Christ. 

7:4-7   Historically in the days of Ahaz Syria and the northern kingdom sought to take control of Judah. However God is encouraging Ahaz to trust in God and be delivered. Unfortunately Ahaz, a wicked king, trusted in his own plans rather than God.

7:15,22   The mention of butter and honey is an indication of an impoverished, agriculturally, land.

7:16     The promise of the overthrow of the two kings should be seen against the background of Ahaz as recorded in 2Kin 16:5-11

PATHETIC EXCUSES

"I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test." (Isa 7:10). What a pathetic excuse Ahaz used when was invited by Isaiah to ask for a sign to show him that God was real. He didn't even want to believe in the LORD, and instead, turned away to every other idol he could find - but they were all useless.

God had offered Ahaz the opportunity of a lifetime. Any sign Ahaz had wanted, he could have seen done by God. The problem would have followed was that then Ahaz would then have had to humble himself, tear down the idols he had made, and restore the LORD's temple. But for one who didn't even believe in God, who tested God's patience in every action he did, his saying, "I will not put the LORD to the test," was a very poor excuse.

No doubt there are, or have been, times when we have doubted God. There are probably times when we need to change, but don't want to. But God is with us and wants to help us. He wants to show himself real to us and to help us to live for Him. Let's be faithful to God and respond to His invitations. Let's open our eyes to the reality of God. Let's believe and live for Him.

 

7:23     Isaiah is inspired to return to the theme of the vineyard which we read of in 5:1-7 as he describes the vineyard being overrun with briers and thorns.

7:16 the mention here of “two kings” is spoken of in 2Kin 15:37. A detail which helps to place Isaiah’s prophecy in its historical setting.

7:11 Some words of Paul in Romans 10 help explain this verse. The ultimate “sign … in the height above” was the miraculous birth of Christ: “Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down)” (Rom. 10:6). To go up to heaven to bring the messiah into existence was to deny he had already come down, as Christ said: “I am from above” (Jno. 8:23). Thus the sign, “Behold, a virgin shall conceive …” (Isa. 7:14), was a “sign … in the height above”. The ultimate “sign … in the depth” was the resurrection of Christ: “Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead)” (Rom. 10:7). When Christ said, “the sign of the prophet Jonas” (Mt. 12:39) would be given to that generation, it was a “sign … in the depth”, the “sign … in the height above”, his birth, having already been given.

7:5 we learn here that the northern kingdom has sought assistance from Syria to invade Judah in the days of Ahaz at the end of his reign. Probably it was an opportunistic attack possibly because it was known that Ahaz was a sick man.

7:12-14 Godless Ahaz was not interested in a sign from God that his enemies would be destroyed. Mary, on the other hand, on learning of the promise of the virgin birth responded differently “behold the handmaid of the Lord – Luke 1:38. Those who respond like Mary are “highly favoured” – Eph 1:6 – where the Greek word for “highly favoured” is translated as “made us accepted”. Are we like Ahaz or do we strive to be like Mary who accepted God working in her life?

7:17  Notice that God sees the division of the kingdom as such a terrible things that nothing as bad as that had occurred up to the time of the Assyrian invasion. Doubtless the people had become used to the divided kingdom – it was “normal”. How often do arguments that divide believers, over time, become “normalised” to the extent that they are simply accepted. Reconciliation never considered?

1 v.9,10 - The return is a strong element of the content of these 2 letters to Thessalonica. It comes through again and again. Surely after studying these books, we can be in absolutely no doubt that Jesus will return to establish that which God has promised for those that follow faithfully - eternal life on earth. This should sharpen our watchfulness. We are living, surely, in times when our watchfulness is more and more required. 1Thes.4:16-17, Gen.49:18, Job 19:25-27, Isa.25:8-9.

1v 3 without ceasing 5281 Patience is seen as a virtue which is to be developed in the Christ like believerLuke 8:15, Rom 8:25, 2Cor 12:12, Col 1:11, 1Tim 6:11, Titus 2:2, Heb 12:1, James 1:3,4, 2Pet 1:6 and many more places. That it is mentioned so many times presses upon us the importance of the virtue and yet how difficult it is to attain.

2 v.9 Paul worked with his own hands so that he would not be a burden to the ecclesia at Thessalonica. He had recently established the ecclesia at Philippi [16:12] and so soon after he had established the ecclesia there they send financial aid to the apostle [Philippians 4:16].

ch.1 - It is only the two letters to the Thessalonians where we find 'Paul Silvanus and Timothy' writing together.

2:2 The mention of being 'shamefully intreated at Philippi' refers to the details contained in Acts 16:22

1:2 In saying that he 'always' gives thanks to God Paul is reflecting what Jesus said about prayer (Luke 18:1). He is not saying that he prays for the brethren and sisters at Thessalonica all the time. He is speaking of a way of thinking about praying for each other.

2:3-5 Deceit and flattery are common currency amongst those of the world. The danger is that we might lower ourselves to speak in similar ways. The danger is that flattery tends to endear one to the person being spoken to and so the temptation is to flatter so that we will be liked whereas the requirement of Scripture is that we always speak the truth.

