Comments for June 7

2 v.10 - How quickly this turnabout can happen. What a responsibility we have to ensure that the generations following us if Christ remains away do not turn away as these did. Here we have an example of just how easy it is for a God-fearing generation to die out and leave nothing. Deut.4:10, 6:7, 11:19, Ps.34:11, 132:12.

2 v.3 - That the nations were to be thorns in the side of Israel was predicted [Numbers 33:55] and seen to be fulfilled twice in their history, here and [Joshua 23:13] It is interesting that the angel here draws together two passages from different parts of the law to make the point. This demonstrates that whereas the books of the law are separate and distinct they are all part of the one message. Though doubtless there were other times when this warning came true.

3 v.1 - The concept of God proving Israel is seen throughout Scripture Gen 22:1, Exo 15:25, 16:4, 20:20, Deut 8:2,16, 13:3, Judg 2:22, 3:1,4 The Psalm is interesting in that it shows the Psalmist desiring to be 'proved' - do we seek chastening? [Psalm 26:2]

3:4 - We too are surrounded on every side by those who God has sent to test us. We need constantly to look seriously at the example we have in the children of Israel and be sure that we heed the warnings that they didn't. It is him that overcomes that is saved. The temptations around us are God's way of providing the opportunities for us to do just that that we might be saved, not by our efforts, but by His grace. 1Cor.10:6-14

There are 13 Judges mentioned in the book of Judges. Of some we know very little. Of others we know something of what they did and of others we know something of their spirituality.

We might tabulate the judges according to this method thus:-

MOTIVATION

It never fails to amaze me how the faith and courage of one person can change and motivate a whole nation. Ehud is a great example of this sort of man. It must have taken a huge amount of faith and courage to go into the jaws of death, hoping that the circumstances would be right to see his plan through, hoping that he wouldn't get caught, and to have followed through with his intentions.

Ehud, with his outstanding faith and courage, killed Eglon, the king of Moab, the motivator behind Israel's oppressors. There was no-one there to help Ehud, no-one to come with him, and no-one to rescue him if he got into trouble. Ehud stood out from the rest of Israel as a man who was prepared to put his faith into action. But as soon as the deed was done and Israel saw that his faith and courage had paid off, they all rallied around him, followed him and defeated the Moabites. They killed 10,000 Moabite men, a feat that Ehud could never have achieved by himself. But if Ehud had not started the process, Israel would still have been in bondage.

We too can have the motivating force of Ehud if we just put our faith into action and trust in the LORD our God. When others see how God has worked for us their faith will be strengthened and as a united body we will be able to do great things in the strength of the LORD.

2:2 Here we have a composite quotation from Deuteronomy.
'ye shall … this land' Deuteronomy 7:2
'ye shall … their altars' Deuteronomy 12:3

So the instruction of Moses at the border of the land is being re stated.

3:5-7 This description of the behaviour of the children of Israel becomes characteristic of how they behaved right throughout their time in the land. It is as if being given the land was an opportunity to corrupt themselves. The same thing happened when Israel returned from Babylon as seen in Nehemiah.

2:6-9 Here we have the language of Josh 24:29-31 duplicated for us which shows that the early part of Judges follows on directly from the end of the time of Joshua. The two records dove tail together.

3:31 In saying that Shamgar slew 600 Philistines with an 'Ox Goad' we learn something of Israel's weaponry. An Ox goad is a farming implement used to prod the ox pulling the plough to make it continue pulling the plough. The implication is that Israel were not well provided with military hardware. We may remember that later 1Sam 13:22 in the days of Saul it seems that the nation only possessed two swords.

 2:11- 3:8 In these verses we have a brief, but comprehensive summary of the principles developed in the following history. A consideration of them, therefore, is of the greatest importance to an understanding of the Israelitish history from the death of Joshua till the establishment of the monarchy. 

Judg 2:10 tells of a new generation growing up, who did not know the Lord, nor yet the works which He had done for Israel.  What a condemnation.  Surely we must blame the parents  -  and then look to our own families and young people in our brotherhood.

2:10 After the death of the generation, containing Joshua and the elders, there arose a new generation that did not know Yahweh.  And so, Israel became the Wild East where everyone did their own thing (21:25).  Obviously, this generation had not been schooled in the ways of Yahweh.  The fault must fall with their parents, who are always the prime educators of their children.  Sage advice on this matter can be found in Prov 22:6.

 2:1 "There are certain things that our Heaven Father can not do"  When we heard this statement our reaction was "no-way".  But it was correctly pointed out that God can not or will not break a covenant that He has made. Our hope is based on the promises that He made with both Abraham and David. The fact that they can not be broken is a comfort at all times to all believers, especially when we consider how meaningless the word of those around is.

May I suggest reading Duet 6-8 before beginning these chapters? The angel which comes to rebuke the children of Israel in Judg 2:1-3 quotes directly from those chapters, and it really makes the whole thing come alive.  In Duet 7 God had laid out exactly what He expected Israel to do when they entered the land, and He also told them why.  Deut 7:2 "you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them".  How much clearer did God have to make it?

God delights in obedience more than sacrifice. We have a good example of this in the life of Saul.  God had told Saul to utterly destroy the Amalekites (1Sam 15:3) yet instead he spared the king, and saved the best of the cattle and produce of the land (vs8-9).  His greeting to Samuel was "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD." yet there was the sound of the bleating of cattle, and his excuse was "I saved them so that I could offer them to God!" (v15).  So Samuel said "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?".  Saul forfeited his kingship, and ultimately his life, because of his disobedience, and he hadn't even realised it!

Israel, back in Judges, had saved the people, had shown mercy on them, had made made covenants with them.  In everything God had commanded them to do they failed.  Yet when they were rebuked, they wept, offered a sacrifice to God, and thought that it would make everything alright (Judg 2:5).  But it wasn't alright.  Because they hadn't obeyed the voice of the LORD, the nations among them started to impact on their worship.  They started taking wives from among them, and giving their sons and daughters to them.  The slippery slope had been mounted.  The thin edge of the wedge had been driven in.  We need only to look at the drastic decline in the morality of Israel to see this, or likewise the drastic decline in the life of Solomon after he took unbelieving wives, or the morality of Lots family after they started living amongst Sodomites.

We can tend to live life almost keeping God's commandments, just like Israel, Saul, and Solomon.  We can tend to think we know better than God, thinking that we can please Him in some other way than that which He has prescribed for us.  We can tend to forget that God gives exact commandments for a reason - that He always thinks two or three steps ahead - for our benefit.  He wants to arrest our spiritual decline before it's too late!  We deal fast and loose with the commandments of God at our peril.  Maybe the greatest threat to us in our day and age is forgetting to remain separate from the people around us.  James says "pure religion and undefiled is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world".  We need to do both of these things if we are to be obedient to Him, and live.

2:7      We mentioned the repeated use of ‘serve’ in Josh 24. This is the first of many uses of ‘serve’ or ‘served’ in the book of Judges.  The next is in Judg 2:11,13 and then on through the book.

3:6        We have already seen that the latter five chapters of the book of Judges relates events at the beginning of the time of the Judges. At that time the tribes would not give their sons to the daughters of Benjamin – Judg 21:7 – but they, at the same time, are allowing their sons to marry the daughter of the land! What an inconsistency!