We should never ever underestimate the power of a good example, especially the one which says of the Thessalonians that the word of God was effectually working within them (2:11). These brethren and sisters through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ were allowing the word to work within them, and this in the midst of much affliction and tribulation (1:6). This example had provoked much response (1:8). These believers were being imitated by the whole ecclesial world. What a wonderful commendation this is. God willing, we also can be examples, we can be patterns for others to copy (1Tim.4:12,13)

A MODEL FOR BELIEVERS
 
"You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.  And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.  The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia - your faith in God became known everywhere." (1Thess 1:6-8)
 
If we suddenly found ourselves as the model for believers everywhere, what sort of church would Jesus have?  Just imagine if all the members of your church were just like you - what would your church be like?  Whether we like it or not, someone is watching us.  Someone is using us as a model to pattern their own behaviour on.  Someone is holding up our way of life as an example of Christian life.
 
The Thessalonians were good examples for people to follow because of the way they followed their Lord, because their faith was strong even against strong opposition, and they were active in sharing the word.
 
Let us also be good examples to follow for anyone who watches us.  Let's be followers of Jesus - more like him than we are like ourselves.  Let's strengthen our faith through prayer and reading God's word so that we may stand firm against any opposition that comes our way.  And let's be examples of disciples who spread the word about their Master.  Let's be model believers so that those who see us  know what living a Christ-like life is all about.

2:3  It appears that there were those in Thessalonica who were slandering Paul for what he had not only taught them, but also for his motive and method of delivering it. Paul answers them by pointing out that the message was the Gospel which came from Christ. The motive in delivering it was most unselfish, and the method he used was not unlike a father toward his own children, and that it was above reproach.(note V.10)

1:7-8  Maybe we think that communication in the first century was a little primitive compared with the 21st century. However whatever the communication was like the Thessalonica brethren were well known to all those in Macedonian. Do we think our ecclesia is such a light stand to the truth that all the brethren and sisters in the area where we live think of us as a good example?

2:6-7 In speaking of burdensome' and 'nurse' Paul is appealing to the language of Num 11:14 . He contrasts the burdensome of the nation in the wilderness with his concern that he would not be a burden to them and presents himself a the 'nurse' who is taking their burden upon himself. 

1:1 Paul, Silvanus and Timothy are found together in Corinth – 2Cor 1:19.

2:6 In being ‘not burdensome’ to the Thessalonians whilst accepting generosity from Philippi - Phil 4:16 – highlights a fundamental principle. Whilst the servants of the gospel can ‘live of the gospel’ 1Cor 9:14 – it is better not to be supported by those to whom one is ministering.

EFFECTIVE PREACHING
 
There are many different ways to go about convincing people of the truth we have in Christ, but the way Paul went about it was by far the best. He started by building relationships with those who showed interest in the message he preached. He did not expect anything from them, but poured out his love on them.
 
This is what he says about his actions as he shared the gospel: "As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." (1Thess 2:6-9)
 
Paul, Silas and Timothy were gentle with the new believers. They loved them deeply and showed their love in their actions. In doing this they proved that it was not possessions they were after, but that they cared for God's people. As far as it was possible Paul, Silas and Timothy removed anything that might possibly have a negative effect on the new followers of Christ. Let us act in the same way by building God centred relationships, being loving and gentle with those who are seeking the Lord.

2:7 ‘nurse’ <5162> is related to the word translated ‘brought up’ <5142> in Luke 4:16showing that what Paul is talking about is parenting the ecclesia.

It’s a lovely thought with which to start (and quite often, finish) his letters.  Paul in effect writes a prayer in 1Thess 1:1. He prays that God and Jesus will give their grace and peace to the brothers and sisters at Thessalonica. We may wish people God’s blessing, but the only real way of making that wish come true is to turn it into a prayer.

1:6     John says that no man has ever seen God. John 1:18. Our lives should manifest Him. Likewise it is probable that none of the Brethren and Sisters in Thessalonica had seen Jesus, but they had seen Paul. Hence he was their visible role model. People look at us also. Do they see Jesus Christ in us?

Paul, Silas, and Timothy preached in Thessalonica. This was the second place in Europe that the Gospel was preached. Philippi was the first. Paul wrote the two letters to the believers in Thessalonica from Corinth in about 51 AD.

1:4 Paul, because he is aware that the brethren have been chosen by God specifically prays for them. Recognising that they are special people in God’s sight Paul makes a point of talking to God about them. How do we view our fellow believers? Do we see them as special in God’s eyes? Or do we see them as irritants at times?

2:4 Notice that Paul’s message was to please God, not men. We must always realise that this should be our objective in everything that we do either in public or in private. The flesh is so subtle that we may well think we are pleasing God when we are simply doing something to please ourselves.

1:6    The   ‘much affliction’ may be a comment on the way that the Jews responded when the gospel was preached – 17:5-9

                                                                     Faith,Hope and Love

"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;"

Writing to the Corinthians Paul says "now remain these three; faith, hope and love..." Now to the Thesalonians he links these three in the life of the disciple.