2:7,10-19 - the Israelites served God while Joshua lived but after his death turned apostate and were punished; God had compassion on them and delivered them with judges but they continued to return to their wicked ways. 3:9-11 - "Othniel" [according to Smith's Bible Dictionary "Othniel" means "Lion of God" (possible echo to Jesus Rev 5:5); in Strong's Concordance "Othniel" (6274) means "force of God"] was used by God to deliver them and he ruled for 40 years. "Ehud" [according to Smith's "Ehud" means "union" and in Strong's  (261) means "united" (possible echo to Jesus John 17:22)] was used by God to deliver the Israelites in slaying Eglon 3:15,17,21 who was described as being very fat and thus was perhaps symbolic of flesh/sin. The names of the other judges seem as if they are possible echo's to Jesus also. "Shamgar" means "sword or cupbearer" (John 18:11).

FOR OUR CHILDREN'S SAKE
 
Would it have been different if Israel had completely cleared the land of Canaanites and the remnants of their gods and altars? As it was, their faith was such that some of the Canaanites remained. And along with the Canaanites, their gods remained, and Israel left some of their altars standing.
 
For the faithful generation that took the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua, this might not have been a problem. But as their children grew up, the ways of the Canaanites that remained would have become a source of temptation to them. In fact, the temptations of the Canaanites developed into more than they realised, because whole generations of Israel turned away from the LORD to the gods of the Canaanites.
 
If Israel had done as they were told, completely cleansing the land from the Canaanites and from the memories of their ways, there would have been nothing for their children to see and no temptations to draw them away from the LORD. What was not a problem to the parents become the downfall of their children.
 
So, as parents and those leading the next generation, let's remove as much temptation as we possibly can, so that our children grow up in God's ways and remain faithful with all their hearts.

LEAD FROM THE FRONT
 
A leader does not push from behind. A leader shows the way. Othniel, Ehud and Shamgar were all men of action. Let's take Ehud as our example.
 
Ehud knew that Israel needed to be delivered from the power of the Moabites. Ehud did not call up all Israel, direct them into their battle positions and then shout instructions to them from the edge of the battle field. No. Ehud took the initiative and began the work himself. After making his own sword, he personally went out to assassinate the king of Moab. When Eglon had successfully been killed, Ehud blew the battle trumpet calling Israel to war. Again, he did not push them from behind, Ehud led the way. "The Israelites went down with him from the hills, with him leading them. 'Follow me,' he ordered, 'For the LORD has given Moab, your enemy, into your hands.' So they followed him down." (Judg 3:27-18) Ehud led the way by his example.
 
God needs leaders. He needs us to stand up and do what needs to be done. He does not need people to talk about what needs to be done. So let's get up and take action for God. Show people how God wants us to live rather than tell them. Step out in faith to preach his word, to make peace, to praise, to serve, and to grow in God. As we pave the way, others will follow.

3:6    The taking of the daughters of the Canaanites to wives produced the judgements which followed exactly as Josh 23:12 had warned

2:21 Yahweh was furious with Israel and vowed not to fight for them.  However, He allowed them to become schooled in warfare to defend themselves in order to prevent their being annihilated (3:1,2).

2:2 The call to throw down the altars was specifically said, later, to Gideon – Judg 6:25

Judg 2:11-13, Judg 3:7,12 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Was overturned>History of fulfilment. Go to Deut 28:49 to see more details of the history of Israel and its overturning.

2:1 The angel could have come straight to the people.  And so, why does the text say that he came from Gilgal to Bochim? The significance is that the angel came from Gilgal, the place where the Children of Israel:

-Camped first after crossing into the Promised Land (Josh 4:19).

-Made a solemn declaration of dedication to Yahweh (Josh 4:1-9Josh 4:1-9

- Were cleansed from the idolatry of Egypt by circumcision (Josh 5:5).

-The first Passover in the Land was kept (Josh 5:10).

-The manna ceased (Josh 5:12).

-The ark rested after each day’s march around Jericho (Josh 6:11).

The angel was probably the angel of the covenant (Exo 23:20; Josh 5:14).  He came from the spiritual high of Gilgal to the spiritually low place in which the Children of Israel now found themselves.  After hearing the angel, Israel felt remorse for their backsliding. They appropriately named the place they were at Bochim which means weepers.  It was probably somewhere near Shiloh.

2:16 Judges were divinely appointed leaders. They first led the army and then administered the affairs of the people.  Judges had jurisdiction over portions of the country only.  It is likely, that some of the judges ruled simultaneously. Their judicial power could not exceed the Law of Moses.  In the judges, the female gender was represented as well as male.  The fifteen judges appointed ruled for a total of 410 years.

2:17 Unfortunately, Israel did not obey the judges and went back to its idolatrous ways (3:5-7).

3:9 Othniel was the first judge.  Here are the fifteen judges in order (courtesy of Smith’s commentary):

First servitude, to Mesopotamia -- 8 years.

First judge: Othniel. 40 years. --

Second servitude, to Moab -- 18 years.

Second judge: Ehud; 80 years.

Third judge: Shamgar. --

Third servitude, to Jabin and Sisera -- 20 years.

Fourth judge: Deborah and Barak. 40 years. --

Fourth servitude, to Midian -- 7 years.

Fifth judge: Gideon; 40 years.

Sixth judge: Abimelech; 3 years.

Seventh judge: Tola; 23 years.

Eighth judge: Jair. 22 years. --

Fifth servitude, to Ammon -- 18 years.

Ninth judge: Jephthah; 6 years.

Tenth judge: Ibzan; 7 years.

Eleventh judge: Elon; 10 years.

Twelfth judge: Abdon. 8 years. --

Sixth servitude, to the Philistines -- 40 years.

Thirteenth judge: Samson 20 years.

Fourteenth judge: Eli; 40 years.

Fifteenth judge: Samuel.

Ehud, perhaps a type of Christ, kills the man of flesh, saves and sets Israel free. Judg 3:15 - the mention of a "deliverer" [Heb. "yasha" (3467) same word used for "deliverer" and "saviour"] perhaps echoes Christ, "Ehud" [(261) meaning "united or union"] suggests a unity as regards God manifestation (John 17:21-23), Benjamin (1144) means "of the right hand" (Psa 110:1;Mark 14:62) and perhaps echoes Christ being at the right hand of God though paradoxically Ehud was "left handed" [in Judg 20:15-16 we see left handed children of Benjamin who would not "miss" (2398 "chata" means "to miss" or more commonly "to sin") so if taken literally it means "to not sin" (Rom 3:23-24;1Pet 2:22)] which perhaps is an echo connected with Christ's never having sinned. Judg 3:16,20,21 - the "double-edged sword...message from God" (Eph 6:13-17;Heb 4:12;Rev 1:13-16) likened to the Word of God out of Christ's mouth. Judg 3:19,21,22,24 - V19 atonement made alone in the sanctuary (Lev 16:3,17); V21 the bull was offered as a sacrifice (Lev 16:11) and "Eglon" [(5700) name means "bullock, calf, calf-like"] was symbolic of the flesh (Judg 3:17), sinful nature (Rom 5:21;6:20;7:18;6:10) and the bullock sin offering; V22,24 no good thing came out of Eglon (Mark 7:15-23) which is suggested by the sword coming out his back and the servants assuming he was relieving himself. Judg 3:13 - Jericho (City of Palms) was retaken by Eglon and perhaps this suggests familiar areas of weakness/sin have to be fully conquered so they don't return. Judg 3:26 - Ehud doesn't die but escapes to "Seirath" [(8167) means "the shaggy"], perhaps there is a connection to the scapegoat (Lev 16:6-10) and Christ's resurrection. Judg 3:27 - perhaps we have an echo of the return of the saviour from heaven as the sounding of the trumpet is associated with the second coming of Christ (Matt 24:30-31;1Cor 15:52;Rev 11:15). Judg 3:28 - the "fords of Jordan" were the entrance to the promised land which perhaps echoes the millennial promised land when Christ returns. Judg 3:29 - "lusty" ["shamen" (8082) means "lusty, fat" etc.] men didn't escape suggests flesh can't enter the kingdom of God. Judg 3:30 - the nations are subdued, the kingdom established and there is rest.

Judg 3:31 -  "Shamgar", as mentioned before, means "sword or cupbearer" (Matt 26:42;John 18:11) and combined with a mention of "delivered" [Heb. "yasha" (3467) same word used for "delivered" and "saviour"] may echo Christ; an ox goad ["pricks" KJV, "goads" NIV, "goad" ASV (2759)] was used by Jesus when contending with the flesh (Acts 26:14).

Some of the above was gleaned from The Gospel in the Book of Judges by Ian Giles, pps. 49-59.

2:1 An angel had guided Israel through the wilderness - Exo 23:20 - and Gilgal was the first resting place in the land of Canaan - Josh 4:19 - so we are seeing a continuation of the work of that angel in the book of Judges.

2:6    Whilst we read that Joshua let the people go and they went to their inheritance it is evident that they did not immediately take possession of their land. The conquest of the land took all the time of Joshua and even then they had not finished the work of taking their inheritance. We will see from time to time in the book of Judges that there were still, after Joshua’s death, tribes who had not taken their inheritance.

TEACHING AND EXAMPLE

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up who neither knew the LORD nor what he had done for Israel."(Judg 2:10) Something went badly wrong.

The problem did not start with the younger generation. It began with the people who came out of the wilderness and conquered the Promised Land. They had seen all the miracles God had done for them. They had watched the walls of Jericho miraculously fall down in front of their eyes. They had eaten manna, had crossed the Jordan River and had seen foreign armies run for their lives. But once they became settled in their cities, with their new found rest from wandering around in tents, with gardens, vineyards and olive groves, luxuries of all kinds, and riches they had never experienced before, it seems that they rested up just a bit too much. Now that they could relax, they took it so easy that they failed to train up the next generation in God's ways.

We live in a similar society. No one before us has ever had all the luxuries, riches and easy life that we have. We need to learn from the experience of Israel and make sure that the generation that follows us does not go astray in the same way, but that they grow up to know the LORD and what he has done for us.

A BIT DIFFERENT

I am sure we are all proud to have been made unique by God - until someone tells us that we are different. Left handed people are far less common than right handed people. When my grandfather was at school as a left handed child, he received regular punishments because of his preference to use his left hand instead of his right. They considered him rebellious because he used his left hand to write.

Ehud was one of those unique people who was described as left handed. It is possible that because of his left handed tendencies, it was dangerous to put him with the rest of the "normal" men in the army. After all, he may slash the wrong way with his sword, have difficulty using a bow, and if fighting side by side would leave a weakness on one side where a right handed soldier next to him was also weak. But despite these drawbacks, Ehud was the man chosen by God for the task of breaking the bondage of Israel from Eglon king of Moab. God used Ehud's left handed tendencies to lull Eglon into a false sense of security. Eglon was used to watching for danger from right handed men, not from people like Ehud.

Like Ehud, God created us all with unique properties. We might be left handed, crippled, suffer from asthma, or not be that clever. God created us like this so that we could serve him in our own special way. God made us unique. Let's make sure we use our differences well.

3:24    ‘covereth his feet’ is not untypically taken to mean that Ehud was using the toilet. However a similar phrase in 1Sam 24:3from the context simply mean having a sleep.  Clearly the phrase here (and in 1Sam 24:3) is an idiom. However we must be careful not to impose our own meaning on such idioms.

More Possible Echo's of Christ:

1. Judg 2:16,19;3:10 - "judges/judge/judged"<8199> - Jesus will judge (John 5:22,27).

2. Judg 3:8 - "Chushanrishathaim" (<3573> means "their blackness of double wickedness" - perhaps sin defeated).

3. Judg 3:9,10,15,31 - "deliverer/delivered"<3467>.

4. Judg 3:11,30 - land had rest (perhaps this echos the millenial rest that Christ's second coming will usher in).

5. Judg 3:12 - "city of palm trees" = Jericho = the city of curse (Matt 21:8-9;Luke 10:25-37 - the law can't save but Christ is the good Samaritan who gives victory symbolized by palm branches over the curse of death when he comes again to repay in full).

6. Judg 3:15-16 - v15 "Benjamite"<1121><1145> means son of the right hand and was the weakest of all the tribes (Judg 20:16;1Cor 12:24) the left hand may suggest surprise and perhaps echos the pharisees were surprised at the outcome/aftermath of the crucifixion for out of death came life, the left hand may suggest Christ having an unfavored weaker hand prior to immortality, the left hand would be next to God as Christ is at his Father's right hand (Rom 8:34) suggesting God's right hand strengthening Christ and Ehud; v16 having the weapon on the right thigh would have made it awkward to use as he had no good right hand but it was God's right hand that won the victory (Psa 80:17;44:3) not Ehud's unfavored right hand weakness, God can make the weak strong and our weaknesses strengths (Exo 4:10-16;Exo 6:12;Acts 7:22). 

7. Judg 3:15,31 - "Gera" (<1617> means "a grain" and reminds me of the bread of life John 6:48-54;Matt 26:26) - this can be coupled with "Shamgar" which can mean a cup bearer).

8. Judg 3:19 - "Gilgal" (<1537> means "turning about or rolling" - could this apply to sin/flesh turning into deliverance/immortality?).

9. Judg 3:20,23,24 - NIV "upper room" (Luke 22:12-15).

10. Judg 3:26 - NIV "passed by the idols", KJV "passed beyond the 'quarries' (<6456> means "idols")" - Christ was tempted in all points as we are but he walked passed sin (Heb 4:15).

11. Judg 3:28 - NIV "follow me" (Matt 4:19).

3:25        Ehud relied on the element of surprise to make his escape. If the servants of Eglon had been more alert they would have not waited to enter the room and would, therefore, been more likely to catch Ehud.

3:28 There are three times that the crossing place on the Jordan is mentioned in Judges. Here  and Judg 7:24, 12:5 Clearly a strategic place which, if controlled, prevented access into the land of Israel from Moab. 

2:4   We saw –  1:1 -  that the people had no one leader. Moses and Joshua were now dead. So we are shown in the presence of the angel that the nation have not been left leaderless. They should have realised that, despite there was no single man leading hem, God had not forsaken them. The same is true for us. We have no visible leader. We have the instructions in Scripture as to how we should order our lives.   The angels are there ministering in our lives – Heb 1:7.

2:5     “Bochim” means “weeping”. So the naming of the town would always – or should have – reminded Israel of the words of the angel and their rebellion.

Judg 2:10 – Spiritual decline of Israel.

Joshua and all the elders that witnessed God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt had died (Judg 2:7).  The new generation arose that had not witnessed the mighty works of the Lord in bringing their forefathers out of Egypt.  Israel now turned to worshipping of idols and their neglect of the ways of the Lord brought judgements on them (v.14).  Their failure to drive out the nations left them subservient to six groups of people.  The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites became hosts to God’s people in God’s land! (Judg 3:5).  