                                                                Faith

It is faith that makes one work, it is faith that gets the disciple out of bed to go sow the seed with tears knowing that though the sky seem not to be promising, rain shall surely come and he shall not suffer loss.It is faith that gets one writing a book on the bible; though he knows not who shall read that book, he has faith that some soul somewhere will hear the call of Christ through that book. It is faith that sees one crossing continents to preach; though he may not know how people will react he knows God will call those he foreknew... How or when is not the question to answer, but Will He?

                                                                    Love

Love has more to do with fellow man, just as God's love with his creation. It is love that gets one labouring not just working, love does not have itself at heart but others, it fears to see another soul bleed when it can labour.

                                                                     Hope

Hope is the visible invisible that connects today and eternity.The substance that cuts through bleak futures to the brightest morn.It is not found in natural man,no, for it is something spiritual, something grasped only by those who are seated in the heavenlies in Christ.It is hope that says "go on" when the flesh says "i am tired." It is hope that says "get up and shake the dust" when man say "you better quit." It is hope that says 'wait the ripe time shall come' when man say "where is this Jesus of yours who promised to come and for whom you have lost everything?"

These three and these three alone, are the driving cogs of a Christian and are so interconnected such that one of them cannot exist without the other two, except in counterfeit form.The question to you and me is,When we work is it because of the faith we have in Christ Jesus, when we labour is it because of the love we have for God and man,what of our endurance does it stem from the precious hope we share?

2:1     Paul appeals to the personal experience of the Thessalonians. He had spent time with them and they had experienced the power of the word of God. They should remember that.  Past experiences are a guide to the certainty of future things, often.

2:4     Do we really appreciate the privilege that we have? God has trusted us with the gospel of salvation. Not only are we given the hope of eternal life and fellowship with God. We are empowered to pass that message on to others.

1Thess 2:18.

1:2      Here and elsewhere – Eph 1:6, Philem 1:4– Paul tells his fellow believers that he has been praying for them. However Jesus warned against making one’s prayers public. The resolution is that Jesus is warning against self gratification whilst Paul is encouraging others by telling them of his concern for them.

Dealing with sensitive issues

The whole of chapters 1 and 2 are an introduction to the letter and seemingly without much substance. Why does Paul take so long to get to the point? I imagine paper was expensive in those days and this is about 750 words, or three manuscript pages full of writing! Obviously Paul is extremely nervous trying to say the right thing. It turns out that Paul had been unable to visit himself and had sent Timothy instead. Timothy must have come back with a report of some things that needed Paul's admonition, but Paul felt these issues were too sensitive to tackle, hence his longwinded but friendly opening to the chapter. In chapter 4 we finally see what Paul was leading up to: "you should abstain from sexual immorality" (see 1Thess 4:3-8). Notice how little he says about what must be a serious problem in that ecclesia. The lesson for us is that some serious issues are very sensitive and must be tackled with utmost care. Paul knew that he needed to be there in person to talk this through with them and was making preparations to get there (see 1Thess 3:10-11).
 

2:13     the way in which Paul speaks of the Thessalonians receiving the word catches the language that Jesus used in the Parable of the Sower – Matt 13:20. An indication that Matthew’s gospel was available by the time Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

MOTIVATION

Everyone is motivated by something. Often it is something we need, which is why I go to work; sometimes it is something we want such as entertainment or rich food; at other times we are motivated by the fear of consequences, which is probably why we don't steal, murder or rape; and we are also motivated by hope for the future like when we plan holidays or special events.

The believers in Thessalonica were motivated this way: Paul said, "We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labour prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Thess 1:3).

Faith, Love and Hope.
To have faith means that we believe that what we do for the Lord is what he wants us to do. It is a good cause and worth while.
To have love means that the things we labour at in the Lord will not seem like drudgery, but will be a pleasure.
And to have hope means that we will see beyond the trials and persecutions that may happen now, to the glorious future we have been promised in Christ.

Let's line our motivation up with the believers in Thessalonica and be motivated to work, labour and endure with faith, love and hope.

1:1      Generally Paul, when writing to ecclesias, states he is an apostle – for example Gal 1:1 – but he does not when writing to the ecclesia at Thessalonica. Maybe because there was no fear that they would not know who he was not would anyone question his authority.

2:2        In saying that he was treated shamefully Paul is likening the treatment he received  to that which he Jewish leaders had showed to Jesus. Jesus spoke of this in a parable – Luke 20:11

1:10    waiting for His son from heaven – with the gift of immortality when he returns – is a little like the people waiting for Moses to come down from Mount Sinai with the Law – Exo 24:4.

1:5          that the word was preached in Thessalonica is evident for – Acts 17:2 – Paul on three separate occasions reasoned abut Christ to the Jews in the synagogue in Thessalonica.

2:2 So we conclude that what had happened to Paul and Philippi had become known in Thessalonica either by “word of mouth” of by Paul talking about it himself. It is probable that it had become common knowledge. So even this information did not deter men and women from accepting the gospel.

1:6 Herein is the value of setting a good example. The Thessalonian believers copied Paul’s way of life. In this respect our way of life is an example to our fellow believers. It would be a great shame if it was a bad example.

1Thess 2:12

“That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.”