In responding to the call of the Gospel, have we left the ways of the world behind us?  The Judges record warns us that if we allow the ways of the world to co-exist along side our commitment to the Lord then there is a danger that our worship of the only true God will take second place in our lives. (Matt 6:33).

2:10       The arising of a generation that knew not the Lord echoes the situation in Egypt – Exo 1:8. The end in both cases was similar. In Egypt Israel suffered. In Canaan Israel suffered. On both occasions because of their disobedience.

2:10     The generation that “knew not the Lord” were not unaware of Him. It is that they had no regard for Him.

2:8  This is the second time that we are told in the book of Judges that Joshua was dead. The first was in Judg 1:1. Whereas the focus in chapter 1 was that Israel did not take the land this chapter highlights the consequences of not taking the land. Namely that they served the Gods of the inhabitants of the land. Notice the repeated use of “served” in the chapter.

3:5 in saying the children of Israel “lived among …” we are given an insight into Israel’s thoughts. They had been given access to the land. Joshua had conquered much of the land. But no the nation are complacent. An easy life among the godless inhabitants of the land was preferred to serving Yahweh. How easy it is assimilate the thinking of those around us rather than hold fast to His commandments.

2:7-10 Human nature is fickle. Doubtless those who had seen the works that the Lord had done recounted those events to their children. In fact they were commanded to do so. However those without first-hand experience knowledge fell away from serving God. It is always easier to believe one’s own eyes when things are fresh. But harder to believe what others say.

There is, for us, a special blessing because we have not seen the evidence first hand –John 20:29. The fact that we were not there is no excuse for disbelief and consequent falling away.

PARENTS: FIGHT FAITHFULLY

There were certain nations God left to test Israel. It so happened that they were the ones that the Israelites did not drive out of the land as they were commanded to do. But the problem wasn't a big one in the days of Joshua. The Philistines, Canaanites, Sidonians, and Hivites were all subdued and didn't really cause any problems. The people that remained in the land only became a big problem for the next generation.

This is how the Bible describes it: "So the people of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. And their daughters they took to themselves for wives, and their own daughters they gave to their sons, and they served their gods. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. They forgot the LORD their God and served the Baal's and Ashteroth." (Judg 3:5-7).

If the parents had fought the fight more faithfully, maybe the children would have had more chance.

We all fight the battle against sin. And so will our children. Let's do the job properly in our own lives and be one hundred percent devoted to the Lord. Maybe then our children will have more hope for their future.
 

2:1  This angel is the same one that was sent to deliver Israel out of Egypt – Exo 33:2 as is explained here.

So we see that some angels, at least are given long term jobs to do.

3:9 The recurring cycle in the book of Judges is that Israel cried to God when they were in trouble and forgot Him when things were going well for them. Before we criticise Israel for this behaviour we should reflect on our prayer life. Is it consistent or do we only tent to pray when we feel we have a need for something? Of course there is nothing wrong praying  when we are in need but we should be praying at all times , if only thanking our God for what he has and is doing for us.

2:1-2  Notice the contrasts. God said, through the angel, that he would keep His covenant and never break it. By contrast the nation broke their covenant with their God. However the rest of the book of Judges shows the consistency of Yahweh in caring for His people.

v.5 - Here we have reference to the way that God 'bare them on eagles' wings' (Ex.19:4, Deut.32:11), and also to the Passover, where the angel of death preserved the Israelites by passing over them but not over Egypt. Ex.12:27, Ps.37:40. The two ideas are brought together here and demonstrate the overall power of God's salvation. We should take courage.

v.1 - ‘horses’ and ‘chariots’ were both items which Solomon brought out of Egypt [1 Kings 10:29] so the downward slide began early in the time of the kings. The king set the tone. If he could do something then the people would be inclined to follow. The point being that if one is prominent then one has to be extremely careful to avoid setting a bad example.

v.6 - like so many verses in Isaiah seems to be aimed at the gentiles and the way in which God will open up the way of salvation to them having given the Jews so many chances which they have blown. I am struck as I read it this year more than ever before at the number of references there are to the inclusion of the gentiles in God's purpose.

31:3 Israel never really learnt that the nations round them were but 'flesh' - they seemed to think that the gods of the surrounding nations were more powerful than Yahweh is. Consequently they regularly failed - through lack of faith. The gods of this world often seem so powerful to us. The warning is clear for us.

:8-9 This was fulfilled when the Assyrian army was destroyed in one night outside Jerusalem by God (2 Kings 19:35)

31:4 The Lord 'came down' at Mount Zion to deliver Jerusalem from the Assyrians (2Kin 19:35)

V.6 The power and the love of God, refereed to in the earlier verses, are the strongest incentives for returning to Him. Eze 16:62-63, Hos 6:1

V.5 What Yahweh did to defend Jerusalem against Sennacherib and the Assyrians will be repeated when Christ returns to defeat Gog (the latter-day Assyrian) (Eze 39:4).

It must have been really good news for Israel to hear Isaiah’s message in our chapter today.  God is stronger than Egypt, and will fight also against Assyria (Isa 31:3,8,9). Who in their right mind would look to men for help, when the Lord God has promised His help?  But we know what Israel did, don’t we?

31:7  The assurance that idol worship will cease is also spoken of in Isa 2:20. This helps us to appreciate that Isaiah 2 is, as well as looking to the future kingdom, speaking of the time of the Assyrian invasion.

V.1 Isaiah underscores the fact that it is the arm of Yahweh that saves Israel and not the arm of the flesh.  The horse is a literal, and figurative, instrument of fleshly power.  However, it is untrustworthy in the day of adversity. 

V.3 Egypt, the epitome of flesh, is a futile ally for battle.  Israel should have recounted its history when Yahweh destroyed the might of Egypt (Deut 11:4).  Subsequently, Yahweh forbade Israel to consider enlisting the strength of Egypt in lieu of His help (Deut 17:16).  But that command was ignored (1Kin 4:26; 10:28,29). 

And now, Israel was set to repeat the error despite the lessons of history and Isaiah's warning, plus further exhortations scriptures (Psa 33:17; Prov 21:31; Amos 3:15). 

Let us consider Israel's actions and put our trust in Yahweh rather than in the flesh (Prov 3:5,6).

31:5 ‘passing over’ echoes the deliverance from Egypt – Exo 12:27

31:1 The phrase ‘the Holy One of Israel’ is not an uncommon phrase in Scripture. In Psa 78:41 the Psalmist used the same phrase when speaking of a similar attitude of Israel when God had delivered them from Egypt and they still rebelled in the wilderness.

Contrast v.1 with the words of the psalmist (Psa 20:7).

31:4 Israel  is the ‘lion’ the ‘multitude of shepherds’ are the religious leaders and the message is that Isaiah will still deliver his message even though the whole of the Jewish leaders are standing against him.

V.:5 The simile As birds flying (KJV) is better rendered Like birds hovering (ESV).  The figure is meant as a mother bird’s protective covering of her young (See Matt 23:37).  Passing over he will preserve it (KJV) is translated he will spare and rescue it (ESV).  The inference is to the first Passover, in Egypt, when the angel of death passed over the houses of the Israelites to spare them from death.

Israel was at the cusp of being completely wiped out as a nation because of their disobedience to God. Assyria had invaded the land and subdued all of the Northern kingdom (Israel) and was now in the process of invading the South (Judah). The message in v1-2 is very potent. In other words "how can an outside force save you when it's Me, God, that's caused this to happen to you?". In v3 He strengthens that message even further.

Often in our lives, when we have inadvertently disobeyed God, He will bring minor calamities into our lives to help us take stock. Sometimes He will do this even when we are being faithful, just as a gardener prunes a fruitful tree. We are supposed to see His hand at work and put our trust in Him, confessing if we need to. But like Judah, we often pretend we can run away from God by hiring ever stronger, faster horses. It's the Jonah syndrome again. If we do this then things will get progressively worse for us as it did for Jonah and Judah (30:15-16). We get into a test of strength against God.

The answer is to have a healthy attitude of self examination. Am I serving God with my whole heart? Have I witheld something from Him that I promised to give Him (praise or thanks, service or a tithe are common examples). Essentially all God wants is obedience and trust. Whatever we have done wrong will be forgiven if we seek forgiveness in humility. And whatever test He is putting us through can only be removed by Him. Running to the world to heal our symptoms will only make things worse.

31:1 And so we return to the theme we saw in chapter 30 – going back to Egypt for help. Amazing as it might seem Israel looked to their former oppressors for help! Of course we are no different. We follow the things we say we forsook when we accepted Christ.

31:8   In Hezekiah’s day some thought to trust in Egypt who could not help and indeed was overpowered by Assyria but Assyria was overthrow without the intervention of men. So who would one trust?

31:9  Whilst this verse marks the end of the chapter it does not mark the end of the theme which runs on into the next chapter. Even though the daily readings deal with chapter 32 tomorrow it is worth reading on into chapter 32.

31:9   The ensign has been spoken of before in Isaiah. – Isa 11:10. It is the protective covering that God provides.

31:8    The way that the AV speaks of those who “stay” on horses is one of those occasions where the way in which English is spoken has changed over time. Whilst, today, we might think of it as people who remain on horseback in reality the word “stay” here catches the meaning of the Hebrew - “trust” as can be seen here Gen 18:4 where the word is translated “rest” or 2Chron 13:18 where the word is translated “relied”. 

31:6    The one to whom Israel were called to return was God. It was He who they had turned away from.

1. Isa 31:1-3 - in Hezekiah's day they initially turned to the Egyptian king of the south for help as opposed to God, in the last days what unhelpful "Egyptian" king of the south will Israel initially attempt to turn to (Dan 11:40-45;Eze 38:13)?

2. Isa 31:5 - "passing over<6452>" is similar to Exo 12:11 "passover<6453>"

3. Isa 31:6-7 - Israel revolted against God but this invited a repentant turning back to God and a casting away of idols; this may have happened in Hezekiah's day, etc., but it has application to the future last days.

4. Isa 31:8-9 - the Assyrian of Isaiah/Hezekiah's day (2Kin 19:35) along with the latter day Assyrian Gogian host (Eze 39:1-8) will be defeated by divine visitations that protect Jerusalem from being destroyed (Isa 31:4-5).

5. Isa 31:9 - (KJV) "the ensign<5251>" is future and refers to Christ with his glorious return to earth (Isa 11:10-12;Isa 6:1;Zech 9:14-17 KJV), but prior to Christ were foreshadowing ensigns (Exo 17:10-15 and Num 21:5-9 the sacrifice of Adam natured flesh).

31:5     The reproof for returning to Egypt draws on the words of Deut 17:16

31:1-9     This whole chapter is a reproof of the nation who, for a time, went to Egypt for help during the reign on Hezekiah

31:5  To avoid the threat of the Assyrians people left Jerusalem to seek refuge in Egypt. However the best place to seek refuge was by staying in Jerusalem as God was going to deliver His people. Here is another case of what seems best to the human mind does not take account of the working and promise of the invisible God.

WHEN TESTED TO THE LIMIT

There are times when we find ourselves tested to the limit. Hezekiah had one of those times when the Assyrian army was camped on his doorstep. He needed to rely on God, to be still and see the salvation of God. But being still and trusting is very hard to do when you are in a panic. No doubt his advisers were giving lots of well meaning advice, like sending to Egypt for help. Had Egypt helped before? Not really, but they looked like they had the best chances of defeating the Assyrian army.

This is what God said through Isaiah: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel! And yet he is wise and does not call back his words, but will arise against those evildoers and against the helpers of those who work iniquity. The Egyptians are man and not God, and their horses are flesh, and not spirit." (Isa 31:1-3).

We might think we can rely on many people, skills, health, possessions; or we might take comfort in food, shopping, pornography, alcohol, anger... But it is God we should be relying on and taking comfort in. Let's not go back to the slavery of Egypt, but trust in God and let him set us free.

31:9     The chapter division here is not helpful really. The next chapter continues with themes started in this chapter.

31:4 Israel has already been warned about trusting in Egypt – 20:4 – and now that point is made again. Egypt is only human.

31:3 the things we place confidence in may seem very secure and reliable. Be it our job, our pension or our savings presuming we have any. We really must recognise that all these things are transient and can vanish in a moment. We must be placing all our trust on our heavenly Father.

31:1-3 The counterpart to going down to Egypt for us is seen in the way that we often place our confidence and trust in things other than God. It could be the way that we think we are in control of our destiny, or the way that we think about our possessions. Bu the reality is that these things are not “God” They are, like us, transient. Egypt did not save Hezekiah from the Assyrians. It was his God.

31:6 Whilst Hezekiah was faithful when the Assyrians came against Jerusalem the people were not. It is they to whom the prophet appeals “turn ye unto him” Whilst other nations might have watched the Assyrians advancing from the north and taking control of large areas of the land of Israel. As a natural consequence of a mighty power in action the reality was that Yahweh was punishing His people in the hope that they would repent and turn to Him.

31:1 Life is simple really. There are only ever, in reality, two options. On this occasion the people “looked” to Egypt for help rather than looking to God.

Are we so different to Israel? Is there a lesson for us to learn here about where we place our confidence?

31:1 The warning is the same as in 30:2. The repetition is because Israel were slow to learn the lesson and so it needed to be repeated. Are we any better at learning the lesson of where our confidence should be?

v.2 - This certainly doesn't mean that we should enjoy following our own desires, but instead that we should joy in the enduring of these temptations (v.12) which brings about our eternal reward. The joy aspect is in the fact that God has seen fit to test us. It proves to us that we matter to him. Anyone who has been in this situation will know how much v.5, which appears not connected, is indeed closely related to this situation. There is nothing like the realisation of the dependence which we have on God to make us desire wisdom. Matt.5:10-12, Rom.8:17-18, 35-37, 2Cor.12:9-10.

v.1 - James clearly wishes to identify with his audience as he speaks of '... brethren ...' some 15 times. [James 1:2,16,19 2:1,5,14 3:1,10,12 4:11 5:7,9,10,12,19]

1:14 Whilst we might use this verse to 'prove' that there is not a personal devil James wrote the passage, by inspiration, for a different purpose.. The passage binds us all as sinners and explains that it is our own fault. The way that we think can destroy us.

Patience is a key word in the letter
James 1:3,4, 5:7,10,11

James 1:27. The word “visit” is an interesting study. EPISKEPROMAI  “1980” It comes from base words meaning to distribute, and to watch. A visit such as James is writing about here would have been to look out for, to help, and also to equip them both material and spiritually. A greater appreciation of the word can be picked up when we go back to Luke 1:68 and 78.

1:12 Enduring <5278> is seen again (James 5:11)  and encapsulates all that James is stalking about in his letter.

Vs.14,15 shows the role of temptation and lust in the act of sinning. They relate to the three-fold progression of sin described in Psa 1:1. Choices can be made at each juncture of this progression.

First we can choose to walk towards something unwholesome that attracts us. When we reach that destination we can choose to pass on by or stand and observe what is going on. After observation we can choose to either walk away or stay and sit which means that we are now willing participants in that sinful activity.

Walk = drawn away

Stand = enticed

Sit = conceived

Thus, we are reminded that the final result of any sinful activity, left uncorrected and forgiven, will bring forth death.

Please don't make the mistake of thinking verse 5 doesn't apply to you.

James 1:1 In writing to ‘the twelve tribes scattered abroad’ James indicates that he is writing to Jewish brethren.

V.1 Though James was the Lord's half brother (Gal 1:19), and the brother of Jude (Jude 1), as well as being the recognized head of the Judean ecclesia (Acts 15:13-21 , Gal 1:18-20). He did not need to base his authority on fleshly descent; he simply identifies himself as the bond slave of Jesus Christ.

V.18 - the concept of being born again.

V.26 - the importance of controlling the tongue

1:2 James is the only New Testament writer to mention Job – James 5:11. The mention of ‘temptations’ – ‘trials’ reflects the situation that Job was in.

1:21 The Word of God is sown in our hearts (Matt 13:23, Mark 4:20). It is an incorruptible seed that is sown (1Pet 1:23), and if we co-operate in the preparation of the soil, it can produce in us the "first fruits". This implanted Word is "able to save our souls". We have the identical principle expressed by Peter (1Pet 2:1-2)

1:12   ‘Blessed is the man …’ is one of the New Testament developments of the use of the phrase in, for example, the Psalms Psa 1:1, 32:1, 65:4, 84:5,12, 94:12, 112:1

V.1 James addressed his comments to the twelve tribes.  There are those who claim that some of the tribes had been lost over time.  James' statement dispels that notion. 

1:8 The unstable double minded man is the ‘wicked’ of, for example, Psa 12:2. This Psalm highlights the characteristics of such people.

A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). If we are lovely to members at the meeting on Sunday, and then horrible at work, or at home, on Monday, what sadness this must bring to Jesus. The word unstable is the same word used in the Septuagint for “tossed with tempest” in Isa 54:11. In other words we make it very hard for ourselves. Our young people call this attitude “two faced”. Don’t forget we shall be judged by the Man who can see both our faces.

The Devil

I. Believers (not a supernatural devil) will be responsible and judged for their sins when Christ returns.

II. The origin of sin is from within: A. We are tempted by our own lusts and our own nature is the enemy James 1:13-15. B. Evil is from within Mark 7:20-23; Rom 7:15-24. C. Our heart (mind) is deceitful, wicked and can fool us Jer 17:9.

III. "Devil" is usually from the Grk "diabolos" (1228) and means a false accuser, slanderer, devil, liar, defamer. There are also times a different Grk word for "devil" or "demon" is used and it refers to illnesses (often mental illnesses) not understood in ancient times. The word "devil" is never mentioned in the Old Testament and "devils" is only found 4 times in the Old Testament and each time it refers to idols:

    A. "devil" is a personification of sin, evil and wicked human nature -- 1.) Judas John 6:70  2.) women 1Tim 3:11;Titus 2:3 3.) men 2Tim 3:3 4.) resist the devil James 4:7; overcome the world 1John 5:5; overcome the wicked one 1John 2:14 5.) Jesus is referred to as a Lion of the tribe of Judah, but Jesus is not literally a lion. How can the devil, if a being, literally be all the following things? 1Pet 5:8;2Tim 2:26;Rev 12:9 (the serpent/snake, which was punished, was part of that very good creation Gen 1:24-25, the serpent was symbolic of sin Matt 23:33;Matt 3:7)  6.) other things can be personified too such as "wisdom" Prov 9:1; another personification would be "lunatic" which doesn't refer to a person from the moon but is the vernacular of the times and a personification of serious mental illness much like demon possessed in ancient times.  

      B. The result of sin is death and the devil (i.e., the personification of sin) has the power of death 1Cor 15:56;Heb 2:14 [the devil was destroyed and it would now be dead if it was a literal being, as opposed to a personification. If the devil was a literal being and killed how could it still tempt people? But, the devil is our sinful nature and the power of sin which leads to death, and Jesus (unlike God James 1:13, Jesus was tempted in all points as we are Heb 4:15) destroyed sin's power through a perfect life, his sacrificial death, and his resurrection to eternal life]; Heb 9:26. 

     C. Christ has the keys of "hell" ["hades" (86) i.e. the grave] and death Rev 1:18. 

     D. The book of Revelation is a future vision (Rev 1:1) thus the fallen angel in Rev 12:7-9 is a  symbolic (note the other obviously symbolic events Rev 12:1-4) event after the first century not to be confused with Isaiah 14 (Isa 14:12,13,14,4,11,16,17,22) written circa 700 BC which refers to the king of Babylon who exalted himself above the heavens and as a mere mortal was humbled. 

     E. Nowhere is the devil referred to as a superhuman monster tempting people to sin though it is convenient and comforting to say, "it's not my fault, the devil made me do it".

V.3 An athlete builds up endurance by working his/her body under greater and greater stress over time, as long as he/she stays with the program. And so, it is with the servant of the Lord.  The followers of Jesus will have their faith tested (trying (KJV) = testing (ESV), a better translation). Over time, more and more testing will occur. If the follower of Jesus keeps faithful, he/she will build up patience (KJV) (endurance), or as the ESV renders it steadfastness.

Paul likens training for eternal life to an athletic event from the Greek Games (1Cor 9:24-27). The disciple who endures the trials and temptations of this life by keeping eyes on the prize and faithfully persevering will gain eternal life (V.12).  Jesus said: But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved (Mark 13:13).

1:27 Whereas right doctrine is essential that doctrine cannot be seen in a man or woman who does not live the principles in his or her life. So without works of faith a set of beliefs is but a hollow theory.

CHOSEN BY GOD

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created."(James 1:17-18)

There is an old saying that often gets quoted at embarrassing family moments: "You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your relatives!" It is an honour to be chosen as someone's friend, and our friends should be honoured to be chosen as our closest companions. But God has chosen us as both friends and family. We might feel as though we have chosen him, but in actual fact it was God that chose us.

When he is described as the Father of the heavenly lights, it reminds us of the promises to Abraham where his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky. God is their father and our father, who chose to give us birth through the word of truth. What an honour to be chosen by God to be not only friends of God, but family. This truly is a good and perfect gift from God our Father.

1:6   Asking in faith is not the same as thinking that if we really believe that God will give us something then he will. Asking in faith is making requests which we know are consistent with his will. The ‘faith’ is believing that he will fulfil the promises that He has made and our knowledge of those things will inform us as to what to ask for and how to ask for it.

James 1:22

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

Backwoods philosophy states: “You kain’t teach what you ain’t never lern’t anymore than you can come back from where you ain’t never been.” We are to know the Word before we can walk the Word.

In the book, “Getting Through To People” by Jesse S. Nirenberg, Ph.D., he distinguishes on page 109 the three levels of listening. 1) The non-hearing level: They don’t listen at all while uttering “deceptive indicators of attention as, ‘I see,’ ‘Mm,’ ‘You’ve got a point there.’” 2) The level of hearing: They can remember your last two sentences, but “there is no real absorption of ideas…” 3) The level of thinking: This is the level where listeners “think about what you are saying.” It involves mental work evaluating it, comparing it, analyzing it, predicting outcomes, and making decisions.

To be “hearers” of the Word involves level 3, or “active” thinking. “Hearers” is Strong’s # <202>, akroates, and means, “to listen” with the idea of understanding. It is not just about hearing. If we don’t hear right, we are not going to do right, it’s as simple as that!

James 1:27

“Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

The word, “religion” is found five times in the Word, and “religious” two times. Nearly all of them have to do with some type of worship, but not necessarily worship of the one true God! The Pharisees were religious, and their religion was referred to as, “the Jews religion” (Gal 1:14-15), which Jesus denounced. Their religion was more a ceremonial observance, much of what we see today in the world’s religions, and has nothing to do with true worship, the true religion of the one true God.

Man-created religions are impure. Their word, “religion” is inadequate and inappropriate; it is not the vital faith of the early ecclesias, but a substitute for a life in Christ, an alternative to divine reality. It is organized forms of worship, creeds, liturgies and customs held together by the clergy, denominational leaders, and associations.

In religion we may say prayers, but never pray; we may have emphatic beliefs, but not believe; we may go to Church, but do not belong to the Church; we may serve the Church, but never serve the Lord; we may have a fine spirit, but bereft of the Holy Spirit Word; we may belong to a lively congregation that is dead to God. We may have a "Christian" religion, and not have Christ. Organized religion may create a holy atmosphere, without the Holy presence!

In Acts 17:22, “superstitious” is the Greek word, deisidaimonesteros, Strong’s # <1174>, and means to be, “more religious than others”! Paul perceived that the men of Athens were very religious, but their religion had no power, and had no pardon. Their religion may have been deep and sincere, but superstitious, nonetheless. Paul’s preaching brought few converts because religion and a life in Christ oppose each other.

James states one of the most important dictums of Scripture that, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17), and teaches us the crucial balance between the doctrines of faith and works. A pure religion means that our vision and perception have not been defiled by the views and ways of the world. Our words must match our actions. Words without works can fill no need. Religion will not save us, but a life in Christ will.

1:9     we do well to take the exhortation of James to heart. It is all too easy to think of ourselves more highly than we ought rather than to simple rejoice in the high calling that we have in Christ.

HOPE IN PERSEVERANCE

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."(James 1:3-4)

James is saying that when our faith is tested, we develop perseverance. This is described by Strong's Concordance as a cheerful or hopeful endurance. It is the same sort of perseverance we read about Job: "You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy." (James 5 v 11) Job might not have been cheerful as he persevered through his suffering, but he was certainly hopeful. His hope was in God's justice and in the resurrection. This is the sort of hopeful perseverance we need to have as we go through trials. When we learn to persevere in hope as Job did, we will be as God wants us - mature and complete, not lacking anything. It is by faith that we can gain that hopeful attitude in persevering, and faith is what saves us.

James also adds, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12) This word translated "perseveres" in this case, is a very similar word to the other two occasions we have referred to. It confirms to us the hope we have in persevering through our trials and persecution.

There is hope. Let's hold on to the end.

1:9-10  The way in which James speaks of the exaltation of the poor and abasement of the rich is not suggesting a distribution of wealth in the church. Rather James is teaching that there is equality amongst believers irrespective of their social status.

Jam. 1:27.

1:26    This is the first mention of “tongue” in James but he will return to the dangers of the tongue later – James 3:5-8

PURE RELIGION

Pure religion and undefiled is that which is sincere and genuine. "Pure" (James 1:27) is that love which has in it no foreign admixture, as self-deceit and hypocrisy. Pure religion has nothing to do with the outward showing, but has everything to do with a heart full of compassion.

In James 2:8, James would call it the "royal law", "If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself". The "royal law", is so called, because it over-rules or reigns over all the other laws.

1John 3:18 - "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

1:20  How true this is. When we are angry with others it is impossible to think in a spiritual way.

James 1:19

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”

Swift to hear: To truly understand an individual, we must be willing to listen to them; allow them to express themselves. James urged promptness in attending to what someone is saying to us. Listening affords us the opportunity for observation, concentration, consideration, and clarification.

Slow to speak: It is interesting to note that 1Cor 13:1 begins with the tongue. We are to pay close attention to what comes out of our mouth as controlled by the tongue. Without the tongue, we cannot modulate the sounds from our larynx. We could still make sounds, but these sounds would be meaningless communication. We are not to blurt out words thoughtlessly (Matt 12:37). There is an old saying that, “Many a man has had to repent of speaking, but never one of holding his peace.” Love controls the tongue that controls our speech.

Slow to wrath: Nothing is more damaging than unwanted, unwarranted, uncontrolled anger (Prov 29:22). This kind of anger is not a weakness; it is wickedness, a sign of a weak character (Prov 16:32; Ecc 7:9). If we cannot conquer our own spirit, we will never conquer anything else (cf. James 1:20). A righteous person does not anger easily (cf. Eph 4:26).

James set out these goals for us, which are absolutely crucial to follow. Instead of asking what sort of life we want, we should ask what sort of life God desires for us. His desire is that we be righteous men and women. A righteous life reveals itself through character (James 1:19), but before we speak, we must first learn to listen to God. To be great preachers, we must be great listeners (Rom 10:17). It is our choice; we can choose to be slow to listen, quick to speak, quick to anger, but this does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. All our evangelizing is meaningless if it does not come with obedience.

1:13     God did “tempt” Abraham – Gen 22:1 – but this is not the sort of thing that James is speaking of. Abraham was tried to develop his faith. That was not “evil”. That which is “evil” actually seeks to take us away from our faith in God, not strengthen it as indicated in the next verse here.

1:27    The way in which James writes about “pure religion” is not just a New Testament teaching. We see Israel, at the end of the wilderness journey being instructed similarly – Deut 14:29.

1:5-6  We read James’ injunction here and often, I suspect, reprove ourselves for “wavering”. Whilst it is good not to “waver” it is encouraging that James was inspired to write to brethren and sisters who do “waver”. Our Father is aware of our shortcomings and so encourages us rather than punish us for our weaknesses.

James 1:8

“A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Double minded is the Greek word, dipsuchos, # <1374>, and means, “two-spirited, i.e. vacillating (in opinion or purpose):-double minded.” This word appears only in the book of James. James describes such as being blown and tossed around like the sea (vv. 6,7). Christ spoke of such as trying to serve two masters (Matt 6:24). As such, they are unstable, akatastatos, # <182>, “inconstant,” or inconsistent.  We are either certain, or doubting, we cannot be both (cf. James 4:8).

To be effectual, we must be sincere and consistent in studying the Word. Careless study has led to many “new teachings,” that crept in soon after the Truth was re-discovered by Dr. John Thomas, and which both Bre. Thomas and Roberts denounced in no uncertain terms. It is still being spread today!  A hasty and careless study of the Word led/leads many to accept new teachings without independent study and verification.

Sensationalism gives rise to emotional “highs.” New teachings become exciting and is prideful in proving stalwart brethren wrong, but digging into proving and re-proving “old truths” is like slogging through the trenches. But, this is what it takes to be an overcomer, and not be tossed around with every wind of new teachings that come along.

The apostle Paul used “the whole counsel of God” when he taught (Acts 20:26,27), and he was Holy Spirit inspired. How much more must we resort to God’s whole counsel! It is so important that without it, we would likely perish and lead others to perish along with us (cf. Matt 15:14; Luke 6:39)! Paul left us a “form of doctrine,” or standard of teaching to which we need to be committed to (Rom 6:17).  

But, there’s more… We need to be very careful in our selection to whom we look for advice and exhortation, and like with the apostles, it is not about who they were, but who they are. This is a great responsibility and our judgment must not be based on our feelings. They must be well-grounded in Scripture, set Godly examples, those who not only know the way of the Lord, but who themselves walk in it. Do they embrace godless indulgences while preaching to shun them? Do they teach us to love while fostering hate? Do they teach to resist not evil while fighting tooth and claw to secure their rights even in a court of law? Do they teach us not to love the things of the world, while, themselves, are covetous? God abhors hypocrisy, and such will be judged accordingly (Rom 2:1-3).

We must be rooted and well-grounded in the Scriptures (Col 2:6,7), that we not be tossed about with every wind of new teachings, but the rather stick close to Sola Scriptura. We must be sedulous in our studying, shun profane and vain babblings contrary to what we have been taught by God, Christ, and his apostles (cf. 2Tim 2:15-17). We must hold “fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayer,”  whether unwittingly or not, contradict the Word and teach men so (Titus 1:9).

1:6   When James writes to asking in faith he is reminding his audience of Jesus’ words – Matt 7:7

James 1:12

“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”

“Some of Christ’s commands are easy to observe, others are not. It is the latter that forms the test! Let us think of this when temptation comes. In the kingdom all the accepted will be able to say, and will say, for the encouragement and edification of the nations, ‘Thou O Lord, has proved us, Thou hast tried us as silver is tried’ [Psa 66:10]. What pleasure will the contemplation of past victories then afford! Now we feel insults and injustices, though we overlook them because Christ has said ‘Avenge not’ – Forgive ‘seventy times seven.’ We feel the inconveniences and rebuffs which beset us in proclaiming the Truth, but we endure it because Christ has said, ‘Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.’ But when we shall stand amongst those who have ‘overcome,’ the pain will all be gone, and we shall look upon our trials as so many rungs in the ladder by which we have reached the top.”

Brother A.T. Jannaway, THE CHRISTADELPHIAN FAMILY JOURNAL, February 1926

Christ urged the necessity to agonize to overcome (Luke 13:24). Paul said, we are to crucify the flesh (Gal 5:24); mortify the deeds of the body (Rom 8:13) – these are strong words, trying and painful, but necessary to endure if we truly appreciate and believe in the promise of the glorious ending that awaits us (cf. Matt 24:13).  

James 1:26

“If any man thinketh himself to be religious, while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his heart, this man’s religion is vain.”

“HOW can ‘unfeigned love of the brethren’ co-exist with such practices as that of saying hard things against them, of wantonly circulating their failures, of cherishing unkindly feelings? In our speech let us be influenced and governed by the Scriptures, and not by the unlawful vocabulary of the world… Those only who submit to this counsel, and educate themselves on the lines of it, will be permitted to lead society in the age to come. The Kingdom will be no place for blackguards, whether they be such in actions or speech.”

Brother A.T. Jannaway, MEDITATIONS—NO 35, 1927

Christ spoke of a tree being known by its fruit and this helps us to distinguish the genuine from the fake. It is out of our heart we speak either good or bad about one another, and if our fruit is bad, our heart cannot but speak bad things (Matt 12:33-37; Luke 6:43-45). “Thy speech betrayeth thee” (Matt 26:73). Just as sure as Peter was found out, the words we speak, or write, reflects and categorizes who we really are. To mislead and falsely represent someone behind their back exposes our thinking and our true inner feelings, and defiles and corrupts us (Matt 15:11; Eph 4:29-32).  The quality of our character is known by the quality of our fruit!

Our motivation to guard our mouth (Psa 141:3), to keep our tongue from speaking evil (Psa 34:13), to speak only those things that are edifying (Eph 4:29), is striving for perfecting ourselves in this area. It is to purify ourselves. Our obedience actually leads to loving one another – “unto unfeigned love for the brethren (1Pet 1:22).

Christ commanded we love one another (John 15:12); indeed, we must love one another, as Christ loves us to be identified as Christ’s disciples John 13:35). If we love God, then we must also love each other (1John 4:21).  If we claim we love God, but dishonour our brothers and sisters in Christ with our tongue, then, we are liars and the truth is not in us (1John 4:20).  This is such a serious matter, and yet not taken seriously enough. One attitude reflects the spirit of Christ, the other the spirit of the flesh; the spirit of truth, the other the spirit of deceit; the spirit of love, the other the spirit of hate. Our behaviour, our tongue, will determine as to which category we fall in. Rather, may we provoke one another to love (Heb 10:24), because there is nothing in-between (1Cor 13).

Religion (re-ligare, from Latin), is about rebinding or reconnecting with God by our obedience to Him in Christ. We get our English word, “ligament,” from ligare. Ligaments attach bone to bone and without it all our joints would be dislocated.  Eph 4:16 gives us a beautiful illustration of the ecclesia of God, a body fitly joined together, bone to bone by ligaments, so that the body may work according to the proper working of each individual part causing the body to grow as a whole and for the building up of itself in love. Any other way, the body will be disjointed! Every part of the body counts – not 80%, but 100% (cf. 1Cor 12:20-27).  Without this kind of re-ligare - rebinding with God and Christ, what we profess will be of no use at all.

1:17 In speaking of the gift “from above” James is expanding on John 3:3 where “again” could equally be translated “from above”.

1:1 In Genesis 49 Jacob prophesied of “the last days” (Gen. 49:1) of Judah’s commonwealth and the last days of the Gentiles. The epistle of James (Jacob) draws on this prophecy giving, as it were, a progress report in the first of these “last days”.

1:11 in speaking of the grass withering James is reminding his audience of Jesus’ parable of the Sower and in particular Matt 13:3

1:6,8The one who wavers is the one who is also double minded. The double minded has two sets of values, so does the one that wavers. Such an one cannot place total reliance on God’s provision because the lesser standard of not believing gets in the way of total confidence in our Father independent of the outcome of events in our lives.

1:5 In 1Kin 3:9Solomon asked God to give him “understanding” which is one area of scripture that is being alluded to here.

TRUE RELIGION
There are three aspects to true religion. This is how James describes it: "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." (James 1:26-27).

Here are the three aspects:

1. Keep control of your tongue. Whether that is in self talk, what we say to others, or what we say to God, the things that we say and the ways we boast can deceive us into believing that we can't have or don't need God's grace.
2. Visit orphans and widows. This could easily be extended to anyone else who is sick or in need. Show genuine love and compassion to those who cannot pay us back.
3. Keep yourself unstained from the world. It's all too easy to slip in to the world's groove, to take on the world's philosophies. They affect our thinking and ability to serve God as we should.

So let us keep control of our tongues, look after each other and stay pure for God.

1:8 The “double mind” is like the one who is “wavering”  -  1:6. The point is made twice for emphasis

1:5 The word “wavering” <1252> is elsewhere – Matt 21:21  - translated “doubtful”. The doubtful one is one who oscillates between having confidence and doubting – hence “wavering”.